Student Services / Counseling

Counseling Calendar for Deadlines and Events (including College Rep Visits)

AP Exam Registration & Payment - deadline is October 29th

October 13 Test Day - Scores

TENTATIVE:
Scores for tests taken by 9th, 10th & 11th graders should be available as outlined below:

All Grade 9: PreACT - Score reports will be provided to students at school sometime in December. Details will be shared with students and parents as soon as we have them.

Grades 10 & 11:

Locally-scored ACT (practice): Score reports will be provided to students at school sometime in November.
PSAT: Scores will be available on students' College Board accounts sometime in December or early January. If students already have a College Board account, they should not create a new one. (Check the College Board website for instructions if you forgot your user name or password.) Students who do not yet have a College Board account will receive instructions on how to create one when scores are available.

Steps for Seeking Learning Support (Flowchart)

College Applications & Financial Aid

FAFSA & College Financial Aid Events

Learn about Saving and Finding Free Money for College

Did you know that there are scholarship opportunities for almost any hobby, talent, interest, or sport? Scholarships provide free money that can be used to cover the costs of a college/university, trade school or technical school education.

To learn more about savings, resources, and scholarships, please join the State Treasurer's Office and Sallie Mae for a free webinar.

You will gain valuable information and tips to maximize your savings and scholarships to apply to your technical, vocational certification, or college degree.

Register for the free webinar using the links below:

Tuesday, October 19th | 7:00- 8:00 pm CST Registration Link

Wednesday, October 20th | Noon- 1:00 pm CST Registration Link

Presenters:
Lynn Rogers, Treasurer – State of Kansas
Robb Cummings, Director, Relationship Management – Sallie Mae

Transcripts & Recommendation Letters

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Before requesting a transcript, you should always confirm first that your college or university actually needs and wants a transcript right now---many do not! If the school uses self-reporting for courses and grades, you'll just enter them yourself. Do not request that a transcript be sent now unless you're sure they want and need it.
If you're sure the college needs a transcript, you may request it in ONE OF TWO WAYS, depending on the application method you used for each particular college or university:

OPTION 1:
Use only if you are applying directly via a college or university's website:

(For Common App or SendEDu, see Option 2, below.)

Request your transcript through your Xello account, but only after you have contacted the SME registrar and signed a transcript release form. Only students may do this (parents are not able to request transcripts using their child's Xello account). Please allow at least seven school days after you submit the request for your transcript to be sent.
In your Xello account:
- To the right, click Request.
  - A banner at the top of the screen will indicate the request was sent..
- Under the Application Checklist, find Transcript.
- Under College Applications, select the institution to which you'd like your transcript sent.
- In your Xello Student Dashboard, under Goals & Plans, click College Planning.

OPTION 2:
Use only if you are applying to a college or university via Common App or SendEdu:

You must contact the registrar first, to obtain and submit a transcript release form. (Keep in mind that many colleges do not require a counselor recommendation.)
When you return your completed transcript release to the SME Registrar, she'll confirm whether you need a recommendation letter or not, and will then let your counselor know you need your transcript submitted via Common App or SendEdu.
Invite your counselor in Common App or SendEdu. This will add you to your counselor's Common App account and allow her to upload your transcript.
Your counselor will then upload your School Report (which includes your transcript) to Common App and each college will download it when you submit your application.
If a college requires a counselor recommendation, let your Mrs. Lowe (registrar) know immediately, but no later than a month before your application deadline. Mrs. Lowe will have you complete the College Information form and will then send you a Google Form questionnaire.
Keep in mind that it may take several days (or even weeks, during busy times), for a college or university to download and match your transcript to your application file. This must be done manually, even with transcripts sent electronically. Your application status may continue to indicate they have not yet received your transcript if they haven't yet matched it to your file (even if it has already been sent by SME). If you have questions, first check with your college's admissions department directly.

For all other transcripts or questions about GPA:

Please contact SME Registrar, Melanie Lowe, directly: melanielowe@smsd.org

Graduates (alumni):

Final Transcripts:
A final official transcript was automatically sent to the college indicated in the Graduate Information form in Skyward (first item in this module). Therefore, students do NOT need to send another request for a final transcript to their counselor or to the registrar.
- A senior may request an unofficial transcript for their personal use by emailing the SME registrar after June 1^st (Melanie Lowe, melanielowe@smsd.org)
For all other transcripts (for example, fraternity or sorority), you must contact the SME registrar, Melanie Lowe.

College Now / JCCC Concurrent Credit

With fall College Now enrollment beginning August 23rd, here are the hot topics for the week!

College Now Course Placement Test Requirements - To determine if a placement test is required for your course, go to jccc.edu/collegenow and click the Class Schedules link to look up available courses for your high school. If a prerequisite or test score is required for your class, it will be noted.

To assist students, we offer several pathways for students who need to enroll in courses that have a placement test requirement. For information on how to meet the placement requirements for your College Now course, go to jccc.edu/collegenow. Click the Learn more about testing button to see the testing requirements needed for your course.

If you have not taken the Accuplacer but meet the placement requirements with an ACT score, high school GPA, or AP test score, click the Request Placement Waiver button. If you do not have a qualifying ACT score, HS GPA or AP test score, click the Schedule Accuplacer Test button to schedule an appointment to take the Accuplacer placement test at JCCC.

Important Reminder - Be sure to complete all steps in the enrollment process. You will still need to enroll in the class after your placement waiver is issued or after you test and earn a qualifying score.

The fall College Now enrollment deadline is Friday, Sept 17.

For complete SME enrollment instructions, click here.
For general JCCC College Now enrollment information, click here.
For the JCCC Quick Step Plus enrollment guide, click here.

Questions? Contact Jodee Merriman, SME Real World Learning Counselor, jodeemerriman@smsd.org.

College Now campus contacts:

Admissions→Phone: 913-469-3803 | Email: admissions@jccc.edu
Testing→Phone: 913-469-4439 | Email: testingservices@jccc.edu
Registration→Phone: 913-469-3803 | Email: registrar_office@jccc.edu
Payment→Phone: 913-469-2567 | Email: bursar@jccc.edu

Fall & Spring eSchool (online, outside the school day)

Fall 2021 eSchool enrollment opens on August 16.

**Enrollment must be done IN PERSON, in the SME Counseling Office.

**Mandatory Orientation Information:

AFTER you have completed enrollment, attendance at one of these meetings is mandatory.

September 1, 2021, 6:00-7:00p,m. @ SM West Cafeteria OR
September 9, 2021, 6:00-7:00 p.m. @ SM East Cafeteria

The following online courses may be taken in eSchool for INITIAL CREDIT (not credit recovery) in fall and spring, outside the school day.

Health (9-12), Fitness for Life (9-12), Art History (9-12), Financial Literacy (10-12), Psychology (10-12), ELA 3 (11), US History (11-12), ELA 4 (12). and Government (12).

Courses are taken outside the school day and all work is completed entirely online.
Fee is $180.
Check with your counselor before enrolling, to be sure you're in the correct class.
Fitness for Life may be taken only once.

Find additional important details on the eSchool website.

Real World Learning (Internships, Job Shadowing, Dual Enrollment, Concurrent Enrollment and more!)

Visits with College Reps

SME is now using RepVisits.com to schedule virtual visits with college representatives! (In-person visits are pending, based on COVID protocol at the time of the visit.)

View all virtual visits on our Counseling Calendar.

Only juniors and seniors may participate.
Students should inform their teachers they will be missing class.
Students are responsible for making up any classwork they miss during a visit with a college representative.
Copy and paste the url listed in the calendar to join the virtual visit on the scheduled date/time.

ACT & SAT Exams

Social and Emotional Resources

Johnson County Mental Health Center Crisis Line: 913-268-0156
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255; Text: 741741
Johnson County Resource Connection
Youth Line Teen crisis helpline: Text TEEN2TEEN to 839863
Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
SMSD Resources for Parents
Includes a variety of activities to do at home, community resources, COVID-19 specific resources, and the SMSD PickUp and Go Meals information
EverFi Family Portal: receive direct access to a library of digital courses. Simply enter your state and your child's school name to receive the full catalogue of age-appropriate courses for your child.