College & School Counseling

St Joseph High School 2019-2020 School Profile

The Office of College and School Counseling includes a professional staff of experienced counselors dedicated to the college, career, and personal needs of our students. Counselors also work closely with administration, faculty, and parents to provide a supportive environment for all students.

From the moment freshman year begins, formal meetings between students and counselors take place throughout the year in small group, seminar, and one-to-one settings. This active environment of the office in the life and success of each of our students continues through the four year at St Joseph High School.

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Upcoming Event: College Recruiting Seminar!

SJ's Athletic Department and School Counseling Office will host a College Recruiting/NCAA Clearinghouse Seminar on Monday, March 9, 2020 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm in the Huntington Auditorium.

The event will feature a panel discussion featuring College Athletic Directors, Division 1 and 3 college coaches, along with Varsity High School coaches, including:

Margaret Rodriguez, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at University of Connecticut
David Scrivines, Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach at Fairfield University
Josh Edmed, Head Women’s Volleyball Coach and Associate Director of Athletics at Connecticut College
Jeff Babineau, Head Girls Volleyball and Softball Coach at St Joseph High School
Mike Guastelle, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Sports Administration, Sacred Heart University

The event will consist of questions and answers about college recruiting at the Division 1, 2 and 3 levels. It will also go over different NCAA clearinghouse requirements in order to participate in college sports. The event will be open to all students and parents from St Joseph High School.

RSVP Here!

RSVP Here!

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College Counseling

Timelines for Each Grade Level

Freshman Year - College Planning Timeline

Develop good study habits.
Participate in sports and activities.
Participate in community service work.
Always look to improve your writing skills.
Take the PSAT.
Think about courses to take to best prepare you for college.
International students should practice their English at every opportunity.
Learn about the Naviance College software.

Sophomore Year - College Planning Timeline

Explore careers and college majors through Naviance.
Set some goals you want to accomplish by graduation.
Continue to develop good study habits.
Continue to participate in sports and activities.
Think about courses to take that will best prepare you for college.
Take the PSAT.

Junior Year - College Planning Timeline:

September

Attend College Fairs in your area to pick up materials on potential colleges. Please make sure to sign up for their mailing lists.
Attend College presentations at SJHS during the school day.
Prepare to take the PSAT.
Identify which SAT and ACT tests you will take this year.

October-November

Meet with your school counselor to start College Planning process.
Take the PSAT (October) - please remember the scores are not sent to colleges but count for National Merit Scholarship eligibility.
Plan your Senior Year courses with your school counselor - specific college majors require specific high school courses taken.
Identify your top Colleges and schedule appointments to visit in Spring.
Attend Jesuit College Fair here at SJHS (November)
Begin Test Prep for Spring Testing (SAT-ACT)

December-January

Register to take the SAT and ACT test at least one month prior to exam date.
Continue to research and develop your college list.
Review your PSAT scores with your school counselor. Certain scores may make you eligible for merit scholarships.
Continue with Test Prep.

February-May

Visit your top colleges (February vacation or weekends). Colleges spend thousands on marketing to you through the website and brochures. The campus visit is very important to get a “feel” for the college.
SAT and ACT exams offered. Please make sure you are registered and you know where the exam is being held. Make sure you know which colleges will receive your scores.
Start to think about two teachers you will ask to write your letter of recommendations.
Start to consider topics for your College Essay. This will be an assignment in your current English Class.

June-August

Make sure you have a Common Application account and begin to fill out as of August 1.
Through Naviance, invite two teachers to write you a letter of recommendation.
Finalize College List.
Complete your Essay.
Continue to Visit Colleges of interest.
Begin searching for outside scholarship opportunities.

Senior Year - College Planning Timeline:

September-December

Meet with your counselor about your list and create the list in Naviance.
Discuss with your counselor the type of application you will use for each college you are applying to.
Take the SAT or ACT again if you are not satisfied with your scores.
Finalize your college essay and resume.
Request your recommendation letters through Naviance ( if you haven’t already).
Complete the Ferpa Agreement on the Common App website.
Match your Naviance account with Common App account.
Sign up to meet with College Admission representatives when they visit SJHS.
Complete all your applications and be aware of deadlines for each college. Deadlines normally range from October 15 (Early Action and Early Decision) to January 15. Some colleges also have rolling admission policies.
Send your SAT or ACT scores directly to the colleges on your list. Colleges want this directly sent from the test company.
Follow your emails closely from the colleges. Please alert your counselor at SJHS if you received any messages about missing documents.
Attend Open House Programs at interested colleges.
Continue to do well in school. Most colleges will want to evaluate your first quarter or semester senior grades. You do not want an admission acceptance to be revoked due to a poor performance in the classroom.
Remain active in the community - keep attending activities and volunteer opportunities.
Consider applying for Financial Aid after October 1.
Check your colleges of interest to see if they require you to file the CSS profile (in addition to the FAFSA) for financial aid.
Check your email or mailbox for Early Action or Early Decision notifications.

January-March

Analyze financial aid packages from colleges.
Attend Accepted Students Day at colleges of interest.
Meet with you school counselor about your college decision.

April-June

Make your final college decision by May 1.
Finish strong with all your classes and exams.
Graduate from St. Joseph High School.

Common App

Financial Aid & Scholarships

It is more important than ever for students to make sound decisions about financing their college education. All colleges require you to file the FAFSA (see website below) and some require both the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Below you will find a few links that will serve as a starting point for this journey.

Federal Student Aid, an Office of the U.S. Department of Education provides information about financial aid provided by the federal government, along with other resources.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a required financial aid form for any college in the United States.
Fastweb is a free scholarship search tool.
Bigfuture, by the College Board, includes college and scholarship search tools useful information and tutorials about the financial aid process.

CSS Profile - required by some selective colleges

Below are two videos that will help you fill out the FAFSA and CSS profile line by line.

Naviance

Naviance is a comprehensive college and career readiness program that helps our students align their strengths and interests to postsecondary goals, improving student outcomes and connecting learning to life. https://id.naviance.com

INTRODUCING NAVIANCE STUDENT!

Naviance Student, just like Family Connection, is accessible to both students and parents.

If you already have a username and password for Family Connection, you can use it to log in to Naviance Student at:
student.naviance.com/sjhs

Otherwise, expect to receive a username/password prior to the start of the academic year.

NCAA Eligibility Center

SAT/ACT Information

ACT & SAT Testing Dates
2019-2020

SAT Registration Dates 2019-2020

Test Date	Registration Deadline	Late Registration Deadline
10/5	Sept 6	Sept 24
11/2	Oct 3	Oct 22
12/7	Nov 8	Nov 26
3/14	Feb 8	March 3
5/2	April 3	April 21
6/6	May 8	May 27

ACT Registration Dates 2019-2020

Test Date	Registration Deadline	Late Registration Deadline
9/14	Aug 16	Aug 30
10/26	Sept 20	Oct 4
12/14	Nov 8	Nov 22
2/8	Jan 10	Jan 17
4/14	Feb 28	March 13
6/13	May 8	May 22
7/18	June 19	June 26

Important Information to bring into ACT and SAT Testing Days:

Bring a copy of your printed ticket with you on the day of the test and a photo ID
Bring two No.2 pencils the day of the exam
Bring a calculator to use on the designated math sections of either exams
You are allowed a bottle of water and snack-this can be eaten outside of the testing room

Things are you are not allowed to bring into the exams:

Books, dictionaries, scratch paper or notes
Highlight pens, colored pens or correction fluid
NO electronic devices other than a permitted calculator

Test-Optional Information

380+ “Top Tier” Schools that Deemphasize the ACT/SAT in Admissions Decisions

While standardized test scores are important to many colleges and universities here in the United States, an increasing number of institutions are transitioning to a “test- optional” model, and no longer requiring test results. Currently more than 950 colleges and universities do not require standardized test scores as part of the admission application.

That said, know that some of the colleges and universities to which you aspire to apply may not require test results in certain circumstances. This will be an important question to ask the admission counselors you meet along the way on your journey so you can be certain you’re meeting their requirements to apply. FairTest.org is a great first step to check those institutions in which you’re interested in applying, but always confirm with the college or university admission office directly to ensure the information is accurate and current.

Useful Links

Upcoming Events

NCAA Presentation

Monday, March 9, 2020

Career Day

Monday, March 23, 2020

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SJ College Fair

September 2020

PSATs (Grades 9-11)

October 2020

Senior College Visit Day

October 2020

Financial Aid Night

October 2020

Jesuit College Fair

November 2020

Junior Parent Guidance Breakfast

January 2021

College Admissions Night

January 2021

Sophomore Parent Guidance Breakfast

February 2021

Objectives by Grade Level

The College and School Counseling Office aims to meet the unique needs of each and every student through our comprehensive school counseling curriculum. Our multifaceted curriculum, comprised of individual counseling, group counseling and developmental school counseling lessons, is designed to develop students into well adjusted, empathetic and emotionally intelligent young adults. Our office recognizes social emotional wellness as an influential factor in academic achievement and collaborates with parents, faculty and administrators to promote student success. Though our proactive and holistic approach, we assist students in reaching their goals by focusing on the following areas:

Grade 9:

Transition to high school and new academic expectations
Awareness of personal learning styles and identification of effective study skills
Conflict resolution and problem solving skills
Self advocacy skills
Communication skills
Community engagement aligned with personal interests

Grade 10:

Identifying personal strengths and interests
Discovering careers clusters to compliment skills and interests
Self-monitoring academic performance
Drug and alcohol prevention
Community engagement through leadership

Grade 11:

Drug and alcohol prevention and awareness
Interpersonal relationship skills
Individualized short and long-term goal setting
Post-secondary planning (see the College Counseling page LINK)

Grade 12:

Decision-making: creating the best fit post-secondary plan
Transition to college
Professionalism skills
Combating peer pressure: drug & alcohol prevention

Freshmen Guide 2019

2019 College Matriculation

2019 College Matriculation

American International College

American University

Arizona State University

Assumption College

Auburn University

Baruch College

Bentley University
Boston University (2)

The Catholic University of America

Central Connecticut State University (4)

Central Michigan University

Clemson University

The College of Holy Cross (2)

Curry College
Dickinson College

Elon University (3)

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Emmanuel College
Endicott College

Fairfield University (3)

Fordham University (2)

George Mason University

Gettysburg College (3)

High Point University (2)

Hofstra University (2)

Housatonic Community College (2)

Iona College (2)

Ithaca College

John Hopkins University

Keene State College (3)
Longwood University

Louisiana State University

Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Maryland (2)

Manhattanville College
Marist College (6)

Merrimack College (2)

Michigan State University
Morgan State University

Northeastern University
Northwestern University

Norwich University (2)

Pace University New York (2)
Pennsylvania State University

Providence College (2)

Purdue University (3)

Quinnipiac University (6)
Rensselaer Poytechnic Institute

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rutgers University (2)

Sacred Heart University (7)

Saint Joseph's University

San Diego State University

Sarah Lawrence College
Savannah College of Art & Design

Seton Hall University

Siena College (3)

Stonehill College (4)
Stony Brook University

Southern Connecticut State University (15)

St Bonaventura University
St John's University (2)

Syracuse University (2)

Trinity College (2)

Tufts University (2)

University of Alabama (3)

University of Aukland
University of California (2)

University of Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder

University of Connecticut (20)
University of Hartford
University of Kansas
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Maine (3)
University of New Hampshire (2)
University of New Haven
University of North Carolina
University of South Carolina
University of Rhode Island (4)
University of Scranton (2)
University of Tampa (2)
University of Tennessee (2)
University of Toronto
University of Vermont (2)
University of Wisconsin
Utica College
Villanova University (2)
Virginia Commonwealth University
Western Connecticut State University (2)
Wheaton College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Xavier University (2)

Staff

Tim Nash, Director of College & School Counseling

tnash@sjcadets.org

Tim has close to 30 years of experience in college admission. His admission career path included stops at 5 catholic colleges, one private university and as an enrollment consultant at a higher education marketing company. He has presented at a number of regional and national conferences on the following: athletic recruitment, interview strategies, financial aid and other enrollment management topics.

Megan Baird '01, Associate Director

mbaird@sjcadets.org

Mrs Baird received her MS, Counseling, Fordham University in 2007 and BA, Psychology, Quinnipiac University in 2005. Mrs Baird has been working in the Guidance and College Counseling Office at St Joseph High School since 2005. Mrs Baird is a proud St Joseph Alum - Class of 2001. She is married to Peter Baird, Class of 2000 and they have two beautiful children: Lexi and PJ.

Cristin Clark, Counselor

cclark@sjcadets.org

Ms Clark received her BA in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut and continued her studies at Fairfield University, earning her MA in School Counseling. Ms Clark is a recipient of Fairfield University’s Excellence in School Counseling Award. She holds certifications from the State of Connecticut’s Department of Education and the National Board of Certified Counselors. Ms Clark has training in both group and individual counseling practices and is currently working towards her License in Professional Counseling.

Jack Nogueira, Counselor

Laura Schiels, Counselor

lschiels@sjcadets.org

Ms Schiels obtained her BS in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Rhode Island and her MA in School Counseling from Caldwell University. She is a Certified School Counselor in the state of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Prior to working at St Joes, Ms Schiels was a school counselor at a catholic high school in New York City and also taught Kindergarten and Pre-K.

Lynn Mallon, Counseling Secretary

Justin Cirisoli, Registrar, Counselor

jcirisoli@sjcadets.org

Mr Cirisoli received his BA in history with a minor in American Studies and a concentration in anthropology/sociology from Roger Williams University. He holds a MS in counselor education/student development in higher education from Central Connecticut State University and is completing a MA in history from Western Connecticut State University. Prior to SJHS, Mr Cirisoli worked in college and university administration at Gateway Community College, Albertus Magnus College, and most recently at Southern Connecticut State University. He has college-level experience in the areas of academic advising/registration, campus activities, orientation, residence life, and academic program development.

Kathleen Roach Seperack '86, Social Worker

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Meet a Few Members of the Class of 2020!

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Request information Schedule a Visit Apply Now

Seniors: Report Your College Acceptances!

Let's Celebrate You! As those acceptance letters roll in, let us know! Feel free to use this form as often as you need.

(Note: all final decisions and college scholarships should be reported to college counseling in May.)

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College of the Month - Moravian College (PA)

Each month, St Joe's College & School Counseling Office will host an information session on a particular college that might be a hidden gem among all the others. We invite all students to join us for these sessions to learn more about each school.

February's College of the Month is Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. The information session will be held on February 26 at 1:30pm. Click here to learn more about Moravian College.

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Coffee & Conversation with Counselors

Offered from 7AM - 8AM, Coffee and Conversation will be held in the Student Commons on the following dates and topics. Parents are welcome to attend a few or all of our events.

UPCOMING DATES:
Thank you attending our fall sessions! Stay tuned for upcoming dates in 2020.

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Partnering with Peer Ministry

In 2019, the Counseling Office started a new initiative with Peer Ministry. Counselors go into Freshmen Theology classes with peer ministers to talk about the transition into high school and the importance of being kind to each other. Seniors share their experiences and provide direction, advice, and support to our underclassmen.

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Videos

College Admissions Night
Junior Parent Presentation

College Admissions Night

Missed Our College Admissions Night in January? View the recording below to hear from our panel of experts! Many thanks to the following Admissions professionals for participating on our panel: Corry Unis, Vice President, Enrollment Management at Fairfield University; Karissa Peckham, Associate Vice President, Enrollment Management at Central Connecticut State University; Julia Naclerio, Senior Associate Director of Admission at Trinity College, and Michael DiPiazza, Director of Undergraduate Admission at Assumption College.