This column was written by Brewer High School students. Their adviser is Sherri Thomas.

For high school seniors, applying to college is both an exciting and nerve-racking experience, except at Brewer High School. The Brewer High guidance counselors add to the excitement, making the experience easier and fun-filled.

The process begins when students take their first steps as freshmen, because the guidance counselors have developed a four-year plan. In the students’ shaky freshman year, they are introduced to a program called CHOICES, which lists career opportunities and colleges.

Students are introduced to CHOICES early so they can get an idea of what their college and postsecondary goals will be. Freshmen also are required to take the Differential Aptitude Test. The test determines exactly what the students are interested in studying, putting them in prime position for their sophomore year.

When students become sophomores, they are required to take a Self-Directed Search test. The test is characterized as an inventory divided into six different fields: Realistic, enterprising, investigative, artistic, conventional and social. After students take the exam, their scores determine exactly what course studies they would benefit from the most.

The realistic field indicates if a student is a hands-on learner and needs to learn kinesthetically. The enterprising field determines if a student is interested in making a lot of money. The investigative field reveals if students want to make things “tick,” and they can consider performing research for a prospective career.

The artistic field indicates interest in performing arts and other art forms, such as drawing or sculpture. The conventional field indicates whether students will succeed with an organized career. The last field is social, which reveals if students are sociable and can deal with people continuously and easily.

When students take the exam, the results determine their three highest-scoring fields, and when the three scores are combined, it indicates what types of career a student might pursue in the near future.

“Even though I am only a sophomore, the guidance has tremendously helped me narrow down what I want to do when I go to college,” said Kerri Harris, a student with high ambitions.

When students become juniors, they are asked to narrow down where their interests lie and make plans to pursue them as a major, for work or in the military.

Students plan for their senior year according to what interests they intend to pursue, but some change their perspective dramatically. They are reintroduced to the program CHOICES, then they can narrow down where they would like to attend college and what career they want to follow.

Ronel Ellis, the guidance director at Brewer High School, said: “Each year, the students develop goals with the ultimate hope that they will have a clear direction after high school.”

The guidance counselors are then set for another senior-year process at Brewer High, which includes working on goal sheets, applications, resumes, scholarships, and essays or recommendations. Seniors are asked to fill out a goal sheet and make a plan for their coming graduation.

Guidance counselors ensure that all seniors who apply to college receive the right applications. The students receive help filling them out, and the guidance office makes sure everything is taken care of, whether it’s filling out a resume to find a recruiter – if a student is interested in going into the armed forces – or completing scholarship applications.

The guidance office posts scholarships in the school every year, and seniors are asked weekly if they are checking the scholarship board or if they need help applying.

Tim Hackett, a guidance counselor at Brewer High School, said: “Senior year is exciting, and hopefully, over the four years, decisions are made and applications get filled in and sent out.”

Guidance counselors not only help with applications and scholarships, they also assist with college essays. They make sure seniors have their recommendation forms turned in and completed properly.

Amy Freeman, a Brewer High senior applying to college, said: “Mrs. Ellis has been tremendous when it comes to colleges. She has been supportive and much more. When we meet, I always feel confident that I made the right choices based on her input. The entire guidance department is great and could not have been any more helpful.”

And, with the seal of an envelope, seniors are off to their first year in college, the armed forces or a work environment. The guidance office plays no small role at BHS, where students are relieved to find that the application process was exciting – and not as nerve-racking as anticipated.