The Craig School

The College & Transition Counseling Program at CHS is administered by our Director of College Counseling, Mrs. Dawn DeSimone, who is the founder of LD Resource Group, LLC, a firm which specializes in individualizing college and post-secondary options for students with LD and AD/HD.   Mrs. DeSimone works with our students and their parents in preparation for each student’s college experience by designing the program content, planning college related events, and teaching seminar courses.

College & Transition Preparation

College and transition planning begins early in the tenure of a Craig High School student, developing each year with increasing specificity and depth. The process culminates during senior year with the finalization of plans, visits, applications, and the anticipation of acceptance and entry to a college or post-secondary educational institution.

Sophomore Seminar – Career Awareness and Preparation

Craig students begin their formal transition planning and training in their sophomore year.  The process begins with the focus on career awareness and work place skills.  Specific elements to our 10^th grade seminar course include:  

• interest, abilities, and values survey
• resume writing
• interview skills
• work skills
• employer expectations
• self-advocacy
• time management
• budgeting
• encourage all students to apply for a part-time job or volunteer position

Junior Seminar – College Awareness and Search Strategies

Learning about college and post-secondary options are the focus for the junior class seminar, during which our students learn: 

• differences between two and four-year colleges
• what constitutes comprehensive, strong and basic levels of academicand accommodations
• how to read a college website
• filling out
• college interview skills
• writing a resume for
• how to conduct college searches

During a student’s junior year, Mrs. DeSimone meets with each student and their parents in order to develop the plan that ultimately will culminate in a personalized college/post-secondary list of recommendations and options for each student.

Senior Seminar – College Life

To help smooth the transition to college for CHS grads, we cover all aspects of college and campus life in our Senior Seminar class including 

• differences between high school and college
• all facets of college life including living on campus and commuting from home
• self-advocacy
• Executive Functioning

During senior year Ms. DeSimone works with students one-on-one to assist them as they visit, interview and apply to their respective colleges.

Craig High School is an acknowledged ACT and SAT test site center for CHS students only.  We work directly with the ACT and the College Board to pursue and provide our students with the testing accommodations that they need to be successful.  We also provide test preparation for both exams to familiarize and prepare our students for either college admissions test.

Included in our College and Transition Prep Program, are a series of annual events that include:

• Annual College Fair - specifically designed for students with learning disabilities
• Returning Alumni Grad Panel
• Presentations by College Admission Representatives
• Montclair State University – Library Research-College Writing Workshop