My Life as a Rural Counselor

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

We had just purchased our first home, in a Detroit suburb, when I got a call about a counseling job. Times were a little lean then, and from what I was told, this may be the only school counseling job available in the state, even if it was a 75-minute drive one way. I had just earned my degree, and eager to get started, I decided to take the job.

There were exactly two traffic lights from my house to that high school, and without a lot of traffic or stops that required my attention, most of those rides included a lot of gum chewing. There were still some hair-raising moments, like the time I thought there were crows on the road, so I honked them off, only to discover they were chickens. Woops.

About half the students went on to college, and half of that half went to the local community college, so there wasn’t a lot of dialogue between me and Harvard. I talked with students eager to understand what college was all about, excited at the prospect of being the first in their family to go to college, and lots of students eager to make sure their grades were in good shape by November 15, the first day of hunting season in Michigan.

There were also some moments new to me, like the student who handed me an invitation to his wedding, scheduled for a week after his graduation from high school; learning about recruiting students to build a homecoming float on a schedule that didn’t interfere with their farm chores; and the student who gave me a ridiculous discount on produce and eggs I bought from his parents’ stand—with the eggs laid from the chickens I’d nearly killed the week before.

There were more than a few things I had to get used to, having been raised in the city and the suburbs. I had to reschedule my financial aid night after I had first set it for Wednesday—the night when every church youth group meets—and the time I had to walk several blocks to the football game Friday night, because everyone—that’s everyone—went to the game.

One thing I didn’t have to get used to was helping students understand the purpose of college. Back then, even the most sophisticated city kids had ideas about college that leaned towards the idealistic. The topics were different, but the motivations were the same; make the family proud, be the first in the family to do something, start something new, run from something old.

The innocence of my students sometimes made difficult family dynamics more apparent to me, a significant challenge in a community where your business is supposed to stay your business. I learned more about dealing with families than grad school had ever taught me. The skills needed to move forward in those circumstances were of great help later in my career, when stubborn parents resisted a different kind of news—like why Harvard said no. Different, yet somehow not.

Time has moved on, and the suburbs crawled out toward that farm town quickly. There are probably twenty or thirty traffic lights on that same drive now, and even a Starbucks or two. But I still see students from that town now and then, and the hope and idealism is the same, along with a work ethic that puts most suburban kids in the slacker category. I was grateful to get to learn about that part of the world firsthand. It set the tone for working with kids in a caring, real way.

“But I Worked So Hard!”

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

The assignment for the college-level American Government class I teach was simple enough. Research the US House Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and answer the six questions—some rote, some not—I provided.

Imagine my surprise when I opened up one assignment to discover the student had answered all the questions, based on their research on—the Senate Armed Services Committee. I went back to the assignment to make sure I hadn’t made a mistake, then gave the student a zero on the assignment, explaining they had researched the wrong committee.

It was then I had my first interaction with the academic expectations of this generation, when the author of the paper emailed me back and said “How could I get a zero on this assignment?I worked really hard on this paper.”

I told the student—again—they weren’t asked to address that committee, and that the student’s answers, no matter how accurate or nicely researched, didn’t address the questions I asked in the assignment. The student then capitulated, perhaps because I also pointed out that the points they lost on this assignment could be made up through extra credit.

I can’t help but wonder if too much of our work in counseling creates this same expectation—put in your time, pay your dues, and the payoff is not only automatic, it is the epitome of all possible outcomes—admission to a highly selective college, getting Suzie to go to Homecoming with you, having your parents get off your back. This generation often embraces an expectation that success is based on hours worked, not lessons learned. And that is a massive mistake.

The last two high schools where I worked as a counselor had parent bodies that had high postsecondary expectations. In many cases, students would come to a college meeting with a list of six Ivy League schools, and that was it. They recognized the admit rates to these schools were small, but surely applying to six would steer the odds in their favor—in other words, if they worked hard enough, one was bound to say yes.

I’ve seen research (alas, I can’t remember where) that says a student is indeed more likely to be admitted to at least one school if they apply to more schools, but that conclusion masks important factors like grades and strength of schedule. Still, many parents—and, alas, students as a result—are convinced that the combination of money spent on K-12 private school, writing coaches, and visiting the college campus will surely yield a favorable result from one fancy school.

My job at that point was not to say they wouldn’t get in—that, in fact, is not my place to say—but it is my place to explain that it doesn’t exactly work that way. This was getting to be a more difficult conversation in the last few years I was in high schools, a result of an increase of the “but I worked so hard” mentality. Still, having that conversation in September was better than working with a student in April who had just gone 0-for-6 in the Ivy League, and a couple of diplomatically worded conversations generally led the student to create some healthy additions to the initial list, even if this same conversation was largely less successful with the parents.

It's hard to say just where this generation decided that effort alone leads to an automatic A in life, but the need to show them otherwise is essential to their growth, and to the advancement of our society. That’s where we come in.

Why (and How) You Should Celebrate National School Counseling Week

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

It just figures that National School Counseling Week is in the shadow of the Super Bowl. The country goes bananas over the prospect of guacamole-covered chicken wings on Super Sunday, but when America's masters of mental health advocacy ask for a nacho chip or two, the country saves them for the big game.

In some ways, we don't mind. The last time we made headlines, most people surveyed felt that school counselors were more of a hindrance than a help in applying to college. Before that, we were the punch line of a car ad — "Your guidance counselor drives a minivan" — or we were known as the washed-up teachers who were given offices close to the principal so he could keep an eye on us.

But Jenny doesn't see us that way.

Jenny was the quiet, slender girl who didn't cause anyone trouble, except herself. When two or three students saw Jenny needed help, they went straight to the school counselor, who called Jenny into that office close to the principal to talk about it in a safe, confidential place. Jenny got help, and became an even more beautiful person.

Steve doesn't see us that way either. Three weeks into school, he had his fifth unexcused absence, and was on his way to flunking a required course. He told his school counselor he was working late to support the newborn son no one knew he had. His counselor asked the teacher to give Steve one last break, but never mentioned why. Steve got it, graduated, and got a full-time job that paid enough to take care of his young family.

If you didn't know that, you're not supposed to. When someone's life slips or they don't know where to turn, school counselors give them the space for grace and dignity to rebuild and strengthen their lives, all without fanfare. Sometimes, if you don't know we're doing our job, we're doing our job pretty well.

Of course, we aren't perfect. Most of us work with 450 students at once, and some have twice that number. Since many principals think we should change schedules instead of lives, we don't have as much time to help students as we'd like, and most of us were never — never — trained how to help students apply to college.

I bet you didn't know that either.

Old habits die hard — school counselors know that for sure — but if you have a minute this week, stop by and thank your school counselor for everything you don't know they're doing, and put in a good word for them with the principal. We might not score winning touchdowns or drive fast cars, but when the goal is to drive 450 students to win their own big game, the minivan really rocks it.

Non-Counselor folks—how can you celebrate National School Counseling Week?

• Thank them, both during National School Counseling Week, and whenever they help your child.  One of the reasons some people don’t know what counselors do is because good counseling is usually done without fanfare—it’s important, but it isn’t public.  Your thanks is a gift to these behind-the-scenes professionals, who arrive early and stay late every school day.

• Ask counselors what you can do to support their work.  Counselors often need help spreading the word about the services they offer, including mental health programs, college scholarships, and more. If you have ideas on how to increase awareness of counseling services, let them know. Letting them know you’d like to help increase awareness is an even greater gift.

• Put in a good word for the counselors with the school’s administration.  Urging them to make sure counselors are engaged in counseling tasks, and not leftover administrative duties (Substitute teaching, schedule changes, and more) is one of the greatest gifts you can offer a counselor.  Don’t hesitate to ask a principal what can be done to keep counselors focused on student needs.

Deferrals 101

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

Several colleges with large applicant pools have released their first rounds of admissions decisions, and, predictably, these decisions have been met with a number of people howling at the moon, shouting at the rain, or simply scratching their heads. Most of the energy expended by those counselors who have taken to social media has been over the quantity and quality of deferrals, the admission decision that isn’t really a decision, as much as it’s a decision not to decide.

The response to all this deferring has been large enough to merit a quick review of deferrals. Ready?

A deferral is a request for more of something. If a college has several rounds of admission deadlines, deferrals give them a chance to compare some of the early applicants to some of the later applicants. Some observers suggest it also gives an admissions office more time to review an unexpectedly large applicant pool, something most colleges are unwilling to admit, even if it’s true.

Deferrals aren’t always based on tangible factors. Colleges requiring essays sometimes read a file and wonder if the applicant really knows the school, or sees the college as a viable choice, and not a backup plan. This is especially true in an age where students are applying to more colleges, a trend that shows no sign of stopping. Applying to more colleges may give a student more options, but the mathematics of it all also means the student may not be as committed to some colleges. The deferral process can give the college more insights into a candidate’s interest.

A deferral isn’t a Yes or a No. Students may have data citing how many (or how few) deferred students are ultimately admitted, but that statistic doesn’t indicate why a deferred student is admitted. For all they know, this college could be a perfect student for that college, but the college just needs to let the dust settle from a busy fall before making an offer.

What to do if you are deferred. Students should read the deferral notice twice, then have a thoughtful adult read it with them, all with the goal of understanding what needs to happen next. If the college asks for more information—another essay, updated grades, clarification on what the student likes about the college—the student should meet the request promptly.

In some cases, the college won’t specify what they’d like to receive from the student. This doesn’t mean the student needs to send a dozen new letters of recommendation or call the admissions office daily, but it would be wise to update the college on what the student has been up to since applying, and a brief statement on why the college is still of interest to them. If there’s something the student didn’t mention in their original application, now is the time to provide that information.

If the letter specifically directs the student not to send anything else, it’s wise to follow that counsel. If every deferred student takes a “well, one quick note won’t hurt” attitude, the admissions office gets exactly what it doesn’t want—a deluge of new information they either can’t or won’t process—but they still have to deal with it. Restraint is hard in this case, but it’s an important life skill. Students should practice it now.

What a deferral isn’t. No college decision makes the student a better or worse person. If you have a student who sees anything but Yes as a character indictment, clear your schedule. Your afternoon now has a new purpose.

The College Interview—A Reliable Step in the Admission Process

by Nicholas Amato, Jr.

Our guest columnist is Nicholas Amato, a veteran of the college world, who has a different view on how to take Artificial Intelligence out of the admissions equation.

As we see more and more colleges opt to be test optional, the essay is playing a major role in the admissions process. That leads many parents seeking the help of professionals that will work alongside their child in constructing a well written and thoughtful essay. Along those same lines,

The New York Times reported colleges are now wrestling with a new app that will construct a writing assignment from a general outline on any topic. I believe this app will be another resource that may enter the picture.

Colleges may want to start realizing that they may have to rely on another criterion that will clearly illustrate if the applicant is worthy of admission. Let’s not reinvent the wheel; how about The College Interview.

For years, many colleges have used the interview as part of their selection process. Since the beginning of time, employers count on personal meetings to choose the right person for the job. The interview is equal for all, meaning that those who cannot afford to seek help in writing a college essay, can now rely on their personal skills to illustrate their enthusiasm for a college, as well as put forth their particular qualities.

Of course, how in the world can a college interview every applicant? As a former college rep, with the help of college alumni, we spent months on the road meeting with groups of students. The advertising and marketing during the recruiting season was expensive, long, but rewarding. To this day, my personal relationships with particular students stand out in my mind. I can recall their personal qualities and easily match those with their transcripts, activity resumes, as well as their family relationships. I would say, they are the most important student qualities a college is looking for. 

Instead of college reps spending countless hours reading essays, have them spend that time with students. Colleges can be more personal in the process by using a pandemic favorite, Zoom. This allowed us all to maintain our work, and relationships by communicating efficiently in a safe and personal environment.

What can colleges learn from a personal interview?

• The college can distinguish applicants that may look the same from letters of recommendations, transcripts and other application materials.
• The student and college have a chance to build a personal relationship
• The college can evaluate the student in terms of their genuine interest for their college.
• The college and the student can exchange information about their intended major which will result in a better transition to the college and future occupation(s).
• The college can have a better understanding of the student’s strengths and weaknesses…academically and socially.
• The college is able to evaluate the communication skills of the student.
• The college can provide an equal playing field for all students regardless of socio-economic status.

The admission process has been a long-overplayed discussion. We keep looking for the answer to this question…“What is the best method of getting a true evaluation of a student’s ability?” Simply talk to them.

Nick is a retired teacher, school counselor, Director of Guidance and central office administrator. He is the president of NA Consultants Inc. which specializes in school counseling programs and general curriculum, as well as college counseling. He has also served many districts as an interim school administrator. He is a former President of the Suffolk County Guidance Directors Association, member of NYSSCA and is a consultant to Frontline Education for GuidanceDirect in New York State.

The Return of the SAT Essay?

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

It didn’t take long for the worlds of artificial intelligence and college admissions to meet—or, depending on your perspective, collide. Computers have long played an important role in admissions, but the skillset AI brings to the table leaves all kinds of areas where technology can do what humans are currently doing, typically much more quickly.

AI has recently reared its head in our world in an area many hadn’t expected. A recent article in Forbes fed a couple of college essays to a computer, then handed the results to a few admissions experts to evaluate. A couple of the essays didn’t exactly follow the logistics of the assignment, leaving at least one essay several hundred words short of the limit. Those reviewed by the experts were viewed as flat and soulless, a description that makes sense, since part of a good college admissions essay includes narrative based on life experiences a computer doesn’t have.

Nonetheless, the issue has raised the attention of more than a few admissions officers, leading them to ask—once the kinks are worked out, will the college admissions essay have outlived its purpose?

Discussions about this issue have taken some interesting turns, with more than a few pundits suggesting a return of the SAT Writing Exam. College Board scuttled the exam in 2021, largely due to the very few colleges requiring it at the time. In the event AI programs are capable of creating student-quality essays, there are some sound logistical reasons to consider bringing at least the format of the writing exam back into the fold:

Authenticity The old writing exam may have had its challenges, but at least the colleges knew who wrote the answer. Having students write an admissions essay in the presence of an SAT test supervisor—or on a secure website where they can’t leave the writing portion of the test—takes care of many of those concerns.

Uniformity A common complaint with the current college essays is that some students have the luxury of hiring essay coaches, tutors, and others to strengthen the quality of the essay. A return to the writing exam format would still allow students to engage in practice essays prior to the test date, but the finished item would be created by all students in the same period of time.

That said, very few tears were shed when the writing exam was terminated. If the format is brought back to life, College Board would need to consider:

Subject Many colleges use the college essay as a personal statement, asking students to draw on their thoughts, observations, and life history in crafting a thoughtful essay. Prompts of the old writing exam tended to stay with facts and provable instances. 

Length of exam period It isn’t uncommon for students to spend hours on several drafts of college essays, while the old writing exam asked students to come up with one draft in less than an hour. Graders of the exam were trained to keep these limitations in mind, but is it really reasonable to expect a student to produce a high-quality personal essay in less time than it takes to make a pizza?

Grading Some questioned how the old exams were scored, with some claiming the rubric used had little to do with the elements of a quality college essay.

As the Forbes article points out, we’re unlikely to see a world where admissions decisions are made entirely by computers. Still, AI is just a few tweaks away from requiring reconsideration of the college admissions essay. This is going to be interesting.

The Common Bond That Ties

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

A representative from College Board was talking about some boilerplate changes to the SAT—changes in registration procedures, notifications of new products—but she held almost all her enthusiasm for what she clearly saw as a big deal.

“As you know, we’ll be recentering the SAT this year” she gushed, even though she was battling a head cold. “We’re very excited about all the prospects this change will have for students, counselors, and colleges”, and she discussed those in great detail.

We took a break, and I felt compelled to share the excitement she had generated in me. “This is really quite something,” I started once I got to the front of the room, “College Board is really taking a giant step in creating an SAT that will be free of the cultural, gender and racial biases of past tests.”

It had been a while since someone looked at me like I was stupid, but here we were. She said something like “We’re recentering the test, not redesigning it. If we did that, there would be no way colleges could compare scores on the new test with scores from the old test. We’re happy to make sure the distribution of scores is accurate, but we aren’t going to change the test.”

If I was a classroom teacher, and my principal came in to tell me my teaching practices showed racial, cultural, and gender bias, the last thing I would do is say, in essence “I know, and I’m going to keep doing that.” But even in the face of overwhelming evidence, College Board was not only admitting these practices existed; they seemed almost proud that they were going to continue. I left the update, hoping a future meeting would bring the news of the changes I thought College Board needed to complete.

That was in 1984, and I’m still waiting. This isn’t to say College Board has no regard for students of color, first gen students, and females. They offer many services and programs designed to bring students from these groups into the fold, with many of these products amounting to some kind of inside-baseball look at the SAT. That’s nice, I guess, but it reminds me of winter driving in Michigan. You’ll avoid catastrophe if you know where the potholes are, but wouldn’t it be better just to fix the street?

Test optional advocates cite this as one of the biggest reasons to give up on standardized tests, and have some early evidence to suggest some test optional schools have seen an increase in student diversity since making the change. This is welcome news, to be sure, but as our colleague Jon Boeckenstedt has pointed out on more than one occasion, nearly every aspect of holistic admission has a built-in bias that favors the well-to-do. It’s more than fair to think an essay-free, recommendation-free admissions process might also advance the goal of increased diversity, but even a grades-only admission policy would have some significant economic biases.

Beyond that, Jon has occasionally raised a question our profession is hesitant to answer. If we found an admissions process that was more streamlined and open to all, how eagerly would we embrace it, knowing that it would spell the end of a need for writing coaches, test prep coaches, and many aspects of the work of college counselors? At a time when many in our profession are eager to hurl stones at College Board, it gives one pause to consider how much our self-interest may, like College Board, lead us to be comfortable with half solutions.