10 Ways to Honor Seniors and Promote College Culture on National Decision Day

National Decision Day, observed annually in the USA and many other places around the world on May 1st, is a time to honor high school seniors for their college acceptances and encourage a positive college-going culture among all students. To make this day memorable, a school-wide celebration can be organized with various engaging activities. Here are 10 ideas for high school college counselors to consider when planning National Decision Day festivities:

1. College T-shirt Day. Invite students and staff to wear their favorite college or university T-shirts to show support for the seniors and promote college pride. Often schools ask the adults to represent their own universities. Some even host faculty college fairs where the faculty man tables to discuss their own college experiences with students. These simple yet effective activities can create a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere.

2. College Signing Ceremony. Organize a college signing ceremony where seniors can publicly announce their college decision and sign a banner or poster representing their chosen school. This can serve as an inspiration to underclassmen and create a sense of accomplishment among seniors.

3. College Trivia Contest. Host a college trivia contest where students, especially those of younger grades, can answer questions related to various colleges and universities. This fun and interactive game can educate students about different institutions and increase their interest in higher education.

4. College Wall of Fame. Create a "College Wall of Fame" in a prominent location at school, where seniors can post their acceptance letters or a photo of themselves holding their college's banner. This visual display can motivate younger students to pursue their academic goals and help build a college-going culture.

5. College Decision Day Assembly. Hold an assembly in which seniors, teachers, and alumni share their college experiences and offer valuable advice to younger students. This event can foster a sense of community and provide valuable insights into the college application process.

6. College Fair. Invite representatives from local colleges and universities to participate in a college fair, where students, especially those in grades 9-11, can gather information about various institutions, ask questions, and explore their options for higher education.

7. Mentorship Program. Establish a mentorship program that pairs seniors with underclassmen who share similar college aspirations. This initiative can help create a supportive environment and provide guidance for younger students navigating the college application process.

8. College Decision Day Party. Throw a festive celebration for seniors to commemorate their achievements and college decisions. This can include music, food, games, and decorations representing the various colleges and universities to which students have been accepted. Some schools order cupcakes and ask the seniors to come in to share their decisions while enjoying a treat.

9. Scholarship Announcements. Acknowledge and celebrate students who have earned scholarships by announcing their achievements during the National Decision Day events. This can inspire younger students to pursue their own scholarships and financial aid opportunities.

10. Social Media Campaign. Encourage students to share their college decisions on social media using a dedicated school hashtag. This online campaign can generate excitement about National Decision Day and showcase your school's college-going culture to the wider community.

National Decision Day is an opportunity to celebrate seniors for their accomplishments and foster a college-going culture among all students. By implementing these ideas, high school college counselors can create an engaging and memorable experience for students, while promoting the importance of higher education. While planning and executing a school-wide celebration for National Decision Day can be a rewarding experience, it is essential to be mindful of potential pitfalls. Here are some things to avoid and cautionary tales to guide high school college counselors in organizing a successful event:

1. Avoid Exclusivity and Acknowledge Varied Situations. Ensure that your National Decision Day activities are inclusive and recognize students pursuing different paths, such as trade schools, community colleges, or military service. Additionally, be mindful of students who may not have made a college decision yet due to later application deadlines, gap years, or unsuccessful application processes. Focusing solely on four-year colleges and universities or only celebrating those with confirmed decisions may inadvertently alienate some students and make them feel unwelcome.

2. Be Sensitive to Students' Circumstances. Some students may face financial constraints, family responsibilities, or other factors that prevent them from attending their dream college. Be sensitive to their situations and avoid putting undue pressure on students to conform to a specific college-going narrative.

3. Don't Overemphasize College Rankings. While it can be tempting to focus on prestigious institutions, it's essential to emphasize the importance of finding the right fit for each student rather than merely chasing rankings. Encourage students to explore a variety of colleges and universities that align with their interests and needs.

4. Cautionary Tale: Overshadowing Academics. One high school faced backlash for organizing an elaborate National Decision Day celebration that overshadowed the school's academic achievements. Ensure that your event balances excitement with a focus on academics and the importance of learning.

5. Cautionary Tale: Inadequate Planning. Another school struggled to execute their National Decision Day event due to insufficient planning and coordination with staff and students. To avoid this scenario, start planning early, delegate responsibilities, and communicate effectively with all parties involved.

6. Don't Forget Privacy Concerns. While celebrating seniors' college acceptances, be mindful of students' privacy. Some may not want their college choice or acceptance status publicized. Obtain consent before sharing any student's information or college decision.

7. Avoid Reinforcing Stereotypes. When planning activities or sharing stories about college experiences, be cautious not to perpetuate stereotypes about specific colleges, majors, or career paths. Encourage open-mindedness and provide diverse perspectives to help students make informed decisions.

8. Cautionary Tale: Excessive Spending. One notable school faced criticism for spending an exorbitant amount on their National Decision Day celebration, which many saw as a misuse of funds. Plan a budget and allocate resources wisely to ensure your event is both meaningful and financially responsible.

9. Don't Ignore Mental Health. The college application process can be highly stressful for students. Be mindful of the emotional toll it may take on seniors and avoid exacerbating their anxiety with over-the-top celebrations. Provide resources and support for students who may need assistance in managing stress.

10. Cautionary Tale: Overselling College Life. Yet another school received negative feedback for promoting unrealistic expectations of college life during their National Decision Day event. Be honest and transparent about the challenges and rewards of higher education to help students prepare for their next steps.

Planning a successful National Decision Day celebration requires striking a balance between excitement and sensitivity. By avoiding these pitfalls and learning from cautionary tales, high school college counselors can create a meaningful event that honors seniors' achievements and promotes a positive college-going culture.

Four Components to Parenting Seniors in March and April

As with each new phase of the college application process throughout the senior year, the months of March and April present a unique set of challenges for students and parents alike. As students -- by and large -- wait for, receive, and then reconcile various college application results -- the good and the not so good -- parents are awash with emotions. Ultimately, we preach continuing to be a great role model for your child, but, as the parameters and variables have changed, here are four recommendations to steer the ship!

• Take care of yourself. Take care of your emotions and your feelings appropriately. Read this article. Your child’s admissions outcomes are not a reflection of you or your parenting. And, to put a finer point on it, admission into a highly selective or highly ranked college or university does not reflect on you positively or negatively or promise a brighter, happier, more successful future for your child. Remember that college -- as with most things in life -- is what you make of it. Have your thinking straight on this front.

• Honor your child. Remember that he or she is a lot more resilient than you might give credit for. They can handle this. It is not always easy, but let them learn from the experiences. Don’t steal from them this invaluable learning opportunity, and keep in mind, whether things are going well or not, that allowing your child to learn these lessons now will set them up for success in handling other challenges later in life.

• Act like you’ve been here before. This is advice for acting with grace and class through this process. This may be your first time through this, but what your child needs is a role model showing how to behave. They do not need examples of people letting their emotions get the best of them. There is no merit or value in trumpeting or bragging about your child’s college outcomes just as there is no benefit to jumping into the pit of despair with them when confronting denied applications. Yes, celebrate within reason, and, yes, be a shoulder to cry on, but avoid the extreme highs and lows and move on. Show your child through your conduct that, regardless of outcome, this is just one more step in life and not the singular, defining moment or their existence.

• Demonstrate radical acceptance. One of the most challenging scenarios that we encounter is when students and parents focus too much on denied and waitlisted applications and not enough on the acceptances. As our colleague puts it aptly, “Colleges make decisions, not mistakes.” There is likely nothing that anyone will be able to share about a “miss” that will be helpful or productive. Dwelling on what did not go well also has an enormously negative impact on your child. Instead, direct your attention on the positive acceptances, always with an eye on moving forward. Demonstrating “radical acceptance” to your child shows them love, honors their process, de-emphasizes the sense that this is the most important moment of their life, and facilitates their moving forward positively.

Realize that this guidance is not intended solely for parents of students who are facing rejection. It is aimed at all parents, regardless of their children’s college application results. Also, being a role model by embracing these four steps not only will allow your child to grow and develop, but it also contributes to combating many of the social ills that surround the college admissions process. Be a part of the solution!

5 Things You Need to Know About Senior Spring

Senior Slide. Senior Slump. Senior Spring. Senior Slack. Senioritis.

"I got accepted into college. Now nothing matters."

We hope all seniors (and their parents) will take time to reflect upon our notes below and rise above the impetus to allow their efforts to wane.

1. All offers of acceptance are conditional. Although the terminology is typically reserved for application offer formats elsewhere in the world, the "conditional offer" applies to all acceptances, including those to US schools. All colleges and universities expect students to continue on with their studies in a manner consistent with that demonstrated at the time of and on their application. Drops in grades, therefore, could result in colleges rescinding their offers of admission! There is always a senior or two in each class who risks it all by allowing efforts to slacken.

2. AP and IB exams matter. In addition to those explicit terms of a conditional offer (where a student may be told he or she must achieve a certain score on an exam), AP and IB exams are important. In some cases, they can result in advanced standing (e.g. sophomore status) if your AP scores are high enough to earn credits, thereby lessening the cost of college. In other cases, these scores may be used to allow you to bypass introductory-level courses. They do matter!

3. Scholarships could be in the balance. Some students may have been awarded scholarships for demonstrating a certain level of achievement or even certain character attributes. Ceasing to meet these ideals can result in the loss of these free monies. Also, other universities will award additional scholarship money based upon achievement at graduation; if you slack off, this money will go elsewhere! (In the class of 2018, we had a student who was awarded after graduation in July a US$20K scholarship that he did not apply for when his college saw his stellar spring semester performance!)

4. Spring performance is a predictor of success. Perhaps most importantly, performance during the spring of senior year has been shown to be positively correlated with college performance. In other words, how you finish high school tends to predict how you will fare in college! This lends credence to the college practice of rescinding offers!

5. You will appreciate ending high school on a positive note. After all the hard work you have put in during high school, you will appreciate later on (if not necessarily now) knowing that you ended on a high note. How awkward it would be if you left in a manner that resulted in your feeling embarrassed about coming back to see so many people who have meant so much to you!

In the end, the message is simple: KEEP WORKING!

I originally wrote a version of this post for http://blogs.tas.edu.tw/collegecounseling/2019/01/15/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-senior-spring/on 15 January 2019.