WB Counselor Connection
News & Info for the WB Community Sept. 15, 2020
In this issue:
Attendance Information
School Day SAT & PSAT Email
AP Testing Information
11th & 12th - Virtual College and Career Center is live in Canvas
Blessings in a Backpack
College Rep Visits
NACAC College Fairs
HBCU Panel
NCAA Eligibility Updates
Current state of college admissions
Virtual Voices of Tufts
Oakland University Go For the Gold Series
U of M Application Updates
Quest Bridge
Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program
Scholarships
Prudential Spirit of Community Scholarships
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program
Miami University (Ohio) Merit Scholarships
University of Arizona Scholarships
Class of 2021 College Board Opportunity Scholarships
Check Twitter Daily for Additional Scholarships @WBHSCounseling #WBHSScholarships2021
Important Attendance Information
School Day SAT and PSAT Information
AP Testing Registration - IMPORTANT!!
For the 2021 AP Exams, students at West Bloomfield High School will be registering online using TWO SEPARATE WEBSITES. This registration will take a few minutes and can be completed from any computer with internet access.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE PAYMENT FOR AP EXAMS WILL BE DONE ONLINE THROUGH THE TOTAL REGISTRATION WEBSITE only!!!
In order to register, students should visit:
1)CollegeBoard/AP registration (it is best to use the same account
–log in, password, etc -- used for PSAT and SAT testing)
2)www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/23288 (it will make sense to go in this website order)
For both websites (AP and TR) you will need a JOIN CODE furnished by each individual AP teacher. Be careful not to mix up COURSE JOIN CODES.
***This year, each AP exam costs $120.00 each. There is a price structure – depending on when you pay. If you qualify for free/reduced lunch, please contact either Mrs. Brody (karen.brody@wbsd.org) or Ms. Wegrzynowicz (joanne.wegrzynowicz@wbsd.org) for possible financial assistance BEFORE the regular registration deadline of October 23, 2020.
***If you have been approved by the College Board (this is different from ACT) or have applied for accommodations with your counselor for extended time testing or other special accommodations, please contact Mrs. Brody BEFORE the registration deadline.
***We know that parents may desire to register their students for exams. We strongly recommend that parents and student are both present while registering to ensure the correct exams are ordered (for example, parents have accidentally registered students for AP English Literature instead of AP English Language or AP United States History instead of AP United State Government or AP World History).
Here are the important dates for the registration process:
- Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020– Friday, October 23 at 11:00 pm $120.00 per exam + payment fee to TR
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 – Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, at 11:00 pm $125.00 per exam (late fee)+ fee
- Any exam that is canceled AFTER Nov. 13 automatically forfeits at least $45.00 in fees to AP.
- The later a test is canceled, even less of the fee is returned. (This does not apply to 2nd sem. courses such as Micro Economics which has separate deadlines)
- Registrations that have not been paid for by Nov. 13 will be canceled and exams will not be ordered. Please contact Mrs. Brody if you would like to register for an exam not listed.
*The school’s refund policy is listed on the Total Registration website. If a student is absent for an exam due to illness or other reasons, additional administrative costs will be incurred if an alternate exam is able to be administered. In several circumstances, an alternate exam may not be available.
Juniors and Seniors - The Virtual College and Career Center in Canvas is now LIVE!
Parents - You can view the information by being an "observer" of your student in Canvas.
Below are some helpful links for Canvas.
Blessings in a Backpack
College Representative Virtual Visits - Juniors and Seniors!
Every fall WBHS hosts college representatives allowing students to learn more about a variety of colleges and establish relationships. All visits will be held virtually this year.
Below is a link to the visits currently set up. Please know that this list is updated daily! Please bookmark this page and check frequently for updates.
Out of respect for the representative's time, if you sign up, please make sure you attend. Remember that many times the rep hosting these meetings is also the rep reading your college application. This is a great opportunity to ask questions!
Midnight Golf Program - Accepting applications now!
To be considered for the Midnight Golf Program, please complete the FULL APPLICATION no later than September 21, 2020. If you applied before September 10, please complete the updated application. The application can be found HERE or at www.midnightgolf.org/apply.
Class of 2021 FAFSA Virtual Workshops
The FAFSA will open up for the Class of 2021 on October 1st. West Bloomfield High School will be hosting a Virtual FAFSA Workshop for current seniors attending college in the fall of 2021. The dates are October 22nd and November 16th. If you need assistance, you will be able to sign up for one of the dates for help.
Registration details will be posted in upcoming Counselor Connection newsletters.
NACAC College Fairs - Register now!
FALL SCHEDULE
Log in on these fair dates to meet with 600+ colleges and universities.
Monday, Oct. 12
1 - 9 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 18
12 - 8 p.m. ET
Sunday, Nov. 8
2 - 10 p.m. ET
For more information, visit: https://www.nacacfairs.org/attend/attend-virtual-college-fairs/students/
Message to Juniors - Class of 2022
GRADES - As you know, the junior year is an important year for your college and career planning. As we've mentioned before, this is the last set of grades that a college will see as they make their admission decisions.
COLLEGE REP VISITS AT WBHS - Juniors have the opportunity to meet with college reps coming to WBHS. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about colleges that spark your interest. College Rep Visit Sign Up Sheet
ACT/SAT TESTING - Given our current situation, many colleges have gone test-optional for the Class of 2021. We do not know the decisions yet for the Class of 2022. It is always best to check the website of the college in which you plan to apply. If all goes well, we hope to administer the SAT to all juniors in the spring. If you would like to do some test prep, Khan Academy offers free test prep for students and can be extremely helpful.
YOU'VE GOT THIS - Navigating the college and career search process, can be overwhelming. But know that you are not in this alone and our Counseling Office and College and Career Center staff is here to help!
Be sure to follow Mrs. Essig on Twitter @WBHSCounseling and read every Counselor Connection newsletter.
HBCU Panel
Oakland University Information Sessions
Updates for NCAA Eligibility
The Current State of College Admissions
Virtual Voices of Tufts
U of M Ann Arbor - Application Changes
Quest Bridge
Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program
If you know a high school student who wants exposure to a STEM-related field, here is your chance to get them involved. Register by visiting the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) website here and sign up for the BCBSM Hack Attack course.
Mrs. Essig's Top Picks
SCHOLARSHIPS - Where to look
Please note that Ms. Essig posts all scholarship information on our Twitter account. You do not have to have a Twitter account to read the posts. We post opportunities in the newsletter twice and then remove them. Please follow the Twitter page for the most up-to-date opportunities!
https://twitter.com/WBHSCounseling
Look for #WBHSScholarships2020.
How do I find scholarships?
1. Apply for Financial Aid after October 1st. www.FAFSA.gov
2. Check with each college in which you are applying for merit based scholarships and deadlines.
3. Check for memorial and alumni scholarship opportunities at each college in which you may qualify.
4. Check with student’s/parent’s employer, banks/credit union, religious & civic affiliations, etc. for scholarships.
5. Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/WBHSCounseling Click on the hashtag #WBHSScholarships2021.
6. Read the Counselor Connection
7. Conduct a search by using a national search engine, such as www.fastweb.com, www.scholarships.com, www.myscholly.com, etc. Be sure to create an email address just for these searches as students will receive a lot of email. There is no need to pay money for these services! Watch for scams!
8. Check Careeronestop: https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-scholarships.aspx
9. College Board Opportunity Scholarships. https://opportunity.collegeboard.org/
10. For more information: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/finding-scholarships#how-find
11. Remember it takes work to receive most scholarships! You won't know if you don't try!
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program
Miami University (Ohio) Merit Scholarships
University of Arizona Scholarships
Class of 2021.... start your college exploration and you might win a scholarship!
Important Contacts
WBHS Counseling Department
A-CU Kelly Casinelli
CV-HA Joanne Wegrzynowicz
HB-LO Karen Brody
LP-PO Felicia Neumann
PR-TE Lisa Thompkins
TF-Z John Hepper
College & Career Counselor Noelle Essig
Administrative Staff
Mr. Eric Pace, Principal
Ashleigh Larkin, Assistant Principal
Eric Pierce, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
Jamie Glinz, Assistant Principal
Dr. Stephanie Griffin, Assistant Principal
Email: noelle.essig@wbsd.org
Website: https://www.wbsd.org/west-bloomfield-high-school/counseling-office
Location: 4925 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone: (248)865-6768
Twitter: @WBHSCounseling
OK2SAY
1-855-565-2729
Text - 652729
https://www.michigan.gov/ok2say
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Text - HELLO to 741741