GHS Counselor Connection
March 2026
Please read below for important updates and resources. 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.
Upcoming Events
Event Information
Trauma and chronic stress can shape how children think, feel, and behave long after an event has passed. This session helps parents understand how adversity impacts the developing brain, recognize signs of distress, and respond with trauma-informed strategies that promote safety, resilience, and prevention. Presented by Melissa Bernstein, PhD in partnership with SDCOE and Rady Children's Health. Register here.
Event Information
Get ready for Fall 2026! Join this zoom meeting to get assistance with your application, complete placement and advising to be eligible for priority registration, meet with a counselor to plan classes and ask questions. Register here.
Event Information
Are you a 12th grader who wants to attend college in the fall? Perhaps you are starting to receive notifications from universities about whether you are accepted. How do you decide where to go? What are your next steps? What if you're waitlisted or not accepted; what are your options? Find out in this one-hour webinar. Register here.
Event Information
Seniors who plan to attend Grossmont College are invited to attend Class Selection Day on March 18th in the GHS Library! Call slips will be sent for students who completed the Grossmont College application with Grossmont High listed as their high school. College counselors will meet with students individually to help them select classes and earn priority registration. Students who do not receive a call slip or have not yet completed the Grossmont/Cuyamaca College application are also welcome to go to the library anytime during periods 1-6 on March 18th for assistance. Don't miss out on this great opportunity!
Event Information
Grounded in the HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) framework, this session highlights how everyday moments of connection, trust, and belonging can buffer stress and support lifelong mental health. Parents will learn simple, meaningful ways to build resilience and make home a place of healing and strength. Presented by Jennifer Goins in partnership with SDCOE and Rady Children's Health. Register here.
Mental Wellness
Healthy Relationship Snapshot
Tech Detox Challenge
Are you feeling like you may need to reset your relationship with social media and/or cut back on your screen time? Consider this 30 day tech detox challenge from Go Zen. "Break free from instant gratification and embrace the power of meaningful moments—true fulfillment is found in the journey, not the scroll."
Academic Support & College Preparation
All Grade Levels:
Planning Classes for Next Year
Counselors visited English classrooms in February to review graduation/college requirements and talk with students about how to plan classes for the next school year. Students were given course selection forms to complete with parents/guardians and had the opportunity to visit the electives fair before meeting with their counselor to finalize their plans. We will be finishing up our individual meetings with all students before Spring Break. Families of 10th and 11th graders will receive a letter detailing their student's progress toward graduation and college admissions requirements.
College Summer Programs
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.
Registration for Incoming Freshmen and New Students
Get College Ready
Get College Ready is a free text- and email-based initiative that provides guiding and motivating college preparation tips by grade level. Designed for students ages 13 and older, parents/guardians, and other caregivers, the program offers general (not UCLA-specific) guidance related to coursework, test preparation, and extracurricular leadership. Participants receive up to four messages per month, making it a simple way for families to stay engaged in the college preparation process. Learn more at prepare.admission.ucla.edu.
The Heavy Metal Summer Experience
The Heavy Metal Summer Experience (HMSE) Camp is a free hands-on program in San Diego that introduces high school students to the skilled trades. This immersive, weeklong program allows students to work directly with industry professionals at the Sheet Metal JATC San Diego training facility. Participants will receive real-world, hands-on experience in the skilled trade, work boots, PPE, and a tool bag with tools, and career exposure and networking opportunities in a high-demand industry. Current 10th, 11th, and 12th graders are eligible. Click here to register.
Juniors:
College Bound Juniors: Consider Registering for the ACT/SAT Exams
The CSU/UC universities are no longer using ACT/SAT test scores for admissions purposes. However, other universities may require one of these exams, or they may have a test-optional policy, which means an excellent score can add value to an application. They may be required by specific programs or scholarships. Please click here for more information and test dates.
Questbridge College Prep Scholars Program - Apply by March 24th!
High-achieving high school juniors from low-income backgrounds are encouraged to apply to the 2026 College Prep Scholars Program! College Prep Scholars join a supportive community of peers and receive specialized resources that give them a head start in applying to top colleges, along with the chance for additional awards, including full scholarship summer programs, free laptops, personalized support with college applications/essays and more.
Tips from Tour Guides: Best Questions to Ask on Your Campus Tour
Visiting colleges during Spring Break? In this blog post, Georgia Tech tour guides provide unique insight into how to get the most out of your college tour.
Seniors:
Making Sense of Your Financial Award Letter
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 on the same topic.
Youthworks Pre-Apprenticeship Program
Most apprenticeship programs are looking for students who have some real hands on experience before applying to an apprenticeship. Having something like this on your resume makes it more likely you will be accepted. Through the Youthworks program, students earn 3 certificates: OSHA10, CPR and the MC3 Apprenticeship Readiness Certificate (from the N. American Builder Trades Union). This is a 10 week program in National City, Monday - Friday from 9am - 12pm or 12:30-3:30pm. The next cohort will start in April. Click here for the flyer.
Scholarships
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.