Counselor Connection September 2026

We hope you are getting your school year off to a great start! 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.

The third annual 988 Day is on Tuesday 9/8! Your GHS counselors want to remind you that you can call or text 988 anytime 24/7, to be connected to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. Visit the 988 website for more information about how 988 provides judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more.

Society of Women Engineers and Women in Computing at UC San Diego have opened applications for the 2026-2027 EDGE program. Empowerment and Development for Girls in Engineering is a year-long program catered to 9-12th graders interested in pursuing an engineering degree. This program will provide opportunities to network with women in engineering and computer science fields at UCSD, as well as provide various workshops and events to foster interest in a wide variety of STEM fields. Applications for the 2026-2027 school year are now open, and students can apply through this form. The application deadline is October 4, 2026 at 11:59 pm. Information sessions for students and parents will be held on Sept. 9th & 17th (See the form for more details).

Counselors are visiting 9th grade geography classrooms this week to review graduation requirements, post-secondary planning, and strategies for success. Click here for a copy of the presentation.

The PSAT will be offered at GHS on Oct. 27th, 2026. Registration in the GHS Finance Office will be open from September 21st through October 2nd, with no exceptions after this date. Priority will be given to 11th graders. The cost is $18 but limited fee waivers are available in the counseling office for students with financial need. The PSAT is an opportunity to practice for the SAT exam. Eleventh graders who score exceptionally well may also earn honors and scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program. The SAT exam is no longer used for admission purposes by the California State Universities or University of California campuses. However, there are some other universities and major programs that still require the SAT/ACT exam or have a test-optional policy, meaning a high score could add value to a student's application. Students who need accommodations on this exam must request that from the College Board by Sept. 8th (see details above).

The GHS Counseling Department wants to let you know that we are starting our senior meetings! Starting the week of September 21st, all 12th graders will be sent a call slip to meet with their counselors about plans for after high school. Our goal is to make sure our seniors have all the information/tools they need to meet their goals. Students, please be sure you are prepared with any questions you may have about your post-high school plans during that time. We will also be providing some handouts on things like scholarships, community college, trade schools and 4 year university application workshops coming up–parents/guardians, ask your senior to see these handouts after our meeting. As a reminder, here are the links to the presentations we delivered to students last spring about planning for life after high school. Please review these with your student.

4 Year University Students

Community College/Workforce/Military/etc.

We look forward to seeing our seniors!

Each year, more than 1 million students apply to more than 1,100 Common App member colleges worldwide through the Common App online college application platform. The newest edition of How to Make Your Common App a Lot Less Common from Collegewise is a comprehensive guide for navigating the entire Common App process.

• An overview of what’s new in the 2026–2027 Common App

• Step-by-step instructions for completing each section

• Expert tips for building strong, authentic applications

This is the only guide that has been reviewed by Common App® to ensure you get the most accurate advice.

Check out this fall calendar from College Essay Guy! It includes college application deadlines and to-do lists.

Great news! GUHSD has an agreement with California State University San Marcos that grants students guaranteed admission to CSUSM (nursing majors excluded) if they have fulfilled specific requirements. Please see the flyer for details.

The University of California application must be submitted by November 30th! It's time to start preparing your responses to the Personal Insight Questions! 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 (English)

College Essay Guy UC PIQ Workbook

Seniors who are applying to private or out-of-state universities may need to take the ACT or SAT exam ASAP. Check the prospective university's website to find out if the college is test-blind or test-optional. Register for the ACT at www.act.org and/or register for the SAT at www.collegeboard.com. Fee waivers are available in the counseling office for students with financial need. CSU schools, UC campuses, and community colleges do not use the SAT or ACT for admissions purposes but they can be used for placement purposes.

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.