The junior year guidance curriculum is devoted to post-secondary planning. The Junior Seminars take place January through March. Students utilize Naviance, an online database instrumental in researching colleges. Additional seminar topics include standardized testing, college essay writing, financial aid and scholarships. Juniors meet individually with their counselors throughout the spring to develop a well-balanced list of colleges.

 

Resources for Visiting Colleges:

• College Campus Visit Form
• Campus Visit Summary

 

 

Helpful Links:

 

WHS College Planning Night (Recorded 1/26/2023)

 

Applying to College

• Naviance
• Common Application

 

Standardized Testing

• Registering for the ACT & SAT
• SAT & ACT Prep Programs
• ACT
• College Board
• Colleges That Are Test Optional - over 1700 colleges are test optional, this is likely to increase
• Colleges That Accept Self-Reported Test Scores

 

Financial Aid & Paying for College

• FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, on the Federal Student Aid website.
• EFC Calculator, Estimated Family Contribution, or EFC, determines what a family is expected to contribute to their child's college costs.
• MEFA, Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority's website offers valuable tools and resources to plan for paying for college.

 

Free Scholarship Searches

• Fastweb
• Big Future by College Board
• Collegenet.com
• Scholarships.com
• Cappex.com

 

Scholarships/Scholarship Applications

• John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for Massachusetts State Colleges
• Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery Tuition Waiver Program for Massachusetts State Colleges

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COVID-19 College Admission Resources: 

 

Virtual College Visits and Tours

You Visit

Campus Tours

List of 1000+ Colleges Offering Virtual Tours

 

Recent Articles & Resources

The Current State of College Admissions Testing - Presentation by Adam Ingersoll, Compass Ed. 8/5/2020

NACAC Pledge: Test Optional Means Test Optional - 8/1/2020

Care Counts in Crisis: College Admissions Deans Respond to COVID-19 - 6/30/2020

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Helpful Forms & Resources:

 

College Planning Night (1/26/2022)

College Planning Timeline Junior Year

College Application Checklist

Colleges with ASD Support Programs

Colleges with Comprehensive Academic Support Programs

College Admissions Selector (Abridged Barron's Guide List of Colleges)

Parent Information Form

 

Guidance Parent Talk 10/21/22 via Zoom

Recording

Slides

 

College Spotlight

WHS guidance counselors receive invitations for campus visitation programs, which is a great way to learn more about the college, network with admission representatives and advocate on behalf of our students. We will feature these "hidden gems" on our Guidance Instagram Account.

College Spotlight: 2020-2021

College Spotlight: 2019-2020

 

Junior Seminars

 

January

• Topic: Introduction to College Search Process

 

February

• Topic: Naviance & Common Application

 

March

• Topic: Paying for College, Scholarships, Financial Aid

 

 

Internship, Community Service & Gap Year Opportunities

 

Internships provide an excellent opportunity for students to explore potential career interests. WHS partners with The Education Collaborative, TEC, to offer internships during the school year and the summer.

• TEC Internships

 

Community service and volunteer opportunities are available in Westwood and the Greater Boston Area.

• List of community service and volunteer programs in Westwood area.
• Teen Life Volunteer Programs in Greater Boston area.

 

A Gap Year offers students one year between high school and college to explore internships, volunteer opportunities or travel.

• Teen Life Gap Year Opportunities
• Americorps
• City Year
• Dynamy

 

 

PSAT was administered on October 15, 2022

PSAT score reports will be released in early December. Counselors will met with juniors at that time to review results.