School Counseling Newsletter
September 2019
How to Sign Up to See a Counselor
Did You Know?
2. Are you curious about how much a specific college will cost for you? Every college has a Net Price Calculator, usually on the Financial Aid section of their website. If you cannot find one for a college, search for the college on collegeboard.org, click on the college's profile, click on the "Paying" tab. You will usually see a blue button that says "Calculate Your Net Price." You will then input information such as GPA, test scores, and parent income. This will give you an estimate of how much the college will cost for you after factoring in financial aid.
3. What is a "good" SAT/ACT score? This very much depends on which college you are applying to. To find data on a school's admitted students, search for the school on collegeboard.org. From there, find the school's profile and click on the "Applying" tab. Here you will see middle 50% test scores for the college's admitted students. Remember, middle 50% means that roughly 25% of students scored below the lowest score displayed.
4. Are you planning to become a doctor, pharmacist, dentist, physical therapist, or occupational therapist? VCU Honors College has a Guaranteed Admission program for those who 1) Are accepted and enrolled in Honors College as an undergraduate, AND 2) Meet certain GPA and course requirements while an undergraduate student. Those who meet all of the requirements will be guaranteed admissions into their choice of VCU health sciences/medical school upon finishing their Bachelors degree. Seniors who would like to be considered for the Honors College must apply to VCU by November 15th. More info here: https://honors.vcu.edu/admissions/guaranteed-admission/.
5. Are you planning to apply to VCU? In order to be considered for merit scholarships and/or Honors College at VCU, you must apply by November 15th.
Financial Aid
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will officially open on October 1st at fafsa.gov. Seniors who plan to attend college will need to complete this form in order to be considered for student loans, grants, and work-study. In many cases the FAFSA must be done in order to qualify for local scholarships.
How to Study for the SAT
2) Use khanacademy.org: Khan Academy is a free online tool with video tutorials, practice tests, and more. This website can be particularly useful for reviewing math. The site breaks down each concept tested on the SAT.
3) Take practice tests: Practice tests can help you learn the format and pacing of the SAT. Run through a test or two without any sort of timing, then a couple more with the time limits in place. This website has a database of printable practice tests AND answer explanations. Take the time to understand why your answers may have been incorrect. Caution: Only use tests that are dated 2016 or later. Anything before 2016 will be an old format of the test. Find the practice tests here: https://blog.prepscholar.com/printable-sat-practice-tests-4-free-official-tests
Opportunities and Scholarships
Young Entrepreneurs Expo 2019
This event was created to give young entrepreneurs the opportunity to promote, network and sell their products. (Artwork, Jewelry, Accessories, Crafts, Desserts, Carpentry items, services etc.)
Youth ages 5-19 years old will learn business skills necessary to develop and market their products and services.
Register by 11/01/2019 at carolinespromise.org/forms
11:00am-4:00pm November 16th, 2019
Caroline County Community Center
17202 Richmond Turnpike Milford, VA
The University of Richmond: Multicultural Overnight Visit Experience
The University of Richmond offers an opportunity for a high-achieving senior who would benefit from the University of Richmond's Multicultural Overnight Visit Experience (MOVE) from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 20.
Complete the short interest form (due September 15 at midnight EST) with students who meet the criteria below:
- High school senior
- Self-identify as a member of a historically underrepresented population (African American, Asian American, biracial/multiracial, Latino/a, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander) -OR- is interested in issues of diversity and inclusion
- Has at least a 3.6 cumulative GPA
- Has at least a 1280 SAT score (combined Evidence Based Reading & Writing and Math) -OR- 28 ACT composite score
- Active member of their community
RVA Infinite Scholars
On Saturday, October 5, 2019, Delta House Foundation, Inc. will host the thirteenth annual RVA Infinite Scholars College Admission/Scholarship Fair for high school juniors and seniors in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The event will take place at Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N. 3rd Street, Richmond, VA from 11:00 am–3:00 pm. During the 2018 Fair, students received scholarships in excess of $21,243,892 ! For more information visit: http://www.infinitescholar.org/
Mary Washington Healthcare
Are you interested in health care careers? Mary Washington will host monthly Future Health Care Providers meetings on the the fourth Thursday of the month from 6:00pm-7:30pm from September 26, 2019- April 23, 2020. You must be 14-18 years old and attending high school. If you are interested information is in the CHS Main Office, or on the Counseling Website http://chscounseling.blogs.ccps.us/
The Virginia Department of Education: William Randolph Hearst Foundation
The VA Department of Education will select two student delegates to represent Virginia in the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Each delegate will receive a $10,000 scholarship and an all-expense-paid trip to
Washington, D.C., for the week of March 7-14, 2020.
To be considered you must: hold a leadership position in any one of the following:
student government, civic, or educational organizations during the entire 2019-2020 academic year:
Student Body president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer
Class president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer
Student Council representative
A National Honor Society officer (including discipline-based Honor Societies such as the National English and Social Studies Honor Societies that include service components)
TO BE CONSIDERED for Nomination:
You must meet the above stated criteria for leadership and Email your name to Ms. Huntsinger or Ms. Taylor by Friday, September 15th at 4:00pm. dhuntsinger@ccps.us or kataylor@ccps.us
Aviation Career Scholarships for VA Students:
VA Department of Aviation: William G. Plentl Aviation Scholarship $1000
VA Airport Operators Council: Kenneth R. Scott Aviation Scholarship $3000
VA Airport Operators Council: John R. Lillard Aviation Scholarship $3000
Colonel James L. Graham, Jr Memorial Aviation Scholarship $10,000
To be eligible for the above aviation scholarships:
You must be a VA student planning an aviation career.
You must be accepted into an aviation post-secondary program and plan a career in a non engineering aviation career such as pilot, aviation maintenance technician, etc. You must have a 3.5 GPA or higher to be considered, write a 350-500 word essay on "Why I wish to pursue a career in Aviation", provide an official transcript and letter of acceptance, and complete the application.
The application and information are in the CHS Main Office and on the counseling website http://chscounseling.blogs.ccps.us/
The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) Scholarship
The VA Space Grant Consortium is a coalition of five Virginia colleges and universities,
NASA, state educational agencies, Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology, and other institutions representing diverse aerospace education and research.
Learn more about VSGC at http://vsgc.odu.edu/about/
Application deadline is November 2019 for the 2020 programs
of VASTS, VESSS and Virginia Space Coast Scholars.
Golden Door Scholars
Golden Door is a nonprofit scholarship organization which provides large college scholarships to high performing students with DACA. Golden Door offers scholarships for up to 50 students across the country attending college in Fall 2020 who are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree. In addition to funding, Golden Door provides 1:1 mentorship, professional development opportunities, and summer internships.
The due date for applications is Monday, September 16th, 2019.
To apply:
https://www.goldendoorscholars.org/apply-now
Jefferson Scholar: UVA Scholarship Nomination
Jefferson Scholarships provide full tuition, fees, and a living stipend for four years of undergraduate study at U.Va., plus a number of generous enrichment benefits, including a study abroad experience. This is a nomination scholarship and if you would like to be considered for nomination, you must be interested in attending the University of VA for the fall of 2020 and in the top 5 percent of the Class of 2020. Submit your name for consideration to Ms. Huntsinger dhuntsinger@ccps.us or Ms. Taylor kataylor@ccps.us by September 30th.
How to Join Class of 2020 Remind
1. Go to the following link on your phone: rmd.at/chscavs20
OR
2. Text @chscavs20 to 81010
What is Guaranteed Transfer (2+2)?
Virginia’s Community Colleges have Guaranteed Admissions Agreements with more than 30 public and private four-year institutions in the commonwealth. These transfer partnerships assist students in making a smooth transfer of community college credits. Some community colleges also have their own transfer agreements with four-year institutions. All of the Guaranteed Admissions Agreements require that students complete a transfer associate’s degree in order to be eligible for the benefits that the agreement provides.
The purpose of a transfer agreement is to ensure acceptance of community college graduates with an Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree, Associate of Science in Engineering Degree, and in some cases an Associate in Applied Science Degree who have earned a GPA as specified by the transfer institution. Most colleges will consider students to have met lower division requirements and students will enter with junior level status. Admission to a particular academic program is not guaranteed unless specified. Admission to specific majors may still be competitive and many will have their own GPA and entrance requirements.
Find more information and specific transfer agreements here: http://www.vccs.edu/students/transfers/
Transfer Grants
In 2007, the Two-Year College Transfer Grant Program (CTG) was passed into law in Virginia. Under this program, qualifying students completing their Associate’s Degree at a Virginia two-year public college and then transferring to a participating Virginia four-year college or university may receive a CTG award of up to $3,000 annually.
Students must complete a transfer associate’s degree with a 3.0 grade-point-average and meet financial eligibility requirements. The grant will be applied to tuition expenses at a four-year Virginia college or university, either public or private. The grant provides $1,000 for all eligible students, with an extra $1,000 for students who pursue undergraduate work in engineering, mathematics, technology, nursing, teaching or science.
Students transferring to Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, University of Virginia – College at Wise, Virginia Commonwealth University, or Virginia State University are eligible for an additional $1,000 incentive grant.
An application for participation in the Transfer Grant Program as well as a list of STEM eligible program majors can be found at this link: http://www.schev.edu/index/tuition-aid/financialaid/state-student-aid/two-year-college-transfer-grant-program
College Apps are Live!
1) The Common App (commonapp.org): Create an account to get started. Colleges that use the Common App can be found here: https://www.commonapp.org/explore/.
2) The Coaliton App (coalitionforcollegeaccess.org): The Coalition App is very similar to the Common App, but you will find a different list of schools that use this method. Find the list here: http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/members-new.html.
3) Apply via the college's website: Some schools will not have applications on the Common or Coalition. In this case, look on the college's website for guidance.
A few more notes:
- You may see different options for admissions timelines. If you see "Early Decision," know that this is a binding agreement. This means you are required to attend that college if you are accepted. Early Decision is usually not advised, but please see your counselor or the college adviser if you are unsure. Early Action will allow you to receive an admissions decision faster than Regular Decision, but it is not binding. Regular Decision is typically the last application deadline.
- The Common and Coalition applications both have a built-in fee waiver feature. If you are confused about this please see Ms. Taylor before submitting your application.
- Do not wait until the deadline to contact Ms. Taylor or your counselor with questions. It is very important that you get a head start on applying so that all of your questions can be answered in a timely manner.
Upcoming Events
- College Rep Visits (ongoing): Please see the full schedule and registration form below. Visits are open to Juniors and Seniors. Students are limited to four total visits.
- SAT Prep: After school SAT Prep will begin on September 9th. Sessions will last until activity buses arrive at 5:45. Please sign up via the form below!
- Super FAFSA Night: Ms. Taylor and several FAFSA experts will be on hand on Tuesday, October 8th from 5 PM til 8 PM to assist with completing the FAFSA. It is recommended that all seniors who are planning to attend college submit the FAFSA this Fall.
Newsletter created monthly by D. Huntsinger and K. Taylor