HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING BULLETIN
January/February 2022
9th Grade IGP Meetings
9th Grade IGP (Individualized Guidance Plan) Meetings with ninth graders, their parents/guardians and the student's school counselor will take place in February & March 2022.
Some of the items that will be discussed include:
- Academic and social transition to high school
- Involvement in school activities
- Planning a schedule of courses
- Graduation requirements
- Career and post-secondary educational interests and goals
We look forward to meeting you! Invitations will be delivered via US Postal service.
Selective Service Registration
It's Scholarship Season!
Senior students are directed to Naviance to search for Local, Pittsburgh Foundation, and other scholarship applications. Pay special attention to deadlines and requirements for each scholarship and refer to the application or organization’s website for the most up-to-date information.
Use the Step by step instructions for applying to Local, Pittsburgh Foundation & Other Scholarships document to make your scholarship application process most efficient.
REMINDER: All Scholarship transcripts must be requested through Naviance.
Only Local Scholarship applications that are due to the Counseling Office should be turned in with all supporting documents to the Counseling Office secretaries.
RICHARD J. MADDEN SCHOLARSHIP IS FOR JUNIORS ONLY
The Richard J. Madden Scholarship, established in 2003 by Mr. Madden, a Mt. Lebanon alumni, is awarded annually to one junior student at Mt. Lebanon High School. The recipient may receive up to $12,500 per year, a maximum of $50,000 total, if a 3.0 grade point average is maintained at the student's post secondary selection. This scholarship opportunity is offered each year to juniors who plan to attend a two or four year college or technical school within the United States. Financial need is one of the most important criteria during the review of applications.
All applicants for the Richard J. Madden Scholarship must type their application in the template provided here. A transcript is required for this scholarship. Students should see their counselor with any questions.
Application deadline: Monday, March 4, 2022
Mid-Year Transcript Requests
Mid-Year transcript requests are a common practice required or suggested by colleges and universities to update a student’s application for admission. In order for these transcripts to be received by the colleges in a timely fashion, requests are due Friday, January 14, 2022. If you have already been accepted to the college/university, it is usually not necessary to send a mid-year transcript. If you are in doubt that a mid-year transcript is required, you should contact the college/university directly.
To request a midyear transcript be sent to your colleges, click the link below:
Mid-Year Transcript Request Form.
You can contact your school counselor if you have any questions.
THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN A TECHNICAL FIELD?
- Auto Body Repair
- Automotive Technology
- Construction Cluster (Carpentry, Electrical Systems Technology, HVAC/R, Welding Technology)
- Cosmetology
- Culinary Arts
- Cyber Security and Network Technology
- Diesel Technology
- Graphic Arts and Production Technology
- Healthcare Occupations Technology including Pharmacy Technician Certificate
- Public Safety Technology
- Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Therapy Technology (SMARTT)
- Veterinary Assistant Technology
- Welding Technology
View the 17 minute video below and read more about Parkway's programs here.
If you'd like to know more about a career in a technical field, please reach out to Mrs. Schneider in the High School Counseling Office @ 412.344.2063. A field trip to Parkway will be available to interested students on January 28, 2022.
CUM LAUDE
The Cum Laude ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 7 pm.
Students who qualify to be inducted into The Cum Laude Society will be notified in early February.
DID YOU MISS THE FINANCIAL AID NIGHT IN SEPTEMBER?
The information presented is especially helpful for Juniors and Seniors (& their parents) as they move through the college planning process.
Resources that were discussed or referenced during the presentation are available to view/download from our Counseling website under College/Financial Aid here.
Have questions? Reach out to your School Counselor.
Another very good video resource is: Financial Aid in 15 Minutes - Paying for Post-secondary Education is available from PHEAA which can be viewed here. Kim McCurdy, with Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, takes you through the process, what's available, and things to think about when paying for post-secondary education.
TIPS FOR STUDENTS WHEN THEY'RE DEFERRED
Students (and their families) often feel all kinds of emotions after they receive Early Decision/Early Action notifications. The Common Application recently asked our colleagues at the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS) to share some key tips for those students who are deferred. Here's what they had to say.
* Stay positive. Deferral means that you may still be competitive, and that the admissions committee wants to learn more information. You're now a regular decision applicant to that college and are free to apply to other schools. Even though it may be disappointing news to you, remember that you’re still in the applicant pool.
* Know that colleges can't accept every compelling candidate who applies early. At some colleges, they often need to see what the regular decision pool looks like before making
final decisions on many applicants.
* Most colleges send or post instructions about what they encourage – or, more specifically, discourage – in terms of sending additional information such as recommendation letters or supplements. Read that information!
* If this information is not shared, ask: "In past years, how many deferred students were eventually admitted? Should I visit (or re-visit) campus to express my interest? If interviews are offered, should I request one?" This information can help you determine reasonable next steps to take.
* Resist reaching out to anyone at the college right away. Take several days to digest and collect your thoughts. Colleges are not rank-ordering who called or emailed first – and impulsively communicating could send the wrong message.
* Take your upcoming assignments seriously, whether these are projects or end-of-term exams. Most colleges that extend an offer of deferral will want to see an updated set of official grades from first semester or the first marking period of senior year.
* Find out if another round of standardized testing would be accepted or even beneficial
for that particular school.
* Be confident in your original application. If the college encourages submission of new information, then consider doing so. But that doesn’t mean that there was anything "wrong” with your application. Resist the urge to blame your essay and spend hours you don’t have writing a new one for your regular decision colleges. You could spend that time instead on your senior year coursework, other applications, and with family and friends.
This post is shared in collaboration with the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), an organization of more than 1500 college counselors in nearly 550 independent schools, supporting the essential work of college counselors to serve the students in their care.
Special thanks to Steve Frappier, Director of College Counseling, The Westminster Schools; Deputy Executive Director of ACCIS and Emmi Harward, Director of College Counseling, The Bishop’s School; Executive Director of ACCIS.
College Testing Information
Test Center Number: 39-442
NEXT ACT DATE: February 12 & April 2 NOT @ MTLHS
Mt. Lebanon High School Code 393730 (SAT & ACT)
REGISTER FOR SAT TESTS HERE
REGISTER FOR ACT TESTS HERE
For parking and other test-day information, please see High School News on the Mt. Lebanon High School website.
Contact Mr. Rolf Briegel (SAT Center Supervisor) via email with questions or concerns.
For information on College Testing Accommodations process, please see instructions on the School Counseling/ Forms page here.
AP EXAMS
AP Exams
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams will be given at Mt. Lebanon High School the weeks of May 2-6 and May 9-13, 2022. Late registration is still available here until February 18, 2022 at a cost of $140 per exam. More details regarding the location and materials will be sent closer to the test date. If you have any questions please contact your school counselor.
High School Counseling Office
Email: mdemchak@mtlsd.net
Website: https://hs.mtlsd.org/student-services/school-counseling
Location: Pittsburgh, 155 Cochran Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15228, United States
Phone: 412.344.2005