NHS GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
NEWS & EVENTS - MAY 31, 2024
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND EVENTS
Letter to 8th Grade Families:
If you missed Step-up-Night held in person at Natick High School, you can view a video as well as a slide presentation.
NHS is excited to host an in-person orientation on Tuesday - August 20, 2024.
Please click the link below to RSVP:
Freshman Orientation 2024 RSVP Survey
9th GRADE - FRESHMAN ORIENTATION
We welcome the High School Graduating Class of 2028 to join us next August for our annual Freshman Orientation. Please save the date!
Freshman Orientation activities include opportunities for students to meet peers from both of our incoming middle school classes, bond with their freshman mentor group, tour the building, do team-building/icebreaker activities, experience their class schedule, and meet their upperclass mentors to name a few. It is the best way for students to get acclimated to the school that will become their second home for the rest of their years studying with Natick Public Schools. We look forward to meeting each of our incoming 9th Graders!
SENIORS
Final Transcripts: The Guidance Department will send a final transcript to the school your child plans to attend in the fall, so please be sure to let us know your final decision once it has been made. Transcripts will be sent in late June. This process is automatic and you do not need to request a final transcript.
One last important “to do”, please thank your teachers for the work they did to help you with your future plans, e.g., writing letters of recommendation, editing essays or just being understanding of the stress you were under at times. A short hand-written note can go a long way.
Best Wishes to the Class of 2024. It has been a pleasure working with you over the course of the last four years. We wish you much success in the coming years.
JUNIORS
Juniors should continue with their college search adn planning throughout the summer months. Many colleges keep track of student attendance at virtual and in-person information sessions, tours, conferences, etc. as an indication of demonstrated interest.
Naviance: Counselors recommend that students continue to explore the various features of Naviance (maps, scattergrams, compare me screen) and save a list of colleges to their “colleges I’m thinking of” screen. These lists must be accurate next fall before counselors can process student transcript requests.
COLLEGE VISITATIONS
Colleges provide a variety of opportunities for interested students to connect with admissions. While we encourage campus visitations and/or information sessions, there are also virtual opportunities as well. It is important to check the Admissions pages for the colleges you are interested in visiting. Even if you cannot sign up for a live tour but are able to get on campus, we encourage you to contact the admissions office so that they are aware you were on campus. Many colleges track student visitations as “demonstrated interest,” which is a factor that may be considered in the review process.
There are several ways that you can show interest virtually. Below are a few ideas:
Fill out an interest form on the college’s admission website. This will put you on their contact list and show that you want to learn more.
Open emails that the colleges send you. If they send you a link or a suggestion to interact with them on social media, click on it or follow them. Many colleges do track these interactions.
Participating in a hosted online campus tour, chat, video presentation, and/or Q&A. You can often find more info about these on a school’s admissions website—and many are actively creating new and improved interactive content.
Explore virtual campus tour options
In Guidance Seminars, students were asked to consider the top 3-5 criteria that were most important to them. Using these criteria, they set search parameters in the SuperMatch College Search and begin building a list of “Colleges I’m Thinking About.” As students build their list, they should consider adding between 9 and 12 schools including a range of realistic (student’s credentials match that of the college’s), reach (schools with higher credentials than the student), and safety (schools with lower credentials than the student) options. We also strongly recommend that one of the safeties be a “financial safety,” a school the student can not only get into but can also has a more affordable sticker price, such as a Massachusetts state university or college
SAT/ACT
May and June are popular months for juniors to take either an SAT and/or an ACT, however, the July ACT and August SAT also offer more options for test administrations. We encourage our juniors to take at least one SAT and/or ACT, however, recognizing that many colleges continue to adopt a test-optional policy at this time. Deadlines and links to the registration process are below.
The Common Application
Many juniors will begin to think about the application process over the summer months. The Common Application is a popular method for applying. More than 900 colleges accept the Common Application. The 2023/2024 application is available now. The 2024/2025 Common Application will be available on August 1st, however, students can begin working on their Common Application now/earlier and use the “rollover” feature to transfer their work to the 2024/2025 application. We do caution students that updates can be for the following year and most often occur with the supplemental (college-specific) sections. A link to the Common Application general website can be found below:
Juniors may benefit from reviewing the Common Application Essay Prompts. These prompts, as well as other helpful information regarding the Common Application, can be found in the links below.
Common Application Essay Prompts 2024/25
Juniors will be working on a personal narrative essay in English class before the end of the school year. Since many students will apply to at least one school that takes the Common Application, students are encouraged to use one of the seven essay prompts from the Common Application when writing their personal statement. With a bit of time and effort, the goal is for our juniors to leave in June with a completed college essay.
Junior Post Secondary Checklist: a “to-do” list before leaving for the summer
Below are a few agenda items every Junior should consider starting, if not finishing, before the summer break. Remember this is also posted in your child’s Junior Guidance Seminar Google Classroom. This work will lay a solid foundation for post-secondary planning in the fall and ensure a smooth start to senior year.
Alternative Post-Secondary Options:
We understand and appreciate that a traditional 4-year college plan is not for every student. We have expanded our Post Secondary Options website to offer students information on a variety of alternative options. There is a path for everyone, and we encourage our students to find the one that is right for them.
SOPHOMORES
Save the Date - PSAT Administration for Class of 2026 - Saturday, October 26, 2024
The PSAT administration for students in the class of 2026 is scheduled for 10/26/2024. More resources and information will be shared with students and families in the fall.
Guidance Seminar
Guidance counselors have started to meet with sophomores in Guidance Seminar. Sophomore Guidance Seminar will be largely committed to helping students explore their personality type and interests as a way to launch their exploration of careers and career-related resources. This will also help guide students with future course selection and assist in researching possible college majors that relate to students’ interests.
Pre-ACT
Score Reports for students who took the April 6th Pre-ACT will be given out to students during Guidance Seminar before the end of the school year.
FRESHMAN
Ninth graders will take the Physics MCAS on Tuesday, June 4 and Wednesday, June 5. Testing will begin at 8:15 each day. We encourage students to be well-rested and on time to put their best foot forward, as passing scores on the MCAS are a graduation requirement as required by the state. Students are encouraged to bring a calculator, water, and a book to read (in the event that they finish their exam early). Best of luck, ninth graders! Take confidence in the great preparation your science teachers have given you!
If time allows, summer can be a great time to participate in community service, a rewarding experience that will also help students work towards meeting their 30-hour graduation requirement. See our Community Service Website for ideas!
COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS CENTER
For more information from the CCRC, please visit our College & Career Readiness Website.
The summer time is a great opportunity for students to stay involved. Whether you want to complete community service, find a summer job, or work at a summer camp, it is important to stay involved and engaged! Take a look at various opportunities below!
Check out the College & Career Readiness Center of the Natick High School website for plenty of ideas: Enter the center here
Gap Year Information
To learn more about various Gap Year programs visit: Gap Year Website
Gap Years are becoming a growing trend amongst high school graduates. Taking a year ‘off’ between high school and college allows students to work, volunteer, and grow as individuals, before the next step of college. Gap Year Solutions is helping students and families navigate the gap year process. They are providing an abundance of resources and webinars related to what gap years will look like, new trends, changes to gap year structures, and how the college application process related to gap years are changing.
Community Service
To learn about various volunteer opportunities visit: Community Service Website
ALL STUDENTS - Remember you have a 30-hour community service requirement for graduation! For those who are looking to give back to our community, please check out some of the opportunities on the Community Service Website!
Employment
To learn about various job opportunities visit: Employment Opportunities Website
There are plenty of summer job opportunities available for students, and working a summer job or working as a camp counselor is a great way to connect with others and a great opportunity to learn new skills and stay busy during the summer time! Please refer to the summer tab of the Student Employment Database for available opportunities!
If you need to get a Work Permit, you may print an application off the website. Once you have been offered a job, please have your employer, your doctor (if applicable), and your parent or guardian fill out their respective sections before bringing the form back to the NHS Main Office. They will be able to process the application from that point on.
STANDARDIZED TESTING & TEST PREP OPPORTUNITIES
STANDARDIZED TESTING: Juniors should plan to take an SAT and/or ACT exam in the spring of their junior year. Additional exams may also be offered in the summer and in the fall of their senior year. If students are planning to take AP exams as well, we strongly recommend that they create a testing schedule. Counselors are available to assist if students have questions.
ACT DATES & REGISTRATION SAT DATES & REGISTRATION
Students must register at www.collegeboard.com or www.actstudent.org. Students are responsible for sending their standardized test scores directly to the colleges through their College Board and/or ACT account.
FOR TEST PREP OPPORTUNITIES PLEASE CLICK HERE.
FOR ADDITIONAL TEST PREP/TUTORING IDEAS: TEST PREP
Standardized Testing Resources:
Students interested in taking the SAT and/or ACT should register at either College Board or ACT respectively. While high schools continue to offer test administrations throughout the pandemic, space may be limited and fewer test sites offered. Administration updates can shift quickly so it is important to check your email for updates. Keep in mind that many colleges have adopted a test optional policy. We encourage you to read the fine print on the policy. For a list of schools that either no longer require or have made standardized testing optional in the college search process, please visit fairtest.org.
THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA)
SECTION 8025 OF THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA), a federal law, permits parents to submit a written request to the school and/or school district prohibiting the disclosure of their child's information, including their child's name, address, and telephone number, to any United States military recruiter without prior written consent. A child's name can be removed from these lists by filling out the Military Exempt Form and returning it to the Guidance Department.