College Application Season!

My job as a high school counselor has me doing multiple things; from working with teenagers on strategies to improve their academics, helping them navigate tough interpersonal conversations with their peers and parents, facilitating meetings between teachers, parents, and students, and helping students self regulate when they are feeling overwhelmed and anxious. One of the biggest parts of my job, especially this time of the year, is college applications. With the costs of four year college continuously increasing, the competitiveness of the “top colleges” increasing, and the uncertainty of what jobs will be around when these teens become adults, I have seen a shift in recent years as they navigate their next steps after high school.

On my own caseload of 77 seniors this year, approximately 50% are applying to four year colleges, with 35% planning to study at a community college and the remaining 15% plan to go to a trade school, military or go right into the workforce. Our school data over the last few years has shown a trend of 36% of students going directly to four year colleges, 34% going to a community college and the remaining 30% doing a combination of trades, technical, military, and workforce. It seems like every 10 years, the pendulum swings in education and the post pandemic years seem to show that.

In talking with students on a daily basis, many are aware of the job market and wonder what majors can lead to careers where they can make money and support themselves, especially if they want to continue to live in Sonoma County or the Bay Area.

For those that are applying to four year colleges, UC costs range from $43K-$49K, CSU costs are around $23K and private schools upwards of $50K-$60K (all these costs can vary depending on if they live at home). Students and parents are asking themselves if the cost is worth the return on investment. A common question I get from families is often - what kinds of scholarships and financial aid are available? Thankfully our local community has a lot of resources, especially with Petaluma Education Foundation (PEF) who distributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to graduating seniors in Petaluma each year (their annual awards night is such an inspiration of what youth are up to if you ever want to check it out)!

At Petaluma High School, we have a wide range of CTE (Career Technical Education) classes offered and I have seen a growth in students choosing to go into various trade and technical programs out of school where they can get trained and quickly start making money.

All of these options offer their pros and cons that I support equally because as always it depends on the individual. I tell students that what they choose to do after high school is a personal choice and needs to align with their values, but if they can find a way to go into a program without accruing a ton of debt, then that might be the best choice for them!

Good luck to all the parents and guardians of teens navigating this stage, and to any of these teens out there, know that school counselors are always there to support and listen to you!

(Photo above is the class of 2027 at their senior sunrise earlier this school year).

My job as a high school counselor has me doing multiple things; from working with teenagers on strategies to improve their academics, helping them navigate tough interpersonal conversations with their peers and parents, facilitating meetings between teachers, parents, and students, and helping students self regulate when they are feeling overwhelmed and anxious. One of the biggest parts of my job, especially this time of the year, is college applications. With the costs of four year college continuously increasing, the competitiveness of the “top colleges” increasing, and the uncertainty of what jobs will be around when these teens become adults, I have seen a shift in recent years as they navigate their next steps after high school. On my own caseload of 77 seniors this year, approximately 50% are applying to four year colleges, with 35% planning to study at a community college and the remaining 15% plan to go to a trade school, military or go right into the workforce. Our school data over the last few years has shown a trend of 36% of students going directly to four year colleges, 34% going to a community college and the remaining 30% doing a combination of trades, technical, military, and workforce. It seems like every 10 years, the pendulum swings in education and the post pandemic years seem to show that. In talking with students on a daily basis, many are aware of the job market and wonder what majors can lead to careers where they can make money and support themselves, especially if they want to continue to live in Sonoma County or the Bay Area. For those that are applying to four year colleges, UC costs range from $43K-$49K, CSU costs are around $23K and private schools upwards of $50K-$60K (all these costs can vary depending on if they live at home). Students and parents are asking themselves if the cost is worth the return on investment. A common question I get from families is often - what kinds of scholarships and financial aid are available? Thankfully our local community has a lot of resources, especially with Petaluma Education Foundation (PEF) who distributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to graduating seniors in Petaluma each year (their annual awards night is such an inspiration of what youth are up to if you ever want to check it out)! At Petaluma High School, we have a wide range of CTE (Career Technical Education) classes offered and I have seen a growth in students choosing to go into various trade and technical programs out of school where they can get trained and quickly start making money. All of these options offer their pros and cons that I support equally because as always it depends on the individual. I tell students that what they choose to do after high school is a personal choice and needs to align with their values, but if they can find a way to go into a program without accruing a ton of debt, then that might be the best choice for them! Good luck to all the parents and guardians of teens navigating this stage, and to any of these teens out there, know that school counselors are always there to support and listen to you! (Photo above is the class of 2027 at their senior sunrise earlier this school year).