Dear Senior Parents,
I hope your summer has been enjoyable under the circumstances. I wanted to take a moment to share some essential details from the guidance department for the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year.
First and foremost, I want you to know that the challenges your son is facing when it comes to his college plans are being felt on a national scale by the Class of 2022. Chaminade High School continues to adjust as the needs of our families change in the college process. The main goal of the Guidance Department at Chaminade High School is to offer you and your son as much assistance as possible to help prepare you for a fully informed and well thought out college application strategy.
COLLEGE PLACEMENT TEAM
Our dedicated College Placement team is ready and willing to assist you however they can. This includes virtual and in-person meetings with students and their parents to discuss all the unique aspects of your son's college application strategy, as well as the application process.
Our financial aid consultant, Ms. Carolyn Bianco, will be setting up appointments for parents who have not already taken advantage of her services. Ms. Bianco's expertise is geared specifically toward financial aid opportunities at various schools. This meeting will supplement your meetings with the College Placement team and help you create a list of schools of interest based on your son's academic credentials.
A college placement counselor has already been assigned to your son. If you have any questions about the process or need to know who your son's counselor is, please contact Ms. DeAngelis at tdeangelis@chaminade-hs.or g or (516) 742-5555 ext. 441.
COMMON APPLICATION
Most colleges accept the Common Application in place of their customized school application. This makes it simpler to submit applications to multiple schools. If your son has not already done so, he is strongly encouraged to begin filling out the Common Application. Click here to begin. (Some colleges use the Coalition application. We can help with this as well.)
VIRTUAL COLLEGE INFORMATION PROGRAM
Chaminade High School plans to host a Virtual College Information Program on Monday, September 13, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. This event will explain, in detail, the fundamentals of college admissions, the selection process, and the use of the Naviance program. Students and parents also can submit individual questions. More information on this virtual event will be shared later.
VIRTUAL COLLEGE VISITS
This past year presented many challenges for the Guidance Department, in our work specifically in the College Placement Office. We found that several of our innovative solutions worked better than our previous model. One area that we feel was better served by the new model, is our college representative visits. Traditionally we have hosted visits at dismissal in various rooms adjacent to the College Placement Office; with sports and other commitments, students found it difficult to find time in their schedule to take full advantage of this opportunity. The model we implemented last year will continue this year as well. A schedule of virtual presentations hosted by the admissions counselors for the area is being finalized. These sessions will have both a "live" presentation and time for the questions and answer. Details and dates will be communicated to the students when they are finalized. With this format, parents can participate if they choose to do so.
STANDARDIZED TESTING
To give seniors the opportunity to sit for standardized tests with enough time to include them in their college applications, Chaminade High School host SAT Examinations during the regular school day. The exam will take place on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. Please contact the guidance department to register. More information on this exam will be shared later.
FINANCIAL AID
Chaminade High School plans to host a Financial Aid Information Session for parents on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, Darby Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
We hope that the guidance department services will make the college selection procedure clearer and more productive for you and your son. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at dpetruccio@chaminade-hs.org or (516) 742-5555 ext. 431.
Best regards,
Mr. Daniel Petruccio
Assistant Principal of Guidance
Chaminade High School
