Welcome to B.M.C. Durfee High School of Fall River

Guidance Dept. Page For Seniors

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Guidance Calendar of Events
Financial Aid
Scholarship and Career Information
Testing
College Application Process
Topic: Surviving the College Search Process
Topic: Factors to Consider When Exploring College and Universities

If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, please see your counselor for a test FEE WAIVER for the SAT. You also will qualify for college application fee waivers, but you must use the SAT waiver to apply the application waivers.

Avoid paying late fees on standardized tests. Be sure to register within the regular time periods. In order to meet college deadlines, most seniors will take the SAT and ACT by the December testing date.

IMPORTANT:  You do not need to wait to receive your standardized testing scores before mailing in your college applications. Simply write in the date you will take/have taken the tests on the applications.

Students: Are you the first one in your family to go to college (the first “generation” to go to college)???  Do you qualify for free or reduced lunch???  Are you planning to attend college in the future???  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Upward Bound or Talent Search programs may be for you.  Both programs are offered at Bristol Community College (in walking distance right down Elsbree street).  For more information, call 508-678-2811 extension 2324. You can meet with representatives from the program in the cafeteria during lunch periods, or go to the Guidance/Registrar’s Office (across from the cafeteria). They are in the building every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..  Here is a breakdown of what each program has to offer you:

    

Guidance Calendar of Events                         Back to top

September
• register new students
• check schedules & transcripts
• create folders for all students
• add/drop classes
• interview – GPA, graduation requirements, college entrance requirements, SAT, ACT, update future plans form
• homeroom or classroom visits – senior calendar, transcript request form
• evening school advisement
• class assembly
• homebound – arrange tutors
• transcript request forms
• BCC – Tech Prep
• BCC – Dual Enrollment
• boys – tell to register for selective service for financial aid eligibility
• MCAS tutorials
• SAT I, II, ACT
• advise evening school, alternative programs
• copies of 504's to teachers
• assembly
• homework – ill or suspended students
• college rep's visits
• copies of 504's to all teachers
• bulletin board; notices

October
• interviews – college & scholarship application process
• see students with failure notices
• advise SAT * & II, ACT
• inform college reps. visits
• early application decisions
• college & scholarship applications
• transcript request forms
*bilingual students – MEPA

November
• transcript request forms
• recommendation letters
• MCAS
• tern 1 failures
• early decision applications
• FAFSA & PROFILES
• senior interviews
*bilingual students – TOEFL
*counselor-in-charge – Financial Aid Night

December
• Senior interviews
• recommendations, applications for college (December 1, January 1, & January 15 deadlines) and scholarships
• Tech Prep class BCC – Semester 2
• SAT/ACT
• mid-term reports
• advisement evening school
• check 2nd semester schedule
• FAFSA
• Dual Enrollment – BCC
• early decision college applications
• check evening school grades
• evening school advisement

January
• copies of 504's to new teachers
• adjust schedules 2nd semester based on student failures
• make recommendations evening school
• BCC Tech Prep, Dual Enrollment
• interviews; include juniors who've moved up
• MCAS tutoring
• inform Adams Awards
• SAT
• assembly re: programming
• college applications; mid-year transcripts to colleges
• check transcripts for graduation requirements

February
• college applications
• scholarship applications
• mid-year reports to colleges
• review grades & graduation requirements
• visit 8th grades to discuss programming
• schedule for MCAS support class schedule
*counselor-in-charge – on site registration for BCC
*start planning Senior Awards Ceremony

March
• proctor MCAS
• college applications
• scholarship applications
• term 3 progress reports; meet with student
• SAT/ACT
• review cap & gown list with campus store
• get RU and Integrated math list from grade 8 counselors; check grade 8 requests & make certain complete

April
• term 3 report cards; meet with students
• scholarships
• send out failure letters
• have seniors fill out Future Plans form
• SAT
*work on Senior Awards Ceremony
*ELL – TOEFL
*counselor-in-charge – arrange Alumni Scholarship Interviews

May
• gather failure lists; meet with students not graduating
• summer school advisement
• proctor AP exam
• proctor MCAS
• MCAS tutoring BCC – summer
• scholarship applications
• have seniors complete Future Plans form; give totals to Senior House secretary to enter data
• SAT
*counselor-in-charge – Senior Awards Ceremony
– Alumni Scholarship – evening interviews
– Alumni Scholarship Ceremony
- top ten information for newspaper

June
• Tech Prep – summer
• summer school advisement
• registration for new students
• schedule changes

Financial Aid                                        Back to top
The FAFSA, or Free Application For Federal Student Aid, is the FREE financial aid form that most students will fill out starting in January of the year of high school graduation.  It is recommended that students and/or parents/guardians should fill out the form online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Colleges use this information as one method of determining the expected family contribution towards college expenses.

Additional forms may be required, and students are encouraged to check with the financial aid office for each school.  For example, a small number of schools require the CSS Profile as indicated in the college application.  There is a charge for each school that receives the profile and it can only be assessed online at http://profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp

Scholarships and Career Information     Back to top
A list of scholarships is posted on the durfeehigh.com main webpage.  For additional scholarship opportunities, please check out the links below:

Fastweb: Free Scholarship and College Searches Plus Financial Aid Tools and More
http://www.fastweb.com

College Board:  Target resources to students,  parents, and counselors, free Scholarship and College Searches, Career and College Major Information, Financial Aid Resources

http://www.collegeboard.com AND http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majors_careers/profiles

ScholarAid: Free online scholarship listings of over 500,000 sources
http://www.scholaraid.com

Finaid.org: Scholarship scams and financial aid information http://www.finaid.org

Testing    Back to top

You can take the SAT or ACT as a general application requirement for four year colleges and universities.  If you plan to attend a two-year school and will NOT receive an associates degree before transferring to a four year college, you may be required to take the SAT before your transfer application can be accepted by the four year school. The TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language) may be required if your native language is not English.

What is the difference between the SAT and ACT?
Most colleges and universities will accept either the SAT or ACT. As part of the SAT, there is a required writing section. There is no required writing section on the ACT, however you can take the optional ACT writing section if required by your college. The SAT is a test of general knowledge that you have acquired through your overall learning experiences, and includes critical reading, math, and writing. The ACT tests have questions related to what you are learning in school, and includes verbal, math, and science sections. Even though the writing section of the SAT is not optional, many schools are not considering these scores in the application process (some use the writing score as a placement test for the English class you will take as a Freshmen).

For registration and payment information:
SAT and SAT Subject Tests (formerly SAT II)-  http://collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/calenfees.html
ACT- http://www.actstudent.org/regist/currentdates.html
TOEFL- http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/

College Application Process    Back to top

There are many colleges and universities that will allow you to fill out a Common Application which takes the place of the standard application for that school.  When using the common application for the colleges where it is accepted, the schools will also require that you complete a supplemental application (found on the individual college's website). You must also print out the teacher and counselor recommendation forms separately. The common application is available at http://www.commonapp.org

SURVIVING THE COLLEGE SEARCH PROCESS

Here are some tips and things to keep in mind when applying to colleges.  At this time, you may be feeling overwhelmed by all that you need to do to get in to college.  However, ORGANIZATION is your best friend when it comes to making this process go smoothly and to find the best school for you.

1.         On a separate sheet of paper, write down the colleges to which you are applying, dates of deadlines, and what you need to send with the application, such as application fee, recommendation letters, postcard, essay, and transcript.  Refer to this information often as a reminder so you can submit everything on time.  For all questions asking for a school code for Durfee, please use 220785.

2.         If you are asking your teachers and/or counselor to write recommendation letters, you should make this request at least 14 business days before the deadline.  Even if recommendation letters are not required by the college, it may be a good idea to include one or two letters with your application.  Some colleges require your counselor to complete a separate sheet that you must provide so that it can be sent along with the transcript.

3.         Visiting each college to which you will apply is a must, and this can be done during the Fall semester when classes are in session.  You can go on a tour, pick up an application and catalog, and see if the campus is the right fit for you.

4.          Make sure you complete a transcript request form as soon as possible and list the schools to which your transcript will be mailed. The transcript and school profile will be mailed to the colleges that you have indicated on the form.  Your standardized testing scores (SAT I, SAT II, ACT) will be attached.  You are required to mail out each college application on your own, unless there is a special circumstance.  Counselors are available to read over your materials at your request.

5.         Most students will fill out the federal financial aid form (FAFSA), and these are available as early as November 1st.  The website for the FAFSA is www.fafsa.ed.gov.  The information that you will provide is based upon your parents and your own income from the previous year.  At Durfee, there is at least one financial aid information night that you and your parents are encouraged to attend.  Individual schools also offer aid and many have separate forms that you may need to fill out.  For example, in the application it will state whether a CSS Profile is required.  This form is found at collegeboard.com.  You should check with each school’s financial aid office to see how you can obtain aid.  Colleges will send information on your financial aid package when you receive acceptance letters.

6.         It cannot be stressed enough that you should apply for as many scholarships as possible.  Scholarship searches are accessible through fastweb.com; durfeehigh.com; wiredscholar.com; collegeboard.com, to name a few.

 As guidance counselors, we are here to help you in whatever way we can, but as you can see, most of these details are your responsibility.  It is best to start the college application process early to avoid the headaches and stomach pains that come from poor planning.

SOME FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN EXPLORING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Size and Location:
Colleges and universities range in size from 150 to 40,000 students. Do you have a specific area of the country in mind?  Are you interested in an urban location?  Rural?  Close to home?  Specific climate?

Type of School and Program:
Are you interested in a 2-year or a 4-year college?  Do you have a special field in mind such as business, nursing, or engineering?  Are you interested in cooperative education or internship programs?

Costs and Financial Aid:
What is the total cost (including fees, transportation, etc.)?  Is financial aid available?  How is financial need determined?  What percentage of students receive aid?  What are the average awards?  The range of awards?  Are special loans available?  Are there merit or no-need scholarships? 

Academic Programs and Degree Requirements:
Check the course offerings in your area(s) of interest.  How much flexibility is there with a major?  Are there distribution requirements?  Is there a language requirement?  Will you be required to write a thesis?  What are the opportunities for research and independent work?

Student Body Makeup.  Student Life and Services.  Extracurricular Options:
What is the percentage of undergraduates?  Average class size?  Geographic diversity of the students?  Is there an active career service and placement office?  Are there fraternities or sororities?  What is the nearest city?  Are there ethnic and cultural groups?  What health services are available?  Is personal counseling offered?  Are there facilities for handicapped?  Are there active religious organizations?  What are the policies governing social life at the school?  Can you have a car?  Is a leave of absence possible?  What clubs are available?  On what college committees do students serve?

Room and Board:
What percentage of student live on-campus?  What are the types of accommodation (houses, dormitories, suites, single rooms, coed dorms)?  What rules govern dorm choice?  What are the facilities for meals?  Are special foods offered for Kosher, vegetarian, vegan?  Are dining facilities available weekends?  Is there a flexible board plan? 

Athletics:
What are the facilities?  What is the probability that a student can play Varsity/JV?  Is there a club program?  What equipment does the school supply?  What schools form the main competition?  Are there scholarships available (how many)?  What is the obligation of one receiving an athletic scholarship?

The Calendar:
Make certain that the calendar of the school year suits you.  Is there an optional or required winter or summer term?

Admission Requirements and Degree Selectivity:
Are there specific courses and standardized tests (SAT, ACT, etc.) required for admission?  In the case of a state university, what percentage of students come from outside the state?  Are there grade point average and test score requirements?  What admission plans are available (Early Decision, Early Action, Rolling, Early Evaluation)?  What are the deadline dates?  How selective is the school?

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Please send correspondence to: 360 Elsbree Street, Fall River, MA 02720