How to Encourage Student Leadership for Transitions to College

This toolkit highlights tools to engage students’ confidence and self-advocacy regarding the college transition process. It includes guidance for structuring advising conversations, increasing family engagement around college knowledge, and addressing common barriers related to applications and decision-making.

The goal is to support school-based professionals in building coordinated, student-centered systems that make college information more accessible and actionable.

This toolkit includes the following (scroll down for links to files):

Growth Mindset Activities – This guide has activities for counselors and educators to help students develop growth mindsets that can support their resiliency throughout the college transition. Many college preparation materials emphasize a focus on achievement, but reflecting on your areas of growth, challenges and learning from past mistakes or missteps is critically valuable for students as the transition and succeed in college.

Reference Guide to Networking Portals to Help the College Transition – This reference guide helps students and parents identify and use networking portals and opportunities. These are useful for considering where to look for local, state and national networks that offer more resources to prepare for, access and afford college opportunities.

Student Self-Advocacy Card Pack – This “starter” pack contains quick and easy-to-use prompts to help students understand themselves and gain language to speak up clearly and confidently. They are laid out as double-sided “cards” (5”x11”) that can be used digitally or printed out in counseling sessions. The pack can be used as students enter high school and identify who can help them academically or with other needs, as they start drafting college essays, or to initiate college planning conversations. (PDF slides version) (PowerPoint slides version)

Educator Workbook to Map Student Reflection Practices – Reflection practices strengthen alignment between student perceptions and actions, increase student ownership, and align reflection to learning outcomes. This workbook is designed for counselors and other educators to use with high school students to examine, map and evaluate their current student reflection practices. Counselors can share this workbook with educators at your school who work with college-bound students to develop college essay ideas, reflect on high school and personal experiences, and identify potential college pathways.

Vita Builder – Many students have strong experiences to share but may not always recognize them as important for college. This tool will help them organize their activities, skills and achievements as they prepare to fill out college and scholarship applications. The tool includes a link to a Vita Template (doc).

This is the second of three toolkits in IDRA’s Community-based College Access – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit.