Counseling Center News

Virtual Calming Space makes its (quiet) debut

If you are feeling stressed or out of sorts, anxious or worried, we want you to reach out to your counselor. But if you just need a break to collect your thoughts or rest your mind, you may want to visit our new Virtual Calming Space.

News update from the Counseling Center 

There is a new bell schedule beginning in 2020-21. 

2020-21 Counseling Center Newsletters

• March 2021 newsletter
• February 2021 newsletter
• January 2021 newsletter
• December 2020 newsletter
• November 2020 newsletter
• October 2020 newsletter
• September 18, 2020 newsletter
• September 1, 2020 newsletter

Also, please be aware of these important dates and events that are coming up:

• Fall Virtual College Fairs
  • CASDA Virtual College Fairs (Sept. 15-Nov. 20, 2020)
  • NACAC Virtual College Fairs (Sept 13., Oct. 12, Oct. 18 and Nov. 8)
• Senior Parent Financial Aid Night – October 14, 2020, Virtual
• HVCC Instant Admissions Day – November 19, 2020, Virtual
• PSAT – Winter Months (date TBA)
• AP Exams – May 3-14, 2021

Naviance

Visit Naviance to view the Counseling Center newsletters and other important documents (in the document library folder.)

Counseling Center Presentations:

None at this time.

What can your school counselor help you with?

College Admission Representative Appointments:

If you are a college admission representative and you’d like to set up an appointment with our high school, please use Counselor Community to schedule an appointment.

Visit http://counselorcommunity.com/ and use your account to get on our calendar.
Important: When filling out “Client Name” please add your College/University name in the “First Name” field, followed by your first name. Thank you!

Spring 2020 Driver Education –
Pre-Register January 2-14

Pre-registration for Fall 2019 Driver Education will take place Thursday, January 2 through Tuesday, January 14 in the Athletic Office.

• Registration will take place Thursday, January 16 at 3:00 p.m. in the BCHS Cafeteria (All pre-registered students must attend).
• Classes are scheduled to begin February 4, 2020 through June 15, 2020.

Click here for full Driver’s Education information, Spring 2020 [PDF]

Please note: if you are unable to access the PDF, contact the BCHS Counseling Center at 518-439-4921, ext. 22950.

Scholarships and Financial Aid Information

These links to resources are provided to help families through the process of figuring out how to pay for college. In many situations, this requires a combination of financial aid and scholarships.

Student Loan Calculator: The New York Times has created a student loan calculator to offer a guide to the borrowing picture at various institutions — and what it takes after graduation to repay the loans. Use the calculator.

Financial Aid

• Department of Education Student Guide for Financial Aid
• FAFSA on the Web (FAFSA forms to download and complete online)
• Funding your Education
• eStudentLoan
• New York State Attorney General’s Office (Loan Information)
• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
• Higher Education Services Corp. (HESC)
• Sallie Mae
• FAFSA4Caster
• Financial Aid presentation by Mary Lawyer from Siena College

Scholarship Websites

• Absolutely Scholarships
• Fastweb
• College Board (Database of scholarship sources, profile registration and application, calculators, worksheets, etc.)
• FinAid (Information on scholarships, financial aid, calculators, loan calculators, etc.)

NYS Scholarship for Academic Excellence Selection Criteria

Students are chosen based on a weighting system of six Regents Exam Scores: English Language Arts (weight of three), Algebra II (weight of three), Global Studies & Geography (weight of one), United States History & Government (weight of one), and (2) Sciences (weight of one each).

New York State Excelsior Scholarship

New York’s tuition-free degree program makes college possible for hundreds of thousands of students across the state by helping to alleviate the crushing burden of student debt. The program begins immediately for students whose families make less than $100,000 annually in 2017. The proposed scholarship will extend to those families making $110,000 in 2018 and $125,000 annually by 2019. Applications for the scholarship for 2017  is open until Friday, July 21. For more information on requirements click here.

New York State Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Incentive Program:

New York State has launched a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Incentive Program, which will encourage the best and brightest high school students to pursue high-demand, high-tech careers and build their future in New York. The program provides a full SUNY or CUNY tuition scholarship to the top 10% of students in every New York high school if they major in a STEM field and work in a STEM job in New York State for five years after graduation. Read more about this program.

Career Exploration Links and Resources

The following links to resources for career exploration will take you away from the BCHS Counseling Center site.

• Sample Resume [PDF] & Worksheet for Resume [PDF]
• Capital Region Career and Technical Center
• Exploring Occupations
• Hudson Valley Community College Center for Careers and Employment
• New York Mentor
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Career Zone
• Career Key
• My Majors

Military Information

• Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Information at military.gov
• Selective Service Information