It is the week before pre-planning (sigh) and my husband and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Reno. Currently, we are staying at the Venetian on Las Vegas Blvd and we will be heading out to Lake Tahoe tomorrow morning. In between our sightseeing, I wanted to start a series on helpful back to school resources for high school counselors. Over the next month, I will be adding some of my handouts, informational resources, forms, and links that school counselors can access for their students and parents. This week's post will include preparing students and parents for the senior year.
Whether you're a novice or experienced high school counselor, it can be tough creating resources/information for your incoming seniors and their families. There is so much information to share and often parents and students "claim" that they never received your correspondence (don't you hate that!). Though I am far from perfect, I try to give students and parents as many avenues as possible to receive important information so that they don't miss important dates and deadlines. So, I want to share some beginning of the year information that you can give to your parents and students from my current collection.
Let's start with providing information to parents and students. This year, I am conducting my parent workshop in August followed by my student presentation next week. I am attaching my parent and student presentations for your convenience.
Here is a draft of my presentation I am creating for our senior parent night in August. This is a work in progress.
This is an old presentation from last year, but may be helpful if you need some ideas.
See this handout which goes along with the senior class presentation.
In addition to my presentations, this is a electronic book that I will providing for my parents and students following the meeting.
I am attaching a copy of my senior booklet that I created for my students and parents. It includes timelines, forms, important dates/deadlines, and expectations for the senior year.
Here is a copy of the senior calendar that I give to parents and students at the beginning of the year.
Important Dates and Events Overview
Below are sample forms for your senior meetings.
Sample College Counseling Timeline
This was not created by me, but includes a lot of reminders for parents and students.
This form allows students to track their community service hours for college and scholarship applications.
Do you ever get tired of students asking what their GPA will be if they make a C? Here is a copy of a worksheet that students can use to answer their GPA quandary.
Created by the College Board, this 20 item questionnaire will give students some direction on how to get to straight answers from college representatives.
Campus Planner College Visit Worksheet
Check out the college planner for planning a productive college visit.
College Day Absence Prior Approval Form
Here is a copy of my college absence form for you to create your own.
When your students are ready to complete their college applications, here are some sample forms and a guide to complete a college boot camp.
College Application Information
Implementing a College Bootcamp Guide
Great guide from the GA Department of Education on how to implement a college boot camp for your students.
Common Application First Time Applicant’s Guide includes great step-by-step videos for students and parents.
College Recommendation Request
Not my form, but I thought it was a great way to collect information from your students for applications and scholarships.
Top Mistakes on College Applications
What College Admissions Officers Really Want in an Essay
Common App Counselor Tool Kit - lots of downloadable resources to share with students electronically or in print.
Last, I wanted to share some FAFSA and scholarship resources.
Scholarship Application Organizer
My goal is to get your started for the year. Stay tuned for more upcoming information.
Additional Resources:
College Essay Guy Counselor Dashboard
This resources includes an email template for counselors to send out reminders to seniors.
7 Things to Avoid on Social Media
Great tips for students as they apply for college.
Check out my courses for students on Smore:
Ideal College Application Timeline
Financial Aid - Where Do You Begin?
Great Post!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this wonderful post with us. The phrase financial aid planning services caught my eye, and I believe it's a critical aspect of the educational journey that often goes overlooked. These services provide an essential bridge between students and the financial aid options available to them. It's about more than just finding funds. It's about developing a strategic plan that aligns with your educational and financial goals. Kudos to those offering Financial Aid Planning Services for recognizing and addressing this need.