XIII. COLLEGE COUNSELING AND ADVISING The quality of college advising is a hallmark of the GSSM journey. What students receive through this office is comparable to the services provided by private consultants. The professionals in this office are committed to best practices and individualized attention. Students are encouraged to invest themselves in this process and fully utilize the resources this department provides as this is one of the most important in their educational journeys to date. “College admissions is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.” Frank Sachs, former director of college counseling at the Blake School in MN and the past president of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC)
A. College Counseling and Advising The Office of College Counseling and Advising focuses on post-secondary opportunities for students at GSSM. Our primary goal is to assist students with finding “right fit” colleges for them: academically, socially, personally, and financially. We do this through collaborative work with students on the college search, application and admission process, as well as seeking and applying for need and merit-based financial aid. As part of our outreach, students learn more about their aptitudes, interests and why a good fit college is more than name recognition or prestige – it’s about learning where you can succeed and launch your career and/or graduate school preparation. Each entering junior student is assigned a college counselor who will work with the student and parent through the senior year on the college planning and matriculation process. Students may take up to five academic days for college visits during their two years at GSSM (Excused Absences-Category II). We encourage students and parents to use long weekends, holidays, and summer breaks to minimize loss of academic days. In addition to one-on-one session with students through the year, we offer the following program to assist students with college planning: College Search and Application Process • College Planning Seminar I course (all juniors, spring semester) • College Planning Seminar II course (all seniors fall semester) • Scoir for students and parents (Scoir is a cloud-based software that connects students, families, high schools, and colleges for college planning and applications.) • Parent-student meetings via Zoom, conference call, or in person at GSSM Interaction with College Admissions Representatives • More than 50 colleges and universities visit GSSM each year to meet with prospective students for individual college information sessions • GSSM College Fair (fall) • Bus trip to Charlotte NACAC College Fair (spring) • Campus visits to SC colleges (Clemson, College of Charleston, USC Columbia) • Annual College Admissions Dean’s Panel Career Planning • Corsava card sort to identify and prioritize college characteristics and preferences (juniors) • YouScience Profile to determine aptitudes and interests (juniors) The Office of College Counseling and Advising is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and abides by the best practices of this association and its members.
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