PSAT Scores released

PSAT score reports will be mailed home to parents on Friday  December 12, 2014 to Sophomores and Juniors that participated in the exam on October 15, 2014. The PSAT/NMSQT exam is a measure of three key areas: critical reading, mathematics problem solving and writing skills. The exam prepares students for the same types of questions on the SAT exam. In addition, juniors who achieve high PSAT/NMSQT scores may qualify for National Merit competition and corporate scholarships.

The PSAT score report is very parent/student friendly. Parents/students should take notice of the section at the bottom of the score report called "Improve your skills”. This section gives specific data based on the student’s individual PSAT exam. All Sophomores and Juniors will have an assembly on January 13^th in which the BHS Guidance Department will give an overview on interpreting and using these results. Also the BHS Guidance Department will host a "PSAT Results" breakfast on January 28th at 8:30AM

Google Parent Breakfast on 11/18

The Guidance Department at Burlington High School will be hosting a Parent Breakfast on Tuesday November 18, 2014, from 8:30-9:30 AM in the BHS Guidance College and Career Center. This breakfast will be hosted by Michael Westervelt from Google. The purpose of this breakfast will be to help parents understand the impact and importance of your child building a digital footprint in preparation for college. We look forward to seeing you! Please RSVP at by calling 781-270-1780. 

Focus on Freshmen

As in years past the BHS Guidance staff puts a tremendous amount of focus on incoming freshmen. An incoming 9^th grader faces many new challenges with the transition to high school. Freshmen are dealing with a new environment, new teachers, more freedom and responsibility, etc. The Guidance staff makes every effort to be in tune with this process and to serve as a resource.

Each year Guidance Counselors meet with freshmen in small groups within the first month of school. We call students to the Guidance Office and introduce ourselves, and discuss the many resources available to them. Although we have found this process useful, we also feel it is not enough. In fact, what we have learned from our freshman over the past several years is that they prefer to hear about graduation requirements, academic expectations, how to go about making a level change, etc.

For a second year the BHS Guidance staff worked with Ms. Sullivan in the health department. Ms. Sullivan allowed the BHS Guidance staff to teach a lesson during her Freshmen health class. The Guidance staff covered and discussed BHS graduation requirements and the importance of identifying resources. One teaching practice that we used again this year was a “ticket to leave”. The ticket to leave is simply a form that we ask freshmen to complete at the end of the lesson so we can gauge if students understood what was covered. Based on the data, we felt our message was clear to a vast majority of freshmen.  We look forward to continuing and refining this practice in years to come. 

Parent Breakfast on 11/12/2014

The Guidance Department at Burlington High School will be hosting a Parent Breakfast on Wednesday November 12, 2014, from 8:30-9:30 AM in the BHS Guidance College and Career Center. The purpose of this breakfast is to give parents of Burlington High School students the opportunity to have an open dialogue around stress and anxiety with the school psychologist, Ms. Elizabeth MacKay and the school social worker, Ms. Christine Conceison. Stress and Anxiety impacts all students in a variety of ways. The breakfast is aimed at providing insight into stress and anxiety in adolescents and effective coping strategies.  We look forward to seeing you! Please RSVP at by calling 781-270-1780.

Free SAT/ACT Combo Practice Test

On November 14th  there will be a free SAT/ACT Combo Practice Test held by Kaplan Test Prep to help students decide between the SAT or ACT.  The practice test will be held at Melrose YMCA, 497 Main St., Melrose, MA. Please visit kaptest.com/whichtest or call 1-800-KAP-TEST to sign up today.

College Fair Co-Sponsored by BHS Guidance

On Tuesday October 28th from 6:30 -8:30 p.m., a college fair will be held at the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, MA. The Burlington High School Guidance Department co-sponsors the event with many other Middlesex League High Schools. Usually over two-hundred colleges will attend. A college fair can be a very overwhelming experience for parents and students. The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) has developed a very helpful list of questions that you can bring to the fair. We also recommend bringing a pre-determined list of colleges. Make it a priority to visit the schools on your list, then time permitting check out some others. Please remember you are not obligated to stay the whole time, many students spend about an hour at the event.  Below is the most up to date list of colleges attending:

Confirmed Colleges as of October 15

Albany College of Pharmacy

American International College

Anna Maria College

Assumption College

Bay Path College

Bay State College

Becker College

Benjamin Franklin Institute

Bentley College

Binghamton University

Boston University

Brandeis University

Bridgewater State University

Bryant University

Castleton State College

Champlain College

Clarkson University

Colby-Sawyer College

College of Mount St. Vincent

College of New Jersey

College of Our Lady of the Elms

College of Saint Joseph

College of St. Rose

College of the Holy Cross

Columbia College-Chicago

Curry College

Daniel Webster College

Dean College

Eastern Connecticut State University

Eastern Nazarene College

Elms College

Emerson College

Emmanuel College

Endicott College

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Fisher College

Fitchburg State University

Florida Institute of Technology

Framingham State University

Franklin Pierce University

Gordon College

Hamilton College

Hampshire College

Harvard College

High Point University

Hofstra University

Husson University

Iona College

Ithaca College

ITT Technical Institute

Johnson and Wales University

Johnson State College

Keene State College

Laboure College

Lawrence Memorial/RC Nursing & Med. Radiography

Lesley University

Long Island University

Lyndon State College

Manhattanville College

Marian Court College

Marietta College

Marist College

Massachusetts Air National Guard

Massachusetts Army National Guard

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Merrimack College

Middlesex Community College

Millenium Trianing Institute

Mount Holyoke College

Mount Ida College

National Aviation Academy

New England College

New England Hair Academy

New England School of Photography

Newbury College

Nichols College

North Shore Community College

Northeastern University

Northern Essex Community College

Northwestern University

Paul Smith's College

Pennsylvania State University

Personal Financial Management Plus

Pine Manor College

Plymouth State University

Providence College

Purdue University

Quinnipiac University

Reading Cooperative Bank

Reading Scholarship Foundation

Regis College

Rivier College

Roanoke College

Rochester Institute of Technology

Roger Williams University

Rutger's University

Sacred Heart University

Saint Anselm College

Saint John's University

Saint Joseph's College - Maine

Saint Lawrence University

Saint Leo University

Saint Michael's College

Salem State University

Salve Regina University

Savannah College of Art & Design

School of Fashion Design

Siena College

Simmons College

Smith College

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern Vermont College

Springfield College

Stonehill College

Stonybrook University

Suffolk University

SUNY - Cobleskill

SUNY-Genesco

Texas Tech University

Thomas College

Trinity College-CT.

United States Air Force

United States Army Recruiting Station

United States Marine Recruiting Office

United States Navy Recruiting Office

Unity College

University of Alabama

University at Albany

University of Connecticut

University of Delaware

University of Maine-Farmington

University of Maine-Orono

University of Massachusetts - Boston

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

University of Massachusetts-Lowell

University of New England

University of New Hampshire

University of Rhode Island

University of Rochester

University of Saint Joseph's

University of Scranton

University of South Carolina

University of Southern Maine

University of Tampa

University of Vermont

Utica College

Vermont Technical College

Walsh University

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Western New England University

Westfield State College

Wheaton College

Wheelock College

Wittenburg University

Worcester State University

College Topics for Senior Parents

The Guidance Department will host a breakfast called “College Topics for Senior Parents”. The purpose of this breakfast is so the counseling staff can give a very brief overview of important tasks associated with the college selection and application process. This event is geared for parents that missed the Senior College Planning Night on 10/9/14. Please join us for this informative event on October 22nd at 8:30 AM in the BHS Guidance College and Career Center. Parent's MUST RSVP at 781-270-1780.

The Roadmap To College Admission - With Special Guest: Dr. Mark Montgomery

Date: Thursday October 23rd

Time: 6:30PM– 8:00PM

Location: Burlington (MA) High School Auditorium

The college admission process is stressful.  It all seems more competitive, more stressful, more expensive, and more unpredictable than ever before. 

How will I pick the right college for me?

What is the secret to admission to highly selective colleges?

What if my SAT or ACT scores are lower than I want them to be?

What if I got a C in chemistry…am I doomed?

 My GPA suffered freshman year (I was temporarily possessed by

 aliens); can I still get into a good college?

Which activities should I pursue to stand out from the crowd?

Why do smart people attend community college?

Will I ever be able to afford to go to college, even if I can get in?

With only 24 hours in a day, how can I be a high school superstar?

To answer these questions and to arrive at your chosen destination, you need a map.  This presentation will be your personal GPS for choosing the right college—and getting in.

Join us for an entertaining, informative, and stress-reducing presentation by a national expert in higher education. This presentation is aimed at students in 8^th through 11^th grade.  Students are encouraged to attend with their parents.

Mark Montgomery, Ph.D., is an independent college consultant serving a national and international clientele from offices in Denver, Colorado, Westfield, New Jersey, and Hong Kong, China.  As a former college administrator, admissions officer, professor of international relations, and high school teacher of French, Dr. Montgomery brings a wealth of educational experience and perspective to the process of college selection and admission.  He speaks to audiences around the world about how to choose the right colleges—and get in. 

For more information about Dr.Montgomery, please visit GreatCollegeAdvice.com.  

College Planning Night on BCAT

For senior parents that missed College Planning Night hosted by the BHS Guidance Department please tune it to BCAT. College Planning Night will beginning Monday October 20th to Friday October 24th at 6:30 PM, then on Saturday and Sunday 12PM and 6PM.

If you would prefer to view this event at another time feel free to watch the streaming video recording at http://www.bcattv.org/programming/video-on-demand/.

Support Students During Tomorrow’s Burlington Community Scholarship Foundation Telethon

This information originally appeared on the Burlington Cable Access Television Website

Click here for a brief message from BCSF President Jack Ferren 

It’s time once again to help Burlington students looking to further their education by attending a college or university.

The 20th Annual Burlington Community Scholarship Foundation’s (BCSF) Dollars for Scholars Telethon will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will run live on Burlington Cable Access Television’s Education Channel (Comcast – 22, Verizon – 40, RCN – 13).

The telethon, hosted by BCSF President Jack Ferren, will featuring three segments – one on education, one with businesses and a third with town officials. The groups come in and give donations and speak about their work.

“It’s Burlington on TV,” Ferren explained.

Viewers looking to support scholarships for Burlington students will also be given a chance to call in and make a donation. Also, from Tuesday, Oct. 14 to Thursday, Oct. 16, student volunteers will be calling residents to solicit donations to the cause.

BCSF, a non profit 501c3e, was founded in 1988 with the mission of helping Burlington residents defray college expenses, Ferren said. Since it began the organization has awarded $8 million in scholarships.

In 2013, The BCSF awarded 38 scholarships to high school graduates for a total of $80,000. The Adopt a Class program sponsored by Northern Bank & Trust awarded 28 scholars for a total of $22,500. Also last year, BCSF awarded six scholarships to Burlington Adults who have returned or began school, totaling $12,000.

Additionally under the BCSF umbrella the Burlington High School awarded $205,000.

“The grand total for 2013 in total scholarship awards collectively with the Burlington Community Scholarship Foundation and BHS program are; 397 individual scholarships totaling $315,000,” the organization’s annual report states.

Also in 2013 the organization became part of the Dollars for Scholars National Association, Ferren said.

“We took the foundation from local to global,” he said. “Graduates are now eligible for scholarships all over the world.”

Along with making a donation during the week of the telethon, Burlington residents can also support the foundation when they pay their town real estate tax, excise tax or water bill.