Counseling Center
Welcome to the Counseling Center
RBHS Counseling Team works with students to help them navigate high school and develop strategies for success in academics, social skills, and in considering their post-high school plans and career options.
Counselors encourage students to become aware of their individual strengths, develop methods for setting goals and dealing with challenges, make good choices, and advocate for themselves. Counselors also help students deal with social and emotional issues.
Please come back often as we continue updating this page. Thank you for your patience!
Counseling Team
Students are assigned to a counselor by the their last name . Counselors work with students to explain the credit system, help select courses, monitor progress toward achieving graduation requirements, explore interests, and make plans for college application and career options.
Meet our Team:
Heidi Lally | Counselor
Last Names A-G
hnlally@seattleschools.org
206-252-6362
Savali Ta’amu Lualua | Counselor
Last Names H-N
sptaamu@seattleschools.org
206-252-6361
Bernie Lenoue | Substitute Counselor
Last Names H-N
bdlenoue@seattleschools.org
206-252-6361
Cintya Beristain Rivera | Counselor (Spanish/English)
Last Names O-Z
ciberistain@seattleschools.org
206-252-6456
Elizabeth Ward | Registrar
emward@seattleschools.org
206-252-6363
Virginia Bethea | Family Support Worker
vowens@seattleschools.org
206-252-6360
Carrie Alefaio | Attendance Specialist
caalefaio@seattleschools.org | rainierbeachhs.attendance@seattleschools.org
206-252-6354
Seattle Public Schools Forms
We’ll be adding new colleges soon, so check back often!
How to Get Fee Waivers for your College Applications: 4 Best Programs
If you’re struggling to come up with the cash to apply to colleges, these programs might be able to help.
1. College Board fee waiver
College Board’s SAT and college application fee waiver program is available to low-income students in their junior or senior year of high school. You are eligible for the waivers if you meet one of these college fee waiver requirements:
- You’re eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
- Your household income is within the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service’s Income Eligibility Guidelines.
- You’re enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families.
- Your family receives public assistance.
- You live in a foster home.
- You’re in a federally subsidized public housing program.
- You’re homeless.
- You’re a ward of the state or an orphan.
As for how to get fees waived for your college applications through College Board, contact your high school counselor. You’ll need to show proof of eligibility, such as your family’s tax returns or proof of your enrollment in a government program.
2. Common App waiver
Nearly 900 schools allow students to use the Common Application to apply. By using the application, students can fill out just one application and submit it to all of the schools on their list. The schools that use the Common Application try to ensure that fees won’t deter students from applying. If you’re in a precarious financial situation, the Common App fee waiver can help. The Common App waiver has the same eligibility requirements as the College Board waiver. You can apply for it within the Common App, and your school counselor will be asked to confirm your information.
3. NACAC application fee waiver
To help make college more accessible for all, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) offers a college application fee waiver, as well.
The NACAC waiver has the same eligibility requirements as the waivers from College Board and Common App. View the NACAC college application fee waiver form. Fill in your information and then give it to your counselor to fill in the high school official part. After your counselor emails or returns it to you, you need to send that directly to the colleges you are applying to. NACAC recommends using its fee waiver to apply to up to four schools.
4. Individual college programs
If you are ineligible for the above programs, or you have used your waiver for four schools already, don’t worry — that’s still not the end of the story. You might be able to qualify for a fee waiver directly from the colleges you choose.
Many schools have their own waiver programs, including institutions like Dartmouth and the University of Colorado-Boulder.
School-specific waiver programs can have more flexible eligibility requirements. For example, Dartmouth offers pre-approved waivers to military veterans and students who participated in the Dartmouth Bound campus visitation programs.
If you need a waiver, contact the school’s financial aid office and explain your situation. You might be eligible for programs you didn’t know existed.
Don’t let application fees stop you from applying!
Choosing a college can be overwhelming and stressful. The last thing you need is to worry about the cost of applications!
*** Content adapted from the Student Loan Hero website.
Current Students
If you are a current Rainier Beach High School student or have been in attendance within the last two years, please use this form to request your RBHS transcript.
If you need your transcript sent to a college or university, you may send your request through our district Online Request System.
- Select the ‘CLICK HERE if you are a CURRENT student or a PARENT of a current student under the age of 18’ option.
- Fill out as many fields as possible, including the ‘Delivery Method’.
- Do NOT select ‘PICK-UP’ as a delivery method, since we may not be able to fill these requests.
- The number of copies needed is identified when you add a Delivery Address(es).
- A copy of the requestor’s ID will need to be attached to the order. A photo of the ID taken via a phone is sufficient.
- Select the Information Type(s) Requested:Official High School Transcript. Also, if an official/electronic copy is acceptable, check thePlease select if you want the record sent electronically option as well.
Students may submit “Official Electronic” copies of their transcript via email. The PDF file of the student’s transcript that is received is certified and the authenticity can be verified by any additional recipient of the file here.
Please note that this order option may be disabled once schools re-open and when schools are able to respond to transcript requests directly.
Please reach out to Archives@seattleschools.org if you have any questions or if you do not have access to the internet. If you are having technical difficulties with the ScribOrder Online Request Tool, please reach out to help@scribsoft.com.
You may also use Naviance to have your transcript sent directly to colleges that use the Naviance portal (please confirm this option with colleges in advance).
Former Students
If you graduated or withdrew from Rainier Beach two or more years ago and are in need of your official transcript or graduation verification, please contact District Student Records at 206-252-0139 or request your transcript online.
Please contact Ms. Ward, RBHS Registrar, at emward@seattleschools.org if you have any questions.
Sign up for Remind text notifications for important updates from the Counseling Office!
Class of 2023- text @co23c to the number 81010
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Class of 2026- text @co26c to the number 81010