Essential Question 13

About this Essential Question

This question examines students’ completion of steps to apply to college after high school and whether they have sufficient counseling support. Applying to college involves multiple steps, including taking SAT or SAT tests, completing college applications, and completing financial aid applications. Adequate support can help students navigate these processes successfully; conversely, without sufficient guidance, students may miss critical deadlines or opportunities. For example, counselors can help students complete FAFSA forms on time and identify potential colleges that are a good “match” for them. School administrators, counselors, and college access programs can use this question to understand whether students are taking the necessary steps to apply to college after high school, identify unmet needs and areas for improvement, and develop strategies to ensure all students have access to what they need to apply to college after high school.  

Probing Questions

Use these probing questions to dive deeper on the essential question or approach it through a different lens. Feel free to adapt these questions further or come up with your own.  

• How do students’ experiences applying for college vary based on where they live or attend high school? How do they vary by student race and ethnicity, parental education level, income level, and/or first-generation college-going status?  
• How does students’ access to college counseling vary based on where they live or attend high school? What constitutes “sufficient” counseling support in a given state or district?
• What district and school policies and conditions—such as counselor-to-student ratios and college access programming—help or hinder high school students’ college application experiences?  
• What other factors—such as access to technology or language barriers—may influence students’ experiences applying to college? How do contributing factors vary across districts and schools?
• How might we better support high school students in applying for college? What policies or conditions could be improved? Who needs to be involved?