November 1, 2019

November is a pivotal time of year for high school seniors - and we’re not just

talking turkey. More than likely, it’s the month where any of your early admission applications are due. It’s also the month you need to start paying attention to

upcoming deadlines for each college you’re planning to submit an application. It’s important that you’re aware that deadlines seem to be moving up earlier and earlier

each year! Make sure that you have all of your deadlines clearly outlined on your calendar, so that you don’t miss any important deadlines for submitting your

admission application, financial aid application and scholarship applications. Here’s a checklist to help you keep track of what to do during November of your senior

year in high school, to stay on top of your college admissions process:

November Checklist for High School Seniors: • If you’ve decided to apply early admission to a particular school, finalize and send whichever early decision or early action applications are due this month. Always make sure to have a parent, teacher, counselor or other adult review your application before it is submitted to get an extra set of eyes double checking everything is included that’s necessary!

• Finalize your application essays. You've been working tirelessly on your college essays for quite some time (hopefully). It's time to finalize them. Allow some extra eyes to look over them for the last time - your parents, teachers or counselors would make great proofreaders. Once they give your essay one last look, take their feedback into account but, remember, your essay should be yours. Your words. Your ultimate vision. As long as you are happy with the end product, that's what matters - it should ultimately reflect one thing: you.

• Find out your school’s procedures for sending official transcripts – and get the ball rolling. All colleges you’re applying to will require your official high school transcripts, so make sure you know what your school’s policies are and get the ball rolling so that your school is able to send your official transcripts to the schools you’d like them to be sent to.

• Double check that testing companies have sent your scores directly to the colleges to which you are applying. There’s no point in taking standardized tests if the schools you are applying to don’t know about it! Double check that your ducks are in a row and that your scores have been sent to all of the schools you are applying to. Also, make sure

you’ve checked beforehand that you’ve taken the right standardized tests for each college you’re applying since different colleges require different exams.

• If necessary, register to take or retake the SAT, SAT Subject Tests or ACT. Do this AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if this is still on your to do list!

• It’s time to finalize your college list. Using all of the information you’ve gathered from your college visits, interviews with students and faculty, and your own independent research, it’s time to decide which schools you will be submitting applications to. Your number should fall

somewhere between five and eight colleges. Keep in mind that it is a good idea to apply to schools that you feel are a little bit more difficult (your reach schools) as well as schools that you’re sure you’ll get into (your safety schools). Once you have decided on your list, go over it with your guidance counselor, teachers, and parents about your decisions.

• Keep track of ALL deadlines. This is the year of deadlines. And, since you will be filling out all sorts of forms this year, it’s important to know what form is due when. Create a “deadline calendar” showing the application deadlines for admission, financial aid and scholarships, so that you’ll never miss a date.

• Start preparing your application materials and, when everything is in order, apply! After you’ve decided which schools you’re going to apply to, the only thing left to do is apply! Note all instructions, criteria and deadlines so that your application is fully completed. It’s also a great idea to have a parent, counselor or teacher look over your application to make sure there aren't any errors. Ensure you follow all instructions and double check that all other materials have been submitted as well: recommendation letters, transcripts, test scores, etc. It’s also a great idea to make extra copies before you send them, so that you can keep track of where you’ve applied already. Applying before winter break may be a good plan so that you’re not rushing to meet deadlines over the holidays.

Upcoming Dates

to Remember

Wed. Nov. 6th ASVAB testing for ALL

Juniors at 8:00 am in the Triton

room.

College Rep Visits **All College representative

visits will meet in Mrs.

Herald’s office during

intervention. You MUST sign

up on the calendar outside

my office the day BEFORE

the visit, so that I can let the

rep know how many

students to expect. If there is

no one signed up, the visit

will be cancelled.

Thurs. Nov. 7th Marian University

Thurs. Nov.

14th Bellin College of

Nursing

Guidance Notes

• Check in with your guidance counselor to ensure you’re on track for admissions requirements, graduation requirements and to discuss financial aid options. You don’t want any bad surprises at the end of the admissions process or school year! Staying in the loop with your guidance counselor is the best way to make sure you’re on track in all aspects of your academic career.

• Start thinking about financial aid. Now that you know which colleges you’re applying to, you can obtain financial aid applications from those schools. Remember, when it comes to financial aid, it’s important to apply as early as possible! This information can help you to begin applying for financial aid and, ultimately, planning your college budget, taking into account other expenses such as room and board, tuition, books and any other expenses you’re already aware of. Additionally, you should start gathering information that’s required on that FAFSA form, which became available on October 1 - if you haven't already done so. You can learn what you need to fill out the FAFSA on Fastweb, on the FAFSA website or you can talk to your counselor.

• Attend financial aid workshops with your parents. Financial aid is a topic that is confusing for many, if not most, families. Attending a financial aid workshop is a great idea for both you and your parents to gain a better understanding of how to process works and can actually help you maximize

your financial aid eligibility, saving you a ton of money.

• Make sure you continue to stay on track with your grades and your extracurricular activities. Colleges will continue to look at what you’ve done in your senior year after you’ve submitted your application, so make sure you stay focused on doing well. Maintain your GPA in your courses and stay committed to any extracurricular activities you’ve been involved with so that your admission is never in jeopardy!

• Always continue your scholarship search. Keep in mind that the time after you’ve sent your college applications is one of the best times to focus on your scholarship

applications. Apply for scholarships from local organizations, your scholarship matches on Fastweb, by asking potential colleges which scholarships they would recommend at their school or asking your guidance counselor about any scholarships you may qualify for. Apply for scholarships as deadlines approach and continually search for more scholarship and grant opportunities. Never give up as this should be a continual process throughout your academic career! Elizabeth Hoyt, October 28, 2019, Fastweb.com/college

**Males are reminded to register at age 18 with the selective service. Log on at: www.sss.gov

Counselor’s Corner

When counseling students in a school setting, the issue of confidentiality occasionally comes up. Sometimes students will come

in and say, “Will you promise not to tell anyone if I tell you something?” A counselor is required to report certain situations such as abuse, a life in danger or if a student is making a serious threat to harm someone. We are faced with a trust factor here. It is the expectation of students that when information is shared with a counselor, it will be kept confidential. If this were not the expectation, most students would not seek the support of the school counselor. However, trust that parents will be informed if

their child is in any danger or in need of parental intervention. It is the goal of the counselor to create a collaborative relationship with parents and where a student can feel safe and comfortable talking. When you as a parent have a concern, feel free to contact the counselor and discuss what your concern is. Open communication between school and home can only lead to

success as a team.