Academic Advisement

The Counseling Office works with students, parents, teachers, and staff to facilitate an appropriate course of study for every student. It is our goal to develop a plan for each student to provide a challenging program that will best equip students for life after high school. We promote a college-going culture at Ronald Reagan Secondary School, and we provide every student with an opportunity to pursue coursework that will help them meet that goal. At the same time, we encourage students to evaluate all options for post-high school career preparation to find the most suitable plan to prepare them to enter the workforce. Counselors provide information to students and parents through classroom presentations, individual meetings, parent information nights, and communications home. Parents and students are encouraged to read the Parent-Student Handbook and the Course Description Manual to become familiar with opportunities for students.

Mental Health Support at RRSS

If you need mental health support, start by talking to your academic counselor first.

Your academic counselor can talk with you about your needs and make a referral for additional support to the appropriate school or community provider.

Common reasons students ask for help:

  • Stress
  • Problems with friends/family/relationships
  • Safety concerns (self & others)
  • Feelings of anxiety or depression

How to talk to your Academic Counselor

How to talk to your Academic Counselor

If you are in need of mental health support, ask your teacher for a note to the Counseling Office. In the Counseling Office, you can complete a “Request to See Counselor” form.

  • <span data-metadata="<span data-buffer="If your concern is not urgent, you can mark “Personal Concerns” or “Other.” Your Academic Counselor will call you to the office as soon as possible.
  • If your concern is urgent, you should mark “Mental concerns that need immediate response” and hand the form directly to an adult in the office. They will let your counselor know you need to talk right away.
  • You can also notify any adult on campus for assistance.

PSW (Psychiatric Social Worker) Counselors

Students can be referred to see a PSW Counselor by talking with their Academic Counselor. Our PSW Counselors provide mental health consultation and socio-emotional support to the school community.

The RRSS Counseling Team provides resources, support, and information to students and their families throughout their four years of high school as they navigate the road to college and beyond.

College Rep Visits to RRSS Campus

Ronald Reagan Secondary School is accepting in-person and/or virtual college admission visits for the 2024-2025 school year. College reps may see our availability and schedule a visit through the Counseling Office. Thank you for your flexibility and travel time! Please include us in your general emails to stay track of updates and upcoming virtual events.

FAQ: College Applications

Q: When should I start applying to colleges?
A: You should fill out as many of your college applications as you can in the summer before senior year. Some schools have their applications available as early as July 1st. There are over 400 colleges and universities that now accept the Common Application which comes out August 1st. The goal is to complete the majority of your applications by the time school starts in the fall!

Q: Tips on writing an effective college essay?
A: There are many sites that will give you great ideas on how to write essays.
College Board
Quint Careers
Common Application essay

Q: What is a secondary school report and how do I get one?
A: A “Secondary School Report” (SSR) is the same thing as a counselor/teacher recommendation. You must ask your counselor and teachers to write your recommendation at least 3 weeks prior to the due date. When asking counselors for recommendations, you will need to make sure they have a copy of your Counselor Letter of Recommendation Questionnaire. You should also update the list of colleges you are applying to in your RRSS account.

Q: I’m thinking about attending a Community College when I graduate. Where can I get information?
A: The Virginia Community Colleges website lets you fill out applications for most Community Colleges in Virginia. In addition, you will need to take the community college Placement Test.

Q: I got denied from some colleges, but I want to appeal. What can I do?
A: If you would like to appeal your admissions decisions, be sure to find out what the process is at the specific college. In order to appeal their decision, you should have new information that wasn’t included in your original application.

COUNSELOR & TEACHER LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

  • Ask your teacher, coach, counselor, or other recommender kindly and respectfully for a recommendation. Share with them about the program if it is for a summer program or other activity.
  • Request your recommendation early, at least 3 weeks before your first deadline. If a deadline is coming up soon, please share the due date with your recommender.
  • Provide any information that your recommender needs (i.e., resume, questionnaire responses).
  • Waive your right to view letters of recommendation in your application.
  • Follow up with your recommender after requesting to make sure he/she received your invitation.
  • Once you’ve decided to attend a college or program, write thank-you notes. Tell your recommenders where you’re going and let them know how much you appreciate their support.

SAT and ACT

The SAT and ACT are college admission exams that test what you learn in high school and what you need succeed in college. Please check the college admissions requirements of the schools you are interested in to see their specific requirements for SAT, ACT, the Essay section, and SAT Subject Tests. There are also some schools for which SAT/ACT testing is optional or flexible.

SAT or ACT Required: Approximately 1,300 colleges and universities across the United States, including the majority of well-known and highly-selective colleges, require either the SAT or ACT.

Test-Optional

Approximately 1,000 colleges and universities are “test-optional,” meaning they do not require the SAT or ACT, but they will consider it as part of your application if you submit it. Most of these schools have “gone test-optional” to encourage underrepresented student populations to apply. Approximately 70% of admits still submit SAT or ACT scores. Some of these schools may have other requirements if you choose not to submit an SAT or ACT. A complete list of these schools can be found at http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional

Fee Waivers

Qualify for a fee waiver? If you think you qualify for testing and college application fee waivers, please bring the first two pages of your parents’ taxes from the previous year to your guidance counselor. Go to http://www.sat.org/fee-waivers for more information on SAT fee waivers. Using the number of members in the household and total annual income, you can check the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Income Eligibility Guidelines included in the SAT Fee Waiver Brochure or the ACT Fee Waiver Eligibility Requirements. You can also use the SAT Fee Waiver Checklist as a resource.

RRSS Test Center Dates and Information for 2024-2025

SAT
Register for the SAT at http://www.collegeboard.com

ACT
Register for the ACT at http://www.actstudent.org

Mid-Year Reports

Many seniors have a huge sigh of relief when they finally get their last college application in the mail, however, the application process is not always over just yet! Many schools require students to submit a Mid-Year Report at the close of the first semester before they will make a final admission decision.

Purpose of Mid-Year Reports

Mid-Year Reports are a way for college admissions officers to check in on their applicants during their senior year. Since many applications are mailed in October or November, colleges have no information on how students are performing in the critical last year of high school.

Completing Mid-Year Reports

Many colleges and universities require Mid-Year Report forms and transcripts. You should check with the colleges that you applied to and find out whether they require a Mid-Year transcript and/or form completed by your counselor.

For Common App colleges, you need to request that your transcript be sent through via Parchment. Once your Common Application transcript is uploaded by Common App, your counselor will submit the Mid-Year Report. For Non-Common App colleges, check with the schools individually to see what they require, then talk to your counselor.

Financial Aid

What is the FAFSA Form?

The FAFSA form is the Free Applicaiton for Federal Student Aid. Filling out this form helps students get the best financial aid packets possible from the schools they are applying to. 2025-2026 FAFSA Form will come out by the end of December 2024. Sign up for your FSA ID now and you will be notified when the FAFSA Form is available.

In a normal year, the FAFSA Form becomes available October 1st and is due March 2nd. It is best to turn it in as soon as possible so you get the chance to see your Award Letters around the same time you receive your Acceptance Letters.

Scholarships

Many colleges and universities are now test optional and are waiving SAT/ACT requirements for admissions; HOWEVER, there are scholarships that still require the SAT or the ACT score as a qualification for eligibility.

Local Scholarships

Scholarships that are offered to students in our area. That could mean specifically RRSS students or more a little more broadly as in only the students in the state of Virginia. These scholarships have a smaller applicant pool, so you are much more likely to be awarded it if you meet the criteria. Local community members in RRSS review these applications, so be sure to take your time with these and don’t leave out any information that they ask for.

National Scholarships

Scholarships that are offered to students nationwide. The applicant pool is very large, so it is a little harder to win one of these. It is a good idea to apply to as many as these as possible, but don’t spend TOO much time perfecting each application and essay. Try to write one essay that can be applicable to multiple, so that you do not burn yourself out applying to these ones.