| The Guidance Department is comprised of a Guidance Director/Counselor and Guidance Assistant and offers a comprehensive program of assistance and counseling to the St. Maria Goretti High School community. Personal, college, career, and academic counseling provide the main focus of the guidance program, with special emphasis on the "College Decision Making Process" for all juniors and seniors* Each junior receives a counselor-designed College Workbook, During the second semester of the junior year, all juniors and their parents have two individual counselor-directed work sessions. This is followed by two sessions during the first semester of the senior year. The students and parents are provided with specific tools and guidelines to aid the "process".
Sessions with visiting college admissions personnel and financial aid representatives are also a regular part of the guidance program.
The Guidance Department also sponsors Career Awareness Days for all students, utilizing the vast array of professional and service backgrounds and experiences of the parents and friends of the Goretti Family.
Students are encouraged to collect all available information relating to alternative long-term careers. They should use the Internet and other sources to prepare a folder of information on different career fields, visit selected job or work environments, prepare classroom writing assignments and other activities to help them in this important choice.
Juniors and their parents will begin the "formal" college search and profiling in individual conferences with the counselor during February and April. Students and their parents are expected to complete research on colleges and universities that offer programs and services relevant to their career choices. Students are encouraged to use the Internet and all other sources to collect applications, courses of study, plus scholarship and financial aid opportunities.
As early as possible in the school year seniors are urged to begin the college application process. Seniors and parents will have individual sessions with the counselor to set up a college application process calendar, to include testing, teacher recommendations and application deadlines. The financial aid process will also be discussed.
The guidance office will handle all mailing of college applications including any required application materials downloaded by seniors applying on-line (internet). Seniors are encouraged to apply on-line, and to use the internet in their scholarship and financial aid search.
Goretti guidance officers work with students on finding and applying for scholarships. Also, various civic organizations provide awards annually for the graduating class. Over $2.17 million in scholarships were offered to the 56 members of the Class of 2006 and over $900,000 was accepted.
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