Lee Norwood is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association, NACAC Charactor Collaborative and she is on faculty with the CounselMore Business Development Academy. She speaks at industry conferences on topics like “Meeting Gen Z Where They Are” and “Growing Your Business” and she has been featured on podcasts with CollegeScoops, ThirdFloor Views, Tests And The Rest, and US News and Wold Reports. If you are interested in our process, our team, reviews and outcomes, just look at our website www.annapoliscollegeconsulting.com
Here are 7 essential tips for navigating the role of school counselors and teachers in your college planning practice:
1. Recognize the Linchpins: School Counselors and Teachers
Understanding the critical roles that school counselors and teachers play in the college application process is essential. They offer invaluable elements like transcripts, school profiles, and recommendations. CounselMore's comprehensive assignments package includes an assignment on obtaining letters of recommendation, which even features a writing exercise to help students articulate their strengths.
2. Decode School-Specific Procedures
It's crucial to familiarize ourselves and our clients with the specific protocols schools use for sending transcripts and recommendations. Systems like Naviance, Scoir, or Maia are often employed. Annapolis College Consulting offers an insightful blog post on navigating these systems effectively.
3. Unpack What Schools Provide
School counselors are responsible for sending official transcripts, which include academic records, grades, and GPAs. They may also submit a school profile that offers additional context to the application. CounselMore's application management features can help you and your clients keep track of these crucial elements.
4. Guide Clients Through Teacher Recommendations
Many colleges require letters of recommendation from teachers. It's essential to review these requirements carefully, as some colleges specify the number of recommendations and the subjects. CounselMore's comprehensive assignments package provides a structured approach to obtaining these vital endorsements.
5. Adapt to the New Normal
You may have taken online courses and think everyone is comfortable with the new normal - not everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new challenges, especially concerning the strength of virtual class recommendations. Letters of recommendation from teachers you've only known over Zoom are going to be less effective. Annapolis College Consulting has a blog post that addresses these concerns and offers alternative solutions.
6. Navigate Transcript and Recommendation Requests
Schools often have specific protocols for these requests, requiring resumes or brag sheets and sometimes even proof of application submission. CounselMore's
comprehensive assignments package can help streamline this process, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
7. Beat the Clock
It's crucial to coordinate with school counselors and teachers well ahead of application deadlines. For those applying for Early Decision or Early Action, being proactive is especially important. Annapolis College Consulting offers excellent time management tips to help you and your clients stay ahead.
By adhering to these seven tips, we can better guide our clients through the labyrinthine college application process. Remember, the goal is not just to complete applications on time but to set our clients up for success. CounselMore's resources, combined with insights from Annapolis College Consulting, provide a robust framework for achieving this.
The internet is losing its mind over a tip for college-bound families: a recent video revealed that students can get colleges to pay for their campus visits.
Many students are looking for research opportunities and ways to volunteer with researchers, but often don’t know where to look for them. In this article, we outline 15 research volunteer opportunities for high school students. These opportunities are all free, and while some have an application process, others are always open to volunteers.
The Concord Review is the most prestigious journal for high school students in the social sciences. As William Fitzsimmons, long-time Dean of Admissions at Harvard College, put it “A simple fact that an essay has been published by The Concord Review is something that’s impressive to the committee, just as the committee can be impressed when a scientist or mathematician does well in an international competition.” The Concord’s Review’s prestige comes from its high level of selectivity (currently less than 5%), focus on quality, and long track record of winners going on to top universities. In 2010, 10% of all students published in the journal had gone to Harvard College . As the Concord Review describes , many authors will attach their Concord Review in their application. Of students who have been published, they have “gone on to Brown (35), University of Chicago (36), Columbia (31), Cornell (21), Dartmouth (24), Harvard (152), Oxford(17), Pennsylvania (30), Princeton (76), Stanford (86), Yale (123).” So, what is the Concord Review and how can you build a paper that is accepted? In this guide, we’re going to go through what the Concord Review is, what it looks for in papers, and what you need to do to stand a chance.
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