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Welcome Sharks! (and guests)

It is my pleasure to serve you as the Academic/College counselor at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School. I look forward to our journey together and am excited to support you through the academic and college prep process. I am aware research and applications can be overwhelming, so the goal is to help you take a manageable step toward the future each academic year.

Please remember that your GPA, test scores, and college decisions do not define you. You are a unique individual with compassion, creativity, and potential that no transcript can fully capture.

It is okay not to have it all figured out. The path to your future is not a straight line. Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones we don't expect.
You are not alone. I am here to help you navigate this, not just as your counselor, but as someone who cares about you. I see you!
Believe in yourself, trust the process, and never forget that you are valued beyond measure.

I can assist with:

Understanding high school graduation requirements, university/college requirements and post-secondary options
Creating a path, summer programs/internships, and course selection
Applying for college-ready courses, community college, and/or Advanced Placement "AP"
Applying to post-secondary institutions (public, private, 2-year, 4-year, vocational/certificated, ROTC, career training, military schools...)
Financial Aid application completion support, scholarship and scholarship programs information
College application advisement based on your personal data
Advisement and fee waivers for SAT, and ACT
Naviance & eDocs Parchment
Information about upcoming college fairs and/or on-campus visits
and more

As PELÉ once said, “SUCCESS IS NO ACCIDENT. IT IS HARD WORK,

PERSEVERANCE, LEARNING, STUDYING, SACRIFICE, AND MOST OF ALL, LOVE OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING OR LEARNING TO DO.”

Sharks, it is my absolute pleasure to accompany you during your last four years of secondary education. Please feel free to stop by the Counseling Office to say hello, ask questions, or simply find a place to connect, belong, or contribute! ~ Ms. Morales

NEWS FOR CLASS OF 2026 and Beyond

Some elite universities have announced testing is an admission requirement for the class of 2025 and beyond. Yale even announced that testing is the new most important factor in admissions. Additionally, due to the rising use of AI as ghostwriters, some schools such as Duke now give little weight to essays. They stated that content and applicant insight in essays matter more than writing prowess.

Please remember to prepare for the October SAT and capitalize on summer opportunities such as with college summer classes, internships, or passion projects. Under the student opportunities section you can find resources for internships, volunteering, research, summer programs, online courses, scholarships, and college fly-in programs. Come to the College Center anytime if you have questions or need application help!