College Counseling Newsletter
October 2023
From Mrs. Myrick
SENIORS: This section is very long, but all of it is important and timely information for this month!
SENIOR PARENTS: Please be reminding your kids to meet these deadlines. Letters and transcripts cannot be guaranteed to be uploaded by deadlines if they are requested late.
With November 1 Early Action and Early Decision deadlines coming up, this is the busiest month of the year for me. If you turn things in or request things after the deadlines I have listed below, I cannot guarantee that all items will be uploaded before the November 1 deadline.
1. Keep working hard on your college essays and applications! If you need a counselor letter of recommendation make sure you email me directly. If you have not requested a counselor letter of recommendation by October 6 (for a November 1 deadline), I cannot guarantee you will have a completed letter of recommendation for your deadline. PLAN ACCORDINGLY! If you have not submitted your After Grad Packet you must submit that before I can write any letters of recommendation.
2. Current Teacher letters of recommendation: You need to have requested a letter of recommendation on Common App (or any other application portal) by October 6 (for a November 1 deadline). If you do not have the request in by October 7, it is not a guarantee that the letter will be completed and uploaded by November 1.
3. If you have a letter of recommendation you are asking for that is NOT a teacher or counselor (think principal, boss, coach, mentor, etc.) you will request that letter in Common App under "Recommenders and FERPA" as an "other recommender". You will just need to add in the email address of the recommender and an email will be sent directly to them to upload their letter. If the schools you are applying to are not on Common App, come see me and I can tell you your next steps depending on the portal you are using!
5. Colorado Free Application Days are coming up this month! They are October 17-19, which is of course fall break for us :) Happens every year. These are the dates you need to SUBMIT your applications to not pay the application fee. That does not mean that your transcripts and letters of recommendation must be completed by this date unless otherwise stated in their instructions. Those are still not due until the application deadline. Please make sure you are not nagging teachers over fall break to turn these in - they've still got a few weeks! 🙂
6. Keep working hard on your college essays and applications! As a reminder, please make sure you are asking teachers for letters of recommendation at least 3 weeks before the due date for applications. I am happy to review essays and applications, so feel free to schedule time with me!
7. I have added the Scholarship Newsletter button to this month's newsletter! It will be on each month's college newsletter moving forward. It is right below the college acceptance form. Make sure you check that out as a first stop for scholarships that might be good for our students!
8. Please make sure you are completing the below form when you start receiving college acceptances!!!!
Juniors: Now is the time to start thinking about where you want to go to college! Go to as many college fairs as possible, speak with all different types of schools, and sign up to get on the mailing lists for those colleges.
I will be hosting as many colleges as possible throughout the semester. If there is a college coming that you are interested in, come to my office at the bottom of the stairs by the HS Commons to meet with the college admissions representative. Make sure you bring any questions you may have!
As always, feel free to come by my office and chat, email, or schedule an appointment if you have any questions!
- Mrs. Myrick
Class of 2024 College Acceptances!!
College Visits at STEM
College Visits will be in my office from 11:00 - 11:40 am during your access period unless otherwise noted!
October
- Wednesday, October 4: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Thursday, October 5: University of California - Irvine
- Thursday, October 12: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Wednesday, October 25: Fort Lewis College
- Thursday, October 26: Regis University
November
- Wednesday, November 1: University of Colorado Colorado Springs
- Thursday, November 2: University of Denver
- Wednesday, November 8: Trinity University Dublin
- Thursday, November 9: Colorado School of Mines - Presentation will be given in Mrs. Graham's room, not Mrs. Myrick's office.
- Wednesday, November 15: Cal Poly: San Luis Obispo
Letters of Recommendation and Transcripts
Teacher Letters of Recommendation: Once you have spoken with your teachers, you will simply add in their contact information to the application portals. The teacher will receive a notification to their email that they need to upload a letter of recommendation for you.
As a reminder, not all schools allow or require letters of recommendation. Please make sure you are reading the requirements for each school you are applying to!
Transcripts: Adding in my name and email address to application portals under the counselor section will allow me access to send your transcripts to universities.
College Fairs
NACAC is offering both virtual and in person fairs this year.
Virtual Fairs:
- Sunday, October 15 from 11am-4pm MT. Register here
- Sunday, November 12 from 11am-4pm MT. Register here
In Person Fair:
- Sunday, November 5 from 1-4pm MT at the Colorado Convention Center. Register here
College Fairs of Greater Denver will have 3 in person college fairs in the greater Denver area. Registration information can be found here.
- Wednesday, October 4 at Monarch High School at 5:30 pm.
- Thursday, October 5 at Denver South High School at 5:30 pm.
- Saturday, October 7 at Mountain Vista High School at10:00 am.
Volunteer Opportunities
Lone Creek Farms: The Lone Creek Farms Pumpkin Patch is open September 21st to October 29th this year and will need volunteers Thursdays through Sundays during that time. Students interested in this opportunity can register by clicking HERE to sign up to volunteer.
Haunted Forest at Backcountry: October 20 and 21 from 4:30-10:30. Come help us spook those who dare to enter the Backcountry's annual Haunted Forest! This haunted trail is nearly 1 mile long, containing 16 different themed scare sections. You will be assigned to a specific scene and tasked with scaring everyone who passes through. 2-night commitment required (you MUST volunteer for both the 20th and 21st), must be 16 years or older, must be able to attend a training from 4-6 P.M. on Sunday October 15th. Click here to register to be a "scarer!"