Senior Counseling Corner
Brighton High School Counseling Office
October 23, 2026
Seniors,
We are on our LAST cycle of seminar - can you believe it?? Although seminar is ending, we are still ehre for you! Senior office hours are open through Thanksgiving, College Reps are still visiting (see schedule for next week below), plenty of Instant Decison Days left and we're open for 1:1 appointments!
SUNY Geneseo Interviews and SUNY Brockport Instant Decision Days are NEXT WEEK!!
If interested, make an appointment - there's nothing to lose!!
Sign up for any Instant Decision Opportunities here: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46752_3
Best,
BHS Counseling Office
(585) 242-5000 x4526
We hope to see you at Financial Aid 101 - take 2!
We are hosting our 2nd Financial Aid Night on December 3rd, 6:30-7:30 in room 262.
Join our special guest Jerome St. Croix, Director of Financial Aid Compliance at Monroe Community College. He will provide an in-depth session reviewing the cost of college, the types and sources of financial aid, how and when to apply for aid, explaining the Free Application Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and NYS TAP Applications.
Following the 30 minute presentation, MCC Financial Advisors will be available to answer questions. Come with your laptop and necessary documents to complete the FAFSA form.
**Recommended that you have created your Federal Student Aid account at studentaid.gov prior to attendance to maximize the support MCC can provide. Please see what you'll need to complete the form. Get more info at fafsa.gov
This is the same presentatin/workshop as October 7th, however you are welcome to attend again if you would like more support!
FREE SUNY APP WEEKS - ENDS NOVEMBER 2!!
The free application applies to COMMON APP too. Check out the picture below. You need to go into EACH SUNY COLLEGE:
- General Questions
- say YES to the SUNY Fee Waiver (see screenshot below).
Check out this site for more details: https://www.suny.edu/attend/apply-to-suny/#:~:text=The%20free%20application%20offer%20only,before%20or%20after%20those%20dates.
Any questions, just ask! Stop in Senior Office Hours or see your Counselor.
Senior Seminar
We are wrapping up your LAST SEMINAR EVER! We've enjoyed having you over the last 4 years and look forward to seeing you all in Senior Office Hours for more support.
**Monday & Wednesday Office Hours include a BHS ENGLISH TEACHER for essay support!!
**REMINDER - BHS DOES NOT SEND TEST SCORES
- If a college wants/you decide to submit OFFICIAL SCORES- you will need to log into College Board and/or ACT and pay to have them sent to each college.
All information and materials are on the Junior/Senior Information Page. Stop in to Senior Office Hours or see your counselor if you need more help!
Post-Secondary Exploration Experiences
Instant Decision Days
This fall we will be offering Instant Decision days with 17 phenomenal institutions!
Students will have the chance to meet with an admissions representative and receive instant feedback on their application- most students will be informed of their admissions decision that day!
We will provide much more detail in Senior Seminar, but below are the general instructions. This is SUCH a great opportunity to learn more about what the college has to offer you and get some early feedback.
If interested, please follow the instructions below:
- Sign up for your 15 min admissions appointment with any of the institutions you are interested in.
- If you haven't completed or submitted your application yet, THATS OK! Still sign up!
- An admissions counselor will review your materials and could provide an admissions decision and estimate of your scholarship package that night! (some colleges may require a few additional days to process materials)
- Please note- Geneseo, RIT & URochester is an ADMISSIONS INTERVIEW ONLY. This will be used as part of your application to be reviewed later. No decision will be made that this time. If interested in these schools, we highly recommend taking advantage of this.
Sign up here: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46752_3
A few recommendations:
- Show up a few minutes early- you don’t want to be late!
- Wear appropriate attire- no need to dress up, but please look presentable. This is YOUR opportunity to show them who you are other than a name on a piece of paper!
- Come prepared with questions about the school- we are happy to help you with this.
If you have any questions about these opportunities, please contact Mrs. Stern!
College Rep Visits to BHS
Reps will be visiting in-person and virtually. Colleges have already begun to snag spots at BHS, so check Naviance regularly for our schedule.
- Be sure to SIGN UP for the visit in Naviance.
- If a rep is in person, they will be in room 257 (the conference room across from the Counseling Office)
- If they are virtual, you will be able to access a link to their zoom via Naviance. You may come to the Counseling Office and we can help find you a quiet space to attend if needed.
- In person or virtual, you will need teacher permission to attend if the visit takes place during a class. Grab a pass from the counseling office.
You are welcome to sign up for as many visits as you'd like! We encourage you to sit in on the ones you know, as well as some that you've never heard of before. There are so many INCREDIBLE institutions all over the country with phenomenal opportunities. You just don't know about them yet!
We will list the next week's visits in the newsletter. Be sure to check out Naviance & the College Visits page on the BHS Counseling Website for a complete list of ALL visits this season. Check often- we get new visits scheduled every day!
SAVE THE DATE - WNY College Fair November 6th, 4th period, Atrium
Great chance to check out your options and show demonstrated interest!!
Institutions Attending:
Alfred State College
Alfred University
Buffalo State University
Canisius College
Daemen University
D'Youville University
SUNY Erie Community College
SUNY Fredonia
Genesee Community College SUNY
Hilbert College
Jamestown Community College SUNY
Niagara County Community College
Niagara University
St. Bonaventure University
Trocaire College
University at Buffalo
Villa Maria College
NACAC Virtual College Fairs
NACAC Virtual College Fairs are a great opportunity to connect with colleges and universities from the comfort of your own home. Have a quick video chat with a representative, drop-in on a virtual presentation, send a question through the chat — make a connection your way.
Next Steps & Application Process Information
Registrar Deadlines
Check out the Registrar deadlines- based on the college/job/scholarship deadlines, the dates below are when your application is DUE TO THE REGISTRARS OFFICE.
Standardized Testing
SAT & ACT- IMPORTANT Updates
Remember, BHS DOES NOT send any standardized test scores to colleges. You are responsible for sending any test scores directly from College Board or ACT to the institutions that need them.
If you have questions specific to BHS testing procedures, please reach out to Deirdre Carter: deirdre_carter@bcsd.org. As things are changing so often, please refer to the testing sites for updated information:
ACT- www.actstudent.org
SAT- www.collegeboard.org
Brighton High School Counseling Department
Email: courtney_stern@bcsd.org
Website: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46697_3
Location: 1150 South Winton Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: (585) 242-5000
