Here are the February Checklist and Cheatsheet! The checklist is a monthly resource collecting all of the typical duties and tasks for a college counselor for the month. See the PDF for February here, or read below. Then, 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 February Cheatsheet.
Take a look, and give me some feedback! Did I miss anything? Do you have any good ideas to share? Any thoughts? Please add them in the comments or email me!
February Checklist
"Carnival, College, and Cupid's Arrow"
During this month, the college counseling office is filled with excitement and anticipation as students and counselors celebrate various festivities and cultural events. At the same time, they focus on college planning and relationship-building. Counselors work diligently to provide guidance on scholarship opportunities, standardized testing, and college research. Students are encouraged to explore their passions and interests, both in and out of the classroom, and to develop meaningful relationships with their peers, teachers, and counselors.
Assist with regular decision applications: Continue to help seniors finalize and submit their regular decision applications, ensuring they meet all requirements and deadlines.
Organize end-of-semester events: Plan and promote events to celebrate students' accomplishments and milestones, such as college application completion parties or academic achievement awards.
Celebrate Scholarships: Launch a 'Scholarship February' initiative, encouraging students to apply for at least one new scholarship each week.
Host a College Research Carnival: Organize a fun and informative event where students explore colleges through interactive games and activities.
Standardized Testing Kick-off: Review your testing recommendations, and begin a standardized test planning series for sophomores and juniors, incorporating engaging and supportive methods.
Parent-Student College Planning Workshop: Host a workshop focused on strengthening the parent-student partnership in the college search and application process.
Community Service Spotlight: Highlight community service opportunities, encouraging students to engage in activities that reflect their passions.
Junior Year Roadmap Presentation: Present a roadmap for college planning to juniors, outlining key steps for the remainder of the school year.
Freshman Future Goals Workshop: Conduct a workshop for freshmen focusing on setting academic and personal goals.
Teacher Appreciation Notes: Encourage students to write appreciation notes to teachers, building positive relationships and potentially laying groundwork for future recommendation letters.
Summer Program Applications Reminder: Send reminders about upcoming deadlines for summer academic and leadership programs.
FAFSA and Financial Aid Q&A Session: Host a Q&A session for students and their parents on FAFSA and other financial aid matters.
Again, if you have any ideas or thoughts, please put them in the comments below or email me!