School Counseling Has Two Futures- and We’re Running Out of Time – Free Podcast

You hold a master’s degree. You studied crisis intervention, psychopathology, and therapeutic technique.
So why is your profession still fighting to be seen as essential?

It doesn’t have to stay this way- but the window is closing.

In this episode, I lay out two possible futures for school counseling: one that ends in irrelevance, and one where we finally become the campus influence we were meant to be.

What’s pushing us toward the wrong path isn’t what most counselors think.
And fixing it will require a shift few are talking about.

Stop being helpful. Start being undeniable.

Check out School for School Counselors Podcast here: https://podcast.schoolforschoolcounselors.com/school-counseling-has-two-futures-and-were-running-out-of-time/

All names, stories, and case studies in this episode are fictionalized composites drawn from real-world circumstances. Any resemblance to actual students, families, or school personnel is coincidental. Details have been altered to protect privacy.

This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.

How to Help Your Freshmen and Sophomore Students Get Excited About College

It goes without saying: you spend a lot of time working to get your students into college. For example, you counsel and strategize and sit in front of your computer for hours at a time drafting letters of recommendation. And you make lists of prospective colleges, pour over transcripts, and talk parents into having more realistic expectations of the application process.

But how can you motivate your freshmen and sophomore students to get started early, before the stakes are so high? These students have unique needs and concerns about carving out plans for postsecondary education.

Talk to Your Students

Get to know freshmen and sophomores—as individuals. This is also the time to first introduce what it takes to get into college and how they can start making plans now. Explain that they may be able to challenge themselves by registering for honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Additionally, you want to know if they fall apart at the sight of a math equation. Or if they feel their pulse quicken when they are starring in the school musical or editing the newspaper? No two students are alike, and getting to know them now, before the pressure of college admissions begins, will give you a boost when it comes time to suggest the colleges that might be an optimal fit.

You may also want to introduce the “college experience” where your students can study virtually anything, meet students and professors with shared interests, and begin that exhilarating experience of finding themselves. Basically, you are a key resource in that pathway towards understanding and pursuing the endless opportunities of a college education.

Start Suggesting Prospective Colleges and Universities

As a counselor, you are probably well versed in the many postsecondary institutions that are spread across the country. You know about liberal arts colleges that may offer more opportunities for students who prefer small classes with easy access to their professors. Or if they feel more comfortable fading into the background of large lecture halls that are more common at large, public research institutions.

When you get your students excited about these schools that might be the right fit, they can start to do their own sleuthing. For example, many students may use the summer months to tour some of these schools. There are guided tours during this time, where your students may visit some of the student unions, auditoriums, and lecture halls they will keep in the back of their heads while they are completing their applications. Seeing these places will also motivate them to do better in their classes.

Helping Your Students Succeed

Every student has their own strategies for studying. For example, do they learn better by taking notes from textbooks or going over the material with other students? Students need to be motivated to succeed in their high school classes; there is no getting around the need for a high GPA to offer the most opportunities.

It’s easy to lose heart when school gets challenging. And college can be even more overwhelming for students who haven’t developed these skills and motivation while still in high school.

Encourage Them to Get to Know Their Teachers Better

Many college applications will require one or more recommendations from former high school instructors who may be able to breathe humanity into the data. Grades from AP United States History or Sophomore English only tell admissions officers so much. The best teacher recommendations will talk about the students’ strengths (and weaknesses), ideally by showing examples from their own classrooms.

High school seniors may turn to their junior or senior year teachers when filling out their applications. But they shouldn’t neglect those first two years of high school, that reveal so much about their character and how they approach their education.

What Else Can They Do Over the Summer?

You are in the optimal position to help students pursue opportunities for the time when they are away from the traditional academic year. For example, some colleges open their doors to high school students for enrichment classes. In this situation, students may get more excited about all the things they may learn and the people they will meet when they begin college.

Many of these programs cater to the more specialized interests of your students: health sciences programs where students may be introduced to more advanced research and volunteering at hospitals. Writing programs. Acting/theatre camp.

Setting Your Students Apart

During holistic application reviews, admissions officers at the more selective colleges are looking for things that set each student apart. There are so many ways to do this: maybe by helping a professor at a local university with her research. Or by starting a literary magazine.

For students, one of the most unsettling aspects of the college admissions process is the lack of control they may have over the outcome. By helping them come up with ways to distinguish themselves, students may get more excited about college.

Beginning the College Essay Way in Advance

Students may find it helpful to begin drafting their college essays in the first two years of high school. This way, they will not be frantic when starting at the last minute – shortly before applications are due. You should emphasize the importance of this aspect of the college application: the ideal place to provide a window into all they bring to discussions in the college classrooms and residence halls.

Fleshing all this out as a freshman or sophomore will also help students get to know themselves better. It will also help them make plans for the courses they will take and extracurricular activities they may try. Additionally, it is a document that can be given to potential recommenders when the time comes.

There Are Many Versions of Success

It is not easy for any student to gain admission to a top college. And they don’t have to enroll in a prestigious university in order to be successful. By getting your students excited for college earlier, it will help them to see exactly why they want to go to college – and which schools may most optimally meet their needs.

Takeaway Most importantly, use the freshmen and sophomore years as a critical opportunity for students to get excited about college – and their futures. It’s never too early to start this confusing and often much-involved process. This may look different for each student and the more you get to know them the better.

Articles Scheduled to Run in the Spring 2026 issue of LINK for Counselors

Beyond the Books: How a Life Skills Camp Empowered Middle and High School Students at Salisbury Academy – By Allison Doby, College Counselor at Salisbury Academy

HOPE: Hope, Opportunity, Perseverance, and Equity for Every Student! – By Stephanie Brazinsky, Priscilla A. Grijalva, and Candice Mackey, All Current High School Counselors

How Colleges Review Applications: What Your Students Should Know – By Regina Gerrato Greenhaus, Founder of Greenhaus College Consulting

Are Parents Overly Involved in the College Process – By Nina Berler, Founder of uncommon Apps

From Stress to Steadfastness: My Final Season with Students – By Sonja Montiel, Co-Founder of PEQ Performance Consulting

The Changing Landscape of College Admissions – By Christina Grande, College Counselor at Saint Gertrude High School

Helping Your Students Through Emotional Crises – By Elizabeth Drucker

Helping Parents of Autistic Teens See the Power of Summer Programs – By Beth Felsen, Founder of Spectrum Transition Coaching

5 Things Your Students Should Know About Federal vs Private Student Loans – By Briand Sadfari, Founder of College Planning Experts

The Questions Your Students Should Ask Before They Choose a College – By Louis Newman, a Private College Success Coach

The Ultimate Goal of a High School Counselor – By Nancy Regas, Author of the Art of Being a School Counselor

Beyond the Draft: A Structured Approach to College Essay Coaching – By Susan Knoppow, CEO of WOW Writing Workshop

When Students Say, “I Want to Major in Psychology”: A Counselor’s Response Guide – By Carolyn Kost, Independent College Counselor and Educational Consultant

Careers to Consider: Healthcare Professions – By Becky Dunn

How to Help Your Freshmen and Sophomore Students Get Excited About College – By Elizabeth Drucker

10 Top Scholarships for Your Students

Spring 2026 College Fairs List

Top 10 LINK for Counselors Blogs of 2025

What Happens When They’re Homesick?

Longing for the comforts of home when everything is new and different isn’t surprising, but the depth of homesickness among students on college campuses appears to be rising.

According to Christopher Thurber, a psychologist at Phillips Exeter Academy, a boarding school in Exeter, New Hampshire, “about 20 percent of students entering college say they’re bothered by missing home, and about 5 percent have homesickness so severe that it interferes with their daily lives or causes significant symptoms of anxiety or depression.”

My niece Sara Griffin, who attended Elon University in Elon, North Carolina, says that she found the transitions, heading home and returning to campus, were the hardest for her. And there’s a bunch every fall. First, there’s the big drop-off in late August. Then, in varying order, there’s Parents’ Weekend, where family members come to campus, and then Fall Break, where students traditionally return home. And then it seems, as quickly as the leaves turn, it’s suddenly Thanksgiving and there’s another visit home. After that time off, students return to campus for sometimes as little as two weeks before they head home again for the holiday break. With this many stops-and-starts in a freshman’s routine, it’s understandable why getting adjusted can sometimes be so challenging for so many students.

It’s okay to miss home a little, but it’s not considered very socially acceptable to let it get to you so much that you become depressed or anxious. One of the biggest problems homesick students encounter is admitting that they need help. Resident Assistants (RAs) are trained to identify symptoms and respond with a variety of tools

Suggested strategies for students to battle homesickness:

• Realize that homesickness is natural and everyone feels it to a greater or lesser degree.
• Don’t make any snap decisions to leave; time is the greatest healer.
• Figure out what helps you relax (music, exercise, etc.) and what makes you happy on campus, do more of that.
• Get busy. Focus on the new opportunities, new people, and new surroundings.
• Try not to be alone too often. It’s much harder to be sad, bored, and lonely when you’re with other people.
• Determine what you’re missing from home and see if there’s some way to replace or replicate it on campus. For some students, it’s food; a care package can work wonders.
• Don’t call home too often. It’s better to plan specific times to chat. Many homesick students find Skype or FaceTime more challenging because they can see their parents, siblings, pets, house, etc. Try and keep it to a brief phone call.

The good news, according to Larry Marks, PhD, psychologist at the University of Central Florida Counseling Center, is that “usually the feeling lessens as the first semester goes on. Focusing on classes, making friends, and getting involved in campus activities will help with the transition.”

Lee Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte. Send questions to: lee@bierercollegeconsulting.com; www.bierercollegeconsulting.com

Counselor Fly-Ins Unfiltered: Showing Up in the Room Where it Happens – Free Webinar

Counselor fly-ins are a key professional development opportunity for school-based counselors, CBO counselors, and independent educational consultants, yet access and expectations around these programs are often unclear.

This webinar provides a practical, experience-based overview of counselor fly-ins: why colleges host them, how to access these opportunities, and how to engage in ways that increase your value to students and are mutually beneficial. Presenters Sunny Park Suh, E.d.D. of Hunter College High School, Jessica McCaughey of BP Solutions, and Yvonne Espinoza, CEP, of Yvonne Espinosa College Counseling Services will discuss strategies for positioning yourself for invitations, preparing in advance, and making the most of the experience during and after a fly-in.

Designed for school-based counselors, community-based organization counselors, and independent educational consultants, this session will clarify how fly-ins fit into professional practice and how they can inform college advising work to increase knowledge and professional networks.

Registration is free courtesy of the Women Empowering Women group – feel free to share this link with your colleagues!

Here is the link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7q1CJKq5QVuoyHzeBmEHYw?fbclid=IwY2xjawPOE_VleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFXTUZOMmcwZDJYS0NUSHNYc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHh8-eMa-mjSNNd2cAt3WoPB2qcYYUjPjtrCrgRIeAr7vgcc4gcHx80J44YZa_aem_S7FjUAQRcAfhtZRprveMkw#/registration