Do good grades matter? The education system is fixated on grades – but university counsellors need to demonstrate that good grades aren’t all that’s needed to succeed in life
‘What do I do if an academically bright student doesn’t want to go to university?’Some students are not interested in higher education, even if they are academically talented. How can we respect their decisions, while also giving them all the options?
Counselling resource: The scary maths of university admissionsUniversity admissions rates don’t tell the whole story – as international applicants, our students are competing for far fewer places
Paying in sweat: how to advise student actors, athletes and singersHow do we, as school counsellors, give advice to students who are already facing professional career-related challenges as athletes or performing artists?
How to be inclusive when counselling studentsWhat does ’inclusivity’ mean? Who does it refer to? And, most importantly, how can we ensure that our practice is inclusive?
Four students – and four important counselling lessons learnedIt’s important to understand what’s motivating students, and to get to know them outside the counselling office – as these four case studies illustrate
How do our cognitive biases affect our counselling?We like to think of ourselves as rational beings, but we approach life – and the university-application process – burdened with cognitive biases
How to motivate your students – and make sure they motivate themselvesSome students will need endless cajoling simply to register on a university application platform. Is there anything counsellors can do about this?
Why we need to shed our cultural baggageWe are all shaped by our cultural context – but, in order to do our jobs effectively, we need to be able to transcend it
Five ways to help students feel valuedTo nurture success, counsellors need to build strong relationships with students. Here are five ways to ensure that students feel valued
How to help your students set effective goalsApplying to university involves successfully setting and completing a series of goals. How can we best help students with this?
How do you create a relationship of trust with students?What does an honest and authentic relationship with students look like? And how is it best achieved?
Counsellor resource: why counsellors should be classroom teachers, tooDelivering regular classroom lessons could make a huge difference to your counselling. Here are some ways in which it could help your students, along with a downloadable course curriculum plan to help you structure your counselling classroom sessions
How to create the right relationshipsCounsellors need to empower students and parents to make informed decisions about university admissions. Sharing our knowledge allows us to work together as a community
Call my agent: how to work constructively with education agentsMany university counsellors wince at the mention of agents – but their knowledge and contacts can complement our own role
My student has hired an independent counsellor. Now what?The use of independent counsellors can make a school-based counsellor’s role more challenging – but it doesn’t necessarily have to
How COBIS is championing high school counsellorsColin Bell, CEO of COBIS, shares how COBIS is helping school counsellors to access professional development and gives some tips on how to work with stakeholders to champion their role
Starting a new school? Here's how to fit inA counsellor starting at a new school needs to be able to understand its culture, speak its language and work out how they fit into the bigger picture
University visits and fairs: how to meet all stakeholders’ needsUniversity visits and university fairs can be instructive, useful and enjoyable for all involved – with the right preparation
How do you convince stakeholders that you’re on their side?Actively listening, establishing trust and navigating challenging conversations with empathy will enhance your ability to help students and their parents
Are parents demanding a well-known university? Here's what to tell themFamilies often look for a strong brand name and high place in university rankings when selecting a university – even if that's not what their child needs
ChatGPT prompts parents can use to support their children’s university searchIt’s useful for students to be able to discuss university plans with their parents. But if parents don’t know where to start, these AI prompts can help them with discussion points
Four tips for putting parents at their easeAs college counsellors, we can sometimes forget about our students’ parents – but in many countries the parents are the decision-makers
How counsellors can communicate well with parentsSome parents will spoonfeed their children; others will not be involved at all. Finding the right balance is important – and that’s where the counsellor comes in
Whose career choice is it – students’ or parents’? Parents can have very definite ideas about which are suitable degrees and which are just ‘games’. But no child should be coerced into a career that doesn’t match their skillset, says Fareha Yusuf
Ten tips for working effectively with parentsApplying to university is a significant step for students and their families. But parental expectations can often create additional pressure for students. How do we deal with this?
How to plan student visits to university campusesWith nearly 30,000 universities around the world, it can be difficult for students to know which ones to apply to – which is why visiting some of them can be helpful
Counsellor resource: How to collaborate with university admissions repsAdmissions representatives are founts of knowledge when it comes to university applications – partnering with them is a win-win situation. There is also a downloadable letter template and spreadsheet to help your organise your relationships with admissions offices
What sort of format can university visits take? Students have demanding schedules and differing needs. So it’s best to offer a range of options for university visits
How do I arrange university visits to my school? If you want university representatives to visit your school, you’ll need to build positive relationships with admissions officers
Why are university visits necessary?University visits involve welcoming representatives from colleges and universities to your high school to speak to students. But what do they actually achieve?