Junior Counseling Corner
Brighton High School Counseling Office
March 10, 2022
Juniors & families,
Welcome to your first addition of your WEEKLY Junior Newsletter! We want to be make sure that we are keeping you up to date on all you need to plan for life after high school. Please check out this weekly newsletter as your go-to place for all information we will share in seminar and more!
- College Rep Visits are back! Check out Naviance to see a complete list.
- 2022 Junior Family Night- SAVE THE DATE- See below for details.
- Are you a QuestBridge Scholar? Check out more information on this incredible opportunity for select students.
- Continue to read our MONTHLY 9-12 Counseling Newsletter. We will be posting information about colleges, fairs and career exploration opportunities that are available.
Junior Seminar starts NEXT WEEK. Check your schedule so you know which period/cycle day you are assigned. If you don't see it in your schedule, see your counselor and we'll get you in one. We look forward to connecting with you!
Stay in touch and we'll see you soon!
Best,
BHS Counseling Office
(585) 242-5000 x4526
Junior Seminar Review
As you can see from the 2021 Post-Graduate Plans below, each year we have students heading off in all different directions. So, no matter what you think you want to do...or if you have no no idea yet...we are here to help!
Here are some things to thing about in preparation for starting seminar next week:
- If you have not done so already, be sure you have met with your counselor to review your transcript and select your courses for senior year. Counselor's Calendly links are below.
- If you are thinking of attending a four year college in the future, be sure to sign up to take the SAT and/or ACT this spring. Detailed information on the exams are below.
- Now is the time to start researching your options. College reps are coming to BHS againn this spring- take a few minutes to chat with them! Even if you've never heard of the school, or are not sure if college is for you, you can always walk away with something. Every little bit of information helps!
- See your counselor if you have any questions or to further discuss your plans!
calendly.com/keri_crowley
calendly.com/kevin_donohue
calendly.com/travis_figueroa
calendly.com/hollyjuliano
calendly.com/courtney_stern
calendly.com/jennie_viggiani
calendly.com/julie_bianchi
Junior Family Night
**If attending in person, masks will be optional.
**This event will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. All materials will be posted on our website for you to view. Livestream information to come!
Thursday, Mar 24, 2022, 06:30 PM
BHS Auditorium
Virtual College Experiences
Ways to get "on campus"
Although you may not be able to physically get on campus right now, this is a great time to take a virtual trip! Check out these resources:
- Individual college websites
- Naviance (many of the colleges have videos and interactive information posted there)
- www.campusreel.org - over 15,000 real videos, tours and experiences from 300+ college campuses, created by current students
- Come use our NEW Virtual reality headsets!!
- Thanks to an incredible colleague in a College Admissions Counselor group who put together this working excel file. Including demographic data from College Board, she lists colleges in the US and Canada who offer virtual tours, youtube channels, etc. UK coming soon! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sO7pVos0EvK0BvXoMbnyg00K6r7hXbOQE0HNXF4N4eM/htmlview
Save the date for our Spring 2022 NYSACAC College Fairs!
Virtual Fair
Thursday, May 12, 2022
5 PM to 8 PM
In-Person Fair at LeMoyne College
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
10 AM to 1 PM
5 PM to 8 PM
*The in person fair will be open only for local school districts from 10 AM to 1 PM. The general public is invited from 5 to 8 PM.
Registration will open shortly, and will be found by following this link.
Please feel free to contact college.fairs@nysacac.org
for any additional information!
Best,
NYSACAC College Fair Committee
Haniya Mee, Oakwood Friends School
Chris Scheppner, St. Bonaventure University
NACAC Virtual College Fairs
Encourage your students to register for free at virtualcollegefairs.org.
At each virtual fair, students attend college presentations, learn about their options, ask questions, and demonstrate interest... all without leaving home.
Here is a short how-to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbym4J6Ptvw
Spring 2022 Rep Visits
Reps from the military and colleges will be visiting in-person and virtually. Reps have already begun to snag spots at BHS, so check Naviance regularly for our schedule.
- Be sure to SIGN UP for the visit in Naviance.
- If a rep is in person, they will be in room 257 (the conference room across from the Counseling Office)
- If they are virtual, you will be able to access a link to their zoom via Naviance. You may come to the Counseling Office and we can help find you a quiet space to attend if needed.
- In person or virtual, you will need teacher permission to attend if the visit takes place during a class. Grab a pass from the counseling office.
You are welcome to sign up for as many visits as you'd like! We encourage you to sit in on the ones you know, as well as some that you've never heard of before. There are so many INCREDIBLE institutions all over the country with phenomenal opportunities. You just don't know about them yet!
Be sure to check out Naviance & the College Visits page on the BHS Counseling Website for a complete list of ALL visits this season. Check often- we get new visits scheduled every day!
SCAN OUR NEW QR CODE! Posters are around school and will lead you directly to our College Visit Website. Check often and bookmark the page!
QuestBridge- College Prep Scholars
The 2022 College Prep Scholars Program application is now open! The deadline is Thursday, March 24. Start your application today >>
Applying to college can seem daunting, and the prospect of paying for it can seem even more overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. The College Prep Scholars Program equips high-achieving high school juniors from low-income backgrounds with the knowledge, confidence, and resources to apply to top colleges.
Why apply as a junior? Being a College Prep Scholar is a notable distinction that shows our college partners that you are a competitive candidate for admission. In addition, your application will automatically carry over for the National College Match when you’re a senior, giving you a head start on applying for a full four-year scholarship to our college partners. College Prep Scholars are nearly five times more likely than other applicants to receive full four-year scholarships through the National College Match.
Awards for College Prep Scholars may include:
- A full scholarship to a college summer program hosted by Yale, Emory, UChicago, and more.
- Quest for Excellence Awards, such as $1,000 for a new laptop or other resources to help the student enhance their college application.
- Exclusive access to a QuestBridge National College Admissions Conference — an invite-only event featuring workshops and a college fair with our college partners.
- Personalized college essay feedback.
- Campus visits or other opportunities from QuestBridge college partners.
- Specialized guidance and resources for the college application process.
- Peer-to-peer support in an online community.
SAT and ACT Updates
If you have questions specific to BHS testing procedures, please reach out to Deirdre Carter: deirdre_carter@bcsd.org. As things are changing so often, please refer to the testing sites for updated information:
Standardized exams have traditionally been a part of the college application. This year, due to COVID, many schools allowed students the option of submitting test scores or not. Juniors- It's safe to say it's a good idea to get an exam or two under your belt if you are thinking of applying to a four-year college. Below is some brief information about the two exams and the website to check out to get more information/sign up for the exams.
SAT
Collegeboard.org
- Designed to measure academic aptitude in verbal and numerical reasoning.
- Test Content: Reading, Math and Writing.
- Cost $55.00 (w/o writing)
ACT
Actstudent.org
- Designed to measure academic achievement.
- Test Content: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning.
- Cost $60.00 (w/o writing)
- Cost $80.00 (with writing)
Visit www.fairtest.org for a list of colleges that do not require standardized tests. Check in with your counselor about a Fee Waiver , if needed, to help cover the costs of the exams.
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STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (504s & IEPS)
SAT- The BHS Counseling Office applies for all College Board test mods prior to your sophomore year (this summer). If approved, these will apply to all future SAT & AP Exams
ACT- you MUST REGISTER FOR AN ACT EXAM before we can apply for your test mods. Be sure to sign up early, indicate you will be requesting accommodations, and let your counselor know ASAP so we can get them processed before the test date. This typically takes 6-8 weeks.
Remember- both College Board and ACT are private companies. They have the right to approve or deny any test modifications you may have. If you have any questions, please reach out to your counselor or College Board/ACT for more information.
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FREE IN-PERSON Proctored SAT & ACT Exams - ONE THIS WEEKEND!!
Our friends at Chariot Learning and the Brighton Memorial Library will be running free IN-PERSON practice tests! All the details will be on their calendar: https://chariotlearning.com/events/
Anyone in grades 9-12 are welcome to give it a try! Please pre-register by contacting Deena Viviani at 784-5300 or Deena.viviani@libraryweb.org
Brighton High School Counseling Department
Email: courtney_stern@bcsd.org
Website: https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2063
Location: 1150 South Winton Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: (585) 242-5000