March Guidance Update
APTS Meeting Presentation: March 11, 2021
Academic Scheduling Update
The Guidance Department has been hard at work to finalize meeting with students and inputting scheduling requests for the 2021-2022 academic year. The second phase of scheduling is now underway as the Master Schedule is being constructed. During this process, the Board of Education will collaborate with Administration to determine course sections. Classes will officially be assigned to periods during the academic day and then a preliminary schedule will be randomly generated. This preliminary schedule will be shared with parents and students in late May. Students are welcomed to speak with their School Counselor regarding any changes to their preliminary schedule prior to the close of the school year. The Guidance Office is open during the summer months for review of scheduling.
All course descriptions, scheduling timeline and graduation requirement information can be found in the RIH Program of Studies The RIH District offers students opportunities for New Work For Credit where a student can take a class not offered with the RIH curriculum over the summer months for credits (up to 5). The exception is that students may enroll in a Financial Literacy class over the summer to complete this graduation requirement. Please review the information online to review the course parameters and terms of agreement. Other exciting opportunities exclusively for Senior students include the Option II programming: Community Action (volunteerism), Distance Learning (online college class), On-Campus College Class, Structured Learning Experience (unpaid Internship) and Fundamentals of Mindfulness/ Wellness. Dual Enrollment courses are also offered through Bergen Community College, Syracuse Project Advance and Centenary College.
Please reach out to your School Counselor with any questions!
Spring College Visits
Spring (yes, spring!) College Visits are underway! The following colleges will be hosting virtual visits with RHS Students in March:
San Diego State - Wednesday, March 10th
University of Maine - Thursday, March 11th
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Thursday, March 11th
Penn College of Technology - Thursday, March 11th
Muhlenberg College- Friday, March 12th
Dominican College - Friday, March 12th
SUNY Oswego - Monday, March 22nd
Ursinus College - Tuesday, March 23rd
Penn State University - Friday, March 26th
UMass Amherst - Monday, March 29th
Students are invited to register through Naviance or through the Guidance Office.
Advanced Placement Testing: Spring 2021
Advanced Placement exams are offered annually in May connected to the material taught in the AP courses which follow a nationally-based curriculum. As a result of the ongoing pandemic, the AP/ College Board has developed opportunities for students to test in-person (Administration I) and/or at home (Administration 2). Mrs. Perry serves as the AP Test Coordinator. She has been in frequent communication with the AP Teachers and Students on the changes to the AP Testing options. The order for RHS will be updated for the AP/ College Board deadline of Friday, March 12th to reflect student choices of exam format. It is anticipated that RHS will administer over 850 tests this spring.
Participation in AP testing is not required as connected to enrollment in the course. However, if a student does not take the AP exam, then they will be expected to take a class-based assessment incorporated into their final course grade.
Scores for the AP exams are released in July through the student's AP/ College Board portal. Colleges may or may not accept AP scores in exchange for course credit. Individual colleges have specific benchmarks that students are encouraged to research prior to testing for the AP exams (this information is often found on the respective College Registrar website).
Resources for students preparing to test in May:
AP Daily: Videos and Pacing Guides
AP Testing Terms & ConditionsCareer Speaker Presentation: Advertising & Marketing
Class of 2021: College Responses and Scholarships
"March Madness" takes on a different connotation in the Guidance Office as college responses for the Class of 2021 are released. Students are typically notified via email or access to an online portal with a few snail-mail letters also being sent. Decisions released at this time are typically linked to a Regular Decision process. The decisions can include an acceptance, denial or a student being "waitlisted." A denial is final at this stage of the process. A student being offered an acceptance has the opportunity to consider all acceptances over the course of March and April. Students are encouraged to visit (in-person or virtually) the campus using the College Visit Form for an excused absence as needed. The financial deposit for the selected school of enrollment is due on May 1, 2021 (June 1, 2021 for some schools this spring). Students are to deposit at one school only.
Colleges eagerly anticipate students depositing on May 1st as confirmation of attendance. Between May 1 and May 15th, colleges often review their “yield” and whether or not there are seats available to consider students on the Waitlist. Waitlist decisions can be made from mid-May to mid-August.
The School Counselors are not notified by colleges about their decisions. We are dependent on the student sharing the news with us directly! Students are encouraged to meet with their School Counselor to review the acceptance offers.
Counselors will be visiting all Senior English classes in April to guide Seniors on updating their Application List and completing the Graduation Survey (if possible) in Naviance. We will also be reviewing posted Scholarship Opportunities and sharing the RHS Scholarship Checklist. Scholarship opportunities are being updated in Naviance regularly. These represent independent, community-based scholarship opportunities that are selected by the individual or organization sponsoring the scholarship. The RHS Scholarship Checklist is a Google Form reflecting approximately twenty scholarships on one shared application. The RHS Scholarship Committee will select recipients for scholarships listed on the Scholarship Checklist with exception to particular scholarships such as FLOW Follies with specific membership criteria.
If you or your student have any question regarding this phase of the college process, please do not hesitate to contact your assigned School Counselor!
Wellness Class: Perspectives
Wellness Class: Perspectives
Wellness Class: Perspectives
Ramapo High School Guidance Department
Email: jperry@rih.org
Website: www.rih.org
Location: Ramapo High School, George Street, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA
Phone: (201) 891-1500
Twitter: @ramapo_guidance