Vestal High School Counseling and Guidance Newsletter

NEW YEAR, NEW FACES The Counseling and Guidance Office is excited to announce some staffing changes for this school year. Mrs. St. John has decided to retire. The dedication to her students, the numerous SAT and ACT’s she has organized and her professional experience will be greatly missed. We wish her all the best in her retirement. Consequently, we have the privilege of adding two new academic counselors. Mrs. Nina Muto joined the Counseling staff in September 2018, but in a different role. This year, she will be working with students for scheduling, post-secondary planning and emotional and social health and much more. Mrs. Muto is a graduate of the University of Scranton and comes to Vestal with five years of experience working in the Towanda School District.

Mr. Robert Malvasio is a graduate of Union-Endicott High School where he was involved with football, basketball and track. Mr. Malvasio completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degree at SUNY Oneonta. Vestal was fortunate to have Mr. Malvasio intern in the Counseling and Guidance Office this past spring for the semester. During his internship, Mr. Malvasio met with students, participated in classroom lessons, and was part of many evening programs. Mr. Malvasio may have had UE Tiger pride, but he is excited to begin this new chapter with green and gold Vestal Bears.

The Counseling and Guidance staff recognizes that changes in counselors can be difficult for some students and families. Please know that we have tried to minimize the amount of students who will be impacted by this shift in counselors. This restructuring has significantly reduced counselor caseloads. We are confident that students and families will continue to have their needs met. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 757-2214.

August 2019 Issue 1

SENIOR YEAR COUNSELOR

Students are assigned to their School Counselor based on the first letter

of their last name. Since we have added two new academic counselors,

your counselor may have changed. Please see the

list below:

A-B will have Mrs. Muto

C-F will have Mr. Malvasio

G-L will have Mrs. Smith

M-Q will have Mrs.

Jablonowski

R-Z will have Ms. Martino

Seniors in full-day

alternative education

programs will work with

Ms. Wallach

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THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS Where to begin?

Deciding where to apply to college can seem like a daunting task, but there are a wide variety of resources in print, on the web, and in the Counseling and Guidance Office to help you through the process.

A good place to start is on the College Board website (www.collegeboard.org). This site offers a program called Big Future (www.collegeboard.org/bigfuture) that helps you to focus on what is important to you in terms of college and career. In addition, a college search tool allows you to enter your preferences for location, size, selectivity, and other factors, and then gives you a list of possible colleges. You will also find sections on financial aid, tips for writing your essays and completing your applications, and more. You will be able to save your preferences and searches, along with your standardized test scores, to your College Board account.

School Counselors are here to help you throughout the application process. We will be visiting classrooms and meeting individually with students throughout the fall. We will also hold a Senior College Information and Financial Aid Night on Wednesday, September 25th, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. in the High School Cafeteria to review the process with parents and answer any questions. A representative from SUNY Broome’s Financial Aid Office will be here to give families an overview of the financial aid process and to answer general questions regardless of where your student is going to college. Students should feel free to make an appointment with their counselor at any time if they need extra assistance.

For Your Information...

Please plan to attend the September 25th Senior College Information and Financial Aid Night. School Counselors will provide general information on how to navigate the college application process. This will be followed by a Financial Aid presentation given by Richard Griffis Jr. from SUNY Broome. They will help you get started with your FAFSA and give important guidance on all aspects of financial aid.

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NATIONAL HONOR

SOCIETY NEWS

Declaration of Interest forms for National Honor Society will be available on September 5th in the Principal’s Office and are due back to the Counseling and Guidance Office by 3 pm on Friday, September 13th.

Mrs. Stephanie Lewis will be this year’s advisory. She can be reached at slewis1@vestal.k12.ny.us with any questions or concerns regarding the application process.

IB exam registration will take place in October and November. Students who choose to take IB exams will be required to pay approximately $180 registration fee, plus $125 per exam. Full IB diploma candidates who took exams in their junior year do not have to pay the registration fee this year. Detailed registration information will be sent to your home in October, but you should be aware that the fees will be due no later than Friday, November 1, 2019.

Excelsior

Scholarship

Some eligible students may qualify for the new Excelsior scholarship offered by New York State. This scholarship allows students to attend SUNY or CUNY colleges tuition-free. Families can check out www.hesc.ny.gov for more information on this scholarship opportunity.

Don’t forget to sign up for Remind.com to get important messages from the Counseling and Guidance Office during the year.

A. If you have a smartphone, get push notifications.

On your iPhone or Android phone, open your web browser and go to the following link: rmd.at/db38ka

Follow the instructions to sign up for Remind. You’ll be prompted to download the mobile app

B. If you don’t have a smartphone, get text notifications.

Text the message @db38ka to the number 81010.

If you’re having trouble with 81010, try texting @db38ka to (832) 564-3286. * Standard text message rates apply

SENIOR FUNDRAISING

The Senior Class Cookie Dough Fundraiser will start on Tuesday, August 27th and run through Friday, September 20th. Please be sure you receive a fundraiser packet when you pick up your schedule on Tuesday, August 27th in the main gym. Sales from the fundraiser will help pay for your Senior Class Trip & Senior Prom at the end of the year. Remember, this will be very helpful at the end of the year when the senior expenses add up! If you have any questions, please see Ms. Gaylord or Ms. Harrington in the VHS Main Office.

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at the Arena On Wednesday, October 16, 2019, local

School Counselors and Binghamton High School are sponsoring a College Information Day at the Floyd L. Maines

Veterans Memorial Arena.

Last year, over 180 colleges and universities were represented, giving students and parents a chance to talk to people with firsthand knowledge of

each school’s requirements for admission and financial aid and what

makes that school unique. We strongly encourage students to attend this

event either during the school day with the counselors or in the evening with

their families.

More information will follow concerning permission slips.

Transportation will be provided during the school day. Feel free to check out

the website at www.greaterbinghamtoncollegeday.org

College Representatives Last year, over 70 college admissions

representatives visited Vestal High School and even more are expected this fall. Details of these visits will be posted in the lobby of

the Counseling & Guidance Office, on the

Remind app and on the school’s website.

STEPS FOR SUBMITTING COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

There are several steps involved in actually submitting a complete application to a

college:

1) You will need to start with the college’s application. Most colleges use the Common Application for their application. Typically, applications are completed online and can

be found at www.commonapp.org. However, be sure to read each college admission’s website very carefully to determine their requirements.

2) In order for your School Counselor to submit the transcript and other required

materials, you will need to complete a College Application Checklist and submit it,

along with any necessary forms, to our office. A copy of the checklist is on at the back

of this newsletter. This checklist must be submitted whether or not you apply online, as

it is the key for our staff to forward all pertinent documents. Please use the hot pink

form for Early Action/Early Decision and the white form for Regular Admissions.

3) If you applied online through the SENDedu, the Coalition App, the SUNY website, or

the SUNY Broome website, you can request that your School Counselor submit

materials online, as well. This is the preferred method as it saves time and postage,

and also provides a record of submission dates. For online applications, you still need

to complete a College Application Checklist, as this will serve to confirm that your

request to the counselor was received and processed. Be sure to indicate whether the

application was submitted through the Common App, Coalition App, SUNY, SUNY

Broome, or SENDedu website.

4) You should work directly with your selected teachers to have them submit their

recommendations as they are not sent through the Counseling and Guidance Office. If

they need to submit the recommendations by mail, please be sure to provide them

with addressed, stamped envelopes for mailing.

5) Be sure to apply well before the colleges’ deadlines to avoid any last-minute panic.

6) Keep track on the college website, Common Application, Coalition App, or SUNY

website to be sure that all materials have been received, but be aware that there is

frequently a lag between when transcripts and recommendations are sent and when

they update your application status. Contact the college, your counselor, or teachers if

you want verification that the materials were sent.

They will also be announced each morning and afternoon. Seniors should make every effort to come in and talk with the representatives. You do not have to apply to a college before visiting with a representative from that school.

These meetings will help you decide whether a college is a good fit for you. They will also help you understand

admissions procedures and give you some advice on possible college majors and noteworthy programs. Additionally,

this provides you with experience in talking with college representatives, which will help as you participate in college

admissions interviews. Often, the Admissions representatives that come to Vestal High School are the same people

who read our students’ applications. It is always a great opportunity to stop in and have students introduce

themselves to the representatives.

IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK WITH A REPRESENTATIVE, PLEASE OBTAIN A PASS IN

THE COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE OFFICE. 4

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SAT and ACT Testing

Most colleges require applicants to submit standardized test

scores from either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the

American College Test (ACT). Some colleges also require SAT

Subject Tests. You should check carefully with each college you

are considering to see which of these tests are required and be

sure to register accordingly. Test dates and registration deadlines

for the SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests and for the ACT are

listed in this newsletter. Please review this information carefully so

that you do not miss any deadlines.

To register, you will need to go online to either

www.collegeboard.org or www.actstudent.org, or contact the

Counseling and Guidance Office for help with the registration

process.

Please note that the first exams this fall are given in September

and early October, so you will need to register soon if you want to

take these early tests.

Anxiety and stress look different in every person. These are some examples of how anxiety and stress can affect your student throughout the year. School Counselors are available to assist students during difficult times. Feel free to reach out if you or someone you know needs help. Contact us by stopping in the Counseling and Guidance Office or call 757-2214.

Reporting Your Standardized Test

Scores

All students must have a form on file with the Counseling and Guidance Office indicating whether or not Vestal should include SAT and ACT scores on the transcript. A copy of the required form is included with this newsletter.

Even if the test results appear on a student transcript, some colleges require that the scores be sent to them directly from College Board or the ACT organization. If any of the colleges to which you are applying require them to be sent directly, you can request that by going online to www.collegeboard.org or www.actstudent.org.

If you tested last year, scores were sent to the colleges you indicated. If you test this fall, you can indicate up to four colleges free of charge.

Releasing scores may take three weeks. Early Decision candidates should check their college websites to determine if they need to pay the additional fee to rush their scores to those colleges.

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VESTAL HIGH SCHOOL

Counseling &Guidance Department

Woodlawn Drive

Vestal,NY 13850

607-757-2214

Vestal students have a choice of including standardized test scores (SAT Reasoning, SAT Subject, and ACTs) on the high school transcript that is sent to colleges. Some colleges and universities accept these scores from the Vestal transcript, while others require students to forward them directly from the College Board or ACT organization. The College Board now offers a service called “Score Choice” where a student can elect to send scores from specific testing sessions rather than all of them. If the scores are included on your Vestal transcript, scores from all testing sessions will be sent.

In order to best meet the needs of all students, the Vestal High School Counseling and Guidance Department is requiring students to designate whether or not they want these standardized test scores included on the transcript. If a student decides to take advantage of Score Choice, or if they simply do not want all their scores sent, they should check the box below to indicate that Vestal should not include standardized test scores on the transcript. Please note that the students themselves will then be responsible for sending those scores directly from the College Board or ACT organization and that there is usually a fee attached to this service. If a student chooses to have the scores included on the transcript, please note that all scores will be sent, including any SAT Reasoning or Subject Test scores, as well as any ACT scores.

One further consideration: Scholarships frequently require students to report SAT and ACT scores. If a student elects not to include these on the Vestal transcript, he/she will be responsible for forwarding the scores to those scholarship committees, as well.

Thank you in advance for your prompt completion of this form. Your son or daughter can return it to the Counseling and Guidance Office at any time.

Please do not include my child’s standardized test scores on his/her transcript. I understand that we will be responsible for requesting that the scores be sent directly from the College Board or ACT organization. Please also be aware that some colleges

request that scores from all testing sessions be included, so check carefully before you submit scores.

Please include my child’s standardized test scores on his/her transcript. I understand that all scores will be reported (SAT

Reasoning and Subject Tests and ACT, as applicable). I also understand that some colleges/universities require that these

scores be sent directly from the testing organizations, even if they are listed on the transcript.

Print Student Name:_________________________________

Student Signature: __________________________________ Date: ____________________

Parent Signature: ___________________________________ Date: ____________________

For more information on Score Choice, please check the College Board website at www.collegeboard.org or discuss this with your child’s School Counselor.

IMPORTANT: All seniors must have this signed form on file before any transcripts can be sent out to colleges!

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VESTAL CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 2019-2020 TESTING CALENDAR

SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE (SAT) REASONING TESTS and SAT SUBJECT TESTS Register online at www.collegeboard.org

SAT SAT with Essay SAT Subject $49.50 $64.50 $26 Registration

Cost: +$22 per subject (OR) +$26 Language with Listening – given only on the November Test date

Registration Closes TEST EXAM DATE REGULAR LATE ($30 add’l) LOCATION

Reasoning/Subject Aug. 24, 2019 July 26, 2019 Aug 13, 2019 Area Schools Reasoning/Subject Oct. 5, 2019 Sept. 6, 2019 Sept. 24, 2019 Vestal High School Reasoning/Subject Nov. 2, 2019 Oct. 3, 2019 Oct. 22, 2019 Vestal High School Reasoning/Subject Dec. 7, 2019 Nov. 8, 20109 Nov. 26, 2019 Vestal High School

Reasoning only March 14, 2020 Feb. 14, 2020 March 3, 2020 Area Schools Reasoning/Subject May 2, 2020 April 3, 2020 April 21, 2020 Vestal High School Reasoning/Subject June 6, 2020 May 8, 2020 May 27, 2020 Area Schools

PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST / NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP

QUALIFYING TEST (PSAT/NMSQT) – Register during Curriculum Night or during lunch periods

Cost………………………………. $20.00 (checks payable to Vestal Central School)

Exam Date: Saturday, October 19, 2019……………..Vestal High School

AMERICAN COLLEGE TEST (ACT) – Register online at www.act.org

Cost: ACT (no writing)…………………………………$50.50 ACT with writing…………………………….$67.00

REGISTRATION CLOSES TEST EXAM DATE REGULAR LATE ($30.00 LOCATION

add'l) Sept. 14, 2019 Aug. 16, 2019 Aug. 30, 2019 Area Schools

AMERICAN Oct. 26, 2019 Sept. 20, 2019 Oct. 4, 2019 Area Schools COLLEGE Dec. 14, 2019 Nov. 8, 2019 Nov. 22, 2019 Area Schools TEST April 4, 2020 Feb. 28, 2020 Mar. 13, 2020 Area Schools

June 13, 2020 May 8, 2020 May 22, 2020 Vestal High School

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)

May 1 – May 22, 2020………………………….Registration fee approximately $180

ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATIONS (AP)

May 6 – May 17, 2020…………………………….Approximately $94.00

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New York School Planning Calendar Junior Year

MAY

Review your career plans. Take SAT/ACT tests. Check bulletin board for: any school representatives visiting your

school summer program information

Will you be going to a local college conference or college night?

JUNE

Check your bulletin board for: any school representatives visiting your

school summer program information

Take SAT/ACT tests. Prepare list of schools to visit during

summer.

JULY-AUGUST

Visit college web sites or request college catalogs. Visit colleges. Register for September/October SAT/ACT. Continue to research colleges using books and the

internet.

SEPTEMBER

Review your career plans. Check your courses: right ones? too many? too light?

Sign up for Remind.com if you have not done so already for information from the Counseling and Guidance Office. Start to gather letters of recommendation: teachers community people

Check bulletin board: What colleges are you visiting? College Day

Decide whether you apply on an early decision basis.

Check SAT/ACT Test calendar on the bulletin board. Watch deadlines for the October tests.

Start your applications.

OCTOBER

Check and review your school records. Check bulletin board: any representatives visiting your school? any area college nights or conferences? have you registered for SAT or ACT?

Discuss your plans with your family. Make an appointment with your counselor. Work on applications. Chart financial aid deadline dates and work

on the FAFSA. Discuss essays with your English teacher. Be sure to make appointments before

visiting colleges. Watch deadlines for November tests. Complete the permission slip for College

Day. Attend College Day. Bring applications to the Counseling and

Guidance Office. Do you need to register for International

Baccalaureate Exams?

NOVEMBER

Take the SAT tests. November 1 - Last chance to apply for early

decision. Have you had your planning conference with your

counselor? Do your application and essays. Review financial aid deadline dates. You can still visit schools. Check the bulletin board: any school representatives visiting any financial information

Deliver applications to the Counseling and Guidance Office.

Start reading financial aid information.

DECEMBER

More SATs and ACTs are being given. Check deadlines on applications. Are all of your recommendations set? counselor? teacher? others?

Have you visited schools? Are you going to be interviewed? Talk to alumni – especially during the holidays. Check your bulletin board: any school representatives coming? any financial aid workshops? any scholarship announcements?

Review financial aid deadline dates. Deliver applications to the Counseling and

Guidance Office by mid Dec.

JANUARY

All your applications submitted? Are you keeping a folder to keep track? Ask your family to keep copies of all tax

forms. Any deadlines approaching? Any interviews to get ready for? Check bulletin board: scholarship information?

Attend financial aid awareness meetings.

FEBRUARY

Midyear report needs to be sent to college. Check with the Counseling and Guidance department secretary.

Deadlines for financial aid? Are you keeping track of applications? Are you maintaining your folder of correspondence? Check bulletin board: any scholarship information?

Update your financial aid applications. Colleges may be sending acceptance notices.

MARCH

Check your correspondence folder – are you all caught up?

Will you need to register for Advanced Placement Tests?

Check bulletin board. Talk to your parents about financial aid

available through: church groups labor unions organizations

Colleges send fall term acceptance notices. Compare the financial aid packages from

different schools. The school financial aid office may require you

to submit copies of your (family's) tax forms. Complete local scholarship applications.

APRIL

Review your aid package with the school financial aid office. You can appeal a preliminary aid package.

Colleges finalize the financial aid packages for accepted students.

Follow through: deposits housing requests other correspondence

Check your bulletin board. Complete local scholarship applications. Make any final college visits.

MAY

Review career plans. Send thank you notes to anyone who assisted you,

e.g., counselors, secretaries, teachers. Keep up with your correspondence folder. Notify schools you've decided not to attend. Check bulletin board: scholarship information summer programs

If you are accepted by a college, you must: make an enrollment decision; accept the financial aid offered; send in the required deposit.

If you decline an admission, notify the financial aid office so they can re-award to another student.

Notify the Counseling and Guidance Department if any scholarships are received.

Complete the Senior Survey and return it to the Counseling and Guidance Office.

JUNE

Work hard to prepare for finals. Summer job. Read college mailings. Decide on college orientation dates.

JULY

Banks begin issuing fall term student loan checks.

Decide on college orientation dates.

NOTES:

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*

___________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

VESTAL HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE APPLICATION CHECKLIST Please complete one checklist for each application

Vestal High School 205 Woodlawn Drive Vestal, NY 13850 Ph: 607-757-2214 Fax: 607-757-2306

Counselor (check one): ____ Ms. Rebecca Martino (rmmartino@vestal.k12.ny.us) ____ Mrs. Christi Smith (chsmith@vestal.k12.ny.us) ____ Mrs. Nina Muto (ntmuto@vestal.k12.ny.us) ____ Mrs. Katy Jablonowski (kejablonowski@vestal.k12.ny.us) ____ Mr. Robert Malvasio (rsmalvasio@vestal.k12.ny.us)

VESTAL HIGH SCHOOL CODE Check One:

(ACT and SAT): 335730 Regular Decision

Rolling Admission

STUDENT:______________________________________________________________________

COLLEGE(S):_____________________________________________________________ DUE DATE: ______________________________________________________________

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE IN TWO WEEKS BEFORE ACTUAL DUE DATE TO GUARANTEE TIMELY ARRIVAL AT THE COLLEGE

_____ APPLICATION SUBMITTED ONLINE THROUGH THE COMMON APPLICATION, SUNY WEBSITE,

OR SENDedu (no additional materials required – counselors will automatically submit transcript, school report, and a mid-year report)

________ Student invited counselor via Common App website _______Student applied via SUNY website ________ Student invited counselor via SENDedu website _______Student applied via SUNY Broome website ________Student invited counselor via Coalition App

OR _____ APPLICATION NOT SUBMITTED THROUGH COMMON APP, SUNY WEBSITE, OR SENDedu

(Did you proofread, sign, and check the waiver box?) ________ Application submitted on (date) ____________ Online? _____ Paper (attached)? _____ ________ Mid-Year Report Required (are your name and the name of the college included on the form??) ________ Final Report Required (are your name and the name of the college included on the form??)

____ STANDARDIZED TESTING INFORMATION (check all that apply) ________ SAT/ACT Release Form is on file with Counseling and Guidance Department ________ Planning to take another SAT/ACT that will need to be reported to this college ________ SAT/ACT has been sent directly from College Board/ACT Organization (if required)

____ FINANCIAL AID REQUIREMENTS (check college website for current information) ___ FAFSA ____ CSS/Profile

____ LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION ___ Counselor letter required ___ The following teachers were either invited online or were given stamped envelopes

addressed to the college admissions office (if required):

Note: Letters of recommendation should be sent directly from the teacher to the college or agency requesting them.

Vestal High School 205 Woodlawn Dr Vestal, NY 13850

Broome County is a place where you can enjoy a successful career and

experience a fulfilling life.

PARENTS AND STUDENTS!

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• Seasonal employment • Career exploration

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