As we enter a season of gratitude, our team is grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many wonderful students and families. Please read below for important updates and resources. 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.

Take advantage of this opportunity to work on your college applications with a counselor available for support! Bring your chrome book and drop in during periods 6 or 7, on the following dates in the College & Career Center (Upstairs in the Main Office):

Tues. Nov. 5th

Tues. Nov. 12th

Tues. Nov. 19th (last chance before the CSU/UC deadline)

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 8am to 11 am on Nov. 6, Dec. 4th, and Jan. 22nd.

Happy Veteran's Day and thank you for your service! Please click here for a list of resources for military families in our community.

The Grossmont High School Educational Foundation has a small Student Assistance Fund, which allows us to assist GHS families in need during the holiday season. If your family is in need of a holiday meal or other assistance, please reach out to your student's counselor. If you would like to donate to the Student Assistance Fund, please visit the Grossmont High School Educational Foundation website. Thank you!

Students helping students on campus has become woven into our Hiller culture and as such, our Wellness Center is very proud of our Peer Listening program. Peer Listeners are GHS seniors who care about their fellow students. They have gone through extensive training to prepare them for one-on-one support and mediations between students who are having a conflict. They are available during every period in the Wellness Center on the 2nd floor of the main office. Students may request support using this form or by visiting the Wellness Center with a pass from their teachers.

Twelve week progress reports will be available in Infinite Campus on Nov. 8th. This is an opportunity to reflect on progress and communicate with teachers before the semester ends on Dec. 19th. Report cards will not be mailed home. If you have difficulty accessing Infinite Campus, please see below.

Do you need help with your student's Chromebook, accessing Schoology or Infinite Campus, or communicating with teachers? Click here for the GUHSD Parent Technology Guide. You can obtain a Schoology code from your student's teacher or counselor to view your student's grades, missing work, class materials and more.

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.

There's a lot to consider when building your college list and a lot to keep track of when you are working on applications. You can use this tool from ACT to help you organize the information you gather so you can choose the best fit for you. This flyer provides instructions on how to use the tool.

Which California State University campuses receive more applications than they can accommodate? Which majors are impacted? This chart and search tool show which CSU campuses and programs are impacted, meaning they receive many more applications than they can accommodate, making them more competitive. Four-year university bound students are encouraged to apply to a variety of schools, including reach, target, and safety schools. The non-impacted CSU campuses can be good options to consider as safety schools for many of our students!

Counselors recently held an application workshop where we shared important tips and common mistakes on the CSU and UC applications. We also assisted students with linking their CCGI accounts (see above) to their college apps and correctly adjusting for any unique situations such as other high schools attended, CCAP classes, outside college classes or using higher levels of Spanish or math to validate lower ones. Please take a look at the presentations below:

CSU Application

Here are six options to consider when searching for scholarships. Also be sure to check out our counseling website!

UC applications are due on December 2nd! 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

College Essay Guy University of California Resources

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.