Students and parents often need to upload important documents like school profiles, essays, or recommendation letter directly into their portal.
If your students are having trouble uploading files, here's a step-by-step guide and some troubleshooting insights:
Steps for Students to Upload Files
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Log into the Student Portal
Note: Students must use the same email address their counselor used when creating the account.
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Go to the Files tab.
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This is where all uploads are stored.
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Click the menu button
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Select “Upload File.”
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Students can choose a file stored on their computer (e.g., PDF, Word doc, image).
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Once selected, the file will appear in their shared folder with the counselor.
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Steps for Counselors to Verify File Sharing
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From the Counselor Portal, open the student’s record.
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Click the Files tab.
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Use the menu to select “Open Student Folder.”
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This opens the shared Google Drive folder linked to that student.
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Right-click the folder name and select “Share.”
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Verify that the student’s email address appears in the “shared with” list.
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This ensures the student has permission to upload directly into the shared folder.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
1. File Too Large Error
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The upload system has a maximum file size limit (generally >100MB).
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If a file is well below this size (for example, a 105KB PDF), it should upload successfully.
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If students see an error for a small file, it could be a temporary sync issue between the portal and Google Drive.
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Workaround: The counselor can manually upload the file into the student’s shared folder if needed.
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2. File Types Supported
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Students will see “Upload File” rather than “Upload Google Doc.”
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This means they must upload documents saved locally (PDF, DOCX, etc.) rather than creating Google Docs directly inside the portal.
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Once uploaded, the file is stored in the linked Google Drive folder.
3. Login Conflicts
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Only one user can log in at a time with a single set of credentials (to prevent data overwrites).
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If a parent logs in using the student’s credentials, the system treats them as the student.
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For parents to have their own access, counselors may assign a Parent Portal account (with custom settings if desired).
Best Practices
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If issues persist, counselors may want to create a short demo video using a sample student account to show exactly how to upload files.
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Students should always save files to their computer before uploading, rather than trying to upload directly from email or cloud links.
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Counselors can confirm folder sharing permissions at any time from their portal.