Making High School Count
School Counseling Department
October 29, 2012
Verona High School
Counseling Department
Mrs. Kimberly Ferlauto
Director of School Counseling (S-Z)
Mrs. Allyson Carvell
School Counselor (A-G)
Ms. Colleen Green
School Counselor (H-R)
Mrs. Dana Lustig
Student Assistance Counselor
District Anti-Bullying Coordinator
Mrs. Diane Newman
Administrative Assistant
Agenda
Importance of values and goal exploration
 Overview of activities to consider
 Post-secondary options
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4-Year College or University
Community College
Career and Technical Institute
Military
Gap-Year
Goals of Adolescence
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Who are you?
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Who do you want to be?
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Where will you be in September 2016?
The road ahead
Purpose of the four years of high school
is your growth and development
 Many opportunities for you to develop
current interests and skills, and also try
new things
 Action now leads to greater selfawareness and ability to make good
choices in the future

What is important to you?
Honesty
Family
Empathy
Creativity
Love
Responsibility
Leadership
Enthusiasm
Friends
Sports
Respect
Volunteerism
Knowledge
Success
Clubs
Independence
Reliability
Hope
Goals
“A goal without a plan is just a wish”
 Short and long-term goals
 Academic, physical, social, emotional
 Reassess regularly
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Activities to consider
Why should students get involved?
Sports
 Arts

◦ Band/Color Guard
◦ Theater/Stage Crew
Clubs
 Part-time job
 Summer programs

VHS Activities
ACTIVITIES
Mandari n Honor
Soci ety
Math Competi ti on
Team
Academi c Competi ti ons
Art Nati onal Honor
Soci ety
Fi l m Cl ub
Band/ Col or Guard
French Honor Soci ety
Future Educators of
Ameri ca
Chorus
French Cl ub
Sports Medi ci ne Cl ub
STAR
Shadows Yearbook
Creati ve Arts Festi val
Gay Strai ght Al l i ance
Gi rl s Learn
Internati onal
DAN Cl ub
Heroes and Cool Ki ds
DECA
Hi gh School Bowl
Paws and Cl aws
Engi neeri ng Cl ub
Envi ronmental Cl ub
Internati onal Weekend Peer Leadershi p
Li terary Magazi neAvant Garde
Publ i ci ty Cl ub
Euro Chal l enge
Mandari n Cl ub
FALL
Cheerleading
Cross Country –
Boys/Girls
Football
Soccer- Boys/Girls
Tennis-Girls
Volleyball- Girls
Spotl i ght Pl ayers
Math Honor Soci ety
Model UN Cl ub
Moot Court/Mock
Tri al
Nati onal Honor
Soci ety
Fai rvi ewer
Newspaper
Chess Cl ub
Spani sh Honor Soci ety
Stock Market Cl ub
Student Counci l
Students’ Musi c
Organi zati on
Teens for Troops
Worl d Language
Academi c Competi ti ons
Spani sh Cl ub
ATHLETICS
WINTER
BasketballBoys/Girls
Cheering
Ice Hockey
Indoor Track –
Boys/Girls
Swimming Boys/Girls
Wrestling
SPRING
Baseball
Golf
LacrosseBoys/Girls
Softball
Tennis- Boys
Track – Boys/Girls
Service
We all want to make a difference
 How can you make your school,
community, family, world a better place?
 What activities would you find
meaningful?
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Leadership
Set a positive example
 How can you be a leader?
 Elected vs. initiated
 Membership vs. active participation
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Post-Secondary Options
4-Year College or University
 Community College
 Career and Technical Institute
 Military
 Gap-Year

4-Year College or University
College Admissions Game
We need eight volunteers to play
Academic Plan

Plan on taking four years of each
academic subject
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English
History
Math
Science
World Language
Strength of Curriculum
Colleges are looking for intellectually
curious students who want to challenge
themselves
 Admission departments would like to
know how you will perform in collegelevel courses

◦ Honors and AP classes are the closest
indicator
Strength of Curriculum (con’t)
Consider taking Honors/AP classes in
subject areas in which you excel
 Work with your counselor to ensure you
are enrolled in classes that are best suited
for you

Dual Enrollment
Enroll in college coursework while still at
VHS
 Earn college credit at a reduced rate
 Courses are taught by VHS faculty
 Credit for dual enrollment is widely
accepted among private and public
colleges
 Admissions requirements reflect
admissions standards at college
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Dual Enrollment (con’t)
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Courses currently offered:
◦ English IV College Prep (Seton Hall University)
◦ AP Computer Science (NJIT)
◦ Tomorrow’s Teachers (Fairleigh Dickinson University)
We are actively adding to the number of courses
currently offered!
SAT/ACT
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Standardized tests continue to be an
important component of the application;
however, they are only one piece of the
puzzle
Certain schools do not require SAT/ACT
◦ www.fairtest.org
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Timelines
◦ 10th – practice SAT/ACT Combo during school
◦ 11th – PSAT in fall, SAT/ACT in spring
◦ 12th – 2nd SAT/ACT in fall
SAT/ACT (con’t)
The best way to prepare for SAT/ACT is
through your current coursework
 Read, read, read!
 Take additional Math/English courses
 SAT II

◦ Subject test
◦ More competitive schools require
◦ May take throughout high school
SAT/ACT (con’t)
Attention Students with 504’s and IEP’s!

See your case manager and/or counselor
this spring to initiate the accommodation
process for standardized testing
SAT/ACT (con’t)
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Fee Waivers (SAT/ACT Testing and College Applications)
◦ Financial assistance is available to low income
families
◦ Must meet USDA income guidelines
◦ http://sat.collegeboard.org/SAT/public/pdf/sat-feewaivers-guidelines-for-students.pdf
Case Study:
Private, Most Competitive, Division 1 College
1600 Seats in the Freshman Class of 2014
Recruited Athletes
Legacies
State Residents
Early Decision
Developmental Donors
Total
432 (27%)
151 (9%)
117 (7%)
88 (6%)
62 (4%)
850 (53%)
Number of General Admissions seats = 750
Number of High Schools in the United States = 54, 000
NCAA – 16 Core Courses
4 years of English
 3 years of Math
 2 years of Science
 2 years of Social Science
 1 additional year of English, Math, or
Science
 4 additional courses from any area above
and World Language
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NCAA – GPA and SAT
Only core courses are included in
the GPA calculation
 Division I has a sliding scale

◦ See http://eligibilitycenter.org
◦ Division II has a minimum of a 2.0 GPA and a
820 on two sections of the SAT
Consider attending NCAA
presentation next fall
Community Colleges
Prepares students for 4-year college or
occupation
 Articulation agreements
 Diversity of course offerings
 Much lower tuition than 4-year colleges
 Flexible scheduling
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◦ Allows student to work full or part time
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Close to home
Special Program to Consider
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NJ STARS (NJ Student Tuition Assistance
Reward Scholarship)
◦ Top 15% of graduating class is eligible
◦ Student can attend community college for free
◦ Transfer to a 4-year public NJ school and
receive a $6,000-7,000 annual scholarship
Career and Technical Training
Most programs are 2-years or less
 Potential for competitive salary after
graduation
 Academic and technical training which are
practical and adaptable
 Training offered through community
colleges and for-profit organizations
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Career and Technical Programs
Computer
Programming
 Construction
 Graphic Design
 Massage Therapy
 Medical
Administration
 Welding
 Nurse’s aid
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Paralegal
 Secretarial
 Web Design
 Electronic
Technology
 Aircraft
Maintenance
 Broadcasting
 And many more!
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Military
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Military Academies
◦ Leadership
◦ Athleticism
◦ Grades
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Enlistment
◦ ASVAB – Armed Services Vocational Aptitude
Battery
◦ Physical fitness test
◦ Boot camp (8 – 12 week training program)
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ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps)
Gap Year
1-year of work, study and/or travel prior
to enrolling in college
 Time to immerse self in culture
 Greater understanding of who one is
 Clearer academic focus
 Student may defer college acceptance or
re-apply
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Student’s journey
4 years till independence for many
 How are you preparing academically,
socially and emotionally for this
transition?
 Increased responsibility
 Act “as if”
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Parents as “consultants”
or “coaches”
Resources
Teachers’ websites
 Genesis portal for grades
 Friday Folder
 School Counseling website
 Naviance

◦ Interest inventories
◦ Career exploration
◦ College information and searches
Summary
Invest time in developing a set of goals
 Make the most of your opportunities
 Work hard
 Get involved
 Ask for help
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