School and Individualized College Counseling Program

The St. John Paul II School guidance department supports the mission of the school by providing high-quality, comprehensive school counseling support to all students. Our programs are designed to enhance the development of each student’s academic, career, social and personal competencies through collaboration with students, faculty, parents, and the community.

Four Year Guidance Program

Grade 9 Guidance

Welcome to Guidance and the College Board Preview of the PSAT 8/9
MASS CIS and a Career Interest Inventory
Preparing for Semester Exams
Review of the PSAT 8/9 Results
Career Project
Scheduling
Review of the Year and Sophomore Goals

Grade 10 Guidance

Intro to Sophomore Guidance
Preview to the PSATs
Review of MASS CIS and Resume Workshop
PSAT results
Scheduling Seminar
Scheduling
The College Search
Review of the Sophomore Year/ Junior Goals

Grade 11 Guidance

Intro to Junior Guidance
Preparing for the PSAT/ NMSQT
Creating the College List
PSAT Review and the SATS
The Application Process and Decisions Scheduling
Planning College Essays and Tours
Planning the Senior Year

Grade 12 Guidance

Intro to Senior Guidance
The College Process and Responsibilities
The Common Application
Finalizing the College List and Plan
Financial Aid and Outside Scholarship Searches
Senior College Update
Getting Ready for College
The Final Decision and Guidance Evaluation
  • Senior Information Night
  • Senior Financial Aid Night
  • Freshman Information Night
  • Junior Information Night 1- The College Application Process
  • Sophomore Information Night
  • Understanding the PSAT Results
  • Standardized Testing
  • The Scheduling Process
  • Junior Information Night 2- Financial Aid 101
  • College Information Night

College Matriculation

Guidance: What? When? and How?

School counselors provide an array of services, including:

  • Emotional, social, developmental, and behavioral support
  • Academic advising and support
  • College and career awareness, exploration, and planning
  • Collaboration and coordination of resources within the school and the community
  • Planning, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program
  • Consultations with parents, teachers, support staff, and administrators
  • School crisis intervention
  • Staff development and training

Students should contact their guidance counselor with:

  • Academic concerns
  • Social/ emotional problems
  • Interpersonal conflicts
  • Class scheduling
  • Career exploration
    College, career, and post-secondary planning
  • Parents should contact their child’s guidance counselor with:
  • Concerns regarding academic performance
  • Concerns regarding social and/or emotional well-being
  • Information about special needs/ family situation
  • Coordinating meetings with teachers and other support personnel
  • College, career, and post-secondary planning

Every student has an assigned counselor every year. A guidance counselor may be contacted by:

  • Student self-referral: Stopping by, leaving a note, emailing, or calling
  • Teacher, administrator, or staff referral
  • Parent referral
  • Peer referral

SAT School Day

Seniors take the SAT during school time, at JPII, free of charge. This level of comfort and familiarity can maximize test scores.  Students don’t have to worry about locating or getting to the testing site.  School day testing won’t disrupt weekend plans, jobs, or family time.  Students test in familiar surroundings with people they know.  Nothing builds confidence like practice and the SAT is the only admission test that offers free, personalized practice plans for all students.
Learn More

Freshman Year

  • Welcome to Guidance and the College Board
  • Preview of the PSAT 8/9
  • MASS CIS and a Career Interest Inventory
  • Preparing for Semester Exams
  • Review of the PSAT 8/9 Results
  • Career Project
  • Scheduling
  • Review of the Year and Sophomore Goals

Sophomore Year

  • Intro to Sophomore Guidance
  • Preview to the PSATs
  • Review of MASS CIS and Resume Workshop
  • PSAT results
  • Scheduling Seminar
  • Scheduling
  • The College Search
  • Review of the Sophomore Year/ Junior Goals

Junior Year

  • Intro to Junior Guidance
  • Preparing for the PSAT/ NMSQT
  • Creating the College List
  • PSAT Review and the SATS
  • The Application Process and Decisions
  • Scheduling
  • Planning College Essays and Tours
  • Planning the Senior Year

Senior Year

  • Intro to Senior Guidance
  • The College Process and Responsibilities
  • The Common Application
  • Finalizing the College List and Plan
  • Financial Aid and Outside Scholarship Searches
  • Senior College Update
  • Getting Ready for College
  • The Final Decision and Guidance Evaluation