Junior NOV Newletter

College Counseling V O L U M E

INCLUDED IN THIS EDITION: 

Developing a plan

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ACT/SAT Testing

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How to stay in the know

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College Rep Visits

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Scholarships

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Extended Time Testing

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I S S U E

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N O V E M B E R

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What should we be doing??

This question is probably on the minds of most junior parents right now. I hope that this brief newsletter will help to relay many of your concerns. Here are a few things that you can do now to help better prepare yourself and your child for the college selection and admissions process: 1.

look. Will you encourage them to look anywhere in the country or will you have a few guidelines?

Talking about this now, will help you determine what schools will work for your family before the application season begins.

Start Talking

Start the conversation at home about your expectations during this process. Start to talk about viable options and exactly what outcome you expect. Here are a couple of examples of talking points to get you started: While some families are more concerned about career and job placement, many focus on the experience and the learning environment. Discuss where you fall in this spectrum. Talk about how far you are willing to let them

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Start Visiting

Take every opportunity to begin visiting schools. Breaks are a valuable time to get away, take advantage of the breaks that occur this year. It is very important to begin visiting early so that students have an idea of the

type of college that appeals to them. We will start to develop a list of potential colleges in the spring, so take a few days to travel soon!

3.

Testing and Grades

There is more specific information about testing in the next section. Most importantly, encourage them to keep those grades up! This is the last year many colleges will use in determining admission and scholarship.

These semester exams are critical for them. Help them to recognize their importance!

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Call when you need help.

If you need help or just aren't’ sure what to do, I am a phone call or email away.

and Just a few reminders about testing:

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Students register independently for subsequent testing at www.actstudent.org or www.collegeboard.com. All students should now have a testing plan, knowing when they plan to test.

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Test Prep should be part of your plan. After taking the first test, identify areas where there is room for improvement and prepare for subsequent tests. Please take advantage of PrepMe, the individualized prep program available to all of our juniors through Naviance. Only a handful of students are taking advantage of this service; it is a fantastic resource!

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If you need help, send your child to my office and I will help them register..

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Upcoming ACT/SAT Testing Dates

Please don’t forget to register for the SAT II’s in May if you plan to take them. If you are not sure if these are necessary for your student, we can talk about your specific testing plan during our conference.

Be on the lookout after the first of the year for the registration information for the ACT course offered by Mrs. Inge and Mrs. White this summer. This has been incredibly successful for our students, but it fills quickly, so don’t wait to sign-up!

COLLEGE

COUNSELING

Scholarships

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Scholarships certainly continue to be a big part of the college decision making process. It is this time of year that junior parents often fall prey to the “word on the street�. For that reason, I want to give you some insight into the scholarship programs that spark the most questions and concerns for our parents: those offered

by Alabama and Auburn. A few key points to remember: both schools award automatic scholarships based on grades and scores, meaning if you make the cut it is yours! Fortunately, they are black and white, so here are the hard numbers:

Create an account at www.fastweb.com to learn about communitybased scholarship opportunities

It is very important to note that students must have a 3.5 GPA at the end of their junior year to have a guaranteed award with the University of Alabama!

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Be in the know

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Naviance is a great resource for students!

We will begin working extensively with the program during our next junior group guidance sessions the third week of November. During this session, juniors will take Do What You Are, a personality and career assessment. The results will be returned to you during our family conference next semester.

Students are also given access through Naviance to PrepMe, the online test prep program. Please encourage your child to take advantage of this great resource.

REMIND 10 1

Nearly all of the juniors have opted to receive text message reminders and alerts from the College Counseling Office. While these messages are meant for the students, parents are invited to sign up for the text so that you will be “in the loop� with any important messages. Use the instructions in the directions above to subscribe to this service.

COLLEGE

COUNSELING

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Nope , there is a lot more to do: This should be a fun time of exploring and soul-searching meet together as a family to discuss your child’s college search for you and your child; Don’t forget to enjoy it!

1. Individual Conferences: Starting in mid-January, we will

and application plan. We will talk about test scores, GPA, college choices, etc. This will enable you to ask any individual

Is this it??

questions that you may have regarding your child in a private atmosphere. I will send out a notice in early December so that you can choose a date that works best with your schedule, and is also during a non-academic class period for your child.

2. Summer Programs: Now is the time to start thinking about what your child will do over the summer. Whether they prefer summer jobs or structured college programs, be sure they are being active and productive. Applications for formal summer programs will open soon, so be sure not to miss any deadlines. If you have questions or need further guidance, please call the CCO. 3. Haiku: Please be sure that your student is checking the College Counseling Class when logging into Haiku. (Unfortunately, parent log-in information is not available at this time.) We post tons of information about summer programs and other opportunities, including scholarships!

They want to get into the habit of checking, as this is how we will send important information to them next year.

College Rep. Visits Many juniors took advantage of visiting with reps during the fall are some times when that will not work with the college visits, and now we will begin rep’s travel schedule. When it hapscheduling spring visits. These pens that a rep is scheduled during spring visits are specifically tarclass time, students are required to geted to juniors. They are a ask teacher permission in order to great way to learn more about a attend the visit. This is to ensure college, giving students the opthat the teacher is aware that the portunity to ask more in-depth student plans to miss class and that questions than at a college fair. the student understands they are responsible for missed class work.

Rep visit times are posted on Students are not allowed to miss the college counseling website tests or quizzes. Permission should and announced during the mornbe requested at least 24 hours prior ing broadcasts. to the visit using the purple slips Although most visits are scheduled during academic prep, there located on the college counseling bulletin board.

Current lists of rep visits will posted on the CCO webpage.

Message from Mrs. Meridy Jones, Director of Counseling and Testing: If you believe that your child is eligible for non-standard testing accommodations and would like to pursue extended time for ACT or SAT, please contact Mrs. Jones as soon as possible.

This is a lengthy process, requiring extensive documentation. Often, a request takes between 6 and 8 weeks for approval. It is very important that you begin early. For further information, or questions, please contact Mrs. Jones. Her email is mjones@ums-wright.org.

NCAA Clearinghouse

UMS-Wright CCO Phone: 251-470-9038 Fax: 251-665-4065 E-mail: mcourtney@ums-wright.org

If your child plans to participate in college athletics, they will need to register online with the NCAA Clearinghouse. The website is www.eligibilitycenter.org. Be sure to print the Student Release Form and bring it to me to send with their transcript. Please remember that the Clearinghouse also requires an official test score sent directly from the testing agency. The code for the Clearinghouse is 9999 and should be sent online. If you have questions about the Clearinghouse, please contact Mrs. Courtney or Athletic Director, Coach Terry Curtis.

I will send an email next month encouraging you to make an appointment for an individual conference. At this time, we will talk about your questions, concerns, and action plan. I hope to meet with every family during this time.

- Mary