College Counseling

List of 4 items.

• Ninth Grade

  • Kick-off Meeting – An evening program for freshman students and parents to discover how to best approach their first year of high school with a long-term goal in mind: college admission.
  • PSAT
  • GPA Workshop - A workshop in which ninth graders learn about the South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale, how to interpret their transcripts and GPA, and the importance of maintaining their academic performance as it relates to eventual college and scholarship goals.
  • Optional individual student or family meetings
    
    

• Tenth Grade

  • Kick-off Meeting – An evening program for students and parents to learn about College Counseling programming and to understand how the tenth grade year affects future college admission.
  • College Representative Visits – Numerous College Admissions Representatives visit Hammond annually to give short information sessions about their colleges during students’ free time. Sophomore students are encouraged to attend these visits to learn more about colleges of interest and those they may not yet be aware of!
  • The Sophomore College Experience - A full day of programming involving games, workshops, and activities designed to introduce sophomores to this multiyear process and set the stage for their junior and senior years.
  • PSAT
  • Spring Course Selection Conferences – College Counseling will advise tenth graders in the course selection process for eleventh grade.
  • Optional individual student or family meetings

• Eleventh Grade

  • Kick-off Meeting – An evening program for junior students and parents in which we dive deep into the mechanics of the college admissions process and emphasize to juniors the important goals and tasks they should keep in mind during this crucial year.
  • College Representative Visits - Numerous College Admissions Representatives visit Hammond annually to give short information sessions about their colleges during students’ free time. Junior students should be attending all visits for colleges of interest and continue attending other visits to learn more and keep options open. 
  • Paying for College Night – An evening program for parents of juniors and seniors focusing on college costs, financial aid, and merit scholarships.
  • Junior Workshop Series - A series of workshops held throughout the junior year in which students take and discuss a career aptitude assessment, create first drafts of their resumes, review the most useful tools in conducting college research, and discuss the main essay they must write for their college applications.
  • Junior Symposium – An evening program for junior parents and a morning program (the following day) for junior students. College Admissions Representatives from a variety of universities come to Hammond to share insights about various aspects of college and college admission. Some past session topics include: “What Selective Colleges Look For and How to Set Yourself Apart,” “Making a Big University Feel Small(er),” “Interviews 101: The Keys to College Interviews,” “College Majors: The Ins and Outs of Choosing One,” and “The Value of the Small School Experience and What is Liberal Arts, Anyway?”
  • Junior One-on-One Conferences – In January, our College Counselors begin meeting with junior students one-on-one to get to know each other, discuss initial college interests, review college and academic major research tools, establish a standardized testing plan, and discuss plans for a meaningful summer experience.
  • Junior Family Conferences – In March, our College Counselors begin meeting with junior students and parents together to review information from one-on-one conferences and continue college planning.
  • College Trip - An overnight trip during which students visit a variety of colleges both in- and out-of-state. This trip is designed to teach students how to visit colleges so that they can effectively do so with their families.
  • On-Campus Standardized Testing – PSAT in October, February/March ACT, and AP Exams if applicable. In addition, students are offered on-campus prep courses.
  • Alumni Career Networking Event – In conjunction with Hammond’s Alumni Office, we offer a Hammond Alumni Career Networking Event each year in which junior and senior students attend panels of Hammond alumni speaking about their chosen career and professional journey.
  • Spring Course Selection Conferences - College Counseling will advise eleventh graders in the course selection process for twelfth grade.

• Twelfth Grade

  • College Application Workshop – Prior to the first day of school, seniors will come back to campus for a College Application Workshop in which we help them get started on their first college applications and provide advice on completing these important forms.
  • Senior Family Conferences - All senior students and parents will meet with College Counseling in August or September to plan for the student's college application process.
  • College Representative Visits - Numerous College Admissions Representatives visit Hammond annually to give short information sessions about their colleges during students’ free time. Senior students should attend the visits for every college to which they are applying. 
  • Individual Student Meetings – Our College Counselors focus on seniors in the fall! We are available all the time for individual meetings about application strategy, essay review, interview preparation, and more.
  • Paying for College Night - An evening program for parents of juniors and seniors focusing on college costs, financial aid, and merit scholarships.
  • On-Campus Standardized Testing: Fall SAT during school day; AP Exams if applicable. Students are also offered on-campus prep courses.
  • Alumni Career Networking Event - In conjunction with Hammond’s Alumni Office, we offer a Hammond Alumni Career Networking Event each year in which junior and senior students attend panels of Hammond alumni speaking about their chosen career and professional journey.
  • Senior Transition Day – After May 1 (National College Decision Day), we hold an event for seniors that is one-part celebration and one-part preparation for the next step. Senior students wear their college t-shirts and celebrate their decisions, while also attending sessions designed to help prepare them for their transition to college.