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