GHS Counselor Connection

We hope you enjoy your Spring Break on April 7th -18th! Counselors will be taking a break, too! Please read below for important updates and resources. Our team is available 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.

Grossmont Peer Listeners have dedicated themselves to weekly training sessions since December, which recently culminated in a beautiful weekend of growth and connection at Camp Marston in Julian. Our senior peer listeners take great pride in helping our juniors practice the peer listening and mediation skills they will use next year, under the leadership of Mrs. Dawson and Mrs. Manuel. We're all excited about our newest group of incredible students! Special shout out to Mr. Talley who helped make this an especially memorable camp experience. Peer Listeners are available throughout the school day in the Grossmont Wellness Center, to support students with personal concerns and facilitate peer mediations.

The Princess Project is offering free prom dresses to high school teens! Each teen will be able to select one free prom dress and one accessory. You must reserve an appointment online. An online waiver must be completed prior to arrival. The Main Princess Project Dress Giveaway Location at Mission Valley Mall is located next to Macy's Home Store. There are also 7 "Pop-Up" Prom Shops hosted by libraries. You must bring a valid ID and proof of enrollment in High School. Click here for the flyer in English and here for the flyer in Spanish.

Summer school will be held on the GHS campus on Mon.-Fri. from June 9th - 27th with a holiday on June 19th. Students will have the opportunity to repeat a D or F grade in one or two classes. There will be a morning class from 8am - 11am and an afternoon class from 11:45am - 2:45pm. Counselors recently reviewed progress with students and signed them up for summer school if they indicated they are able to attend. Parents, please avoid planning travel during the month of June if your student needs to make up a course. Watch your email in May for more details.

Our district is now using the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) to support students in their college and career planning. All students have already created their accounts, and parents are encouraged to sign up as well! CCGI is a powerful tool that allows you to track A-G progress, explore college and career options, launch college applications, and complete financial aid forms—all in one place. Check out THIS short video for a step-by-step guide on how to get started. Don't miss out on this valuable resource for your student's future! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Jessica Porfirio.

The Get Schooled team compiled this tool-kit of free resources and supports for AP Exams, college planning & admissions, financial aid, and summer employment. They know that every student learns differently, so each topic is available in a variety of formats!

Planning to visit colleges during spring or summer break? Here is a handy checklist and list of questions to use during your tours, created by Niche School Counselor Lisett Bohannon.

Many universities offer Pre-College Programs during the summer, offering students the opportunity to expand their knowledge in a particular subject and experience a college campus. You can find many of these posted on our website here. Application deadlines vary throughout the spring and can be competitive. Costs vary as well and some programs offer scholarships.

Click here for the presentation slides, recording and resources from this February 2025 event to learn more about the University of California experience. The event included:

• An overview of the UC system and value of a UC degree
• Nine undergraduate campus presentations
• Live panel with current UC students
• An overview of admission requirements for first-year and transfer applicants
• Admission tips and guidance

Please click here for information on how to register new Grossmont students!

Please click here for SAT/ACT information and test dates. Please note that CSU/UC universities are no longer using ACT/SAT test scores for admissions purposes. In fact, nearly 80% of US colleges do not require them. However, some universities may require one of these exams, and many have a test-optional policy, which means an excellent score can add value to an application. They may also be required by specific programs or scholarships.

The Summer College Essay & Application Program from College Essay Guy is now open for registration. This comprehensive online program consists of two courses, designed to take you all the way from "I don't know what to write about" to a college application you're proud of. The entire program is available live and on-demand, so if you can't make any of the live sessions, you can watch the recordings. There's even pay-what-you-can spots available. Learn more about the program here.

The WUE is a tuition savings program that makes attending out of state universities more affordable. Through WUE you receive a reduced tuition rate. Click here to find participating colleges and the amount of savings offered.

As college decision season approaches, it can be challenging for students and their families to navigate financial aid award letters to make an informed choice about which school offers the best financial fit. To make this easier, Going Merry has created a detailed, annotated financial aid award letter that highlights and explains the key components of a school’s offer and a blog post: Making Sense of Your Financial Aid Award Letter. Big Future also posted this article and College Essay Guy has a guide on this topic.

Umoja is a Black Student Success Program at Cuyamaca College. They are hosting a Summer Bridge program from June 9th-12th at the Cuyamaca College campus. In this Counseling 101 course students will build community with one another, learn about campus resources, receive leadership development opportunities, exclusive swag, and develop a supportive community of faculty and staff that will help ease their transition into college. If you are interested in this and/or other supports offered, complete this form.

This twelve-week program provides a unique pathway into the construction industry, offering invaluable hands-on experience and skills development. What makes this program particularly exciting is the potential for students to transition directly into sponsored positions on local construction projects upon completion. Application opens April 21st.

Click here for a list of CSU Campus Admitted Student Days that provide admitted students and their families an opportunity to experience and explore CSU campuses. Day of activities may include campus and housing tours, academic program and student life showcases, financial aid workshops and other activities.

Did you know that there are sometimes scholarships that go unused because nobody applied for them? We hear about a ton of incredible scholarship opportunities, which our Administrative Assistant Lori Cromwell posts on our GHS counseling website (click here)! Many of these are local opportunities for our students! They are organized with tabs at the bottom for the month the application is due. Please check back regularly and apply for any that seem like a good fit. Scholarship opportunities can also be found at bigfuture.collegeboard.org, goingmerry.com, and niche.com.