Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of
students and parents.
- How can I make an appointment with Mr. Kochis?
- What do counselors do?
- When do you see the students?
- What are in the guidance classes?
- What is Naviance?
- How do college representative visits work and who can attend?
- When are the PSATs this year?
- Can my freshman take the PSAT this year?
- What is PVI's CEEB code?
- What is the difference between early decision and early action?
How can I make an appointment with Mr. Kochis?
I try my best to accommodate student and parent requests for
meetings.
Students, you may ask any teacher to provide you a pass to come to
the counseling office, but teachers do retain the refusal rights,
i.e. no using Counseling to skip vocabulary quizzes. Study hall is
often a good time to come to see me so that you don't miss any
instructional time. If I'm unavailable when you come, you may
complete a 'request for appointment' form. I also welcome
email requests.
Parents, I encourage you to call or email me so that I can
schedule an appropriate block of time.
What do counselors do?
From our website we say the following:
"The counselors work in collaboration with the faculty advisor
program and teachers to meet the individual needs of each student.
The fundamental goal of counseling is to help each student
understand and accept his/her self, to better become more aware of
alternatives, and to learn effective problem solving and decision-
making skills leading to increased maturity, greater self-
direction and assumption of responsibility. The counselors provide
professional assistance to help the student attain academic
success, learn to cope with personal problems, improve
relationships and focus on career/college
and life choices."
I feel that this boils down to three areas: career/college
planning, academic guidance, and personal growth. The base of our
work is meeting with the students individually. To augment our
time and ability we also run groups, teach guidance classes, host
information nights, and consult with parents and teachers.
When do you see the students?
First quarter is predominantly reserved for seniors and transfer
students. We may see some freshmen. In the second quarter we focus
more on freshmen but still have a steady influx of seniors. Third
quarter we will begin to meet with juniors after their college
workshop. Finally in the fourth quarter we will see sophomores in
groups.
What are in the guidance classes?
The Freshmen receive an introduction to their Naviance account,
which is our online college counseling tool. Additionally,
Freshmen receive a College Admissions primer that shares
important factors in college admissions.
The sophomores get a two-day class that is meant to get them
thinking about their long range plans. They take fun quizzes to
assess their interests and get some ideas of what they might like
to do in the future.
The juniors get a more in-depth workshop on the nuts & bolts of
college admission. We cover the search process, trends in
admission, testing information, letters of recommendation, essay
writing, resume production, and some general college information.
What is Naviance?
Naviance is the parent company that produces our online college
counseling tools. The appropriate name for the program that
students and parents use is Family Connection, but we got stuck on
the name Naviance. The tools in Naviance store a student's
academic profile (GPA and test scores) as well as our school's
acceptance history with a number of colleges and universities.
This allows students and parents to do an 'apples to apples'
comparison of how their profile correlates to the admissions
criteria of the schools they are looking at.
Additional features include; college search engines, college visit
schedules, maps, extended profiles, counselor comments, and
various communication options.
How do college representative visits work and who can attend?
Typically colleges send admissions representatives on the road in
the fall to meet with interested students. We schedule the
representatives to come in during instructional hours and
advertise their visits. Students are required
to request a pass from the Counseling office or advisor and have
their teacher (whose class they will miss) sign the pass at least
twenty-four hours in advance of the representative's visit.
Seniors tend to dominate these visits, but juniors are also
welcome to attend these visits. Parents should not come to speak
with a rep.
When are the PSATs this year?
Wednesday, October 13th
They begin at 8:00 A.M.
Can my freshman take the PSAT this year?
No, freshmen will be attending an in-house retreat.
What is PVI's CEEB code?
The CEEB code is a numerical designation for our school that is used
by several organizations, such as the Collegeboard.
Our CEEB code is: 470801
What is the difference between early decision and early action?
Early decision is a binding contract that if the institution
accepts your application you will enroll with that institution.
Early action has no such bind and allows you to apply to other
schools and consider their offers. If you are confused what the
school offers, ask one of their admissions officers.
