Senior Counseling Corner
Brighton High School Counseling Office
August, 2021
Seniors,
Wow, what a journey this high school experience has been! You guys have definitely overcome some significant challenges over the last 3 years, and you should be so proud of where you are today.
We hope that you are enjoying your summer break and taking advantage of this wonderful weather. This is the summer edition of your Senior Newsletter, which will start up weekly when school starts. These newsletters will contain information from seminar, application process reminders, weekly college visit schedules, career exploration opportunities and more!
Once schedules come out later this month, be sure that you have 12th grade seminar in it! We will be going over all things related to post-secondary planning, so attendance is super important.
Enjoy the last weeks of summer and we'll see you this fall!
Best,
BHS Counseling Office
(585) 242-5000 x4526
Summer to-do
- Begin compiling a list of potential post secondary options
- VISIT & RESEARCH your options in person or virtually
- Sign up to take or retake the SAT and/or ACT (BCSD prep courses available this fall!)
- Create a Common App account if you are thinking of applying to 4 year colleges- get a head start on your demographic information sections
- Write your application essay (register for BCSD essay writing courses this summer or fall)
- Register with NCAA if planning to play DI or DII sport
- Touch base with your counselor or Mrs. Stern for help!
GOAL: Return in the Fall with 5 to 10 post-secondary options that you would like to pursue. Taking these 7 steps will have you in a GREAT place for the fall application season.
Fall Senior Office Hours
BHS Counselors will be available for SENIORS only to help support you with your post-secondary planning. We will be covering a lot in seminar, but we want to make sure you are well supported in this process. We are here to help!!
No sign up needed- just drop in to office hours whenever you are free. Stay for 5 minutes or stay for hours. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, work on applications with support or just a quiet place to work on your plans.
Please see the poster below for more info and times.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor. We hope to see you all soon!
College Rep Visits to BHS
Reps will be visiting in-person and virtually. Colleges 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.
- You will need teacher permission to attend if the visit takes place during a class.
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!
When the school year starts, we will list the next week's visits in the newsletter. Be sure to check out Naviance & the College Visits page on the BHS Counseling Website for a complete list of ALL visits this season starting in September. Check often- we get new visits scheduled every day!
College Fairs
Find the College for You at NACAC Virtual College Fairs
Hundreds of colleges and universities from the US and worldwide will be ready and waiting to talk with you at these upcoming NACAC Virtual College Fairs.
Don't miss these free, one-day events for high school students, transfer students, and families. Go to virtualcollegefairs.org to see the list of participating colleges. Then log in on any fair date to attend Zoom sessions, text your questions, and demonstrate interest... all without leaving home. It's a great way to connect with hundreds of colleges in a short amount of time to learn about majors, scholarship, and more.
RAC College Fair- BHS Atrium
TUESDAY September 28th, 6th period
Reps from over 15 area colleges will be here to chat with you IN PERSON!
Instant Decision Days
This fall we will be offering Instant Decision days with NINE phenomenal institutions!
Students will have the chance to meet with an admissions representative and receive instant feedback on their application- most students will be informed of their admissions decision that day!
We will provide much more detail in Senior Seminar, but below are the general instructions. This is SUCH a great opportunity to learn more about what the college has to offer you and get some early feedback. So, save the dates if you are interested!
If interested, please follow the instructions below:
- Sign up on Calendly for your 15 min admissions appointment with any of the institutions you are interested in.
- Submit your college application at least 1 week prior to the instant decision date.
- Please encourage teacher(s) to upload letter(s) of recommendation to Naviance at least one week prior to instant decision date.
- An admissions counselor will review your materials and could provide an admissions decision and estimate of your scholarship package that night! (some colleges may require a few additional days to process materials)
- Please note- Geneseo is an ADMISSIONS INTERVIEW ONLY. This will be used as part of your application to be reviewed later. No decision will be made that this time. If interested in Geneseo, we highly recommend taking advantage of this.
Calendly Link: https://calendly.com/courtney_stern
A few recommendations:
- Show up a few minutes early- you don’t want to be late!
- Wear appropriate attire- no need to dress up, but please look presentable. This is YOUR opportunity to show them who you are other than a name on a piece of paper!
- Come prepared with questions about the school- we are happy to help you with this.
If you have any questions about these opportunities, please contact Mrs. Stern!
Save the dates for our senior parent night series!
Senior Parent Night Part 1- The BHS Application Process
On this night we will be discussing the college search and application process as it relates to BHS seniors. Join us tonight if your child intends to apply to two or four year colleges this fall.
Thursday, Sep 23, 2021, 06:30 PM
BHS Auditorium
Senior Parent Night Part 2- Financial Aid 101
Join our special guest Jerome St. Croix, Director of Financial Aid Compliance at Monroe Community College. He will provide an in-depth session reviewing the cost of college, the types and sources of financial aid, how and when to apply for aid, explaining the Free Application Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and NYS TAP Applications and will provide strategies and tools to help support you through this process.
Tuesday, Oct 5, 2021, 06:30 PM
BHS Auditorium
Senior Parent Night Part 3- Exploring Your Options
It’s not surprising that many students may be undecided as to what they want to do after they graduate. Please join us as we explore some of the post-graduate options available to students and share resources to help guide student decision making.
Zoom link will be provided via email 15 minutes prior to the start of the program.
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2021, 06:30 PM
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Writing your college essay- FALL 2021
In case you can't make any of the sessions this summer, you are able to take this phenomenal class in the fall!
This fall enrichment class is designed to help students write the college essay, generate ideas for short answer questions and provide an overview of how to address the entire college application. Students will read and critique model essays, be provided with written feedback on work, have one to one conference time with the instructor and complete at least one full essay in five days.
Monday, October 25th - Friday, October 29th
Time: 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Fee: $99 *Financial assistance is available* See Mrs. Ingle for more info.
Questions? Contact Brighton Community Education at ce@bcsd.org or 585-242-5200 ext.5595.
Register at https://brightonschools.revtrak.net
Questbridge
If you feel you are a Questbridge candidate, please see the information below. Be sure to touch base with your counselor ASAP as many of the deadlines are quite early!
We hope you are enjoying your summer! Here at QuestBridge, we are preparing for the upcoming 2021 National College Match, and we want to give you some updates and resources so that you can support your students when the new school year begins.
The 2021 National College Match will open in early August, and you can now view all dates and deadlines on our website.
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2021 National College Match essay prompts
Please share the 2021 National College Match essay prompts and essay resources with students who may be interested in applying. Applicants will need to write one personal essay (800-word limit) and one topical essay (500-word limit). We encourage students to start working on their essays before the application opens so they have extra time to draft, edit, and polish their writing.
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Recommendation requirements
For the 2021 National College Match, applicants will need to obtain two recommendations. One recommendation should be submitted by a recent core subject teacher. The second recommendation can from be a teacher or anyone else outside the applicant's household or immediate family who knows them well and can speak to who they are as a person. Additionally, we will continue to require a School Report from a current high school counselor.
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Standardized test requirements
As always, we encourage National College Match applicants to enter any available test scores in their application, but test scores are not required to apply. All applications are reviewed holistically, so students who have not taken standardized tests can still be selected as Finalists; however, they should ensure they meet the standardized testing requirements for each college partner they're interested in.
College partners that are now test optional will give students who submit scores to QuestBridge the option to indicate whether or not they would like their test scores reviewed.
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New college partners and non-binding reminder
Earlier this year, we welcomed three new college partners: Barnard College, Boston University, and Denison University. Applicants will be able to add these schools to their rankings list to be considered for early admission and a full four-year scholarship.
As a reminder, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is still the only college partner that has a non-binding policy if a student is matched. Please encourage students to start researching colleges early so they feel confident in each school they rank.
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Resources to prepare students for college admissions
QuestBridge and our college partners have many resources for students to prepare for college admissions and get to know our schools. In addition to online events with individual colleges, please encourage your students to check out our College Admissions Summer Series. Recordings of past events have been posted on the QuestBridge YouTube channel, where you can also find a playlist with short videos to get to know each of our college partners.
Registrar Deadlines
Check out the Registrar deadlines- based on the college/job/scholarship deadlines, the dates below are when your application is DUE TO THE REGISTRARS OFFICE.
Please note- the Registrars Office will not be ready to process application materials until October 1st. Please contact your counselor directly if you have an unusually early deadline.
Geneseo HEROS Program- College & Career Mentoring
Are you...
A high school student who needs help planning for life after high school? Confused about how to apply for college? Someone who wants help exploring a possible career or educational opportunities? Someone who wants to work with and learn from college students? If you said yes to any of these, then the HEROS Program is for you!
The HEROS program has the vision of helping high school students figure out their answer to a difficult but important question, which is: What will I do after high school?
Pairing SUNY Geneseo college student mentors with high school students from all over New York State, mentors and students work together to formulate and execute their plans for life after high school, whatever they may be. We believe that your education is the job of a lifetime, and wish to encourage and support students seeking to pursue any form of higher education, whether it be through a trade school, 2-year college program, 4-year college program, or beyond. We also believe that college is not just for students with straight A’s or for students who can easily afford it. Our mentors will work with any student to help them problem-solve and develop a plan to achieve their personal educational goals, and we welcome any students who may be facing challenges or indecision surrounding their plans after high school.
At this time, we are aware of the health and safety concerns surrounding face-to-face interactions due to the possible spread of COVID-19. Due to this, the HEROS team has decided to shift to virtual mentorship sessions for the duration of the Fall 2020 semester. In these sessions, mentors and mentees will meet bi-weekly through online communication via the video-chatting app Zoom, which will allow them to correspond and interact in the safest way possible at this challenging time. During these sessions, mentors and mentees will work together to discuss goals, discover aspirations, and explore options for life after high school. In a session, mentors and mentees may research potential careers or college programs, research specific schools or career programs that they intend to apply to, work on college or program applications, research financial aid and scholarships, and more.
WANT TO JOIN OUR PROGRAM?
Please show your interest by filling out our Google Form, and we will be in contact with you! For more information or specific questions, you can reach us at:
Our Website: geneseo.edu/volunteer_center/heros
Email: heros@geneseo.edu
SAT & ACT- IMPORTANT Updates
BHS Standardized Exams being offered this fall:
SAT
October 2
November 6
ACT
September 11
October 24
If you have questions specific to BHS testing procedures, please reach out to Kristin Haughey: kristin_haughey@bcsd.org. As things are changing so often, please refer to the testing sites for updated information:
ACT- www.actstudent.org
SAT- www.collegeboard.org
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FREE Online Proctored SAT & ACT Exams
Our friends at Chariot Learning will be running free online practice tests every Saturday until we can go back to in-person testing. All the details will be on their calendar: https://chariotlearning.com/events/
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