PYA Guidance Office
Phone: 315 536-4420
Fax: 315 536-0341
The Penn Yan Academy Guidance Office consists of three (3) school counselors, our Work Based Learning (WBL) Coordinator, and a secretary.
School counselors provide academic, college & career, and social/emotional support and guidance to all students, grades 9-12.
Each student at PYA is assigned to a counselor according to the student’s last name:
A-G TBD TBD
H-O Ms. Sally Schillaci [email protected]
P-Z Ms. Tara Alegre [email protected]
The WBL Coordinator, Mr. Dan Clement, assists all students at PYA by arranging job shadowing experiences within Penn Yan and nearby communities, as well as organizing career-related field trips.
Dianne Fingar serves as the secretary in the PYA Guidance Office. As our Student Records and SchoolTool Coordinator, she can assist students and parents with a variety of needs and can be reached at: [email protected]
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
David Tese
SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER
Connie Covert
Important Info from the Guidance Office
Schedules!!
There is a designated “Drop/Add period” during which students are allowed to talk with their school counselor about possible changes to their course schedules. The Drop/Add period is the first SIX days of school only!!
Some schedule changes require parent permission (written format: note, email OR phone conversation).
These schedule change requests are for serious academic reasons only!! Counselors are not allowed to change schedules for reasons involving friends, to have/not have specific teachers, if class sizes will be negatively impacted, etc.
Students can email their school counselor or stop into the Guidance Office to schedule a meeting with their counselor to discuss scheduling options.
Gemini
A representative from Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) will be at Penn Yan Academy to help students complete the registration process for Fall semester GEMINI classes on Friday, September 13th at 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The cost is $5 per credit hour. More information will be provided to students enrolled in these Gemini courses by their teachers.
*Fee Waivers are available for Free/Reduced Lunch students*
FALL Gemini courses:
- College English 101 (3 cr.)
- College Biology (4 cr.)
- College Physics (4 cr.)
- College Chemistry (4 cr.)
- College Government (3 cr.)
- AP US History (3 cr.)
- College Health (3 cr.)
ACT and SAT
If you plan to attend college after high school you may need to take the ACT and/or SAT and submit your scores to colleges as part of your application for admission. Register for these tests online. Do not wait until the last day to register - It takes time and you need to upload a picture of yourself! It is your responsibility to register online by the deadline.
ACT: www.actstudent.org
Cost: ACT $69. / ACT with Writing $94.
Fee Waivers are available for Free/Reduced Lunch students - See your counselor!
*PYA is not a testing site for the ACT. Students will have to register to take the exam elsewhere.
SAT: www.sat.org
Cost: $68.
Fee Waivers are available for Free/Reduced Lunch students - See your counselor!
*PYA is not a testing site for the SAT. Students will have to register to take the exam elsewhere.
www.KhanAcademy.org for free preparation!
College Fairs
- Rochester Area College Fair at PYA: Tuesday, September 24 at 12:45 - 1:30 p.m.
- Eastview Mall: Tuesday, September 24 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
College Planning
Helpful Websites:
SUNY Virtual Tours, Open Houses, Workshops and more!
www.suny.edu/attend/visit-us/campus-visit/
www.engage.suny.edu/portal/suny_college_fairs
List of SUNY Majors:
www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/application-forms/list-of-majors-2021.pdf
Scholarships
Check your school email (@pycsd.org) regularly for scholarship opportunities (and more!).
Important things to do if you want to be considered for scholarships:
- Take challenging courses
- Maintain good attendance and citizenship
- Get involved with clubs and organizations
- Keep your grades up
- Demonstrate leadership qualities
- Do community service
Financial Aid Information
Seniors planning to attend college after graduation will need to apply for financial aid. More info to come but in the meantime, checkout the following websites:
CSS Profile: www.cssprofile.org
An additional Financial Aid form required by some colleges. Check the site to see if your college requires the CSS Profile.
Schools in NYS include:
- Colgate
- Cornell
- Hamilton
- RPI
- Syracuse
- Union
- University of Rochester
- And more!
Military
Have you taken the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)?
NCAA
Planning on playing Division 1 or 2 sports in college?
You must register with the NCAA at www.NCAA.org