High School Guidance & Counseling

College Search Process | College Application Process | College Testing | Financial Aid/FAFSA | Career Exploration | Careers in Military | NYS Regents Exam Schedule | Graduation Requirements | Community Resources

Preparing for College

The College Search Process

We realize how daunting the college search and application process can be. You can find many sources of information regarding this process in bookstores, on the Internet, from independent counselors and from people who have recently completed this process themselves.

State University of New York (SUNY) Colleges

State University of New York (SUNY) colleges provide a sound education in over 5000 academic programs.

Explore opportunities on the SUNY website.

“Big Future” by the College Board

College Board provides an extensive college search link. Search by name of college or have the search engine match a college to your interests and needs.

Find which “Big Future” is the right fit for you on the College Board website.

Campus Tours

Campus Tours offers students the opportunity to view a college campus without ever leaving home. There is no substitute for a campus visit, but this is a place to start for some colleges.

Virtually explore college campuses on the Campus Tours website.

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The College Application Process

The Common Application

The Common Application is the recommended form for 299 selective colleges and universities for admission to their undergraduate programs. Many of these institutions use the form exclusively. All give equal consideration to the Common Application and the college’s own form. 

Access The Common Application.

SUNY Application

Apply to multiple SUNY campuses and submit any additional required documents all in one place. While there is no official deadline for applying as a regular decision applicant to SUNY, it is encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible. When campuses or particular academic programs are full for a certain semester, no further applications will be accepted. The sooner an applicant applies, the less likely he/she will be closed out of a program at a particular campus.

Access the SUNY Application.

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College Admissions Testing (PSAT, SAT and ACT Exams)

These exams are college entrance tests that some colleges require. Seniors who are planning to go to college and have not yet taken or would like to retake the SAT or the ACT test should consider doing so as soon as possible. Juniors who would like to take these tests are encouraged to wait until May or June of this year. Registration materials may be picked up in the Guidance office or you can register online using the links provided below.

PSAT

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test for high school students in the United States. The PSAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profit organization in the United States, and is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Learn more about the PSAT.

SAT

The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profit organization in the United States, and was once developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). ETS now administers the exam.

• Learn more about the SAT.
• Register online for the SAT.
• View test dates & registration deadlines for the SAT.

ACT

The ACT is a standardized achievement examination for college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in Fall 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board’s Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test. Some students who perform poorly on the SAT find that they perform better on the ACT and vice versa. 

The ACT test has historically consisted of four tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science reasoning. In February 2005, an optional writing test was added to the ACT, mirroring changes to the SAT that took place later in March of the same year.

• Learn more about the ACT.
• Register online for the ACT.
• View test dates & registration deadlines for the ACT.

All four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. accept the ACT but different institutions place different emphases on standardized tests such as the ACT, compared to other factors of evaluation such as class rank, G.P.A., and extracurricular activities.

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Financial Aid/FAFSA

Financial Aid is a very important part of attending college.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines eligibility for federal student financial aid programs, such as Pell Grants, federal student loans and federal work-study. Before filling out an application, learn more using the resources below

FAFSA Resources

• FAFSA “Dos and Don’ts”
• 6 Things Students Need Before They Fill Out the FAFSA Form (via StudentAid)
• Filling Out the FAFSA Form
• Applying for Financial Aid With the FAFSA Form Video (via Youtube)
• Federal Student Aid Glossary and Acronyms (via FSA Partners)

Other Financial Aid Resources

• HESC (Higher Education Services Corporation)
• Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
• FINAID
• CSS Profile Info

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Career Exploration

• Career OneStop
• Occupation Outlook Handbook
• O*NET Online
• NYS Labor Department
• NY Career Zone
• St. Lawrence County Civil Service
• North Country Now
• New York Job Exchange
• Health Career Exploration
• Health Services of Northern New York, Inc.

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Careers in Military

• Air Force Academy
• Air Force
• Army
• Coast Guard
• Guard or Reserve
• Marines
• Naval Academy
• Navy
• Reserve Officer Training Corps
• West Point

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