ROSE TREE MEDIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

PENNCREST HIGH SCHOOL

SENIOR GUIDANCE NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2016

CALENDAR

35 JV Show, 7:00 PM

5 SATs – Not at Penncrest

7-8 Teacher Inservice – NO School for students

9 National English Honor Society Induction 7:00 PM

11 End of 1st Marking Period

11 Veteran’s Day Parade

14 Band Concert 7:00 PM

15 Powder Puff Football, 7:00 PM

16 Senior Citizens Luncheon, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM

16 National Honor Society Induction 7:00 PM

17 Poetry Out Loud Competition

18 Report Cards available on HAC

18 Winter Sports orientation meeting

19 Band Craft Show, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

19-21 Camp Tockwagh Leadership Retreat

21 Winter Sports – poster pictures 2:45 – 4:45 PM

22-23 11th & 12th grade Health Screenings

24-25 Thanksgiving Holiday, NO School

28 Strings Concert 7:00 PM

Dec. 3 SATs @ PHS 7:45 AM

6 FAFSA Completion Night 6:00 PM

10 ACTs @ PHS 7:45 AM

REPORT CARDS - The first marking period of your senior year ends Friday, November 11th. I hope your grades are all good, honor roll even, but if they aren’t, don’t make excuses. Instead, figure out what’s not working and make some plans. Why not make an appointment to speak to your counselor? Maybe together we could make a new plan for the second marking period. The importance of your grades cannot be over-stated, especially if you are planning to continue your education. Colleges may even postpone a decision on your eligibility until they see first semester grades. If you don’t believe it, call any admissions office and ask about the truth of this statement. Also, every letter of acceptance has the condition of maintaining good grades or the offer could be revoked. We’ve seen it happen.

COLLEGE APPLICATION DEADLINES! MONDAY, DECEMBER 12th IS THE LAST DAY TO NOTIFY GUIDANCE AND UPDATE NAVIANCE FOR TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS FOR ANY DEADLINES BEFORE JANUARY 7, 2016, GUARANTEEING THAT THEY WILL BE SENT OUT BEFORE THE WINTER BREAK – NO EXCEPTIONS! The Guidance Department cannot guarantee that if your Transcript Release Form, Transcript Request Form, and/or request for a counselor letter are turned in after December 12th that it will be submitted before the winter break.

Students with November 15th deadlines, must notify guidance no later than Tuesday, November 1st.

Be aware of your deadlines.

COMMON APPLICATION – Many seniors are applying to their colleges via the Common Application. Remember to “MATCH” your Common Application with your Naviance account. Note that your counselor and teachers cannot submit letters of recommendation and transcripts via Naviance if your accounts are not “MATCHED”. See your counselor ASAP if you need help matching these accounts. This is especially important if you plan to submit your Common Application over winter break. You won’t meet January 1st deadlines if your counselor and teacher documents cannot be sent.

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS - Seniors—please remember that you must update your College’s I’m Applying To List on your Naviance account if you have added or deleted schools. Also, please let your teachers know that you’ve added a school to your list so they can send your letter of recommendation. Don’t forget to send your SAT and ACT scores electronically to all colleges you are applying to. This is your responsibility and your applications will not be complete without your scores. If you have questions about any college applications, please stop by the Career Center after school until 3:00, during lunch, or during study hall. PLEASE WATCH YOUR DEADLINES---counselors need at least 2 WEEKS to write your letter of recommendation (for Common Applications) and to process your applications.

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COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, PT 2 - Let’s begin to get serious about completing those applications. Try to turn in at least one before Thanksgiving. Don’t wait for SAT I or SAT II test results either. Apply now and indicate that you plan on taking the December or January test. If you are confused about completing an application or have any concern whatsoever, make an appointment with your counselor. We’ll be glad to help.

COLLEGE VISITS – If you plan on visiting a college during the school day remember that you must complete a Penncrest College Visitation form and turn it in to the 12th grade office at least one day prior to the absence. These forms are available in the Guidance Office and on the Student Portal. You must also receive written confirmation from the school’s Office of Admissions stating that you were present at that school on that specific day. Please refer to the form if you have any questions.

INTERVIEWS - The college interview could prove to be the deciding factor in your acceptance or rejection. Consider taking advantage of this opportunity by presenting yourself in person to an admissions officer, especially if you feel your application is “a reach.” Call for an appointment to do so and be prepared. What can you expect at an interview? Information is available in the Guidance Office simply by asking for it.

COLLEGE MAJOR - At almost all colleges and universities, it is more difficult to gain admission in popular majors. Also, Engineering, Computer Science, and Business have more rigorous requirements for admissions. Before you casually select one of these, students with weaker academic records should discuss alternatives or consider an undecided, undeclared route.

ESSAYS FOR COMPETITIVE UNIVERSITIES - Writing is an integral part of the application process at many of the more prestigious institutions. The topic on which you choose to write is very important; so is your style and use of grammar. This piece of the puzzle should reveal an insight or dimension of you not readily seen in the rest of the application. It should also be enjoyable and should not bore your reader. Whether or not your application gets brought to committee could depend on what the reader thought of your essays. Write your way into the college of your choice by taking your time and putting forth a considerable effort with this task. Also, have someone else proofread your essay prior to making final edits.

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY - The priority deadline for applications indicating University Park Campus is November 30th. If you plan to be in State College next year, be sure to comply with this requirement. Always allow at least two full weeks for your application to be processed by the Guidance Department.

PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE STUDENT/ATHLETES- If you plan to participate in intercollegiate athletics in a Division I or II school during the 2017/2018 year, high school graduation is not sufficient to warrant your involvement. Depending on the division of intercollegiate play, a minimum of a 2.0 G.P.A. is required. SAT & ACT scores are also a factor and they are scaled depending on your G.P.A. In general, the lower your G.P.A. the higher an SAT or ACT score required; the higher your G.P.A. the lower an SAT or ACT score required. There is an application process and an application fee through the NCAA Clearinghouse. You can register online at www.ncaaeligibilitycenter.org. After you register, see your guidance counselor; we can process a transcript to be sent to the NCAA.

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE - Be sure to share your news with us. However, being accepted doesn’t always insure correctness of choice. If you are considering a prestigious university, don’t overlook the importance of earning good grades and the time it will take you to do so. Cost, especially if you don’t qualify for financial aid, is another factor since loan repayment lasts a long time. A third concern might be flexibility. Movement within the college from one major to another is a very practical consideration to plan for. The “best” school for you is one which will meet all of your needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS - Many different types of scholarships are on your Naviance account. Narrowing down possibilities is easy with Naviance.

FINANCIAL AID - Check to see if the schools to which you will apply require early notice of intent to file for financial aid. The more prestigious schools use the C.S.S. Profile in addition to F.A.F.S.A. The Profile is an aid application from the College Scholarship Service (C.S.S.) that customizes need based on school choice. The entire process from start-up to submission of information electronically from C.S.S. to your schools of choice takes about 6-8 weeks.

REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE – There are several opportunities available to you to obtain information or experience a career area that you may be considering. Please make an appointment with Mrs. Naismith in the Career Center to discuss your career interests and perhaps set up a POWR Day.

Mr. Harple Mrs. Rice-Spring Ms. Kerr Mrs. Douglass-Garrett Mrs. Graham