College Advising Training for High School Counselors

Counselors who want to get formal training in college advising and understanding the college landscape have a couple of options.

Intro: "An online certificate program that fulfills the professional needs of college access counselors."

Courses (7)

• College Match (offered in the fall)

• Financing College: Navigating the Pathways (offered in the fall)

• Fundamentals of College Counseling (offered in the fall and spring)

• Letters of Recommendation (offered in the fall and spring)

• The Role of the College Access Counselor (offered in the winter and spring)

• Undergraduate Admissions Process (offered in the summer)

• Counseling Aspiring First Generation College Students (offered in the winter and spring)

• Capstone (offered in the summer and winter)

Options

Counselors can either apply as an Independent Counselor or as a Campus Professional.

• The Campus Professional: Educators currently employed by a school or school district

• The Independent College Consultant: Individuals working in or considering working in the field of college access consulting

Duration & Format

• 7 courses that can be completed over the course of an academic year + a Capstone.

• Each course is 1-2 weeks of online, self paced instruction.

• Counselors can take each course individually or buy the entire certificate for a discount.

Cost

• Each individual course costs $300-$400 depending on how early you register.

• Cost for Entire Certificate (not including Capstone) is:

Campus Professional: $1470

Independent Counselor: $2100

Intro: "The Independent Educational Consultant Certificate Program provides precisely the knowledge and skills needed to build a business practice. The program also provides the knowledge requisite to navigate the college admissions process and the specialization to meet the needs of varied clients."

Courses (7)

• 5 required courses

  1. Principles of Independent Educational Consulting (2.00 Units)

  2. Navigating the Financial Aid Network (2.00 Units)

  3. College Admissions Consulting Resources (2.50 Units)

  4. Developing an Independent Educational Consulting Business (2.50 Units)

  5. Independent Educational Consulting Practicum (3.00 Units)

• Chose 2 electives

  1. Working with Students with Learning Differences (1.50 Units)

  2. Marketing and Public Relations for the Educational Consultant (1.50 Units)

  3. Counseling Techniques for Independent Educational Consultants (1.50 Units)

  4. Consulting Transfer, Summer, and Gap Year Students (1.50 Units)

  5. American College Consulting for the International Student (1.50 Units)

  6. International College Consulting for the American Student (1.50 Units)

  7. Fundamentals of Graduate School Admissions (1.50 Units)

Duration & Format

• 12-21 months (can be completed in 1 year by taking 2 courses per quarter)

• online

Cost

• Each individual course costs $725

• Avg. cost for entire certificate is: $5200 (not including textbooks)

More from UCI Extension

UCI also offers 2 courses Higher Education 101 designed for High School and University Students but could also be useful for counselors. Each course is $300.

Intro "This seven-course online certificate provides the skills needed to guide high school students to college."

Courses (7)

• 6 required courses

  1. Counseling the College Bound Student

  2. The College Admissions Process

  3. Special Issues in College Counseling

  4. Practicum in College Counseling

  5. Financial Aid Fundamentals

  6. Testing/Career Assessment

• Chose 1 elective

  1. Finalizing the College Counseling Process

  2. The Business of Educational Consulting

  3. College Counseling for International Students

  4. Preparing Community College Students for Transfer

Duration & Format

• 12-21 months (can be completed in 1 year by taking 2 courses per quarter)

• online

Cost

• Each individual course costs $795

• Avg. cost for entire certificate is: $5420 (not including textbooks)

Intro: "This is a four-course online program provides an introduction to the field of college counseling."

Courses

3 Required

1. Finalizing the College Counseling Process

2. Counseling the College Bound Student

3. The College Admissions Process

Choose 1 Elective

1. The Business of Educational Consulting

2. College Counseling for International Students

Duration & Format

• 6 months (can be completed in 2 quarters by taking 2 courses per quarter)

• online

Cost

• Each individual course costs $795

• Estimated Cost: $3230 (not including textbooks)

Current Courses

1. College Admission Ethics in Action

2. The Counselor’s Guide to the Student-Athlete Advising Process

3. Financial Aid 101

Continuing Education Opportunities are also available through the Annual Conference

Cost

• Each individual course costs $20-25

Intro: "Learn how you can implement a comprehensive school counseling program that helps students understand the connection between K-12 school and college and make a successful transition to postsecondary education."

Duration & Format

• online, self-paced

• take master test after completion

Cost

• $99 ($249 for nonmembers)

Credit

• 5 CEUs/50 Contact Hours

Other Applicable Specialist Trainings from ASCA

Career Development Specialist- $99 ($249 for nonmembers) and is equal to 5 CEUs/50 Contact Hours

School Counseling Data Specialist- $99 ($249 for nonmembers) and is equal to 5 CEUs/50 Contact Hours

Courses

• Counselor Workshops

  • Learn about the latest developments in College Board programs and services.

• Webinars

  • View live and recorded webinars on topics important to you and earn CEUs.

• Counselor Summer Institute

  • Join us for our summer webinar series.

• Score Week for Counselors

  • Learn your way around the K–12 score reporting portal with these resources.

• E-learning Modules

  • Computer-based lessons for counselors and educators.

Cost

• most resources are free

Credit

• CEUs are available