Raider Nation Round-Up
To LRHS Juniors and Seniors from the College Counselor
Happy Fall!
Fall is here and that means the beginning of college application season! Even in this very uncertain time, the college train rolls on! Things look somewhat different this year on the college landscape. Many universities have started the semester online, some are doing a hybrid approach and others are holding in-person classes. College admissions are changing as well. Most schools have moved to test-optional for the coming year meaning if a student does not have SAT or ACT scores to submit, this will not be held against them in the application process. Need to know if the college you are interested in is test optional? See the link below to Fairtest.
As you probably know, BCPS has cancelled all SAT administrations through November 13th. We do not know any more than that at this time. What does that mean for our seniors applying to college this fall? Without test scores, all other items in the application will take on more significance. Grades, the college essay, letters of recommendation, activities and community service are now that much more important.
Last week, the LRHS Senior College Night took place where I shared detailed information on the application steps as well as what students should be doing now. Missed the presentation? See below for a link to the Powerpoint that was shared.
In the coming weeks, counselors at Loch Raven will begin meeting with their seniors to discuss credits and plans for after high school.
As you hopefully know, Naviance is our main platform by which college applications are tracked along with teacher recommendations and transcripts. If as a parent, you need access, please contact Ms. Wolfkill in the counseling office. Scholarships are just starting to roll in. As we receive them, they will be updated in Naviance and also listed in the LRHS College Counseling Schoology Group. The join code for this group is DCK69-64XX5
As always, if you have any questions, please contact me. scampbell3@bcps.org
Seniors - What Should I Be Doing Now?
-If you have not done so already, schedule a virtual meeting with colleges you are applying to. Websites and virtual tours are the next best thing to being on a campus. Loch Raven has tons of colleges scheduled already to meet with Juniors and Seniors via virtual meetings. Check out the schools coming below and sign up on your Naviance account for a visit under the "What's New" section on the homepage.
-Start completing the steps to apply to college. Refer often to the attachment below, "10 Steps to Apply to College" below for a detailed break-down.
-Complete your Senior Brag sheet on Naviance. Your teachers and counselors need this for your recommendation letters. It is on the homepage of Naviance and is required if you wish to have a letter of recommendation.
-Waivers – If you are eligible for free or reduced lunch, please make sure your parent does the application this year. Being on free/reduced lunch entitles you to fee waivers for testing, application fee waivers for colleges, and free tuition at CCBC if you are doing parallel enrollment. To apply go to https://mealapps.bcps.org/lfserver/EFORM
If you are a foster child or your family is designated homeless, please talk with your school counselor. There are particular benefits to which you are entitled but your counselor may not know your situation.
- Athletics – If you are participating with high school athletics and plan to play Division 1 or 2 sports in college, you must register with the NCAA (eligibilitycenter.org) . You should
also review the rules related to recruitment.
-College Transcripts -LRHS must have a transcript release form, signed by your parent, before transcripts can be released to colleges or career/tech schools. These forms were distributed through the Class of 2021 Schoology Group last week, but you can also access it below. It needs to be filled out and emailed or sent via Schoology to your school counselor.
-Know the deadlines and application requirements of the colleges you are applying to. Don't wait until the last minute to apply.
-If any schools that you are applying to are Common Application schools, go onto their website and begin the application. https://apply.commonapp.org/login
-Apply for FAFSA beginning October 1st. http://www.fafsa.gov
-Make sure you have a professional sounding email that you use for colleges and check it often!!!
Juniors - What Should I Be Doing Now?
-Begin the college exploration process. Set up some college visits virtually, even to schools that you are not sure you want to apply to. Get a sense of what type of school you are looking for; big, medium, small, rural, in the city, etc. Juniors can sign up for scheduled college visits on Naviance under the "What's New" section.
-Keep on top of your grades! This time next year, you will be applying for college. They will be judging you on your grades from 9th-11th grade.
Start Researching Colleges!
Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) Virtual Days
September 27-30
During Virtual Days, each CTCL-member school will host a session so you can learn more about them. In addition, we will offer featured presentations that will cover a variety of aspects of the admissions process. The complete schedule and registration links can be found at the attached link.
Featured Presentations
Sunday, 9/27 – CTCL and the Liberal Arts
Sunday, 9/27 – Test Optional – What Does it Really Mean?
Sunday, 9/27 – You Don’t Have a School of Business?
Monday, 9/28 – Starting a College Search in a Virtual World
Monday, 9/28 – CTCL and the Liberal Arts
Monday, 9/28 – Entrepreneurship in the Liberal Arts
Tuesday, 9/29 – CTCL Presentation for Counselors
Tuesday, 9/29 – Acing the Interview
Wednesday, 9/30 – CTCL for International Students
https://ctcl.org/presentations/
Sweet Briar College Forum for Young Women Interested in STEM Fields
- Tuesday, October 13 from 7-8 p.m. EST: Life at a Women's College
- Monday, November 2 from 7-8 p.m. EST: Applying to Colleges for Engineering
- Thursday, January 21 from 7-8 p.m. EST: Going to College in a Pandemic
- Thursday, March 25 from 7-8 p.m. EST: Majoring in Engineering
- https://admissions.sbc.edu/portal/engineering_virtual_events?utm_campaign=virtual_qa_engineering&utm_source=slate&utm_medium=email
FAFSA - the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Opens on this date
All students regardless of income should apply for federal financial aid as this is how colleges determine your financial aid package.
FAFSAThursday, Oct 1, 2020, 12:00 AM
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Financial Aid Town Hall
Tuesday, Oct 13, 2020, 07:00 PM
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RSVPs are enabled for this event.
October College Visits - Make sure to check Naviance for updates!
Elon Thu October 1, 20202:00 PM
Ursinus CollegeThu October 1, 20202:00 PM
Lycoming CollegeThu October 1, 20202:30 PM
Pacific Northwest College of Art October 5, 20202:00 PM
Salisbury UniversityMon October 5, 20202:00 PM
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFMon October 5, 20202:30 PM
Washington CollegeWed October 7, 202010:00 AM
University of Mary WashingtonWed October 7, 202011:00 AM
Saint Elizabeth UniversityWed October 7, 20202:00 PM
Roanoke CollegerThu October 8, 20202:00 PM
York College of PennsylvaniaThu October 8, 20202:00 PM
High Point UniversityThu October 8, 20202:30 PM
Dickinson CollegeThu October 15, 20202:00 PM
Mount Aloysius CollegeThu October 15, 20202:30 PM
Washington & Jefferson CollegeOctober 15, 20202:30 PM
George Washington University October 19, 20202:00 PM
University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyyMon October 19, 20202:30 PM
Pennsylvania College of TechnologyOctober 19, 20202:30 PM
Shenandoah UniversitynWed October 21, 202010:00 AM
Harrisburg University of Science and TechnologyyWed October 21, 202011:00 AM
Hood CollegeWed October 21, 20201:00 PM
Becker CollegeThu October 22, 20202:00 PM
Immaculata UniversityThu October 22, 20202:00 PM
Delaware Valley UniversityThu October 22, 20202:30 PM
Albright CollegeMon October 26, 20202:00 PM
Stevenson University October 26, 20202:00 PM
University of MiamiOctober 28, 20209:00 AM
University of the SciencesWed October 28, 202010:00 AM
St. John's UniversityWed October 28, 20201:00 PM
East Carolina UniversityThu October 29, 20202:00 PM
University of Maryland Eastern ShoreThu October 29, 20202:00 PM
Marymount UniversityThu October 29, 20202:30 PM
Fast Web Scholarship Directory
Fastweb is the go-to source for students looking to find and apply for scholarships, grants and financial aid opportunities. The state-of-the-art scholarship database helps you save time by filtering through thousands of scholarships. Each scholarship and every grant is individually vetted by our research team before it reaches the national scholarship database.
Our huge directory organizes millions of scholarships and grants into simple categories. Whether you’re a high school student or parent looking for ways to fund your/your child’s college education, or you’re a current college student wanting to pay your way without racking up student debt, Fastweb’s scholarship directory is THE place to start.
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
Now in its 26th year, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), provides a wide range of opportunities to amplify the stories of today’s young changemakers - and the schools that have supported them along the way. Open to students in grades 5-12 who have participated in a volunteer activity within the past year, top honorees from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to receive a scholarship, medallion and invitation to the program’s national recognition events.
To apply, students should do the following by November 10, 2020:
•Apply at https://spirit.prudential.com
Go to the "certification" tab on the application, then email instructions to your certifier
Applications can be certified by a middle or high school principal, or the head of a county 4-H organization, Girl Scout council, American Red Cross chapter, YMCA or Points of Light Global Network member
To learn more about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, student eligibility and recognition resources for schools and principals, please visit https://spirit.prudential.com/certifiers.
Keep in Touch!
Email: scampbell3@bcps.org
Website: http://lochravenhs.bcps.org/
Location: 1212 Cowpens Avenue, Towson, MD, USA
Twitter: @lrhscounseling