Each winter the School Counseling Department holds an informational meeting for students in the junior year and their parents/guardians. Topics include searching for colleges, letters of recommendation, SAT/ACT, and more. A panel of Admissions Counselors break down the college process and provide useful insight the college process. We hope you can join us in the Media Center from 5:30-7. This is event will be recorded for viewing at a later time but will not be live streamed.

Seniors, please share your exciting news with us. Be sure to share your acceptances with Mrs. Shillan who organizes the college acceptance scroll and the announcements. Be sure to update Naviance with your acceptance and if and when you make a final decision. kshillan@drregional.org

Please make sure you ackowledge your teachers, counselors, and coaches who wrote you a letter of recomendation. This is not part of their job requirement and it is something that takes time and care. A small token of gratitude like a card with a special note or small token of appreciation can go a long way. Don't forget to stop by their classroom to let them know about your acceptances and thanking them for their assistance.

March 11th SAT is here at DR and the registration deadline is 2/10

Next ACT Test Date is April 15th

Not all colleges require standardized testing (SAT/ACT) so please check the college website or www.fairtest.org

For the link to SAT testing, please visit www.collegeboard.com or click on photo to the left.

You will see terms:

• Test blind- will not look at test scores
• Test optional- student choice to submit scores. *Some majors within the colleges might require testing.
• Required- the student will need to take the SAT/ACT and submit scores
  

Below are a list of financial aid opportunities as you navigate decisions about costs.

We are coming up on DEADLINES. SEE YOU YOUR SCHOOL'S FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE

Some Colleges and Universities also require, in addition to the Fafsa, the CSS Profile

Participating Schools are here

CSS Profile HERE

The FAFSA and CSS Profile both became available on October 1st. Please visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete the free application for student aid. Students will not be eligible for any financial aid without completing the FAFSA.

How to complete the CSS Profile

The CSS Profile is a financial aid application required by roughly 200 colleges and universities in the country. We get lots of questions about it, so we pulled together a list of helpful tips. It includes guidance on creating an account, reporting retirement, estimating home value, etc. Get the tips

Saving money on college expenses

Have a child planning to attend college in the Commonwealth? There are several programs that can help students lower their costs and complete their degree on time. Review the resources below to learn more about the options available.

• Paying for College in MA breaks down the programs designed to help make higher education a reality for students and families across the Commonwealth
• What to Know About Massachusetts Community Colleges provides the location, degrees available, services and activities, and more for each of the 15 community colleges spread throughout Massachusetts
• The MEFA Podcast: MassTransfer explains how MassTransfer guarantees transfer admission from an associate to a bachelor's degree program and features an interview with a current college student taking advantage of the program
  
• The Facts on MassTransfer explains how the MassTransfer program can make a bachelor's degree more affordable

The path from community college to a 4-year school

Have you heard of the New England Transfer Guarantee? The program provides transfer pathways between community colleges and four-year independent colleges in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Learn more about this program, including how it’s expanding and who is eligible to participate, in our detailed blog post. View the post Here is the Massachusetts A2B program.

Register for a webinar

It’s financial aid season. And we have several blog posts that can help you navigate the applications while learning more about the process. Click on each resource below to get our guidance.

• What You Need to Complete Your Financial Aid Applications
• Reporting Income on Financial Aid Applications
• Defining Assets on Financial Aid Applications
• Filing Financial Aid Forms with Divorced or Separated Parents (podcast episode)

All of our local scholarships can be found in Naviance.

Pink sheets should only be used if you are picking up a hard copy of your transcript.

1. Login to Naviance

2. Click on Colleges tab at the top

3. Click Scholarship Search under Scholarships Tab

4. Scroll through the Scholarship list

5. Most scholarships direct you to an online application

6. If it says pick up in guidance, see Kathy Shillan

7. If the scholarship requires a transcript, follow these steps:

• Go to colleges tab, click on MANAGE TRANSCRIPTS
• Under transcripts, click on Other Transcripts
• Click on Scholarships
• Click Mid Year Transcript
• Fill in the information for the Scholarship, including address to where it should be sent
• VERY IMPORTANT - in the NOTES section, identify whether it should be mailed, or emailed and if you need any other materials sent.

There is no Door to Door (still) so, the requirement for receipt of the scholarships will be the same as last year- to write a paragraph as described on the website:

A brief paragraph will be required to be submitted by the student describing how they have contributed to helping the people in our communities through either organized activities or their own volunteer efforts. This is contained in the scholarship application.

Students can also access National Scholarships on FASTWEB

More scholarships

https://studentscholarships.org/

Citizen's Scholarship Foundation, our local scholarship organization will be forwarding applications and guidelines in the spring. Please visit their site for information.

Want to make math one of your languages? Want to feel confident with numbers? Want to be a math geek? Come to Math Tutoring……offered by Ms. Chang

When: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays……

2:00PM to 2:45PM

Where: Media Center

Come with your classwork….Come with your homework….Or come with the topic you want to master….

Math is not a subject; it is a language.

See your guidance counselor if you are in need of a tutor.

Juniors and Seniors can attend college visits and have their absences excused. See the form below to fill out prior to your visit. We encourage all students to visit the campus before applying.

Make sure to register on NCAA if you are planning to play division 1 or II sports. You will also need to request a transcript to be sent. www.ncaa.org or click here

This month each grade completed tasks related to their future goals on Naviance. See below for grade level curriculum for guidance.

As you research careers, consider the rankings of best jobs!

1. Software Developer
2. Nurse Practitioner
3. Medical and Health Services Manager
4. Physician Assistant
5. Information Security Analyst

Best Technology Jobs

1. Software Developer
2. Information Security Analyst
3. IT Manager
4. Web Developer
5. Computer Systems Analyst

Best Health Care Jobs

1. Nurse Practitioner
2. Physician Assistant
3. Physical Therapist
4. Dentist
5. Veterinarian

Best Business Jobs

1. Medical and Health Services Manager
2. Financial Manager
3. Market Research Analyst
4. Logistician
5. Management Analyst

AVIV - Equine Animal Based Therapy or traditional therapy. Various insurances Accepted.
Contact@AVIV.life
Phone: (774) 231-8008
https://www.aviv.life

CCBC, Taunton, MA

https://www.comcounseling.org/

We can't stress enough how important it is to check your emails. We will be emailing out important information to all grades so please get into the habit of checking your school email account.

Guidance Remind App Codes by Grade:

DR 2023 A-L, @dr2023 DR 2023 M-Z@drrhs2023

DR 2024 A-L, @dr2024 DR 2024 M-Z, @drrhs2024

DR 2025 A - L, @drrhs2025, DR 2025 M - Z @dr2025

DR 2026 A-L, @dr2026, DR 2026 M-Z, @drrhs2026

Guidance Google Classroom Code MXVGBKP - students can sign up for google classroom

Aspen Grading Portal

Naviance Platform

All students should be using the Naviance platform for college and career planning.

Students have their own unique login and password that they can share with their parents. Please use your school email and log your password somewhere you can remember it. To access Naviance Student Login Click the Naviance icon above or click HERE

We will be happy to set up an appointment once we hear from you.

Emergencies, just have your teachers call us

Please see below for how to connect with us

lmaidment@drregional.org x5611

jpayne@drregional.org x5608

jtremblett@drregional.org x5610

Secretary, Mrs. Kathy Shillan 508-252-5050 x5605