Yawkey Foundation Scholarhship Opportunity

The Yawkey Foundations’ mission is to continue the charitable legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey to make immediate, significant, and positive impacts on the quality of life of underserved children, youth and families. The Yawkeys valued the importance of education and understood its ability to alter the course of young lives. To honor this legacy of learning, the Yawkey Foundation Board of Trustees established the Yawkey Scholars Program in 2005 to help talented and motivated disadvantaged young people from Massachusetts and Georgetown County, South Carolina meet the rising costs of undergraduate education. Over the past six years, the Yawkey Scholars Program has provided over $6 million in tuition supports to more than 150 Scholars as they pursue a college education in Massachusetts. The Yawkey Scholars Program is administered by The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI).

For more information, or to apply please visit:  http://www.tpi.org/resources/yawkey_scholars_program.aspx

Scholarship Opportunities in Culinary Arts & Restaurant Foodservice

The Massachusetts Restaurant Association, in partnership with the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, will be offering scholarships up to $2000 to students continuing their education in culinary arts or restaurant/foodservice management at the college level.  For more information, or to apply, please visit:  www.marestaurantassoc.org or www.nraef.org.

The Princeton Prize in Race Relations

In order to recognize, support, and encourage the young people of our country who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the cause of positive race relations, Princeton University sponsors an annual awards program for high school students—the Princeton Prize in Race Relations. Applications postmarked by January 31, 2013 will be eligible for prizes—including cash awards up to $1,000 for particularly noteworthy work.

• If you are a high school student involved in an activity that is helping to improve race relations in your school or community, we want to hear from you.
• If you know of a high school student who is helping to improve race relations, please encourage him or her to apply.

For more information, or to apply, visit www.princeton.edu/pprize

Teen Life Guide to Gap Year Programs

Teen Life has published a guide for Gap Year Programs.  To see the guide, please click here :  http://www.teenlife-digital.com/tlpublications/gapguide2013tl#pg1.

Champlain College Young Writers' Conference

The Champlain College Young Writers’ Conference (CCYWC) a residential writers’ weekend specifically for high school students, takes place this May 24 - 26 on the hillside campus of Burlington's Champlain College. For dedicated young writers, it is a chance to meet others who share their passion for telling the stories of their lives. It is also an opportunity to study the craft of writing with some of New England's most celebrated authors and teachers.

For more details, go to http://www.champlain.edu/young-writers-conference.html.

Help Protect Yourself and Your Student Against Cyberbullying

Parents and teachers often talk about helping students stay safe, online and off. But the truth is that being a good citizen these days requires the same skills it always has: being honest and respectful of others, and treating other people the way you want to be treated. So whether texting or talking, posting photos or playing games, the guide below from the Federal Trade Commission has information to reinforce those citizenship skills that work online and off.

Please visit http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/livinglifeonline/index.shtm for more details.

Tips for staying safe online

The federal government provides practical tips from the technology community on how to help you guard against internet fraud, cyber threats, and threats to your privacy.  Go to www.OnGuardOnline.gov for more information on these safety tips.

Resource for Online College Programs in Massachusetts

OnlineSchools.org is striving to provide those interested in obtaining online degrees with the most accurate, comprehensive, and accessible information about accredited online schools available anywhere. They want to help ensure that students make no mistake in selecting the best online colleges for them.

This resource lists all colleges in Massachusetts that offer online programs.  Go to http://www.onlineschools.org/guides/massachusetts for more details.

New Admission Standards for MA Public Universities

The MA Board of Higher Education (BHE) adopted new mathematics and science standards for admission to UMass and the state's public universities to better align admission standards with MassCore and ensure that students are prepared for college level work. To be eligible for admission to UMass and the state's four-year public higher education institutions, students will need: (1) Four years of high school math, including in their senior year, beginning with the college freshman class entering fall 2016; and (2) Three years of lab-based science, including the natural/physical sciences or technology courses, beginning with the college freshmen entering fall 2017. Also, effective immediately, students can now count college preparatory technology/engineering coursework as science. For more info, visit the Department of Higher Education's website at http://www.mass.edu.

Accounting Career Conference at Babson and Bentley

"Is Accounting for Me? From College to Career" conferences will take place on November 30 at Babson College, December 7 at Bentley University.  Similar conferences will also take place in the spring - Northeastern University – March 8 and UMass Amherst – end of April, beginning of May.

The event includes interactive activities; panel discussions; a networking lunch with faculty, students, and CPA practitioners; and an optional tour of the campus. An invitation for similar conferences sched uled for March 8 at Northeastern University and UMass Amherst (late April/early May) will be sent in the spring.

"Is Accounting for Me?" is appropriate for high-performing seniors who are considering studying accounting or business at the college level.  The educational requirements for CPA certification are rigorous, necessitating one year beyond a four-year BS degree as well as successful completion of the Uniform CPA exam. 
 

If interested, please see your guidance counselor.

 

 

 

Free SAT/ACT Practice Test

Academic Approach, a private SAT/ACT tutoring and test prep organization, is offering a free SAT or ACT practice test on the following dates:

Sunday, October 28, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (register by October 23rd)
Sunday, November 11, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (register by November 6th)
Location:  Endicott College in Beverly, MA

There is no charge for testing or results.  To register, call 617-243-3900 or visit www.academicapproach.com

Congratulations to our 2013 National Merit Commended Scholars!

In late September, more than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT^® receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year and is typically below the level required for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective states. The young people recognized as Commended Students represent some of the best and brightest minds in the country as demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the PSAT. 

Melrose High School recognizes six students from the Class of 2013 that have been named National Merit Commended Students:

Brittany D'Innocenzo
Ashley D'Orlando
Alexandra Foley
Emily Heath
Jonathan Heath
David Mendelssohn

Congratulations!  We are proud of your accomplishment!

Get Scholarship Updates

Sign up to receive free scholarship updates at http://www.studentscholarships.org.  The site also has information on careers, college majors, and financial aid.  You can also take a virtual tour to receive more information about hundreds of careers. 

Parent Breakfast Presentation

Thank you to all the junior and senior parents that came out this past Thursday morning for the annual Parent Breakfast hosted by MHS Guidance.  We had a nice turnout.  Below is the link for the powerpoint presentation that was given that morning.  As always, if you have further questions about a particular issue, or about your son or daughter, please give us a call or send us an email.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2bTX6povT4zbkxEdnFOWkRBMTg

MY MAJOR App

MyMajors, the student assessment tool that helps in the selection of college majors and matches higher education candidates with the most appropriate colleges, is now available in a convenient mobile app. The MyMajors App allows students to instantly engage with colleges and universities, starting with the MyMajors Quiz, the scientific survey that puts students on the fast track towards selecting the right colleges to consider.

For more information, go to www.mymajors.com, click on Mobile App.

MEFA Financial Aid Brochure

MEFA, the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, has made their Parent Brochure available online to download at www.mefa.org.  The link for the brochure can be found at:
http://www.mefa.org/uploadedFiles/MEFA's%20Early%20College%20Planning%20Parent%20Workbook%2009.10.pdf

This is great information for parents to know, especially if you have not been through the process previously.  MEFA will be holding their annual seminar at Melrose High School on Thursday, November 29th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the high school resource center.  All parents are welcome.

Congratulations to the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Recipients!

The recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship from the MHS Class of 2012 have been released and we are proud to announce the students.  The Adams Scholarship is given by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to students that score Advanced on their MCAS assessment, and are in the top 25% of test takers from their district.  The award carries a tuition waiver if the student elects to attend one of the UMass or State University campuses for college.  The 65 recipients from the MHS Class of 2012 are:

Tricia Alves
Alissa Jan Amameda
Rihab Bayoussef
Gorden Bergeron
Krysta Bertoli
Andrew Bourque
Richard Bradford
Lindsay Bright
Caroline Butts
Alexander Campbell
Nicolas Campbell
James Carson III
Timothy Cobau
Avery Cross
Joshua Cunningham
Brittany D'Innocenzo
Ashley D'Orlando
Raquel Doucette
Emmaline Duff
Muhammad Elsweesy
Evan Federico
Alexandra Foley
Amanda Fountain
Gabrielle Fox
Rayna Frank
Madeline Frasca
Alexandra Garcia
Alexander Gulakos
Gianna Hatch
Emily Heath
Jonathan Heath
Jessica Horne
Amy Howland
Devin Hy
Rachel Johnson
Colin Joyal
Max Karelas
Natalie Kendall
Shannon Lahiff
Andrea Larsson
Lydia Mays
Sarah McDonald
Kelly McElligott
Sarah McGowan
David Mendelssohn
Shannon Munro
Dakota Peterson
Morgan Phipps
Scott Place
Amelia Ragon
Betty Ann Richardson
Sarah Ried
Charlotte Rodgers
Sapna Sachar
Adeen Sandhal
Bianca Scimemi
Jessica Shortlidge
Bionca St. Fleur
Charles Steele
Danielle Taylor
Zeke Vainer
Djordje Vlajkovic
Alyssa Waaramaa
Jamie Zajac

Congratulations to all our recipients!  We are proud of your accomplishment.

50 College Blogs Worth Bookmarking

 How are admissions offices, organizations, and companies around the world using tools like blogs to connect with applicants? Is it working? See for yourself thanks to research done by Schools.com into 50 different admissions blogs being used right now.

Here is the link:
http://edudemic.com/2012/10/50-blogs-college-worth-bookmarking/

Attention all Sophomores and Juniors

All sophomores and juniors are expected to take the PSAT on Saturday, October 20th. Registration is done through MHS Guidance and the fee is $30.  Checks are made payable to MHS Guidance.  The exam is given at Melrose High School, and is approximately 3.5 hours.  Students should arrive at 7:45 a.m. and bring #2 pencils and calculator.  If you are on a free or reduced price lunch, please see your counselor prior to registering. 

Junior and Senior Parent Breakfast

The Counseling and Guidance Department is hosting our annual Junior and Senior Parent Breakfast this coming Thursday October 4th from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. in the Middle School cafe. The breakfast will be a chance for parents to hear a presentation by the counseling staff giving an overview of the college planning and application process. Parking that morning will be permitted on the Fellsway. We especially encourage parents that have not been through the college planning process before to attend. If you are unable to attend, the entire presentation will be available on the guidance website as of Monday, October 8th. There is no need to RSVP, and we look forward to seeing you on Thursday. Thank you.

20 Best College Planning Websites

There are dozens of websites out there designed to help students with various aspects of the college search process.  The site Degree Central lists 20 of the most useful sites at the link below:
http://degreecentral.com/best-websites-for-college-planning/

Most of the sites are free, and some require registering but are free to use.  One more I would add to the list is College Express at www.collegexpress.com.

College Week Live All Access

All Access Zone on College Week Live (www.collegeweeklive.com)

September 20th, 2012 10:00AM - 10:00PM EDT

Experience the All Access ZONE: It's more than a college fair!
This unscripted event will give you access to live conversations with admissions reps and college students to help you make informed college decisions, navigate the admissions process, and explore financial aid choices. Login anytime from 10:00AM to 10:00PM EDT on September 20, 2012 to

• Get real answers from current college students and admissions reps
• Build your target list of colleges from 300+ schools
• Hear expert presentations on college selections tips, choosing your major, and more

Free online registration is required.  For more information, please go to www.collegeweeklive.com.

Important PSAT /SAT /ACT Test Dates 2012-2013

Attention all Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors:

Please find important test date and registration information at the link below.  All sophomores and juniors are expected to take the PSAT on Saturday, October 20th.  Registration is done through MHS Guidance and the fee is $30. 

SAT and ACT dates and information are also listed on the link.  Registration for these exams is done by the student or parent directly through the testing websites.  If you have further questions, please contact the guidance office or one of the counselors.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yd97VTpkAVkKI_TfzMEzbl19Cd3puzaOURlLrbg5jOA/edit

Book Recommendations for College Planning

There are a number of books that have been published recently that may be helpful to students and parents in the college search process.  The titles that have received the most positive reviews are the following in no particular order:

Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College by Sally P. Springer, Jon Reider and Marion R. Franck (Jul 14, 2009). This thoroughly revised and updated edition of the bestselling book Admission Matters demystifies the college application process and offers practical advice for choosing the right school, writing an effective essay, navigating financial aid, and more. This handy resource will help any college-bound student whether they attend well-funded private schools or cash-strapped public schools. Filled with helpful suggestions, ideas, and advice, the new edition also includes tips for home-schooled students who are preparing to attend college.

College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step by Robin Mamlet and Christine VanDeVelde (Aug 16, 2011). Inside this book, you'll find clear, comprehensive, and expert answers to all your questions along the way to an acceptance letter.  Mamlet and VanDeVelde cover the role of extracurricular activities, what it means to find the right "fit", the role of the student's courses taken in high school, the role of standardized testing, early admission, how wait lists work, when parents help too much, and advice for athletes, artists, international students, and those with learning differences.

Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps: Crafting a Winning Personal Statement by Alan Gelb (Mar 1, 2008). Writing a memorable personal statement can seem like an overwhelming project for a young college applicant, but college essay coach Alan Gelb's holistic strategy and reassuring voice takes out the intimidation factor. Students will identify an engaging topic and use creative writing techniques to compose a vivid statement that will reflect their individuality. A much-needed supplement to other college entrance guides, this useful handbook will help students win over the admissions dean, while preparing them to write better papers once they've been accepted. A guide to crafting a meaningful and polished college admissions essay that expresses the applicant's unique personality, strengths, and goals. Step-by-step instructions lead students from idea to initial draft, through revisions, and to a final version ready for submission.

Get It Together for College, 2nd Edition: A Planner to Help You Get Organized and Get In by The College Board (Jun 21, 2011). Any high-school senior will tell you that the hardest part of applying to college is getting organized and staying on top of all the forms, requirements, and deadlines. This revised edition of Get It Together for College helps students do just that. Completely updated to cover current college application policies and procedures, this planner covers everything from how to look for colleges to what to take to the dorm. The tools and tips are presented in a practical, quick-and-easy format that helps students relieve stress and take control of the process.

Welcome Back Letters to Parents

Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year!  Please click on the respective link below for the welcome back letter to parents from the MHS Counseling and Guidance Department.

Senior Parent Letter:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sMuxidGRCp-eJooZ23ds-u2-jNpTTbDSbok9W9qI6IE/edit

Junior Parent Letter:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d4RewT9pBT9jQbE16lpEFUZaxwPzJG_yo5pFlBOpoQE/edit

Sophomore Parent Letter:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k4KHz_L48Ab4dePt3YxNtrHQlQxDfaE3xkNyKkNzfRs/edit

Freshmen Parent Letter:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zKMJ1Hm0sbf0oSIkvBcOY8CUUi_47hU3e4Ib5qFLzjc/edit

Upcoming Events Sponsored by MHS Guidance

The MHS Counseling and Guidance Department would like to let you know about the following upcoming events that may be of interest to you:

Junior / Senior Parent Breakfast

Thursday, October 4th, 2012 (location MVMMS Cafe)

8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

The annual breakfast is a chance to hear an overview of the college application process from the MHS Guidance Counselors. The presentation will include information on the college search, SAT/ACT, application procedures, financial aid, and more. If you are unable to attend, the presentation will be posted on our guidance blog site at http://melroseguidance.blogspot.com. No need to RSVP.

MHS College Fair

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012 (location MHS Resource Center)

1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

We are excited to host the first annual MHS College Fair. Over 50 colleges will be in attendance, and this will be an opportunity for juniors, seniors, and their parents to speak personally with college admissions representatives from many regional colleges and universities. Everyone is welcome.

Financial Aid Night

Thursday, November 29th, 2012 (location MHS Resource Center)

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Association) will once again be at MHS to provide a detailed seminar on Financial Aid. While this may be of particular interest to parents of seniors, everyone is welcome.

We hope to see you at some or all of the events!

MHS Guidance

Class of 2012 Outcomes

The Class of 2012 college application and acceptance outcomes are now available.  We are proud of the Class of 2012, and their accomplishments.  Please keep in mind, the accuracy of the numbers relies on self-reporting from the students.  To view the list of colleges along with the number of applications and acceptances, just click on the link below:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmbTX6povT4zdEpHclk0aFY0emRNSVhPOF9JNjNuUmc

Senior Year "To Do" List

Hello Class of 2013!  It is almost time to begin your senior year, and it should be exciting.  The MHS Counseling and Guidance is here to help you along the way.  We have created a Senior "To Do" List, which is a guide you can follow as you go through the year to help you to be successful in the college planning process.  You can find the "to do" list by going to this link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NamqPdxqI3UFV1pxONTngmt9imRIuRVC3PNN0RZuu8I/edit or you can click on the "Senior Year "To Do" List link on the right side under College Planning Resources. 

We look forward to seeing you in school in a little over a week!

Junior Year "To Do" List

Attention Class of 2014:  The MHS Counseling and Guidance Department has just posted a new link for the Junior Year "To Do" List to keep you on track for college and post high school planning.  To view the Junior Year "To Do" List, click here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MYkueWlzHGUkOQZ5TXQjtHjKJX3n6vXURByvGfksLdk/edit

or click on the link located in College Planning Resources on the right hand side of the page.  We encourage all juniors to follow the list in order to be best prepared for senior year and beyond.

About MHS Counseling and Guidance

It is almost time to start a new school year.  As things get going at Melrose High School for 2012-2013, we would like to draw your attention to two new links at the top of our guidance blog:

"Contact Us" - where you will find our contact information for the Counseling and Guidance Office, including relevant phone numbers and email addresses for all of our staff.

"About Us" - where you will find a complete description of the services we offer in the Counseling and Guidance Department, as well as a breakdown of the roles in which we serve as counselors at Melrose High School, and in addition a description of our qualifications.

Please stay tuned to this site for more information on Melrose High School Counseling and Guidance.

Six MHS Juniors Qualify for National Merit Program

The MHS Guidance Department is proud to recognize six of our students from the Class of 2013 that have qualified to enter the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program.  These six students are among the 50,000 highest scoring participants out of 1.5 million program entrants, based on their PSAT scores.  The students are:

Brittany D'Innocenzo
Ashley D'Orlando
Alexandra Foley
Emily Heath
Jonathan Heath
David Mendelssohn

We congratulate these students, and we celebrate their accomplishment!

MHS faculty and staff are great college resources!

The faculty and staff at Melrose High School are excellent resources for students.  We have compiled a list of where many of our faculty and staff attended college so current MHS students will have an additional source of information regarding specific colleges.  Faculty and staff on the list have agreed to answer any questions you may have about their college(s), and we encourage students to make use of this tremendous resource!

Here is the link to access the list of teachers and their colleges:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmbTX6povT4zdFlRdlZuQmticUdMZGlRNFo3YkM0Mnc#gid=0

"College of the Week" series to begin this week!

In an effort to provide the Melrose High School students and their families with relevant and up-to-date college information the MHS Guidance Blog will be showcasing various colleges and universities from the local area and nationally. The colleges/universities that we profile do not represent a preference on the part of the MHS Guidance Department toward any particular school.

In the college search process many things are taken into consideration. Factors that are considered include, but are not limited to: campus size, location, student population, majors, tuition prices, distance from home, athletic programs, clubs and activities. When considering a college, students must also make realistic decisions based on personal interests, grades, test scores, etc.

The information we provide is only a small snapshot into each respective college/university. We hope to add two colleges/universities every week and as always we appreciate any feedback that you have that would help us provide our students and their families with useful information in the sometimes overwhelming college search process. We also invite you to research colleges and universities by using your Naviance account and by scheduling a time to meet with your counselor on a regular basis.

Look for the first installment in the series this week!