Juniors & families,

This is our LAST Junior Newsletter for the year. We hope that the information has helped you with your post-secondary planning. With just a few weeks left, we would love to see you before you go for the summer and hopefully you can join us for our SENIOR SUMMER BOOTCAMP!

We will send a summer edition of our 9-12 newsletter early August and will start the school year with a weekly SENIOR newsletter to get you started on the right foot!

Best,

BHS Counseling Office

(585) 242-5000 x4526

https://www.bcsd.org/domain/122

• Resume in Naviance
• Junior Reflection in Naviance
• Pink Sheets out to your adult mentors
• Green Letter of Rec Requests to 2-3 teachers
• Link to Parent Brag Sheet given to your parents/guardians

•Think of 2 teachers who know you best (typically from junior year)

•Fill out the BHS LETTER OF REC REQUEST FORM (grab some in the counseling office)

•Talk to your teacher in person ASAP and give them the request form

•You will follow up with the teachers in the fall with a request through Naviance

Let us know if you have any questions!

Parents- we need your help too! You know your kids best, and we truly value your thoughts and insight on your children. Please take a few minutes to share something about your child to be used as part of our letter of recommendation. We would greatly appreciate your feedback by July 1st so we may start writing our letters this summer.

https://forms.office.com/r/ZGweeuiGpr

Counselors will write a letter of recommendation for each of their students. While teacher letters of rec will focus on your academic progress and capabilities; counselor letters are much more holistic. We talk about you in the community, your strengths of character, your passions, hobbies, future goals, etc. In order to paint the best picture, we need your help!

• Please give a Pink Sheet to 3 adults in your life. These could be teachers, club advisors, coaches, employers, etc. Anyone who can speak to a different side of you!
• Once you've provided a Pink Sheet (or the electronic link) to that adult, you are done! They will complete the evaluation and return it to us via paper or electronic submission.

Pink Sheets can be found in the Counseling Office OR you can share the electronic link:

https://forms.office.com/r/ScRFk2UXTM

We hope you can join us for our SENIOR PARENT NIGHT SERIES this fall! Both sessions will start at 6:30pm in the BHS Auditorium. More details to come later this summer:

September 12th

SENIOR PARENT NIGHT PART 1- THE BHS COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS

October 10th

SENIOR PARENT NIGHT PART 2- FINANCIAL AID 101

We will once again be offering Instant Decision days this fall with phenomenal institutions!

We have some lined up already, but certainly more to come soon!

Seniors will have the chance to meet with an admissions representative and receive instant feedback on their application- most students will be informed of their admissions decision that day! **Remember this is NOT binding- you still have time to weigh out your options.

This is SUCH a great opportunity to learn more about what the college has to offer you and get some early feedback...and hopefully an acceptance!

Registration is not open yet, but below are the general instructions/what to expect:

1. Sign up for your 15 min admissions appointment with any of the institutions you are interested in.
2. It is recommended that you submit your college application at least 1 week prior to the instant decision date. If that doesn't work out, it's ok! But, you will need to submit the application eventually.
3. We will provide the institution with your transcript.
4. Please encourage teacher(s) to upload letter(s) of recommendation to Naviance at least one week prior to instant decision date.
5. An admissions counselor will review your materials and could provide an admissions decision and estimate of your scholarship package that night! (some colleges may require a few additional days to process materials)
6. Please note- Geneseo is an ADMISSIONS INTERVIEW ONLY. This will be used as part of your application to be reviewed later. No decision will be made that this time. If interested in Geneseo, we highly recommend taking advantage of this.

A few recommendations:

• Show up a few minutes early- you don’t want to be late!
• Wear appropriate attire- no need to dress up, but please look presentable. This is YOUR opportunity to show them who you are other than a name on a piece of paper!
• Come prepared with questions about the school- we are happy to help you with this.

If you have any questions about these opportunities, please contact Mrs. Stern!

Summer break is the perfect time for high schoolers to explore a bright future in business. Pursuing career goals early can boost young people's confidence and independence, which are essential for personal development and business success. If you know a high schooler ready to tap into their entrepreneurial potential, we invite them to join us for our BusinessReady Summer Series this July!

BusinessReady Summer Workshop Series

July 15 - 18, 2024

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

This four-day summer workshop series explores in-demand business topics and career paths while getting high school students ready to master resume writing, personal branding, networking, and more. During each four-hour session, students will work with Golisano Institute instructors to begin laying a foundation for their future in business, from accounting and finance to sales and entrepreneurship.

Registration and cost

If you’re a student, you may register for the workshop series yourself with permission from a parent or guardian, whose contact information must be provided. Parents and guardians of students may register on their behalf.

The cost is $50 per session OR $175 for the series of 4 workshops.

Register Now: https://golisanoinstitute.org/businessready/

I’m excited to offer this new BusinessReady Summer Series to high schoolers. This will surely be an enriching experience that’ll get your students ready for a successful future in business. I welcome your questions at kcardamone@golisanoinstitute.org.

Warmly,

Kristina Cardamone

Associate Director of Admissions & Financial Aid | Youth Programming Lead

Both BHS and our friends in the community are offering opportunities to help you be best prepared for senior year.

College & Career Bootcamp with Mrs. Stern!

Join BHS College & Career Counselor this summer for one or more of these great, FREE, sessions! See poster for details.

BCSD Continuing Education

• College Essay Writing
• SAT/ACT prep

Sign up today!

Camp College Prep

Camp College Prep combines SAT/ACT preparation, one-on-one college counseling, college essay writing, and the creation of a personal timetable to help high school students better understand and better prepare for the highly competitive college admissions process.

$325/per session

Further information can be found at www.campcollegeprep.com

Regardless of your plans for life after high school, money will most certainly be a factor. Sallie Mae just shared some very valuable information with us and we wanted to pass it along. Please see their suggested "Senior Timeline" and other resources to help you plan for the costs of further education.

Students can choose to apply for scholarships to help offset post-secondary program costs. Many of the scholarships are for seniors, and are typically due in the spring, but the earlier you can get a jump on this the better! Unfortunately it just takes time to sort through and find the right ones to apply to. So, if you have some free time this summer start searching, bookmark the ones that you qualify for, and then you have them ready to apply to in the spring.

There are 3 main types of scholarship searches:

1- Local and Regional

These are scholarships that are only offered to students in our area. We have some that are specific to BHS students only, or ones that have other criteria like living in Rochester or coming from a certain background/heritage. We update our local scholarship opportunities in Naviance as they come in, so check often.

2- National Scholarships

Under the Colleges tab in Naviance, the scholarship search feature provides students with a search engine for local, regional and national scholarships. Some of the national scholarships may be larger than the local ones, but remember, you are up against a national pool. But, there are scholarships out there for everyone! They are not all based on academic qualities- there are some for students who are left-handed, or those who want to make a prom dress out of duct tape! You can find something for everyone!

3- School Specific

This is where you have the potential to get the most money. This is particularly true if you are applying to some of the "safety" schools where your GPA, SAT/ACT or other criteria puts you above the average accepted.

Some colleges consider students for school-based scholarships automatically through the college application; other colleges have additional scholarship applications. Always check the financial aid website for each prospective college to determine their scholarship process and deadlines. Keep in mind that some colleges set earlier application deadlines for students who want to be considered for school-based scholarships.

Please visit the Scholarship & Financial Aid page on the Brighton High School Counseling website for an extensive list of other websites to help with the scholarship search. https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2087

We covered quite a bit in our 5 sessions together. Copies of all Junior Seminar packets can be found here on our BHS Counseling website:

https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2068

All students are encouraged to schedule a 1:1 meeting with their counselor to discuss their future goals. Junior Seminar covers a lot of general information, so we want to be sure we can personalize it to your journey. We hope to see you this spring or over the summer! You can schedule an appointment using our Calendly links: https://www.bcsd.org/domain/122

No matter where your journey may be taking you after HS, we have some tips and timelines to keep you on the right track this spring.

Spring

• Begin compiling a list of potential post secondary options. Feel free to schedule an appointment with your counselor for support.
• Have honest family conversations about your options- consider locations, financial impact, academic reach/match/safety, etc.
• VISIT & RESEARCH each of your options.
• If thinking of college, sign up to take the SAT and/or ACT in May/June.
• Talk with family, friends, counselors and teachers- they have a wealth of experiences to tap into.
• Schedule guided tours to make the most of your college/program visit. Getting a feel for the environment is an essential piece of the puzzle.
• Don’t be afraid to call admissions or job offices with any questions.
• Find alumni in the area- they are often willing to engage in conversations with you about their thoughts and experiences.
• Use social networking to your advantage (appropriately). Check out what students are doing on campus.
• Make plans for your summer- do you want/have a job? Internship? Camps? College programs? Career exploration?
• NCAA Eligibility? Make sure you double check with your counselor to ensure your senior year classes are NCAA approved if you are planning to play a D I or II sport in college and complete
• HELP US HELP YOU- complete your resume & Junior Survey in Naviance

Summer

• Continue to research your options, visit campuses/places of employment and speak with recruiters.
• Write your college essay- Brighton Continuing Ed. offers a class to help you get this done in one week!
• Possibly retake ACT (July) or SAT (August)
• Continue your work on the Common App - it doesn't take long to enter your demographic info, and that's most of the application!
• Attend Senior Summer Bootcamp- Mrs. Stern will host hours over the summer.
• Narrow down your options- we will quickly jump into the application/planning process in the fall.
• HAVE FUN!! This is your last summer as a HS student. Make sure to leave time for friends, family, etc!

If you are thinking about attending a four year college, we encourage you to use the Common Application to apply- one application for over 900 colleges across the US.

Here's what you need to know about the Common Application: https://www.commonapp.org/

There are 7 main sections of the Common Application. The information you share in these sections will be sent to all colleges you apply to using this application.

Much of the Common Application is information you already have! Other than the last two sections, it really shouldn't take much time at all to complete the majority of the application. The main sections are:

1- Profile- your name, address, phone number, etc.

2- Family- colleges want to know more about who you live with, what your parents do for a living, their education level and any siblings you may have.

3- Education- you will share where you have gone/currently attend HS, your GPA (as of the end of Junior year) and a list of your senior year courses so colleges can learn more about you as a student.

4- Testing- did you take the SAT and/or ACT? If you are opting to self-report your scores, you will do that here.

5- Activities- here you will list up to 10 of your most important extracurricular activities. College reps want to get a sense of who you are outside of the classroom, what is most important to you/your values, and what you will bring to the campus life.

6- Writing- you will write an essay, up to 650 words, based on one of the seven essay prompts given. This is your chance to bring your application to life and share more about who you really are at your core. A list of the essay prompts can be found here: https://www.commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts

7- Courses & Grades (optional for most schools)- if required, you will need to self-report your transcript. Otherwise, we will send an official copy of your transcript to each school.

Common App has a great "First Year Application Guide" that can help you prepare and organize the information you will need to complete the application. If you wanted to start your Common App now, you can create an account to start entering the information you already have. It never hurts to get a head start! https://www.commonapp.org/apply/first-time-students

The biggest piece/most time consuming of all is the personal essay. It can be really difficult to reflect on yourself and try to condense who you are into 650 words. We are definitely here to help you! All BHS counselors can review your essays or help you brainstorm what to write. Brighton Community Education also offers an essay writing course over the summer- see details below.

In addition to the main sections of the common application, many schools have a supplemental section that you will have to complete. A college may want to know more about what you plan to study there, see if you have any family who are alumni or ask that you write an additional essay...or three...specific to that school.

If you decide not to use the Common Application, many school specific applications are very similar in the information they are asking of you. Again, we are here to help you navigate all of the parts and pieces of any applications you may need to complete.

See your counselor or Mrs. Stern for help getting started!

Many colleges are swinging back to requiring SAT or ACT exams. Even if a school is test optional, it's a good idea to take one or both exams to have them if needed.

Check out our SAT/ACT page on the BHS Counseling Website for more info on the exams and prep opportunities.

Email: courtney_stern@bcsd.org
Website: https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2063
Location: 1150 South Winton Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: (585) 242-5000