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Irvington High School
Counseling Department
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INFORMATION FROM THE IHS COUNSELING DEPARTMENT
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Dear Juniors,
We hope that this message finds you well! As we continue through this time of virtual learning and social distancing, we understand the increased anxiety and stress that is coming not only from trying to adapt to new learning, the state of the country, and also navigating what is next with your post secondary planning.
Don’t forget to take some time to engage in things that interest you, spend time with your family, and enjoy the slow down. Did you see the email we sent with ways to enjoy this unprecedented time? Missed it?
Click here
to read it!
Although we want you to slow down and focus on your health and wellness, we are also cognizant of the fact that junior year is a big year and that our current situation makes more unknowns than ever. Below are some of the resources we’ve put together to help you navigate the post-secondary process in these new waters.
PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION BELOW. SINCE EVERYONE IS IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF THEIR POST-SECONDARY PROCESS, WE FELT OBLIGED TO INCLUDE IT ALL. TAKE YOUR TIME AND READ WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.
As always, please reach out to us with any questions or concerns. Or just to say hi! We miss seeing you all and look forward to getting back to school as soon as we can!
Be well,
Your High School Counseling Team
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LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE
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We recognize that spring of junior year is when the college search and application process swings into full gear. While this year, students and families may not be able to get onto campuses, college offices are still open and making adjustments to their programming to support this change. Additionally, many of the things you’d be doing this year to support your process can be done remotely. Below are some things that you can be doing now to support your college search. They have been broken down into the following categories:
- SELECTING YOUR SENIOR YEAR SCHEDULE
- RESEARCHING POST-SECONDARY PLANS
- A LIST OF UPCOMING WORKSHOPS MENTIONED IN THIS EMAIL
- WORKING PAPERS INFORMATION
Read the topics that interest you!
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SELECTING YOUR SENIOR YEAR SCHEDULE
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We are moving forward with the scheduling process for next year. Shortly, you will receive a communication regarding the status of your requests with instructions on how to review and request changes.
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RESEARCHING
POST-SECONDARY PLANS
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- Davin Sweeney, a former admissions representative from The University of Rochester is hosting an Irvington High School Only webinar on the college admissions process! The workshop will be available to view shortly on our school counseling website. More information to follow soon!
- Attend the Strive Virtual College Exploration event happening April 20th-23rd. In order to register, you can visit this link: https://www.strivescan.com/virtual/schedule/ and click “student registration” next to the session you are interested in. You may register for as many sessions as you would like!
- Register for a workshop hosted by the University of Rochester. You can sign up for the following workshops: The College Admissions Essay, Finding the Right Fit, College Admissions Interviewing 101, Selective College Admissions, Financial Aid and more! Register for as many as you’d like here.
- Attend a two part Webinar Series hosted by The Essay Guy. Part I: Junior Night: What Can I be Doing Now (4/22, 7pm). Part II: Planting Seeds for your College Applications & Essays (4/29, 7pm). Learn more and register here.
- Review the Irvington High School College Planning Guide here. This comprehensive guide has summaries of topics related to the application process, as well answers to frequently asked questions.
- Check out the NACAC site that lists the current impact COVID-19 is having on their admissions office here.
- We strongly recommend continuing to use the following websites to gather information on prospective schools.
- SCOIR
- Naviance
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We know that the essay and supplemental writing requirements are on your mind. We have an upcoming opportunity for you to learn more about writing yours including opportunities to ask questions! The College Essay Guy is partnering with select schools to offer his essay writing boot camp FOR FREE! We have only heard great things about him and his product. The virtual boot camp will be held on:
- June 1st, 3rd, & 5th: Mon, Wed, Fri (10:00-11:30am OR 4:00-5:30pm Pacific Time)
- If you’d like to join, register HERE:
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Unfortunately, along with the May test date, the June SAT exam has now been cancelled. We expect ACT to follow suit shortly. Collegeboard has already begun talks about additional testing opportunities in the early fall and will have more information soon. They have indicated that registration will begin sometime in May, giving students whose tests were cancelled priority access to registration.
In addition, MANY colleges have already adjusted their standardized testing requirements for next year, while others will make decisions depending on the evolving landscape. As we move forward, please do not hesitate to be in touch with your counselor if you have any questions regarding your testing timeline.
- Learn more about Impact of COVID-19 on College Admission and Testing in this recorded panel of college admissions professionals here.
For the most up to date information about testing, we recommend checking the Collegeboard and ACT websites.
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Recommendation requests are already in full gear. Don’t worry if you haven’t already asked your teachers, there is still plenty of time. For more information about the recommendation request process, here are two resources for you.
Don’t forget to complete the All About Me survey and the Parent Brag sheet for your counselor as well!
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The application includes simple biographical information, such as your birthday and address. Frequently, you will need to write essays, which are intended to acquaint the admission committee with your experiences, strengths, weaknesses, and writing ability. The most commonly used application is the
Common App
.
There are other applications that some schools use, such as the
Coalition App
, as well as school-specific apps. As a junior, you can register for some of these applications. Most of this work, however, needs to be completed after August 1st of this year.
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A LIST OF UPCOMING WORKSHOPS MENTIONED IN THIS EMAIL
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- Attend the Strive Virtual College Exploration event happening April 20th-23rd. In order to register, you can visit this link: https://www.strivescan.com/virtual/schedule/ and click “student registration” next to the session you are interested in. You may register for as many sessions as you would like!
- Attend a two part Webinar Series hosted by The Essay Guy. Part I: Junior Night: What Can I be Doing Now (4/22, 7pm). Part II: Planting Seeds for your College Applications & Essays (4/29, 7pm). Learn more and register here.
- Register for a workshop hosted by the University of Rochester. You can sign up for the following workshops: The College Admissions Essay, Finding the Right Fit, College Admissions Interviewing 101, Selective College Admissions, Financial Aid and more! Register for as many as you’d like here.
- Davin Sweeney, a former admissions representative from The University of Rochester is hosting an Irvington High School Only webinar on the college admissions process! The workshop will be available to view shortly on our school counseling website. More information to follow soon!
- The College Essay Guy is partnering with select schools to offer his essay writing boot camp FOR FREE! We have only heard great things about him and his product. The virtual boot camp will be held on:
- June 1st, 3rd, & 5th: Mon, Wed, Fri (10:00-11:30am OR 4:00-5:30pm Pacific Time)
- If you’d like to join, register HERE:
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WORKING PAPERS INFORMATION:
NEW PROCESS
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The process for working papers has changed a bit. Should you want to/need to request working papers please email our school nurse, Mrs. Basha at
Elizabeth.Basha@irvingtonschools.org
. She will be able to support you through the new virtual process.
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All 11th graders should already be members of the google classroom called “Class of 2021 School Counseling Classroom”. If you are not currently a member, you can access the Google Classroom using the code: xnbd4ru.
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PS: Here’s what has helped your counselors decompress during this time!
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The School Counseling Team
Emily Colman (last names A-C)
e-mail
Heather Attenello (last names D-J)
e-mail
Andrew Lund (last names K-P)
e-mail
Rebecca Kruge (last names Q-Z)
e-mail
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every email
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