Senior Notes For Seniors and their Parents

Transcription

1 Senior Notes For Seniors and their Parents CLASS OF 2014 October 10 th, 2013 Volume 14, Issue 2 Clackamas High School North Clackamas School Dist #12 West Campus SE 122 nd Avenue Clackamas, Oregon (503) East Campus SE 132 nd Avenue Clackamas, Oregon Inside this Issue: Ø College Checklist for Seniors Ø Important Events for Ø Maseeh College Open House (PSU) Ø Oregon College Fair Lutheran College Fair Ø October Naviance Task Ø Letters of Recommendation Ø Transcripts Ø OSAC Scholarship Info Ø SCHOLARSHIPS - General Ø Aspire Info. Ø Applying via Common Application Ø Helpful Info. for Using the Common App. Oregon Universities Honor s Colleges November 1, 2013 University of California Schools November 30, 2013 Most other very selective schools Dec.15 Jan. 2, 2014 FAFSA (Federal Financial Aid Form) February 1, 2014 University of Oregon January 15, 2014 Oregon State University February 1, 2014 October-November 1 College Checklist for Seniors Go on Naviance and make sure the schools you are applying to are listed under colleges I am applying to. Complete application forms accurately, neatly and thoughtfully. Check Naviance for instructions on how to best submit applications to the schools of your choice. Go online to start your application for OSAC (Oregon Student Access Commission) Attend Fall College Night October 21 st at 7:00 PM Attend Financial Aid Night with your parents on Monday, December 3rd, at 7:00 PM in the CHS Auditorium. There will be translators available for Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese. Check in with your counselor regarding letters of recommendation. Follow instructions regarding items needed for counselor or teacher s recommendation letters. If you have not met with your counselor for a Senior Interview yet, feel free to come into the Counseling Office and schedule an appointment for a time that works for you. The best time to schedule is during your free period. The appointment usually takes minutes depending on how many questions you have. Please schedule an appointment soon if you have college deadlines approaching.

2 Important Events for : October 17 October 19 October 24 October 28 November 1 & 2 November 4 November 14 December 3 January 1 February 1 February 18 March 3 April 10 UCLA CHS CAV Center 9:00 AM Luthern College Fair St. Andrews Lutheran Church Maseeh College Open House Portland State University Performing and Visual Arts Fair Portland Art Museum 6-8 PM National College Fair at Oregon Convention Center November 1 st - 9:00 AM 12:00 PM November 2 nd 1:00 PM 5:00 PM ECMC College Night at Milwaukie High School 6:30-8:30 PM SE 23 rd Avenue Milwaukie, OR MHS Commons ECMC College Night 6:00-8:00 PM Clackamas Community College Gregory Forum Free Pizza and Soda and a chance to win a $500 scholarship Financial Aid Night 7:00 PM CHS Auditorium All Grades Welcome Translators available for Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese families. FAFSA application site opens Priority deadline for FAFSA scholarship Early Bird deadline for the OSAC scholarship Final Deadline to submit your OSAC Application Oregon University System at CHS 7:00 PM CHS Auditorium All grade levels welcome April 12 ACT at CHS (Register by March 7) April 27 PNACAC Spring College Fair 12:00 3:00 PM University of Portland Chiles Center June 7 SAT at CHS (Register by May 9) June 6 Graduation for class of :00 PM 2

3 Maseeh College Open House Thursday, October 24 th, 2013 The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science invites any students interested in learning more about the exceptional educational programs offered through the Portland State Engineering Program to come to the Maseeh Open House on Oct. 24 th. The open house begins at 3:30 PM. The Lutheran College Fair The Lutheran College Fairs are free to the public, and there is no need to pre-register. All are Welcome!! Saturday, October 19 Andrew Lutheran Church Financial Aid Seminar: 2:45 PM College Fair Begins: 3:15 PM 3

4 October Naviance College Task Once you have decided which colleges you are applying to you need to add them to your Colleges I m Applying To list. This applies to ALL four-year colleges, community colleges and trade schools. 1. You first need to complete the Privacy Notice at the top of the page. This is primarily for students using the Common Application (further Common Application instructions on the next page) but all students need to complete it to remove the box and get to your list. In Naviance go to the Colleges tab and select Colleges I m Applying To. Read the notice and select whether or not you waive your right to access recommendations once you are admitted to a college. We recommend that you do waive your right. Check the box authorizing the school to release your records. This means we can send your transcripts for you. If you are using the Common Application enter the username and password you created on their site. Click the Submit button to remove the box. 2. You can then move colleges from Colleges I m Thinking About list to your Colleges I m Applying To list. In Naviance go to the Colleges tab and select Colleges I m Thinking About. On your Colleges I m Thinking About list check the box next to the schools you want to move. Then click the Move to Application List button at the bottom of the list. Select the decision type (i.e. regular, rolling, early action). Check the request transcript box to send a transcript for your application only if you are sure you are applying to that school. Also check the Include SAT and ACT scores boxes. Click the Add Application button. 3. You can also add colleges directly to your Colleges I m Applying To list. In Naviance go to the Colleges tab and select Colleges I m Applying To. Click the +Add to This List Button at the top of the page. Click lookup to the right of the College box to look up and select the school. Select the decision type (i.e. regular, rolling, early action). Check the request transcript box to send a transcript for your application only if you are sure you are applying to that school. Also check the Include SAT and ACT scores boxes. Click the Add Colleges button. 4

5 Letters of Recommendation There are two kinds of letters of recommendation. One is from a teacher and the other is from a counselor. A teacher s letter of recommendation primarily focuses on how you perform in that teacher s particular class; a counselor s letter is required by colleges because it provides a broader picture of the student than one teacher can give, and is therefore called a COMPOSITE recommendation. There are forms in each counselor s office with specific directions as to how to proceed. Colleges don t expect you to be perfect and appreciate an honest assessment of your strengths and even your weaknesses. A counselor s composite letter requires a short interview first to get to know you a bit better as a student, as well as the comments of two teachers of your choice, and input from your parents. Whomever you choose to ask, give them at least 3 weeks notice, the School Name(s), and the deadline date(s). TRANSCRIPTS HOW to order a transcript. You can now order transcripts through Naviance. Log in and go to the Colleges Tab. Click the Transcripts link to the left, then click Request Transcripts for My College Applications. Look up and select your college(s). Make sure to select your decision type and click the box to send your test scores. When ordering transcripts through Naviance to send to the colleges you are applying to, make sure you check to see if the transcript will be uploaded electronically (it will have a picture of a computer with or without CA in it), or if it is going to be sent through the mail (it will show a postage stamp). If it shows a postage stamp and will need to be sent by mail, you will need to bring a blank envelope with a stamp on it, to Carrie Madlem, in the Counseling Office. Please bring the blank envelopes with stamps for each school that shows a postage stamp in Naviance. If the schools you are applying to, need an initial transcript, a mid-year transcript, and a final transcript, you will need to supply 3 envelopes, with stamps for each college on your list. If you have questions, please see your counselor. 5

6 OSAC Scholarship It's no surprise that the cost of a postsecondary education, whether it's a vocational, four-year, or graduate program, is steadily increasing and becoming a greater financial burden to Oregon students and families. The Oregon Student Access Commission (OSAC) can help. Through grant programs, scholarships, precollege mentoring, and financial aid outreach programs, OSAC assists Oregonians in their pursuit of a college education and a brighter future. Established in 1959 by the Oregon Legislature, OSAC continues to provide innovative programs to thousands of Oregon students and families to ensure access to postsecondary education. Each year, OSAC awards grants and scholarships of more than $118 million to thousands of Oregon students in their quest to achieve a college education. As a national leader in public/private partnerships of scholarship and innovate outreach programs, OSAC administers the following programs: Scholarships, the Oregon Opportunity Grant, the Chafee Grant, the Childcare Grant, ASPIRE (Access to Student assistance Programs In Reach of Everyone) as well as smaller funding programs. To apply for the OSAC (Oregon Student Access Commission) scholarship, go online to You can begin your OSAC application now and be ready for the February 18th priority deadline. It is a free online application and offers scholarships to Oregon students only. Scholarships If you need help looking for scholarships, please check out the Naviance website under Documents. There will be a folder for scholarships, and when you click on it, there will be scholarships listed. This will be added to as the year proceeds. There are also search engines in Naviance under the scholarship tab on the quick links on the left hand side of the screen. These search engines will include the National scholarships that will not be listed in our CHS scholarship folder. If you need help, or have any questions, please contact your counselor. 6

7 ASPIRE Thinking About Life After High School? Know Your Options. ASPIRE Offers all Clackamas High School Students Free Mentoring to Help Plan for the Future It s never too early to start thinking about plans for life after high school. ASPIRE is a FREE mentoring program, located at Clackamas High School, that offers one-on-one mentoring to ALL students. Whether or not you know what you want to do after high school, volunteer ASPIRE mentors will help guide you through every step of the process including exploring career and education options, applying for scholarships and financial aid, visiting college and university campuses, and applying for schools. With the help of your mentor, ASPIRE will help you explore all education and career options after high school, which includes: Public or private colleges and universities Community college, including transfer, dual enrollment, and professional programs Private trade or professional schools Certificate programs Apprenticeships ASPIRE mentors also know how to help you with the big questions like paying for college and finding the right school. ASPIRE mentors have the resources to help determine the best financial aid options including scholarships, grants, fee waivers for college applications. They will also help you prepare for SAT/ACT testing and help you stay on-track to apply to school or training programs and assist you with campus tours to help narrow down your options. The mentors are also trained to give you the best tips on working smarter, not harder throughout the application process, including keeping you on-schedule to meet deadlines with an activities list and discovering ways to streamline your essays. For more information or to join ASPIRE s free mentoring program, contact Linda Chelsky, or visit: 7

8 Applying via the Common Application Students can submit applications to nearly 500 colleges and universities through the Common Application. You and your recommenders will only need to complete one application and can submit to multiple schools. If you are applying to Common Application Schools instructions are below. Note: Some schools give you the option of applying through the Common Application or through their application. It is your responsibility to mark in Naviance which way you are applying by clicking the Unknown link and making the selection under your Colleges I m Applying To list. You also need to let your counselor know if there is an alternate school report form needed. Step 1 Create an account through the Common Application website. There is a quick link to the left on your Naviance Home page. List all of the colleges to which you plan to apply in the Common Application. Write down your username and password. Step 2 Link your account to Naviance. Do this IMMEDIATELY before you proceed with your Common Application. In Naviance go to the Colleges tab and select Colleges I m Applying To. Read the notice and select whether or not you waive your right to access recommendations once you are admitted to a college. We recommend that you do waive your right. Check the box authorizing the school to release your records. This means we can send your transcripts and recommendations for you. Enter the username and password you created on the Common Application site. Click the Submit button. Step 3 Talk to your recommenders. Set up an appointment with your counselor to discuss counselor recommendations and ask teachers if they will be willing to write a letter for you and complete your common application forms. Give your recommenders at least 2 to 4 weeks notice. Step 4 - Enter your teacher recommenders in Naviance. In Naviance go to the Colleges tab. Below your Colleges I m Applying To list, under Teacher Recommendations click Add/Cancel Requests. 8

9 From the dropdown menu select the teacher(s) and add a personal note in the box clarifying your application deadlines and which schools are Common Application schools. (Teachers can also send letters to other private schools you select without sending the Common Application Teacher Report Form.) Step 5 Fill out and submit your portion of the application on the Common Application website. Helpful Information when Working with Common App. There is a new KNOWN ISSUES Page to keep students apprised of current issues that are being worked on in Common App. Please visit this resource for the latest on login errors, payment problems, Naviance and more. All support s come from <commonapp.net>. Make sure these s aren t being marked as SPAM. UPDATE Your Links Here are the correct Links: Common App Homepage: Applicant Help Center: Recommender Help Center 9