Connections Weekly Newsletter
February 9, 2024
Class of 2024
Community Service: A reminder to seniors that the required 30 hours of community service and 3 papers are due by the end of the third quarter on March 15. Hours and papers are logged in the Community Service (x2VOL) link found on the TCA Intranet page and under the Family tab on the TCA website if logging in from home. If you need help, refer to this Helpful Hints sheet or stop by Connections and talk to Mrs. Hoffman.
Financial aid can be one of the more confusing aspects of the college admission process. Most students hope to receive some form of financial aid to help pay for the high cost of college. SR Financial Aid Letter.docx that will help you understand financial aid awards.
FAFSA Help - List of resources if you need help with the FAFSA
Letters of Recommendation: If you have a March 1 College Application or Scholarship deadline, the Connection’s deadline is February 9, and the teacher recommendation letter deadline is February 15. Here is the HOW TO doc for both letter types. Stop by Connections with any questions or to pick up a request form for Ms. Peters. Click here for a complete list of 2023-24 Application Deadlines.
Class of 2025
Post Chat from Class this Week
In class, we have been exploring financial aid for colleges, trade schools, and more. I recommend students compile their lists with schools they MIGHT be admitted to (reach), schools they want and think they’ll be admitted to (target), and schools they WILL be admitted to (safety). I also recommend they have a clear plan for affordable education and training options. For most of our students, there is a need for assistance. This means they need to do the work to uncover if they NEED and qualify for merit aid, and/or need-based aid.
We used some tools for this:
MyIntuition.org – shows the projected cost of financial aid factored in, helping students understand and plan for what college will cost.
FAFSA Estimator: for most students, this tool will provide a close estimate of their federal student aid. The SAI (Student Aid Index) estimate will be updated with the new calculation in spring 2024.
Net Price Calculators: required on EVERY college website! Note: there have been changes to the FAFSA that have not yet been updated to financial aid calculators so there may be some differences.
In class last week, I asked each junior to walk through the net price calculator with their contributors. I recommend that EVERY family have those conversations soon so as I work with juniors’ lists, they are aware of their financial aid needs.
Next time we are together, we will spend time searching for scholarships. Yes, there are scholarships for juniors, but mostly, knowing what a scholarship requires allows a junior to still strive to be competitive for the scholarship application.
Most high school students are advised to take their college admission exams in the spring of their junior year. As a part of state testing, all juniors will have the opportunity to take the SAT during the school day in April. Our recommendation is for students to plan to have prepared for and taken 2 back-to-back SATs, so they’ll have scores they’re proud of before they must fill out applications. This also reduces stress because it frees up time in the summer before senior year so they can get a jump on their applications for colleges and scholarships. Here is an article to help plan your testing strategy.
State Assessment Information
Message sent from admin on Monday - Attention Juniors: The SAT default is without the essay section. However, you can add the 50-minute Essay (Section 3) to their SAT School Day registration for free. You can do this by emailing the school assessment coordinator at garrasmith@asd20.org any time before midnight, February 14, 2024. Additional information can be found in the SAT Optional Essay Opt. In Flyer
Classes of 2025, 2026 and 2027
Four-Year Plan
During our Connections classroom visits this week and next week, we are working with students to create a 4-year plan for their high school courses. As we emphasize, this is a plan, and we all know…plans change! These 4-year plans will be helpful to reference during the course registration process starting later this month. Students and families will receive more information from Mr. Shields and Mrs. Norman. Each course will have an information video (on demand) recorded by the teachers. Additionally, in Naviance, every course title is a hyperlink to the course description and prerequisite/co-requisite requirements. If we can answer any questions about course choice based on post-secondary plans, we are here to help.
Save the Date
At TCA
Tuesday, February 13, 11:25 – Pikes Peak State College. Plan to attend if you:
- Need help completing your PPSC application
- Are interested in construction, early childhood education, education, forestry, firefighting, law enforcement, or nursing, and would like to learn more about how you can have tuition, fees, course materials, and other costs paid for!
Thursday, February 15, 10:30 – BINGO
Thursday, February 15, 11:25 – Grand Canyon University
Monday, March 4, 10:30-11:20 – TCA Mini-College Fair
Friday, March 8, 10:30 – Career Chat: Dr. Amanda Hensen/Dr. Cor VanderWel - Veterinarians
In the Community
Saturday, March 2, 9:00-11:30 – RMACAC Spring College Fair, Pine Creek High School
Virtual
Sunday, February 18, March 24, and April 21, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm – Spring NACAC Virtual College Fairs, Virtual fairs are free to attend.
Scholarships, Awards and Other Financial Aid Information
RMACAC will award fifteen $1,000 scholarships to three students from each state in RMACAC's region: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Student application and counselor recommendation are required. Deadline to apply is March 15.
Enrichment
Swarthmore College is accepting nominations for their all-expenses-paid fly-in program Discover Swarthmore, where rising seniors stay on a college campus and get a taste of the college experience. Nominations are prioritized for first-generation, low-income, rural, small-town, undocumented, and DACA-eligible students. Nominations are due June 15.
Clarkson University is offering its Horizons Program, a week-long, overnight STEAM summer camp on its campus in Potsdam, New York. Some partial scholarships are available. Deadline to apply is March 17.
The University of Rochester is offering a Pre-College Program this summer for students to explore different career paths and majors in engineering, medicine, or business.
The Rising Leaders Initiative is a one-year advocacy training program for high school students who attend charter schools. It is designed to inspire student engagement in education advocacy and cultivate the next generation of young leaders who will shape education policies in their local communities and states. Deadline to apply for 2024-2025 is March 8.
Colorado State University is hosting its 2024 Women in Construction Management Summer Institute from June 4-8. Students interested in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) will engage with professional women representing AEC industries as well as college mentors to work on building their confidence and developing an understanding of construction management and related careers. Space fills quickly, the deadline to apply is March 15.
College Spotlight - Computer Science at Binghamton University
For students who enjoy math, and have an interest in coding, gaming, or AI, Binghamton University's computer science (CS) program may be a great fit. Binghamton was able to increase space to accommodate this popular and important major, and there's still time for students to apply.
Why CS at Binghamton?
- CS majors begin taking computer science courses as soon as they arrive, and the department welcomes incoming students with or without prior CS experience.
- A wide variety of elective classes (think: cybersecurity, robotics, data-mining) allow students to pursue the areas that interest them most for a future career.
- Plenty of academic opportunities outside the typical CS coursework, including a research stream in the prestigious First-year Research Immersion Program (FRI).
Connections Center (Career & College)
Katina Dahl, Career and College Advisor - Freshmen, Sophomores, AP
Jodi Hoffman, Office Manager - Rep Visits, Community Service
Location: 975 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, CO
Phone: 719-484-0091 1104