Counseling Department

Our goals are to be sure that all our students have choices of colleges to attend and to lessen the stress that is associated with college admissions. Our school counseling program will align with the National counseling standards and the State learning standards to the three domains of school counseling: academic, personal/social, and career. We guide and support students and families through the college search and application process. Ambassador High School counseling program envisions a future where all of our students are productive and compassionate members of society using their talents, abilities, and gifts to make lasting and positive impacts. Ambassador High School believes a developmental and sequential guidance program is an essential and integral part of the overall education process. We believe that academic, career, and personal/social objectives are attainable by all students when a comprehensive curriculum. Program goals are focused on these three domains:

Academic: Includes acquiring skills, attitudes, and knowledge that contribute to the effective learning in school, employing strategies to achieve success in school, and understanding the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life at home and in the community. Academic goals support the premise that all students should meet or exceed the local and state requirements. 

Social/Emotional: Includes providing the foundation for personal and social growth through experience, expressions, and management of emotions as students progress through school and into adulthood. It involves both intra-and interpersonal skill development. This contributes to academic and career success by helping students understand and respect themselves and others, acquire practical interpersonal skills, and develop into contributing members of society. 

Career: Includes providing the foundation for the acquisition of skills, attitudes, and knowledge that enable students to make a successful transition from school to the world of work. The comprehensive plan ensures that students develop an understanding of self, skills, abilities, strengths, and interests as well as career awareness and exploration.

We are committed to:

• Providing consistent guidance and support while working closely with parents, teachers, and advisors to ensure students remain the focal point of the process
• Facilitating a reflective, thoughtful, and individualized college counseling experience
• Advising with an emphasis on collaboration, ethical behavior, and a focus on process rather than placement
• Helping students and families maintain a healthy perspective about the realities and demands of the process.

 We believe that a successful college application process:

• Relies on the student’s active engagement and exploration
• Aligns with the student’s academic profile, personal interests, qualities of character, and financial fit
• Is approached with a realistic lens that reflects balance, intention, and integrity

  We expect students to:

• Take ownership and responsibility for the demands of the process.
• Thoroughly explore the vast options available to them.
• Conduct quality research, and communicate openly
• Remain organized, curious, and open-minded

   We want our students to:

• Engage in and enjoy their high school experience
• Enroll at a school where they will continue to thrive and grow
• Consider all post-secondary options including gap years, work, service, etc. if immediate enrollment in an undergraduate program may not be the best choice

We understand the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted student’s academics, extracurricular activities, summer internships, home life and standardized test-taking in a multitude of ways.  College’s understand this too and are making adjustments:

• Colleges have suspended prospective and admitted student visits as well as open houses. Many college campuses are closed.  Most colleges have shifted to virtual information sessions, virtual campus tours, and virtual student panels.
• NACAC announced a new tool to use as a central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Check it out here.
• Some colleges have temporarily gone test-optional for students applying for Fall 2021.  See the list of colleges with test-optional policies here.

Standardized Testing

It’s important to note that when colleges say they’re going test-optional, it means that students can still submit standardized test scores if they feel they would enhance their application. And, with high schools transitioning online and temporarily relaxing their academic standards, students’ transcripts will present a more limited picture. So, in some ways, SAT and ACT scores may paradoxically be more meaningful this year. 

For the Class of 2021: if you’ve been studying for the ACT or SAT, we recommend continuing to do so. At many schools, test-optional policies will translate to a chaotic combination of higher applicant volume and less data available to make decisions. Scores can definitely enhance students’ applications regardless of whether they’re required, so for students who’ve already committed to the process and are improving, we’d advise staying the course and look for opportunities to take the test if they are available to you.

Building your narrative during the pandemic

While some aspects of the admissions process have been affected, much remains the same: colleges continue to seek students who demonstrate academic achievement as well as creativity, compassion, initiative, and impact. There’s also tremendous opportunity to demonstrate these qualities in our current climate. 

Many students suddenly have a lot of free time at home due to the lack of spring sports, clubs, and volunteering. Colleges understand that you can’t (and shouldn’t!) be participating in those activities currently. 

However, for students that have the time and want to continue to strengthen their application, there are plenty of ways to still get involved outside of their classes. That will also give you another aspect to emphasize as you look to tell a compelling story to colleges in this process. The story told to colleges will be more important this year than in years past as your essays are going to be one of the only areas not impacted by COVID-19. 

And, for Seniors and younger students, ask yourself: how can I make a positive impact on my community while at home? How can I be of service to others? And what skills can I cultivate to develop as a person and learner? Many universities have made courses available for free online, so now is a great time to learn a new skill.

• https://www.niche.com
• Explore rankings, reviews, and statistics on 250000 U.S. colleges, K-12 schools, companies, and places to live. Connect to your future school, workplace

• https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/
• Collegeboard's college and career planning resources

• https://blog.collegevine.com/
• Free online guidance platform provides high school students with step-by-step recommendations and tools to help you succeed in high school and apply to college

• https://www.act.org/content/act/en/students-and-parents/college-planning-articles.html
• College and Career planning resources

• https://www.cacareerzone.org/
• Take career assessments and research about career choices

• https://www.collegedata.com
• Sign up for a free account and get access to unique college planning tools to help you make the right decisions about college

• http://www.ecampustours.com/
• With not being able to travel and visit college campuses, let them come to you via virtual campus tours!

• https://www.cappex.com/
• Search colleges, scholarships, majors, and more

California's official source for college and career planning, CaliforniaColleges.edu is a one-stop informational resource for students considering their post-secondary options.

Students can create individual profiles on the site, where they can store information relevant to each step in their own personal college and career planning process (which colleges match their criteria, offer the major they are looking for, etc.), as well as portfolio documents like letters of recommendation, resumés, and commendations or awards.

Tools on this site allow students to:

• Explore potential careers
  
• Search for colleges
• Create a college financing plan
• Log community service, work, and extracurricular experiences
• Launch and track applications to both the California State University and California Community Colleges

• Students save careers, majors, and colleges of interest in their "My Plan" portfolio.
• Tools on this site allow educators to:
• Review individual students' activities and plans
• Manage student accounts
• Report on students' activities in the aggregate
• Send messages, create events and assign tasks for individual or groups of students

• Click on the LOCK icon in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.
• Click on Register Account.
• Complete registration.
• Create a password.
  

Students will need to provide the following information:

• Name of the district (Redondo Beach Unified)
  
• Name of school
• Student ID #
  
• First and last name
  
• Date of birth
• district email address