First, revamp your letter of rec questionnaire. Here is a list of questions to ask students to answer. That way, you don't need to guess what a student wants you to write about.
The College and Career Planning Guide for Counselors and Advisors
Your Go-To Place for Helpful Resources
Getting Started
What is Scoir
Scoir provides high schools and CBOs with the tools that strengthen counseling departments and advisors so they can spend more time supporting students (and less time on admin).
We help students discover their talents and how they translate to career pathways so they can make the best decision(s) about their futures.
Who This Guide is For
If you are a counselor or student advisor at a high school or CBO, this guide is for you!
You don't need to be a Scoir customer to benefit from this guide.
Here, we outline helpful information for any counselor or advisor who is looking to save time on admin and spend more time supporting students. Throughout this guide, we link to blog posts, PDFs, videos, and additional content by Scoir and others that can help you and your students throughout the college and career planning process.
Sometimes, we mention features that are specific to those who have access to Scoir. We'll make it known which features any counselor or advisor can utilize, regardless of whether their high school pays for Scoir.
CBOs can join Scoir for free, and high school teams receive a 50% discount for each student who receives free or reduced lunch at their school.
Quick Links
Class Planning and Extracurriculars
Assisting students in planning their high school classes and extracurriculars is a great way to help them enhance their growth, even into their adult life. Participation in extracurriculars in high school can lead to a more active lifestyle, long-lasting friendships, and time management skills.
Plus...the right coursework and extracurriculars can help pave the way for college and career success!
Here are some helpful resources to share with students as they are navigating high school course selection.
Resources For Students
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Course Selection: Why Your High School Class Decisions Are Important
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Advice on High School Course Selection from Admission Professionals [Podcast]
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The Test Anxiety Infographic (so they can learn test anxiety coping skills early on!)
Save for Later Looking for a resource on college and career planning to share with your 9th and 10th graders? Check out Scoir's guest post on the Test Innovators blog, For 9th & 10th Graders: How to Get Started with the College and Career Discovery Process.
College Search and Discovery for Teens
Now the post-high school journey begins! Students are experiencing a ton of emotions at this stage. Pressure is on them to choose a path for the rest of their education and career. They're hearing a lot of different voices with varying advice, and your voice is one of the most important.
Here are some resources to share with your students (and to read yourself!) when they're starting to explore colleges that may be a good fit for them.
Resources For Students
How Scoir Can Help
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College Discovery: Students can search for colleges that may be a good fit for them
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College Profiles: Students can see in-depth information on each college
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Find Your College Match Quiz: Students receive personalized college recommendations based on what's most important to them
Save for Later Did you know that Scoir offers counselors and advisors certification courses through Scoir U? We provide group and individual certifications on topics like SEL and college counseling for grades 9-12!
Career Exploration for Teens
With more students pursing careers immediately after high school, career exploration is starting earlier in the student experience.
The future of career and college discovery and prep is that they happen in tandem. Scoir and the Cristo Rey Network's partnership is an example of how these two important aspects of a student's future can be nurtured simultaneously. We recommend checking out the partnership for inspiration!
Resources For You
Resources for Students
How Scoir Can Help
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2-Year, Tech, and Trade School Discovery: Students can find a variety of schools that will help them enter their chosen career.
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Career Assessment: Students can take a fully integrated Career Interest Assessment in Scoir to be matched with best-fit careers.
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PrinciplesYou Character Assessment: PrinciplesYou is a scientifically validated character assessment that can be completed in one class period, so students can discover which careers may be a good fit for them.
How Scoir Can Help
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Free App for Parents/Guardians: Parents and guardians can create their own Scoir account for free and link with their student(s).
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Suggest Colleges: Parents and guardians can suggest potential colleges for their student(s) right in Scoir.
College List Building, College Applications, and College Decisions
Navigating students through the (often stressful and confusing!) process of college list-building and decision-making is crucial. Counselors have a wonderful opportunity at this stage to empower students to embark on their college journey with confidence and clarity.
These 2 checklists are perfect for your juniors and seniors as they navigate college discovery, planning, and application!
Resources For You
Resources for Students
How Scoir Can Help
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College Lists: Students can follow colleges and manage their college list on Scoir (and even categorize by acceptance likelihood)
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Find Your College Match Quiz: Students receive personalized college recommendations based on what's most important to them
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Apply with Scoir: Students can apply to Coalition colleges on Scoir, reducing duplicate work
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Admission Intelligence: Go beyond GPA and standardized test scores to help counselors confidently balance college lists and demystify acceptance chances
P.S. Your students and parents/guardians can use Scoir, even if your high school doesn't pay for Scoir, feel free to create a student account so you can explore the experience! You can also collaborate with students on their college list, career discovery, and more side-by-side while they are in their Scoir account.
The spring semester is a great time to rethink how you communicate letters of recommendation expectations to students and optimize your process to save you and your students time. Here are some steps we'd recommend:
Next, consider going to classrooms and explaining the letter of rec process you've established. You could even send an email letting students know about this process. When you're going to class or sending this email, you share the questionnaire with students.
Don't forget to take care of yourself. You deserve it.
Write those letters!
How Scoir Can Help
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Request Letters of Recommendation: Students can request letters of recommendation from you right in Scoir.
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Manage Letters of Recommendation: Counselors can adjust when students can request letters of rec in Scoir, in what format counselors should submit their letters, and more.
Resources For You
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How to Help Your Students Through the FAFSA Verification Process
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How to Make College Affordable (for Counselors) from College Essay Guy
Resources for Students
How Scoir Can Help
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Financial Aid Estimates: Scoir provides multiple levels of financial estimates based on the information you provide for each college on Scoir.
Psst...a Scoir scholarship search feature for students and counselors is coming soon. Stay tuned! Sign up for What's New in Scoir to receive new feature updates.
How Scoir Can Help
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Pre-College Programs and Events Search: Students can easily find programs and events that may be a good fit for them.