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College Guidance - Counseling Services

Counseling Services

Academic Guidance

The goal of academic guidance is to support student academic success during their time at Archbishop Mitty High School.  These services include the following:

  • Availability to teachers and parents for conferencing with students regarding educational issues
  • Assistance to families in identifying outside resources for tutoring and/or educational diagnostic testing
  • Testing to assist in educational and career planning

Assignment of Students to Counselors

Each freshman student is assigned a counselor in August. The student and parent will receive a letter with their counselor name, phone number, location, and how to make an appointment. The freshman counselor will make an appointment in the fall to meet the incoming student and will monitor the student’s progress throughout the year. Should student need assistance prior to receiving an appointment date with their counselor, the Administrative Assistant in the Counseling Center can help you schedule an earlier time to meet.

At the conclusion of freshman year, the student is assigned a Counseling and College Guidance Counselor who will continue to provide counseling services and guide the student through the college admissions process.

Making a Counseling Appointment

Students and parents are free, at any time, to make an appointment with their counselor. Appointments should be scheduled during a student’s free period. If a student needs to make an appointment during class time, unless it is an emergency, the student needs to get permission from the counselor before the appointment can be scheduled.

Parent Communication

Counselors at AMHS provide extensive services to parents in academic, college guidance, and consultation regarding personal matters. Parents may call the Counseling and College Guidance Department at any time. Counselors respond to voice mail and e-mail messages within twenty-four hours. If an immediate response is needed, parents should contact the Administrative Assistant for Counseling at 342-4217 who will assist them.

Personal Counseling

Within the comprehensive student counseling and guidance program, Archbishop Mitty High School provides personal counseling services to students.  These services are offered when there is a need for a counselor to assist a student regarding important personal, social or developmental issues.  Often personal counseling takes place at the request of the student and/or family regarding some immediate concern.  Personal counseling services include the following:

  • Student appointments made to discuss:  balancing social and academic demands, difficulties with specific classes, and misunderstandings with friends
  • Family conferencing at the parent’s request regarding an issue interfering with student success
  • Crisis intervention around current issues that endanger the welfare of the student
  • Support to families in response to long-term illness and other personal crises a student is experiencing

Parent Programs

Six major parent evening programs are hosted by the Counseling and College Guidance Department.  The “Freshman Parent Night” introduces parents to the Mitty four-year academic plan, the counseling and guidance model, and the various services provided by the Counseling Department. The Freshmen Drug and Alcohol Education Night offers an expert speaker, coupled with a review of our curriculum.The “Sophomore Parent Night” includes an overview of current college admissions information.  The “Junior Parent Night” initiates the formal college exploration process by providing both detailed information and support for parents.   The “Senior Parent Night” kicks off in September with an overview of the college application process. Lastly, a “Senior Financial Aid Night” provides information and assistance in completing the necessary financial aid form(s) necessary to receive federal, state and/or private college/university monies.

Special Counseling Programs

    Academic Monitoring

    Students whose Academic-Grade-Point-Average is a 2.0 (“C-”) average or lower, receive an “F” or more than one “D” at either the quarter or semester, are placed on “Academic Monitoring” by the school administration and are assigned to “Academic Monitoring” by the Counseling Department. The following is the role of the Counselor during Academic Monitoring:

        1. Assist the student and/or parents in discovering factors that result in poor academic performance
        2. Assist the student in exploring ways to become more actively involved in the learning process;
        3. If requested, to advise parents on ways to assist and support their student’s improved performance; and
        4. To be available to the student, parent, and teachers as a resource

Academic Resources Coordination (ARC)

    The Academic Resources Coordinator, who is also a counselor at AMHS, monitors students who have been identified as needing enhanced academic support.

    Students who qualify for special accommodations under this program are typically identified, prior to enrollment at AMHS, through verified testing, as having a learning disability, attention deficit disorder, or other learning differences (for example, visual or auditory needs) sufficient to be designated for special academic support.

    Students who enroll at AMHS are asked to submit their testing and/or summary of accommodations, as soon as possible, to the Academic Resources Coordinator.

    The Academic Resources Coordinator works with the counselor, teachers, and outside professionals to coordinate accommodations that may be needed and that can be reasonably accommodated at AMHS.

    Students who are not placed in the ARC program at the time of enrollment, but are later identified as needing testing are placed in the program once the completed testing and/or summary of accommodations is given to the ARC coordinator.

    Testing for learning disabilities is not conducted at AMHS. If testing has not been suggested at the previous educational institution, an appointment may be in order, with the counselor, to discuss learning disabilities testing, skills testing, and/or outside tutors.

    The Academic Resources Coordinator or the counselor can provide a referral list to you.

    Extended time on finals is accommodated at AMHS, if verified testing is on file, during final(s) week. Students needing extended time on a quiz and/or test is not a standard accommodation, as teachers allow for every student to complete the quiz/test during class time.

    If testing requests the accommodation, “Books on Tape” or CD, it is the responsibility of the parent to coordinate. A list of textbook ISBN numbers can be requested through the Business Office at 342-4380.

    In the spring of freshman year, the Academic Resources Coordinator begins the paperwork needed to receive extended time on the College Board practice college entrance test the PSAT, the college entrance test(s) SAT and ACT, and the Advanced Placement exam which is not used for admissions purposes, but is a College Board exam. Paperwork is given to the freshman student to take home and to be returned to the Academic Resources Coordinator.

    If testing was completed in the sophomore, junior or senior year, the student will be given the necessary paperwork by the counselor and returned to the counselor, who will work with the Academic Resources Coordinator to complete the process.

    The program coordinator for ARC hosts a parent information night in September.

    The individual college the student is interested in and/or the counselor typically answer college questions regarding accommodations and extended time.

    Drug and Alcohol Education

    Each year the Archbishop Mitty Academic Council, the Religion Department, and the Counseling Department, sponsor a freshman parent information night. Throughout the year the Counseling Department works with teachers in various disciplines to develop curriculum related to the recreational use of drugs and alcohol. The program also features coordination with other high schools regarding educational programs, policies, and strategies for supporting students at-risk.

Outside Resources

College Guidance

Freshmen and Sophomores

During the freshman year, the counselor primarily focuses the student on being successful at AMHS. This “success” means doing one’s best academically, becoming involved in school activities, and discovering and developing one’s special talents. Students interested in exploring their learning style, colleges, careers and majors may go to the AMHS web page and click on Family Connection. College view books and catalogs are also available in the Counseling Center and library.

Sophomores

Sophomores will have a light introduction to college, beginning with the PSAT October 14th. The practice test is an introduction to the college entrance exam, the SAT. The PSAT will be taken again in October of junior year. Introduction to the test relieves the stress of seeing the test for the first time during the junior year and gives students some direction on what skills still need to be achieved

Sophomore PSAT scores are distributed at the Sophomore Parent Night in January with a brief introduction to the free test preparation on Family Connection and the College Board QuickStart.
For more information on the test preparation feature on Family Connection and College Board QuickStart see the College Preparation section of the Counseling Department WebPages.

Juniors

Intensive college counseling begins in the junior year with the required college counseling appointment that includes college exploration, testing information, and preparation for the college application process.

The PSAT will be administered to all juniors October 14th. The PSAT Student Report will be distributed in the classroom in January and will also be available on line. Juniors are encouraged to use the free test preparation on Family Connection and the free review of the PSAT Student Report on College Board QuickStart, prior to taking their first SAT.

College Board QuickStart includes:

  • an online copy of the student report.
  • a breakdown of each section including responses by question type and difficulty.
  • strategies to improve their scores and a link to “SAT Skills Insight”, a free test preparation center, where students can choose the level of problems they want to work on.

The test preparation on Family Connection includes:

  • an evaluation test for the SAT and ACT.
  • lessons with audio for all sections.
  • practice problems and quizzes for each section.
  • two full length, timed, practice tests for the SAT and ACT.

Juniors are told to begin registration for the SAT and/or ACT in the fall of their junior year, prior to receiving their scores, in order to take the exam at their first choice test site, and to avoid potential conflicts in the spring. Most juniors will take their first SAT and/ or ACT in March or April. If required or recommended by their college, students will take the Subject Tests in May or June. For a fee, changes to test sites and test dates can be done at a later time.

The ACT is another college entrance test, accepted by all colleges. Differences between the SAT and ACT can be found in the “document library” of Family Connection.

Juniors are encouraged to visit colleges during all scheduled breaks and not miss class. Juniors and their parents will be invited to attend the AMHS College Fair October 14th, the College Case Studies Program April 22nd, and the Santa Clara County Mission College Fair May 6th, more information will be provided at a later date.

Each year all juniors participate in college admissions lessons taught by the College Guidance Counselors during the regular school day in religion class. Lab time is given to complete items on Family Connection.

Seniors

In the senior year, individual counseling sessions will vary by student. Individual sessions can be scheduled to assist seniors in selecting colleges, a testing plan, the essay choosing majors, completing college applications, filing for financial aid, applying for a variety of scholarships, and help with finalizing their college decision.

Each year all seniors participate in college application lessons taught by the College Guidance Counselors during the regular school day in religion class. Lab time is given to begin the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and private college application(s).

For more information regarding college guidance, go to the College Preparation and Career Exploration section of the Counseling Department WebPages.

Athletes

If you are looking to participate in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or Division II institution in the future, click on “athletes/ncaa” on Family Connection and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Registration is typically done the Spring of Junior year.

Official test scores must be sent to the eligibility center from the testing agency. To send scores the NCAA code is #9999. This code can be entered when registering for the SAT and ACT, “send my scores”. Test scores that appear on a high school transcript are not official. If a coach requests test scores, a printed copy of your scores from Family Connection or an unofficial transcript with test scores is acceptable.

Separate official transcripts for all high schools attended for grades nine through twelve must also be sent to the Eligibility Center. As part of the registration process with the NCAA, print the Student Release form and deliver it to the Administrative Assistant in the Counseling Center. Transcripts are sent, as per NCAA, at the end of the junior year and at the end of senior year. The student can print unofficial transcripts for the coach. Unofficial transcripts can be found on mitty.com, quick links transcripts.

Students should make their counselor and AMHS coach aware that they are considering playing sports in college. Students should also complete for their counselor, the AMHS College Athletic Interest Survey on Family Connection

Counseling and Guidance

March 8
NCAA Informational Night
6:30- 7:30 p.m.
Aymar Events Center