November 2023
High School Student Services
Information for all students ...
Important Dates
End of Q1:11/9/23
End of Q2 Progress Report: 12/15/23
End of Q2: 1/26/24
Volunteer at The Way!
Raise money for your class by volunteering at The Way (a gently used clothing store located at 17 Ferry St. in Schuylerville). More information can be found below:
- Students may work Friday 3 pm - 5 pm, Saturday 9 am - 11 am, or Saturday 11 am - 1 pm
- Two to four students at a time can sign up for a 2-hr shift using Signup Genius
- Volunteer hours will be tracked at the store
- For every student who works 2 hours, The Way will donate $5 to the class they are representing
- The Way will tally up the amount, and donate the money to the school once per quarter
Volunteer at The Dake Foundation for Children
The mission at The Dake Foundation for Children is to provide opportunities for children with disabilities to enjoy more independence, inclusion, and fun. Through the foundation, some of the things that have been granted to individuals in the past to help them interact with their family and friends are adaptive bicycles and strollers, iPads, and even a robotic eating device. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit The Dake Foundation website and click on the “Support Our Mission" link. The fill out the brief volunteer application.
Leadership Skills Course for Teens
Sponsored by the Adirondack Health Institute (AHI) and facilitated by Hudson Mohawk AHEC, this free program provides a unique opportunity for students aged 13-18 by providing them tips on Public Speaking, Professional Writing, and Communication. Sessions will be available in three counties – Saratoga, Warren and Washington - with the same program being repeated in each county. Students will be responsible for their transportation to and from the events. Refreshments will be provided! Registration is required by November 13th. More details can be found below:
Employment Opportunity at Willard Mountain
Willard Mountain is looking for seasonal employees! Do you know how to ski or snowboard? Do you love working with people? Would you like a Season’s Pass for the duration of employment? Download the Ski School application here or call (518) 692-7337 for more information.
Employment Opportunity at The Olde Bryan Inn
The Olde Bryan Inn is hiring for the following positions:
- HOST/HOSTESS
- DISHWASHER
- BUSSER
All positions require some nights and weekends availability. Must be at least 16 years old and apply in person at: 123 Maple Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY or on their website under the CAREERS tab.
Senior Information
FAFSA Updates
(Source: Boston College; Office of Student Services):
Big changes are happening with the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)! The changes part of the FAFSA simplification process to make federal aid more accessible for students and families. Please find some of the changes below:
- Rather than opening in October, the 2024-2025 FAFSA will not be available until December 2023. After the 2024-2025 aid year, the FAFSA will once again be available in October.
- There will be fewer questions and requirements on the FAFSA. Additionally, families may retrieve tax information using a Direct Data Exchange from the IRS instead of the previously used IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
- New terminology and calculations will be used: for example, the term "contributor" will be used to refer to anyone who is required to provide information on a student's FAFSA form, including the student, a biological parent or adopted parent, or the parent's spouse. A contributor is NOT a grandparent, foster parents, legal guardian, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, even if they help provide for or raise the student.
- If parents are divorced or separated, the contributing parent(s) is the parent (and their spouse, if remarried) who have provided the greater portion of financial support to the student during the 12 months immediately prior to filing the FAFSA. It is not automatically the parent the student primarily lived with during the past 12 months. If both of your parents provided equal financial support to you during the 12 months immediately prior to filing the FAFSA, the contributing parent is whichever parent (and their spouse, if remarried) has the greater income and assets.
- The need analysis formula to determine financial aid, formerly known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), will now be referred to as the Student Aid Index (SAI). Unlike the EFC, the SAI may be a negative number.
- The number of family members in college will still be asked on the FAFSA; however, it will be excluded from the federal and state financial aid calculation.
- The Student Aid Report (SAR) will now be referred to as the FAFSA Submission Summary. This is the summary submission document received after completing the FAFSA.
- Students may list up to 20 schools on their FAFSA via the online application.
- The adjustments to the new Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation will expand Federal Pell Grant eligibility to more undergraduate students. Federal Pell Grant eligibility is expanded to more students and will link eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level.
- All students and contributors must create a StudentAid.gov account to complete the FAFSA form online.
- To create an FSA ID, you'll need your Social Security number (SSN). Other information required is full name and date of birth. You'll also need to create a memorable username and password and complete challenge questions and answers to retrieve your account information if you forget it.
- Students and contributors will use their FSA ID account username and password to log in to their accounts.
- Even if a parent or spouse contributor doesn't have a Social Security number, they can still get an FSA ID using their ITIN to fill out their portion of the student's FAFSA form online.
Does your college also require the CSS PROFILE for financial aid?
Click here for a link to participating schools. If you have a college(s) listed on the Participating Institutions and Programs page, please review your school's financial aid page or contact the school directly to make sure you know the deadline of when the PROFILE needs to be received.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Please remember to check out our SCHOLARSHIPS page throughout the school year. New scholarships are continually being added. If you are applying to any two and/or four year SUNY or CUNY schools, please sign up for alerts and information for New York State's Excelsior Scholarship Program. This is a wonderful opportunity to potentially have tuition covered while attending a SUNY or CUNY school.
Dollars for Scholars
It is never too early to start your Dollars for Scholars online application! Our local chapter gives out thousands of dollars in scholarships at our graduation ceremony for eligible students. The Schuylerville online application can be found here.
- Once you are on the home page, click on the 'Students and Parents' tab at the top of the page.
- On this next page, under Student and Parent Login, click on the red Login. This will open the Scholarship America Dollars for Scholars Student Center. You should see 'Don't have an account yet? Create one here.'
- After clicking on that link in Schuylerville Junior-Senior High School, under 'High School Name,' click on the blue link that reads 'Choose this school.'
- You will then be directed to several pages of info that students need to fill in...only those with asterisks are required.
For questions about the Dollars for Scholars Program, please contact Lisa Schwartz or follow up with your counselor.
Boston University - Trustee & Presidential Scholarship
Students with outstanding academic records and strong leadership skills can apply to Boston University and be considered for one of the merit-based scholarships below.
- Trustee Scholarship: Boston University's most prestigious full-tuition scholarship recognizes extraordinary academic performance and leadership ability. Students must submit one additional essay with their application for admission.
- Presidential Scholarship: This four-year, $25,000 scholarship is awarded to students with exceptional academic achievements. No additional application materials are required—all students need to do to be considered is apply for admission by the scholarship deadline.
The application deadline for these scholarships is December 1, 2023.
To learn more about the requirements of these scholarships and other merit awards offered by BU, please visit their website.
Saratoga Credit Union College Scholarship Program
College bound high school seniors may apply to three different scholarships with one application; eligible applicants must attend either a two or four-year accredited institution for the first time in the fall of 2024. Applications can be found here (and a paper copy can be found in Student Services). Deadline: January 5, 2024
Soroptimist International of Saratoga County (SISC) is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Young Women Making a Difference Award which honors young women between the ages of 14 and 18 for their volunteer activity. An online application can be found here. For more information about the organization, visit the website here. Application Deadline: December 15, 2023. See flyer below for additional information.
Senior/Junior Information
Upcoming SAT/ACT Testing Information:
The SAT and the ACT will be offered on the following (Saturday) National testing dates during the 2023-2024 school year. The cost of the SAT is $55. The ACT has a basic fee of $66.00, with an optional writing test (cost with writing is $91.00). If the cost of these tests presents a hardship, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. Please check with Mrs. Rust or Mrs. O'Brien.
SAT Test Dates (Registration Information)
December 2, 2023 (November 2, 2023)
March 9, 2024 (February 23, 2024)^
May 4, 2024 (April 19, 2024)^
June 1, 2024 (May 17, 2024)^
^Digital administration of the SAT
**Be sure to take advantage of free Official SAT Practice at Khan Academy®. Become more confident on test day by taking practice test!
ACT Test Dates (Registration Information)
December 9, 2023 (November 3, 2023)
February 10, 2024 (January 5, 2024)
April 13, 2024 (March 8, 2024)
June 8, 2024 (May 3, 2024
July 13, 2024* (June 7, 2024)
*Test not available in New York
Sophomore Information
Reminder - Registration is now open for the 2024 HOBY State Leadership Seminar!
This multi-day program is proven to provide students with an experience that cultivates personal growth and leadership development while building new connections and friendships throughout the state. Students return from HOBY with a deeper sense of self-awareness, elevated confidence, and the inspiration and tools to give back to their communities through leadership and service.
What is HOBY?
HOBY’s (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership) mission is to inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation.
HOBY programs provide students selected by their schools to participate in unique leadership training, service learning and motivation building experiences.
Who is this for?
High School sophomores from across the country.
When and where is our leadership program?
Date: May 31, 2024 - June 2, 2024
Location: SUNY Albany
Why attend?
HOBY allows students to recognize their leadership talents and apply them in becoming effective, ethical leaders in their home, school, workplace and community. Students attend seminars and participate in hands on leadership activities, meet leaders in their state and explore their own personal leadership skills while learning how to make a positive impact in their community.
How do I apply for consideration?
Students must submit a typed, 200-300 word essay on the following topic:
Please describe both the most rewarding and the most challenging aspect of being a leader in your school and/or community.
Students interested in applying also need to submit a typed resume highlighting their involvement in community service.
Once these items have been received by your school counselor, an interview may take place as the final component of the application process. Deadline: November 6, 2023
More information about HOBY, can be found here.
Freshman Information
The end of the 1st Quarter is almost here!
It's hard to believe that the first 10 weeks of your high school career are almost behind you! We want you to continue keeping track of your grades and classes while being mindful of classroom learning expectations. Remember, the first year of high school sets the foundation for your permanent transcript.
You may also have some questions now that you have been in the high school for a couple of months. Please reach out to your counselor so we can answer any questions you may have! Have a great second quarter!
High School Student Services - Contact Information
Administrative Aide
(518) 695-3255, x 2239
School Counselor Contact Information
Mrs. O’Brien (Grades 10-12, A-K)
Ms. Bean (Grade 9; Career Education & AP Coordinator)
Mrs. Rust (Grades 10-12, L-Z)