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.