We wish you a healthy and happy holiday season! Please read below for important updates and resources. Our team is here until December 20th 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. Our office will be closed from December 21st through January 5th.

A Grossmont/Cuyamaca college ambassador will be at GHS once a month to visit students who are interested in learning more about their programs. Please let your counselor know if you would like to meet with them. You will be called out of class to meet with the ambassador in the college and career center. They will be on campus from 8:00 am to 11:00 am on Dec. 4th and Jan. 22nd.

Students will attend school on a final exam schedule from Dec. 17th through Dec. 19th. The fall semester grading period will close upon completion of these exams and final grades will be posted to transcripts soon after we return from Winter Break. Students and parents may access them through Infinite Campus.

Click here for a tool students can use to help plan and prepare for each final exam.

Will your student be taking the SAT, ACT, or AP Exams this school year? Students with disabilities may apply for accommodations on these exams but they need to plan ahead! Documentation must be submitted to our SSD Coordinator seven weeks before the registration deadline. Click here for more information.

The CSU/UC universities are no longer using ACT/SAT test scores for admissions purposes. However, other universities may require one of these exams, or they may have a test-optional policy, which means an excellent score can add value to an application. They may be required by specific programs or scholarships. Please click here for more information and test dates.

From the University of California: "This fall, UC published a new data dashboard that shows how many first-year students apply to and are admitted at each campus by academic discipline. Until now, UC published the overall first-year admission rates for each campus. The new dashboard expands that by providing additional detail on admissions by academic discipline. For each broad area of study, you can see the admit rate, along with how many students applied, were admitted and ended up enrolling. You can look at just one campus, or you can compare disciplines across UC’s nine undergraduate campuses. (A separate dashboard shows transfer admission rates by major.)

The goal of the dashboard is to offer the public more transparency into UC admissions. Being able to compare the selectivity of disciplines and campuses gives applicants an additional piece of information in their process and a more refined understanding of the competition. That said, the dashboard shouldn’t be used to assess any particular student’s chances of admission."

Now is the time for students to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) in order to access financial aid for any type of post-secondary education at an accredited school. This could be community college, trade schools, vocational schools and universities. Counselors will be giving presentations to seniors in their government classes on Thursday, December 5th. We will also utilize the CaliforniaColleges.edu platform to help them better understand and prepare for the process. The most important thing to note is that students will need to submit their FAFSA or CADAA no later than March 3, 2025; however sooner is definitely better!

In case you missed the financial aid presentation that was held in November for families, you can access the powerpoint in English, Arabic or Spanish.

There are also workshops held throughout the county in person and virtually to help your family complete this important document. You can register for workshops HERE.

Some California State University campuses have extended their deadlines! Click here to look up which campuses and programs are still accepting applications.

Here are six options to consider when searching for scholarships. Also be sure to check out our counseling website, which includes local scholarships that usually have less competition!

Rick Clark, a respected college admissions representative, proposes that high school seniors who have applied to competitive universities must make a pledge. "I will not presume anything in the admission process...I agree that I will not view an admission decision as an indictment of my character, a judgment on my hitherto demonstrated preparation, nor a prediction of my future success." Click here to read more from the Georgia Tech Admission Blog.

Are you interested in participating in an apprenticeship program after high school to get paid while you are learning a trade and launching your career? Click here for more information about a variety of programs in San Diego County.

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.