Student Support Services
October 2021
WELCOME BACK STUDENTS AND FAMILIES!
GOOGLE CLASSROOM CODES!
PSAT TEST - OCTOBER 13TH
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and PSAT 10 measure what you're learning in school, determine if you're on track, and open doors for opportunities to prepare and pay for college.
Sophomores who qualify for the PSAT will be contacted the week of Oct 4 and will complete pre-administration materials. The PSAT test will take place on Wednesday October 13. Please contact Jim Cummings in the SSS office for more information at 763-502-5617.
WANT TO TAKE THE ACT THIS FALL?
The next available testing date is December 11th, 2021. The deadline to register for the December test is November 5th. Visit http://www.act.org to register. The school code for Fridley HS is 241612.
The ACT will be offered at Fridley High School in April 2022.
Credit Recovery/Extended Day
Credit letters will be mailed home during the next several weeks to update families on any credit recovery needs. Students 16+ may sign up with their academic dean to start the Extended Day Program for credit recovery. Tentative Date for credit recovery to start is November 8th. More information to come for these sessions.
MINNESOTA HONOR SOCIETY (MHS)
Juniors or Seniors with a GPA of 3.4 or higher were invited last week to apply to Minnesota Honor Society. The induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 28th at 7pm. The Minnesota Honor Society is a long standing tradition at Fridley High School and we are so excited to offer this opportunity to our scholars. In addition to high academic standards, MHS also leads with the following qualities: Leadership, Character, Service and Scholarship. If students have questions about their application, please contact Ms Engler (amy.engler@fridley.k12.mn.us) or Ms. Nalepka (christine.nalepka@fridley.k12.mn.us).
National College Fair
The National College Fair is virtual this year; there are a variety of virtual college fairs to attend online between October 3rd-November 14th. For more information, visit https://virtualcollegefairs.org/conventions
College Possible
Parents/guardians of Juniors:
Applying to college may sound difficult, but you can have a dedicated coach from College Possible help your student every step of the way. Get one-on-one mentoring from a recent college graduate to help you prepare for the ACT, fill out your FAFSA, and draft and edit your applications for colleges and scholarships. Check out https://collegepossible.org/student-resources/navigateapply/, or call Mr. Cummings in Student Support Services for more information, 763-502-5617.
Who should apply?
+ High school juniors
+ 2.5 GPA or higher
+ Income-eligible
+ Interested in attending a bachelor’s granting institution
The early deadline to apply is October 6th and the regular deadline is October 27th.
12th Graders - Letters of Recommendation
Students may need letters of recommendation for some college applications or for scholarships. Typically, recommenders may be teachers (current or former), employers, coaches, or other adults who can highlight the leadership and/or academic qualities of the student. If the application requires a school counselor, please use the academic dean to complete that portion.
Things for students to remember:
· Talk to the recommender early! 2 weeks is generally a good minimum amount of time for a recommender to complete a well-written letter.
· Give recommenders the exact details—What/who is the letter for? When is it due? How is the letter submitted?
· It’s a good idea for students to waive their right to see the recommendation letter. This means the recommender will submit the letter directly to the college/scholarship by mail or upload it online.
· Always ask the recommender permission to use them as a recommender on an application. Ask in person, if possible. Email is generally acceptable as well.
· Use recommenders who will be able to highlight positives.
· It’s ok for a recommender to say no. They may not have the time to devote to a letter right now.
· Give the recommender a resume or details about what the student has accomplished and would like highlighted in the letter.
FAFSA! (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
The FAFSA is the application through the federal government that must be completed in order for college students to be eligible for free aid (grants) and federal student loans. Some scholarships also require that the FAFSA is completed. The FAFSA opens on OCTOBER 1 and will remain open until next summer. This application is for students entering college for the 2022-2023 school year. In general, the earlier FAFSA is completed, the better. Most college financial aid offices recommend that the FAFSA is completed between October and February. Students complete the FAFSA every year they attend college. If you have not completed the FAFSA before, it may seem difficult. The process is fairly simple and necessary for students to complete. Students need information from at least one parent/guardian, plus their personal financial information in order to complete the FAFSA. More information found here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
There are tons of great resources on the website below. It outlines everything you need to know about financial aid. http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=888