Hello Blog Readers,
March has come and gone as quickly as it came. Spring has sprung, and April has arrived! It seems that as the school year progresses time begins to move with an increasing pace! We now have behind us the college application deadlines and financial aid deadlines which cause inevitable nail-biting, so our seniors who survived can give themselves a pat on the back. However, the year is not over yet! We still have about 2 months to count down before we can get out to enjoy our accomplishments and sunny days! Hang in there, students, now is the time to stay focused on your goals!
Seniors:
April is a month filled with more college planning for our seniors. Here are a couple of upcoming dates to keep in mind:
- On April 26th and 27th College of the Redwoods will be hosting the “Accuplacer” placement tests on our campus in IT101. Each student who plans to attend a community college should sign up for this testing session, regardless of the community college they plan to attend. Test scores can be used at most California Community College Campuses. Check your campus website to determine if the Accuplacer is the placement test for your community college. In order to test on April 26th or 27th, students must first apply to CR at www.redwoods.edu at least two days before the test date. Sign up sheets can be found in the counseling office. See your counselor if you have questions.
- May 1st is the date by which seniors must notify college universities of your intent to attend their campus.
Seniors who submitted the FAFSA form by March 2, 2011 should have received a Student Aid Report (SAR) by this time. The student aid report provides the estimated family contribution (EFC), which is the amount of funding the federal government expects your family to be able to pay toward college. If you have questions about the EFC, or have not received a SAR by now and have filed your FAFSA form, be sure to contact Federal Student Aid at: 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to determine if there are any outstanding issues with your financial aid application. Students who submitted a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form on or before March 2, 2011, can check their Cal Grant award status and amount at: webgrants4students.org. Each student will need to create a username and password in order to access their CalGrant information. If you have not yet filed your FAFSA, it is not too late to receive some aid. Do it now!!! (www.fafsa.ed.gov)
Juniors:
Juniors, now is the time to plan visits to colleges and universities of your interest in order to prepare for your fall college applications. Spring break and summer are great opportunities for you and your parents to visit campuses and talk to advisors or admission officers about your main concerns for choosing a university that fits your needs. Campus visits provide an opportunity for students to get a feel for the campus, its culture, location, and setting. Campus visits are a powerful way for you to choose a university that is uniquely suited for you!
Juniors who plan to attend a four year university following their senior year should also sign up to take the SAT and ACT tests this year. We recommend that students take the test once in the spring of their junior year, and then again in the fall of their senior year. There are some distinct differences between the two tests, so stop by the counseling office to pick up testing information, including a graphic comparison sheet which outlines the differences between the ACT and SAT tests. Information, practice tests, and test dates can also be found at: www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org. Fee waivers for the ACT and SAT are available to students who are in AVID or who are enrolled in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program.
Everyone!
We have approached a time of year which is filled with many fun activities and events. Spring is also a time of year that beckons each of us outdoors to enjoy the sunshine. Distractions from academics are high throughout the school year, but spring is arguably the easiest time to lose sight of goals. Colleges are still watching senior grades and will not admit if grades slip! Universities primarily consider sophomore and junior year grades when each student applies to college in fall of their senior year. At all times, remain focused on your goals, both short-term and long-term, and stay consistent in your efforts and focus to finish strong at the end of the year. Best wishes to a successful fourth quarter!
Sincerely,
Audra Gosvener, on behalf of the Eureka High School Counseling Department
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