During the months of February and March, students in grades 9-11 received invitations to meet with their counselor to discuss their academic placement and elective choices for the 2022-23 school year. If a student missed their appointment, counselors did their best to assign them to classes based on their teacher recommendations, credits and course requirements for graduation.

• Summer: The master schedule is built and students are notified if there are academic scheduling conflicts and are offered options for the following school year.
• August: schedules for the new school year are posted to the portal towards the end of August. If an elective class could not be scheduled, reach out to your counselor to request other options.

• College Fair: April 26 and 27 (see details below)
• Midpoint of marking period: May 20th (academic eligibility list generated)
• May 30th: Memorial Day (schools closed)
• Last day of classes: June 10
• *Final exams: Begins on June 13th.
• *Regents exams: June 1st and June 15 - 23rd
• June 20th: Juneteenth (schools closed)
• End of marking period: June 24
• Academic Eligibility: the list generated will carry over to the fall
• Summer: The master schedule is built and students are notified if there are academic scheduling conflicts and are offered options for the following school year.
• August: schedules for the new school year are posted to the portal towards the end of August. If an elective class could not be scheduled, reach out to your counselor to request other options.

As we come to the end of the school year, we want to encourage you to finish off the year strong! Final grades in your freshman and sophomore years will be reported on your high school transcript and calculated into your cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Your transcript will become part of your college or technical school application when you apply in the fall of your senior year. Some employers and many scholarship applications also ask to see your grades as well.

Counselors from the YHS Guidance Department visited health and husker discovery classes to discuss career exploration with our students. Clubs, community service, building a resume, and maintaining strong grades as they prepare for their future were also discussed. Students are encouraged to further explore their interests through volunteering, shadowing, and enrolling in elective classes.

Some of the tools students used to explores careers included:

• Naviance account
• US Dept. of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Visit the Career section in YHS Guidance webpage to learn more

Check your community service hours on the Community service webpage, submit any necessary google forms to the community service office before the summer break. See your school email regularly for community service opportunities from the community service office.

Reach out to Community Service Advisor Mrs. Mero at mmero@yorktown.org if you have questions.

Students and parents who would like to begin exploring college options: here are some local in-person fairs taking place this spring. Many juniors attend this event but it is open to all grade levels. Our office has copies of College Fair Guide if students would like to pick one up.

• Tuesday, April 26 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm
  The Galleria Mall in White Plans, NY

• Wednesday, April 27 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm
  Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights, NY

Additional virtual events:

NACAC Virtual College Fairs

New York State ACAC Virtual College Fair

Virtual College Tours/ Events for SUNY

CUNY Virtual Information Sessions

Congratulations on navigating through the challenges and excitement of your freshman year!

During this school year, we explored careers in husker discovery and health classes, discussed your goals and interests during your freshmen meet & greets, and reviewed your course selections and academic placement for the following school year.

The most important thing to focus on now is to prepare for your finals and finish up the year strong. Your final grades will become part of your high school transcript that colleges will view in the future.

Over the summer, consider using the summer time to "recharge your batteries" and do something enjoyable and productive. Review the clubs & activities page on the guidance website as well as the athletic department to explore activities you would like to join in the fall. This will become part of your college resume as you follow your interests and build a resume to distinguish yourself from other applicants.

Most important, take care of yourself as you plan to return to us in the fall!

Continue to do the best you can leading up to your finals or regents examinations. Your college search in your junior year will be based, in part, on your grade point average (GPA) posted to your transcript.

In the fall of your junior year, counselors will visit classrooms to discuss the PSAT regisration information and the junior year timeline. The PSAT is the practice test for the SAT and is offered once per year in October to our college bound juniors. We will also review with you steps to take in your junior year to make it the most productive year ever!

In the winter of your junior year, you will meet with your counselor to discuss your college and post secondary plans. This meeting will include information about the college search, SAT/ACTs, application process, deadlines, the college essay, letters of recommendation, athletics, naviance, The Common Application, and other websites to help you navigate through this process. We will provide you with the tools to complete a college search that matches your interests, grades, college major, and location preference as well as other particulars specific to your individual needs.

In the spring, you will meet with your counselor to discuss your academic placement and elective options for the following academic school year.

Here is a link to the junior checklist/timeline if you would like a sneak peak!

Continue to find activities over the summer that are both productive and meaningful to you. Find ways to volunteer, work, read, learn something new, and remain in contact with others over the summer. End the year strong and enjoy a well deserved summer break coming up!

Working papers are available to be picked up in the Principal's office room 110. Please see Mrs. Raniolo if you have questions.

The summer reading list will be posted to the YHS Library webpage. at the end of the school year.

In the fall of your junior year, counselors visited your English classes to discuss the junior year timeline, PSAT information, and college planning. In the winter, we followed up with individual meetings with our juniors to discuss their college and post secondary plans. Topics covered included tools used to research schools, the junior year timeline, The Common Application, Naviance, deadlines, the college essay, letters of recommendation, campus visits and tours, SAT/ACT online registration and questions they had about the search and application process.

Below are some of the next steps. More details are available on the junior timeline.

There will be two "In-Person" college fairs taking place in Westchester County next week. Our office has copies of College Fair Guide if students would like to pick them up.

• Tuesday, April 26 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm
  The Galleria Mall in White Plans, NY

• Wednesday, April 27 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm
  Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights, NY

Here is the preliminary list of colleges that have registered thus far: click here. More colleges register every day. Currently there are more than 200 colleges registered.

Both sites provide parking. At the Galleria, they will be using the space that was previously occupied by Sears. Interested students and parents can meet with college reps face-to-face.

Admission is free and students do not need to register.

View the junior year timeline to make sure you don't miss any important steps before the end of the school year. See link at the bottom of the newsletter for information about the senior year timeline.

Make sure to finalize your Naviance self evaluation survey. Include any senior year plans. This survey is required of every junior intending to apply to college as well as scholarships in the fall.

Login through Classlink. View instructional video to help you to locate, complete and submit your survey. You can edit it in the future after complete. Several students have completed their self evaluation surveys. If you have not yet, email your counselor when complete.

Parents: If you would like to provide additional information to support your child's college application, please complete the parent "brag sheet" and email it to your counselor when complete. Parents who wish to submit this form to your counselor should do so by May 15th.

SAT test dates: May 7 and June 4

ACT test date: June 11

Register here for the SAT: www.collegeboard.com

Register here for the ACT: www.act.org

See fairtest.org for a list of colleges that are test optional or view college websites

Check your community service hours on the Community service webpage, submit any necessary google forms to the community service office, and reach out to community service advisor Mrs. Mero at mmero@yorktown.org if you have questions or changes before the summer break.

Due to COVID, students in the Class of 2023, who have completed 30+ community service hours: the community service office will put a notation on your high school transcript in the fall of your senior year that specifies the hours you have completed. Other graduating classes have different hourly criteria. See the community service webpage for updates.

In June, ask two (2) teachers whether they would write you a letter of recommendation for college on your behalf. Read the admission requirements for each college to see their letter of recommendation requirements. Many would like to see a letter from an academic teacher who is from your junior year. Some teachers may ask you for additional information (like a resume or a copy of your transcript). Consider sharing with them a memory of you in their class and something you enjoyed most about their course. Many jobs and scholarships ask for references from teachers and counselors as well.

The YHS English department is planning to hold Junior College Essay Brainstorming workshops in June. The date and time of these workshops will be announced at a later date.

Summer is the best time to work on your college essay. View the common app essay prompts and write a rough draft over the summer. Take the time over the summer to work on your essay and bring it to the Writing Center/English teachers in the fall for their review and suggestions.

This is the last year to impact your Grade Point Average (GPA) provided to your colleges. GPA is made up of 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. This is the third year your final grades will be added to your transcript and shared with colleges when you apply at the beginning of your senior year. Your final GPA is made up of 9th, 10th and 11th grade. College admissions consider many parts of your application, and grades are certainly an important factor to their admissions decisions.

If you are planning to compete in a Division I or II college, speak with the college coach, register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, and request that your high school transcript be sent to the NCAA eligibility center at the end of your junior year. See eligibility requirements (courses, grades, SAT,ACT) and any changes due to COVID.

Find time during breaks and over the summer to reach out to colleges and attend their college campus tours. This will help as you narrow down your college list. Many offer in person tours; some offer virtual visits. Pick up a student newspaper, be prepared with questions you want to know about the college (that you cannot locate on their college website), take photos and notes to help you to narrow down your choices by the fall of your senior year.

Additional virtual events:

NACAC Virtual College Fairs

New York State ACAC Virtual College Fair

Virtual College Tours/ Events for SUNY

CUNY Virtual Information Sessions

Over the summer, visit college campuses and finalize your college list. Generate a list of "reach" "ball park" and "safety" schools. Keep track of application deadlines. Most students apply in the fall of their senior year. Add these colleges to your Naviance account under "Colleges I'm applying to." View instructional video for how to add colleges to Naviance. Additional videos available in the senior college application section of the guidance webpage.

Affording college is an important part of the decision process. In October of your senior year, many seniors apply for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile (when applicable). In the interim, here is a tool to Estimate your Federal Student Financial Aid through FAFSA.

In addition to FAFSA, some colleges offer merit scholarships based on a variety of criteria including grades, scores, and special talent (i.e. art, music, theater, voice). Check with colleges to see whether they offer separate applications for merit money. See the guidance webpage for additional information about scholarships and financial aid.

Senior timeline and application checklist over the summer to get a head start with what you are able to complete over the summer. In the fall, counselors will visit senior classrooms to review and you can schedule to meet with your counselor with follow up questions and individualized help.

• In August, create your common app account and begin your Common Application online. This is your college application. Most of your colleges will likely use this application tool. Complete as much as you can.

• View Creating your common app instructional video to assist you through this process.

• Save your password someplace safe that you can access when you meet with your counselor with questions.

• Complete it to the best of your ability and meet with your counselor in the fall to review.

In mid-August, counselors will provide Common application workshops to assist high school seniors with creating and account, completing FERPA, matching their naviance account with their common app account, and other helpful information. Bring your Common app user name and password with you to the workshop!

Dates: more information regarding dates and times of these workshops will be provided over the summer. Check your school email and guidance webpage for updates.

Look for information from the yearbook staff for the dates to come in for your senior portraits towards the end of August. Specific dates and times will be announced at a later date on the high school webpage.

The Principal's office will post information about the process to obtain a senior parking spot on the high school webpage. Look for this information in August.

Available in the Principal's office room 110. See Mrs. Raniolo if you have questions.

Many seniors have received financial aid packages from their admitted colleges. These may include a combination of grants, scholarships, work study and loans. Sometimes your financial situation at home has changed since filing FAFSA. Please contact the financial aid office at your college or university directly if you have any questions or concerns and would like to request a “professional review” to reconsider your financial aid package.

Comparing Award letters: Financial Aid comparison tool: Online tool to compare your financial aid packages. Before you put down a deposit and commit to a school, students likely have received numerous financial aid offers from their colleges. Use this tool to evaluate your financial aid packages to determine cost.

SUNY and HESC are hosting a series of online virtual events in April and May - SUNY Financial Aid events and HESC Financial Aid events.

National College Decision Day is May 1st to secure a spot and housing at your college/university of choice.

For additional scholarship opportunities, continue to review the scholarship binder in the guidance office for the latest scholarship opportunities before the year comes to a close.

Seniors planning to attend a SUNY or CUNY college, who meet the eligibility criteria, may apply for the New York State Excelsior Scholarship when it becomes available on the HESC website. Look at their website for dates and deadlines for the fall of 2022.

The Enhanced Tuition Awards Program application is also available on the HESC website for seniors who plan to attend a private college in New York State.

Additional scholarships are available on the HESC website.

Every senior will receive an invitation to meet with their counselor in May. At these meetings, we will discuss your college admissions decisions, other post secondary plans, scholarships, college credits, senior day, and any questions you have.

Return your chromebook to the high school library before June 10, 2022.

Senior day is an end of the year celebration hosted by the YHS Guidance Department and the Yorktown PTSA.

This end of the year celebration will be entertaining, engaging, and fun. The event starts with Breakfast in the cafeteria the morning of June 10th, followed by our guest speaker, and BBQ. Awards & prizes will be distributed as well! Seniors will also have the opportunity to sign up to visit the elementary schools as part of the PTSA's "Back to the Nest" event following the BBQ. Stay tuned for registration information for Back to the Nest. A great way to celebrate your last day of school!

More information to follow in the weeks ahead.

Senior prom is June 23rd. See your senior class advisors for additional information and updates.

Your cap & gown order and 4 tickets per family will be distributed at the mandatory Graduation rehearsal on Friday, June 24, 2022. Location and time: YHS campus at 12:00 p.m. See high school webpage for additional information in case of changes.

The graduation ceremony will be held on the Murphy Field at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday June 25, 2022. 4 tickets per family will be provided at the rehearsal. Check the high school webpage for updates from Principal DeGennaro. See high school webpage for additional information in case of changes.

High school graduates will lose access to their school accounts (i.e. google drive and email) after they graduate in June. If you have any google docs saved in your Yorktown school account that you would like to keep, be sure to transfer your Yorktown Google account to a personal account before the end of the school year when graduate accounts are deactivated.

To transfer your account, visit takeout.google.com or visit the YHS Library website for more information. Email tsudol@yorktown.org or complete the help desk link if you have any questions.

You are so close to the finish line! Continue the momentum and finish up the year with strong grades. This is what will be on your final high school transcript which will be sent to your college in July.

If you were registered in a college or AP course at Yorktown High School, and paid for college credit through that university or took an AP exam, credit recognition decisions are at the discretion of the postsecondary institution at which the student matriculates.

Please reach out to your college to obtain information regarding their criteria for granting college "transfer" credits. If they will honor these credits, you need to send them an official transcript directly from the college that issued you the credit and grade. AP scores and college transcripts are usually available during the month of July. See college credits section on our webpage for additional information.

SUNY Albany credits: Send in July

SUNY WCC credits: Send in July

SUPA credits: Send in July

RIT Project Lead the Way: Send in July

AP credits: Send in July

Final transcripts for seniors are sent to your college mid-July. This is automatic and does not need to be requested.

If you were dual enrolled in a college or AP course, see links above to send your college transcript and/or AP scores to your college.

Reach out to the attendance office if you need to report an absence, pick up early, or have a question about a reported attendance.

Cindy Cervini: Guidance supervisor: ccervini@yorktown.org

Counselors

Daks Armstrong: darmstrong@yorktown.org

Erin Fink: efink@yorktown.org

Allison Greenberg: agreenberg@yorktown.org

Eric Levine: elevine@yorktown.org

Michelle Snyder: msnyder@yorktown.org

Timothy Sullivan: tsullivan@yorktown.org

Marissa Warren: mwarren@yorktown.org

Office Assistants:

Maggie Braig: mbraig@yorktown.org 914-243-8050 Ext. 11606

Christine O'Meara: comeara@yorktown.org 914-243-8050 Ext. 11602