College, Career, Military Readiness
Friendswood ISD
February 2024 Update
February brings with it the downward slope towards the end of the school year, and with that parents and students begin looking into summer programs, camps, and activities. This month's newsletter will feature an overview of the Summer Seminar programs hosted by the US Service Academies as well as comprehensive information about the upcoming SAT which will now be digital. Also included are resources and information to aid students in FAFSA completion, which is a State of Texas graduation requirement for all seniors. As always, be sure to check out the FHS College and Career Website, visit past newsletters for additional information and resources, and subscribe to the mailing list using the "Subscribe" button for more upcoming newsletters!
Think You Might Want to Apply to a Service Academy?...
Apply for Summer Seminar to start the process and get a Sneak Peak!
There are a couple of things to note with the summer seminar applications. First, students are not obligated or required to attend the summer seminars if they are selected. Choosing not to attend the summer seminar also does not negatively impact the students' chances of receiving an academy appointment, and conversely not being accepted into summer seminar has no bearing on whether a student will receive an academy appointment. That being said, there are many benefits to attending these summer programs. Students gain a first-person view of life inside the academy to see whether the academy is a good fit for them. Additionally, students have an opportunity to meet staff and students and form early relationships with people at the academies. Through summer seminar, students also learn more about the academy admissions process, which can be very helpful because of the in-depth nature of the application process.
An example of a typical day during the Naval Academy's summer seminar includes the following:
- 0545-0630 Physical Training – Introduction to PEP
- 0700-0720 Breakfast
- 0730-1215 Morning Academic Workshops
- 1225-1300 Lunch
- 1345-1600 Afternoon Academic Workshops
- 1600-1800 Intramurals, Special Events
- 1830-1900 Evening Meal
- 2000-2245 Squad/Company Time, Special Events
- 2300 Taps- much needed rest
Students stay in Bancroft Hall and get a taste for all aspects of life in the Naval academy including the academic, athletic, and professional training activities. The summer seminars in the other 3 academies offer similar experiences.
Some students have an interest in multiple academies, and if they wish, they can attend summer seminars at these various locations to compare experiences and find the academy that is the best fit for them. Applying early sometimes even allows students the ability to change attendance dates in order to accommodate attendance to more than one academy summer program. The only things to keep in mind are the travel and attendance costs, as these can get expensive. Seminar fees can run anywhere from $300 to $750 just by themselves, not including the travel cost to get from one location to another.
Students interested in learning more about the various summer seminar programs can access the following resources:
The SAT is Now Digital...so what changed?
On March 6th, many FHS Juniors will take the SAT during the school day. The SAT has gone completely digital, and this shift to the digital format has brought with it some changes. For starters, the new SAT is one hour shorter in length for a total of 2 hours and 14 minutes. Additionally, the number of questions has been reduced, allowing more time per question than the paper SAT and the ACT. A Desmos calculator is included in the new digital SAT. Also, one of the most significant changes is the fact that the digital SAT is adaptive, meaning that depending on how the student does in the first module determines whether the difficulty level of the questions in the second module are harder or easier. According to this College Board article, students will not be at a disadvantage for receiving the easier questions but instead will receive questions tailored to their abilities for a score that more accurately reflects their abilities. The best way for students to prepare for the new digital SAT is to access the free practice exams offered in the Bluebook app.
As a side note, although many colleges and universities are now test-optional, meaning that standardized test scores are not required to apply, all public Texas colleges and universities and many other private in state and other out of state institutions require that students meet minimum college readiness requirements. One of the criteria that can be used to meet this requirement is SAT or ACT scores. Students not meeting these minimum requirements by the time they start college are required to receive developmental education academic support as determined by the institution, which often comes in the form of enrolling in remedial courses to help bring a student up to college readiness standards. Additionally, having strong test scores can also open opportunities for students like automatic admissions, admissions to majors of choice, and/or merit-based scholarships; therefore, strong performance on the SAT still offers major benefits.
SAT vs. ACT At A Glance
FAFSA Updates
The US Department of Education released the 2024-24 FAFSA on December 31, 2024, so it is now available for students to complete. On January 24th, FHS seniors had a homeroom extension where they began the FAFSA process by setting up their FSA IDs. As a follow up to this, FHS Counselors will be hosting an informational meeting/workshop session in conjunction with College of the Mainland Financial aid representatives. This session will be a workshop style event that will allow parents and students to work on the FAFSA application and receive answers to any questions as they arise during the completion process. It will be held on February 8th at 6pm in the FHS Cafeteria. Click the button below for an informational infographic that might answer any questions you have and access the FAFSA Flyer 2023-24 for information about the workshop and instructions for setting up FSA IDs, if students have not already completed this.
Important Events
FAFSA Student/Parent Workshop
This is a workshop style event designed to allow parents/students to fill out their FAFSA Applications with Financial Aid representatives available to answer questions as you complete the application.
What to bring:
- Personal laptop or school issued chromebook (Note: if using school chromebook, must log in with student username and password.)
- Student FSA ID (created at school)
- Parent FSA ID (if previously created)
- Social Security Numbers/ Alien Registration Number
- 2021 Federal Tax Return
- Records of Untaxed Income
- Cash, checking, savings account balances and other investments (other than primary residence)
Thursday, Feb 8, 2024, 06:00 PM
FHS Cafeteria
FHS 8th Grade Endorsement Fair/Parent Night
Thursday, Feb 15, 2024, 06:00 PM
Friendswood High School, Greenbriar Drive, Friendswood, TX, USA
Upcoming Testing Dates and Information
SAT/TSI2 for all Juniors
The SAT and TSI2 will be administered for free to all FHS Juniors. Although many colleges and universities are now test-optional, meaning that standardized test scores are not required for admissions, all public Texas colleges and universities and many other private in state and other out of state institutions require that students meet minimum college readiness requirements. One of the critieria that can be used to meet this criteria are SAT or TSI2 scores. Additionally, having strong SAT scores can open up opportunities for students like automatic admissions, admissions to majors of choice, and/or merit-based scholarships. Therefore, strong performance on these tests offer major benefits.
Wednesday, Mar 6, 2024, 08:00 AM
Friendswood High School, Greenbriar Drive, Friendswood, TX, USA
ASVAB Testing Date
The ASVAB Career Exploration Program (CEP) is an excellent career planning resource for students to explore the full-spectrum of career options and paths to reach their ultimate career goals. The program involves students taking a free skills assessment and then cross-referencing and reviewing their results in a Career Exploration Workshop. The workshop is designed to explain the ASVAB score report to students and then allow them to align their strengths and interests with career options to explore and create a post-secondary plan. The test is open to all 10th - 12th graders, with a maximum of 60 students and priority given to seniors. For more information about the ASVAB, visit http://www.asvabprogram.com/ or the September 2022 Newsletter.
ASVAB Test – Wednesday, February 28th – 8:40am-12:30pm, in the FHS library
ASVAB Follow-up Results – Wednesday, March 20th – 8:40am-9:32am in the library
Registration Opens - Wednesday, February 7th
Registration Deadline –Friday, February 23rd, 4pm
Registration Link: ASVAB Registration
Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024, 08:30 AM
Friendswood High School Library
Resources for Past and Upcoming Tests at FHS
- Click here for information about How to Send SAT Scores to colleges.
- Visit the Advanced Academics Website for the latest information and guidance on ACT, AP, PSAT, and SAT testing
Testing Accommodations- Information for 504 and Special Education Students
- Accommodations Information for College Board Exams (SAT/PSAT/AP)
- Accommodations Information for the ACT exam
- Who to Contact for Testing Accommodations Information
- 504 students need to email our 504 Coordinator, Kelly Cawthorn
- Special Education students need to email our ARD Facilitator, Samantha Eubanks
- Questions regarding test day information or special testing procedures can be directed to the Testing Coordinator and Assistant Principal, Delaney Lyon
How to subscribe to this Newsletter!
Contact info
Nishi St. John
FISD College and Career SpecialistEmail: nstjohn@fisdk12.net
Website: https://fhs.myfisd.com/explore-fhs/ccr
Location: 702 Greenbriar Drive, Friendswood, TX, USA
Phone: (281)482-3413
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FHSmustangs
Twitter: @fhsmustangs