Welcome to the Old Bridge High School Guidance Web site.  We will be publishing many important dates, advice and information of importance to you and your children.  As we try to help our students prepare for their futures, we know how important it is for our parents to be informed of the many options and choices available.  Our college and technical school-bound students are being given information in school about what they should be doing to prepare for the selection of colleges or other forms of education.  Our students are being given information over the intercom system, through group meetings with their counselors, bulletins on the ECOS.Embark.com. system, college counselor group sessions being held in their English classes, and through Channel 71 announcements.
 

Verizon's SuperPages.com recently launched a unique, new feature called Campus Area Yellow Pages.  Among other useful functions, this gives college-bound students and their parents the ability to find businesses (i.e. hotels, restaurants, apartments, etc.) based on closest proximity to over 700 university campuses.

SENIORS – By now the stress of your Senior year should be affecting you.  Parents are putting pressure on you to decide what you are going to do when you graduate.  College bound seniors are being encouraged to get applications in as soon as possible.  Colleges have been making their deadlines earlier and earlier.  Rutgers now has a December 15 priority admissions date.

Many of the most competitive universities are trying to get students to apply early and have January 1 dates for regular application  and October 1, 15 and November 1 for early decision dates.
What is a senior to do?
First:  Don’t Panic!  If you have a special situation, see your counselor or the College Counselor.
 

1. Do an occupational search on the Guidance computer, on the Library computer, or use the ECOS system from home.
2. Do a computer search for College or Technical School choices.
3. At the Junior group meeting you were given the forms you need to generate a transcript.  It’s time to do this.  If you’ve misplaced the forms, they are available in the Career/College Center.
4. If you handed in your Parent Permission Letter and Activity Sheet last year, you will want to update your Activity Sheet and check in Career/College Center to be sure we have them.
5. Hand out Teacher Recommendation Forms or check to see if they’ve been turned in at the Career/College Center.
6. Narrow your choices by visiting your schools.
7. Obtain and fill out an application from your choices.  Bring in the completed application, check, transcript request forms, activity sheet, parent permission letter and brag sheet to the Career/College Center.  Check to see if the two letters of recommendation are in.  When all the material is handed in, we will try to have your transcript and application in the mail within 5 working days.
8. Be sure to check what entrance exams your college or technical school requires.  Each college has different requirements.  Some colleges now require both the SAT 1 and SAT ll for admission.  Computer schools may want a specific computer aptitude test.
9. Financial Aid is a separate issue.  Colleges and Technical schools are not supposed to take financial need into consideration when offering admission to a student.
10. Some Colleges and Scholarships will ask for a “profile” form.  You can get this form from the Career/College Center and can register anytime after September 15th.
11. THE FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is not published before November 15, 2002 and cannot be submitted before January 1, 2003.  It must have this year's income on the form.
12. Finally, before you make your final decisions, it is strongly recommended that you visit your final choices.  Many institutions will allow you to spend a weekend and do encourage your  visit
13. Please let the Career/College Center transcript clerks know of your final decision.