Support students through the college applications process using Xello—Here are the 4 best ways

Applying to college should be an exciting milestone, yet for many students, it’s a time of stress, uncertainty, and self-doubt. Without a clear sense of direction, the process can feel overwhelming. Students may wonder, “How can I choose a major if I don’t even know what career I want to pursue?” 

Educators and counselors play a critical role in helping students navigate this transition, providing the guidance and resources needed to bring students clarity in their decisions.

College Board’s BigFuture team and Jobs for the Future published a research guide in 2023 that highlights the important role of educators in this process. “An essential step is to ensure that high school students and their families receive a timely and abundant flow of information and resources. When they have that, they can make informed decisions (and successful career moves) based on their skills, interests, and goals.”

Xello empowers students at every step of their college application process. From discovery to financial planning, here are five ways that educators and counselors can leverage Xello to help students take ownership of their future.

1. Integrate the college application process in your future-readiness curriculum

One of the biggest stressors for students applying to college is the uncertainty that comes from having to make a lot of important decisions all at once. Students are choosing a college, a major, and a future career when a specific direction might still be unclear. 

Xello helps students explore their interests, investigate career paths, and refine their options, making the process more manageable. By integrating the college application process throughout the curriculum, students will gain clarity and confidence, which will better equip them to make the important decisions in their senior year.  

Key Tools and Resources for Students:

Student Dashboard

Xello’s personalized Student Dashboard offers interactive, self-guided lessons on college and career planning. Through these self-exploratory lessons, students will develop a better understanding on how their interests relate to future career paths. Additionally, the Student Dashboard provides links to assessments and college and course planning. 

Portfolios

District administrators can upload test scores for students and educators, and students can add these to their Portfolio. This enables students to showcase their work and academic achievements when applying to colleges.

Scattergrams 

This interactive feature, with visual, data-driven insights, empowers students to navigate the college application process. The students can use the visual data to gain valuable insights into their chances at a particular college before the application process.

2. Prioritize one-on-ones with seniors

Personalized guidance is invaluable for all students, especially first-generation college applicants. Having a trusted advisor can alleviate stress and provide clarity for students. In a survey conducted by the Strata Education Foundation, students identified ‘guidance’ as the most effective tool for staying on track toward college. 

While one-on-one advising might not be feasible due to budget constraints, there are many tools in Xello that can be used to support students. 

Lessons – Interactive, self-guided learning experiences help students build the skills and knowledge they need to become future-ready. Students learn about critical concepts like decision making, different learning pathways, work-life balance, and career demand. Key lessons include:

• Career Path Choices – Helps students understand career flexibility and adaptability
• Careers and Lifestyle Costs – Assesses whether a chosen career aligns with lifestyle goals. 
• Choosing a College – Guides students identify in evaluating postsecondary options based on personal priorities. 

For a full list of Xello Lessons and their recommended grade level, click here.

Notes – Educators can document meetings, track progress, and share insights with students and their parents/guardians.

Surveys – Educators can easily track student progress toward their goals and gather the necessary data to inform personalized support and guidance based on students’ needs. 

Resources – Educators can provide access to essential websites, documents, and other resources on the dashboard.

3. Centralize the college application process

Applying to college involves managing lots of documents, checklists, deadlines, and other scattered information. Centralizing this process, and as much of the information as possible, eliminates confusion and potentially missed deadlines.

Xello simplifies and streamlines this process. Students can create applications for their desired schools, and Xello will automatically populate a checklist of application requirements. Students can further personalize their checklists by adding tasks and setting individual due dates.

 The best part? Students can now apply for college and keep track of their applications directly on the platform. Xello’s College Application tool allows seniors to track deadlines, requirements, and progress.

Xello’s Transcripts tool also helps simplify the college application process. Once a student creates an application in Xello, they can request the required transcripts with a single click. The transcript request is sent to your high school administrator, who processes and submits the transcript directly through Xello.

Students can also request letters of recommendation and track the status of both their transcripts and recommendation requests in Xello. 

Xello’s college planning capabilities are seamlessly integrated with Parchment and Common App. Submit and track applications and recommendations to over 95% of colleges through Parchment, and streamline the application management process for seniors and staff with Common App.

4. Help your students navigate how to finance their college education

Paying for college is often the last part of the application process. It’s important that students and their families have the tools needed to understand and consider all financial aid opportunities available to them before making decisions.

Xello can serve as a hub for this process, empowering students to make informed decisions about financial aid and the cost of college. 

Students can access key resources in Xello including: 

• FAFSA Guidance – Step-by-step support for completing the FAFSA application. 
• FAFSA Tracking – Students can record their FAFSA completion and upload supporting documentation for educator verification.
• Scholarship Matches – A database of thousands of national, regional, and local scholarships tailored to students based on their state and grade level.
• Saved Scholarships – Students can compile a list of scholarships of interest, and educators can track this information for additional support. 

Knowledge Hub

Students can dive deeper into a topic of interest to learn more about their options when it comes to paying for college. The resources housed here are written by a team of content experts, vetted by educators, and designed to help instill confidence by serving content that’s short, straightforward, and easy for students to digest and understand.

Get started using Xello for college applications

Not yet using Xello to help ease college application stress? Xello’s college applications tools are available to your grade 11 and 12 students who are looking to get organized for next year. Book your demo today to get started.

Wishing you a smooth and successful college application season!