Royals have a lot of academic things coming up this year. Our counselors are here to help us steer clear of all obstacles and stay on track.
Freshmen:
Freshmen year can be pretty scary and new. It’s your first year at a whole new school where you’ll meet new people and experience many new things. Rosary counselors are here to make sure your transition is smooth, and you stay on the right track. Emails will be sent out later this week detailing how freshmen can schedule their one-on-one meetings with counselors. In these meetings, they will talk about the “4-year plan.” The 4-year plan will help you gauge your interests and begin thinking about what you’d like to major in in college. Parents are welcome to come, or it can be a one-on-one between the student and counselor. These meetings will be the first time you can personally talk to your counselor about your plans for the future, and you and your counselor can get to know each other. The counselors want freshmen to focus on not only grades, but on community service and extracurriculars. Clubs and sports are great ways for freshmen to branch out. Freshman year is the time to explore and find out who you are.
Sophomores:
Sophomore year can be a huge transition year for many students. This is when your grades start to matter for college, and you start thinking about your major. You should major in something you are interested in and something you want to start your field of work in. You should begin thinking of potential careers you’d like to do and how you’d like to make your living. To help with this, counselors will be hosting a sophomore development day in the spring. This development day will help sophomores learn things about themselves and help them plan for the future. It’s an emotional time, but also a good time to try and adapt to the changes around you. You should always be open to trying and learning new things. “Work on being comfortable in your own skin and think about the person you want to become,” adds counselor Ms. Lee.
Juniors:
Junior year is an important year academically for all students. You really begin discussing college and future plans with your family, your counselors, and maybe even your teachers. Juniors have two college planning nights; one was hosted in the fall, and the second will be hosted in January. In March, a mock SAT and a mock ACT will be held at Rosary. The mock SAT and ACT can help students gage what they might get on the actual test. Starting this year, many students will begin taking SATs again. Universities and top colleges are now looking at scores to gauge what type of student you might be and what your study habits are like. In January, there will also be a flex day where juniors can create their lists of schools they wish to attend. Junior year includes many opportunities to begin planning for your future and to think ahead. Junior year is a big year for everyone and it’s important to stay focused and on task.
Seniors:
Senior year can be stressful for some students due to college applications being due and having to write college essays. However, you get many fun senior activities and many senior perks. Starting in the beginning of September, many seniors have been meeting with counselors to begin the application process and review college lists. These meetings are for students only, so they can be fully personal. In December, counselors will be hosting a college financial aid night to help families think about the cost of housing, a meal plan, textbooks or maybe even scholarship opportunities. During lunch on Wednesdays and after school Thursdays, the counselors will be hosting application workshops for students. Additionally, there will be regularly scheduled college rep visits. All students should check Rosary calendars and listen to announcements to find out when they are. Isabella Solis ’25 shared, “The process is very time consuming, but in the end as decisions roll through it is very worth it.”
All in all: it’s crucial for Royals of all grades to stay focused and to watch out for all these important dates coming up.
