Three Quick Wins to Help Seniors Before Break
Seniors are stretched thin in December, and counselors often have limited time before break. These three quick tasks help students stay organized, check their portals, and prepare for January deadlines without adding stress. A simple, student ready checklist is included.
January 1 Deadlines: A Simple Guide for Counselors and Seniors
January 1 deadlines can be challenging since most counselors are on break. This post gives seniors a simple, self guided checklist to review applications, set up portals, and stay on track even when schools and colleges are operating on holiday schedules.
Regular Decision: Helping Seniors Finish Strong Without Burning Out
Regular Decision still offers real opportunity for seniors. This guide helps counselors support students with list building, stronger applications, midyear grades, and portal management. Practical talking points and a student ready checklist make January less stressful for everyone.
Test Optional in 2025
Since the pandemic, test-optional policies have reshaped how students approach college applications. While some colleges have returned to requiring scores and others remain flexible or test blind, counselors still face the same question from students every year: “Should I send my SAT or ACT scores?” This post breaks down how to evaluate that decision in 2025 with practical advice you can share right away.
After Applying: The College Portal
After students hit “submit,” their work is not over. This post helps counselors teach seniors how to use college portals to confirm materials, track missing items, and take responsibility for their applications after submission.
Supporting Students Who Haven’t Started Yet
Every counselor has a few seniors who reach late October and still haven’t started. This post offers an empathetic, realistic plan to help those students get moving… with reminders that Regular Decision is still a strong option and that it’s better to submit one thoughtful, complete application than several rushed ones.
Week 10: Final Checklist before Application Deadlines
As early deadlines approach, it’s the small details that often get missed. This pre-deadline checklist helps seniors stay on track with essays, recommendations, applications, and more.
Week 7: Simplifying Transcript Requests
Transcript requests can overwhelm counselors in the fall. Here’s a simple system plus a free form template to keep everything organized.
Surviving Recommendation Season
Recommendation season is here. Four practical strategies plus a free copy-and-paste college recommendation letter template to help counselors stay organized.