Guidance Dept February Newsletter
COURSE SELECTION 2025-26
ONLINE COURSE SELECTION FOR GRADES 9-11
Students will be able to enter their course selections for next school year using PowerSchool between Friday, January 31 at 3:00 p.m. - February 14th at 8:00 p.m. Course Scheduling at Natick High is not a 'first come, first served' process. Rather, it is about having accurate data entered into PowerSchool. Students should use their computers to enter their course requests in PowerSchool; the process does not work on a mobile device. The system does not allow students to partially enter requests, so students should plan on entering all of their requests at one time. All students are asked to consider their extracurricular/enrichment activities and responsibilities, in order to review their commitments holistically for the coming year, and select a balanced program of study.
The Guidance Counselors are presenting Course Selection details to Sophomores during CDS on Wednesday, January 29th and to Freshmen on Thursday, January 30th, during CDS in the Auditorium.
Counselors will be reviewing all students’ course selections, and will be meeting individually with students in mid/late February to discuss their selections. Counselors will meet with ninth graders during their Global Awareness classes, and with tenth graders during their Chemistry classes. We will meet with 11th graders in Junior Guidance Seminar.
Directions and resources for the course selection process are posted on the Guidance website here.
The Guidance Counselors are presenting Course Selection details to Freshmen on Thursday, January 30th, during CDS in the Auditorium. Counselors will be reviewing all students’ course selections, and will be meeting individually with students in mid/late February to discuss their selections. Counselors will meet with ninth graders during their Global Awareness classes,
PreACT: SAVE THE DATE! PRE-ACT REGISTRATION IS LIVE!
Attention sophomores - NHS is hosting the pre-ACT test on Saturday, March 29th. The test runs approximately from 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Please sign up on the google form and bring a check for $35 made out to “NHS Testing” or cash to the Guidance office and give it to Ms. White or Ms. Slattery by Friday, February 7th. If you have testing accommodations, please indicate your accommodation on the google form. If you have any questions please contact - Ms. Erving at serving@natickps.org.
The PreACT is a practice ACT test, which is a college admission test comparable to the PSAT, for Sophomores. This helps students get comfortable with the standardized testing experience and understand how they are doing in core subjects. Students will receive a personalized view of college and career possibilities - based on your answers to the ACT Interest Inventory, this can also help you start thinking about potential career paths.
For more information about practice tools and resources, click here.
Guidance Counselors will be meeting with you the week after February Vacation to make sure you’re all set with entering your schedule into Naviance for next year.
JUNIOR PARENT COLLEGE PLANNING PROGRAM:
Guidance Counselors released a collection of short recorded videos covering a variety of college planning topics. The presentation can be watched in full or by individual topic. If you are feeling anxious, have not begun to think about the process, have questions, want to clear up what someone else has told you, or just happen to have a child in their junior year, please watch them at your leisure!
The Guidance Department received rave reviews from past parents that this is one of the most helpful parent programs we host throughout the year.
Junior College Planning Program
GUIDANCE SEMINAR:
Juniors will begin their Junior Guidance Seminars during the CDS block starting the week of January 27th. Guidance Counselors will cover various topics including, but not limited to: SAT/ACT, college search criteria, transcripts and GPA, Naviance and its numerous features, requesting teacher recommendations, campus visits, the college essay, and the Common Application. Counselors provide students with access to a Junior Guidance Seminar Google Classroom that is full of materials and resources. We encourage students to share the classroom with their parents.
COLLEGE VISITS
February and April break can be good times to visit college campuses. Please check the colleges’ admissions websites for more information.
As juniors begin to research colleges, here are some factors to consider:
- Location
- Size
- Public vs Private
- Community
- Student Body
- Amenities
- Clubs/Activities
- Surroundings
Colleges track student visitations to colleges as well as demonstrated interest. Many college admissions counselors will offer virtual visits with them just for Natick students during the fall, as well as send representatives to college fairs, and offer local events for prospective students. We encourage you and your child to take advantage of these opportunities and attend when possible.
If you are touring a college on a school day, students should use the below form to excuse their absence. Juniors and seniors are eligible for two excused absences each semester during both their junior and senior years to visit colleges.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Guidance Department maintains an updated database of independent scholarships. To download a list of independent scholarships please CLICK HERE.
LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS 2024-2025
The local scholarship application portal will open on February 6, 2025
Information will be available on our website as well as emailed on February 5th to all Natick High School seniors about the application process. Please follow the directions carefully.
- There are scholarship opportunities for seniors going to college, into a trade, certificate programs, vocational schools, etc. (dslattery@natickps.org)
- Recipients of Local Scholarships are announced during the Senior Class Night Award Program.
For more information on scholarship opportunities please visit the NHS Guidance Department website.
ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS OF AMERICA, NATICK CHAPTER 114
The Disabled American Veterans Of America, Natick Chapter 114 continues to support students of natick high school through their scholarship program.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Graduating Senior of NHS going onto higher education or a trade.
Must have a parent, grandparent or sibling who is active military or a veteran, or a grandparent who is a member of the DAV.
The GREATER FRAMINGHAM RUNNING CLUB (GFRC) presents two College Scholarships to local high school seniors. The scholarship award for 2025 will be $500 for each recipient.
Criteria:
The scholarships will be presented to local high school runners who plan to attend either a two or four-year accredited college or university and who also intend to run cross-country, track or recreationally while in college. Applicants need to submit a brief statement describing what running means to them. This statement will accompany their coach’s supporting statement.
Eligibility:
The eligible high schools are any public high school or schools within a town that has at least five GFRC members with a family membership counting as one. The membership list as of January 1st of this year is the eligibility determinant. All seniors attending these high schools are eligible for the scholarship. For 2025, this means that the eligible high schools are Ashland, Framingham, Keefe Tech, Natick, and the Learning Center for the Deaf. In addition, all students who are members of the Greater Framingham Running Club as of January 1st of this year are eligible, regardless of their high school.
Application:
The cover letter and application will be sent to each high school scholarship point person. The application may also be downloaded here.
COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID
February 15 and March 1 are common deadlines for applying for financial aid for college. Be sure to check each college’s financial aid website for necessary information such as deadlines and required financial aid application materials. Colleges require families to submit a completed FAFSA financial aid application. The FAFSA can be accessed here.
If you have additional questions related to the FAFSA, please visit the MEFA Family Webinar Series "Understanding the FAFSA" for a detailed presentation.
The NHS Guidance website and the MEFA website are excellent resources for families in the financial aid application process.
Financial Aid and FAFSA DAY Massachusetts
FAFSA Day will take place virtually on various dates. This program assists families with the completion of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Please note there is a pre-registration for this event.
Direct links to the community service and job opportunity web pages are located on Career and College Readiness Website. Please check out the CCR bulletin board located between the gymnasium and cafeteria as it is updated regularly. Feel free to drop by Mr. Nardi’s office in the Guidance suite or schedule a time to meet with him if you have any questions. (jnardi@natickps.org)
The Career and College Readiness Center offers:
Work-Study Program
Community Service Opportunities
Dual Enrollment (at local colleges)
Job Placement & Application Assistance
Resume Writing
Interview Skills
Career Exploration
COMMUNITY SERVICE:
All NHS students are required to complete 30 hours of Community Service in order to graduate. Please visit the Community Service Website for more information and to print the Community Service Form. There are plenty of opportunities for students to participate in community service!
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT:
To learn about local employment opportunities for students, please visit the Employment Opportunities Website.