Academic, College, & Guidance Counseling

Students are welcome to schedule an appointment to meet with their counselor. To schedule an appointment please contact your grade level counselor via email or use the appointment request sign up form located inside the counseling department offices. Students may also visit the College and Career Center (CCC) during the designated hours of operation to receive support from the Counseling Department. Please Check your College & Career Google Classroom frequently to receive updates and information from the Counseling Department.

Parents are welcome to schedule an appointment to meet with their son/daughter's counselor. To schedule an appointment please contact your son/daughter's grade level counselor via email or phone. The Counseling Department can also respond to your questions via email. Please allow 24-48 hours for a response. Throughout the school year the Counseling Department will be hosting a variety of events dedicated to providing parents and students with information and support.

The CPLA Counseling Referral Request Links can be found below. A verbal request is okay, as this form is not mandatory.

English: https://forms.gle/76oUszkS78V9MJrbA

Spanish: https://forms.gle/8S5b1EfdPusxhaya6

The following are links to Informed Consent (IC) forms. Just a reminder that the Informed Consent is NOT a Counseling Referral Request.

English:

Student (Under 18) - https://forms.gle/cdeoBzF7V5rqCTrm8

Student (Over 18) - https://forms.gle/mt9U3Hxfdymgerng6

Spanish:

Student (Under 18) - https://forms.gle/6Difqo5VM73urkKM9

Student (Over 18) - https://forms.gle/9fEwS4cEdwtG4fePA

Choose well. Request recommendations from those who know you, since they will be better equipped to write a compelling recommendation for you.

Ask a potential recommender, "Do you feel you know me well enough to write a letter of recommendation for me" for this particular position/program/school/ scholarship/etc. Rather than saying, "Will you write me a recommendation," asking if they feel comfortable writing one is a better approach and gives them a way out if they don't.

Start Early. Ideally, give the person three to four weeks, but never less than two weeks to complete the recommendation. Most faculty are very busy and have numerous recommendations to write, so you want to be courteous. Plus, rushing them might lead to a recommendation that isn't as polished or as positive as it could be.

Provide full information. Often, faculty will need some specific information from you in order to write an effective recommendation. Help us help you. If you are requesting a recommendation from a faculty member, please provide ALL information necessary for the faculty member to write and send a letter of recommendation.

Be gracious. You need to say thank you and send a personalized thank you note to the individual who wrote your recommendation. Finally, let your recommender know if you got the job, the scholarship, admitted, etc. It is nice to let us know if our efforts were fruitful!

About the position/program/scholarship/etc.:

• The name of the position/ program/scholarship/etc. and a description or brief relevant information about it.
• The name and title of the person who will receive the completed letter, if known ( "To Whom It May Concern" is impersonal, and the inappropriate use of Miss, Mrs., Ms., Mr., Dr., etc. can be offensive).
• The address or website
• The date by which you need the recommendation, and if you will pick up the recommendation personally, or would like it to be mailed, emailed, faxed, or submitted online (if you expect the person to mail the recommendation, be prepared to provide an addressed and stamped envelope)
• If applicable, a reference form with your information already typed/neatly filled in

About you

• Your complete statement of purpose (if possible), or a statement of why you are interested in this particular position/program/school/scholarship/etc. and how it specifically fits into your short or long-term goals.
• Key points you would like to be discussed in your recommendation (your academic abilities, your extracurricular accomplishments, character traits, etc--be specific)