This document provides an agenda for an online webinar about engaging students in the college planning process. The webinar host, Cyndy McDonald, is a middle school and high school counselor who founded several college access programs. The webinar will discuss how to connect with today's "connected generation" of students using technology and online tools. It will cover topics like understanding students' motivations, how they view technology, generating a college search and list, and tips for staying organized while counseling many students virtually.

1. Engaging Students Series:
Talk, Text or Skpe?
Reaching the
Connected Generation

2. Your Hostess
Cyndy McDonald
- Middle school and high school counselor
- Experience working in college access program
AVID
- Founder of HECA, MyCCA.net and co-founder
of GuidedPath
- Launching Military non-profit organization
- Passion for education
- First generation college student

3. Webinar Agenda
 Agenda for the meeting

4. The Connected Generation
How can
you keep
your sanity
amidst the
chaos?

5. Think about the virtual
world you live in…
Your students
definitely live in a
virtual world.
How will you connect
with them?

6. Research Uncovers Universal Motivation
“We’ve seen the emergence of a generation with
fundamental commonalities that transcend borders.
The same 3 motivations are ranked highly in every
country:”
“Technology……is the great global unifier; it is the glue that
binds this generation together and fuels the three motivations…”
JUSTICE
The need for social or
personal justice, to do
what’s right, to be an
activist
AUTHENTICITY
The need to see things
as they are
COMMUNE
The need for
connection,
relationships &
community
The Truth about Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011

7. Generation C- Global Views
1. Technology
as a 5th Sense
-intrinsic & fundamental
2. The Social
Economy
-definition of self based on
social connections
3. The Truth
Hunters
- seeking substance &
authenticity
4. Justice
Re-Imagined
- quest to do right thing

8. Technology- Embraced
 “Youth see technology as Plah-Doh –
something they use in an utterly
malleable and instinctive way. Older
generations start with ‘what will this
box allow me to do?’ Whereas this
generation starts with ‘what do I want
to do? Where can my imagination take
me?’
 Technology enables young people to
sense the world and make sense of the
world. It is this deep relationship with
technology that is shaping their
attitudes towards community and truth
and allowing them to re-imagine justice
for a new era.”
The Truth about Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
How will this redefine “confidentiality”?

9. • College search &
comparisons
• Personality/Career
Assessments
• TEXT/email
• Business management
tools
• College Affordability
• Essay questions &
support
• Test Prep
How many online tools do you use
for college planning ?
GuidedPath
has it all in
ONE
place

10. •It helps you:
•Be current/cutting edge
•Market your practice
•Stay organized
•Be professional
•Put your students on track for
admissions success
•Connect with busy students &
parents
•Expand your services
As an online tool, GuidedPath.net helps you
connect using technology…
It is a user friendly online tool for users
at all levels of online experience

11. Connecting to Gen C
How does this connect to the 4 global motivations?

12. Focus on College Process
Learn about
thyself
•Surveys
•Test scores & test
prep
•Prioritize
Search &
Compare
•GuidedSearch
using results from
surveys
•Review College
Profiles
•Use FISKE Guide
•Use college
videos
Build College
List
•Balance with CSQ’s
(Competitive Student
Quotient Gauges)
•Include SOCIAL
experience from
profiles
•Determine BEST fit
schools for
academic, social,
financial & emotional
health
Create a Plan
•Decide on
Application TYPE
•Organize milestones
•Start on college
essays
•Identify KEY
milestones
•Communicate with
push notifications &
TEXTS
Execute a Plan
•Manage college
application process
•Set appointments
•Set assignments
•View progress
•Add in Decisions
•Use Calendar
Top 5 Tips for Creating Dynamic College Lists

13. 1. Learn about Thyself
 Surveys
• Find My Spark
• College Affordability
• College Match (coming
soon!)
• Custom Surveys
• (Surveys Session link)
Students LOVE doing self
surveys. Connect with them
using an ONLINE survey

14. 1. Learn about Thyself
 Test Scores
• Create testing schedule
• Set up PUSH Notifications by
TEXT
• Alert to Missing Scores
• Use test scores in Search
 Test Prep
• Jed Applerouth Test Prep
• Other Test Prep
• Online is trend of the future
(Method Test Prep)

15. 2. Search & Compare
 Perform GuidedSearch
using results from the
surveys
 Review college profiles
 Use FISKE college guide
 Use College Videos

16. 3. Build College List
 Balance with CSQ’s
 Include Social Experience from profiles
 Determine BEST fit schools for academic, social, financial &
emotional health

17. 4. Create a Plan
Decide on application
TYPE
• Early Action, Early Decision,
REASC, etc.
• GuidedPath ONLY one with
dates researched by our own
team
• Organize milestones
• Start on college essays
• Identify KEY milestones
• Communicate with push
notifications & TEXTS
HEART
Of
Guided
Path

18. 5. Execute A Plan
Execute A Plan
-Manage college application process
-Set appointments
-Set assignments
-View progress
- Add decisions
- Use calendar

19.  Take a paper process and make
it interactive by making it online
 Empower students to participate
in the process
 Authenticate the process by
inviting students to be actively
involved
 Make the process more fluid
because it can change with the
flick of a mouse
College Planning with Gen C
Utilize technology as their 5th Sense!

20. 5 Tips to Help You Stay Sane
1. Organize all
students Prospects
ACTIVE
Archived
• Save time by assigning students
in groups at once as ACTIVE
• ACTIVE students have most
access
• You only pay for ACTIVE students
• PROSPECTS and ARCHIVED are
free
Stay connected to all students –
- communicate by email - add advisor notes & track information

21. 2. Activate Student Accounts
 Student Accounts
= Sanity
• Assign students and
parents online accounts in
GuidedPath
• Let them do more for
themselves using online
account in GuidedPath
• What they do for
themselves = less you
need to do for them
Mantra – “Use your account””

22. 3. Communication is key
1. Organize
• Organize messages
and themes for
students
2. Calendar
• Schedule on calendar
• Use word document to
organize message
templates
3. Record
• Track messages in one
place

23. 4. Calendar it!
 Set appointments and assignments in
calendars
 Doesn’t happen if not on calendar!

24. 5. Make it crowd friendly
 Use group mode to
• View
• Organize
• Plan
Tips for group mode:
• Include student name at beginning of
appointments/assignments
• Create protocol for
appointments/assignments
• Generates automatic
reminders/notifications

25. Engage through more surveys
Juniors should:
1. Update Activity record
2. Do College Match
3. Update Course Plan
4. Do Design a College
5. Do Getting 2 Know U if not done
before
6. And other surveys as needed
(custom, Athletic, Find My Spark)
Students LOVE to do surveys and learn about themselves

26. Kaetlyn Tells It Like it Is
Getting 2 Know U.
 Coming up with something to write about for the Common Application
was particularly challenging for me, as the prompts are very broad. The
Getting 2 Know U survey gets your brain rolling and ideas flowing. Any
question within this survey is a great place to start when trying to write
your Common Application essay.
Design A College.
 I find the Design a College survey most useful in organizing my
thoughts. For me, after visiting ten colleges I became unsure as to why
I liked a college. I simply had a general feeling for each school. This
survey helped me to focus on the specifics of a college, and gave me a
general idea of my ideal college. This survey can be used both as a
starting point when creating a college list, as well as a reminder when
all of your potential schools begin to blur together.
Read all of Kaetlyn’s blogs at www.guidedpath.net

27. Recommended Test Schedule- Juniors
Test Dates Comment
Diagnostic test Ongoing Help students identify which test to concentrate
on in next 2 years: ACT or SAT?
PSAT Oct. NOT a practice test
SAT/ Int’l SAT Fall, Spring Take at least 2 x, no more than 3 x, finish by
June
ACT Fall, Spring Take at least 2 x, no more than 3 x, finish by
June
AP/IB May Schedule as appropriate
SAT Subject Test May or June Strong subjects, if not doing higher level.
Example: World History, Biology.
See 4 year Testing schedule at
http://guidedpath.net/engaging-students-series-sophomores-a-guidedpath-best-
practices-webinar/

28. Testing: Sanity Tip
 Students self-
enter scores
• Saves time
• Empowers students
• Improves communication
• Enhance counseling
• Generates automatic
reminders for : regular &
late registration: and prior
to test date.
Remember your mantra:
Put it in your account!

29. College Search & Lists
GuidedPath uses 4
search categories:
• General Information
• Academic
• Financial Aid
• Social Experience
Also includes:
• Organized tagged lists
• Comparison columns
• Filters
ACT did a search and found GuidedPath to
be the most comprehensive on the market.

30. Search Tips
 Teach student
search tips
• Start broad
• Use COMPARE for
multiple columns
• Select only 1-2
filters

31. Infinite Search Combinations Possible
Professional – Precise – Piece of cake!
Waited for 5 years for technology to catch up with imagination

32. Reports
Individual
& Group
Reports

33. Coming Next: Engaging Juniors: Part 2
 Agenda
• Using Advisor notes
• Using notifications & reminders effectively
• Finalizing lists
• Activities for essay brainstorming
• Understanding My Chances
• Group mode- more ways to keep your sanity!
• Special features for International Students
Register now! Feb. 12 10 am PST Details at
www.guidedpath.net/training

34. Check it out
 Let’s log into
www.guidedpath.net
 Sample student: Andy
Awesome
 I am using Audry Apple

35. Support?
 Knowledge
Base
• View articles
• Watch videos
• Do a search
• Submit a request
• support@guidedpath.
net
• Call us!
• 720.465.8555
Counseling? cyndy@guidedpath.net