Counselor Updates

College Application Process: Important Events Next Week!

Financial Aid Night – 6pm on Thursday September 24th, DHS Auditorium

Please join us for a Financial Aid Night led by the Financial Aid experts at College Affordable!

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with College Affordable. They are a non-profit that provides free comprehensive help to students and families to navigate the complicated process of accessing financial aid for higher education. This school year they helped over 7,000 students across the state of Massachusetts and are now expanding their school partners in the North Shore MA area. To begin working with them visit our landing page and complete the family registration form: https://collegeaffordable.org/danvershs/

The program includes workshops, access to webinars, self help tools and 1×1 expert help from their team of Financial Aid Counselors. You can schedule 1×1 virtual meetings with them through this landing page, email them at financialaid@collegeaffordable.org and call/text them as well at 781-343-1941.

College Family Night, Class of 2027- 6pm Wednesday October 7th, DHS Auditorium

Please join us in the DHS auditorium on Wednesday October 7th at 6pm for College Family Night. The school counselors will go over details of the college application process and answer general questions. Slides and notes will be shared via email afterwards. This is open to class of 2027 parents/guardians AND students.

Optional Field Trip to NEACAC College Fair at SSU from 9am – 11am on Wednesday September 23

DHS Students are invited to join a field trip to attend the NEACAC College Fair at Salem State on Wednesday September 23 from 9am – 11am.  There will be over 100 colleges and universities expected to attend. Here is the registration link and here is the permission slip. Students over 18 can complete the permission slip on their own.

College Application Process Information – community block

On Monday September 21 and Thursday September 24 Seniors will meet in groups with a school counselor to review the common application. If students are not interested, there will be an option to join a separate presentation about options such as trade school, community college, military, etc.

First Generation College Application Support Student Group

First generation, as defined by most colleges, refers to students whose parents / guardians did not graduate from a 4 year college or university in the United States. If that sounds like your student, we encourage them to join our college application support group. Email dhsschoolcounseling@danvers.org to join!

College Visits

Representatives from over 50 colleges will visit Danvers High School and host small group information sessions. These are the same admissions staff who will be reading applications from DHS students. This is a great opportunity to make a connection with a school, ask questions directly to an admissions counselor, and learn more about a potential college. You can review the college visit schedule here. Please sign up on Naviance! Sign in with your Danvers Google account, go to the homepage select > colleges then > college visits.

College Day Visits – October 23 

Save the date! On October 23, seniors will not have classes and therefore will participate in College Day Visits. Seniors will be asked to complete a survey ahead of time to let us know which visit they are interested in participating in. School counselors will be scheduling a few college visit options with school bus transportation provided, but if students prefer to go on their own college visit that they choose and schedule themself they can do so with a college visit permission slip. More info to come!

Congratulations Class of 2026

Your final transcripts are being processed and will be sent to your college of choice by the end of next week. Please reply to this email if you have changed the college you plan to attend or if you have not told us your choice yet. 

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Each of you has chosen a path that complements your strengths and aims you toward your goals. While a majority of our students will enter college this Fall, we also proudly have other paths for students. Four graduates are enlisting in the military, ten are enrolling in a program at a trade or technical school, and several are going directly into employment.

85% of our graduates are entering college. There they will study majors such as Biology, Business Administration, Physics, Finance, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Education, Pharmacy, Social Work, Nursing, Exercise Science, Architecture, Music, Computer Science, Marketing, Psychology, Fine Arts, Political Science, Animation, Dental Hygiene, Public Health Theatre Studies, and Zoology and more! These students are attending the following colleges and universities:

Assumption University, Bentley University, Boston College, Bridgewater State University, Bryant University, Bunker Hill Community College, Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University, Columbia University, Dean College, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Emmanuel College, Endicott College, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Gordon College, Hofstra University, Keene State College, Lafayette, College, Lehigh University, Liberty University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Merrimack College, North Shore Community College, Northeastern University, Providence College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rollins College, Saint Anselm College, Saint Michael’s College, Salem State University, Skidmore College, Stonehill College, Suffolk University, Tennessee Tech University, The University of New Hampshire, The University of South Carolina, Trinity College, University of Central Florida, University of Connecticut, University of Maine, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of Massachusetts Lowell, University of Miami, University of New England, University of New Hampshire, University of New Haven, University of North Carolina Wilmington , University of Rhode Island, University of South Carolina, Vanderbilt University, Wagner College, Wake Forest University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, West Virginia University, Wheaton College, Worcester State University

Scholarship Success     

This spring the school counseling department processed thousands of scholarship applications. The scholarships were provided by more than 131 local families and organizations. We are proud to announce that over 100 seniors were awarded 274 scholarships valuing a total of $357,000! We owe a huge thank you to all these scholarship providers and to Ms. Rachael Saggese, our Guidance Administrative Assistant who retired this past month, for her coordination of the scholarships throughout the academic year.

Class of 2027

Class of 2027 Juniors! It is time to reach out to your school counselor and make an appointment to have a junior meeting! Counselors will be visiting juniors in the classroom in May to work on a resume, survey, and remind students to ask 2 teachers for a letter of recommendation this Fall for college applications.

Class of 2026

Class of 2026 Seniors! Final Transcripts will be sent by your school counselor to your chosen college in June. You do not need to submit a naviance transcript request, but you do need to confirm where you plan to attend by completing this google form: Class of 2026 Plans After Graduation Survey

Counselor Assignment 

Reminder! Here are the counselor assignments. Lacey Pelusi is on maternity leave (congratulations to Ms. Pelusi!) and KJ Jobst will be covering her maternity leave. 

Whitney McNeilly       (A-Dou)      whitneymcneilly@danvers.org

Lacey Pelusi       (Dov-K)       laceypelusi@danvers.org

Kristen Bixby      (L-Pa)       kristenbixby@danvers.org

James Sullivan       (Pb-Z)       jamessullivan@danvers.org

We will continue to share counselor updates with families via email. You can follow our new instagram account @danvershighcounseling for relevant posts as well! 

College Night

College Night was Wednesday March 11th 6pm @ DHS Auditorium

Many Parents/guardians and students in the Class of 2027 attended College Night on Wednesday, March 11th at 6pm in the DHS Auditorium. 

Here is a link to the handout called Junior Next Steps to guide you through what to do during the next 6 months before Senior year.

Here is a link to the slides presentation by the School Counselors about the college process

The college panel included the following schools: University of New Hampshire, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Endicott College, and Holy Cross.

Community College

This fall, nearly 50 Danvers High School students plan to attend a Massachusetts community college for free through the MassTransfer program.

On Friday, April 10, more than 30 students attended a field trip to North Shore Community College, where they were able to complete placement testing, register for classes, and learn about academic programs and student resources.

If you are interested in applying to North Shore, click here!

Attending a community college is an excellent option for many students and families. Students can save tens of thousands of dollars by completing their first two years at a community college for free and then transferring to a four-year institution.

Students who begin at a Massachusetts community college have two main transfer options:

• Transfer to a private college or university. Many colleges accept community college credits, and your school counselor can help confirm transfer policies with specific institutions.
• Transfer through the MassTransfer Program to a Massachusetts state university or UMass campus. This program guarantees that credits will transfer and provides several additional benefits, listed below! To learn more about how community college is free in Massachusetts, visit the MassTransfer website. You can also view cost comparisons in this slide presentation.

Students participating in MassTransfer may receive the following benefits:

Students may also receive a 10% tuition and fee rebate each year while attending UMass through the MassTransfer program.

Free tuition and fees at Massachusetts community colleges for students with a diploma or GED who complete the FAFSA and enroll in at least 6 credits.

The opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in four years (two years at community college and two years at a state university).

Some students may qualify for a small stipend to help purchase a computer, books, or other supplies.

Through the Commonwealth Commitment program, students can receive guaranteed admission into competitive programs within the UMass system if they maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher.

For example, students who begin at North Shore Community College in business or engineering and work with their advisor may receive guaranteed admission to programs such as the Isenberg School of Management at University of Massachusetts Amherst or the Francis College of Engineering at University of Massachusetts Lowell.

When transferring to a Massachusetts state university (such as Fitchburg State University or University of Massachusetts Dartmouth), application fees, essays, and letters of recommendation are waived.

Tuition rates are locked in when students begin community college. This means when students transfer in year three, they may pay earlier tuition rates, saving additional money.

All credits from Massachusetts community colleges are guaranteed to transfer to Massachusetts state universities.

Students receive guidance from a MassTransfer advisor throughout the process.

Trade School

This is a friendly reminder that trade schools and MassHire are still actively recruiting for the summer 2026 semester. They are recruiting for trades training in electrical, HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, and biotechnology. These would be entry level training programs.

For Questions, reach out to Zachary Ashmore via email at zashmore@masshire-nscareers.org or his direct line at (978) 825-7260. Visit https://masshire-nscareers.org

If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please visit the following website links to apply or sign up for an information session:

Essex Technical School

Salem Technical School

Manufacturing Day Event (optional) October 17

If your student is interested in exploring modern biotech manufacturing please have your student speak with their school counselor about the upcoming Manufacturing Day event at MilliporeSigma located here in Danvers. Students will receive a tour of the plant, see demonstrations, and get to speak with current employees.

Scholarships

Scholarships for college are a big topic of conversation this time of year! Below is helpful information about the types of scholarships that exist and our local Danvers Scholarship Program.

There are three main types of scholarships that High School Seniors can obtain.

1. The highest value scholarships will come directly from colleges in their acceptance letters to students. Students are considered for these automatically when they apply to the college and don’t need to complete an additional application. We call these institutional scholarships. 
2. There are also scholarships that students apply to directly. These are the ones posted to websites like Naviance, Scholarships.com, Common App, Going Merry, and many other scholarship websites. We call these “outside scholarships” and they are open to anyone who applies and fits the criteria. 
3. Lastly, there are Danvers Scholarships. These are open ONLY to Danvers seniors. More information is below.

More Details on Danvers Scholarships:

Danvers Scholarships 2026 are now available on Google Classroom. Seniors should accept the invitation to join. Here is the link to the slides presentation used to explain the new scholarship application process.

1. View the Danvers Scholarships 2026 description document.
2. Complete the Danvers Scholarships 2026 Profile – this is an assignment in the Google Classroom found under classwork.
3. Write essays for the scholarships you plan to apply to.
4. All scholarships applications are under classwork. To apply, UPLOAD 3 PDF documents and Name ALL your documents the titles below:
   • LAST NAME, FIRST NAME Profile
   • LAST NAME FIRST NAME Transcript (Shared with you as a PDF)
   • LAST NAME FIRST NAME “Scholarship Name” Questions (if neede

Tips on How to Write a Strong Scholarship Application Essay

Some scholarships will share a story in the description, especially when it is a scholarship that honors a person who has passed away. Thoroughly read their story. Try to make a personal connection from their story to yours and let them get to know you through your application.

The general prompt that MOST Danvers Scholarships will ask is: Please write an essay that explains to the committee reviewing this application why you deserve a scholarship. What are your future plans after graduation?

Example: Introduce yourself, explain your goal /plans for after high school, tell them about something you gained from your years at Danvers High, and why you deserve this scholarship.

Financial Aid

Seniors and Families: 

Before Thanksgiving break seniors attended an assembly all about Financial Aid. Below you will find a summary of the slides and our suggestions for your next steps.

• Merit Aid: This is awarded in your acceptance letter from the admissions office. Your application to a school will automatically make you eligible for merit aid. If you are asked to be considered, always check YES. A few schools will ask you to complete the FAFSA to be considered. Merit aid is a scholarship that does not need to be paid back.
• Financial Aid Package: This is a separate financial aid offer that comes in a letter some time after your acceptance letter from the financial aid office. A financial aid package consists of grants, work study, and loans.
  • Grants do NOT need to be paid back.
  • Work Study does NOT need to be paid back.
  • Loans DO need to be paid back.

⭐Have open and candid conversations with your parents or guardians around the cost of college

⭐Consider cheaper options: “safety” colleges, which may provide merit money, state schools or community college. Sign up for North Shore admissions day on Tuesday Dec 9th in C213!

⭐Complete the FAFSA (required for all colleges and universities, including community colleges)

⭐If required, complete the CSS Profile (check participating schools link)

⭐Visit MEFA’s website for relevant Financial Aid news, tips and tools like the student loan calculator! Check out their latest email newsletter here.

⭐Apply for Scholarships:

Danvers High School Scholarships will open February 6, 2026 during a Senior assembly! This is your best chance to earn scholarship money because we have over 100 scholarship funds available for Danvers seniors only.

Naviance

Going Merry

College Board 

FastWeb.com

Scholarships.com

Niche.com

Common App – There is a tab to search scholarships