GHS Counselor Connection

Our team is here to support students and families in the Counseling & Wellness Center on the 2nd floor of the main office. Students may visit during break/lunch, or with a pass from their teachers. Caregivers should contact the counselor to schedule an appointment.

The Teen Guide to Mental Health from SDCOE includes many resources for promoting and supporting conversations on mental health, such as important crisis lines, self-care apps and other resources like Seize the Awkward and the Wellness Education Lab!

The week of October 25th is Red Ribbon Week (RRW). This is the time to engage students in critical dialogues about the importance of making positive life choices and avoiding drug and alcohol use.

The Red Ribbon Week Campaign was created to honor Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. He was a special agent who worked for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). In 1985 he was kidnapped and killed by drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico. His murder brought anger to the community and was a catalyst for the Red Ribbon Campaign.

Together in Kiki’s honor, schools and youth in communities nationwide began wearing red ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness around his killing and the destruction caused by drugs in America. With the help of our peer listeners, we will bring attention to this important topic throughout the week with bulletin announcements and lunch activities. All students are encouraged to sign the pledge to live drug free!

All AP tests are now on sale through the webstore and in the finance office. You must be enrolled in your course's AP Classroom to purchase a test. The cost is $99 per exam. Forms are available in the finance office to apply for a reduced fee. Tests are on sale until Nov. 7th. After this date there will be a late fee of an additional $40 per exam. The exams will be held at GHS in May.

Will your student be taking the SAT, ACT, or AP Exams this school year? Students with disabilities may be eligible for accommodations, but they need to plan ahead. All required documentation must be submitted to our SSD Coordinator at least seven weeks before the registration deadline for the desired exam. For more information and detailed instructions, [click here]. If you have any questions please email Mrs. Porfirio at jporfirio@guhsd.net.

Have you seen the list of student-led clubs meeting at GHS this year? Most clubs welcome new members! Watch for announcements regarding club meetings in the student bulletin. Joining a club can be a great way to make connections with other students who have similar interests, gain leadership, teamwork, and time management skills, explore passions, provide a sense of purpose, build confidence and improve well-being.

"We must stay resilient and try to change our way of life if we want to stay on the planet that has been our home for thousands of years... We should focus on the “small” actions that can still have an effect, like reducing our use of plastic, lowering the amount of power used at home, being careful with how much water we use, carpooling, utilizing renewable resources, and trying to eat more plant-based foods because they require less energy to process." Read more in this opinion piece from Grossmont's own Lara Martinez Galindo here.

The PSAT will be offered at GHS on Oct. 28th, 2025. Registration in the GHS Finance Office will be open from September 29th through October 10th, with no exceptions after this date. Priority will be given to 11th graders. The cost is $18 but limited fee waivers are available in the counseling office for students with financial need. The PSAT is an opportunity to practice for the SAT exam. Eleventh graders who score exceptionally well may also earn honors and scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program. The SAT exam is no longer used for admission purposes by the California State Universities or University of California campuses. However, there are some other universities and major programs that still require the SAT/ACT exam or have a test-optional policy, meaning a high score could add value to a student's application.

Click here for info on lots of great opportunities to participate in college fairs and workshops, offered in person or virtually! This list is updated throughout the school year, so be sure to check back often on the counseling website. Click here for an interesting article about how demonstrating interest in a college may help a student's chances for admission.

Students are encouraged to listen for announcements in the bulletin and sign up here to attend College Visits with admissions representatives in the College and Career Center at GHS!

• Pima Medical Institute - Wednesday, October 22nd during 4th period.
• USD - Wednesday, October 29th during 5th period.
• UCSB - Thursday, October 30th during 6th period.
• SDSU - Friday, November 7th during 2nd period.

New! Released September 30th — A full-length online practice test has just been added on the ACT Online Sample Questions page. This test incorporates the recent enhancements made to the ACT and is freely available for students.

The CSU, UC, and Common Applications are all open! Attend our presentations on Oct. 15th and 22nd. Then use our open lab time to work on your applications with counselors here to help you! Bring your chrome book on Wednesdays during 6th & 7th period from October 29th through November 19th.

Check out this video from College Essay Guy. He's read more than 10,000 college essays. Ethan Sawyer shares with you the top 10 things he has learned from both reading and working with students on them, including some practical advice if you’re writing your own personal statement.

It’s important to stay organized when applying to college to ensure you complete each application by the school’s deadline. By using Get Schooled’s free college application requirements tracker, you can organize important information and to-dos for each application in one central location to submit them with confidence and peace of mind. This tracker is available on both Google Docs and Google Sheets– just click either to make your own copy and start getting organized!

The University of California application must be submitted by December 2nd! It's time to start preparing your responses to the Personal Insight Questions! Students, this is your opportunity to let the UC admissions representatives get to know the real you. Think of it like an interview rather than an English essay. You will need to respond in your own voice, with a maximum of 350 words, to each of four out of eight prompts. You should write your responses in a separate document, take time to proofread, revise, ask someone else for feedback, and then paste the final draft into the application. Here are some great resources to help!

UC Website: Personal Insight Questions

University of California PIQ Worksheet (English)

University of California PIQ Worksheet (Spanish)

College Essay Guy UC PIQ Workbook

Seniors who are applying to private or out-of-state universities may need to take the ACT or SAT exam ASAP. Check the prospective university's website to find out if the college is test-blind, test-optional, or perhaps even requires test scores. Register for the ACT at www.act.org and/or register for the SAT at www.collegeboard.com. Fee waivers are available in the counseling office for students with financial need. CSU schools, UC campuses, and community colleges do not use the SAT or ACT for admissions purposes but they can be used for placement purposes.

Students who need to request a letter of recommendation from their counselor for colleges or scholarships must complete a brag packet. Click here to download a copy and return it to your counselor. Please allow three weeks notice and keep in mind that counselors do not work during holiday breaks. Letters will be sent directly to the college or scholarship committee. To request a letter of recommendation from a teacher, we have a different form that you may find helpful (optional-click here). Please give your teachers plenty of notice, too.