Sandy Mitchum, College Access Advisor
423-886-0880 ext 279, [email protected]
The purpose of your college advisor is to collaborate with and support the existing counseling program by serving as a resource for college and financial aid information for students, parents, faculty and staff.
At SMMHS, our ideals include the belief that every student should have the opportunity to go to college. We will work to help increase awareness of postsecondary opportunities, find the right college match for your child, and present as many scholarship opportunities as possible. Specific activities and opportunities to make this possible for students include:
- Conducting curriculum and college planning workshops for students in grades 9 and 10
- Conduct classroom advisory sessions on topics such as: how to write a strong essay for scholarships, what a great personal statement looks like, and how to find the right college for you.
- Meeting one-on-one with students during spring of the junior year or early fall of the senior year to build and refine postsecondary plans
- Handling registration for the ACT, monitoring vouchers and fee waivers, and reporting trends in scores
- Maintaining a college counseling database, such as Naviance, for ongoing accountability, end-of-year reports, and college matriculation follow-up
- Conduct financial aid workshops and work with support staff from local universities to assist in completing your FAFSA (free application for federal student aid)
- Coordinating college tours and/or college representative visits to the schools
- Developing a school profile
- Assisting students with college and scholarship applications
- Facilitating professional development opportunities relating to the college admission process for the high school faculty and staff
Links
FAFSA ACT Collegeboard (SAT) TN Scholarship Information Sallie Mae College Answer