RIH Financial Aid Workshop: October 24th
Mr. Kimber Decker from the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority presented to RIH parents on Thursday, October 24th on the FAFSA and Financial Aid Process. The Zoom session was recorded for reference purposes. The recording of the presentation and supplemental materials can be found here: RIH Class of 2025 College Planning
The FAFSA has revised and is anticipated to be released in early December 2024. Parents / guardians of the Class of 2025 Seniors are to complete the FAFSA for the 2025-2026 school year, paralleling the first year of college.
- Every contributor—anyone (student, the student's spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent's spouse) will need an FSA ID to access and complete their section of the online form.
- All contributors must provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly into the student's FAFSA form via direct data exchange with the IRS. If any contributor doesn't provide consent and approval, submission of the FAFSA form will still be allowed. However, a Student Aid Index, which replaces the Expected Family Contribution, will not be calculated and the student won't be eligible for federal student aid.
- Students will be able to list up to 20 colleges on their online FAFSA form and 10 colleges on the FAFSA PDF.
- Users can start or access the FAFSA form by visiting StudentAid.gov and logging in, where they'll see the link to the FAFSA form on their Dashboard.
Follow up workshops for the parents/ guardians are being offered at Ramapo and Indian Hills. Registration must occur in advance:
RHS Class of 2025 FAFSA Workshop: December 4th
IHHS Class of 2025 FAFSA Workshop: December 11th
Mr. Decker will be available during these sessions to assist parents/ guardians in completion of the FAFSA. Please review correspondence on what materials will be needed.
RIH Instant Decision Day Opportunities
The RIH Guidance Departments will facilitate Instant Decision Day opportunities beginning in November. Information regarding registration has been provided through Schoology, Instagram and Naviance eblasts for Seniors within the Class of 2025.
Students must register to participate so eligibility requirements can be confirmed:
IHHS Class of 2025 Instant Decision Days
RHS Class of 2025 Instant Decision Days
In preparation for this conference with the respective Admissions Counselors, Senior students are expected to meet the IDD criteria and have applied to the respective university. Instant Decision Days are not binding. They are an opportunity for a student to meet with an Admissions Counselor, gain insight on the school and interview experience as part of the college application process. After an estimated 20 minute conversation, the College will provide a decision potentially inclusive of scholarship consideration.
Student registration and participation is considered when colleges offering IDD are willing to schedule time at the respective high schools.
Class of 2026: College Information Night
The RIH Guidance Departments will present to Class of 2026 students and their parents/guardians on preparing for the college process. Topics to be discussed include the use of Naviance, essential pieces of the college process, role of the NCAA, standardized testing, and academic scheduling. The PowerPoint presented and other supporting materials will be accessible here: RIH Guidance Class of 2026 College Planning.
The presentations will be held via Zoom. Registration is required:
November 12th: IHHS Class of 2026: Zoom Registration
November 14th: RHS Class of 2026: Zoom Registration
As a follow up to this general presentation, School Counselors will schedule individual college conferences with juniors and parents/ guardians. This conference will focus on solidifying a prospective college list, confirming a testing plan and forming a "to do" list specific to the individual student.
We are looking forward to working with the students in the Class of 2026 and their families on this exciting journey!
RIH Guidance: School Wide Act of Service
The RIH Guidance departments will be partnering with Student Government in both buildings to support the annual Families for Families Warming the Homeless event.
This special event includes the organization and donation of items in critical need of those who are homeless. Items needed for donation include:
Baby Wipes
Feminine products
Handwarmers
New socks, hats and gloves
Non-perishable food (granola bars, peanut butter, packets of tuna, cereal bars, fruit cups, fruit bars)
Travel sized toiletries (soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo)
Winter Coats / Jackets
All donations can be brought to the Guidance Offices. The collection begins on Monday, November 4th through Friday, November 22nd.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Thanksgiving lunch, please contact Families for Families directly.
College Visits: Fall Wrap Up
Hosting School Counselors take notes which are made available to those students unable to attend the information session. Notes were made available here: RIH Guidance College Visits 2024
Nov Career Speaker: Criminal Justice / Careers in the Judiciary
Students of all grade levels are invited to attend a presentation given by Leslie E. Darcy as the Criminal Division Manager in the Superior Court of New Jersey at the Bergen County Justice Center. Mrs. Darcy will be presenting at Indian Hills High School on Wednesday, November 20th and at Ramapo High School on Thursday, November 21st during 5th period.
Ms. Darcy is an Indian Hills High School alum and has held the position of Criminal Division Manager for Bergen County for over 9 years. She oversees the Division which consists of 9 Judges and approximately 100 staff members. The focus of this presentation is Careers in the Judiciary (including Criminal, Family, Civil, and Probation) / Education and the division’s Paid Internship Opportunities for college students (during the school year if they attend college locally and during the summers).
Careers within the Judiciary range from court clerks to Probation Officers, Admin Specialists, Court Services Officers, and Management positions. Some are Civil Service positions and others are direct hires. The internship programs with the Criminal Division are on the Trial side and the Pretrial side. Interns will get hands-on experience in various units and will have the opportunity to observe court events and be exposed to the various Divisions within the Courthouse.
Registration in the Guidance Offices.
RIH Dual Enrollment Opportunities
RIH Students have the ability to earn college credits while simultaneously fulfilling high school requirements. Students experience an enhanced and challenging level of learning. College credits are generally transferable to most NJ colleges/universities (www.nitransfer.org) and many post-secondary institutions out-of-state. College courses are offered at a significantly reduced rate of tuition in a substantial financial savings towards college education.
The courses have been approved by the RIH Board of Education and the sponsoring college. The participating colleges in Bergen Community College, Centenary University, Fairleigh Dickinson, Ramapo College, Quinnipiac University and Syracuse Project Advance.
Dual enrollment will be shared with student in applicable courses. If you or your student have questions, please contact the respective Subject Supervisor.
PSAT Release: Coming Soon!
The PSAT score reports will be available between November 7th and November 14th. Junior Students will receive an email notifying them when their scores are available. The email will have an access code that will connect the student to their scores online.
There are 2 options for accessing your scores:
Access the BigFuture School mobile app if the student provided your mobile number on test day.
The Guidance Office will have access to the PDF files of your score report. Your School Counselor will distribute these scores to you.
As always, students age 13 and older may use a personal College Board student account to view additional insights online. If a student has not yet set up an account, then they will be asked to set up a free College Board account before they can view the scores.
The PSAT serves as a baseline test to explore areas of strength and areas to further review in preparation for the SAT. Junior students who took the PSAT are also reviewed for the National Merit Scholarship eligibility. The PSAT is administered annually in October. Here is a great guide to interpreting the scores: Understanding your PSAT/ NMSQT Scores
The PSAT will be administered the Class of 2027 in March 2025.