Welcome to the Office of College Counseling
Great Hearts Northern Oaks celebrated its inaugural graduating class in 2021! To view a list of college acceptances and matriculations from the past three years, please visit the outcomes and results page.
If you are a college representative trying to schedule a visit to our school, please use Rep Visits or contact our office (information below).
Our Mission
The emphasis of the college counseling program at Great Hearts is to help students find good college matches based on their goals, academic, social, and economic fit. We believe that the process for applying to college should be one of positive self-discovery that fully engages students, parents and counselors. Throughout their years at Great Hearts Northern Oaks, our students learn to be comfortable in the worlds of both ideas and practicality, understanding the relationship between the two. This serves our students particularly well when identifying and seeking admission to well-matched colleges and universities.
Our Services
Great Hearts commits to keeping a low counselor-to-student ratio in order to provide individualized attention to each student going through the college application process. Our college counselors help students, and their families, navigate the College Admissions process and serve as a resource to them in the following ways:
For High School Parents:
- College information nights
- Financial aid/scholarship information nights
- Individual meetings as requested
- College counseling newsletters
For Students:
- PSAT/NMSQT testing every October for 10th and11th graders
- Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Career Exploration Program (CEP) offered to 10th-12th graders (typically late January)
- Guidance on SAT/ACT test preparation
- Individual or small group meetings
- Rep Visits from colleges and universities
- College workshops – topics including college research, applications, essay writing, resume building, financial aid, scholarships, and specific admissions processes for selective colleges, NCAA/NAIA sports, military academies, Etc.
- Optional college field trips (typically for rising Juniors and Seniors)
- Help with applications to summer college and enrichment programs
- Guidance on any topic related to post-secondary planning
FAQs
Are college visits excused absences?
TEA permits a school district to excuse the absence of a student who is a junior or senior for up to two days per (academic) year for the purpose of visiting an accredited institution of higher education. To obtain an excused absence, a student must supply the College Visitation Form or other college-produced documentation to the Upper School Registrar, Melissa White, upon return to school.
How do I obtain a High School Transcript?
Either the College Counselor or Registrar can process a transcript for you—it depends on why you need the transcript:
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Note: Transcript requests are processed as quickly as possible. Please allow a minimum of 3-5 school days for unofficial transcripts and 7-10 school days for official transcripts. Before requesting a transcript, please review the Transcript FAQs HERE.
What is the difference between the unweighted and weighted GPA?
Great Hearts Academies weights all high school Honors courses with an extra point (on a 5.0 scale) and uses that number to calculate a weighted GPA for high school students. On transcripts, academies provide both a weighted and an unweighted GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
Many college and university admission teams (especially out-of-state) will recalculate GPAs using their own scale and weighting system, on which our students’ courses would be labeled as Honors. Some colleges and universities will accept the highest GPA reported and others will use only the unweighted GPA. By reporting both a weighted and an unweighted GPA, Great Hearts students are recognized for their Honors coursework. Colleges are also seeing the rigor of the Great Hearts curriculum, thus providing the necessary tools to properly evaluate its students.
Which Great Hearts classes are Honors?
All courses except Fine Arts classes and PE are designated as Honors.
How do I stay up to date on events?
- Beginning in 9th grade, students should have a personal email address and register for a Naviance Student account. Contact the College Counselor to get a Naviance registration code.
- Regular college counseling newsletters to High School parents; important dates and updates will be posted in GHNO Upper School e-Newsletters.
- Check the School Calendar on the academy website.
- Upcoming college rep visits and workshops will be posted in Naviance and on a designated noticeboard at the Office of College Counseling.
When is the PSAT and how do I register?
In October the PSAT/NMSQT is offered to Sophomores and Juniors. We highly recommend that all 10th-11th grade students participate in the PSAT. Please reach out to the College Counselor with any questions or concerns.
When is the SAT School Day?
The academy plans to administer the SAT School Day to GHNO Juniors in March each year. The SAT School Day is an official College Board test; however, registration for this test is through the school and not through College Board. More information about registering for these tests will be sent out to eligible families after January.
How much does the SAT cost?
When taken during a Junior’s spring semester, the SAT School Day is funded by the State of Texas under the HB3 Bill. SAT tests operated at outside testing centers on other national dates will have fees based on the student’s registration date.
Can my 9th grader take the PSAT?
Great Hearts Texas has determined that it will no longer administer the PSAT to 9th graders. If an 8th or 9th grader is determined to take the PSAT, we recommend searching for a testing center that offers the PSAT 8/9 using the College Board School Search. Enter your zip code and make sure to select the correct test administration from the drop-down menu.
How do I register for the ACT or SAT at an outside testing center?
To search and register for an ACT test, visit https://www.act.org/
To search and register for an SAT test, visit https://www.collegeboard.org/
I am being asked for a CB or High School code. What is that code?
The CEEB# for Great Hearts Northern Oaks is 440186
How do I contact a college counselor?
Phone: 210-888-9483, ext. 614
Email: Jessica Woods or Guy Hanson