Making High School Count School Counseling Department October 29, 2012
Jan 16, 2016
Making High School Count
School Counseling Department October 29, 2012
Mrs. Kimberly Ferlauto Director of School Counseling (S-Z)
Mrs. Allyson CarvellSchool Counselor (A-G)
Ms. Colleen GreenSchool Counselor (H-R)
Mrs. Dana LustigStudent Assistance Counselor
District Anti-Bullying Coordinator
Mrs. Diane NewmanAdministrative Assistant
Verona High School Counseling Department
Agenda Importance of values and goal
explorationOverview of activities to considerPost-secondary options
◦4-Year College or University◦Community College◦Career and Technical Institute◦Military◦Gap-Year
Goals of Adolescence
Who are you?
Who do you want to be?
Where will you be in September 2016?
The road ahead
Purpose of the four years of high school is your growth and development
Many opportunities for you to develop current interests and skills, and also try new things
Action now leads to greater self-awareness and ability to make good choices in the future
What is important to you?
Honesty Family Empathy
Creativity Love Responsibility
Leadership Enthusiasm Friends
Sports Respect Volunteerism
Knowledge Success Clubs
Independence
Reliability Hope
Goals“A goal without a plan is just a
wish”Short and long-term goalsAcademic, physical, social,
emotional Reassess regularly
Activities to consider
SportsArts
◦Band/Color Guard◦Theater/Stage Crew
ClubsPart-time jobSummer programs
Why should students get involved?
VHS ActivitiesAcademic Competitions Film Club
Mandarin Honor Society Spanish Honor Society
Art National Honor Society French Club
Math Competition Team Spotlight Players
Band/ Color Guard French Honor Society Math Honor Society Sports Medicine Club
Chorus Future Educators of America Model UN Club STAR
Chess Club Gay Straight Alliance Moot Court/Mock Trial Stock Market Club
Creative Arts Festival Girls Learn International
National Honor Society Student Council
DAN Club Heroes and Cool Kids Fairviewer Newspaper
Students’ Music Organization
DECA High School Bowl Paws and Claws Shadows Yearbook
Engineering Club International Weekend Peer Leadership Teens for Troops
Environmental Club Literary Magazine- Avant Garde Publicity Club
World Language Academic Competitions
Euro Challenge Mandarin Club Spanish Club
ACTIVITIES
FALL WINTER SPRING
Cheerleading Basketball- Boys/Girls Baseball
Cross Country – Boys/Girls Cheering Golf
Football Ice Hockey Lacrosse- Boys/Girls
Soccer- Boys/Girls Indoor Track – Boys/Girls Softball
Tennis-Girls Swimming - Boys/Girls Tennis- Boys
Volleyball- Girls Wrestling Track – Boys/Girls
ATHLETICS
ServiceWe all want to make a differenceHow can you make your school,
community, family, world a better place?
What activities would you find meaningful?
LeadershipSet a positive exampleHow can you be a leader?Elected vs. initiated Membership vs. active
participation
Post-Secondary Options4-Year College or UniversityCommunity CollegeCareer and Technical InstituteMilitaryGap-Year
4-Year College or University
College Admissions Game
We need eight volunteers to play
Academic Plan Plan on taking four years of each
academic subject◦English◦History◦Math◦Science◦World Language
Strength of Curriculum Colleges are looking for
intellectually curious students who want to challenge themselves
Admission departments would like to know how you will perform in college-level courses◦Honors and AP classes are the
closest indicator
Strength of Curriculum (con’t)Consider taking Honors/AP
classes in subject areas in which you excel
Work with your counselor to ensure you are enrolled in classes that are best suited for you
Dual EnrollmentEnroll in college coursework while
still at VHSEarn college credit at a reduced
rateCourses are taught by VHS
facultyCredit for dual enrollment is
widely accepted among private and public colleges
Admissions requirements reflect admissions standards at college
Dual Enrollment (con’t)Courses currently offered:
◦English IV College Prep (Seton Hall University)◦AP Computer Science (NJIT)◦Tomorrow’s Teachers (Fairleigh Dickinson
University)
We are actively adding to the number of courses currently offered!
SAT/ACTStandardized tests continue to be an
important component of the application; however, they are only one piece of the puzzle
Certain schools do not require SAT/ACT◦www.fairtest.org
Timelines◦10th – practice SAT/ACT Combo during school◦11th – PSAT in fall, SAT/ACT in spring◦12th – 2nd SAT/ACT in fall
SAT/ACT (con’t)
The best way to prepare for SAT/ACT is through your current coursework
Read, read, read!Take additional Math/English coursesSAT II
◦Subject test◦More competitive schools require◦May take throughout high school
SAT/ACT (con’t)
Attention Students with 504’s and IEP’s!
See your case manager and/or counselor this spring to initiate the accommodation process for standardized testing
SAT/ACT (con’t)Fee Waivers (SAT/ACT Testing and College
Applications)
◦Financial assistance is available to low income families
◦Must meet USDA income guidelines◦http://sat.collegeboard.org/SAT/public/p
df/sat-fee-waivers-guidelines-for-students.pdf
Case Study: Private, Most Competitive, Division 1 College
Recruited Athletes 432 (27%)Legacies 151 (9%)State Residents 117 (7%)Early Decision 88 (6%)Developmental Donors 62 (4%)Total 850 (53%)
1600 Seats in the Freshman Class of 2014
Number of High Schools in the United States = 54, 000
Number of General Admissions seats = 750
NCAA – 16 Core Courses4 years of English3 years of Math2 years of Science2 years of Social Science1 additional year of English,
Math, or Science4 additional courses from any
area above and World Language
NCAA – GPA and SAT Only core courses are
included in the GPA calculation
Division I has a sliding scale◦See http://eligibilitycenter.org◦Division II has a minimum of a 2.0
GPA and a 820 on two sections of the SATConsider attending NCAA
presentation next fall
Community CollegesPrepares students for 4-year
college or occupationArticulation agreementsDiversity of course offeringsMuch lower tuition than 4-year
collegesFlexible scheduling
◦Allows student to work full or part timeClose to home
Special Program to ConsiderNJ STARS (NJ Student Tuition
Assistance Reward Scholarship)◦Top 15% of graduating class is
eligible◦Student can attend community
college for free◦Transfer to a 4-year public NJ school
and receive a $6,000-7,000 annual scholarship
Career and Technical TrainingMost programs are 2-years or
lessPotential for competitive salary
after graduationAcademic and technical training
which are practical and adaptableTraining offered through
community colleges and for-profit organizations
Career and Technical ProgramsComputer
ProgrammingConstruction Graphic DesignMassage TherapyMedical
AdministrationWeldingNurse’s aid
ParalegalSecretarialWeb DesignElectronic
TechnologyAircraft
MaintenanceBroadcastingAnd many more!
Military Military Academies
◦Leadership◦Athleticism◦Grades
Enlistment◦ASVAB – Armed Services Vocational
Aptitude Battery ◦Physical fitness test◦Boot camp (8 – 12 week training program)
ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps)
Gap Year1-year of work, study and/or
travel prior to enrolling in collegeTime to immerse self in cultureGreater understanding of who
one isClearer academic focusStudent may defer college
acceptance or re-apply
Student’s journey4 years till independence for
manyHow are you preparing
academically, socially and emotionally for this transition?
Increased responsibilityAct “as if”
Parents as “consultants” or “coaches”
ResourcesTeachers’ websitesGenesis portal for gradesFriday FolderSchool Counseling websiteNaviance
◦Interest inventories◦Career exploration◦College information and searches
SummaryInvest time in developing a set of
goals Make the most of your
opportunities Work hardGet involvedAsk for help