COLLEGE ADVISING

College advising is an important process for all students at Westside. Students should start by meeting with their dean for a college readiness meeting. Once this meeting is completed, students then have the opportunity to meet with Westside’s College Access Coordinator (CAC) in The College Center (A205). The CAC helps students navigate the college application process. Students and parents are encouraged to set an appointment with the CAC. All students and parents are encouraged to attend College Night, which typically occurs in the fall, at Westside. A multitude of colleges and university representatives from across the country will be here to provide information and answer questions.

Naviance is an exceptional web-based tool which allows the College Center to communicate information on upcoming events, college planning, scholarships, summer programs, and financial aid. HISD regularly downloads student data, allowing both the student and their parents to view individual demographic information, GPA/Rank, test information including PSAT, SAT, ACT scores, courses and grades. Students will be able to monitor college applications, create resumes, track community service hours, complete surveys, and view an interactive 4 year planner. Students will register for Naviance at school. We also recommend that the parent registers as a user connected to the child’s account so that the parent will also receive important notifications.

Information on college entrance exams (including testing dates, fees and deadlines) can be found at www.collegeboard.com for the SAT and at www.act.org for the ACT. Students are also encouraged to sign up on MyRoad, the collegeboard.com college and career planning website.