College & SPARC Rapid Recap Counselor Handbook

Start Here: Role & Four Pillars

Purpose

College / SPARC Counselors guide students through college, financial aid, career and postsecondary planning while serving as a bridge among students, families, school leadership and MMCC.

Four non-negotiable pillars

• Communicate consistently and meet deadlines.
• Keep the CB tracker fully updated; treat tracker accountability as a primary responsibility.
• Build trusting relationships with students, families and school staff.
• Follow CB days and CB deadlines, meet senior and rising-junior application responsibilities, and update the CB tracker weekly.

Daily & Weekly Operating System

Daily

• Use student sign-in sheets for office visits and events; entries must be legible.
• Students should visit during advisory, lunch or after school; verify schedules to avoid class cutting.
• Keep student visits focused on college, career guidance and workforce-development/SPARC services.
• Update tracker information as activity occurs; maintain organized folders and documentation.

Weekly / recurring

• Review tracker completeness.
• Coordinate with school guidance and other key partners.
• Prepare urgent senior announcements for assemblies or advisories.
• Notify school and supervisor immediately if you cannot follow the established site schedule.

Senior Counselor Workflow

First-quarter checklist

• Meet school partners and students and explain your role, responsibilities and expectations.
• Obtain the senior roster with GPA/rank and flag students needing essays; request updates after each marking period.
• Obtain the senior advisory schedule and distribute timelines and due dates.
• Meet biweekly with school guidance to review progress and needs.
• Communicate CUNY / FAFSA / TAP expectations from Day 1.
• Schedule parent night and review the FAFSA/TAP process with families.
• Confirm senior assembly dates with the principal early in the first month.
• Coordinate MMCC Spring College Expo / College Fair logistics, buses and permission slips with administration.

Application goals

• Aim for 100% CUNY applications during Free Month.
• Students interested in SUNY should apply during SUNY free week when possible.
• Ensure seniors complete FAFSA/TAP or Dream Act, or follow the documented waiver/refusal process when applicable.

Junior Counselor Workflow

Purpose

Keep junior-year systems separate from senior processes so counselors can start readiness work earlier and avoid grade-level confusion.

Junior sequence

• Use the initial student assessment and postsecondary plan.
• Use the Junior Class To-Do List and Postsecondary Readiness Syllabus.
• Implement the 11th Grade Spring College Advisory Scope & Sequence.
• Use junior resume, cover-letter, objective and sign-in resources as needed.

Financial Aid & DREAM Act

FAFSA / TAP

• Use the HESC report to verify completion and errors before marking students complete on the tracker.
• Use FAFSA/TAP impact messaging with families, including grants/refunds where appropriate.

DREAM Act

• For undocumented students or students who are not FAFSA-eligible, use the DREAM Act resources and full instructions.
• Follow the handbook waiver/refusal documentation process where applicable.

Family Engagement, Events & Relationships

Key school relationships

• Principal / Assistant Principal: approvals and escalation.
• Guidance counselors: student-level coordination and progress.
• Parent Coordinator: family communication and outreach.

Events

• Hold parent/family workshops early in fall and again mid-year.
• Use sign-in sheets for students and parents.
• Partner with school staff on assemblies, events and Decision Day.
• Coordinate food/supplies with MMCC and school budgets well in advance.
• Use pre/post surveys to improve parent-night programming.

College relationships

• Maintain existing college partnerships that can provide scholarships/grants and develop new relationships.

Reporting, Documentation & Accountability

Semi-monthly / quarterly reporting

• Direct services: individual sessions, small groups, classroom lessons, case notes, college/career activities.
• Indirect/collaborative services: parent communication, professional collaboration and outside referrals.
• Program/outcome data: milestone tracking, needs-assessment analysis and trend analysis.

Documentation standards

• Protect confidentiality; aggregated reports should not normally include individual student names.
• Keep the tracker current and reconcile completion against authoritative school/financial-aid reports.
• Complete required bi-monthly/semi-monthly reports on time.

Resource Library

Final Expectations

Priorities

• Tracker accountability is a top priority.
• Communication with the supervisor and school partners is vital.
• Consistency builds trust and relationships sustain programming.
• Counselors may bring their own style and innovation while maintaining required standards.
• Primary counselors lead and guide secondary counselors.
• The work supports continued MMCC-school partnerships and student access to college support.

Resource Library

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