Teachers/Counselors

What You Can Do To Help

Here are some ways you can prepare your students for the college admissions process:

• Promote academic excellence. Encourage your students to take the most challenging classes suitable for their academic level.
• Collect information. Keep records of your students’ classes, grades and graduation requirements.
• Standardized tests. Advise students on which college admissions tests to take. Be sure to publicize test dates so students are aware of when to take them.
• Coordinate college inquires. Connect students to information on various colleges, majors, and careers by overseeing college fairs and admissions officers’ visits from various education institutions (i.e., community colleges, technical schools, colleges and universities).
• Career development. Organize a college major/career day to showcase different disciplines, career paths and employment forecasts for graduates. Schedule frequent meetings with students individually to monitor their future plans.
• Provide counsel on admissions strategy. Recommend colleges to match academic profiles and career goals. Offer your assessment of schools (e.g. “safety”, “good fit”, “reach”) based on a student’s chances for admittance.
• Application assistance. Lead group sessions for students and parents on college-related issues, such as essay writing and test preparations. Make sure to send transcripts to colleges and write letters of recommendation.
• Financial aid knowledge. Help families understand the basics of college costs and how education financing works. Provide information on financial assistance and scholarships. Federal Student Aid for Counselors is an online source to help students plan, prepare and pay for college, career or trade school.
• Extracurricular activities. Support your students’ out-of-school activities. Encourage them to consider their interests and abilities in selecting an extracurricular pursuit (e.g., athletics, volunteering, part-time employment, student government). Counsel them on how to achieve a balance in order to avoid burnout and exhaustion.