7th and 8th Grades
Fall:
1.Counselor meets with families to outline Hillside’s program, including a discussion of the importance of extracurricular involvement for personal growth and for the college application process.
2.Students may take interest inventories to determine areas they might like to pursue. Students are encouraged to begin pursuing those areas.
Spring:
1. Counselor meets individually with families to discuss overall student progress, his/her next year program, as well as to discuss and document student’s extracurricular activities.
Freshman Year
Fall of freshman year:
1. Counselor checks in with students to make sure previous spring’s extra curricular decisions are implemented.
Spring of freshman year:
1.Counselor meets individually with families to discuss overall student progress, his/her 10th grade program, as well as to discuss and document student’s extracurricular activities.
Sophomore Year:
Fall of sophomore year:
1.Counselor meets with families and provides them with a variety of college search engines. Students and parents brainstorm list of prospective colleges and contact admissions officers at those colleges for SAT requirements and visitation dates. Families begin visiting prospective colleges. Counselor is available for input throughout process.
2.Students take the Aspire assessment (the pre-ACT college entrance test) at Hillside.
Winter of sophomore year:
1. Counselor reviews pre – college entrance test results with students (and families if desired).
Junior Year
Fall of junior year:
1. Students take the PSAT (the pre-SAT college entrance exam) at Hillside.
The PSAT is the entrance point for the National Merit Scholarship Competition which awards finalists $2,000 towards college tuition.
2. Parents and students arrange for interviews and visit colleges.
3. Students sign up for May/June SAT and/or ACT exams (online at http://www.collegeboard.com/sat and http://www.act.org.)
Winter of junior year:
1. Counselor helps parents understand and enroll in Running Start program.
2. Students take practice tests for college entrance tests using self-guided practice books 30 min/day.
3. Families arrange interviews and visit colleges.
Spring of junior year:
1. Students register for Running Start.
2. Students take the SAT I/ SAT II or ACT exams at the end of the school year.
3. Families arrange interviews and visit colleges.
4. Students ask teachers for recommendations (at end of school year).
Senior Year
Fall of senior year:
1. Students attend Hillside fall electives and begin Running Start.
2. Families continue to visit prospective colleges and arrange interviews.
3. Student writes college essays; fills out and sends applications. Hillside counselor oversees process in conjunction with students and parents.
4. Students make sure teacher recommendations have been sent.
5. Students retake SAT or ACT tests for better scores if desired.
January of senior year:
1. Parents complete CSS and FAFSA financial aid forms (if needed). Estimate taxes based on the previous year’s tax returns.
February – March of senior year:
1. Parents turn in most recent completed tax and W2 forms to colleges for financial aid.
Spring of senior year:
1. Students receive responses from colleges; notify college of their choice.
