HHS School Counseling Announcements

PSAT and Pre-ACT results have been released for all students who took the tests in October. PSAT results are available in your Naviance account, and will be available on your College Board account on Monday, December 9th. The College Board's report provides valuable information on where your strengths and weaknesses were on the test. A code will also be available that allows you to connect your College Board account with Khan Academy. Khan Academy has partnered with the College Board to provide personalized SAT practice based on your strengths and weaknesses on the PSATs. Information on linking College Board and Khan Academy is  here  (this also includes information about logging into the College Board for the first time). For more information on understanding your PSAT scores, please see the following links:  Sophomore Parents/Guardians - Understanding PSAT 10 Results Junior Parents/Guardians - Understanding PSAT/NMSQT Results Students - Understanding PSAT Results Pre-AC

Hello Sophomores! HOBY is a 3-day leadership workshop for sophomores only. The program will take place at Bentley University June 12-14, 2020 . The program has inspirational speakers, e.g., the founders of Life is Good, and lots of activities to help students better understand and embrace  leadership through service to the community . The program doesn’t have a specific vision of what a leader looks like – a leader might be a quiet person who leads by example or a person who leads by embracing their wonderful self regardless of what peers think. The definition of a leader is BROAD!  Our budding leaders who don't necessarily fit the typical mould and could use an opportunity to find their tribe and discover their leadership potential are especially encouraged to apply.  Website:  https://hobyma.org/Se minarUpdates The application process is outlined below: We ask any interested sophomores to answer ALL the questions listed in  FlipGrid  by December 2 2019. Log in with

Seniors! The Daughters of the American Revolution offers a  Good  Citizen  and Scholarship Program. If you think you are dependable, service-oriented, a leader and patriotic, we would like to know as we have to nominate a Holliston High School  Good   Citizen . Please write a brief paragraph (150-200 words) sharing how you think you embody these qualities and submit it to the School Counseling Office by Friday, November 15 - you can e-mail your counselor directly. (Yes, it really is that easy.) The nominee will be notified on Monday, November 18th during DSB and needs to be available to answer an essay prompt from the DAR program on Monday after school or on Tuesday, by the end of DSB.

Attention, seniors! Senior grades will be sent to colleges to which you have already applied beginning on Thursday, 11/14. Please review your grades to make sure they are correct, and  if not, please let your counselor know ASAP.  If you  DO NOT  want your grades sent, please let your counselor know. If we do not hear from you, and you have already applied to a college, your senior grades will be sent as is. 

Attention all students taking the PSAT/NMSQT on Saturday, October 19: Check in will begin at 7:15.   TESTING WILL BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 7:45am .  Students who arrive after test booklets have been distributed in their testing room will not be permitted to test. There will be a check in desk located in the main lobby outside the auditorium where you will be directed to your testing room. Please check in with a current and valid school- or government- issued photo ID. Your photo ID will be checked again when you arrive at your testing room. Students will not be admitted without identification. If you do not have a photo ID of any type, please reach out to Kira Wong at  wongk@holliston.k12.ma.us . What to bring: Sharpened # 2 pencils with good erasers  (Required) An approved calculator ( Required  for use on Math Calculator Section ONLY) - click  HERE  for a list of approved calculators. Most graphing calculators are permitted ( see list on College Board website ), ALL scien

DEADLINE to Register for AP Exam(s) for Fall (Semester 1) courses has been extended to SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2019! For exams corresponding to Spring (Semester 2) ONLY courses (AP Physics C Mechanics, AP Government, AP Macro and AP English Language (Eng Lang is usually grade 11 students at HHS)),  registration opens February 5, 2020, and closes February 25, 2020. To register for an AP exam students must complete TWO steps . The below link has detailed instructions on how to register at both the College Board website (in order to order exam(s)) AND at APTSUSA (in order to pay for exam(s))...  both need to be completed in order to receive an exam in May. https://aptsusa.com/holliston/ apinfo/ Please see Ms. Harwich in the School Counseling Office with questions.

Parents and students in any grade are invited to attend a free seminar on paying for college, which will be held on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 6:30 pm - HHS Auditorium . Students are encouraged to attend if possible so that they may acquire the basic language needed to navigate financial aid. This seminar is offered through MEFA, the Commonwealth’s authority on planning, saving, and paying for college. An experienced MEFA representative will provide an overview of the college financing process, including types of financial aid, how to apply, and financing options for your family. Before the seminar, be sure to visit MEFA’s website — mefa.org — to explore the information and tools available to you. Copies of the presentation will be made available to all attendees. Make sure to bring a pen to make notes! For families who are unable to attend:  For families unable to attend HHS’s presentation, other local high schools are offering a MEFA college financing seminar. No RSVP i

The  Nuts and Bolts College Night  - an evening for  parents/guradians only , will be offered on  Wednesday, September 25th at 5:30 pm and again at 6:45 pm in the HHS library . Pick the time that is most convenient for you! The evening's event will be an overview of the most technical aspects of the college application process, including time for Q&A. We will keep you for an hour and no longer! Specific Questions?  If you have some specific questions ahead of time, feel free to send them our way! You can add your questions to a Google Doc we have created - click  HERE . Hope to see you there!

A reminder to all seniors - please review your transcript and let your counselor know by Friday, September 20th  if there are any issues with grades, courses, credits, etc... Otherwise, your transcript will go out to colleges as is.

DEADLINE to Register for AP Exam(s) for Fall (Semester 1) courses is October 15, 2019! In conjunction with the College Board's new policy, Holliston High School's AP Exam registration is open through October 15, 2019, for all AP courses that begin during the first semester. These students MUST register by October 15th to take any AP exam in May.  For exams corresponding to Spring (Semester 2) ONLY courses (AP Physics C Mechanics, AP Government, AP Macro and AP English Language (Eng Lang is usually grade 11 students at HHS)), registration opens February 5, 2020, and closes February 25, 2020. To register for an AP exam students must complete TWO steps . The below link has detailed instructions on how to register at both the College Board website (in order to order exam(s)) AND at APTSUSA (in order to pay for exam(s))... both need to be completed in order to receive an exam in May. https://aptsusa.com/holliston/ faqs/    Please see Ms. Harwich in the School Co

This is a quick reminder that registration for the PSAT / Pre-ACT closes  this Friday, September 6 . If your student is planning on sitting for either exam, please ensure that their registration is completed by 11:59 pm EST on September 6.  Please see below for registration information:  PSAT registration  - testing on Saturday, October 19 Pre-ACT registration  - testing on Saturday, October 26 If you have any questions, please let Ms. Wong ( wongk@holliston.k12.ma.us ) in Guidance know. 

We hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer! We are looking forward to welcoming you all back to school soon! We are writing with an important update about changes to the Guidance caseload distribution due to fluctuations in class sizes. Each year, the Guidance department and administrative team review and, if necessary, make changes to, the caseload distributions. This ensures that each counselor has a relatively equitable caseload size so that we may be able to provide the best possible support to our students. Please see the chart below for the new caseload distributions for the 2019-2020 school year. The letter distributions are based on last names. Changes from last year are  bolded/underlined. Taylor  Mont Harwich Ross/Wong Grade 9 (2023) A-D E-L M-R S-Z Grade 10 (2022) A-D E-L M-R S-Z Grade 11 (2021) A-C D-K L-R S-Z Grade 12 (2020) A-D E-K L-R S-Z Mrs. Harwich will continue to work with 9th and 10th grade students who have older siblings already on

We hope you are enjoying your summer - only a few short weeks until we are back to school! Due to a scheduling error,  Holliston High School will not be hosting the October 26, 2019 administration of the ACT; we will, instead, be a test site for the September 14, 2019 administration of the ACT.  If you would like to register for the September 14, 2019 ACT test date, there are still seats available at Holliston High School. Registration closes on August 16, 2019; late registration (with an additional fee) closes on September 1st.  If you would like to sit for the October 26, 2019 ACT test date, you may register at other local high schools. Those schools in close proximity to Holliston hosting the October ACT are Milford High School, Framingham High School, and Natick High School.  Our spring standardized testing calendar has also been affected.  We will not be hosting the ACT on June 13, 2020; instead, we will host the ACT on April 4, 2020.  The Holliston High School

Attention, Class of 2019: We hope you are enjoying your summer! Final transcripts were sent to the colleges you indicated in Naviance yesterday. It can take up to two weeks for colleges to receive and process these documents, so please be patient. If your college has not received your transcript by July 10, please let Mrs. Camiel know by e-mailing her at  camielv@holliston.k12.ma.us .

Registration for the PSAT and Pre-ACT being offered in the fall is now open. Registration will close on September 6th. 10th and 11th graders will have the option to take one, or both of the tests in the 2019-2020 school year. The PSAT/NMSQT will be offered on Saturday October 19th, 2019. The Pre-ACT will be offered on Saturday October 26th, 2019. Contrary to widespread belief, both the ACT and SAT are accepted by ALL colleges and universities. Students have 2 options and we wanted to ensure that our students have the best opportunity to test well and, in offering the Pre-ACT and the PSAT, we increase the student's ability to make a more informed decision now instead of when the testing starts to count and costs much more! REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 6th - registration is not complete until payment is received. COST: $35 (one exam); $70 (both exams) REGISTRATION: http://aptestservice.com/holliston All registration and exam questions can be found on this comprehensive website

Attention, seniors! Please complete your graduation survey in Naviance as soon as possible. This is a graduation obligation, and you will not receive your cap and gown until this is completed. How to complete the survey: Login to Naviance . Click on ABOUT ME (top right-hand corner). Go to MY SURVEYS. Click on SURVEYS NOT STARTED. Complete the CLASS OF 2019- GRADUATION SURVEY.

For the past few years, here at HHS, we have used May 1 to celebrate our seniors and inspire underclass students by asking our seniors to wear a shirt/sweatshirt with the college of their choice, GAP/PG year program in which they will participate, branch of military they will join, or their place of employment. This year, we will be branching out and inviting seniors and faculty/staff to  wear your future   in a more broad sense. What are your hopes and dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to achieve? What do you hope for this world? This can, of course, include more traditional views of post-secondary plans (college, work, military), but we really encourage you to think outside of the box! This coming Wednesday will be an incredibly fun day at HHS. Congratulations to our seniors for planning for their future – well done! We are proud of you.

Planned attendees for Thursday's Mini-Fair are  here . Sophomores and juniors are invited to attend the fair at the following times: 1st LUNCH at 10:57        MINI-FAIR 11:15 – 11:35 2nd LUNCH at 11:36       MINI-FAIR 11:25 – 11:45 3rd LUNCH at 12:14        MINI-FAIR 11:45 – 12:15    Please let your counselor know if you have any questions!

Attention all AP examinees! If you are planning on taking any AP exams in May, you MUST attend the AP Pre-Administration Session tomorrow, Tuesday, April 23 during DSB in the Cafeteria.  If you are unable to attend, please let your counselor know as soon as possible. This must be completed prior  to taking your first AP exam.

The final list of colleges attending the mini-fair on Thursday, April 11th is  here . Students will be invited to attend during the lunch block. The schedule is as follows: 1st LUNCH at 10:57        MINI-FAIR 11:15 – 11:35 2nd LUNCH at 11:36       MINI-FAIR 11:25 – 11:45 3rd LUNCH at 12:14        MINI-FAIR 11:45 – 12:15 

Financial Aid Workshops Kate Walsh, a representative from Citizen's Bank, will be joining us during DSB on  April 2, April 4, April 9, and April 11  for a workshop-style presentation to help students understand their financial aid packages/letters. If you have questions about your financial aid awards, please stop by during these times! Holliston Local Scholarships The deadline for the Holliston High School scholarships is Monday, April 8 at 3:00 pm - NO EXCEPTIONS! Please see Ms. Camiel in Guidance with any questions.

HHS sophomores and juniors will be invited to attend two mini-fairs during the lunch block on Thursday, April 11th and Thursday, May 2nd. Over 100 colleges and universities are expected to attend. The current RSVP list for 4/11 is here and the list for 5/2 is here . An updated list will be available prior to the fair.  On Wednesday, April 10th, HHS Guidance will be hosting four college representatives (Syracuse, Roger Williams, UConn, and Hobart and William Smith), in addition to a current parent of a senior and her senior student, on a college admissions panel. We will be discussing a variety of questions related to the college admissions process from standardized testing policies and college visits to financial aid and scholarships. The evening will begin at 7 pm in the HHS Auditorium. We hope to see you there!

Thank you all for your patience as we go through the course selection process in PowerSchool for the first time - we are excited about the capabilities this platform will give us throughout the scheduling process! Please keep you counselor updated of any issues you are experiencing - this is a learning process for all. Course selection opened on Friday, March 8 at 4 pm and will close on Monday, March 18 at 9 pm. Overrides are due in Guidance by Friday, April 12. Helpful resources: Course Selection Presentation - Grades 9-11 Course Selection Presentation - Grade 8 Override Form    **new process this year** Flag for Counselor Assistance Form 2019-2020 Program of Studies Online Course Permission Slip Online Course Registration Link

Please click  here  for a list of the Holliston High School scholarships and click  here  for a list of the Holliston Scholarship Foundation awards - more information in the links!

Holliston High School will be hosting the Personal Pathways to Career Success Night on March 19 from 6:30 - 8:30pm in the cafeteria. Please see attached flyer for more info!

The 6th Annual MetroWest College and Career Fair will be held on Saturday, March 16th from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm at Ashland High School. For more information, please visit their website .

College visit permission slips were sent to students who have signed up via e-mail (the e-mail indicated on the sign-up form) on Monday, February 4th. These forms are due back in Guidance on Thursday, February 7th . Paper copies are available in Guidance. If you have questions, please see your counselor.

Attention, juniors! Common App essay prompts for the upcoming application cycle (2019-2020) were just announced. See  here .

We are hoping to begin sending mid-year grades to colleges this week. Please check your report cards for accuracy, and let us know ASAP if there are any errors. We will send grades to every colleges we have sent an initial transcript to earlier this year. If you took term/semester only classes this fall, we will send a transcript to each school, unless we hear specifically from you. If you are in a 3-term AP course, we will send a report card (minus the final exam grades) to each college, unless we hear specifically from you.  Please let your counselor know if you have any questions!

Remind.com has announced that Verizon Wireless will no longer charge a fee to use the service!  This means that there will be no service disruption for Verizon Wireless customers , so we will continue to use this as normal. If you need assistance signing up for Remind.com, please see your counselor!

Materials (presentation/handout) for Be Admitted, HHS's Junior College Planning Evening, can be found on the  Be Admitted  section of the  Post-Secondary Planning Resources  tab on our website. Please see your counselor with any questions.

Attention, juniors! We are excited to announce a new learning opportunity with our junior guidance seminars, which are geared towards preparing students for life after high school. We have partnered with four area colleges/universities to explore a college campus as a prospective student. We will be sitting in on an information session with admissions and taking a campus tour. Although these visits are not mandatory, they are highly recommended as they will show you what to expect from a college visit - what to ask, what to look for, and who you will meet on campus. We will follow up with all juniors in early March with a classsroom session to address additional questions. Please fill out this form by January 25th. We have provided a description of the colleges, rather than the name. This is intended to keep you focused on criteria you might use to select prospective colleges. Please don't focus on trying to figure which school it is, but rather focus more the experience and

Attention, Verizon users! As of January 28, 2019, Remind will no longer work  (see  here  for more information). In order to keep receiving messages from HHS Guidance (including appointment reminders, college visit announcements, Guidance news, etc...), you have the following options: Get the Remind app on your smartphone (click here ) and enable notifications - BEST OPTION Switch your message preference to receiving e-mails (you can sign in on remind.com or touch base with your counselor directly to get this changed) Please see your counselor with questions!

We are looking forward to having families join us to kick off the college planning process. Although the evening is geared towards the Class of 2020, all families are welcome. Please pre-register  here .