After a brief hiatus, the College Counseling Cheatsheet is back! The intention of the College Counseling Cheatsheet is to provide a 30-minute (or less) activity each weekday that college counselors can do to improve their 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. (Download the Cheatsheet, open your Google Calendar, open Settings, and follow the instructions in the Import/Export tab on the left-hand navigation menu!) Here is the link to the May Cheatsheet.

However, based on feedback, which sought a monthly resource collecting all of the typical duties and tasks of the month, I am introducing the Monthly Checklist as well. See the PDF for May here.

Take a look, and give me some feedback! Did I miss anything? Do you have any good ideas to share? Any thoughts?

May Checklist
"Caps, Gowns, and College Countdowns"

In May, the college counseling office becomes a space for celebration and reflection, as students and counselors recognize the achievements of graduating seniors. Counselors continue to provide support for underclassmen, guiding them in their college planning process, while also assisting seniors with post-graduation plans, such as college enrollment and housing. Students are encouraged to cherish their accomplishments, appreciate the guidance they have received, and look forward to the opportunities that await them in their future educational endeavors.

• Celebrate National Decision Day: Organize a school-wide celebration on or around May 1st to recognize seniors for their college acceptances and encourage a positive college-going culture. Here are some ideas… 

• Support waitlisted students: Guide grade 12 students on managing waitlist offers and how to communicate continued interest to colleges. Here is a resource to support this. 

• Share the NACAC openings list: For grade 12 students still looking for university options in the US, be sure to look at the NACAC list of schools still accepting applications: https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/Research/openings/

• Track down UCAS results: Most UK application results should be released by mid-May. Take time to visit the UCAS website to track and record these outcomes. 

• Review and collect missing results in data: Review the missing data in your software or application tracking process to obtain all information about the senior class. 

• Prepare final transcripts: It is common practice not to release final transcripts until after graduation or after the end of the academic year. Begin reviewing and preparing these documents for the pending senior graduates, ensuring that they have or will meet graduation requirements. Also ensure that records inform what should be done with final transcripts for each student. 

• Check in on post-graduation plans: Ensure that graduating seniors have a plan for the summer and their transition to college. This includes collecting information about application plans and document requests from students still applying to universities abroad (e.g. Singapore, Korea, South Africa, etc.).

• Write and distribute summer guidance: Grade 11 students and parents benefit from a clear communication about what college counseling recommends for what students should do over the summer in regards to their university process and applications. Here is an example you might follow. 

• Check and evaluate grade 11 college lists: Now is a critical time to make sure juniors are on the right track in terms of their list construction. Insightful feedback and recommendations now is essential to steer them properly as they head toward the summer months.

• Distribute concrete summer advice for grade 11 students: Your rising seniors can benefit from some concrete advice about how to spend their summer in regards to the college process. Here is an example of such guidance. 

• Emphasize grade 11 college visits: Encourage grade 11 students to plan campus visits during the summer and provide information on college open houses and virtual tours.

• Plan for test prep: Share resources for summer test preparation with grade 10 and 11 students, and help them create a study schedule for the SAT/ACT or other admissions tests such as an English proficiency test.

• Coordinate with teachers for recommendation letters: Provide teachers with resources to write effective letters of recommendation for your grade 11 students as well as lists of the students for whom they will be writing, assuming your solicitation process occurred in April. Here is a slidedeck we have found helpful to help faculty. 

• Review Course Selections: This is an excellent time of year to examine the selected courses of your rising 12, 11, 10, and 9 students to ensure that they are challenging themselves appropriately, keeping their options open for university, and meeting all graduation requirements. 

• Prepare for end-of-year reports: Compile data on college acceptances, scholarships, and other notable achievements to share with school administration and the community. 

• Evaluate your counseling program: As your work with your pending graduates winds down, take some time to reflect on the effectiveness of your counseling program and identify areas for improvement or expansion. What does success look like? Here is a slidedeck from a presentation that might be helpful.

• Create a summer reading list: Recommend books and articles related to college admissions, financial aid, and student success for students and parents. 

Again, if you have any ideas or thoughts, please put them in the comments below or email me!