Articles for High School Counselors

Latest on News and Opportunities for Neurodivergent Students

Here are some great opportunities for neurodivergent students compiled by Eric Endlich (who can be followed on LinkedIn for more frequent updates on these types of opportunities):

Paid Summer Internship – College Students/Grads

Do you know any neurodivergent college students or recent grads looking for a paid STEM-related summer internship? Look no further than the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University!

From the website at FCAI Autism Summer Internship Applications Now Open for 2024! | Frist Center for Autism and Innovation | Vanderbilt University: The Frist Center is excited to announce applications are now open for our Autism Summer Internship Program.

The program is open to undergraduate students who identify as neurodiverse (either through formal or self-diagnosis).

Through this internship, successful applicants will undergo a STEM project with a faculty mentor, under the guidance of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation.

This year the program will take place between May 27th – August 2nd, in person on the Vanderbilt University Campus.

Interested undergraduates should apply at this Google Form by the closing date of 11:59pm CT on February 14th. This internship will focus primarily on science and engineering (STEM) related projects.

Many neurodivergent folks are undiagnosed – they understand this and ask that your students do not let lack of a formal diagnosis keep them from applying. Participants are current college undergraduate students or recent college graduates. Interns will be paid, as well as receiving a stipend for housing. While most interns are autistic, those with other types of neurodiversity may apply as well!

They also strongly encourage those from minority backgrounds or underrepresented groups to apply.

Paid Summer STEM Internship – High School Students

From the website at N3: NASA’s Neurodiversity Network (sonoma.edu):

Each year through 2025, NASA’s Neurodiversity Network will accept applications for summer interns to work on projects with NASA scientists. The goal of the N3 program is to provide experiences for neurodiverse students, specifically those who identify as autistic, that will spark their interest in careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

All interns will be paired with a Subject Matter Expert (SME) from NASA’s network. Individual SMEs will have expertise in at least one of the following areas:

Planetary Science
Earth Science
Space Science
Engineering
Computer Science

The work schedule will be mutually agreed upon by the intern and the SME. Internships will be completed remotely during Summer 2024 and N3 interns will receive a $1,000 stipend upon completion of their internship. Students are expected to complete approximately 100 hours of work over the internship period.

If you have questions about eligibility or application details after reviewing this webpage, you can contact their team at ariccio@edc.org.

To apply, they must receive your application and a letter of recommendation from a teacher who can speak to your skills and interests in specific areas related to NASA subjects. A recommendation letter from a teacher or another professional is required of all applicants. Full applications are due by March 8, 2024. Applicants will be notified of their application result during the week of April 8th.

Guidelines:

Prospective interns must be current high school students 16 years of age or older. Preference will be given to students who are rising juniors or older but rising sophomores are invited to apply.
Prospective interns must identify as autistic to align with N3’s mission.
Prospective interns must have completed pre-calculus, and at least two years of physical science courses (e.g. earth science, chemistry or physics). Note that in the past, applicants who have completed a calculus course and two years of physical science have been most likely to be selected. If you have not yet taken these classes, please consider reapplying next year.
Summer 2024 interns will complete at least 100 hours between June 1 and September 1, 2024. Upon completion of their final projects, interns will receive a $1,000 stipend.

Prospective interns may submit their responses using the linked application form or submit recorded audio, written text, video, or written answers transcribed by a scribe. If there are other accommodations that would assist with your internship application process, please contact our N3 internship team at ariccio@edc.org. We hope to learn from our N3 interns to build our understanding about the best ways to work with neurodiverse youth.

Summer Neurodiversity Advocacy Camp – High School Students

Stanford Neurodiversity Project – Research Education Advocacy Camp for High School Students https://med.stanford.edu/neurodiversity/SNP-REACH2024.html

Hybrid July 8-July 19
In-Person (at Stanford) July 22-August 2
Application deadline April 17

From the website: Students will join via Zoom or in person on Stanford’s campus from around the US and around the world. The remote setting allows students to listen carefully to educators, make use of closed captioning, and use preference of voice or the chat function to communicate, which fosters full engagement in group discussions. Leading lecturers, researchers, and clinicians from Stanford and around the country will present on different aspect of neurodiversity and allyship. Small group projects allow students to connect in a deeper more active way. Both remote and in-person formats allows students to make new friends, expand your worldview and continue the conversation beyond the camp.

Selected campers will have the distinctive opportunity to present their final projects at the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit. This virtual summit is a unique conference bringing together neurodiverse / neurodivergent individuals, employers, service agencies, educators and students, parents, and professionals from all areas of the field. Previous Summit presenters have included Temple Grandin, PhD, Representative Jessica Benham, (state of Pennsylvania), neurodiversity pioneer Judy Singer, and many more. Camp participants who participate in the Summit will join a lineup of world class speakers.

Autism Scholarship – High School and College Students

Apply For Our Autism Scholarship – KFM Making A Difference

Thanks to Kerry Magro for providing these scholarships for autistic college students and college-bound high school students! Complete instructions are available on the KFM website.

From the website: All high school students with autism attending a post-secondary program in the 2024-2025 academic year may apply. In addition, all current college students with autism may apply as well who will be attending a post-secondary program in the 2024-2025 academic year. This scholarship has no geographic restrictions meaning it’s open to all upcoming and current college students with autism in the U.S and internationally! If you were selected in a previous year and/or weren’t selected you may reapply as long as you are still attending college in the 2024-2025 academic year. Just make sure to send us a new original application and essay!

The winning applicant will receive a $500 scholarship to be used to pay for their post-secondary education.

All scholarship applications need to be filled out with all of the requirements listed below by no later than Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at Midnight EST!

Relationship Workshop/Study for Autistic Adults (with potential stipend)

Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum (HEARTS): April 2024 class and research study

Online “Closed” 12-Part Workshop – Healthy Relationships on The Autism Spectrum (HEARTS) for Adults, 4/25/24 – 8/22/24, 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM ET – AANE

Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum (HEARTS) is a 12 session workshop for autistic adults who would like to learn about, and talk about, healthy friendship and dating relationships offered in conjunction with the Autism and Neurodiversity Network (AANE). HEARTS provides education about what a healthy vs. unhealthy relationship feels like, how to notice warning signs that a relationship is becoming unhealthy, how to cope with a breakup or end of a friendship how to restart friendships with people when you have fallen out of touch, and how to stay motivated to meet new people. HEARTS is rooted in a neurodiversity perspective and is taught by an autistic and non-autistic team. HEARTS affirms all relationship types and styles, all genders, and all sexual orientations (LGBTQ+, poly, asexual, etc.).

DATES OF CLASS SESSIONS: April 25, May 2, May 9, May 16, May 23, May 30, July 18, July 25, August 1, August 8, August 15, August 22

TIME: 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM ET

WHERE: Online via Zoom

HEARTS is also being evaluated through a randomized controlled trial funded by NIH. Therefore, people who sign up for the HEARTS class and meet eligibility criteria can also receive up to $300 on a e-gift card for participation in surveys and interviews related to HEARTS.

Lastly, here is a sortable database of 200+ neurodiversity-friendly colleges and universities Eric maintains: College Programs for Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Disabilities | College Consultants (topcollegeconsultants.com).]

Link to document that Eric maintains with additional programs and opportunities – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f738ZIQrLa1MXVRjfrQR7672Rq0_LU0nDuTj1AUregw/edit

Date January 17, 2024
Author Jason Bullock

IB Scholarships and Recognition

Michael Hirsch, a Counselor at West Island School in Hong Kong has compiled a list of Universities that offer IB Scholarships and have IB Recognition and Programs. In his document he has tabs with information on the following data:

USA – IB Scholarships
AAU IB Credit Policies
Colleges that Change Lives Recognition Policies
US IB Recognition
Canada – IB Scholarships
Europe – IB Scholarships
Europe – IB Recognition
Canada -IB Recognition
UK – IB Scholarships
UK – IB Recognition
Global – IB Scholarships
Global – IB Recognition

Here is a link to this excellent resource your students that are interested in IB programs can use: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mzYUhzOstSR3lpaH3_PWMXEQGYj_niBsHbKEe9QSeCI/edit#gid=1348350578

2024-25 FAFSA Explained – Free Webinar

NACAC is hosting a free FAFSA-focused webinar. Isaiah Ellis, Awareness and Outreach Specialist from the Federal Student Aid Office of the U.S. Department of Education, will provide an overview of the changes to the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, which resulted from the FUTURE Act and the FAFSA Simplification Act. This session will discuss the new FAFSA user experience and related updates. It is free and open to the public; non-NACAC members must create a login to register. You may register for the webinar below: https://go.nacacnet.org/e/658113/c–event-id-a0k5a00000IJY63AAH/6mdl3/675775715/h/pXfLYDP8S9sszmC36Dlj5iXLdVAA6zpxJuzX7KELE34

Date January 15, 2024
Author Jason Bullock

NASA/SEES High School Summer Intern Program

NASA Internships available for your 10th and 11th grade students.

The STEM Enhancement in Earth Science program is looking for applicants to get hands-on intern experiences alongside NASA Earth scientists.

Housing, meals, & transportation will be provided for those selected. A limited number of travel scholarships to Texas are available. 10th Grade Onsite dates will be July 27th – August 4th and 11th Grade Onsite dates will be July 7th – July 20th.

Apply by Feb. 24: https://www.csr.utexas.edu/sees-internship/

Date January 12, 2024
Author Jason Bullock

A Resource for IECs and School Counselors on Generative Artificial Intelligence and (AI) in College Admissions

In 2024, many believe AI will transform college admissions in tasks like applicant screening, list development and test prep. A September 2023 survey found that 50% of admission offices now use AI, with 80% projected to adopt AI tools this year. While students broadly utilize AI in certain homework situations, just 10% indicated they would use these tools directly for their college application essays, according to a December 2023 survey by the ACT. While only 13% of counselors surveyed by College MatchPoint in December 2023 noticed AI-generated content in student essays and applications in the most recent application season, 69% anticipate extensive future usage by colleges for screening and evaluation.

As the use of AI tool advances in 2024, higher education faces a critical juncture in directing its use, with most expecting substantial but uneven integration rather than the outright automation of the application process. There are growing concerns that expanding the role of AI in college admissions could negatively impact transparency in decision-making, widen existing inequities if implemented without proper safeguards, and hinder the nurturing of critical skills in students if they come to rely on it too much. Though AI presents opportunities to expand efficiency, experts underscore that the enduring values of wisdom and empathy will remain vital, as students navigate an increasingly complex life transition that will require compassionate support more than ever.

College Matchpoint has developed a site provides statistics and survey data on the current usage of ChatGPT and other AI tools among students, parents, and counselors. We’ve added a wide variety of voices to the site in terms of videos on what you should be considering in terms of AI in the coming year. These include President Adam Weinberg (Denison University), Ashley Pallie & Rick Clark (Caltech, GA Tech), and many others in our profession. Here is a link to the site: https://www.collegematchpoint.com/genaicollegecounseling

Date January 5, 2024
Author Jason Bullock

Summer 2024 Opportunities for Your Students

Now is the time of year when students will start (or should start) investigating opportunities they would like to pursue over the summer. A directory of more than 1,300 opportunities for students has been published online by College Matchpoint. The list includes courses, programs, research options, and service opportunities available this spring and summer, with options for in-person, online, and hybrid activities.

Here is a link to the directory: https://www.collegematchpoint.com/summermatchpoint

Date January 4, 2024
Author Jason Bullock

Tailoring Nursing Ambitions: Students’ Guide to Selecting a Nursing Career

Nursing is an increasingly popular job role among aspiring professionals in today’s world. The reason so many people are now pursuing nursing careers is because of the stability and room for career growth in the field.

However, there are a wide variety of nursing roles that your students can pursue. As such, you should expose students with an interest in healthcare roles to the many different nursing career paths they have available to them.

Here is a student’s guide to selecting a nursing career.

Understanding One’s Career Goals

Before committing to a specific nursing education program, students must have a clear idea of their career goals. This will help them pick the perfect school and program, whether that’s an online program or a traditional degree path, for their specific needs.

However, choosing a nursing career path isn’t always a walk in the park. This is particularly true when students aren’t clear about the options they have. For this reason, it’s vital that you acquaint your students with the wide variety of nursing careers that they can pursue.

Different Nursing Careers

From entry-level roles to advanced roles, there are many different roles that nurses can inhabit. Here’s a rundown of different nursing careers that students should be aware of.

Registered Nurse

Registered nurses play an important role in the modern-day healthcare system. These healthcare professionals work in a wide variety of settings, from hospitals to clinics, and provide robust care to patients.

One reason that many healthcare professionals start their careers as registered nurses is because it provides stability and room for career growth. As such, those eyeing an advanced nursing career in their future can start their career journeys as registered nurses.

To become a registered nurse, one must first complete an accredited nursing program. This can either be an associate-level program or a bachelor-level one. After completing these educational requirements, one will have to take a licensing test in order to be qualified to work as a registered nurse.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

As has been noted, becoming a registered nurse gives one a great foundation to grow into more advanced roles. One such advanced role that nursing students can work toward inhabiting is that of advanced practice registered nurses.

The most common types of advanced practice registered nurses are nurse practitioners. These professionals can specialize in different types of practices, such as family practice, women’s health, or gerontology.

One reason many aspire to become advanced practice registered nurses and nurse practitioners is because of the lucrative salaries that these in-demand professionals can command. Another key reason many aspire to step into these roles is the increased autonomy and greater level of impact that one can have on patients.

To become an APRN, one should begin with the same steps as becoming a registered nurse. After, one will likely have to gain several years of experience as an RN and then continue one’s education by obtaining a Doctor of Nursing Practice or DNP.

Travel Nurse

Another advanced nursing position that many healthcare professionals aspire to step into is that of travel nurse. In essence, travel nurses are registered nurses who travel to different locations and facilities to lend their services.

These nurses can command premiums on their services because they must travel on short notice. However, it must be noted that these nurses often experience strain on their relationships due to the frequent traveling they must do.

Despite the challenges of the role, many find the ability to travel and help people an exciting and fulfilling career path.

To become a travel nurse, one must first become a registered nurse. After this, it’s vital to gain several years of experience in nursing before one becomes eligible to become a travel nurse. Typically, travel nurses will go to an agency that provides them with various job opportunities across the country.

Connecting Students with Working Nurses

Beyond providing guidance about different types of nursing roles, it can be incredibly helpful to connect your students with other nursing resources as well. Specifically, connecting students with working nurses can help them gain a deeper understanding of various roles and what they can expect in their potential careers.

Students Can Find Fulfillment as Nurses

As a counselor, you’re in an amazing position to help students find fulfilling career paths that benefit their lives. In particular, you have an opportunity to show them how a nursing career can provide them with stability and room to grow as a professional.

Ultimately, being able to clearly explain these different roles and what they entail will help you get your students excited about a career in the healthcare space. As such, do your best to familiarize yourself with various nursing paths so you can be a useful and effective nursing resource to your students.

Date January 3, 2024
Author Sarah Daren

LINK for Counselors Top 10 Most Read Blogs of 2023

Happy New Year! We published many blog posts in 2023. These were the top 10 posts based on clicks in our e-newsletter last year.

The Benefits of Attending College Out-of-State – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/the-benefits-of-attending-college-out-of-state/

Parents of Special Needs Students Need to Make a Financial Plan for Their Future – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/parents-of-special-needs-students-need-to-make-a-financial-plan-for-their-future/

Local Scholarship Committee Suggestions – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/local-scholarship-committee-suggestions/

College Admissions Officers Reveal What Bugs Them Most – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/college-admissions-officers-reveal-what-bugs-them-most/

Is the New FAFSA as Frightening as we Imagine? – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/is-the-new-fafsa-as-frightening-as-we-imagine/

High School Juniors – Don’t Get Overlooked! – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/high-school-juniors-dont-get-overlooked/

Let’s Get Digital – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/lets-get-digital/

Average High School Counselor Salary by State – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/average-high-school-counselor-salary-by-state-2/

Test-Optional College Admissions Policies: The Pros and Cons – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/test-optional-college-admission-policies-the-pros-and-cons/

The College Planning Calendar for High School Freshmen and Sophomores – https://www.linkforcounselors.com/4-application-mistakes-your-students-should-avoid/

Date January 2, 2024
Author Jason Bullock

Digital SAT Test Preparation – Free

Do you have students that are struggling with the Digital SAT? Prepaze has created complete and comprehensive computer adaptive practice DSATs, meticulously designed by experts, offering precise, high-quality content that faithfully replicates the actual exam experience for thorough preparation. With the practice test results, your students can also thoroughly examine test outcomes, precisely identifying improvement areas for focused enhancement and progress.

Their free version includes 20 questions and typically takes students about 28 minutes to complete. They also have an upgraded paid version (for $39) that includes 98 questions and takes about an hour and 38 minutes to complete.

Here is the link if you have students that would like to check it out: https://www.prepaze.com/digital-sat

Date December 27, 2023
Author Jason Bullock

Supporting Jewish Students During a Time of Heightened Antisemitism

The war in Israel has spawned a significant number of antisemitic events on college campuses and in other public spaces. Although there are a variety of perspectives on the conflict, what’s not up for debate is that Jewish students should feel safe and not subjected to hate speech, threats, or violence.

Advice from a counselor about supporting Jewish students:

Check in on them frequently. Make sure they know who the adults are on campus who will listen to them and empathize with them. Be aware that they are seeing terrible things, particularly on social media. Know that many of them feel betrayed by real-life friends as well as personalities that they follow (and feel they know) on social media. Their fears about antisemitism are real and not inflated or dramatic. For progressive students who have always identified with left wing causes, this is a particularly confusing time; many liberal/progressive Jewish students feel betrayed by people/causes/organizations with which they are usually allied.

Some questions that could open a conversation with a Jewish high school student:

It’s important to approach conversations with sensitivity and confidentiality, ensuring that students understand their privacy is respected. Remember: You are not expected to be an expert on Israeli-Palestinian history or the current situation. However, hopefully you are in a position to provide support to Jewish students, to advocate for systemic changes as appropriate, or to connect students with resources. The questions below might serve as helpful conversation-starters.

Personal feelings

How are you doing?
Do you want to talk about how it feels to be Jewish at this time?
Do you have any family in Israel?
Would you be comfortable sharing your experiences with me?

School Culture

Do you feel that your cultural and religious identity is respected here at school?
How do you feel about your interactions with other students in relation to your Jewish identity?
Have you witnessed or experienced any form of antisemitism or religious intolerance in school?
Would you be interested in having an affinity group or club with other Jewish students to talk about your feelings and concerns?
o Can I help point you in the direction of a faculty member who might be a good advisor?
Are there events you would like to see at school to help educate our community about antisemitism? About the conflict in the Middle East? About Judaism?
How can we make our classroom discussions more inclusive of diverse perspectives, including Jewish ones?
Are there ways you would like to contribute to the school community that reflect your cultural or religious values?

Safety

Do you ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable at school because of your religious identity?
What are your thoughts on how our school addresses antisemitism and bigotry?
Do you know who to talk to if you feel threatened?
If an antisemitic incident were to occur here, do you trust we would handle it appropriately?
o Why or why not?
Is there anything we can do that would make you feel safer or more secure at school?

Support System

What can I, as your counselor, do to better support you and ensure you feel safe and respected?
Are there any concerns your family has about your school experience that you think we should know about?
Do you need help navigating difficult conversations with your friends?
o Have you had a friend (or anyone) say or do something that was unintentionally offensive to you?
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience as a Jewish student here?

College Choices

Have you been doing research about Jewish life on the campuses you are considering?
Do you need help reaching out to Hillel, or other Jewish student associations on college campuses, to find out how they are handling any challenges on their campus?
o Note: Hillel International (hillel.org), the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, has a directory (see “Find a Hillel” on the website) and resources.

A few resources:

If you do an internet search for “supporting Jewish students at this time” (or similar), you’ll find hundreds of articles and blog posts. Here are a few practical documents that do not take a political stand.

Compiled by members of NACAC’s Jewish Schools and Jewish Students Special Interest Group