Senior Counseling Corner

Seniors,

3rd seminar begins next week! Be sure to bring your charged lap top from here on out as we will continue to work in Schoolinks and on college/job applications, scholarships, etc.

Instant Decision Days start MONDAY!! Canisius University is on Monday 10/5 and SUNY Fredonia on Tuesday 10/6. There is still time to sign up if you are thinking either may be an option for you- no need to have the application completed!! And remember, these are NO BINDING! Just an early read!

Sign up for any Instant Decision Opportunities here: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46752_3

Students- We look forward to seeing you in seminar and senior office hours!

Families- we hope to see parents and students at Financial Aid night next week!

Best,

BHS Counseling Office

(585) 242-5000 x4526

Great opportunity to learn about the Financial Aid process and get help from the experts! Be sure to have our FAFSA accounts created to get the most support. Bring your laptops!

Let’s get into the spooky spirit with a quick game of Trick or Treat: Financial Aid Edition!

Can you tell which statements are tricks and which ones are treats?

🎃 Trick or Treat! A scholarship requires you to pay to be entered into the drawings.

• Trick! It’s most likely a scam. Legitimate scholarships don’t require payment to apply or qualify.

🎃 Trick or Treat! You can decline or return part of your student loan after it’s been disbursed.

• Treat! Yes! Most schools let you return unused loan funds within a certain period—interest-free.

🎃 Trick or Treat! The FAFSA is only for federal loans.

• Trick! The FAFSA also determines your eligibility for grants, work-study, and state scholarships.

🎃 Trick or Treat! You can apply for scholarships even after starting college or vocational school.

• Treat! Absolutely! Scholarships aren’t just for high school seniors. There is plenty for current college, graduate, and vocational students, too.

**Brought to you by our friends at GoingMerry.com - a great resource for Scholarship and Financial Aid!! Check out their site: https://goingmerry.com/

Here's what this means for you:

-You may apply up to 5 SUNY schools for FREE!

-Registrar deadline for SUNY ONLY is October 23 (to meet November 1 deadline)

All other schools are still due October 13th.

-The free application applies to COMMON APP too.

Any questions, just ask! Stop in Senior Office Hours or see your Counselor.

In Seminar 2, we created/updated Common App accounts, linked them to SchooLinks and learned to officially request teacher letters of recommendation through SchooLinks. Instructions are on the Junior/Senior Page of the Counseling website & paper instructions were given in seminar. We also talked about Registrar Deadlines and Blue Sheets.

**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.

If you haven't written your college essay yet, there's still time! Sign up for the October BCSD Essay Writing course here: https://brightonschools.revtrak.net/

Remember, 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!

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!

Be sure to check out SchooLinks & 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!

This week's list will also be posted outside of room 257!

​​​​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.

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. Save the dates if you are interested!

If interested, please follow the instructions below:

1. Use the link on the poster to sign up for your 15 min admissions appointment with any of the institutions you are interested in.
2. Submit your college application at least 1 week prior to the instant decision date, but no worries if you can't!
3. 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)
4. Please note- Geneseo, URochester & RIT are 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.

Links to sign up on BHS Counseling- Junior/Senior Information Page:

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!

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.

BHS Standardized Exams being offered this fall. 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

Email: courtney_stern@bcsd.org
Website: https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2063
Location: 1150 South Winton Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: (585) 242-5000