The college application process has always been fraught for administrators, educators, and counselors, not to mention students and their families. Do students have all the information they need to apply to the right schools at the right time? <\/span> The panelists agreed that this year has the potential to be exceptionally challenging, given the wide range of learning models across districts. Grant pointed to equity and access to technology as the biggest barrier in her Texas district.<\/span> Nolasco says the first step is acknowledging that the world is different, and you can\u2019t replicate what you did in the past. If your school is learning remotely or in a hybrid model, you\u2019ll need to adapt what you used to do to a virtual format. She advises looking to your district, universities, and other non-profits for support.\u00a0<\/span> For Grant, the answer is in EdTech programs like Xello. \u201cOnline platforms allow students to go as deep as they need to go in the college selection process as well as completing college applications.\u201d<\/span> Even if you\u2019re working remotely, think about what you would do if students were in school. If you\u2019d have an assembly, look into conducting one virtually, recording it and seeing who attended and who didn\u2019t. Then you can run a few small group sessions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n She advises narrowing down who\u2019s not engaging and reaching out to them any way you can to make sure they\u2019re getting the support you need. \u201cIt can be overwhelming to know which students to focus on and which need that extra support so it\u2019s important to get the information you need to find out who needs you using a tiered approach.\u201d<\/span> Nolasco warns counselors against making assumptions about which kids need to take a test and which ones would like to do it to potentially improve their chances of admission.\u00a0<\/span> As part of partnering with higher education and non-profit partners, Nolasco advises counselors to refer students to advisors elsewhere. <\/span> Ehlers\u2019 Method Test Prep is offering live Facebook classes, including hours of recordings for free on their YouTube channel. \u201cIt\u2019s ACT and SAT prep, broken down by concept, for free.\u201d\u00a0<\/span> How America Plans for Post-secondary Education 2020<\/span><\/a>
\nDo they need to take the SATs or ACTs? Are they prepared? Do they know the deadlines for submitting transcripts and financial aid documents? Have they written the essays?\u00a0<\/span>
\nIn the 2020\/21 school year, these concerns are even more heightened. With new protocols for in-school, at-home, and hybrid learning this fall, counselors and educators may have challenges supporting students as they go through the college application process.\u00a0<\/span>
\nOur remote roundtable experts weigh in on how you can make things easier.\u00a0<\/span>
\nTonni Grant <\/b>is a postsecondary support specialist for Fort Worth ISD.\u00a0<\/span>
\nAmanda Nolasco <\/b>is a school counselor specialist for the Arizona Department of Education.<\/span>
\nTom Ehlers <\/b>is president and founder of Method Test Prep.\u00a0<\/span>
\nDan Epstein <\/b>is a user experience (UX) researcher for Xello.\u00a0<\/span>
\nHere is their best advice.<\/span><\/p>\nWatch Webinar: Empower Students to Have Agency in the College Application Process<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
What are the biggest challenges for students and counselors when it comes to the college application process this year?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
\nOur district has purchased additional devices and hotspots to combat the issue and we\u2019ve been able to leverage our website and social media sites to increase engagement, but it\u2019s still a barrier.
\nThe Fort Worth ISD\u2019s strategy to support students with college and career readiness is multi-fold. They post weekly webinars about college and career readiness on their website and conduct virtual lessons for all grade levels. <\/span>
\nCollege and career readiness coaches have virtual office hours every week where they meet with small groups of students and even one on one. They\u2019re also running virtual college application boot camps on evenings and weekends. \u201cThese have been a huge success,\u201d says Grant.\u00a0<\/span>
\nDespite their wide-ranging ways to help student get the information they need, she acknowledges that \u201cthere\u2019s just no way to ensure we\u2019re reaching everyone\u2026 the biggest challenge for our students and counselors is the barrier of equal access to technology and internet resources.\u201d<\/span>
\nIn Arizona, Nolasco has observed that many students seem to lack motivation to complete the college application process. <\/span>
\n\u201cWe\u2019re seeing them slowly tail off. A lot of them are unsure about their future so they don\u2019t see why they need to engage in the process right now. [They\u2019re thinking]: \u2018I don\u2019t know what the world\u2019s going to be in six months. I don\u2019t even want to think about it.\u2019”\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
\nThe question becomes how to address these mindsets so the kids still see that this is a process they need to go through and that we\u2019re here to support them.
\nNolasco believes one answer is communication. <\/span>
\n\u201cIt\u2019s important to embrace different types of technology we haven\u2019t in the past, whether it be social media, email, or other tools. I know it seems common but it\u2019s not a practice in some of our smaller districts that relied on in-person interactions.\u201d<\/span>
\nShe advises counselors and educators to be strategic about how and when they send out information. <\/span>
\n\u201cIt should be condensed and intentional, so parents and students are not overwhelmed. They don\u2019t want multiple emails a day. Maybe it\u2019s weekly or bi-weekly. And once it\u2019s emailed, we have to make sure it\u2019s published to the school website and pushed out through social media so there are multiple ways people can access information.\u201d<\/span>
\nThese new approaches may increase the risk of counselor burnout since they may be asked to do a lot more than they did when everyone was in school. Epstein says he\u2019s hearing from counselors that things are challenging. <\/span>
\n\u201cStudents can\u2019t drop into the career center to ask a question. Counselors are needing to spend 15-minute chunks of time on Zoom to answer a 2-minute question,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span>
\nAll of the processes counselors have built over years of experience helping students, such as triaging problems, putting a student to work on something while they helped someone else\u2014these are harder to do with the newer tools.<\/p>\nHow can counselors support students this year?<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n\u201cConnect with education partners who may have resources that your students can tap into virtually. <\/span>Phoenix Union High School<\/span><\/a> has tapped into colleges to help provide application assistance with virtual classes every day from 3-5pm,\u201d says Nolasco.<\/span>
\n\u201cTheir website is a great example of excellent communication from a district that supports counselors, students, and families so they can find everything in one spot. It\u2019s a reminder that you don\u2019t have to do it alone.\u201d<\/span>
\nThe Fort Worth ISD is also taking a broad approach to supporting students. In addition to weekend college application boot camps, college and career readiness coaches on all high school campuses can also connect students to advisors from higher level education.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cWe have a T3 initiative where we work with advisors on some campuses to amp up preparedness for college and career,\u201d says Grant.<\/span>
\nI think we need to go above and beyond with that customer service and assist students who are having issues getting onto websites or accessing applications. Set up a quick Zoom to walk through their challenges. Share your screen or have them share theirs. It takes a lot less time to say, \u2018Show me and let me help you\u2019 rather than trying to communicate by email or Chat.
\nEhlers recommends counselors educate themselves on different policies when it comes to SATs and ACTs. \u201cThere\u2019s confusion around \u2018test optional\u2019 and \u2018test blind\u2019. The first means the college or university won\u2019t look at test scores at all. The latter means it\u2019s not a requirement but they\u2019ll look at them,\u201d he says.<\/span>
\n\u201cThe challenge for counselors is that things are changing by the day. It\u2019s helpful to sort it out and try to deliver that communication to parents and students in a succinct way.\u201d<\/span>
\nWhen it comes to financial aid for college, Epstein says a huge issue every year for a lot of schools is getting students to complete the Federal Student Aid <\/span>FAFSA<\/span><\/a> form on time. He advises counselors to communicate the deadline early and often and be available to help families complete the form virtually, as necessary.\u00a0<\/span>
\nXello recently launched financial aid content in the program where students can learn about FAFSA, scholarships, work studies, and more. There\u2019s even a local scholarships feature that allows counselors to create an interactive list.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat are strategies to move students beyond engagement to empowering them during their college application process?<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n\u201cIt gives them tools and resources to set goals, track applications, and request documents, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. And they can do it with very little guidance. It\u2019s very simple for students and counselors to use.\u201d<\/span>
\nNolasco is passionate about the concept of tiering systems of support to promote engagement. \u201cWe\u2019re used to one-on-one meetings with kids and walking them through processes, but we just don\u2019t have that time with all the other things that are asked of us right now. And we don\u2019t have access to them as much,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nEpstein says one method that works for his virtual consultations with students is to let students work through tasks as they\u2019re sitting on the call with him. He might be working on other things but they are aware of his presence and feel more motivated to complete their task while he waits.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cAs long as you\u2019re there, even if you\u2019re focused on another screen so it feels like they have some space, it provides motivation for them to get it done and not just tab back into another browser and check out.\u201d<\/span>
\nWhen it comes to empowering students to prepare for SATs and ACTs, Ehler says a huge advantage has been the integration of his Method Test Prep materials into Xello. \u201cInside the program, students can learn at their own pace and work on the skills they need more help on, at times that are good for them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nMany institutions have gone test optional for admission requirements, but test scores may be required for enrollment and\/or scholarships. What can we expect this year?<\/b><\/h3>\n
\nYou can\u2019t assume that kids don\u2019t need to take the test based on where they want to go or what they want to major in. Give them the information they need to make the choice for themselves.
\nEhlers says a lack of clear information is frustrating. \u201cYou could go to 10 different college websites and they would all say something vague and different.\u201d<\/span>
\nThe testing process doesn\u2019t need to be as challenging as its reputation. \u201cThey\u2019re spitting out the same questions every single time and the vast majority of students are more than capable of doing well on the exam or at least improving their score significantly with a little bit of prep,\u201d says Ehlers.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cIf they just put in a few hours on skills they need for success in high school, college and beyond, like basic grammar, math, and reading comprehension questions, they\u2019d be fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
\nGrant believes the most important thing in the face of such uncertainty is for counselors to be flexible and keep an open mind. \u201cIf we\u2019re panicked, they\u2019re panicked. If they prepare like things are normal and take the test, what can it hurt if the school happens to be test optional?\u201d<\/span>
\nEhler points out that most families don\u2019t realize that SAT\/ACT test scores can help students snag merit awards and financial aid so they may be worth taking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat resources and tools can help support students during the college application process?<\/b><\/h3>\n
\nIt\u2019s okay to get a kid to a certain point and connect them to a regional college access center that has employees who can assist students and families in one-on-one virtual appointments.
\nShe recommends finding out what\u2019s available in your area. \u201cWe don\u2019t have to do this work alone. There are other people out there who are looking for ways to stay involved especially those people who may have volunteered during your physical college application campaign. They may be at home now and can take the call.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
\nIn Fort Worth, Grant and her colleagues provide students with a handbook that takes them through the college application process. \u201cIt shows test dates, questions to ask when on a college visit, information about financial aid and grants, and a lot more. We tell students to use it religiously throughout the school year.\u201d<\/span>
\nThis year, instead of handing it out in paper form, they\u2019ve sent it to students as a pdf.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWatch Webinar: Empower Students to Have Agency in the College Application Process<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
\nHe also provides a number of one-pagers that outline things to know about the SAT and ACT and recommends creating checklists for students to help guide them through the college application process. He has a series of checklists that feature 15-minute tasks so students aren\u2019t challenged to do everything at once.\u00a0<\/span>
\nEpstein\u2019s preferred resources for counselors include financial aid studies released by Ipsos and private lending firm Sally Mae and MIRO, a virtual white board that can be helpful when meeting with students virtually.\u00a0<\/span>
\nThe year ahead may be a challenging one, but educators and counselors are banding together to create strategies to support students\u2014and each other\u2014in a variety of ways.\u00a0<\/span>
\nProof that we\u2019ll get through this, together.<\/span><\/p>\nResources Recommended by the Panelists<\/b><\/h3>\n
\nHow America Pays for College 2020<\/span><\/a>
\nMiro<\/span><\/a>
\nWhat you need to know about the SAT<\/span><\/a>
\nWhat you need to know about the ACT<\/span><\/a>
\nCollege Admissions Tasks & Timeline<\/span><\/a>
\nTop 10 Things Counselors, Parents & Students Need to Know About the ACT and SAT<\/span><\/a>
\nFort Worth ISD College Night<\/span><\/a>
\nCollege Goal Arizona – Support schools with college application and FAFSA campaigns<\/span><\/a>
\nCollege Depot<\/span><\/a>
\nNorthern Arizona College Resource Center<\/span><\/a>
\nExample of district website\u2013 Phoenix Union High School District<\/span><\/a>
\nAsk Benji<\/a> – (Arizona\u2019s FAFSA digital assistant, a text-message based chatbot programmed to respond to FAFSA and Financial Aid questions 24\/7. Benji is not an app, and there\u2019s no download required)<\/span>
\nFacebook Groups for School Counselors<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"