SMIC Counseling Services

The Counseling Department provides a wide range of support services for the school community (grades K-12 and the Going Abroad Program) through consultation, individual and group counseling, and networking with local mental health professionals in the community. In addition to personal counseling, the counseling office oversees standardized testing (inclusive of all administrative aspects of the SAT, ACT, MAP, PSAT, WrAP and AP), pre-college/guidance counseling, and crisis management. Counselors also facilitate academic probation advising, and conduct middle/high school life skills classes which covers an age-appropriate moral development curriculum for students at the secondary level.

The SMIC Counseling Department is a member of Overseas Association for College Admissions Counseling (OACAC).

College Acceptances 2016

College Counseling

The Counseling Office introduces students to the college admissions process in grade 9 and continues through grade 12. Intensely focusing on all aspects of college admissions in grade 11 and 12 Life Skills classes (for the English Track and Going Abroad Program), our counselors advise students on how to prepare for college applications through the following:

Attending college fairs, on-campus college visits and SMIC alumni presentations;
Encouraging good grades, sustained and meaningful participation in extracurricular activities, and the fostering of leadership skills;
Preparing and registering for standardized testing;
Guiding students throughout the college search and selection process by reviewing college lists, college applications, personals statements and essays;
Coordinating teacher college recommendation letters;
Providing official college recommendation letters from the counseling office;
Ensuring application logistics (package, courier, and tracking);
Safeguarding the accuracy, integrity and authenticity of official transcripts and other related application documents;
Advising students in terms of making their college application decisions (taking into account what constitutes the right fit for students academically, socially, culturally, and financially); and
Communicating with college admissions offices throughout the year.

In addition, the Counseling Office delivers two “College Night” presentations per school year; one in the fall (for all students and parents) as well as one in the spring (primarily targeting grade 11 students and parents in preparation for their senior year college applications). Graphically-enhanced maps, statistics, and diagrams illustrating college acceptances are prepared and prominently displayed on campus and shared with the school community.

Advanced Placement (AP)

SMIC administers Advanced Placement (AP) tests for 14-18 subjects in May of each school year. Please refer to our calendar for current testing dates.

Please visit our AP Program page for more detail on our AP courses and tests.

Guidance Counseling

The goal of our Life Skills classes is to conduct group guidance sessions on a weekly basis for all students in grades 6-12. Our counselors address character building and discuss important issues pertaining to adolescence, identity, personality, social and emotional development in addition to college admissions and career exploration. Counselors oversee academic remediation and recovery for students placed on academic probation through our after school homework club (H.W.C.) and by coordinating meetings between parents and school staff. A peer counseling initiative facilitated by our counselors, entitled C.A.M.P. (cross-age mentor program) helps connect older students with younger students through mentorship.

Personal Counseling

The goal of the Counseling Department is to build a school community characterized by competence, character and compassion. Providing school-wide services, SMIC counselors are readily available to meet individually with students (spanning elementary, middle school and high school) to counsel them on a wide-range of personal, social and emotional matters. Approachable, learned and accessible, our counselors are equipped to provide counseling to individual students whose emotional and/or social difficulties may challenge learning and school adjustment. Our counselors also lead collaborative support teams relative to student interventions. The highest standards of confidentiality are ensured and student records are meticulously compiled, filed and safeguarded. As a means of uplifting school spirit, the counseling office’s on-campus presence can be seen in a variety of extra-curricular activities including the Middle School Student Council, assemblies, interscholastic sporting events, etc.

SAT

The SAT is accepted by colleges and universities and available to students globally.

SMIC which is an official SAT testing center, administers the SAT test up to six times a year. Please refer to our school calendar for current testing dates.

ACT

The ACT is accepted by colleges and universities and available to students globally.

SMIC which is an official ACT testing center, administers the ACT test up to five times a year. Please refer to our school calendar for current testing dates.

PSAT

Why do students take the PSAT/NMSQT? The PSAT/NMQT scores can be used to estimate SAT scores. The critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills questions of the PSAT/NMQT are designed to be the same as those on the SAT Reasoning Test. The PSAT/NMSQT questions are intended to be reliable preparation for the same types of questions on the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT scale of 20 to 80 is equivalent to the SAT scale of 200 to 800.

Can colleges access your PSAT/NMSQT scores? No, PSAT/NMSQT scores are not for use by colleges as part of their admission criteria. The PSAT/NMSQT is intended to help a student evaluate skill levels in three critical academic areas (reading, writing, math), prepare for the SAT, compare a student's academic readiness for college with that of his/her peers, and enter scholarship competitions. PSAT score reports should help students make future educational plans.

All the grade 9, 10, and 11 students are required to take the PSAT.

WrAP Testing

The Writing Assessment Program (WrAp) stands apart from nearly every other available writing assessment. Unlike other instruments that provide only holistic scoring school indices, the WrAP is scored analytically. The WrAP uses a six trait, six-point rubric to provide information that helps determine a student's writing skill level and helps teachers target writing instruction. The WrAP is administered to students in grades 5, 7 and 9.

MAP Testing

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) is an assessment taken by Kindergarten through grade 8 students at SMIC. Students take assessments in language usage, reading, math, and science (Gr.3-8 only). MAP, which is a computerized assessment is given to all students in applicable grade levels in the fall and spring. When taking the MAP test, the difficulty of each question is based on how well a student answers all the previous questions. Questions become more challenging as the student answers correctly. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. In an optimal test, a student answers approximately half the items correctly and half incorrectly. The final score is an estimate of the student’s overall achievement level. Individualized student MAP reports sent to families show growth from year to year as long as the student is enrolled in SMIC.

Counseling Staff

	Keith Sieg Counseling Director College Counselor G12
	Phil Chu HS Counselor G11-G12 Testing Coordinator
	Danielle Dully MS Counselor, advisory
	Erica Minix MHS Counselor
	Joon Yun ES Counselor