College Counseling
Class of 2026 – Get a Jumpstart on Your College Applications
The College Advisors will host optional College Application Labs on Thursday, August 7 and Friday, August 8 from 9:00am – 12:00pm. Seniors can take advantage of one or both days to work on their college applications with College Advisors available to help.
Jessies! Work on your College Planning and Letter of Rec Packet This Summer
At the end of this week, the Class of 2026 will receive an email that includes their College Planning and Letter of Rec Packet as well as a Parent Brag Sheet. Jessies should work on the packet over the summer and turn it in to the Counseling & College Center by Friday, August 15. The information in the packet helps jumpstart the process of organizing the extracurricular activities that will be included on most college applications, and the information also helps College Advisors write the Counselor Recommendation that many colleges require.
Seniors – Where Should We Send Your Final Transcript?
The Senior College Plans Form was due Friday, May 2. We asked seniors to list all of the colleges to which they applied and the admissions decision from each college. We also asked them to indicate their final college of choice, as this is where their final transcript will be sent in June. Seniors should email Ms. Rivera if they need to change the location of where their transcript will be sent.
Revolution Prep Webinar
Understanding UC Admissions
Students and families of all grade levels who are considering the University of California system might want to check out Revolution Prep’s upcoming webinar:
Understanding UC Admissions: Insights and Guidance for
Every Student
Thursday, April 10 | 6:00pm
Families Register Here
Seniors – How to Send Final Transcripts
On April 15th in Homeroom, Vanellopes will receive a Final Transcript & College Plans Form. Seniors need to complete the form and indicate their college of attendance, as this is where the final transcript will be sent. All final transcripts will be uploaded to Common App, Slate, NCAA Eligibility Center or mailed to colleges the week of June 9th. If a senior is accepted off the waitlist or needs to make a change for any reason, please email Mrs. Rivera all the details of where to send the final transcript.
Seniors – Submitting the Statement of Intent to Register/Enroll
Seniors need to choose a college by May 1, as most colleges will require a student to “say YES” by that date. Seniors should look for the option to accept the offer of admission (often called the Statement of Intent to Register or Enroll) in their college portal. Once committed to a college, expect a lot of additional tasks: accepting scholarships and financial aid, submitting housing applications, registering for orientation, etc. Any senior who is still pending a waitlist decision must choose another college by May 1, as many waitlist acceptances are not announced until early summer.
Message for Senior Parents:
We sent an email to seniors last week with the goal of helping them process the range of emotions they might be feeling as a result of this year’s college admissions decisions. We have been hearing from students and parents about the outcomes of the college application process; many of these outcomes have been exciting, and some have been disappointing.
We celebrate the hard work that our students have put into their education and wish to congratulate the seniors who have received the admissions decisions that they had hoped for! For the students who received disappointing news, we understand how difficult that can be to accept and would like to share some facts that may offer perspective to the current college landscape.
The most selective colleges and universities (including most of the 9 UC campuses) continue to experience surges in applications. UCLA received close to 145,000 and UC Davis received close to 100,000. Many UC’s accept less than 10% of their applicants, therefore making admission selections difficult, especially to the high demand programs like engineering, nursing, computer science, business, and biological sciences. Many of the “lottery schools” have acceptance rates under 3% and face the same challenge of choosing students from an exceptional pool of applicants.
Paying for College / Financial Aid
By now, most senior families should have completed the FAFSA and/or the CSS Profile, even if they think they will not qualify for financial aid. If a family has not yet applied, check the website of the colleges and universities to determine if there is still time to apply.
This document helps families learn how to read their financial aid award offers Sallie Mae decoding-financial-aid.pdf. It’s helpful to understand the terminology and to realize that financial aid offers do not have to follow a particular format. Some are much easier to understand than others.
Senior Parents: Will You Have Two Students in College Next Year?
Due to the FAFSA changes, colleges will no longer consider the number of students in a family that are attending college at the same time. Families in this situation should contact the financial aid offices for BOTH students (the student currently attending college and the current SFHS senior) and ask them to re-evaluate their financial aid offers (once offers are available).
If you feel it’s necessary to appeal the financial aid offer, have the student call or submit the scholarship/financial aid appeal, as it’s important for the college to know that the student is invested in the process and wants to attend their college.
Summer College Essay Writing Workshop
June 9 – 13, 8:00am to 10:00am
During the Summer College Essay Writing Workshop, students will commit to drafting, editing, and finalizing their personal statement/Common Application main essay, in addition to selecting at least two supplemental essay topics to finish. With full engagement to the tasks of the week, all students will end the workshop with a plan in place to tackle any remaining writing tasks with support from their peers and from the workshop instructor.
Three March College Planning Workshops for All Grade Levels
All students are welcome to join the SFHS College Advisors and some guest presenters to learn more about the following topics. All presentations/workshops will be held in the Counseling & College Center at lunchtime. Students should bring their lunch with them.
Seniors: Read your Email and Check College Portals!
The vast majority of colleges have set up a school-specific portal for applicants to utilize. Seniors must check their college portals often, as well as check email often, as colleges will use these two methods of communication to let students know important information.
College Advising Workshops in March
Open to all grade levels
College Advisors and special guests will present three workshops throughout the month of March. All workshops will be held at lunchtime in the Counseling & College Center:
- March 4: Pathways to Nursing
- March 11: Fun with Numbers: Calculating your GPA and College GPAs
- March 25: Pathways to Business
College Planning Meetings for Juniors
Ms. Austin and Ms. Lee will be meeting with juniors from February through May for their one-on-one College Planning Meetings. Juniors should check their email for a google calendar invite and respond promptly, especially if the meeting needs to be rescheduled for any reason.
Affording College Webinar
January 29, 2025 at 5:00pm
Revolution Prep is hosting a webinar focused on paying for college and financial aid. Register here.
Scott Wallace-Juedes, the Assistant Vice President of Financial Aid at NYU (and former Director of Financial Aid at Yale), will share actionable insights on navigating financial aid for college. Families will learn about the latest FAFSA and CSS profile updates, scholarships, grants, and strategies to make college affordable.
Class Level Parent Nights & Junior Parent College Night – Wednesday, January 22
Parents of Freshmen and Sophomores are invited to join us for in-person parent night presentations. We will discuss course availability, prerequisites, and the course registration process. We will also cover course pathways, honors and AP courses, and college information.
College Planning Meetings for Juniors
This semester, every student in the Class of 2026 will be scheduled for an initial College Planning Meeting with their College Advisor. College Advisor assignments are as follows:
- Students with last names A – K : Ms. Debbie Austin
- Students with last names L – Z : Ms. Naomi Lee
Ms. Austin and Ms. Lee will communicate with their students via email to set up individual College Planning Meetings.
January and February Advisories
All grade levels (except Seniors) have at least one mandatory advisory session in January and Juniors also have an additional advisory session in February. All advisory sessions are held from 8:00 – 9:00am in the Dining Hall. Dates are listed below. Attendance will be taken.
- Freshman Advisory – Wednesday, January 15
- Sophomore Advisory – Tuesday, January 21
- Junior Advisory – Thursday, January 23
- Junior Advisory – Wednesday, February 26
Apply for Financial Aid for College
The FAFSA is open! Each student plus at least one parent/contributor must have a StudentAid.gov Account to file the FAFSA. Students and parent/s should check the financial aid deadlines for each college to which they are applying, and determine which documents must be submitted. Most colleges require the FAFSA, and some require an additional application such as the CSS Profile.
Wishing You a Blessed Christmas
The Counseling & College Center will be closed from December 21 through January 5. We all wish you the very best as you celebrate the holidays with your family and friends.