College Counseling

St. Mary’s Dominican High School has a College Advisor and an Assistant College Advisor who are available to work with students and parents throughout the college process. This is a collaborative effort among student, parents and college advisor.

College Advisor: Ms. Andrea Rye, LPC

What does the College Advisor do?

  • Sets up college visits with college representatives during the school day
  • Facilitates parent and student meetings to give out pertinent information as well as guide them along the necessary college steps
  • Helps students in searching for scholarship opportunities
  • Coordinates the Naviance Program

 

What is Naviance?

  • Naviance is a college and career planning assessment online tool.
  • Students and parents are encouraged to use Naviance for college and career exploration (parents will receive their own personal code).
  • Students are encouraged to document their activities (volunteer work, jobs, extracurriculars, achievements, etc.) in Naviance which can later be transferred to a resume.
  • Juniors and their parents are required to fill out the online student/parent questionnaires found in Naviance under About Me (Surveys to Complete).
  • Juniors will make a prospective college list to explore.
  • Seniors will enter the colleges they are applying to, and request teacher recommendations using the Colleges section of Naviance.

 

Current TOPS requirements:

Click here for TOPS Core Curriculum to see the current TOPS requirements.

Steps to ensure TOPS eligibility

TOPS University (College Diploma) Course Requirements

TOPS Annual Award Amounts 2020-2021

 

Frequently asked questions:

  • How do I request my transcript? To request a transcript, a student must submit the following form to either her counselor or the College Advisor along with $3.00 per transcript. Please allow up to two weeks for the request to be processed. There is no charge for Louisiana public universities (i.e. LSU, UNO, ULL, Grambling, etc). **Click here to download the transcript request form**
  • I just got accepted to a college and/or received a scholarship award. What do I need to do with that information? Bring or send a copy of your acceptance/scholarship letter to your counselor, the college advisor, or the counseling assistant.
  • What are some good ways to search for scholarships? Use sites such as Lela, Fastweb, Unigo, and listen for announcements made at school.
  • Does every school require a recommendation letter? No, many colleges do not require a recommendation letter. Be sure to read the admission requirements for each of your colleges or, if using the Common Application, read the requirements for each school you are applying to.
  • Can I apply by using the Common App for every school? No, Common App is used by about 900 colleges and universities. Some schools use only the Common App, while some schools use only their own online application. Some schools also allow you to choose either the Common App or their school’s application. Schools do not have preferences between the applications that you use, so use the application that is most convenient for you.
  • What is my high school code? 192-170 is the Dominican School code. It will be needed when applying for colleges and financial aid and registering for the ACT/SAT.
  • How do I request a fee waiver for the ACT/SAT and/or college applications? Juniors and seniors can be eligible for fee waivers, based on criteria published by the testing agencies. Students should see their counselor to request the form.

Helpful Links

Counseling