Student Services / Counseling

Click here to view the Counseling Department Calendar. 

Find college representative visits, scholarship & financial aid application deadlines, opportunities and events, other key deadlines, and more, all in one location.

NEW!  COLLEGE REP VISIT REGISTRATION PROCESS:

1. To meet with one of the college representatives visiting SME in person, use this Google Form to register. 

2. You must register at least 24 hours prior to the date/time of the visit.

3. You will first receive an email confirmation that you registered, and then an email from the counseling office that will be your pass to leave class and attend the visit.

On Wed., Oct. 12th, all sophomores and juniors will be taking one of two tests at East, either the PSAT or a Practice ACT. Students will choose which test to take. 

Please open this document for complete information, including registration and fees, and how to choose which test to take.

• The deadline to register for the PSAT was Thurs., Sept. 22nd.
• No registration was necessary for the Practice ACT. (Any student who did not register for the PSAT by Sept. 22nd was automatically registered for the Practice ACT.)

All juniors will have the opportunity to take a FREE, REAL ACT on February 28^th at ACT. More details will be shared later!

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.)

1. 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.
    
2. 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:

1. 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.)
    

2. 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. 

3. 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. 

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

Please review the information on our College FAQ and Financial Aid & Scholarships web pages, for frequently asked questions and lots of resources to help you through this process.

After you have reviewed the information on our website, contact your counselor if you have additional questions or need to request a recommendation letter.

NEW COLLEGE REP VISIT REGISTRATION PROCESS for fall 2022!

• For in-person visits:

  1. To meet in person with one of the college representatives visiting SME, use this Google Form to register. (View all college rep visit dates/times on our Counseling Calendar. )

  2. You must register at least 24 hours prior to the date/time of the visit.

  3. You will first receive an email confirmation that you registered, and then an email from the counseling office that will be your pass to leave class and attend the visit.

• For virtual visits:  Copy and paste the url listed in the calendar to join the virtual visit on the scheduled date/time. (View all college rep visits on our Counseling Calendar.)
   
• View all college rep 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.

Please see the SME Financial Aid website and the SME Counseling Calendar for information and upcoming opportunities and events.

The deadline to enroll in Fall 2022 eSchool was Sept 8.

Spring eSchool enrollment will begin in December. Check back for more information.

To enroll, please go to the Counseling office (7 am - 3 pm) or call 913-993-6609.

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 1 (9-12)

• Fitness for Life 2 (only if student has previously taken Fitness for Life 1)

• Art History (9-12) 

• Financial Literacy (10-12)

•  Psychology (10-12)

• ELA 3 (11) 

• US History (11-12) 

• ELA 4 (12)

• 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.
   

• All students must attend one mandatory orientation meeting:

•       August 30, 3:30-4:30 p.m. @ SM North auditorium, OR

        September 8, 6:00-7:00 p.m. @ SM North auditorium

• Deadline to enroll is Thursday, Sept 8th. 

• All students must take a supervised final exam on Dec. 6, 3:30-6:00 PM @ SM North cafeteria.

• If you have course questions, contact your teacher directly.

Find additional important details on the eSchool website.

• New (different) classes may not be added after the first day of school.

• If you have a question about a spring schedule change, please contact your counselor. The deadline to request a change for a spring semester class is DECEMBER 15.

• Course information and details, including descriptions, prerequisites and course lists for each grade level can be found on our SME Enrollment web page. 

FREE February 2023 real ACT @ SME for SME juniors

• This is a REAL ACT and is FREE to all juniors. 

• It will be given in person at SME on the morning of Tuesday, February 28, 2023 to all juniors. (There are no online options for this test session.)

• Juniors who are testing will be excused from classes on the morning of the exam. More details about testing locations, etc., will be sent to juniors in February.

• No registration necessary for this testing opportunity. All SME juniors are registered.

• If you do NOT want to take the ACT at SME on Tuesday, February 28th, please send an email to Traci Ybarra, traciybarra@smsd.org. Important:  once you cancel, you will not be able to re-register and will not be able to take the ACT at SME on February 28th. 

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Traci Ybarra, SME Counselor.

Future exams (Saturday testing sessions):

Check the ACT and College Board (for SAT) websites for registration and updated information on future test dates, scores, help with . Students must pay a fee to take an ACT or SAT on a Saturday. 

Click here for ACT registration, MyACT account help, COVID updates, etc.) 

Test Prep:  See options for free test prep on the SME Testing website.

If you're concerned about your progress in one or more of your classes, please see the SME Student Assistance Flowchart. It provides the process for communicating and working with SME staff to devise a plan for improvement.

Real World Learning is here at SME!

College Now 

Concurrent Credit

Dual Enrollment

Career and Technical Training

Internship and Job Shadowing Opportunities

Students - interested in an internship next spring?  Fill out the internship application form to start the process. Please see Mrs. Merriman for additional details.

If you are interested in knowing more see the Real World Learning website or contact counselor Jodee Merriman at JodeeMerriman@smsd.org or 913-993-6661.

• 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. 

​​​​​​See the Student Services Contacts website for email addresses. 

Your teachers should be your first point of contact with questions about grades.

Canvas should be updated regularly. Teachers will export grades from Canvas to Skyward twice per week.

If you're having difficulty communicating with teachers or getting the information you need, send your counselor an email.
 

Click this link to see and hear more about SME!