Incarnate Word Academy Guidance Office

The IWA Guidance Department is located on the bottom floor of the Administration Building next to the Academic Support Center. The Guidance Department consists of the social/emotional/academic counselor, college/career counselor, counseling assistant, learning consultant, and the registrar.  The resource room houses the counseling assistant and many books and resources pertaining to: College and Career, Social and Emotional needs, and Academics. The resource room also provides students with three computers for researching post secondary opportunities and scholarships.

Office Hours:

7:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of IWA’s guidance department is to provide each student with academic, social and emotional, and post-secondary support to help her succeed within our college preparatory school environment and in life after high school.

Areas of focus for our guidance department include: freshman transition, creating four-year plans, standardized testing and score interpretation, transfer student orientation and transition, advocating for student needs, utilizing community agencies and mental health professionals as resources and for referrals, post-secondary planning, and the college application and scholarship/financial aid process.

Social, Emotional and Academic Counselor:

• Social and Emotional Counseling
• Academic assistance and questions
• Resources for emotional needs
• Resources for academic needs
• Credit Recovery
• Tutoring
• Structuring
• Organizational issues

College and Career Counselor:

• College research
• Financial Aid
• College application assistance
• ACT and all standardized testing and preparation
• College fairs and financial aid nights
• IWA graduation and College entrance requirements
• Letters of Recommendation
• Activity Sheets/Resumes
• Scholarships

Both Counselors are able to assist with the following:

• Registration questions
• Four-year plan questions
  

Services we offer our students:

-Freshman and transfer student orientation
-Introductory 1-on-1 meetings with the Guidance counselor first semester freshman year
-Four year plan meetings with counselor each year
-Sophomore Guidance class, introducing sophomores to the college search process
-Junior Guidance class, focusing on the college search and application process
-National testing day for the PSAT, PLAN, and Explore
-Post-secondary plan meetings with parents and college counselor
-Free tutoring through NHS and Sister Mary Kay
-Crisis counseling-Referrals to community agencies and mental health professionals

Guidance Class Overview:

Sophomore - Small class meeting once per cycle 2^nd semester, covering the following topics:

• SCOIR online college and career program
• Research Careers, Jobs, Majors and Schools
• Schedule/planning for classes
• Standardized test results

Junior - Small class meeting once per cycle each semester, covering the following topics:

• SCOIR online college and career program
• Schedule/planning for classes
• Standardized test results
• College Application overview and scholarship information
• Test preparation and ACT overview