Counseling

The Academy Program provides 9th-12th grade students with opportunities to learn about the professional world and complete an internship. Students will meet at a business location in West Michigan and will immerse themselves in the business with a team of other students from around Ottawa County to solve a real challenge that the business is facing. The program runs 2 days/week from approximately 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Jan. 6 to Feb. 28 (16 total meetings) and students will need to provide their own transportation. First year participants can earn 3 free transferable college credits and second year participants earn 3 additional credits. More information and a link to register are available HERE. 

Seniors/Senior Parents: The 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is NOW AVAILABLE. Submitting the FAFSA is the first step to getting student grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and loans for post-secondary education. It also helps determine eligibility for most state aid programs, like the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which can cover up to $27,500 for college.  Please follow the steps outlined in this letter for more details.

Juniors/Junior Parents: Here is the Slides presentation from the counseling office junior planning meeting held during Advisory on 10/1.  It contains important information regarding the junior year.  If you have not already done so, please complete the fall junior survey. Thank you.

Seniors and families looking for help paying for college are encouraged to register for a virtual financial aid presentation provided by MI Student Aid.  Participants will be able to gather information on the following financial aid topics: FAFSA application information, federal financial aid programs, state financial aid programs, scholarship search resources.  Sessions are offered on various dates throughout the school year.  More information is HERE. 

Seniors: The Holland/Zeeland Promise Scholarship is a full-support scholarship providing financial assistance to highly motivated seniors who desire to attend college but have high financial need.  Students interested in being nominated for this scholarship can find more scholarship details and complete the interest form linked HERE by Friday, October 24.

Seniors: October is "Michigan College Month" and while many Michigan colleges do not have application fees, some that do are waiving the fee at some point during the month of October!  Please reference this document for more details.  We encourage all seniors who are planning to apply to college to do so by the end of October in order to maximize consideration as well as scholarship opportunity.  Please contact your counselor if you have any questions! 

Seniors: The counseling office recently hosted a Common App help session. The slides from the presentation can be found HERE. If you were unable to attend the meeting and have questions about the Common App, please feel free to reference the slideshow and reach out to your counselor.

Seniors: The State of Michigan is offering online information sessions for students and parents to learn more about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship Program, valued at up to $5500/year for 5 years for Michigan high school graduates who continue their educational training in-state. Scholarship opportunities are available for both two and four year colleges, as well as career training. For more information about the scholarships or to register for the info sessions, please go here. 

Seniors: are you planning to attend college next year but are overwhelmed at the prospect of starting your applications? Do the schools you are planning on applying to use the Common Application but it seems confusing? No worries! We are here to help! The counseling office will be hosting a Common App help session on Friday, September 26 during Advisory. Seniors will be able to get an overview of the Common App, create their own accounts, and get answers to some of the frequently asked questions that arise. If you are interested in attending, please complete this form by noon on Wednesday, September 24. 

Seniors/Senior Parents: Please utilize this senior year planning checklist for information relevant to your last year of high school.  It is very important that you complete the senior survey in order to inform your counselor if you would like to schedule an individual meeting to review post-high plans and ask questions.