Counseling Parent Nights
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.
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
Naviance
Naviance is a fully integrated platform students can use to learn about themselves, careers, and colleges. Through assessments and interest inventories, students can create connections between their strengths and interests to possible majors and future careers.
Freshmen were introduced to Naviance in our small group meetings. They can begin exploring Naviance and recording their activities in the Resume. They were given a temporary password to use to log on to Naviance and to create their own password. We will notify students who have not yet completed this task.
Mark Your Calendar for Late Start Class-Level Advisories & Parent Nights
All grade levels met with the Counselors and/or College Advisors during a late start in the fall for mandatory advisory sessions. Freshmen and Sophomores have one additional advisory meeting in January, and Juniors have two advisories – one in January and one in February. These sessions are critical as we will discuss course options for next year, the process for course registration, as well as focus on college-related topics for juniors. Please plan ahead to avoid conflicts, as these sessions are mandatory.