---
title: How Counselors Can Support High School Seniors
description: Counselors can support high school seniors in many ways. Check out our tips to help your students succeed and prepare for college.
image: https://admissions.usf.edu/hubfs/adm-blog_how-counselors-can-support-hs-seniors_index.jpg
---

[College Counselors' Corner](https://admissions.usf.edu/blog/topic/college-counselors-corner)

# How Counselors Can Support High School Seniors

[By Rachel Swearingen](https://admissions.usf.edu/blog/how-counselors-can-support-high-school-seniors#author) | Last Updated: Mar 5, 2025

![Group of people in a classroom interacting with each other.](https://admissions.usf.edu/hubfs/adm-blog_how-counselors-can-support-hs-seniors_header.jpg "Group of people in a classroom interacting with each other.")

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How Counselors Can Support High School Seniors

7:30

 

From Rory Gilmore’s graduation speech to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (and beyond), senior year has  
a firm placement in our pop culture. It’s for a good reason, too. It’s such an important year that  
anyone who’s been through it can relate to those TV and movie moments.

But in between all those memories, it’s still important for high school seniors to focus on what’s  
coming after they walk across the graduation stage. That’s where a high school counselor  
comes in—to help remind them of the steps they need to take during this milestone year.

During a student’s senior year, high school counselors can help in a number of ways, like  
sending out college application deadline reminders, helping find scholarships, offering ways to  
alleviate stress and so much more.

## Start offering help to high school students as early as possible.

What does “[as early as possible](https://admissions.usf.edu/blog/help-your-students-prepare-for-college-early)” mean, exactly? Start before they even reach their senior year.  
Offer workshops (yes, even in 9th grade) to get students involved, said Mindy Edgeman, college  
and career counselor at Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, FL.

“We do freshman night, sophomore night, junior night,” Edgeman said. “There’s a lot of  
information and a lot of it, they’re going to say, ‘I wish I would have known.’”

When their senior year starts, give students and their parents all the information they need.  
Edgeman says they perform what is called a senior credit check. They look through everything  
and make sure the student knows what they need to do to get to graduation, go over grades,  
test scores, and other questions.

“That way they have that one-on-one meeting and they’re really sure about what they need to  
do to get across the finish line,” Edgeman said.

Along with checking their graduation requirements, make sure they have the information  
needed for their college application process. Edgeman gives a 40-slide presentation to the  
Bloomingdale High seniors each year and tells them to apply quickly.

“A lot of college applications are due on November 1. So, I try to drill into them that they’re  
never going to have a better shot than they do at that first opportunity. They may have second  
or third windows, but the seats fill up no matter what,” Edgeman said. “It’s going to get more  
competitive as they go.”

They’ll also need letters of recommendation for applications and scholarships, as well as a  
resume. Have them work on those early on too, so that they’re not scrambling and trying to  
remember what they did the summer after their 8th grade year.

## Communicate in every way you can think of.

We all know that we’re bombarded by notifications every day: texts, Facebook messages,  
Snapchat, the list goes on. So, it’s easy for important reminders about college application  
deadlines or SAT test dates to get lost in between the sports team group chats and everything  
else a teenager looks at throughout the day.

“Have multiple forms of communication—send the same thing out multiple ways,” Edgeman  
said. When she advertises a message, she uses the [Bloomingdale High guidance website](http://bloomingdaleguidance.org/), the  
school’s X (formerly Twitter) account, a newsletter, the morning show, and blasts on Canvas,  
the school’s online learning management system.

By using those multiple forms, it’s easier for counselors to get their message out to both  
students and parents—and hopefully, your helpful information won’t end up slipping through  
the cracks.

![Woman pointing at computer in front of a man.](https://admissions.usf.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/adm-blog_how-counselors-can-support-hs-seniors_inline.jpg?width=740&height=400&name=adm-blog_how-counselors-can-support-hs-seniors_inline.jpg)

## Offer resources on financial aid and scholarships.

It’s never too early to have students look into scholarships and start learning about the [Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).](https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa) Even if a student isn’t sure about college, they  
should go ahead and apply for FAFSA as well as any state-specific scholarships.

Florida has the [Bright Futures](https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPHome/SAPHome?url=home) program, which awards student scholarships based on grades and  
community service hours. However, it’s something that students have to apply for within a  
certain timeframe.

Edgeman recalled a former student reaching out to her who went out of state for college and  
didn’t submit any community service hours for Bright Futures. The student wanted to know if  
they could submit still. In most cases, they won’t take those after a certain amount of time. But  
if students apply during their senior year and receive an award, it’s good for up to five years.

“We tell them, make sure if you qualify for Bright Futures, you get all of your stuff in—no  
matter what,” Edgeman said.

As a counselor, you can also help students with the FAFSA process. Have them and their  
parents create an FSA ID so that everyone will be able to complete their part of the application,  
even if a student is reluctant to turn it in.

“Some kids will say they know they’re only going to qualify for loans—I tell them it doesn’t  
matter, you still need to do it,” Edgeman said. “This is something that cannot hurt, it could only  
possibly help.”

Colleges also use FAFSA data to consider students for any sort of merit-based scholarships, so  
encourage your seniors to get that information completed as soon as the application goes live.

Along with FAFSA and state aid, counselors can provide resources on other scholarships. The  
Bloomingdale High guidance team [has a blog](http://bloomingdaleguidance.org/monthly-scholarships) where they share different scholarship  
opportunities throughout the year. Consider building a resource like that, so you can share  
information easily with students and parents.

![Group of people in a classroom interacting with each other.](https://admissions.usf.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/adm-blog_how-counselors-can-support-hs-seniors_index.jpg?width=740&height=400&name=adm-blog_how-counselors-can-support-hs-seniors_index.jpg)

## Advise seniors who are feeling stressed about life after high school.

No matter how old you are, big life changes are scary. The key to helping with that level of  
stress and anxiety, though, involves planning.

“With anything that feels like a monster mountain, it stresses people out and the longer you  
wait, the more stressful it becomes because you can’t quit thinking about it,” Edgeman said.

If your students are feeling stressed about college or life after high school, tell them to just start  
planning. Even checking off the smallest task on their list could help them feel a bit better about  
everything.

“[Tell them] you don’t have to think of it as a big, huge process thing. Tackle one task at a time  
and it will feel less overwhelming,” Edgeman said.

Other students could have anxiety over being waitlisted, or not getting into their dream school.  
If you encourage them early in the year to apply to several schools, then you’ve helped them on  
the front end by giving them a backup plan with safety schools.

Sometimes, students may be stressed about other things besides college applications. Some  
may move on to a career instead, and you can [help them make choices](https://admissions.usf.edu/blog/how-college-counselors-can-help-students-choose-a-career-path) with aptitude tests, like  
the ASVAB or others that will indicate their talents and skills. Edgeman suggests using sites like  
the Bureau of Labor Statistics to advise students on occupational outlooks.

## We’re here to help you guide your seniors to success.

We know the transition from high school to college (or a career) is a huge adjustment, and that  
you have hundreds of seniors who need help. At USF, we offer a [counselor toolkit](https://admissions.usf.edu/_hcms/mem/login?redirect_url=https%3A%2F%2Fadmissions.usf.edu%2Fcounselor-toolkit) with helpful  
resources that you can use as you work with your 12th graders each year.

If you have any questions about USF, our admissions office is ready to help. [Reach out to us online](https://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/contact-us/), or give us a call at 813-974-3350. We look forward to working with you!

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[![Rachel Swearingen](https://admissions.usf.edu/hubfs/Untitled%20design-1.png)

### About Rachel Swearingen

Rachel Swearingen is a content writer with over 15 years of experience in journalism, education, and marketing, specializing in higher ed communications. She uses her MBA in marketing, along with her experience as a high school educator and a parent of college-bound teens, to bring a valuable perspective to the Admit-a-Bull blog. She distills complex subjects like financial aid, residency, and admissions into clear, easy-to-understand resources for prospective and current students and families. Outside of work, Rachel is usually at the hockey rink, with her kids, or pretending her iPhone calendar keeps life organized.

](https://admissions.usf.edu/blog/author/rachel-swearingen)

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