Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of
students and parents.
- How can I make an appointment with Mr. Kochis?
- What do counselors do?
- When do you see the students?
- What are in the guidance classes?
- What is Naviance?
- How do college representative visits work and who can attend?
- When are the PSATs this year?
- Can my freshman take the PSAT this year?
- What is PVI's CEEB code?
- What is the difference between early decision and early action?
How can I make an appointment with Mr. Kochis?
I try my best to accommodate student and parent requests for
meetings.
Students, you may ask any teacher to provide you a pass to come to
guidance,
but teachers do retain the refusal rights, i.e. no using Guidance
to skip
vocabulary quizzes. Study hall is often a good time to come to see
me so that
you don't miss any instructional time. If I'm unavailable when
you come, you
may complete a 'request for appointment' form. I also welcome
email requests.
Parents, I encourage you to call or email me so that I can
schedule an
appropriate block of time.
What do counselors do?
From our website we say the following:
"The counselors work in collaboration with the faculty advisor
program and
teachers to meet the individual needs of each student. The
fundamental goal of
counseling is to help each student understand and accept his/her
self, to
better become more aware of alternatives, and to learn effective
problem
solving and decision-making skills leading to increased maturity,
greater
self-direction and assumption of responsibility. The counselors
provide
professional assistance to help the student attain academic
success, learn to
cope with personal problems, improve relationships and focus on
career/college
and life choices."
I feel that this boils down to three areas: career/college
planning, academic
guidance, and personal growth. The base of our work is meeting
with the
students individually. To augment our time and ability we also run
groups,
teach guidance classes, host information nights, and consult with
parents and
teachers.
When do you see the students?
First quarter is predominantly reserved for seniors and transfer
students. We
may see some freshmen. In the second quarter we focus more on
freshmen but
still have a steady influx of seniors. Third quarter we will begin
to meet
with juniors after their college workshop. Finally in the fourth
quarter we
will see sophomores in groups.
What are in the guidance classes?
The sophomores get a two-day class that is meant to get them
thinking about
their long range plans. They take fun quizzes to assess their
interests and
get some ideas of what they might like to do in the future. The
sophomores
also receive an introduction to their Naviance account, which is
our online
college counseling tool.
The juniors get a more in-depth workshop on the nuts & bolts of
college
admission. We cover the search process, trends in admission,
testing
information, letters of recommendation, essay writing, resume
production, and
some general college information.
What is Naviance?
Naviance is the parent company that produces our online college
counseling
tools. The appropriate name for the program that students and
parents use is
Family Connection, but we got stuck on the name Naviance.
The tools in Naviance store a student's academic profile (GPA and
test scores)
as well as our school's acceptance history with a number of
colleges and
universities. This allows students and parents to do an 'apples
to apples'
comparison of how their profile correlates to the admissions
criteria of the
schools they are looking at.
Additional features include; college search engines, college visit
schedules,
maps, extended profiles, counselor comments, and various
communication options.
How do college representative visits work and who can attend?
Typically colleges send admissions representatives on the road in
the fall to
meet with interested students. We schedule the representatives to
come in
during instructional hours and advertise their visits. Students
are required
to request a pass from the Guidance office and have their teacher
(whose class
they will miss) sign the pass at least twenty-four hours in
advance of the
representative's visit.
Seniors tend to dominate these visits, but juniors are also
welcome to attend
these visits. Parents should not come to speak with a rep.
When are the PSATs this year?
Wednesday, October 14th
They begin at 8:00 A.M.
Can my freshman take the PSAT this year?
No, freshmen will be attending an in-house retreat.
What is PVI's CEEB code?
The CEEB code is a numerical designation for our school that is used
by
several organizations, such as the Collegeboard.
Our CEEB code is: 470801
What is the difference between early decision and early action?
Early decision is a binding contract that if the institution
accepts your
application you will enroll with that institution. Early action
has no such
bind and allows you to apply to other schools and consider their
offers. If
you are confused what the school offers, ask one of their
admissions officers.
