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Guidance/School Counseling

Counseling Center

All college applications that are due on or before January 1st should be turned into the Guidance Office no later than December 9th. Email the completed form to: “collegeapps@whbschools.org” OR turn it in at the Guidance Office.

High School Counselors

Click on the staff member's name to send them an email

Middle/Elementary School Counselors

Click on the staff member's name to send them an email

Education is one of the greatest investments a community makes in the life of a child. The WHB College and Career Center takes great pride in playing a supportive role in empowering young people to build a healthy and rewarding life. Our goal is to partner with students and parents in order to discover the best opportunities for each individual. As students embark on the next phase of life, we strive to provide students with a range of options in order to find that ‘right fit’ and we endeavor to facilitate the opening of those doors.

Within this section of the website, you will find information and resources on summer opportunities, the college process, employment search engines, and the armed forces. You will also find links to the high school course catalog, and graduation requirements (found within the course catalog).

High School Counseling Center: (631) 288-3800 ext. 771.

Middle School Counseling Center: (631) 288-3800 ext. 320

Working Papers: Call the Guidance Office at 631-288-3800 ext 771

Armed Forces Careers

Other students may find a career in our nation's Armed Forces is their path in life. For those students, we have listed several websites containing information on the different reserves they may join and the careers they may train for while fulfilling their duty.

General Information on military careers can be found at Todays Military
 
ROTC
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) - ROTC scholarships are offered at hundreds of colleges and universities across the nation. They are awarded on a competitive basis to entering freshmen. Application packets, eligibility information can be found at ARMY ROTC
 
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships are offered at for an education at a service academy or the hundreds of colleges and universities across the nation. For questions, call 1-877-323-9399.
 
AFROTC
The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) college scholarship program targets students pursuing technical degrees, such as certain engineering and science programs. AFROTC scholarships are awarded on the basis of individual merit, not financial aid. More information can be viewed at AFROTC
 
NROTC
The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program offers young men and women an opportunity to qualify for commissions in the Navy and Marine Corps while attending college. This four-year scholarship is available to recent high school graduates and is awarded annually on the basis of high school class standings, college entrance test scores, extracurricular activities, and leadership skills. 
 
For additional information visit: NROTC

BOCES Application Process

This application is for upcoming Juniors and Seniors of the next school year.
BOCES Application Form – Please download, complete and return directly to the Guidance Office or e-mail to Ms. Schlosberg hschlosberg@whbschools.org before March 1st.

Career Resources

Though we strongly encourage our students to pursue higher levels of education after graduating, some students may decide to enter the workforce directly from high school. Below are some search engines to better facilitate our students who choose to work right after graduating. Alumni of Westhampton Beach, you may also find these job search engines useful as you make the transition from college to the workforce.

 

Job Search Engines

College Application Process

The application process can be confusing when you start wondering what it is that the college or university is looking for in the "right" candidate. The links below will give you tips on what colleges and universities seek out in their students and how to create a successful application.

CAP Steps to Applying:  See Guidance office for more details or with questions.

  • Complete the college application
  • Request letters of recommendations (Naviance)
  • Request Transcript (Purple Sheet)
  • Send SAT/ACT scores if required or you choose to do so

Writing Essays

Recommendations

Student Activities

 

 

College Links & Resources

Common Application - The Common App is the application of choice for 241 public and private colleges in the United States. This excellent web site allows students to access information on colleges, to download many application supplements, and to complete the Common Application online.

The College Board - The College Board is the parent organization of the SAT, PSAT, PROFILE, and many other college admissions-related programs. Its web site contains financial aid information, a college search, test dates, practice SAT questions and much more. It is one of the best resources on the net, and it is particularly helpful when students register to take the SAT I or SAT IIs, as well as when they send scores to colleges. Also, students who receive extended time or other testing accommodations will find this site useful.

The American College Testing Program - The vast majority of colleges give equal weight to ACT scores and their SAT counterparts. In fact, many now accept the ACT in lieu of the SAT I and three SAT IIs. This site provides helpful information regarding ACT programs, as well as the opportunities to register for a test and send scores online.

College Guides and Handbooks

The Fiske Guide to Colleges
Edward B. Fiske, Random House
Edward Fiske was the first, and maybe still the best, editor of college guide books. His annual guide provides excellent, detailed profiles of most of the best colleges in America.

The College Handbook
The College Board
This guide contains helpful data on American two- and four-year colleges and universities. It is a good source for statistical information, deadlines and other information. The data in this guide book is updated annually, and its information is also in a searchable form at The College Board's web site, described below.

Colleges That Change Lives
Loren Pope, Penguin Books
Loren Pope is on a crusade for America's small, distinctive colleges. His disapproval of Ivy League institutions is a little heavy-handed and not always believable, but he does an excellent job of showing many liberal arts college as appropriate options for students. Also, he centers the reader on valuable questions to ask admission officers. Remember, however, that these are not the only forty colleges that can "change lives." His book is currently in its second edition, and annual college fairs are now held across the country by the schools that he profiles.

Letting Go - A Parent's Guide to Understanding the College Years
Karen Levin Coburn & Madge Lawrence Treeger, Harper Perennial
How involved should parents be in the college search process? This is a favorite of many college counselors who work closely with parents and students alike. It addresses issues of transition and separation as well as giving helpful advice regarding the college search and application process.

K&W Guide to Colleges for the Learning Disabled
Marybeth Kravets & Imy Wax, Princeton Review
Almost all schools have special services for students with learning disabilities, but how do you differentiate between them? This book provides information on a large number of schools.  

College Rankings Exposed
Paul Boyer, Peterson's
Finally, a book that addresses head-on the damage to the college search process caused by rankings such as those published by US News & World Report. College rankings offer an enticing, but simplistic and misguided, means to select a college. Boyer draws our attention to the fact that there is not "one best college" for everyone; but that the focus should be on the match for each student.

The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College
Jacques Steinberg, Penguin
This was perhaps the most talked about book on college admissions in 2003. Jacques Steinberg, a writer for the New York Times, traces the journeys of six applicants to Wesleyan University from the time they first meet an admissions officer through their ultimate acceptance or rejection. Steinberg's writing is very readable and his treatment of the issues is fair. Remember, however, that Wesleyan is among the most selective colleges in America; these are not the stories of the "average" college applicant.

Parent's Guide to College Admissions
Marjorie Niewenhuis, Simon & Schuster
Written by the college counselor at the United Nations International School, this book answers many questions for parents and students. It is an excellent, well-written and interesting resource.

10 Real SATs
The College Board
This book includes 10 actual SAT exams. It is an excellent resource for students who want to take real practice tests.  Remember, SAT tests are the property of The College Board, so any other practice tests that you can buy are merely approximations of SAT tests.

Cracking the SAT
Adam Robinson and John Katzman, The Princeton Review
This book contains much of the information taught to students in The Princeton Review's regular, and very expensive, SAT prep courses. While Calhoun's Director of College Counseling doesn't endorse any one test prep firm, The Princeton Review expends a great deal of energy and resources to help students prepare for the SAT and other standardized tests. The book also includes a CD-Rom that has good practice tests, though be cognizant that the most authentic practice tests come from The College Board itself in 10 Real SATs.

Kaplan SAT and PSAT
Kaplan Press
Like Cracking the SAT above, this book provides much of the information provided in Kaplan's regular SAT prep courses. Again, the Director of College Counseling does not recommend any one test prep firm, but Kaplan tends to be among the most reputable companies in the business. It also comes with a CD-Rom that has good, though not actual, practice tests.

Crisis Management

School counselors at the Westhampton Beach Schools are concerned with the welfare of all students. School counselors are available to any student who finds himself in need whether it concerns stress management, time management, or something more serious. If you find yourself in a situation that requires advice, please do not hesitate to contact your school counselor. In case of emergencies, please use the following phone numbers to access the appropriate help.

Emergency Contact Information

  • The Counseling Center: 631-288-3800
  • Response, Hotline Crisis for Suffolk County: 631-751-7500

Crises Hotlines (Suicide Hotline, Eating Disorders, AA, etc.)

 

Help Hotlines

  • Anonymous Narcotics Hotline (631) 827-9500
  • Central Suffolk Hospital- (631) 548-6000
  • Child Abuse Hotline- 800-342-3720
  • Cocaine Hotline- 800-COCAINE 800-DRUG-HELP
  • Covenant House (run-a-way centers)- 800-999-9999
  • Domestic Violence Hotline- 800-942-6906
  • NYS AIDS Testing Hotline- 800-462-6786
  • Poison Information- (631) 542-2323
  • Southampton Hospital- (631) 726-8300
  • Suffolk County Division of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services (631) 853-8500

Suicide and Crisis

  • L.I. Crisis Center (Nassau) (516) 679-1111
  • Response of Suffolk County, Inc. (631) 751-7500
  • Sagamore Children's Center (631) 673-7701
  • Suffolk Mobile Crisis Team (631) 952-3333
  • Youth Crisis Hotline- 800-448-4663

Counseling and Support

  • Brentwood Mental Health Center (631) 853-7300
  • Catholic Charities- Patchogue (631) 654-1919
  • Colonial Youth and Family Services (631) 281-4461
  • Family Counseling Service (631) 288-1954
  • F.E.G.S. - Center Moriches (631) 874-2700
  • Family Service League- Riverhead (631) 369-0104
  • Farmingville Mental Health Center (631) 854-2552
  • Hope House Ministries (631) 928-2377
  • LIGALY (Gay & Lesbian Support)- (631) 665-2300
  • Madonna Heights Family Services (631) 643-8800
  • Pedersen-Krag North - Smithtown (631) 265-3311
  • Planned Parenthood - (631) 361-7526
  • Riverhead Mental Health Center (631) 852-1440
  • S. Brookhaven Mental Health Center East (631) 852-1070
  • Sunrise Psychiatric Clinic (631) 789-4325
  • SUNY Psychological Center - Stony Brook (631) 632-7830
  • The Ministries (631) 736-4800
  • Yaphank Center (631) 924-4411

Financial Aid

Paying for college can and is often the hardest part of the college process. Most students need some sort of financial aid to help them offset the cost of college. Below you will find links to numerous scholarship search engines. As there are valid scholarships available for students, there are scholarships being offered that are fraudulent. Please visit the Federal Trade Commission website to learn how to tell the difference between real scholarships and scholarship scams.

 

Financial Aid

  • FAFSA - All schools that administer federal money, and almost all of them do, require that you file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you apply for financial aid. You can complete the FAFSA online or in paper form. 

  • FAFSA application - Students seeking out federal aid to pay for college must fill out a Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The information provided on the form determines the student's eligibility for financial aid. You can print a non-submittable FAFSA form to review application questions, familiarize your parents with the required information, and remind you of all the documents you'll need to fill out online college applications. En Espanol: Elija este vinculo para descargar o mostrar en la pantalla una Hoja de Trabajo de Solicitud Preliminar no remitible de la solicitud FAFSA en la Web en Espanol para el ano 2004-2005 en formato PDF. 
  • FastWEB - FastWEB is generally considered to be the best free college scholarship search on the Internet. 
  • FinAid - FinAid is a web site managed in connection with FastWEB. It provides a comprehensive, annotated collection of information about financial aid, including information about loans, scholarships and tips on how to complete financial aid forms. FinAid.org also provides a handy Estimated Family Contribution calculator. 
  • National Assoc. of Student Financial Aid Administrators
  • New York 529 Savings Plans - One of the more interesting developments in college savings strategies over the past few years has been the introduction of 529 savings plans. This web site provides information to help families understand the nature of 529 plans and to decide whether such a plan is for them. Remember, however, that saving for college is merely one part of a family's overall financial planning strategy. 
  • NY State Tuition Assistance Program
  • PROFILE - Many private colleges require applicants for financial aid to submit the College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE. This form can be completed online at The College Board web site. 

Scholarship Search Engines

WHBHS Class of 2026 Scholarships

General Scholarship Application Instructions

Important: Use your personal email account and not your WHB school email to send scholarship applications. 

  • Email submissions should be sent as one PDF file containing the required materials (i.e. resume, essay, transcript). Make sure you have the scholarship name in the subject line. Also, include your contact information (cell #) in the body of your message.
  • If a scholarship requires a recommendation, that recommendation needs to come directly from your teacher specifically for the scholarship. You cannot use the recommendation that your teacher provided for a college application.
  • If a scholarship requires a transcript, please see the Counseling Center for your unofficial transcript. Students are responsible for obtaining and sending the transcript with their application.
  • Remember to send the Rotary check-off list with your Rotary scholarship applications.

DUE DATE IS March 15th unless otherwise noted.

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