ARHS has a College Advisor who meets with juniors and seniors in classroom groups and individually with juniors and seniors and their parents/guardians. She also plans workshops that provide a comprehensive view of the college admission and financial aid application processes.
The overall goal of the College Advising Program is to help each student and his or her family with major aspects of the college planning and admission processes. In conjunction with school counseling staff and community resources, the college advisor assists students and their families with a broad range of activities including: early college planning; academic preparation for college; identifying appropriate colleges; application and financial aid procedures; essay planning; testing; recommendation requirements; and transition issues.
College planning strategies are designed to meet the individual needs of each student as he or she explores higher education options. This is done primarily via individual conferences with students and their families that are held during the junior and senior years.
After-school or evening workshops for students and their parents explore a variety of college admission topics such as early college planning, SAT/ACT preparation, early decision options, essay writing, athletic recruitment, financial aid, services for students with disabilities etc
The college advisor e-mails group informational “Tidbits” to juniors and seniors and their parents/guardians as needed during the admissions cycle.
College admission and financial aid information including the College Collage newsletter is posted on the ARHS website (www.arps.org/hs/offices/guidance/) and in Hurricane Highlights.
Print materials and local newspaper announcements provide supplemental information about the college admission process.
Grade 11: Group Activities
Hampshire County College Fair (every October).
Athletes and College Recruitment panel (with Athletic Director) (every September/October).
Distribution of the ARHS College Admission Handbook for Juniors (late January).
Classroom presentations (in science classes) on the college admissions process (early February and early 3rd trimester).
LSSE sponsored SAT prep held at ARHS (with ARHS teachers) (every February, April).
ARHS Post High School Planning Workshop for Juniors and Parents (every spring).
NACAC College Fair at the Eastern States Expo. (every March—for all grades).
College Admissions Process evening presentation by MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) (every spring).
Distribution of teacher recommendation packets (after April vacation-necessary for all juniors who will apply for college admission within five years of graduation).
Evening panel about college programs for students with learning and other disabilities (every spring – appropriate for students in all grades).
Grade 12: Group Activities
Distribution of a large college admission handbook on the first day of school. It contains a complete list of college admission and financial tasks for the senior year and information on workshops.
College fairs: at WNEC in September and at a Hampshire County high school each September/October
ARHS Early Decision/Early Action Workshop (every September).
Classroom presentations about specifics of applying to college (every September).
Admission Office outreach visits to ARHS (from Sept.-Dec.).
Smith Club College Essay Writing Workshop (every September/October).
Athletes and College Recruitment panel (with Athletic Director) (every September/October).
LSSE sponsored SAT prep held at ARHS (with ARHS teachers) (every September/October).
ARHS evening College Admission Workshop for Seniors and Parents or Guardians (every October).
ARHS College Admission Workshop for ELL students (every October).
ARHS Financial Aid Workshop for Parents or Guardians of Seniors (every November/December).
FAFSA completion workshop (late January).
Distribution of local scholarship information and application packet to all seniors (late February).
MEFA presentation on comparing financial aid award letters, decision-making (every April).
Grade 11: Individual Meetings
Individual sessions with the College Advisor are offered to juniors and their parents or guardians from February to June of the junior year reviewing career goals, major areas of study, testing, financial aid, teacher recommendations, interests, extracurricular activities, work experience, summer activities, specific academic or personal needs/preferences, etc. Students are assisted in generating a list of colleges to research during the spring, summer and early fall.
To arrange an appointment with the College Advisor, students must complete an online questionnaire in Naviance Family Connection and see a Guidance secretary after February vacation.
Grade 12: Individual Meetings
Individualized college advising sessions are held with all seniors and their parents or guardians from September to early February to assist in finalizing the list of colleges, to provide answers to specific questions/concerns of students regarding applications for admission/financial aid and to ensure that each student includes one or two financially secure options in the final list of schools.
Students who wish to arrange a senior year appointment with the College Advisor must first complete the online senior questionnaire in Naviance Family Connection. Appointments are made through a Guidance secretary. Guidance counselors also use this information to write letters of recommendation, which are required by most four-year colleges.
Follow up individual meetings are scheduled with seniors/parents or guardians, as needed to assist with financial aid forms and a wide range of special circumstances.
Representatives from approximately one hundred colleges visit ARHS each fall. A schedule of these visits is posted on the Guidance bulletin board and on the ARHS website as appointments are made. Students who have a class must inform the teacher in advance. They must bring a college visit pass (generated by Naviance or available in the Guidance Office), to notify the teacher of the planned absence. Parents are welcome to attend. Students can attend three visits without attendance policy penalty.
Seniors work closely with the Guidance secretaries, who send transcripts, teacher and counselor recommendations, mid-year reports and other documents to the colleges to which the students are applying. Seniors must complete many Naviance tasks including listing colleges to which they will apply and separately requesting transcripts. . If they are applying to Common Application colleges they must also list their colleges on the Common Application at least three weeks before the college application deadlines, and must complete our release form authorizing us to send their materials. We charge a small fee for each application.
Students should make sure that they meet all application deadlines. They are very strict. Students who are applying to colleges with “rolling admissions” (often state colleges and large private universities) should apply as early as possible. The published deadlines are not target dates. Under “rolling admissions,” spaces are filled on a space-available basis, and the program desired can close before the deadline.
In late February, seniors receive a PACKET with information on local scholarships and an application form to use to apply for them. This document is also posted on the ARHS college planning website and in Naviance. Some of the winners are determined by a committee of ARHS teachers and counselors. Other winners are chosen by the local donors. Many students are eligible for these scholarships, as the criteria are designed specifically to include a wide variety of needs and achievements. Students and families are encouraged to read the packet of information carefully and pay attention to the strict April 1 application deadline. Students are encouraged to put some effort into completing these applications, as there is quite a bit of money available. The “Common Scholarship Application Form” is also available on line.
In addition to these local scholarships, the Guidance Department keeps students informed about various Massachusetts and national scholarships. Students should pay careful attention to listings in Naviance and the morning announcements to keep themselves informed about these. Deadlines are strict.
The College Advising Program is one component of the wider spectrum of school counseling services provided by the Amherst Regional Schools. The overall goal of the College Advising Program is to help each student and his or her family with major aspects of the college admission and planning process. In conjunction with school counseling staff and community resources, the college advisor assists students and their families with a broad range of activities including: early college planning; academic preparation for college; college and scholarship searches; application and financial aid procedures, testing, recommendation requirements and transition issues.
College planning strategies are designed to meet the individual needs of each student as he or she explores higher education options. This is done primarily via individual conferences with students and their families that are held throughout the junior and senior years. However, some aspects of the college admission process are more conducive to group presentations in topic-focused workshops, classroom sessions and college visitations. Therefore, a variety of college admission topics (such as early college planning, SAT Reasoning and Subject test preparation, early decision options, essay writing, athletic recruitment, financial aid, etc.) are explored in classroom, after-school or evening workshops for students and their parents. Print materials, information packets for parents, newsletters and local newspaper announcements provide supplemental information about careers, major fields of study, and the college admission process. In cooperation with Hampshire County high schools, Amherst Regional High School also sponsors an annual college fair in October.
There is a bank of computers in the Guidance Office that is available for student use. The best source for information about colleges can be found on their official websites. Everything from general information to the course catalogue to specifics about majors and minors, to the schedule of courses to information about athletic teams and schedules -- even sometimes the college newspaper is available for your examination.
A wide range of descriptive guides about colleges, major fields of study, standardized testing and financial aid is available in the Guidance Office. Materials address the general needs of students as well as the specific concerns of international students, students with special needs or disabilities and students from various religious/cultural backgrounds.
Myra Ross, College Advisor
(413) 362-1715
email: rossm@arps.org
Guidance Secretaries:
Connie Cappelli (Room 101) 362-1720; email: cappellic@arps.org
Cathy Tracy (Room 107) 362-1715; email: tracyc@arps.org