Upper
School Counselors
Mrs. Nancy Olah
(last names A-K; class of 2015 A-L)) |
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Mr. Steve Strimple
(last names L-Z; Class of 2015 M-Z) |
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| SENIORS – Next
Steps |
- Congratulations on making it through the fall.
- If you have decided to apply to additional
colleges, make sure you communicate with your
counselors so they can submit supporting documents
to all your colleges.
- Apply for financial aid – Financial aid
paperwork deadlines may vary by college. It is the
student’s responsibility to meet these deadlines.
For private scholarships offered through outside
organizations, check the “Scholarship” section of
Family Connection.
- Beginning January 1, everyone, regardless of
their financial situation, should submit a FAFSA for
federal aid (www.fafsa.gov). Many colleges also ask
for the CSS Profile
(www.profileonline.collegeboard.com) for non-federal
aid or their own forms for institutional aid. Many
families assume they will not qualify for financial
aid. However, there are several reasons to apply for
financial aid:
- Financial pictures change. The
transition from high school to college is
significant. Filing paperwork this first year
can provide a safety net.
- Allows colleges flexibility. Some
institutions have their own method of
calculating institutional aid based on the
information they receive from the FAFSA and/or
CSS Profile. While some families may not qualify
for need-based aid, some colleges may have
institutional funds available.
- Financial aid comes in many forms. Families
who do not qualify for need-based aid may
receive loan, work-study, or a combination of
various forms of financial aid.
- Keeps options open. If only offered loans,
the student can decide whether or not to accept
the aid.
- Cal Grants. There is no need for seniors to
complete a Cal Grant GPA Verification form.
Registrar Julie Brown has uploaded all Cal Grant
GPA’s to the Cal Grant site electronically. Please
see her if you have any questions. For more
information about Cal Grants and who qualifies for a
Cal Grant, please visit http://www.calgrants.org.
- Upcoming Financial Aid Event - Senior parents
are highly encouraged to attend a workshop on how to
complete the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) on December 8, from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., in
the Chapel. The event will be led by financial aid
planner, Frank Jonasson. FAFSA applications will be
available January 1 at
www.fafsa.gov.
- Follow up with colleges – Give college
admissions offices a few weeks before checking to
make sure your applications are complete. Even with
electronic submissions, colleges need time to gather
and match documents.
- Send Mid-Year Reports – Most colleges ask to see
your seventh semester transcript. Counselors will
automatically submit Mid-Year Reports to Common
Application Schools.
- Maintain your grades and courses – It is your
responsibility to notify colleges of any changes in
your course schedule. The practice of changing
classes is highly discouraged by admissions
officers. Colleges revoked admission due to a
decline in academic performance in 68.7% of
withdrawn offer incidents. Falsifying information,
26.7%; disciplinary issues, 25%; making multiple
admission deposits, 2.3% (NACAC Admission Trends
Survey, 2007).
- Be Patient – If you’ve applied early, you will
begin hearing from colleges in mid-to late December.
UC’s and many other schools notify students around
April 1.
|
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| JUNIORS! IT’S YOUR
TIME |
- Beginning in January, Mrs. Huey will schedule
meetings with you, your parents and your counselor.
During the “audit,” your counselor will review your
progress toward graduation, discuss testing plans,
talk about college options, and instruct you on what
you can be doing now to prepare for college
applications.
- Family Connection Training - We are in the
process of training the students and parents on
Family Connection, a web-based tool for college
admissions provided by Naviance. Susan McIntosh at
ext. 1086, assisting in the College Counseling
Dept., is currently training the students and has
already had several workshops for parents. Please
contact her if you or your junior has not yet
registered on Family Connection.
- Paying for College - All 9-11th grade parents
are highly encouraged to attend a seminar on paying
for college. The event will be on January 12, from
5:00 – 6:15 p.m., in the Chapel. Certified college
planning specialist, Kathleen Johnson, will have
great information on what parents can do now to plan
for college expenses.
- College Visits - Use your Christmas, ski week
and spring breaks to visit colleges with your
parents. Call the admission offices ahead of time to
see if they have any tours scheduled. While you’re
on campus, see the dorms, talk to students, and
attend a lecture. For other great tips, check out
Princeton Reviews, Guide to College Visits: Planning
Trips to Popular Campuses in the Northeast,
Southeast, West and Midwest.
- Did you visit any colleges recently? Take any
pictures? Check out
http://sfccollegevisits.shutterfly.com for
pictures and info on colleges in North Carolina and
Missouri and then add your own pictures for other
SFC students to see. Let’s have fun sharing and
learning from one another!
- PLAN and PSAT Results - Results from the October
PLAN and PSAT will be mailed in January.
Accompanying your score report will be information
on interpreting your scores, as well as college
planning tools such as the PSAT’s My College
QuickStart. For more information about the tests, go
to www.collegeboard.com/psat or
www.actstudent.org/plan.
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| WINTER COLLEGE PLANNING |
| Students at each grade level should
be participating in the below listed items this fall. |
| NINTH GRADE |
- Go over your PLAN (Pre-ACT) results with your
parents in January.
College might seem a long way off now, but grades
really do count toward college admission and
scholarships.
- Explore your interests and possible careers.
- Get involved in extracurricular activities (both
school and non-school-sponsored).
- Talk to your parents about planning for college
expenses. Continue or begin a savings plan for
college.
- Look at the college information available in
your counselor’s office and school and public
libraries. Use the Internet to check out college Web
sites.
- Tour a nearby college. Visit relatives or
friends who live on or near a college campus. Check
out the dorms, go to the library or student center,
and get a feel for college life.
|
| TENTH GRADE |
- Discuss your PSAT score with your parents in
January. If you scored really well on the PSAT
(Selection Index of 180+), think about preparing
this summer for the fall PSAT, which may qualify you
for the National Merit Scholarship Competition.
- The people who read college applications aren’t
looking just for grades. Get involved in activities
outside the classroom. Work toward leadership
positions in the activities that you like best.
Become involved in community service and other
volunteer activities.
- Read, read, read. Read as many books as possible
from a comprehensive reading list.
- Work on your writing skills—you’ll need them no
matter what you do.
- Find a teacher or another adult who will advise
and encourage you to write well.
|
| ELEVENTH GRADE |
- Collect information about college application
procedures, entrance requirements, tuition and fees,
room and board costs, student activities, course
offerings, faculty composition, accreditation, and
financial aid.
- The Internet is a good way to visit colleges and
obtain this information. Begin comparing the schools
by the factors that you consider to be most
important.
- Schedule your junior audit with your counselor.
- Discuss you PSAT score with your counselor.
- Begin narrowing down your college choices. Find
out if the colleges you are interested in require
the SAT I, ACT, or SAT II Subject Tests for
admission.
- Register for the SAT and/or ACT. You can take it
again late in your junior year or in the fall of
your senior year, if necessary.
- Begin preparing for the tests you’ve decided to
take.
- Have a discussion with your parents about the
colleges in which you are interested. Examine
financial resources, and gather information about
financial aid.
- Set up a filing system with individual folders
for each college’s correspondence and printed
materials.
|
| TWELFTH GRADE |
- Send midyear grade reports to colleges. Continue
to focus on your schoolwork!
- Fill out the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) and, if necessary, CSS PROFILE®.
These forms can be obtained at
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov and www.collegeboard.com,
respectively.
- Mail or send electronically any remaining
applications and financial aid forms before winter
break. Make sure you apply to at least one college
that you know you can afford and where you know you
will be accepted.
- Follow up to make sure that the colleges have
received all application information, including
recommendations and test scores.
- Meet with your counselor to verify that all
applicable forms are in order and have been sent out
to colleges.
|
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| Making Conversation For
Teens |
| This success skills seminar for
teens ages 15-18 or 12-15 (separate groups) will provide
teens with the tools and positive encouragement to win
friendships and influence people all while being true to
who they are as individuals. Students will learn about
their communication style, how to maximize listening
skills and improve interviewing skills, among other
things. For more information, see
http://www.makingconversation.com |
| |
| Get the Scoop |
| Want to know what the counselors
know? In addition to the websites to the right, here are
some fabulous resources for you to consider as well. |
| |
| High School Counselor Week |
| Offers weekly stories, facts, trends
and other college-related information from around the
country. This resource pulls information from
publications such as Business Week, CNN Money, USA Today
and other state and local media. Currently on the site
is news related to college costs, admissions essays, and
college rankings. Click on “Western Edition” to see news
pertaining to California students. |
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| Good Reading |
| Click on the following book titles
to see them on www.barnesandnoble.com |
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| SFCS Counseling Resources |
| Don’t forget about our page on
https://mysfcs.net
under both the Parent and Student home page. |
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Financial Aid Night for
Senior Parents
December 8
4:30pm - 6:00pm in the Chapel |
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Paying for College (9-11th
grade parents)
January 12
5:00pm – 6:15pm in the Chapel |
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Freshmen College Event
January 26
4:30pm - 5:45pm in the Chapel.
Family Connection training for parents from 6:00pm -
6:30pm in the Library.
RSVP for the training with Mrs. Huey at x1024 |
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Sophomore College Event
February 23
4:30pm - 5:45pm in the Chapel.
Family Connection training for parents from 6:00pm -
6:30pm in the Library.
RSVP for the training with Mrs. Huey at x1024 |
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| SAT Reasoning Test (SAT I)
and Subject Test (SAT II). To register, go to
www.collegeboard.com. |
|
Test Date |
Register by: |
| December 3 |
November
8 |
| January 28 |
December
30 |
| March 10
(SAT I only) |
February
10 |
| May 5 |
April 6 |
| June 2 |
May 8 |
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ACT Test with Writing
To register, go to
www.actstudent.org. |
|
Test Date |
Register by: |
| December 10 |
November 4 |
| February 11 |
January 13 |
| April 14 |
March 9 |
| June 9 |
May 4 |
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| Important Websites: |
| College Search Sites |
www.usnews.com
College search with profiles of 3,700+
colleges and universities, virtual tour |
| |
www.collegenet.com
College search, scholarships, links to the web’s best
resources for financial aid, test prep |
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| College Lists |
www.insidecollege.com
The insiders guide to everything college. Want to know
what schools have the best programs? Where some of the
best cartoonists learned their trade? Check out this
helpful resource. |
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| Financial Aid & Scholarships |
www.fafsa.gov
Free Application for Federal Student Aid |
|
https://profileonline.collegeboard.com
CSS/Financial Aid Profile ® for nonfederal
funds and scholarship information |
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|
SAT / AP Information |
www.collegeboard.com
SAT score reporting, SAT registration, SAT and AP
policies/changes as well as college planning information |
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| ACT Information |
www.actstudent.org
ACT score reporting, ACT registration, EXPLORE and PLAN
testing information. |
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| California State University
System |
www.calstate.edu
General information about the CSU system.
www.csumentor.com
This is the CSU application site. |
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|
University of California System |
www.universityofcalifornia.edu
General information about the UC system.
www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions
This is the UC application site. |
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| The Common Application |
www.commonapp.org
Apply to over 450 participating colleges and
universities with one application. |
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| Student Athletes |
www.eligibilitycenter.org
The official NCAA registration site. |
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www.athleticquest.net
Recommended if you want to play college
sports. |
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| Career Information |
www.myroad.com
Career Information
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| Counseling Information |
High School Counselor Week
Offers weekly stories, facts, trends and other
college-related information from around the country.
This resource pulls information from publications such
as Business Week, CNN Money, USA Today and other state
and local media. |
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| College Admissions Interviews |
http://www.makingconversation.com
Making Conversation For Teens: Students will learn about
their communication style, how to maximize listening
skills and improve interviewing skills, among other
important life skills. For more information, see |
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| Miscellaneous |
Male students: you must register for
selective service on your eighteenth birthday to be
eligible for federal and state financial aid.
SFC’s CEEB Number for test registration and college
application reporting information is:
052-741 |
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