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College and Career Preparation

College Information | Naviance | Career Exploration Resources | College Instant Decisions | College Visits |  Financial Aid | Scholarships | SAT, ACT and PSAT Examination Information 

College Information

For High School Seniors | Completion Workshops

We’re here to assist your seniors with admission and financial aid application completion.

SUNY Application Completion
EOP Financial Info Form Completion
FAFSA Completion
NYS Dream Act Application Completion

NACAC Virtual College Fairs

Registration is now open for the NACAC Virtual College Fairs! NEW year, NEW platform, NEW experience!

Sign up for free at www.nacacattend.org/fairs.

Naviance

Naviance Student allows you to:

  • Get involved in the planning and advising process – Build a resume, complete online surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers
  • Research colleges – Compare GPA, standardized test scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from our school for students who have applied and been admitted in the past
  • Research careers – Research hundreds of careers and career clusters, and take career assessments
  • Create future plans – Create goals and to-dos, and complete tasks assigned to you by the school to better prepare yourself for your future college and career goals
  • Stay connected – shared information about upcoming events, college rep visits, local scholarship opportunities and other college and career resources. Can also be used to stay in communication with the counseling office.

To login, students will use Clever, a single sign-on system, that allows students to access all online resources with a single login.  Clever will not only allow students to access Naviance, but also Schooltool, Office 365, and more!

College Instant Decisions

View On-Site Instant Admission Days

Students who are interested in participating in an Instant Decision Day (IDD) to meet with a college admissions counselor must do the following: 

  1. You must register with your school counselor at least 5 days before or email  HS_Counseling@saratogaschools.org.  Be sure to include the college name in the subject line. 
  2. Complete the application at least one week before the scheduled IDD. 
  3. After you register, you will receive instructions in your school e-mail.  Please check your spam or junk folder.  
  4. Follow the instructions for your college(s) IDD  
  5. Transcript and Letter of Recommendations (if required) will be sent by the Counseling office to the College 3-5 days prior to your scheduled IDD. 

At your meeting, the College admissions representative will either admit, deny or may request more information, for example, first quarter grades.

 

College Visits 

Admissions Counselors from many colleges visit the high school each year starting in September.  

On-Site College Admissions Visits

To sign-up for college visits, please register in Naviance:   

  • Naviance > Colleges > College Visits > select “Register” next to any colleges you’re interested in. Registration must occur at least one day prior to the event.  
  • Once registered, students will receive a pass on the morning of the college visit to remind them of the visit date and time.
  • College Visits will be held in the Counseling Office conference room.  Students should show their pass upon entering the Counseling Office. 
  • Students are required to notify their teachers ahead of time if they are missing class time; they are also responsible for any missed work/assignments.  

Financial Aid

Saratoga Springs High School held a Financial Aid Information Night in partnership with Siena College.  The presentation for students and families covered the financial aid process and how to apply for aid..  View the Financial Aid Presentation

There are many free resources to help students compare financial aid offers.

  • Decoding Financial Aid Offers is an easy-to-read handout that lists the top six tips students should know before making their decision on which college to attend.
  • Comparing Financial Aid Offers is a pre-fillable PDF that helps students keep track of each details including scholarships, grants, work study and loans.  It does the math form them and lets them compare awards accurately!  You can link this on your website by accessing it online at Financial Aid Offer Comparison Worksheet.

You can also find more tips and resources on comparing financial aid offers at SallieMae.com/FinAidOffers.

In addition, the tools listed below can be a good source of assistance in helping students and their families plan their college journey:

  • SallieMae.com/makeaplan can assist with finding the right school, paying for college, getting expert study help, and managing finances.
  • The Sallie Mae blog “Within Reach” offers information on topics such as personal finance, saving, planning, and paying for college, and of course, financial aid offers.
  • The College Planning Calculator helps families search for college costs and build a customized plan based on their own situations.

    FAFSA

    Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA)

    Federal Student Aid – Find out about the types of financial aid available from the government and other sources such as grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study.

    New York State Higher Education Services (HESC) – State agency that helps people pay for college by administering the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)and guaranteeing student loans.

    CSS/Financial Aid Profile Student Guide –  A guide to the online application for non-federal student financial aid

    ESTUDENTLOAN – Learn about financial aid, search for the lowest student loan rates, compare lenders and apply on-line.

    Sallie Mae – Sallie Mae is a student loan company with over 40 years of providing student loans for college, supporting graduate and undergraduate study, and more.

    Financial Aid Award Packages Comparison Tool –  helps you evaluate your financial aid packages and determine the bottom line cost – the difference between the cost of attendance and your financial aid package – for each college. 

    Scholarships

    List of SSHS Scholarship Opportunities

    Over the course of the academic year, scholarships become available to our students. Some are local, some are regional and some are national. Each scholarship has its specific criteria and procedure for applying. Scholarship information can be obtained in Naviance, on the Counseling Office Bulletin Board, by contacting any one of the School Counselors or by stopping in the Counseling Office.  .

    It is important to follow the directions stated on the application. Some require students to submit them directly to the sponsor while others require that the application is submitted to the Counseling Office. Due dates are firm and must be adhered to.

    Other Scholarship Sites:

    • Scholarships.com –  Scholarships.com will help you easily search millions of scholarships & grants to match you with financial aid that fits you perfectly.
    • Fastweb! – Search for scholarships for college students with their free matching service for scholarships. 
    • Excelsior Scholarship – making public college tuition-free

    SAT, ACT and PSAT Examination Information

    Each year, Saratoga Springs High School hosts the SATs, ACTs, and PSAT on multiple dates.

    Career Exploration Resources

    Youth – New York State Department of Labor

    The NYS Department of Labor Youth Portal links youth ages 14 to 24 to resources that help them explore for the future and prepare for careers. The Youth Portal has information ranging from getting working papers to preparing for a job interview.

    Apprenticeship Program

    Career seekers looking for opportunities to fast track their career goals, avoid debt, and earn a competitive wage.  Visit https://www.apprenticeship.gov/ for more information

    NEES New York Network Electrical Apprentice Program

    We are currently accepting applications for our five-year electrical apprenticeship program. Call (716) 676-6380 or email execdir@neesnynetwork.org for an application packet. Earn while you learn! Our program combines on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Classes meet one night a week for 36 weeks each year
    for five years.