Senior Counseling Corner
Brighton High School Counseling Office
July/August, 2023
Seniors,
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/program visit schedules, career exploration opportunities and more!
Once schedules come out in late August, 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. Seminar will start the 2nd cycle of school, so September 14th!
Just a reminder that Senior Summer Bootcamp is coming up August 15th and 16th! No need to sign up, just come in to work with Mrs. Stern to get a head start on your post-secondary plans.
Enjoy the last weeks of summer and we'll see you this fall!
Best,
BHS Counseling Office
(585) 242-5000 x4526
Summer to-do
- Finish 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!)
- Continue to work in your Common App account if you are thinking of applying to 4 year colleges
- 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 this summer 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.
Join the Princeton Review for College Application Week
The Princeton Review is hosting “College Application Week” from July 30th to August 3rd to help students know what to do as they apply to college. Over five sessions, our experts will help students learn how to build a college application list, navigate online applications, and be prepared for every element of the application.
Students can use the following links to register for each of our College Application Week events.
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.
- continue researching your options
- work on college & job applications
- essay reviews
- updating your resume
- Naviance
- whatever else you need!
Please see the poster below for times and locations throughout the fall, starting September 19th through December break.
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.
- 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 - get your 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!
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
College Fairs at BHS! Join us in the Atrium!!
Rochester Area Colleges Consortium
- Tuesday September 28th, 6th period
- 14 Colleges & Universities in the Rochester Area all at BHS: http://www.rochesterareacolleges.org/members
WNY Consortium of Higher Education
- Friday November 3rd, 2nd period
- 17 Colleges & Universities will be here to chat with you! Check them out: https://www.wnycollegeconnection.com/
Hundreds of colleges and universities from the US and worldwide will be ready and waiting to talk with you at these upcoming NACAC College Fairs:
Don’t miss these free, one-day events for high school students, transfer students, and families. Go to nacacattend.org/fairs to register for each program and to see the list of participating colleges. Then log in on any fair date to attend sessions, chat your questions, download informational resources, 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.
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!
Monday, October 2, 2023 Keuka College
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 Roberts Wesleyan University
Wedneday, October 11, 2023 SUNY Fredonia
Monday, October 16, 2023 Alfred University
Monday, October 23, 2023 Monroe Community College
Monday, October 30, 2023 Golisano Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship
Monday, November 6, 2023 SUNY Brockport
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 Finger Lakes Community College
Monday, November 13, 2023 St. Bonaventure University
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 Nazareth University
Monday, November 20, 2023 Canisius College
Monday, November 27, 2023 SUNY Geneseo
Monday, December 4, 2023 Niagara University
Monday, December 11, 2023 St. John Fisher Univeristy
Monday, February 12, 2024 Monroe Community College
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.
- We encourage you to submit your college application prior to the instant decision date if possible.
- 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 IS NOT YET SET UP FOR THIS- WAIT FOR FALL!
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 28, 2023, 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.
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023, 06:30 PM
BHS Auditorium
Writing your college essay- FALL 2023
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.
September 11-15 (up to 24 kids!!)
Time: 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Fee: $110 *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!
The National College Match application is a college admission and scholarship process through which high-achieving, low-income students can be "matched" — admitted early with full four-year scholarships to QuestBridge college partners. Learn more: youtu.be/KNZndnqRxQs
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.
SAT & ACT- IMPORTANT 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. 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.
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