High School "To Do" List - Senior

Senior-year tasks

* Meet with your school guidance counselor early in the year to discuss your plans.
* Continue to develop your advocacy skills and to polish study skills.
* Learn about what faculty members in college will expect from you.
* Continue exploring possible college majors that are consistent with your career goal and your strengths and interests.
* Figure out how you learn best and how this will help you in college.
* Find out how to get accommodations in college. It’s a very different process from high school!
* Role-play talking with professors about your accommodations.
* Explore assistive technology that you may need in college.
* Research the resources in your state to find a college preview event for students with disabilities. If your community has this type of event, plan on attending.
* Role-play college interviews with counselors, family members and teachers.
* Finalize your “Going To College” portfolio so that it contains at least the following:
o Copies of your psychological and educational evaluations
o Transcripts
o ACT or SAT scores
o Your medical records (if appropriate)
o A writing sample or other work samples related to your choice of a major
o Your letters of recommendation from teachers and employers
o The current list of academic accommodations and auxiliary aids and services you may need in college (be sure to include assistive technologies)
* Visit colleges (start early in the year):
o Visit the college Web site and look at the admissions office to see when college tours are offered.
o Be prepared when you visit colleges to write or talk about your experiences.
o Admissions officers will provide information about admissions procedures and financial aid opportunities.
o Take your “Going To College” portfolio with you to share with disability service providers, if appropriate.
o Evaluate the disability services, service provider and staff.
o Talk with college students receiving disability support services about their experiences.
* Compare the various colleges and think about living in the campus community (e.g., housing, social activities, classrooms, leisure activities, services for students with disabilities and athletic activities).
* Apply to two or more of your preferred colleges — choose one that is a “reach” or your “dream” school, one where you expect to be accepted and one where you KNOW you can be accepted.
* Prepare your applications carefully, paying close attention to the instructions and deadlines. Be neat. Be accurate.
* When accepted, consider attending the pre-admission summer program (if available). It will be worth your time and ease the process when classes start in the fall.
* Take the SAT again, if appropriate.
* Send a thank you note to the individuals who wrote you recommendation letters.
* If not done in your junior year, contact the vocational rehabilitation counselor to determine your eligibility for DRS services while in college.

High School "To Do" List - Junior

Junior-year tasks

* Continue your involvement in school- or community-based extracurricular activities.
* Continue exploring assistive technology.
* Focus on matching your interests and abilities to the appropriate college choice.
* Research the resources in your state to find a college preview event for students with disabilities. If your community has this type of event, plan on attending.
* Look for college campuses that have majors in which you might be interested and the kind of campus community in which you would like to live.
* Identify the appropriate academic adjustments and auxiliary aids and services that you will need in the postsecondary setting.
* Keep a current list of the academic adjustments and auxiliary aids and services you use in high school in your “Going To College” portfolio.
* Consider taking a course to prepare for the SAT or the ACT test.
* Research how to get accommodations on the SAT or ACT.
* Take the SAT or ACT in the spring. Consider taking them more than once.
* Establish a possible career goal (you can always change your mind).
* Think about a possible college major consistent with your career goal and your strengths and interests.
* Learn time management, organizational skills, study skills, assertiveness communication, stress management and test-taking strategies which will help you get good grades.
* Learn how to set short-term and long-term goals.
* Learn how to advocate for yourself — not everyone will understand your disability or be sensitive to your needs.
* Gather information about college programs that offer the disability services you need (you may want to add these to your “Going To College” portfolio).
* Speak with college representatives who visit your high school and at college fairs.
* Visit campuses and especially service providers to verify the available services and how to access them. Or if you can’t visit the campus, take a virtual tour on the college’s Web site. Make sure to check the disability support services section of the college’s site to understand what you need to do to receive academic services and supports.
* Consider people to ask for recommendations — teachers, counselors, employers, coaches, etc.
* Investigate the availability of financial aid from federal, state, local and private sources.
* Investigate the availability of scholarships provided by organizations, such as corporations, labor unions, professional associations, religious organizations and credit unions.
* Continue saving for college.
* Contact the vocational rehabilitation counselor who serves your school to determine your eligibility for vocational rehabilitation's services.
* Invite the VR counselor to attend your planning meeting.
* Make sure that the documentation of your disability is current. Colleges usually want current testing based on adult norms, usually less than three years old when you begin college.

High School "To Do" List - Freshmen

Get to ‘doing’

Check out the following list of recommended “To Dos” to help you plan and prepare for college. Pick the “To Do” items that are most applicable to you and then consider putting them on a calendar or printing off this list and crossing them off as you complete them. You can even take this list to your guidance counselor, teacher or parent to help keep you on track.

Freshman-year tasks

* Learn the specific nature of your disability and how to explain it so others will understand your needs.
* Learn about your strengths.
* Learn how to participate actively in your plan, especially your transition plan, which is your plan to help you achieve your goal of attending college.
* Prepare academically by carefully planning your high school courses.
* Work with your guidance counselor to be sure that you will have the standard and verified credits you need to obtain the desired diploma.
* Prepare for and pass the end-of-course SOL tests required for verified credits.
* Learn how to use the academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and services, and learning strategies that you will need in college.
* Explore assistive technology and how it can help you complete tasks that are difficult for you.
* Ask your guidance counselor to teach you about the college resources available in your school.
* Explore career options with your guidance counselor and visit your school career or college center.
* Become involved in school- or community-based activities that interest you and that might lead to a career.
* Talk to people in various professions to find out what they like and dislike about their jobs and what kind of education is needed.
* Continue to work on the skills that are hard for you to do.
* Learn strategies to help you access the same course work as your peers.
* Begin a “Going To College” portfolio.

Apply to College

Before you get started, think about how you would answer the following questions.

1. What is the best way for you to manage multiple deadlines?
2. What resources are available in your high school to help you write an impressive personal essay for your college application?
3. What are some advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your disability in your college essay?

Application overview

The college application process can occur over the course of a year. Each college has its own application requirements, form, fees, due dates and acceptance procedures. It is important to keep track of this information in a manageable way.

Getting in

Initially, similar to a job application, it is important to look good on paper. Most college application packets will require the actual completed application, your high school transcripts, your college admissions test scores, a personal essay, a few references and your payment submitted by a particular due date.

Most colleges will have an application form to complete online. You will be asked to attach your essay and other information to the application. Your guidance department will submit your transcripts, so it is critical that you allow enough time for the guidance department to submit your transcripts before the due date of your application. Make sure to have a family member or friend review your application to make sure all sections are completed. It is easy to miss or skip a section. Applications must be fully completed to be accepted.

Choosing a College

Before you get started, think about how you would answer the following questions.

1. What are some characteristics on your “wish list” for college? For example, great sports teams, knowledgeable professors or small student-teacher ratios.
2. How can you find out the college options in your state or in other states?
3. What are ways to compare the pros and cons of several college choices?
4. What have other college students shared with you about their experiences of choosing a college?

Things to consider

Choosing a college is an exciting yet big decision! You need to consider what is important to you and take into account your individual goals, preferences, support needs and financial resources. Sometimes too many options can seem overwhelming, but the good thing is there are many good choices available to you. By considering key features, you can increase your likelihood for success.

You need to think about the type of college you want to attend. Do you want to go to a two-year college or a four-year college or university? Are you considering public or private institutions? You also need to think about the campus size, the average number of students in each class, the programs available, where the school is located, what services are available to students with disabilities, admissions requirements, costs and much more. You may not get everything you want in one college, so you will have to prioritize with your parents, guidance counselor and teachers what is most important to you.

2010 State of College Admissions

The National Association for College Admission Counseling just release the 2010 edition of the State of College Admissions. This annual report highlights what is happening in the world of admissions.

Although everyone seems to dwell on the most selective colleges where admissions is incredibly difficult, the average acceptance rate for 4 year selective colleges last year was 66.5%. And while most colleges (65%) did have increases in the number of applications last year, 29% of the colleges reported decreases in the number of applications.

One area where growth continues is in the number of students that submit 7 or more applications. Almost 25% of student fell into this category. Another area of growth is the 26% of colleges that accepted a greater number of early decision and early action applicants.

Another finding of the report that students need to be aware of is that 20% of colleges now place considerable importance on demonstrated interest when making admissions decisions. 76% of colleges said that demonstrated interest played at least some role in admissions decisions.

Next week I will talk some more about the factors colleges are looking at in deciding who to admit.

Counselor Caseloads

The following is a post and comments I made on a separate counselor message board last month. Enjoy...

Caseload

How are your caseloads configured? Does each counselor have a specialty or do you utilize the generalist approach?

BIngram · 282 views · 7 comments

Comments

Comment from: jlcnslrw! [Member]

At our school each counselor had an extra area they were responsible for coordinating information. There were 2 college counselors, 1 scholarship, 1 AP testing, 1 Military, 2 Careers, 1 for pregnant teens, and 1 for ESL. We were also divided by teams so there were 3 freshman counselors and then the rest were sophomore-senior counselors. I felt the freshman counselors should follow their students through, however the students were then funneled into different teams after freshman year according to career choices.

2010-08-21 @ 09:53:48 am

Comment from: jfrederking [Member]

We have two counselors who split the school A-L and M-Z. We also have a part-time School Assistance Person who handles all of the Alcohol and Other Drug issues with students. This person is a social worker with extra training on substance concerns. She covers the entire building for these issues.

2010-08-22 @ 02:00:13 am

Comment from: charger13 [Member]

Caseloads are determined by alphabet and specialty at my school. Each counselor has part of the alphabet order with one or two specialty assignments as well. 320 is the max.

2010-08-25 @ 02:06:00 am

Comment from: jknip [Visitor]

In our middle schools, students stay with the same counselor through 6, 7 and 8. At our Freshman Center and high schools, students are divided alphabetically

2010-08-27 @ 03:42:09 am

Comment from: mnewswander [Member]

Our caseloads are broken down by alphabet. The caseload max starting next year will be 350. We also have a college counselor who carries a partial caseload.

2010-08-30 @ 09:26:45 am

Comment from: gymkoof7 [Member]

I work in three middle schools. Our district cut back middle schools counselors three years ago so we now have caseloads of 5 to 600.

2010-08-30 @ 10:23:13 am

A Better Way: Part 4

Build in One-on-One

We grow greatly from one-on-one relationships. Yet, because of the expense, colleges provide very little one-on-one. Students criticize advising (and lack of parking) more than any other aspect of undergraduate education. At most colleges, professors schedule office hours only 2-3 hours a week! Colleges that care must have well-trained academic, career, and personal advisors, available in person and online. To ensure ample availability without undue cost, peer counselors could be used for routine concerns.

What to Do about Senioritis - Again

How to Get Excited About Finishing Again

Try Out College Early

If your child is interested in pursuing a subject further, and has excelled at her high school classes so far, she should consider taking a class at a local college. This challenge can help her avoid sliding into an academic slump, and stimulate her interest in the possibilities of college.

Another option in many areas is middle college or early college high schools. These schools, normally located on community and four-year college campuses, allow students to spend their last two years taking classes in both college and high school. Early exposure to college classes introduces students to the rigor of college work while easing their transition from high school.

Explore All the Options

Your child's continued commitment to challenge herself and grow will help her to maintain momentum, and make smart decisions about her future. Your child should discuss all her education options with her counselor to create a plan that puts her on the right track for success—throughout her high school years and beyond.

What to Do about Senioritis - Still

Helping Your Child Through Senior Year

Senior year is your child's opportunity to strengthen her skills and broaden her experiences, in school and out, to prepare for all of the challenges ahead. With your encouragement and support, and the help of her teachers, your child's senior year will help launch her on the path to a successful future.

A Challenging Course Load

Your child should take the most rigorous courses available, and be sure to continue taking college-track subjects. She should consider AP® courses, which can also earn her credit at many colleges.

Pursuing Activities

Your child's continued involvement in activities, sports, and volunteer work will help her stay active and focused throughout her final year. In addition, a great internship or career-focused job opportunity can help motivate your child to start considering her career options. Meaningful and significant experiences will help prepare her to make informed decisions about her education and career goals.

What to Do about Senioritis

Help Make Senior Year Count

High school seniors have worked hard for three years, taking tests, completing projects, and preparing for college admission. When senior year rolls around, some students just want to get through college applications and relax before they head off to the college of their choice.

Also known as senioritis, taking it easy senior year may be a nice break for your child, but is likely to do more harm than good.

Not only does senioritis jeopardize your child's chances for success later on in college, it can also affect her grades—and college admissions officers pay close attention to her performance senior year.

College Admission

Many students mistakenly believe that prepping for college ends after the eleventh grade. However, the senior year—the entire senior year—is actually of particular interest to colleges.

Applying

Many college applications (including the Common Application) require your child to list her senior courses, including information about course levels and credit hours. It will be very obvious to the admissions officers if she has decided to take the year off.

Many colleges also include as part of the application a form called the mid-year grade report. Your child's counselor completes this form with first-half grades and sends it to the colleges. It then becomes a crucial part of the application folder.

If Your Child Is Accepted

Many college acceptance letters include warnings to students such as "Your admission is contingent on your continued successful performance." This means colleges reserve the right to deny your child admission should her senior year grades drop.

Mary Lee Hoganson, college counselor for Homewood-Flossmor Community High School, Flossmor, Illinois writes: "It is not at all rare for a college to withdraw an offer of admission when grades drop significantly over the course of the senior year. (I have a folder full of copies of these letters.)"

College Fair Tips 201

Advanced College Fair Tips...

Check out the floor plan. When you arrive at the college fair, go over the floor plan so you will know where the college reps you want to speak with are located. Mapping out your route will give you time to talk with the college representatives from your top colleges first. If there's still time left after that, browse around other tables that catch your eye.

Pass out your resume. Handing out your high school resume at college fairs will show college representatives that you are a go-getter. College reps like to see students who have made the effort to compile a resume. Your resume will allow the representatives to see what kind of a student you are and allow them to take it back to their colleagues in college admissions for review.

Get business cards. Ask the college representatives for their business cards. You may want to get in contact with them again if you have further questions.

Attend information sessions. Many college fairs offer information seminars on topics such as financial aid, the search process, applications, etc. These sessions will give you the opportunity to ask questions about the college planning and admission process.

Follow up. Once the college fair is over, you should read over the college pamphlets that you received and the notes that you took. For the colleges that you are really interested in, follow up by taking virtual tours of the campuses and scheduling college visits.

To find out when local college fairs will be held in your area, contact your high school counselor.

Strengthen Your Academic Skills

If you think your skills aren't quite up to speed for college, don't give up. Take time to prepare yourself. There are many ways to get a college degree. You just have to take the path that's right for you. Follow these tips:

• Use test score information to see where you need work. Score information from the ACT®, SAT, PLAN, PSAT can tell you what subjects you need help with and what you can do to raise your skills to the next level. Remember, a low score doesn't necessarily mean you're bad in a subject. It just means you haven't mastered the subject yet.
• Work with a tutor to learn what you don't know yet.
• Take a summer or night school class.
• Check out study aids—books, videotapes, audiotapes and computer programs—at your school library, a public library, or a local bookstore.
• Ask your counselor or a teacher about ways you can build your academic skills.

Graduate Program Transfer Question

Here is a question from one of my readers...

Question: Is it possible to transfer from one college or university to another without starting my program over?

Answer: It is quite common for students to transfer from one school to another at the undergraduate level. In fact, some schools (many 2-year colleges) are designed to be transfer schools and offer only the first two years of undergraduate study. Their graduates often go on to do the last two years of a bachelor’s degree at another school.

The situation regarding graduate programs is more complicated due to the nature of graduate education. It is sometimes possible to transfer to another university after beginning a graduate program in the U.S. The policies, however, will vary by individual school; therefore, it is important that you inquire of the university where you plan to transfer as to exactly what courses they will accept for transfer. You should make sure to inquire about the general transfer policy as well as the specific policy which pertains to the school from which you will be transferring. It is likely that some of your previous graduate credit will not be accepted. You should choose the school you are transferring to carefully, and you should probably discuss this with your current graduate advisor.

Get to Know Your High School Counselor

While your school counselor is there for you if you ever have a problem, he is also there to assist you with college planning. Be sure to make the most of your counselor's help.

Why Should You Get to Know Your Counselor?

Your school counselor plays a big role in helping you with the college planning process. Your counselor can:
• Help you determine your abilities and interests in future educational and occupational choices.
• Make sure you select the right courses and are on the appropriate track for the kind of post-secondary education and occupation(s) you would like to pursue.
• Help you in selecting and registering for appropriate college admissions tests, and then explain the results of these tests.
• Encourage you to participate in college fairs and financial aid workshops.
• Give you information on different schools (entrance requirements, curricular offerings, costs, etc.) and occupations.
• Encourage you to visit college campuses.
• Teach you about early action and early decision admission programs.
• Help you create a timeline, so you won't miss any deadlines associated with the admissions process.
• Write letters of recommendation for you.
• Help you develop interviewing skills and encourage you to participate in college admission interviews.
• Give you information about financial aid, such as scholarships, grants, and student loans.
• Assist or help you find assistance in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Help you prepare for your transition to college.

How Can You Get to Know Your Counselor?

Because your school counselor can play such a critical role in the college planning process, it is important that the two of you get to know each other. Be sure to:

• Visit your school counselor early. You should develop a relationship with your counselor during your freshman year of high school. This will give your counselor sufficient time to get to know you and your family, and therefore let you know about any college information or pre-college enrichment programs that come up along the way.

• Visit your counselor often. Be sure to visit your counselor at least twice a year during your freshman and sophomore years. Beginning your junior year, you will want to start visiting your counselor a little more often, as college preparation becomes more critical. Visit your counselor at least once a month during your senior year to keep him updated and to ask any questions that may come up.

• Open up to your counselor. In order for your counselor to be able to assist you to the best of his ability and provide a quality recommendation for you, he needs to know who you are. Provide him with a list of your extracurricular activities, jobs, volunteer experiences, etc. Let him know what kind of occupation you are thinking of pursuing. Give him a list of schools that interest you.

Your school counselor is there to assist you in planning for college. However, keep in mind that you shouldn't let your counselor (or your parents, for that matter) do all the work. As the student, you need to be actively involved in planning for your future. Don't forget to send a thank-you note to your counselor at the end of your senior year.

If your counselor is unavailable, and most are not, or if you feel that there is more to be done or more you feel like knowing to prepare yourself for college feel free to read blogs such as this or contact a consultant like me to assist you.

Summer School Tips

When looking for a summer school program, here are some important factors to consider:

• How much of the summer do you want to commit to school? Programs range from five days to eight weeks.
• What do you want to get out of summer school? Do you want to turbocharge your academics? Act in a play? Teach young children? Learn how a political campaign is conducted? Polish up a second language? Work with engineers in the computer industry?
• Where do you want to stay? Do you want a residential program where you live in dorms with other students or would you prefer to live at home, attending school only during the day?
• Can you get high-school (or college) credit for summer school courses? Receiving credit depends both on the school where you take the course and on your home school.
• How much can you spend on summer school? If the answer is nothing, are free programs available in your state or school district?

Bottom Line

When evaluating whether summer school is right for you, the real question is what you aspire to learn and what type of summer program provides the best experience for it. For more advice and for information about specific programs, talk to your high school counselor.

Questions to Ask Your School Counselor – Part 2 of 2

More questions to ask your counselor:

14. What clubs and sports are available for students here?
15. What kinds of grades do different colleges require?
16. Are there any college fairs at this school, or nearby?
17. Where do other students from this school attend college?
18. What are the requirements or standards for the honor society?
19. Can you put me in touch with recent grads who are going to the colleges on my wish list?
20. Do you have any information to help me start exploring my interests and related careers?
21. If my colleges need a recommendation from you, how can I help you know me better, so it can be more personal?
22. Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now, so I can work toward them?
23. Can I see my transcript as it stands now, to see if everything is as I think it should be?
24. Do you have any forms I need to apply for financial aid?
25. How does our school compare to others, in terms of test scores and reputation?

Reality Check

Your school counselor (or even a private counselor) may be the most wonderful and accessible person on the planet, or may be juggling a thousand students and barely know your name. So remember that the person who has the biggest stake in your academics is you. It’s up to you to stay on top of opportunities and deadlines, to take control of your future.

Questions to Ask Your School Counselor – Part 1 of 2

Your school counselor is one of your best resources as you plan for college. Your counselor has information about admissions tests, college preparation, and your education and career options.

Here are some basic questions to help get your conversation started:

1. What are the required and recommended courses – for graduation and for college prep?
2. How should I plan my schedule so I'll complete those requirements?
3. Which elective courses do you recommend?
4. Which AP (Advanced Placement) courses are available?
5. Which Honors courses are available?
6. When is the PSAT going to be given?
7. Do colleges in this state tend to want the SAT or ACT?
8. What is the difference between the SAT and ACT?
9. Is this school a testing center for the SAT, or will I need to go somewhere nearby?
10. Do you have any after-school or evening sessions available for college planning, or the SAT?
11. Do you have college handbooks or other guides that I can browse or borrow?
12. Do you have a copy of the free SAT Practice Booklet, which has a practice test in it?
13. What activities can I do at home and over the summer to get ready for college?