Happy Holidays from the BHS Guidance Department!!

During the holiday season please be sure to check out the Naviance Guidance Software Program. The program now allows Guest Access to parents and students not signed up (since this is guest access all information is not available). Burlington High School continues to fully utilize the Naviance program. The Naviance program has certainly allowed the BHS Guidance staff to streamline the college application process for seniors. However, parents should be aware that Naviance not only provides a venue for a secure system for college applications, it allows students to develop college lists, research scholarships and provides links to valuable resources. In addition, the BHS Guidance Department has tied Naviance to the BHS Developmental Guidance Program. The counseling staff strives to ensure that each grade level is utilizing the program.

Grade 9 will be introduced to the program after the new year, grades 10 and 11 can complete a personality assessment tied to possible future careers. In addition the career portion allows students to watch short video clips of a variety of careers, find out about salary information, and courses to take in high school for a particular career.

The program also has a course planner section. The counselor and student together can develop a four year academic plan and have discussions on graduations requirements, rigor of schedule and finding courses that are of interest.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.

PSAT Scores AND KAPLAN Spring Schedule to be released Friday

PSAT Score reports will be mailed home to parents Monday December 10, 2012 to sophomores and juniors that participated in the exam. 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 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. Furthermore, Score reports show a numerical score for each area measured, as well as a range that extends from a few points below the score to a few points above. This range shows the extent to which a student’s score might differ with repeated testing, assuming that the student’s skill level remains constant.

More information can be accessed by going to the PSAT Fact Sheet . For the past ten years roughly 90 % or more of BHS seniors take the SAT exam. The Guidance department strongly recommends that juniors take the exam in March, May or June. SAT registration information can be accessed through collegeboard.com

The KAPLAN program offers SAT test prep courses at Burlington High School exclusive for Burlington High School Juniors only. Students will receive a subsidized rate of $249.00. The Kaplan course calendar and registration information will be mailed home to ALL Juniors on December 10. Parents can register beginning today by calling 1-800-KAP-Test.

Also KAPLAN will be offering a FREE SAT Practice test for Juniors on January 12, 2013 beginning at 9:00AM and ending at 1:30 P.M AND a FREE Practice SAT/ACT Combo test on February 2, 1013.
We highly recommend Juniors taking one of these Free offerings.

Upcoming Financial Aid Events

Burlington High School will be hosting two upcoming financial aid events. We highly recommend senior parents attend ( Class of 2012 ). Since both events are in January we felt it was important to remind parents before the December vacation. Please be sure to check out the side bar on the Guidance Blog for links to more specific information in regard to financial aid and scholarship information. Below are descriptions of each event:

Event: M.E.F.A. (Massachusetts Educational Financial Authority) Financial Aid Seminar
Date: Thursday January 5, 2012
Description: This seminar covers the financial aid process in detail. Carla Berg, Financial Aid Advisor at Bentley University, will be the presenter beginning at 7:00 P.M. in the BHS auditorium.


Event: FAFSA DAY 2012- http://www.fafsaday.org/
Date: Sunday January 29, 2012 2 :00 P.M.
Description: This is a non-profit volunteer driven effort across the state. This is the first time that Burlington High School will host this event. Parents and students will receive:

• Free assistance completing the FASA

• Access to experienced financial aid administrators, and FAFSA experts, available to answer FAFSA questions.

• Guidance on the financial aid process and next steps after filing the FASA.

Parents MUST register at http://www.fafsaday.org/. Although computer labs are available, it is highly recommend that parents bring a laptop that day. Also if any parents are interested in volunteering as a Support Volunteer (registration tables, setup, cleanup, etc)  please feel free to register at http://www.fafsaday.org/volunteer.php

Burlington High School Grade 10 Parent Breakfast

The Guidance Department at Burlington High School will be hosting a Sophomore Parent Breakfast on Wednesday November 16, 2011, from 8:30-9:45 AM in the BHS lower Library. The purpose of this breakfast is to give parents of sophomore students the opportunity to have an open dialogue with all members of the guidance staff. The BHS Guidance Department has a variety of resources available for parents and students, and many topics will be covered that are relevant to sophomores, such as the MCAS, PSATs, career and college exploration, utilizing the Naviance program, and academic planning. Please join us for this informative event. We look forward to seeing you! Please RSVP at by calling 781-270-1780.

Burlington High School Principal's Blog: Finding The Perfect School for You - (Guest Post b...

Burlington High School Principal's Blog: Finding The Perfect School for You - (Guest Post b...: Image via CrunchBase Thanks to Noah Greenberg from Findthebest.com for this guest post As college application season approaches, stud...

College Fair on Tuesday October 25th, 2011 - 6:30 P.M - 8:30 P.M.

On Tuesday October 25th, 2011 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 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 FAQs. We also recommend bringing a pre-determined list of schools. Make it a priority to visit the schools on your list, then time permitting check out some other schools. Please click here for a full list of colleges and universities attending the college fair.

Breakfast for Senior Parents on 10/19 at 8:30 A.M.

On Wednesday October 19^th at 8 30 A.M. in the BHS Lower Library the Guidance Department will host a breakfast for senior parents. The purpose of the breakfast is so the counseling staff can give a very brief overview of the college application and selection process, but our hope is to spend most of the time answering any questions or concerns from parents about the college process. Please join us for this informative event. We look forward to seeing you on October 19th at 8:30 AM in the BHS Lower Library. Please RSVP at 781-270-1780.

PSAT Exam on 10/12/2011

Sophomores and juniors taking the PSAT are reminded to bring three sharpened number 2 pencils and a calculator. Burlington High School has a very limited amount of calculators on hand. Although the math sections can be completed without the aid of a calculator, having one can be very helpful. Testing assignments for juniors have been posted and sophomore assignments will be announced in homeroom. Students will report to their assigned testing room after homeroom.

Senior College Planning Night

Senior College Planning Night was well attended with roughly 100 parents. Many aspects of the college planning and application process were covered. For parents that missed the event, BCAT will be streaming the event within the next week. For those that would like to view the powerpoint, please click here. College informational packets were distributed as well. If you would like to pick up a packet please feel free to stop by the Guidance Office.

In terms of financial aid, two very important forms were mentioned. The FAFSA and the CSS profile. We encourage parents to investigate both applications ASAP. Please remember that the BHS Guidance Department will host a Financial Aid Night on Thursday January 6, 2012 and BHS will be a location this year for FAFSA Day on January 29th.

Senior College Planning Night on 10/5 at 6:30P.M.

Senior Parents and Seniors are reminded that College Planning Night will be held on Wednesday October 5, 2011 at 6:30 in the Burlington High School Auditorium. The evening will cover a variety of topics in regard to the college selection and application process. The entire guidance staff will be at this event and we look forward to seeing you.

If you cannot make the event, it will be televised on BCAT. The showtimes will be posted soon.