Counselor Corner

Welcome to another school year of excitement, learning and relationship building! We hope you enjoyed your summer months and are ready to give all that you can towards having a successful school year. The Counseling staff is excited to see you and have many enriching activities planned for this school year. Feel free to stop by the offices to say hi!

The school year has just begun and seniors are getting a head start on their college applications through Application Bootcamp, Senior College Kickoff and College 201. Through these opportunities, we are able to meet with all of the seniors regarding college planning and ease the anxiety that often comes with this part of the senior year.

The Senior College Kickoff was held on Monday, August 11th for all students and parents in the Class of 2026. As always, the highlight for the evening was the student panel which consisted of IHHS recent graduates from the Class of 2023, 2024 and 2025. Seniors and their parents were able to hear from the experts about college visits, the essay, teacher recommendations, choosing a college and so much more. We also walked students and parents through the application process.

Application Bootcamp was held on Friday, August 15th. This was a full day of application review, the application process, and individual meetings with college representatives for essay assistance. Application Bootcamp taking place during the school day ensured equity and access and all students were able to participate.

College 201 will be held on Wednesday, September 3rd during Flex time. At this meeting, counselors will meet with seniors and answer questions concerning the college application process, essay writing, scholarships and the Naviance process. We will cover a lot of information, but seniors can feel free to schedule a meeting with their counselor or Mrs. Hall at any time. You can schedule your appointment through our Calendly links found at the bottom of this newsletter.

Join us for our next Counselor Coffee Hour on Wednesday, September 18th from 9:00–10:00 a.m. in the High School MP Room.

We’re excited to welcome Pete Bryant, Founder of Changepoint Learning LLC and host of Be the Difference Day for all sophomores. Pete will be sharing insights on the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and building strong relationships in school.

Friendly Reminder: Be the Difference Day is a required program for all sophomores. Students who plan to apply for National Honor Society should note that missing this event will make them ineligible for NHS.

Beginning the week of September 8th, college admissions representatives will visit Indian Hill High School to meet with students and share information about their respective institutions. Indian Hill currently has over 60 different college visits scheduled. These visits will be held in-person at IHHS, or virtually. Students interested in meeting with a visiting college representative will need to get permission from their teacher to miss class. The teacher will sign the student's permission slip granting them permission to miss class for this visit. Pink permission slips can be found in the College and Career Center. Students should allow at least 24 hours notice to teachers that they want to visit with a college. For a list of upcoming visits, log into your Naviance account. Under the Colleges tab, you will see the "Visits" link. Be sure to register in advance.

Here is a list of visits scheduled for the week of September 8th:

Vanderbilt University

University of Alabama

Case Western Reserve University

University of Cincinnati

NYU Shanghai

Wofford College

Wake Forest University

Texas Christian University

American University

University of Tennessee

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

High Point University

Santa Clara University

Lafayette College

William & Mary College

Be sure to check Naviance "College Visits" for the most up to date list.

On Thursday, October 9th, all 11th, 10th and 9th graders will take a version of the digital PSAT exam. Prior to testing, students will receive information about the PSAT to prepare them for test day. 11th graders will take the PSAT/NMSQT exam with the opportunity to qualify for scholarships. 10th graders will also take the PSAT/NMSQT, but only as a practice exam. Follow this link for practice versions of the PSAT/NMSQT.

The version of the PSAT that 9th graders will take is called the PSAT 8/9 and serves as a baseline exam to test your current knowledge and provides early feedback to your readiness for college and career. For more information about the PSAT 8/9 follow this link.

More information regarding test day will be provided in early October. Feel free to visit The College Board website for more detailed information.

August

11th - Senior College Kickoff

15th - Application Bootcamp

23rd - SAT exam @ IHHS

27th - 9/10 grade Parent College/Career @ 6:00pm (Join here: meet.google.com/wid-qexa-wqg)

27th - Naviance for parents grades 9 - 12 @ 6:45pm (Join here: meet.google.com/wid-qexa-wqg)

September

1st - No School for students

3rd - College 201 (seniors during FLEX)

4th - Experienceship Information Night 6pm (Join here: https://bit.ly/IHEXP25)

6th - ACT exam @ IHHS

10th - College 101 (juniors during FLEX)

13th - SAT exam @ IHHS

15th - Junior College Planning Night (virtual - link will be sent to email)

18th - Counselor Coffee Hour @ 9am - HS MP room

24th - Club Fair during FLEX

It is time to schedule your fall meeting with your school counselor to plan your senior year to plan to college, military, employment, gap year, training programs, or whatever your plan is after graduating from IHHS. Use the links below to schedule your appointment.

Students in the Class of 2027, get a jumpstart on your college and career planning by scheduling a meeting with Mrs. Hall. This meeting is very important as you can get a jumpstart on your college and career search. During this meeting, we will review your transcript, explore your college list, discuss the best SAT/ACT testing scenario for you and make a plan for an employment, college, gap year, training, or military pathway. Feel free to schedule these meetings during the available slots using the Calendly link.

Alex Grzegorzewski (A - E)

Alex.Grzegorzewski@ihsd.us

(513) 272-4698

Click here to access my Calendly page.

Nollis Cottrell (F - La)

Nollis.Cottrell@ihsd.us

(513) 272-4563

Click here to access my Calendly page

Lindsay Kearns (Lb - R)
Lindsay.Kearns@ihsd.us

(513) 272-4568

Click here to access my Calendly page

Donita Jackson (S - Z)

Donita.Jackson@ihsd.us

(513) 272-4506

Click here to access my Calendly page

Ester Hall (College/Career/Testing)

Ester.Hall@ihsd.us

(513) 272-4544

Click here to access my Calendly page

Amy Van Strien (School Psychologist)

Amy.Vanstrien@ihsd.us

(513) 272-4564

Coreen Bell (Registrar)

Coreen.Bell@ihsd.us

(513) 272-4566