School Counseling Newsletter

School Counseling Newsletter
March/April 2015 - Volume 2, Issue 4
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It has been the quite the winter so far! February brought us historic snowfalls and many
snow days! I think we are all glad that March is here so that we can finally get back into the
school routine.
Important March Dates:
March 2nd: MRSF Application Due
March 2nd: Program of Studies available online
March 5th: Course selection presentations
for all students
March 5th: Course Selection Night at
6:30 p.m. in Auditorium
March 5th-12th: PowerSchool Portal open for
course registration for students
March 9th: Early Release 12:20 p.m.
March 12th: Freshman Parent Program at
9:30 am in High School Library
March 13th: ACT Registration Deadline for
April 18th test date.
March 13th: AP Exam Registration Period Ends
March 14th: SAT’s at Masco 7:30 a.m.
March 20th: Halfway point for Qtr. 3 - Check
PowerSchool account
March 31st- April 2nd: MCAS ELA - Grade 10
Important April Dates:
April 3rd: Good Friday – No School
April 6th-16th: Sophomore Career Exploration
Program
April 6th: Registration Deadline - May 2nd SATs
April 9th: MEFA After the Acceptance at
6:30 p.m. in Auditorium
April 13th: Early Release 12:20 p.m.
April 17th: Last Day of Qtr. 3
April 17th: Senior Internship checkout
April 18th: ACT’s (not at Masco)
April 20th-24th: School Closed for
April Vacation
At Masco, we have begun the course selection process for the 2015-16 School Year- a
sure sign that spring is coming! We hope you can join us for Course Selection Night on
Thursday, March 5th. Parents will have the opportunity to hear an overview of the process,
learn about new offerings for next year and consult with department heads. Student will
request their courses through the PowerSchool portal from March 5th until March 12th. After
that, counselors will select a schedule for any student who did not complete the process.
The counselors are excited to begin the Career Exploration program with the sophomore
class at the end of March. Students will have the opportunity to use Naviance to explore
potential careers based upon their interests. Counselors will present information around
career exploration and the job search process. The program will include an individual
meeting where counselors will have the opportunity to discuss potential careers and postsecondary plans with each sophomore.
The School Counseling Department is also excited to be offering several parent programs
throughout the months of March and April. First, we hope that our freshman parents can
join us for “A Conversation with Guidance” on Thursday, March 12th at 9:30 a.m. We will
offer some tips on how to help your child make the most of their high school experience.
Next, we will be offering a “College Planning Program” for our junior parents on Thursday,
March 26th at 9:30 a.m. This will serve as a follow up to our College Planning Night held in
February. Lastly, for parents of seniors we will offer an “After the Acceptance” seminar.
The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) will present information about
how to compare financial aid packages from different schools and provide information
about securing loans and making tuition payments.
Until May,
The Masco School
Counseling Department
PowerSchool Reminder
In addition to monitoring your student’s
grades, parents should access
PowerSchool to review teacher
recommendations and their student’s
course selections for next year.
SAVE THE DATE
Freshman Parent Program: Thursday,
March 12th at 9:30 AM (HS Library)
Junior Parent Program: Thursday,
March 26th at 9:30 AM (HS Library)
MEFA After the Acceptance: Thursday,
April 9th at 6:30 PM (Auditorium)
School Counseling Newsletter
March/April 2015 - Volume 2, Issue 4
BULLETIN BOARD
A Glimpse at Each Grade:
Freshmen - Class of 2018
As freshman students complete their course
selection for the sophomore year, we would like
to emphasize two things:
Students are encouraged to complete
their required Comprehensive Health
course and any remaining PE courses
needed for graduation during their
sophomore year.
Students should continue to seek out the
right balance of college preparatory and
honors level courses for them. We can
meet with any student individually to
discuss their options.
Course Selection
We encourage all students to select a balanced schedule- one where they feel challenged, but
also allows them to have the time to explore extracurricular pursuits and spend time with
friends and family. Students should continue with their five core subjects throughout high
school and use their electives to explore varied academic interests.
Teachers will make recommendations through PowerSchool for all students. Students will
select their courses through the PowerSchool portal between March 5th and March 12th.
Students must print their course selections from PowerSchool and both student and parent
must sign their course selections and submit it to their homeroom teacher by Friday, March
13th.
If a student or parent has a question regarding the teacher’s recommendation, the student or
parent should contact the teacher directly.
Students will have the opportunity to review their schedules in June. Any schedule changes
must occur before summer vacation. After that point, we cannot guarantee that there will be
space available in other classes.
Sophomores - Class of 2017
The counselors are excited to begin our Career
Exploration program with the sophomores in
March and April. Students will be introduced to
the career exploration features of Naviance to
see how their interests can align with potential
majors. Counselors will then meet with all
sophomores individually throughout the end of
April and May to have further conversations
about potential careers and post-secondary
plans.
Juniors - Class of 2016
The counselors completed our Post-Secondary
Planning program with all juniors during the
month of February. All juniors should now be
scheduling an appointment with their counselor
to discuss their individual post-secondary
plans.
Later this spring, we will be
collaborating with the English department to
help the juniors start working on both their
college essay and their resume.
Seniors - Class of 2015
By the end of March, seniors should receive a
decision from all the schools they applied to.
Now is the time to go back and visit the
colleges the student is interested in attending
and to compare financial aid packages (Attend
‘After the Acceptance’ on April 9th for help with
this). National Candidate Reply Date is May
1st. Students have until this date to submit a
deposit to their choice institution to secure their
spot!
Thinking ahead to summer…
Gap Year
Many students and parents have heard the term
“Gap Year”, but are unsure of what it entails. It is
the opportunity for a student to take some time
off between high school and college to explore
other interests, by working, travelling or
participating in a community service opportunity,
such as City Year. We have many Masco
students who have pursued this option and all
feel that it was time used wisely. With the
increasing stress that many teenagers feel and
the rising costs of colleges, students want to
make sure they are mentally prepared for the
rigor of college and have a better understanding
of what they want to get out of their college
experience. Most Masco students who pursue
this option will complete their college application
during their senior year and then defer their
admission. If you or your student is interested in
learning more, please speak with your counselor.
You can also read more here:
http://time.com/97065/gap-year-college/
Now is the time to start thinking ahead to
what your student will be doing this
summer.
Work- If your student is interested in
a part time job, now is the time to
begin applying.
Community service- Summer is a
great time to satisfy Masco’s
community service requirement, or
to find a new interest.
Camp- for many students, the
opportunity to attend camp is a
valuable way to disconnect from
their daily technological life.
Travel- an opportunity to see
something new.
Job shadow- take a closer look at
potential careers.
Pre-College Summer ProgramsMany colleges offer academic
related summer programs for high
school students.
Interesting Articles
Ohio State’s recruit chart has lead to a lot of discussion regarding what
college coaches are looking for in high school athletes. Students may
choose to focus on one sport in high school, but some college coaches
may be looking for the exact opposite, asking the question “What other
sports does he/she play?” Read the full article: One Sport Athletes.
School Counseling Newsletter
March/April 2015 - Volume 2, Issue 4
COLLEGE NEWS YOU CAN USE
FINANCIAL AID UPDATES
As seniors prepare to make their final
college decisions, many families are
looking at financial aid packages to help
make those decision. Attendance at “After
the Acceptance” on Thursday, April 9th can
help families to answer many of the
questions families have about the
packages they have received. The
financial aid offices at the colleges can
also be a great resource for families. Don’t
hesitate to contact the financial aid office
directly if you have significant changes in
income (ie, job loss) or need to clarify
extenuating financial circumstances.
EXPERT ADVICE from
COLLEGE ADMISSION OFFICIALS
Every year, more and more colleges
become “Test Optional” in the application
process. Colleges such as Bowdoin,
Wake Forest and Middlebury along with
800 other schools are test-optional. This is
great news for many students who do not
feel that they are well-represented by their
standardized test scores! Many studies
support the idea that high SAT scores do
not necessarily correlate to higher
performance in college. Counselors work
with students on an individual basis to help
them determine if they should submit their
standardized test scores as part of their
college application. Visit www.fairtest.org
for a complete list of test-optional schools.
Read more about the movement away
from standardized tests here.
Student Role in the College Application Process: Students should be driving their college search
process, as they are the one who will be attending college! They are responsible for setting up
appointments with their counselor, communicating with the admissions office, researching colleges, writing
their essay, requesting their letters of recommendations, and knowing their standardized test requirements.
Parent Role: Parents should be aware of the college planning process, and be open to conversations about
the student’s ideas and share their thoughts on college. Parents should also be open regarding the financial
responsibilities of college.
Counselor Role: Counselors are available to help students look at options and provide a sounding board for
ideas. Counselors are also available to answer questions from students and parents.
Standardized Testing and the
Application Process
What do I do if I have been Waitlisted?
As a part of the college search process,
students must formulate a timeline of
when to complete their standardized
testing. We recommend that students
complete at least one SAT in the spring of
their junior year, and if they want to take
the ACT, also complete one in the spring.
It is also a good idea to complete any
necessary Subject Tests in the spring.
Students can then repeat tests in the fall.
All students will create a College
Board account that will be used to
register for all SAT Reasoning and
Subject Tests.
Students opting to take the ACT will
create a separate account.
It is important to save this account
information because students will
have to log on to their account to
send their scores to colleges in the
fall. * Students are required to
submit scores directly from the
testing agency.
Common Mistakes Students and Parents Make in
the Application Process adapted from Huffington Post
Ignoring schools you have never heard of.
Not knowing what you can actually afford ahead of
time.
Counting on your student to get a full ride.
Believing your student-athlete will get a scholarship
Believing that student loans will be your salvation.
Worrying that your home equity matters.
Not knowing how to evaluate an offer.
To read more click here
Colleges will place students on a waitlist
if the college does not have enough seats
to offer admission to all students who
meet the admissions criteria.
Students have the option to remain on
the waitlist or decline the offer.
If students wants to remain on the
waitlist, they should notify the college
quickly after receiving the invitation to the
waitlist.
Students can follow up with a brief letter
of interest, stating that if accepted the
student will attend (the student must be
truthful in this claim). The letter can also
include recent accomplishments.
Students must commit to another school,
as waitlist decisions may not be
determined until summer.
Communication should be by the student,
not parents.
Additional information can be found
here.
Virtual Tours
It is often difficult for students to
tour every college they are
interested in, especially if students
are considering colleges that are
further away from home. Colleges
understand this and many have put
together virtual tours that allows
students to ‘see’ the campus while
relaxing in their own home.
Students can go to
www.campustours.com or
www.youvisit.com/search/colleges
to view virtual tours.