1. Early College Planning
RHS College and Career Counseling

2. School Counseling Office
The mission of the RHS School Counseling Department is to empower students to reach their true academic potential and realize their full personal promise.
Social
Emotional
Academic

3. Student Anxiety
Anxiety is the most common mental-health disorder in the U.S.
Affecting nearly 1/3 of adolescents & adults
How does admissions and the college process play into this?
"I think our students are just doing too much. They feel like they have to do too much, and they really don't.” -Stu Schmill, the dean of admissions at MIT
Reducing Stress…
Breathe!
Understand the college admissions process for what it is… a step towards their independence
Watch the Pronouns!
Rembember whose process and application it is
Use your resource
There is no one perfect school

4. High School Timeline 9th Grade 10th Grade
Academics: Study hard, challenge yourself
Start exploring
get to know your teachers
Join New Activities/Clubs/Sports
10th Grade
Academics: Study hard, challenge yourself, get to know your teachers
Take the PSATs
Career Exploration
Start Window-shopping Colleges
NCAA- for student athletes

5. High School Timeline (cont.)
11th Grade
Academics: Study hard, challenge yourself, get to know your teachers
Advance involvement in clubs/activities
Standardized Testing
PSATs in Fall
SATs/ACTs in March
Start formulating college list
Naviance College Research
Mini College Fairs, Private College Visits
On Campus College Visits
College meeting with Counselors
Asking 2 teachers for Recommendation letters
NCAA- for student athletes

6. High School Timeline (cont.)
12th Grade
Academics: Study hard, challenge yourself, get to know your teachers
Advance involvement in clubs/activities
Standardized Testing
Finalize College List
College Visits
Mini College Fair
Private College Visits
College Applications
Financial Aid Forms
College Interviews
Updating Naviance
Scholarship Applications
Follow up with teachers about recommendation letters
NCAA- for student athletes

7. Starting High School- 9th grade
Focus on starting high school
Get Involved
Try new things
Challenge yourself academically
Ask for help
Make new friends
Meet your counselor
Talk to your teachers
Find your happy!

8. Dream Big What are your Dreams? Why College?
What are you working towards… College should be a pathway not the goal
Start setting goals Long and Short Term
Goal setting is a feature in Naviance
“Find two new clubs to be part of Freshman year” “Work towards getting an A in Geometry” “Get to school early everyday”
Decide how college can help you achieve your goals

9. Self-Discovery
Naviance: A comprehensive website that can be used to help in making decisions about colleges and careers
Self Discovery
Personality Assessment, Multiple Intelligence, Career Interest Profiler
Career Research
Linked to education needed for career and the schools that offer areas of study

10. Whose job is it anyway? The Student’s Job The Parent’s Job
Career Research
College Research
Talk to your counselor
Set your goals (personal, academic, emotional)
Be happy!
The Parent’s Job
Encourage
Guide
Help Organize
Set financial expectations

11. Window Shopping College Research Find what fits the student
Large/Small
Urban/Suburban/Rural
Liberal Arts/Professional Degree Program
Naviance College Research
Attending mini college fairs
Start touring local campuses

12. Building A Resume Get Involved Naviance Resume Builder
Activities that you enjoy
Increase your involvement
Take on leadership roles
Naviance Resume Builder
Track your involvement starting freshman year

13. Standardized Testing
PSAT- October of Sophomore year
ACT vs SAT

14. Failure is OKAY Failure is inevitable
You learn substantially more from failure than success
Failure makes you stronger
You take more chances when you’re unafraid to fail
Failure allows you to discover new paths
Failure makes success that much sweeter