New Mental Health Resources? Make the Most of Them

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

Thanks to COVID, heading back to school has been a different experience each fall, and this year is no exception. With test scores down, and students spending much of the last two years learning online, many students are returning to school with social-emotional issues about learning, working with others, and facing life in general.

 

With many states offering record funding for mental health services in school, counselors need to make sure they make the most out of these opportunities. Here’s how:

 

Appropriate staffing Michigan holds one of the highest student-counselor ratios in the nation, with a whopping 638 students per counselor, and nearly every state has a ratio well above the recommended level of 250 students per counselor. Common sense suggests this is just way too many students for counselors to conduct an effective mental health program. Hiring additional school counselors has been a task that’s long overdue in our state. Now that we have the money to do so, it’s time to make the most of those dollars.

 

Best use of time Too many adults remember their school counselor as the person who changed their schedule, or did lunch duty. Important as those tasks might be, they have little to do with mental health, and nothing to do with the vital skills where counselors have received training. School officials need to work with counselors to review their duties, and maximize counselor time with students on growth in mental health.

 

Tailored curriculum With a number of new, pre-packaged mental health programs available to schools, it may be tempting to pick one and see it as an easy add-on to the current counseling curriculum. School leaders would do well to work closely with the current counseling team to make sure any new mental health elements complement the existing offerings, and blend with the school’s larger academic and personal goals.

 

Team-based support School counselors are rightly viewed as the leaders of a school’s mental health curriculum, but this doesn’t mean they should be the sole implementors of the curriculum. A team-based approach to mental health, including teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, coaches, and parents, will surround the student with support and opportunity, two attributes students desperately need after two very challenging years. Adequate time for training, practice, and feedback need to be provided so counselors can nurture these partners forward.

 

Community support This same kind of comprehensive support can be achieved when school mental health officials partner with community leaders to extend an atmosphere of support to students outside school. Local social workers, social agencies, therapeutic centers, youth programs, and religious leaders should be engaged to create an atmosphere of support that makes it easy for students to seek any help they might need. This should also include the business community; anywhere students spend time after school is a place where mental health healing can begin, and the more partners a community has, the better.

 

Plans for the future Development of a strong sense of self often includes the development of plans for the future, and that includes the counselor’s role as a college and career counselor. Too much counseling literature in the last two years has emphasized the need for better mental health programming in schools, without specifying just what that programming should include. Self-esteem, self-awareness, and effective interpersonal skills certainly play a key role this programming, but it’s just as important for students to develop an understanding of what they could become.

 

Goal setting can create a sense of purpose in a student who would otherwise look at their current situation and lose hope. It’s the fresh start students often yearn for, a chance to escape the limitations their peers, community, circumstances, and family have placed upon them. At a time when too many students have felt boxed in by the few choices COVID has left them, what better time to expose them to vistas of new opportunity and hope, the outcomes of a successful college and career awareness curriculum?

 

It’s comforting to know we can reasonably expect a school year that feels a little more like business as usual. Creating a student-centered school where mental health comes first can go a long way to making the most of that opportunity.

The Two Challenges of This School Year

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

News from Washington solidifies what most educators already knew—this is going to be the year of returning schools to business as usual. With healthcare leaders announcing plans to treat COVID with an annual booster—much like people get a regular flu shot—the days of mask alerts and online school days largely seem behind us, and educators will get the chance to focus on what they were trained to do—help young people move on with their lives.

That isn’t to suggest the impact of the COVID pandemic is behind us. Reports suggest that four million- four million—children are leaving the pandemic with the loss of a parent or primary caregiver. That worldwide figure translates to 285,000 children in the US, many of them our students. Combined with students facing the challenges of trying to learn and socialize without a full array of in-person experiences in the last two years, it’s safe to say we’ll be working with students whose school experiences have been less than comprehensive.

It's clear counselors are going to play a major role in meeting the needs of students to process these effects and find a way to move forward, and that includes the counselor’s role as a college counselor. Too much counseling literature in the last two years has emphasized the need for better mental health programming in schools, without specifying just what that programming should include. Self-esteem, self-awareness, and effective interpersonal skills certainly play a key role this programming, but it’s just as important for students to develop an understanding of what they could become.

 

Goal setting can create a sense of purpose in a student who would otherwise look at their current situation and lose hope. It’s the fresh start students often yearn for, a chance to escape the limitations their peers, community, circumstances, and family have placed upon them. At a time when too many students have felt boxed in by the few choices COVID has left them, what better time to expose them to vistas of new opportunity and hope, the outcomes of a successful college and career awareness curriculum?

It won’t be easy getting students to think outside the limitations of COVID, and that leads to a second challenge. With the exception of a handful of name four-year colleges, most postsecondary institutions are facing declines in enrollment—some losses as great as 40 percent. This is just as true for community colleges, where enrollment was expected to increase during COVID, assuming students would learn from home. In most cases, community colleges are realizing double-digit enrollment losses.

This loss of interest is going to call on the higher education community—counselors, admissions officers, and especially financial aid officials—to adjust their advising and recruiting strategies. Too many of these strategies have been aimed at the student who saw college as a given, and rightfully so. It’s much easier to sell the students on the quality of a particular brand (or college) if they’re already convinced college is worthwhile.

That’s not the case now. High college costs have combined with a tight job market, leading families to wonder if college is really worth the investment, especially with the relatively lower cost of technical training, training which leads to good paying jobs in considerably less time.

Health officials may be declaring an end to the damage done by COVID, but counselors and higher education officials start this school year desperately needing to clean up the debris created by its wake. Making college part of the mental health equation, and marketing college towards those not already convinced of its value, are at the top of the to-do list.

What’s New in College Admissions?

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

If it seems like back-to-school time came around a little too soon, you can thank the Target in my neighborhood. Most of June was devoted to taking this dimly lit cavern into a place where people would really like to, you know, shop—and since they finished early, they figured they’d stack the store with school promotions just a little earlier than usual.

Bullseye and friends aren’t the only changes we’ve seen this summer. While many of these changes are at the serious rumor stages, it would be wise to keep your eye out for college admission changes relating to:

Letters of Recommendation Counselor chat rooms have been full of speculation that some colleges plan on asking for letters from two adults in the student’s life, a requirement vastly different from the traditionally mandated one or two teacher letters and the required counselor letters. Just what colleges are opening things up—and which adults should write for a student—will vary widely, but if this becomes a trend, it could provide counselors with huge caseloads the writing relief they’ve been looking for.

Application Deadlines Some colleges have changed their application deadlines, while others are just taking more students than ever through well-established early programs—so much so that students who don’t apply early are, in effect, limiting their chances of admission. If your high school has a popular college (or two or three), a quick call and email to your rep will help you build a strategy for timely application admissions.

Call and email the Rep Just in case you missed that, it is getting to be standard practice to both call and email reps with crucial questions. Application numbers are getting so high in many colleges that the time to call just doesn’t exist. Doing both is the best way to serve your students—and once you write the email, you now have a script for the voice mail you’ll leave.

Test optional Most reports suggest the overall number of test-optional colleges hasn’t changed all that much, but that average is meaningless if you live in a state where testing requirements were reinstated by a public body. Now is the time to double check the test optional choices at the schools you often do business with—and if something has changed, be sure to tell the students, early and often.

FAFSA changes The new and shorter FAFSA is still a year away, thanks to COVID and some logistical issues. That isn’t great news, other than it means something stays the same for this year.

Back to classrooms Perhaps the biggest change counselors will address this year is the return of many or most schools to full-time in-person teaching. Given all the stress online learning brought with it, you’d think everyone would be celebrating the return of old school school. But in-person school brings its own challenges, from getting out of bed in the morning to peer issues to trying to listen to what’s being taught while Susie sits next to us, texting like mad to everyone about everything except learning.

The US government has been very generous in awarding states money for mental health programs to help students adjust to life after COVID, but those funds have largely gone to states, not directly to high schools. If you haven’t heard about your school getting any mental health money, now is the time to ask. Counselors are notoriously good at spending money on short notice, but there’s no point in building a program you can’t afford. Ask about the cash—and welcome back!

Brag Colleges and More: The Year in Review

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

I don’t always write a summary column, but there were more than enough nuggets of newness this year to put together a list that makes you remember, consider, and prepare for next year.

Test optional Many colleges have decided it’s time to go back to requiring the SAT or ACT simply because—well, they can. It’s frustrating that the test-no-test debate is based on intuition, and not data—if a college has evidence it needs a test, fine with me; otherwise, forget it. MIT (yes) and Bates (no) seem to be the only ones leading in this category. Here’s hoping other colleges will follow suit.

Self-reporting grades Like test-optional policies, self-reporting transcripts were supposed to take the burden off the college-bound student, and, largely, neither one has. Without a common transcript form, students find themselves filling out several self-reporting transcripts, making college applications more time consuming. How about if every high school gives each student a PDF of their transcript in July, and colleges let students upload that?

Admit rates It still drives me crazy that there are two headlines for schools with record applications: “College X has record applications”, and, next week, “College X admits lowest percentage of students ever.” This is the same story, but we somehow get twice the panic out of it—like we really need that.

Highly Rejective Colleges This term was originated in rebellion to the use of the phrase Highly Selective Colleges, and it really caught on this year. From what I can tell, this phrase emphasizes that the number of students the college rejects is high, as opposed to the idea that the quality of the few students selected for admission is high.

I’m not fond of either phrase, but Highly Rejective Colleges suggests the college can actually do something about this--like admit more students, even though they don’t have room for them, or be less aggressive in recruiting students, which would risk them missing applicants who would do well at their colleges.

If there are objections to the students these colleges are admitting (not enough Pell students, too many legacies), folks should say that. If they’re jealous of the college’s recruiting success, say that. But don’t blame them because they’re good at what every college wants to be good at—recruiting students. In the old days, this would be the kind of disparaging remark that would be an ethics violation with NACAC. The rule may be gone, but the need for decorum is still with us. I like “brag” colleges (or, when speaking only with colleagues, “cocktail party” colleges). Try those.

Student Aid Report Colleges continue to produce their own financial aid reports to students, each with its own idiosyncrasies that makes comparing offers impossible.

How about this? Nearly every college gets federal funding for something. Uncle Sam needs to say “Look, keep your forms if you need them. All you have to do is put this sheet—our sheet—on top of yours. It explains grants, loans, and work study very succinctly, and gives families a common form to compare with other colleges, who have to use the same form. We give the summary, and you give the details.”

There’s more to discuss, but sweet cherries are at the market, announcing the start of summer. Most of Michigan is heading to the north end of the state, home of big trees, incredibly cold water, fudge, and other great things Henry Ford didn’t invent. No matter where you spend the summer, I hope it celebrates you, salutes you, and thanks you.

Heaven knows I do, every day.

The Checklist for College-bound Juniors

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

With another year mostly behind us, it’s time to take what we learned after a ride on this year’s college-go-round and pass it on to juniors.

Do let your interests, abilities, and needs guide your search for the colleges that are right for you.

Do notice that last sentence said “colleges”, not “college”.

Don’t think the rules for applying to college are the same as when your older sibling applied. Testing policies, admission rates, and application deadlines have changed in the last few years. Use the college websites to get the latest information.

Do take the SAT or ACT. Even if your list is all test-optional/no-test colleges, you may fall in love this fall with a college that requires them. Plus, a strong test score can improve your application status at a test-optional school. Just don’t send them until you see them.

Don’t forget online college tours are still around, and better than ever. The pandemic made just about every college invest more time and thought to their online tours, leading them to realize what they should have figured out a long time ago; students who can’t get to campus still deserve a great look at their school.

Do put together a list of colleges you’re interested in, if there are any right now. Throw them in a spreadsheet, along with a few notes on why the school interests you, and the application deadline. Don’t forget the why; that comes in handy later on. 6-8 colleges max is plenty; 10-12 if some of those are cocktail party colleges.

Don’t let cost hold you back from applying to a college. Put your list together based on the qualities of the college. The ones you think you can’t afford may offer great aid that makes it possible. Make sure your list is balanced with colleges where cost doesn’t matter as much, and you’ll be fine.

Do take a minute to review your activities list. In theory, you were supposed to start this list in ninth grade—but in theory, Rich Strike wasn’t supposed to win the Kentucky Derby (if you missed it, watch this—he was twelfth going into the last eighth of a mile).

You can recover. Get a notebook or spreadsheet, write down the activities you remember, then—and I’m serious here—ask your parents to look it over. They’ll remember many things you forgot, and they’ll be thrilled you asked them to do something for college besides pay for it.

Don’t leave school before asking two teachers if they can write you a good letter of recommendation. Generally, these are teachers of academic subjects from junior year, and you don’t need more than two. They can’t teach the same subject— I’d even be careful about getting letters from the Chemistry and Biology teachers—and asking them now gives them the summer to think about your letter, and even write it.

Don’t do anything related to college during the entire month of July, with the possible exception of visiting campuses. Many students want to dig in and start essays right after school’s out—and without exception, those essays sound dull and tired by September. Great essays come from a rested soul that knows itself. Take July to refresh and rediscover, and dig in come August.

Do ask for help. Teachers help with essays, counselors help with college searches and applications, and online sources from folks like Collegewise and Common Application offer free, solid advice, available anytime. You bring a unique self to the process; they bring the expertise needed to make the logistics look easy. Use them.

Enjoy the ride.

Make a Difference? You bet!

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

I’ve written a couple of articles this year urging counselors to find ways to improve their work, without waiting for permission to do so. I love you all dearly, but we sometimes devote so much time talking about what’s wrong, we fail to take the next step and do something to fix it.

Since I make such a big deal about that, it’s only fair I send a shoutout to a counselor who has not just thought outside the box, but stepped outside of it as well—and that leads me to Lynda McGee. A long-time counselor who is highly respected by her colleagues, Lynda works at Downtown Magnets High School, a place that is home to many students who will be the first in their families to go to college. Creating a college-going atmosphere has its challenges, so when you’re able to create an atmosphere that has students looking far and wide, you’ve clearly done something.

But that wasn’t good enough for Lynda. Cocktail party colleges boast low admission rates, and because many first gen students take rejection hard, finding ways to support them when a college says no is especially important.

Enter the paper shredder. Based on an idea she borrowed from another counselor, Lynda now hosts a college rejection party. Admission is only by ticket; in this case, your ticket is a rejection letter from a college. Calling students up by college, those in attendance walk up, unfold their letter, and reduce it to a snowy pulp. The student with the most rejections gets a book voucher for college, and all participants get ice cream.

Why make such a big deal out of a no? Lynda tells us in this quote in the LA Times:

“This is a celebration of the fact that you took a risk,” McGee told the four dozen in attendance. “You went for something that you weren’t sure would even work out and in some cases it did not. But you know what? You’re all going to college somewhere.”

In other words, where you don’t go is not who you’ll be.

Magnet kids get into all kinds of great schools, with aid to boot, but Lynda knows too many first gen kids who will dwell on the nos they get more than the acceptances. That’s no way to finish senior year, or to head off to a college that’s perfect for them, so the shredding party is the tonic.

What exactly did it take to challenge this well-established notion that a no is the end of the world? A paper crown, a book voucher, a paper shredder—and a counselor who knows her job isn’t to be a college counselor, but to be a counselor who works with students in the college selection process. This isn’t the first time Lynda has challenged the status quo—you don’t get first gen kids to apply to the low admit schools without breaking some long-held social constructs—and she’s done this with a heart of gold, an iron will, and a vision that sees the big picture.

Which takes us back to you. Lynda made headlines with a rejection party; more important, she made her students stronger and better with a rejection party. Think about what you can do to improve the lives of your students, and you’ll find the gumption and resources to make it happen. And don’t be afraid to borrow from other counselors. Lynda did, and look what happened to her.

Better still—look what happened to her students.

College Counseling in Under 500 Words

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

Think you can’t help a student with little time? Hand them this, and watch what happens. (No, it isn’t perfect, but it’s a start).

 

What is college? Most people think of college as a four-year experience, but that’s not the case at all. Take a look at these college options; some may surprise you.

 

How do I choose my college path? Many students start their college part by focusing on what they want to do for a living, and your counselor can help you with career exploration. Take a look at this information. Other students will choose their path by completing a college search that includes factors like college major, location, size, and cost. Some of these searches are limited to 2- and 4-year colleges, to keep that in mind. One of those searches is here.

 

Be ready for college The single best for a successful time in college is to make the most out of your learning experiences in and out of the classroom. Use every assignment to sharpen your study skills, and use your time after school to learn more about yourself and the world around you. Take a peek.

 

Visit college campuses This is going to be your new home, so you need to make sure it feels right—and no two colleges are the same. Use this as your guide for making a successful visit.

 

Prepare for and take either the SAT or ACT Not all colleges require you to take a test as part of the admissions process, but many four-year colleges do. It’s wise to know what you’ll be tested on, so take a look at this advice.

 

Apply to college This is usually easier than you think, since most colleges don’t ask for essays or teacher letters of recommendation. That’s right—most students only need 20 minutes to apply to college. No matter what the application asks for, try this site for help:

 

Apply for financial aid You’ll most likely need your parents’ help to do this, and you sometimes have to complete more than one form, but it’s worth it.

 

Apply for scholarships Private scholarships can help pay for college, but keep in mind that lots of students are applying for them. Try this.

 

Choose your college Once you know where you’ve been accepted, and how much aid each college will offer, it’s time to choose the college that offers the right mix of challenge, opportunity, and support. Take a look here.

 

Stay in touch with your college Once you tell the college you’re coming, they will be in touch over the summer with lots of information. Keep checking email and snail mail, or you may lose your spot in college. Take a peek.

 

Ask for help once you get to college College is a different place, with different rules and different resources all designed to help you. The key is to keep asking for help until you get it! Try this.

 

500 words, including these.