Welcome to Issue #3 of the Harriton Counseling Newsletter! Here you will find important information about all things related to counseling: course selection, college & career planning, wellness, & more.

Our specialists are available to talk with you about yourself and others you care about.

This following link contains a description to every event that the Student Services Team will hold this year. We will also post videos and/or slide decks for all of our programs. Links for the virtual programs will be sent prior to the event.

Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors: your teachers will make course recommendations in January, which will inform your 1:1 with your school counselor. Look for an email with your counselor appointment day and time - and put a reminder in your phone!

Our Mid-Year experience week will be January 21-24 and will include culminating projects and traditional exams. Should you need any help reviewing materials, we recommend utilizing tutorial resources through the Learning Center or request a Peer Tutor. See the link above under "All Students" to request a tutor through the National Honor Society.

Your PE classes and electives will change - be sure to check your schedules and new classrooms before Monday, Jan. 27.

Amount Awarded: The amount varies based on need

Deadline: February 21, 2025

Application Procedure: Application available sometime by mid-November. For more information go to: Financial Assistance to Graduates of the Lower Merion Public High Schools (lmtsf.org)

Description: To be eligible, a student must graduate from Harriton High School or Lower Merion High School; must have resided in the Township and attended a Lower Merion School District high school for at least four years; and must be attending an accredited college, university, or trade or vocational school on a full-time basis. Applications are accepted between November and February.

Amounts Awarded: 3 @ $1,000, and 1@ $1,500

Deadline: February 3, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST

Application Procedure: Students may apply at: https://www.pacac.org/scholarship

Description: PACAC Scholarships are for high school seniors graduating from PACAC member high schools (we are a member high school). This scholarship is intended to support a student's goal of continuing their education. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrate financial need, and have a desire to continue their education post high school.

We will email you about how to request your mid-year grade reports in January.

What you need to know about requesting mid-year grade reports:

• Mid-year grades are a more standard requirement for Regular Decision college admission plans and are handled at the end of the semester in mid-January.
• Reports will be available by request in early February.
• These grades must be requested in the same manner as the first marking period snapshot.
• We do not send mid-year grades automatically, you must request them.

Wednesday, January 22

7:00 - 8:30 PM

Morning information will be shared as we get closer to the date.

If you choose to send SAT or ACT test scores, most colleges will require you to submit official scores. Log in to your College Board or ACT account and click "Send my test scores" and follow the instructions. You may also self-report your test scores on the Common Application. Again, check the respective admissions requirements for your colleges to see if they require "official test score reports". We do not send your test scores.

Applying to multiple colleges can be expensive. Many schools will waive your application fee if you simply ask! Be sure to check out the "How to Apply" page of each college before submitting your application fee or email your admissions representative and request a waiver. Some schools will offer Free Application Weeks and waive the fee for all students during specific times. For example: Penn State Abington waives the fees for students that register and attend an admissions visit! More information can be found HERE

• Explore colleges and careers in Naviance
• Prepare and plan for the SAT or ACT - see registration links below
• Schedule a student/parent conference with your school counselor (see reminder button below)
• Take time to visit colleges virtually and in person by registering online with each college's admission website and/or social media pages - this is an excused absence
• Begin to build your "Colleges I'm Thinking About List" in Naviance
• Become familiar with the Common App essay prompts

Military service has long been a path for social and economic mobility for thousands of young American men and women. Service is both a way to see the world and to learn valuable skills that can be transferred into civilian life. The responsibility, focus, and discipline taught by a military experience can benefit you for life.

If you would like to know more about military service, including attending service academies, follow this link and click on Planning for Military Service, and this link for Service Academy information only.

Special Interests Night - Select-A-Session

Tuesday, February 25

7:00 - 8:30 PM

This is a virtual event. Families will have the opportunity to attend two live sessions in the following areas: Taking a Gap Year, College Planning for Students that Learn Differently, Studying Internationally, and Athletics in College (NCAA). All presentations will be recorded and available on the LMSD Counseling Programming website within two weeks after the program. More information will be shared as we get closer to the date.

The 7th Annual Greater Atlanta Historically Black College and University (HBCU) College Fair is scheduled for Saturday, February 1, 2025.

Local high school juniors and seniors may register for the fair by visiting the official program website at https://fair.hbcucf.org/2025

The Association for Pre-College Program Directors has an extensive list of colleges with summer programs. To see the list, go to https://www.precollegeassociation.org/membership, and click on the Current Membership drop-down arrow to see the list of member colleges and their summer program. For additional summer programs, including Governor's schools (Juniors only), click on this link:

The Lower Merion School District participates in programs that offer vocational-technical courses at the Central Montco Technical High School School. Courses are scheduled for a half-day—Harriton participates in the AM programs. If CMTHS is something you would like to consider for the 2025-2026 school year, follow this link for more information.

Save the date: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 - 7:00 PM.

This is event for 9th graders and their families. Now that you are well on your way, lets discuss plans for the next few years. It's time to plan for the future! This is a virtual event: a separate announcement will be sent closer to the event.

Continuing our journey in the Self-Discovery section of Naviance, we recommend using AchieveWorks Personality®!

AchieveWorks Personality® helps you identify your personality type by asking you to choose scenarios that best represent how you behave in real life.

This tool will reveal your true personality and provide tips to achieve success, in a way that works for you.

Naviance can be found on your Classlink page. Once you are logged in, Self-Discovery is at the top of the home page.