The Key to College Success: Emotional Intelligence

High school students embarking on their college journey face numerous challenges, from the application process to adapting to new environments and academic pressures. Emotional intelligence is a critical factor that influences college success and overall well-being. In my experience, this is one of the key differentiators that can make a difference in how a student handles the demands of the application process and, subsequently, the university experience. This post delves into the importance of emotional intelligence for students transitioning to college and offers practical advice for college counselors to nurture this essential skill.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's emotions and those of others. It comprises key components such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills. In the context of college success, EI helps students cope with stress, build resilience, and foster healthy relationships, all of which contribute to a positive and successful college experience (and all of which are not only essential in the college application process but can also be cultivated). 

The Case for EI. Here are several illustrations of the importance of EI in the lives of students: 

• Stress Management: College life comes with new responsibilities, academic pressures, and social challenges. Students with high EI can identify their emotions, understand their triggers, and develop coping strategies to manage stress effectively. A high school student in the university application process would have benefited from stress management skills, as they would have been better equipped to handle the pressure of submitting applications, writing essays, and meeting deadlines. For example, a high school student could have utilized stress management techniques to stay calm and focused while studying for important exams, as well as maintain a healthy work-life balance by prioritizing self-care amid extracurricular activities. In contrast, a university student could use these skills to effectively cope with the stress of balancing a demanding course load, part-time job, and maintaining a social life.

• Resilience: Failure and setbacks are inevitable parts of the college experience. Emotionally intelligent students can bounce back from adversity by recognizing their emotions, learning from their mistakes, and maintaining a growth mindset. A high school student in the university application process would have benefited from resilience, as it would have helped them maintain a positive outlook and recover quickly from any setbacks or rejections. For example, a high school student might face a disappointing grade on an important exam, but by exhibiting resilience, they would learn from their mistakes and work harder for the next one. Similarly, a high school student who didn't make the cut for their desired sports team could use resilience to practice and improve for the following season. In a university context, a student may struggle with a challenging course or fail a project, but with resilience, they can reflect on the experience, adjust their strategies, and excel in future endeavors.

• Relationship Building: Forming strong social connections is vital to college success. Emotionally intelligent students have the ability to empathize with others, communicate effectively, and build lasting friendships and professional relationships. A high school student in the university application process would have benefited from relationship building skills, as these would have enabled them to connect with teachers, peers, and mentors who could provide valuable support and guidance. For example, a high school student with strong relationship building skills could have fostered a positive rapport with their teachers, leading to better recommendations for college applications. Additionally, such a student could have effectively collaborated with classmates on group projects, enhancing their teamwork skills. In a university setting, a student with these skills would be more adept at networking with professors and professionals in their chosen field, opening doors to potential internships or job opportunities in the future.

• Self-awareness: Recognizing one's own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses is crucial for personal growth and development during college years. Emotionally intelligent students can leverage their self-awareness to make informed decisions and navigate academic and social situations more effectively. A high school student in the university application process would have benefited from self-awareness, as it would have helped them identify their passions and choose the most suitable college or major. For example, a high school student with strong self-awareness might have realized that they thrive in a smaller, more intimate learning environment, leading them to apply to smaller liberal arts colleges rather than large universities. Similarly, such a student could have identified their strengths and weaknesses in various subjects, allowing them to choose courses and extracurricular activities that would enhance their skills and personal growth. In a university setting, a student with self-awareness would be better equipped to seek out resources and support when needed, ensuring they stay on track academically and personally.

• Kindness: Being compassionate and considerate toward others is essential for creating a supportive and inclusive college environment. Emotionally intelligent students can demonstrate kindness by understanding others' perspectives, offering help when needed, and promoting a sense of belonging for everyone. A high school student in the university application process would have benefited from kindness, as it would have fostered positive relationships with teachers, peers, and even college admissions officers. For example, a high school student who exhibits kindness could have made an extra effort to help their classmates with challenging coursework or offer emotional support during difficult times. This not only strengthens their own interpersonal skills but also cultivates a positive and collaborative atmosphere. In a university setting, a student displaying kindness would be more likely to participate in community service projects or join clubs that promote inclusivity and empathy, contributing to a more harmonious campus life and enhancing their own personal development.

Action Steps. With the case having been made for why EI is so important in the college process as well as college life, here is a brief foray into how college counselors can help nurture EI:

• Promote Self-Awareness: Encourage students to reflect on their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through journaling, mindfulness exercises, or guided discussions. By understanding their emotional patterns, students can make better decisions and develop healthier coping mechanisms. For example, a college counselor could implement a weekly group session where students share their experiences and emotions in a safe and supportive environment, allowing them to recognize their emotional triggers and develop self-awareness.

• Teach Empathy: Help students develop empathy by engaging them in active listening exercises, role-playing, and empathy-building activities. Emphasizing the importance of considering others' perspectives and feelings will foster a more supportive and inclusive campus environment. A counselor might organize a workshop where students participate in role-playing scenarios that challenge them to put themselves in the shoes of their peers, enhancing their ability to empathize with others.

• Foster Resilience: Teach students the value of a growth mindset and help them reframe setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. Provide resources and guidance on stress management, time management, and self-care to support their resilience-building efforts. One approach could be for the counselor to host a seminar on resilience, sharing inspiring stories of individuals who overcame adversity, and facilitating discussions on how students can apply these principles in their own lives.

• Model Kindness: Encourage a culture of kindness and compassion within the school community by setting an example and providing opportunities for students to practice kindness. College counselors could organize volunteer projects or community service events that allow students to give back and develop a sense of empathy for others. For instance, they could facilitate a school-wide kindness initiative where students engage in acts of kindness for their peers, teachers, and the wider community, such as writing appreciation notes or organizing a charity fundraiser.

• Enhance Self-Expression: Help students develop effective communication skills that enable them to express their emotions and thoughts clearly and assertively. College counselors can offer workshops on communication strategies, conflict resolution, and active listening, equipping students with the necessary tools to navigate interpersonal situations effectively. For example, a counselor could hold a workshop on nonviolent communication techniques, teaching students how to articulate their feelings, needs, and boundaries in a respectful and constructive manner.

Emotional intelligence is a crucial component of college success, which college counselors can help to develop in the university application process. As such, college counselors play a pivotal role in nurturing this skill and certainly can incorporate strategies to promote EI with students. By fostering emotional intelligence, counselors can help students thrive academically and personally, setting them up for a successful college experience and beyond. As with so much, though, while it may not be exclusively the role college counselors to cultivate EI, it probably is their role to make sure it is being taught to prepare students for university life. 

Artificial Intelligence & Effective Prompting

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently become a buzzword in household conversation as human-computer interactions have become more efficient and personalized thanks to the emergence of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard. One critical aspect of this type of AI is effective prompting. 

What follows are seven principles for effective prompt-writing, followed by good and bad examples:

1. Be clear and specific. Clearly state your question or request to ensure that the AI understands what you're looking for. Providing context or background information can also help improve the quality of the response.

   1. Good example:  "What are some engaging activities I can use to teach middle school students about the water cycle?"

   2. Poor example: "How do I teach the water cycle?"

2. Keep it concise. While it's essential to provide relevant information, avoid making your prompts overly lengthy or complex. A concise and focused question will generally yield better results.

   1. Good example: "Suggest three strategies for improving reading comprehension in high school students."

   2. Poor example: "I need help coming up with ideas for teaching reading comprehension to students because I've been struggling to find methods that work well, and I'm not sure what to do."

3. Define the format. If you have a specific format in mind for the answer, such as a list or a paragraph, mention it in your prompt. This will help guide the AI in providing a response that meets your expectations.

   1. Good example: "Please provide a brief paragraph on the importance of teaching critical thinking skills in the classroom." or “Please act as a university literature professor and suggest several ways a student who loves to read can explore new genres of literature.

   2. Poor example: "Why is it important to teach critical thinking skills?"

4. Request Step-by-Step or Point-by-Point Answers. For complex questions or topics, asking the AI to provide a step-by-step guide or a list of key points can help you get a more structured and comprehensive response. 

   1. Good example: "List the steps to create a lesson plan for teaching elementary students about photosynthesis.

   2. Poor example: "How do I make a lesson plan for photosynthesis?

5. Be Explicit about the Perspective or Tone. If you want the AI to adopt a particular perspective or tone (e.g., formal, informal, humorous), mention it in your prompt to guide the response.

   1. Good example: "Write a humorous and engaging introduction to a lesson on Shakespeare for high school students."

   2. Poor example: "Write an introduction to a lesson on Shakespeare."

6. Limit Answer Length, if Necessary. If you need a concise response, you can specify a word or sentence limit in your prompt to encourage the AI to provide a brief and focused answer.

   1. Good example: "In two sentences, explain the main goal of teaching phonics to young learners." or “Give me 10 examples of activities to teach phonic to young learners.” 

   2. Poor example: "What's the goal of teaching phonics?" or “How do I teach phonics?”

7. Iterate. Don't be afraid to rephrase or tweak your prompt if the AI doesn't provide the desired response on the first try. Experimenting with different approaches can help you discover the most effective way to communicate your query.

   1. Poor initial prompt: "What's the best way to teach math?"

   2. Improved prompt: "What are some effective methods for teaching algebra to high school students?"

Please see here for the above in a PDF handout.

High school college counselors play a crucial role in preparing students for higher education and career opportunities. As generative AI tools become more prevalent in various aspects of education and professional life, it is increasingly important for college counselors to teach students how to effectively use and communicate with these tools. As is the case with so much within the domain of college counseling, while it may be argued that teaching effective prompting may not clearly be the role of college counselors, it seems that, at the very least, it is probably our role to make sure this essential skill is being taught. We think that we bear some of the burden of teaching these skills!

That said, by incorporating the teaching of effective prompting techniques into our programs, college counselors can help students make better use of AI tools in their academic and professional lives. This skill will be particularly beneficial when it comes to research, collaborative projects, and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Moreover, teaching students how to effectively prompt AI tools will also enable them to become more responsible users of these technologies. With the power of AI comes the responsibility to use it ethically and thoughtfully. By helping students develop their prompting skills, college counselors can promote a greater understanding of the potential benefits and pitfalls of AI use in various contexts.

As generative AI tools become more integrated into our daily lives, it is essential to understand and apply best practices for writing prompts to make the most of these technologies. High school college counselors have a unique opportunity to teach students the skills necessary to effectively communicate with AI, preparing them for success in higher education and beyond. By focusing on the principles highlighted above, students can effectively engage with AI tools and responsibly harness their power in their academic and professional pursuits.

Behind the Curtain: April

This post is part of a series of monthly posts intended to assist a number of categories of educators with interest in college counseling. These monthly posts will provide a summary of the typical or recommended work of a college counselor, including providing a link to our monthly Cheatsheet, a daily task of 30-minutes or so for college counselors. In addition to these ideas and suggestions for those in the college counseling realm, they will also include some suggestions for those ancillary to this world, such as administrators, board members, etc.

April: The Downhill Sprint Begins

As the end of the academic year nears, there is a common sense of things as begin frenetic in college counseling offices. While I cannot cite my source, the time between spring break and graduation was once explained to me as being a “downhill sprint” for college counselors. There is so much going on that requires our attention, presence, and focus along with an increasing number of events and celebrations, not to mention a typically lengthy span of time with no vacations. The end of the year can be very intense, and April seems to be the start of it. Back to the downhill sprint metaphor, the point is that we will all get to the bottom of the hill (graduation/summer vacation) one way or the other. We can only hope to keep our feet beneath us. 

What follows are some of the topics and concepts that are (or ought to be) on the to-do list of college counselors this month:

• Setting the Seniors Loose. During this span of time, most seniors applying to North American and European destinations will have learned of their results, and so, the role of the college counselor tends to be in assisting with making the final decision. At the same time, college counselors are obligated to assist these students as well with finding their way to a successful conclusion to high school and a successful start to college. Transition programming often begins as the end of the school year comes within sight.

• Getting the Juniors Started. While many college counseling offices will have begun working with the juniors previously, it tends to be in April that the work starts to mount. Often teacher letters of recommendation, drafts of essays, initial college lists, parent meetings, etc all come due this month.

• Perspective. April often also sees a number of other responsibilities in regards to younger classes – such as those dealing with course selection processes – and broader administrative tasks – such as board reports, etc. There is much to keep busy with here.

• College Counseling Cheatsheet. The Cheatsheet provides roughly 30-minute or less tasks that appear on your calendar each weekday and that are designed to improve your counseling practice. From tips to strategies to reminders, this can help you stay organized.

• Seek help. Consider the ways that we here at Lamplighter might be able to assist. Take a look at what we might be able to offer. 

Suggestions for Admin:

• Support Down Time. As the downhill spring begins, it is enormously helpful for administration to do what it can to protect college counselors from being overwhelmed and overburdened. This really comes to light if an administrator were to ask college counselors how much work they are doing away from school, in the evenings and on the weekends. It is helpful to understand this and to do whatever you might to curb it for the sake of college counselors’ wellness.

• Support the Wind Down. There is much that must be done as graduation nears and students ready to disappear from campus. The more administration can step in to assist, whether by tracking down students or collecting information, the more smoothly this process can unfold.

• Understand the Results. It is enormously important for administrators to understand not only the results that the current senior class is yielding but also why, in the perspective of the college counseling office, these results came about. Ask questions! 

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to incorporate and share others’ feedback.

Behind the Curtain: February

This post is part of a series of monthly posts intended to assist a number of categories of educators with interest in college counseling. These monthly posts will provide a summary of the typical or recommended work of a college counselor, including providing a link to our monthly Cheatsheet, a daily task of 30-minutes or so for college counselors. In addition to these ideas and suggestions for those in the college counseling realm, they will also include some suggestions for those ancillary to this world, such as administrators, board members, etc.

February: Wrapping Up & Kicking Off

The month of February is an extension of January during which college counselors are typically straddling the worlds of their seniors and their juniors. On the one hand, the seniors are wrapping up applications and mostly waiting for results, while, on the other, the juniors are typically kicking off the most intense phase of their college counseling programming. And the college counselor is there for both constituencies. Add to the mix that February is often a time of increased parental involvement for both groups — the seniors as results begin to trickle in, and juniors as the process really kicks in — the life of the college counselor can be chaotic. Finally, while so much of the process for the seniors thus far has included outreach by the college counselor to universities, the roles reverse somewhat as universities reach out to solicit counselors for missing documents, additional explanations, and the like.

What follows are some of the topics and concepts that are (or ought to be) on the to-do list of college counselors this month:

• Finalize Senior Plans. With the exception of places like Australia, Singapore, and a handful of other destinations around the world, most current, final-year students will be wrapping up their application submissions while simultaneously receiving the first large wave of admissions decisions. College Counselors, as such, are busy at work guiding these students through all of this.

• Combat Inertia. We included this last month, but the battle wages on. At many schools, the time after the holiday break (often second semester for northern hemisphere academic calendars) begins a steady decline in motivation for seniors. Whether they have been admitted to university or not, students often suffer with maintaining their momentum, and, consequently, college counselors are called upon to assist teachers, advisors, admin, parents, and others in keeping seniors working hard so as to finish the year strong. 

• Junior Attention. The grade 11 students are likely beginning more regular, formal programming — often the form of college counseling classes — during this period of time. With the additional attention comes additional questions, concerns, and anxieties by students and parents alike. College counselors are focused on initiating this stage of the college process with firm footing. 

• College Counseling Cheatsheet. The Cheatsheet provides roughly 30-minute or less tasks that appear on your calendar each weekday and that are designed to improve your counseling practice. From tips to strategies to reminders, this can help you stay organized.

• Seek help. Consider the ways that we here at Lamplighter might be able to assist. Take a look at what we might be able to offer. 

Suggestions for Admin:

• Understand Student Perspectives. Between the differentiated situations of the seniors and the juniors — not to mention the sophomores and freshmen — February is a great time for administrators to connect with college counselors to understand the specific pressures and challenges and advantages encountered by each class of students. Possessing a firm understanding of all that is going on in the lives of these students during this time of the year typically leads to a more engaged understanding later on.

• Anticipate the Road Ahead. While understanding the current status of each grade is a great opportunity for February, this is also an important time for administrators to get a sense of what might be coming down the pike in terms of admissions results and establishing proactively plans to support students and parents. With some results coming in and some sense of the admissions landscape, college counselors can often be frighteningly accurate in predicting potential outcomes. Preparing to circle the wagons during February is time well-spent.

• Feedback and Planning. In this interstitial time in programming — as college counselors move between finishing up a process and beginning it over again — there is an opportunity for administration to provide feedback and suggestions for programming moving forward into the new cycle. Personally, I have always appreciated the perspective of administrators who have access to some anecdotal feedback — often in the form of related conversations — despite not necessarily being experts in the content. I remember hearing once from an administrator that he felt a particular office I worked in needed to do more parent programming just to increase familiarity. We did, and it worked like a charm, although it was a solution we had not considered. Regardless, February is a great time for this sort of conversation and feedback.

• Express Appreciation. Let your counselors know how much you appreciate their work!

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to incorporate and share others’ feedback. 

Behind the Curtain: January

This post is part of a series of monthly posts intended to assist a number of categories of educators with interest in college counseling. These monthly posts will provide a summary of the typical or recommended work of a college counselor, including providing a link to our monthly Cheatsheet, a daily task of 30-minutes or so for college counselors. In addition to these ideas and suggestions for those in the college counseling realm, they will also include some suggestions for those ancillary to this world, such as administrators, board members, etc.

January: Regrouping & Moving On. 

College Counseling is a strange beast in the world of education. On one hand, like teachers reteaching the same course annually, we college counselors are constantly engaged in some part of the same cycle; however, on the other, college counselors must begin the cycle anew before having finished the previous one, resulting, as some colleagues explain it, in our own, unique brand of schizophrenia! In this way, arguably no month is more fraught with the pull between the present and the future than January as we seek to wrap up the stressful and complicated submission process with the current seniors while beginning the process in earnest with the juniors. 

What follows are some of the topics and concepts that are (or ought to be) on the to-do list of college counselors this month:

• Wrap-up Applications. If they are mostly focused on the more selective institutions within the USA, seniors should mostly be done with submitting applications; however, especially if they are exploring other locations around the globe or are continuing to develop the balance of their list, many are potentially still applying. As such, this month often includes a hefty dose of final application submissions for counselors. 

• Track Down Results. While seniors can often seem entirely dependent upon college counselors through the stages leading up to the submissions of applications, once the applications are off, tracking down results can be a burden for counselors! Many results may have come in over the break – and January has its own fair share of new results being released – and so counselors often need to carve time out to track down how their beloved seniors have fared!

• Combat Inertia. At many schools, the time after the holiday break begins a steady decline in motivation for seniors. Whether they have been admitted to university or not, students often suffer with maintaining their momentum, and, consequently, college counselors are called upon to assist teachers, advisors, admin, parents, and others in keeping seniors working hard so as to finish the year strong. 

• Begin Again. Although the seniors are not yet finished with their process, generally January affords somewhat of a reprieve from the demands of the application season for the seniors to allow counselors to focus on starting up with the juniors. While formal meetings may begin in January, the month is a great time for counselors to revisit their plans for the process as they see it unfolding before them with the next batch of students. 

• College Counseling Cheatsheet. The Cheatsheet provides roughly 30-minute or less tasks that appear on your calendar each weekday and that are designed to improve your counseling practice. From tips to strategies to reminders, this can help you stay organized.

• Seek help. Consider the ways that we here at Lamplighter might be able to assist. Take a look at what we might be able to offer. 

Suggestions for Admin:

• Engage in Discussion of Change. January is an ideal time for administrators, who do not spend their days in the throes of the college counseling world, to engage in discussion with the college counseling team about what has changed, what is in flux, and what is staying the same in the process. Possessing an understanding of the changing and dynamic nature of the college counseling process is an important component of supporting college counseling offices and students alike. It is especially helpful for college counselors when administrators understand the changing demands on the office and are therefore able to support and adjust supports accordingly. 

• Troubleshoot & Anticipate Challenges. Each class of students possesses its own unique personality and history, and January is often a great time for administrators to lay out the particular defining qualities of the junior class with the college counseling office, particularly if their model is one where they do not begin working with the students in earnest until now. Particularly helpful is understanding high flyers, challenging parents, difficult situations (including disciplinary scenarios, especially if they must be reported), and the like. 

• Goal Reflection. While I have seldom encountered cyclical goal-setting processes that align with the advent of the college counselors’ work with the juniors, it is not a bad idea to engage in some reflecting on goals for the new cohort. That said, if this does not align with the goal-setting model, January is a great time to revisit more traditional, annual goals aligning with the academic calendar. 

• Express Appreciation. Let your counselors know how much you appreciate their work!

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to incorporate and share others’ feedback. 

Behind the Curtain: December

This post is part of a series of monthly posts intended to assist a number of categories of educators with interest in college counseling. These monthly posts will provide a summary of the typical or recommended work of a college counselor, including providing a link to our monthly Cheatsheet, a daily task of 30-minutes or so for college counselors. In addition to these ideas and suggestions for those in the college counseling realm, they will also include some suggestions for those ancillary to this world, such as administrators, board members, etc.

December: The Highs & The Lows. 

In the realm of college counseling, the month of December, despite being truncated for most due to the holidays at the end of the month, can be one of the most precarious to navigate. With some major scholarship and US state school application deadlines to begin the month, things are closely followed by the release of many early action and early decision application results mid-month before -- again, for many -- sending students off on holiday ostensibly with plans for them to submit applications. This month combines a need for human management with a lot of the rote work of the job in a way that can be exhausting. At least one colleague refers to the week leading into the holiday break as the worst week of the year between helping students navigate acceptances, denies, and deferrals while also trying to get as much of the paperwork done so as to be able to enjoy some of the vacation. It’s a lot! 

What follows are some of the topics and concepts that are (or ought to be) on the to-do list of college counselors this month:

• Communicate Availability. As college counselors, be sure to set a concrete plan for communicating your availability over your vacation. I have worked at schools with varying degrees of expectations, so it also makes sense to solicit approval from supervisors. A best practice is to use email away messages to indicate how an individual -- student, parent, alum, or university -- can proceed with contacting you and how long they may need to wait to receive a response. Then it is essential to communicate this proactively to your community. 

• Contact Colleges. December is an important time to make sure that college counselors are connecting with college representatives. While many schools no longer do formal, traditional “counselors calls,” many will share lots of helpful information if you take the time to reach out and set up a call or a Zoom.

• Tie Up Loose Ends. Track down those seniors and get them to report results and update those final college lists before the break. It is generally a good idea to submit regular decision materials within a time frame when you can ask the seniors to check. Be sure to track down results that you know have been released but perhaps not yet shared with you. 

• Finish Starting Plans for After Break. While so much of our attention can be spent trying to get things situated to be able to leave for the vacation, it makes good sense to focus time on making sure that you are able to to return from break successfully as well. What plans can you put in place now for your return that will save you time over break or when you return?

• College Counseling Cheatsheet. The Cheatsheet provides roughly 30-minute or less tasks that appear on your calendar each weekday and that are designed to improve your counseling practice. From tips to strategies to reminders, this can help you stay organized.

• Seek help. Consider the ways that we here at Lamplighter might be able to assist. Take a look at what we might be able to offer. 

Suggestions for Admin:

• Protect Counselors’ Time Off. This is a tricky topics for many schools as they seek to categorize counselors. Do they work over breaks? Is that an expectation? If so, do they get compensated for their reduced vacation time and expanded work year? (This is true for holidays as well as the June-August time period. Regardless of the policy, it is essential to communicate expectations clearly and then to stand by the expectations. 

• Express Appreciation. It’s been a long semester! Let your counselors know how much you appreciate their work!

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to incorporate and share others’ feedback. 

Behind the Curtain: November

This post is part of a series of monthly posts intended to assist a number of categories of educators with interest in college counseling. These monthly posts will provide a summary of the typical or recommended work of a college counselor, including providing a link to our monthly Cheatsheet, a daily task of 30-minutes or so for college counselors. In addition to these ideas and suggestions for those in the college counseling realm, they will also include some suggestions for those ancillary to this world, such as administrators, board members, etc.

November: A Deceptive Dichotomy. 

For a college counselor, November generally signals a certain return to calm after the chaos and turmoil of all that leads into the large November 1 submission deadlines for US schools offering Early Decision and Early Action. This time can be deceptively disarming, though, as there is plenty of work still to do. We like to think about it as a dichotomy in terms of work output. When a student has submitted his or her first application, the college counselor has completed 90-95% of the work that needs to be completed for any subsequent application; for counselors, the remaining work of submission, depending upon your software, platform, or process, is a matter of mere minutes usually. However, depending upon the remaining universities and their various and varying application requirements, the student may have only completed 50% of each remaining application! Complicating this is the challenge of getting high school students, with their still-developing prefrontal cortexes, to think and plan ahead about those remaining applications, especially those with deadlines far off in the distance. For college counselors, this tends to be the challenges of this time of year. 

In light of this, here are some of the topics and concepts that should be occupying the to-do list of college counselors this month:

• Remaining Deadlines. Students tend to be motivated by deadlines, and there are still many coming up this month, with the University of California apps due in November, with schools like USC and Boston University with scholarship deadlines at the end of the month, and with all evidence suggesting international applicants to Canada and the UK needing to apply by the end of November. These applications still need counselor support.  

• Motivating Student Applications. Despite the previous item, when students who have submitted applications for early November deadlines, it is often hard for them to think about putting time and attention into applications due later on in January (especially if an acceptance to one of those schools would obviate regular decision applications). Nevertheless, November is a month of working to get students to work on those applications. I have never heard a student admitted to an EA/ED school say, “I am really upset that I put time into those applications for schools I am no longer applying to,” and I have never heard a student say, “I am glad that I didn’t put time in earlier so I wouldn’t be in this jam now.” Conversely, mid-December is season for the student lament about not having put time in, and November is the time to combat that. 

• Motivating Student Academics. After working hard to get grades to wherever they are and putting time into the application process, some students lapse in terms of their academic commitment in November. Of course, the students need our support and to be reminded that -- at most schools -- midyear reports will reveal any lapses. 

• Plan B Considerations. At this point in the year -- whether a student has submitted applications already or not -- it is an essential time for counselors to revisit considerations of likelihood of admissibility and the back-up plan (Plan B). Especially if the student has submitted applications, it is important to recenter the conversation about expectations of outcomes; I have found many students overly focus on the perception of the advantage gained from early applications without fully acknowledging that they are not guaranteed admissions. As a result, students need to revisit all contingencies in regards to admissions results, seeking to augment or otherwise modify regular decision lists to support positive outcomes. While all college counselors embrace some variation of a list that supports such ends, few lists ever guarantee admission to a student, and so this is an important time of year to gently get students to think about what their back-up plan might be, whether a gap year or alternative pathways. Planting the seed now, in my experience, can help later on.

• Finalizing School Documents. Because of the release due to the completion of the work leading to November 1, it can be easy to forget that there is still plenty of work to be done, especially for those students who have not yet applied. Counselor recs, transcripts, teacher recs and the like all still need to be completed, and carving time out this month helps. I have heard of many offices around the world that use the beginning of the US Thanksgiving holiday as the deadline for all internal work so that counselors might use that holiday break for some relaxation before the final push in December.

• Preparing for December. The week leading up to November 1 deadlines is considered by many to be one of the most stressful weeks of the year for counselors; the week (sometimes weeks) heading into the December holidays is considered by others to be one of the worst weeks. That time is coming. While the challenges of those weeks are dependent in large part upon school culture, there is much counselors can do to prepare for these weeks and, in particular, be ready to provide as much student support as possible. 

Suggestions for Counselors:

• Engage Parents. November is a great time to tap into the parent community, especially in preparing for December but also in seeking support for students in regards to maintaining motivation with applications and academics. 

• Seek Student Reflection. While November provides its own set of obstacles and challenges and work, it is a great time to get seniors to take some time to reflect on their own plans and purposes. This is a great time to crack out your Maslow and get students thinking about why they are making the choices they are. Simple written reflection makes a difference. 

• Framing Conversations. While many counselors are anxious about contributing to the stress or panic of already stressed seniors by making them consider what might happen if they do not gain admission to a university, this conversation can productively be framed as an opportunity. Instead of “what will you do if you don’t get into college?” sounds and feels very different from, “how would you choose to spend the next year of your life if you had no expectations placed upon you?” Of course, this latter question might not be effective for every student, but the reframing is the important part. I’ve been successful as well with asking students what they might do if their dream school (favorite school, etc) told them that they must take a year off. 

• Continue Thinking About Juniors. While the dichotomy of work as mentioned above in the introduction occupies so much of our mental process, this pertains only to the current batch of seniors in their final year. We often begin to work in earnest with the juniors after the holiday break, and now is a great time to begin putting plans in place (and avoiding trying to do so in December). 

• College Counseling Cheatsheet. The Cheatsheet provides roughly 30-minute or less tasks that appear on your calendar each weekday and that are designed to improve your counseling practice. From tips to strategies to reminders, this can help you stay organized.

• Seek help. Consider the ways that we here at Lamplighter might be able to assist. Take a look at what we might be able to offer. 

Suggestions for Admin:

• Express Appreciation. Find ways to let your counseling team know it is appreciated! Counselors certainly do not do the work we do for recognition, but feeling seen, especially if your school has a large November 1 contingent, goes a long way. However your school allows you to do so, tokens of appreciation are well-received now. 

• Clarify Holiday Expectations. Looking ahead to the holiday break, it is important for leadership to protect counselors. Each school is different, and the expectations vary; however, this is important. Leadership often wants to let counselors determine what their work commitments will look like over holidays, but, in my experience, this does not help and shifts the burden on counselors (and our bleeding hearts) to establish practices that are not necessarily healthy. Conversely, it is not helpful for leadership to dictate rigid practices that cannot be met; I worked at one school where the head indicated that counselors were not to be working when classes were not in session, end of story. While, depending on your school culture (especially vis-a-vis parent expectations), it can be very helpful for leadership to be the voice explaining counselor availability over holidays, I have seen this work best when there is a mutually agreed upon policy. One way to approach this conversation, particularly if there has never been a policy or if the counseling team is new, is to have a pre-mortem: what are the worst things that could happen over this break, and how would everyone around the table want them to be handled? Now is the perfect time to work through this conversation so as to be able to communicate it ahead of time.  

• Encourage Reflection. The life of the counselor throughout the month of October is often chaotic (remember “Suck-tober” or “Rec-tober” as some call it). When we are existing in such a moment-to-moment frenzy, we can often lose perspective. November is a great time to refocus and to look backward to learn. Getting counselors to reflect on their experiences is often a great way to learn how they might do things differently (better) in the future. This is a supportive and encouraging conversation to have with leadership. 

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to incorporate and share others’ feedback. 

Sacred Cows & The Borrowed Lens

Although I’ve been involved in the process of creating college counseling programs or updating/renovating them for many years, this year has felt a bit different as I’ve undergone this same endeavor. The onset of COVID along with new technology has coincided within the particular work that I do -- and love to do -- in a way where I’ve become aware of the fact that, for whatever reasons, my old approaches weren’t going to work anymore. At least, without getting into too much detail, they were not seemingly going to be as effective. Consequently, I’ve sought outside inspiration, and I’ve found a few approaches that have worked really well for me in the ideation and implementation of change. Interestingly enough, a couple of them result in a challenge to many of those sacred cows within college counseling and college admissions, those components or practices that are typically seen as being beyond reproach. As such, I hope to share one of these approaches here. 

The Borrowed Lens. In this way of thinking about your work within college counseling -- and thereby potentially challenge some of those sacred cows -- the thought exercise is to consider the way a particular brand, often ones completely unrelated to our industry, might approach your work. So, for example, how would Apple approach college counseling? One argument might be that they would focus on ease of use and crisp, clean presentation. How does that translate to college counseling? What comes to mind to me is clear, consistent branding on all documents. Maybe also some big, celebratory presentation phenomenon. As for sacred cows, maybe the Apple approach to college counseling involves bulleted (“organized narrative”) style letters of recommendation. Or, in another example I’ve recently learned of, consider the Spanish apparel company, Zara. As I have recently read, they do not design their own clothing but instead imitate that which is already popular in the fashion world. What might the Zara approach to college counseling be? Perhaps it would be seeking functional programming applied elsewhere for adoption and imitation. Maybe this is a matter of looking at transcripts differently. Maybe it is school profiles. Maybe it is an internal process. As an idea, I know of at least one school where the counselor reference is written by a committee of faculty members. Sacred cow? The idea here is to periodically take on the lens of other companies. What would Nike do in our industry? Google? Ford Motor Company? Airbirds? Starbucks? Spotify? Or think more locally! What would your local bakery or car repair guy or florist do with your office or work? 

I want entirely to give credit where credit is due. This idea was introduced by Robyn Jackson’s book Stop Leading, Start Building, although I’m sure I’ve seen it referenced elsewhere as well. 

College Counseling Cheatsheet: October 2021

October is when so much of the work of college counseling comes to a head: early apps, transcripts, first quarter grades, lists, etc. Many refer to this month as “Suck-tober”! Hopefully the October College Counseling Cheatsheet will help you out

The intention of the College Counseling Cheatsheet is to provide counselors with a 30-minute (or less) activity each weekday that a college counselor might do to improve his or her counseling practice. Furthermore, the monthly calendar is designed to be uploaded as a CSV file into your Google (or other) calendar so you can get reminders and even move the event to whenever you want within your busy schedule.

Here is the October 2021 Cheatsheet! Try it out, and give me some feedback! Did I miss anything? Do you have any good ideas to share? Any thoughts? See the bottom of the August 2020 Cheatsheet for instructions on how to download and use the Cheatsheet!

Presentation: Student Wellbeing for the Application Season

Last week, several university colleagues and I had the distinct honor of having been asked to present to a consortium of 5 schools in Mongolia as part of their college application “kick off” event. My presentation was entitled “Student Wellbeing for the Application Season - Timelines & To Do Lists along with staying sane.” For the presentation, I pulled together a host of different tips, tricks, and hacks that have worked for me as a counselor and that have worked for my students. Here is the PDF of the slide deck! Hopefully you might find something worthwhile to borrow!

Behind the Curtain: September

This is the first in a series of monthly posts intended to assist a number of categories of educators with interest in college counseling. These monthly posts will provide a summary of the typical or recommended work of a college counselor, including providing a link to our monthly Cheatsheet, a daily task of 30-minutes or so for college counselors. In addition to these ideas and suggestions for those in the college counseling realm, they will also include some suggestions for those ancillary to this world, such as administrators, board members, etc.

September: Drinking from the firehose. 

Whether the school year begins at your school this month or not, September is a busy time in college counseling offices. While catching up with the seniors and laying plans for how best to support them, college counseling offices are trying to provide information and support to a wide array of different constituencies: faculty writing recs, anxious parents, worried new students, eager younger students, etc. And there is plenty of work to do, which makes September feel like drinking from a firehose. 

Here is a swath of the items that might be on the docket:

• Set the programming for the year. College counseling offices need to set and communicate deadlines, policies, and expectations for the entire year. Everything from when and how teachers must submit their letters of recommendation to how students request transcripts. Much will be the same as previous years, if you are lucky, but each needs time and attention. 

• Transcripts. The official record of academic achievement — the transcript — needs to be revisited for the seniors. Different schools have different practices about transcripts and sharing, but it is generally a good idea to allow seniors to see — and to double-check! — their transcripts. Also included here is what can be the cumbersome practice of tracking down transcripts for students who were not enrolled at your school for all four years of high school. 

• Senior focus. The seniors (and their parents) require a lot of attention in the early going. With all that is going on this month, it is important to prioritize seniors.

• Junior courses. While it is wise to do as much with the juniors before the start of the school year, it is common for college counselors to be pulled into conversations about course selections with juniors. What works? What is not working? What fits? What might they require given their university aspirations? How do their choices impact options later?

• Parent meetings. Parents often want to meet with a college counselor early in the academic year to seek counsel on how best to support and direct their students in the name of university applications. Sometimes these are individual meetings, but often these manifest as evening presentations. 

• Early applications. Some seniors are already gearing up to submit applications. Perhaps most notably, UK medical and veterinarian applicants as well as applicants to Cambridge or Oxford will have October 15 deadlines. (And in other years, sometimes the deadline to submit to be eligible for international interviews is even earlier!) 

• Broader Communications. College counseling offices also want to provide information to all of their constituencies as they might need it. These constituencies include each grade level, parents, faculty, administration, boards, etc. Providing information is a recurring theme throughout the beginning of the academic year. September tends to be a time for a reflection on the previous year while also providing updates to the administration and school leadership. Additionally, this is when the college counseling office needs to update the School Profile and reach out to university representatives to schedule visits (on-campus and/or virtual). 

• Teacher Recs & Trainings. Particularly for the current seniors, the month of September is time to set deadlines for teachers to submit their letters of recommendation in a time and manner so that the college counselors have the opportunity to review them and provide feedback.

• Counselor Letters of Recommendation. While things are certainly busy in September, a top goal for college counselors is always to get started on their own letters of recommendation. Given the whirlwind of other duties and responsibilities, their recs can often find themselves taking a backseat and then later relegated to evenings and weekends. Still, we all always try to get them done ahead of time!

• Essay Review. September is also a time for beginning essay review with students, particularly those with application deadlines in the first semester. It is time-consuming work but better done now than later, and so much effort is often expended in motivating students to find the time to get this work done. 

This being the first monthly “Behind the Curtain” post, I wanted to introduce the closing sections here. After providing an outline of the duties, tasks, and responsibilities within the college counseling world in a bite-sized approach so anyone can follow, I provide some suggestions for counselors and for admin who support the counselors. Here goes!

Suggestions for Counselors:

• College Counseling Cheatsheet. Over the past several years, we have been developing the Cheatsheet, which are typically 30-minute or less tasks that appear on your calendar each weekday and that are designed to improve your counseling practice. These include everything from reminders to more advanced guidance to some unique tips. 

• Time Management. During this time of year for the college counselor, time management is essential. I’ve recently shared some of my own practices in a blog post here. Manage your time to conserve your energy and to preserve your sanity!

• Take care of yourself. Suffice it to say that when work is chaotic and bordering on overwhelming, it is essential to take care of yourself! Carve out time from each day to do things that you enjoy and that bring you peace and calm. 

• Seek help. Whether you are a seasoned veteran, a mid-career counselor, or a rookie, remember that you do not have all the answers and seek assistance. One of many possible suggestions is to consider working with us here at Lamplighter. Take a look at what we might be able to offer.

Suggestions for Admin:

• Provide focus. It tends to benefit college counselors when leadership is narrow in its provision of direction. For example, I have always found it helpful when my supervisors have championed a fundamental focus on the grade 12 students at the beginning of the school year, reminding me and my team not to worry about the other grades or constituencies until the seniors are well-situated with their college applications. This sort of support is invaluable.

• Alleviate distractions. Similarly, affording the college counseling office the time to get their letters written (on top of everything else) can provide terrific assistance. Excusing the college counselors from additional responsibilities or meetings can often be enough. 

• Express appreciation. No counselors I know do the work we do for recognition, but when leadership is aware of the chaos and turmoil of our work during this time of year, simple expressions of appreciation go a long way!

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We are always happy to incorporate and share others’ feedback. 

Starting New

During this past summer’s virtual College Board Summer Institute, I had the opportunity to share my thoughts on starting at a new school or in a new position. I have also had the opportunity to experience the start to a transition to a new school myself this summer. As such, I wanted to share a couple thoughts and takeaways.

First and foremost, I strongly recommend The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins. Some of the book is focused upon the business world, but so much of it is wonderfully applicable to any sector but especially, in my experience, to education. 

Here are some takeaways from my presentation…

1. Put time into planning. Carve out time to plan out your transition. This will not happen on its own.

2. Buy yourself time to understand culture. So much of any transition is dependent upon the culture of the school, so it is essential to make time and to put in effort to understanding culture.

3. People. Mentors. Allies. Relationships. Find people to support you in your transition. Don’t only rely upon those assigned to you.

4. Live the growth mindset. Be positive, open-minded, and reflect on those times when you feel yourself reverting to a fixed mindset.

5. Establish new routines. Make new habits and establish new ways to go about your days. 

6. Maintain old routines and relationships. Keep some of what is familiar and be deliberate and intentional about maintaining contact with your people from your previous post.

7. Over communicate. Make sure you let others, especially those with whom you work closely, know what you are up to and how you are spending your time and how you are feeling.

8. Expect that it will be difficult and be kind to yourself. Above all, make sure you are finding time for you and to take care of yourself. 

While these pointers have been instrumental in my experience — positively when I’ve actively adhered to them and negatively when I’ve neglected them — I’ve subsequently encountered this article in the Harvard Business Review on credibility. In starting any new position or role, establishing trust among your colleagues and constituencies is essential. While the article focuses on the particular context of individuals with no experience, it strikes me that none of us have experience with the aforementioned culture when we begin our new roles, and, as such, the advice seems germane.

1. Leverage your research skills. Get to know your work, your colleagues, your school, the history, the culture. Research means a lot of things, but it all helps.

2. Identify (and embrace) your specific contribution. Sometimes we enter roles knowing what is expected of us and having been hired based on a particular skill set. If you know this, be sure to stick with that. If you do not know this, either ask your supervisor or reflect on what you think you are best at and how you can make a difference.

3. Volunteer willingly. Get involved. Don’t compromise your own wellness or mental health, but get involved as much as you can. This will make it easier for people to know you and for you to grow your perspective and understanding. (And it is a form of research!)

4. Manage your workload and communicate proactively. Again, be committed to your own sanity and wellness; however, it is important to set parameters about what you will NOT do and work that you will not (or not yet) take on. And then be sure to communicate this with others, especially those with whom you will work closely.

5. Work to build a network of close relationships. Meet people. Ask to be invited to meetings. Ask to observe. Invite others to meet. Get to understand others perspectives of your work, office, team, role, etc. 

As I work to transition into my new role, all of these things are at the forefront of my mind. I’d love to hear others’ thoughts. Send me an email!

My Time Management Strategy

Last week I had the privilege of helping to run the College Board’s 2021 Summer Institute for International Counselors, a virtual reboot of what has previously been an on-campus, in-person event. While disclosure agreements prevent my sharing the slide decks, recordings, and the like, I do hope to share some takeaways from my end. 

A colleague and I led a session that shared a thematic approach to establishing a college counseling curriculum and then what an annual timeline might look like for a college counseling office/program. At the end, in the final few minutes of the session, I shared a few thoughts about how I personally go about managing all of these competing pieces of the puzzle, the workload of the college counselling life. The number of emails I received about this little bit was surprising, and so in response to the many requests, I wanted to flesh out a little bit more of what works for me to manage the demands of the job. 

I want to begin by sharing a few guiding principles that have helped me shape my approach. However, first, I think it is essential to start with the fact that what works for me might not work for you! Of course, we all go about our jobs in our own ways. I’ve come to my current practice through years of trial and error, but hopefully there might be a tip or trick here or there that might work for you! That said, it makes sense to think of what parameters, objectives, and goals are most important to you as you do your work. Here are some of mine that guide my approach:

1. I prioritize keeping my work within the work day. I don’t want to bring work home when I can help it. Time management at work has become such an important part of my ability to be present for my family. Of course, I do sometimes need to break this commitment, but the occasions are more the exceptions than the rule for me. As such, I do try to cram as much into my work days as possible.

2. I prioritize face time with students. Ultimately, the best way I can spend my time at work is by being present for my students and their families. By managing my time effectively, I feel that I am able to be there for them whether through planned meetings or for last-minute, more urgent needs. 

3. I prioritize calmness. The college process can elicit stress in my students and their parents, of course, and so by managing my time effectively, I feel that I am able to maintain a sense of calm and not contribute to their anxiety and, if anything, counterbalance some of the chaos. My being on top of my work affords me a great deal of composure, especially when things don’t go as planned. 

So, in light of these fundamental premises, I have cobbled together over the years a time management strategy that works for me. What follows are a few of the salient points that I think others might find beneficial… and certainly the ones that I heard from colleagues through the CB presentation about!

1. Pomodoro Technique. Learn more about this approach here. Long story short, this is an approach to productivity where you set a timer and focus intently on one task for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break before starting another 25-minute “pomodoro,” so named allegedly after an old fashioned tomato timer. (I use this online timer to keep me honest.) I find that this scaffolding works incredibly well for almost every task and can be adjusted as needed to fit between the various immovable meetings and appointments of the college counselor’s day and week. Seldom am I able to string together more than 2 or 3 rotations in a row, but I am able to book my days accordingly, and I feel the boost in productivity.

2. Timeboxing. Again, read more about this one here. Essentially, this is an alternative to the to-do list. As such, instead of maintaining lists and trying to squeeze in the time to do things in between meetings throughout your days and weeks (which, for me, inevitably resulted in lots of evening work), this is a practice whereby if I need to get something done, I put it on my calendar. For me, I block off 25-minute, Pomodoro-length appointments with myself for every task that needs to be done. When I know something will take longer than 25 minutes, I will book more than one time slot in advance, but most of the time, when a 25-minute span is done and I am not completed with the task, I merely just create a new appointment with myself later in the day or week. One thing that I have found is that as a result of this practice, I am able to more accurately judge how long something will take me to complete. For example, I know that — when I am in possession of all the accoutrements such as transcripts, questionnaires, essays, etc — I can write a near-final draft of a counselor letter of recommendation in 2-3 Pomodoros. 

3. FedEx Days. This is a real game-changer. I’ve been doing this for probably 15 years after first encountering the idea in Jim Collins’ book From Good to Great, I think, but here is a summary of the concept from Dan Pink, of whom I am a huge fan. Essentially the idea is to devote 20% of your time for unstructured work with the research showing that productivity and creativity are boosted. Throughout the months of August through December, I have religiously blocked off one day per week to be free of meetings and other engagements (as best as possible) in order to focus on writing those letters of recommendation. So aside from unanticipated or relatively urgent unplanned interruptions and pre-scheduled periodic meetings, I select one day per week to chunk up into Pomodoros to write letters of recommendation (and do various other tasks). Throughout the rest of the year (January through June), I find that I am able to use these days more for that essential creative and productivity work that the concept is so well-known for, from writing to preparing presentations to innovating programming and curriculum. One huge benefit that I have found is that when I do not take FedEx days and I am trying to squeeze writing (and everything else) in between meetings with students or other commitments, I have a hard time meeting with more than 5 or maybe 6 students in a day. I am just too frazzled, and I get really exhausted. However, when I have this one day per week to really focus on writing recs (or to do other work), I am able to meet with 12 or more students on those other days without a problem. As such, by sacrificing one day per week in one sense, I am able to be more attentive to my students. In this way, though I have been transparent with this approach with each boss/supervisor I’ve had, I have never faced any pushback at the outset or negative feedback later on.

4. Calendly. There are a number of other applications out there, but I have long been using Calendly to allow people to book directly into my calendar. Of course, this requires some careful maintenance of your calendar, but the various features of Calendly allows me to send a link to people (and to include the link in my email signature) to allow people to see common availability and to book directly. I found that it is an enormous drain of time on email to go back-and-forth with students, colleagues, college reps, parents, etc trying to book meetings. Especially when navigating time zone differences, sending off a link and inviting people to book directly saves a ton of time. I tend to offer 15-minute and 30-minute meetings open to the public, but I have hidden meetings for college reps and parents that I can modify to be outside of office hours, if need be, and the number of which I can limit per day. (For example, when scheduling hour-long family meetings, I limit them to just 3 per day so as to maintain time for the other things I need to do.) There is also functionality to choose where a meeting takes place, either in person or through Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc. And I love the features that automatically send reminders and follow-up emails. Each time I use it, I seem to learn of new bells and whistles. Again, others have recommended other software, but I’ve never explored any others because of how satisfied I’ve been with Calendly.

5. Calendar Grooming. This is perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned with this approach: while it makes me servant to my calendar, I am willing to make that sacrifice to commit to the guiding principles above, especially affording me more time with my family; however, it requires constant vigilance in maintaining and grooming my calendar. Additionally, it requires that everything gets booked, including calendar grooming time and more menial tasks like checking emails. Still, it has become a habit. For me, what works is that at the beginning of the week, I go through and map out my week, placing in my Google Calendar everything I need to do for the week in 25-minute appointments. (For more pressing items, I list them as “busy” so I cannot be double-booked by Calendly, while others are marked as “available” so students can still book meetings. Additionally, I mark most everything as private so my daily to-dos are not for public review.) I have a handful of tasks that I do on a weekly basis that I set as repeat calendar events, all at 7pm on Sunday nights, so when I get to work on Monday morning and it is time to plan and evaluate my calendar for the week, I just drag them to wherever in the week works best. I do this again for the following day as the last thing before I head home each day; this way I have a concrete plan for what needs to be done the following day, especially if things that I had planned to do didn’t get done and in light of any new meetings that have been scheduled in the interim through Calendly or otherwise. 

One thing that this plan has given me a new appreciation of is how I spend my time. For example, I color-code my work, and it allows me to see generally what I’m putting time into. I use orange for meetings with adults and yellow for student meetings; I also use green for work-related tasks. In looking through a given week, I can see pretty clearly whether I am remaining committed to my goal of prioritizing student attention. This sort of focus is more consistent with social-emotional counseling, which tends to track minutes spent. This can be helpful when articulating needs to supervisors, such as perhaps when making an argument for additional counselors, etc. 

I mentioned this previously, but this approach gives me a great sense of how long different activities take me. In really focusing in on one task at a time, I’ve found that I don’t need 25 minutes for everything I do, so I’ve taken to grouping things together. For example, first thing every morning is sometime like “Groom Calendar, Check Email, and Prepare for Meetings,” a time during which I get myself situated for the day and handle emails. These began as three separate 25-minute duties, but over time they merged as I realized I didn’t need all that time.

One final word about this approach for me is that commitment to calmness from the guiding principles shared at the outset. It is certainly possible to become too zealous in keeping to the planned schedule for the day, and it can result in a sense of inaccessibility to students who sometimes have immediate needs, not to mention colleagues, etc. What I have found is that this approach actually allows a great deal of flexibility for me; when sometime comes up, since I know what is essential to get accomplished in the current day, I can move things around easily and bump to later in the week those things that are less urgent. 

Again, hopefully there is a pointer or two here or there that might help you with your work or that you might try out. In chatting with a friend about this, he pointed out that all of these tips would work for people not in college counseling or even education as they apply well to other industries and domains. That said, he also reminded me that these are also effective tactics to teach our students! And, of course, I have tried to find ways to teach these approaches in my work with kids, lest that point be missed.

Finally, as I shared at the outset, what works for me is not guaranteed to work for you! I don’t claim to be providing the end-all, be-all of time management for college counseling, but maybe something works for you!

If you have thoughts or feedback on these or other tips that work for you, I’d love to hear them!

Valuing Student Satisfaction with Outcomes

A point of objection! 

In response to the recent series of posts, a colleague (who does not work in the college counseling domain but who is a parent of a recent high school graduate) wrote to articulate a welcomed, contrary point. His argument is that the previous post on student satisfaction suggested that we discredit a student’s perspective on their outcome. His interpretation was that the argument is that students don’t know enough about what is reasonable for any examination of their satisfaction with outcome to be worthwhile. Articulating his experience as a parent, he felt that his recent graduate would have answered the outcome question with a very low level of satisfaction. As he shared, his son had a dream school from the very beginning, and, in working with his college counselor, he was led to believe that this was an appropriate fit and a place where he had a legitimate chance of earning admission. Accordingly, the counselor assessed his chances as “reach” (where “far reach” indicated a remote if non-existent chance) and never disabused the student of his chances. Then, when he was not offered admission, the counselor sought to assist the student in moving on to consider his other options by acknowledging that he “never really had a chance, as we both know.” This came as a crushing and upsetting blow to the student and the parents. 

So, this colleague was expressing his belief that not asking this student this question about his satisfaction with outcome -- especially in light of the fact that he would probably have indicated a far higher level of satisfaction with process -- would avoid gathering information about this scenario. His contention is that we should ask the question because there is counselor accountability when a student and/or family does pursue an unrealistic goal. Our job in part, he shares, is to educate and to inform so that students and families adjust their expectations and account for an understanding of reasonable outcomes. 

The point is a good one! That being said, I don’t agree with the perspective that we should not ask students about their satisfaction with outcome. The school that I referenced was questioning whether or not to continue the practice in the future based on their experiences with it. However, I think that the more information gathered, the better. Additionally, I feel that this is an important question to ask free of the guesswork that anonymity would provide. Put differently, this question is important to understand in context. On one hand, I recall a student who was admitted to a hyper-selective institution where he had applied early who then gave the highest marks for process but the lowest for outcome: he felt railroaded toward that particular place by his parents and never really wanted to go there. On the other hand, I recall plenty of students who were unmoved by my explanation of there being little to no chance of admission and persisting with the application process and with the school being the top choice. And, of course, there are dozens of other situations where the context matters in understanding the situation. Effective growth and learning comes from each. The first example led me to think long and hard about how I might have worked more closely with the boy’s parents while the second led me to reflect on how to diversify my tactics and strategies for trying to shake a student from being fixated on a far reach… and also to reflect on where the line exists in my practice between informing and influencing! Is it even actually my role to convince such a family or merely to provide the professional assessment and recommendations? 

In any case, student satisfaction, in my opinion, is an important part of the dashboard approach, which we will examine more carefully soon. I have appreciated all of the rigorous and invigorating discussions surrounding this thread of posts. Keep it coming!