Our team is here to support students and families in the Counseling & Wellness Center on the 2nd floor of the main office. Students may visit during break/lunch, or with a pass from their teachers. Caregivers should contact the counselor to schedule an appointment.

The new 2024-2025 Teen Guide to Mental Health from SDCOE includes many resources for promoting and supporting conversations on mental health, such as important crisis lines, self-care apps and other resources like Seize the Awkward and the Wellness Education Lab!

The week of October 21st is Red Ribbon Week (RRW). This is the time to engage students in critical dialogues about the importance of making positive life choices and avoiding drug and alcohol use.

The Red Ribbon Week Campaign was created to honor Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. He was a special agent who worked for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). In 1985 he was kidnapped and killed by drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico. His murder brought anger to the community and was a catalyst for the Red Ribbon Campaign.

Together in Kiki’s honor, schools and youth in communities nationwide began wearing red ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness around his killing and the destruction caused by drugs in America. Laura Dawson, Wellness Coordinator, will be talking with 9th graders about this important topic. Additionally, she and the peer listeners will organize lunch time giveaways and activities. All students are encouraged to sign the pledge to live drug free!

Our district is partnering with the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) to offer students a comprehensive college and career search tool. While all students have a pre-created account, they must register it to gain access. Please take a few minutes to complete this process. Click here for a video that will guide you through the steps.

One key feature of CCGI is that students can launch their college applications directly through the portal. Seniors are highly encouraged to do so, as it minimizes errors by automatically populating their academic history. For detailed instructions, check out the following links:

• CSU Application Instructions
• UC Application Steps

If you would like to learn more about CCGI please refer to the email sent by the Counseling Department on September 20th, or by checking out their website here.

All AP tests are now on sale through the webstore and in the finance office. You must be enrolled in your course's AP Classroom to purchase a test. The cost is $99 per exam. Affidavit forms are available in the finance office to apply for a reduced fee of $15. Tests are on sale until Nov. 3rd. After this date there will be a late fee of an additional $40 per exam. The exams will be held at GHS in May.

Will your student be taking the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or AP Exams this school year? Students with disabilities may apply for accommodations on these exams but they need to plan ahead! Documentation must be submitted to our SSD Coordinator seven weeks before the registration deadline. Click here for more information.

The PSAT will be offered at GHS on Oct. 29th, 2024. Register in the finance office or webstore now through October 15th. There will be no exceptions after this date! Eleventh graders may register now and sophomores may register starting Oct. 7th. The cost is $18 but limited fee waivers are available in the counseling office for students with financial need. The PSAT is an opportunity to practice for the SAT exam. Eleventh graders who score exceptionally well may also earn honors and scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program. The SAT exam is no longer used for admission purposes by the California State Universities or University of California campuses. However, there are some other universities and major programs that still require the SAT/ACT exam or have a test-optional policy, meaning a high score could add value to a student's application.

Mrs. Otero will be taking students on a fieldtrip to CSU San Marcos on Oct. 28th! Join us to explore the CSUSM campus and get excited about college! Tenth & Eleventh graders who are first generation college students, AVID students, or qualify for free/reduced lunch may attend. Please see Mrs. Otero in the counseling office (room 159) for a permission slip asap! We must receive your permission slip by Oct. 18th, but space is limited and may fill up sooner!

Students are encouraged to listen for announcements in the bulletin and sign up here to attend College Visits with admissions representatives in the College and Career Center at GHS!

UCLA: October 7th, period 2

Univ. of Southern CA: October 8th, period 1

SDSU: October 9th, period 2

Azuza Pacific University: October 15th, period 1

Sonoma State University: October 17th, period 5

Northern Arizona University: October 18th, period 3

University of San Diego: October 21st, period 3

Whittier College: October 25th, period 6

A group of GHS students recently took a fieldtrip to San Diego State University and Point Loma Nazarene University. Mrs. Otero, Mrs. Porfirio, and Mrs. Aguila accompanied students as they had the opportunity to tour the campuses and learn all about the great programs offered by these universities!

The GHS Counselors have been enjoying our meetings with our seniors about plans after high school and we're continuing to call students into the office this week. Our goal is to make sure our seniors have all the information/tools they need to meet their goals. We encourage students and families to review what we discussed and go over the handouts we provided. Students are encouraged to check their student email accounts regularly so they don't miss any follow-up email messages!

The CSU, UC, and Common Applications are all open! Come in and work on your application with counselors here to help you! Bring your chrome book on Tuesdays during 6th & 7th period from October 1st through November 19th.

Check out this video from College Essay Guy. He's read more than 10,000 college essays. Ethan Sawyer shares with you the top 10 things he has learned from both reading and working with students on them, including some practical advice if you’re writing your own personal statement.

It’s important to stay organized when applying to college to ensure you complete each application by the school’s deadline. By using Get Schooled’s free college application requirements tracker, you can organize important information and to-dos for each application in one central location to submit them with confidence and peace of mind. This tracker is available on both Google Docs and Google Sheets– just click either to make your own copy and start getting organized!

The University of California application must be submitted by December 2nd! It's time to start preparing your responses to the Personal Insight Questions! Students, this is your opportunity to let the UC admissions representatives get to know the real you. Think of it like an interview rather than an English essay. You will need to respond in your own voice, with a maximum of 350 words, to each of four out of eight prompts. You should write your responses in a separate document, take time to proofread, revise, ask someone else for feedback, and then paste the final draft into the application. Here are some great resources to help!

UC Website: Personal Insight Questions

University of California PIQ Worksheet

College Essay Guy University of California Resources

Seniors who are applying to private or out-of-state universities may need to take the ACT or SAT exam ASAP. Check the prospective university's website to find out if the college is test-blind or test-optional. Register for the ACT at www.act.org and/or register for the SAT at www.collegeboard.com. Fee waivers are available in the counseling office for students with financial need. CSU schools, UC campuses, and community colleges do not use the SAT or ACT for admissions purposes but they can be used for placement purposes.

Students who need to request a letter of recommendation from their counselor for colleges or scholarships must complete a brag packet. Click here to download a copy and return it to your counselor. Please allow three weeks notice and keep in mind that counselors do not work during holiday breaks. Letters will be sent directly to the college or scholarship committee. To request a letter of recommendation from a teacher, we have a different form that you may find helpful (optional-click here). Please give your teachers plenty of notice, too.