Counseling News
October 2016 Newsletter--MCHS Counseling Department
We're Going Digital!
Do You Know Who Your School Counselor Is?
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
1) The behavior is repeated over time.
2) The behavior is intentional.
3) The behavior is one-sided and imbalanced, meaning that the behavior is not back and forth between parties.
4) The offending party believes or perceives that he/she is more powerful in some way over than the victim.
5) The intent of the behavior is to harm the other person physically or emotionally or to damage their self-esteem.
If you are the victim of bullying, tell someone. If you are a witness to bullying, be an ally not a bystander. For tips on ways to be an ally, visit the follow page:
http://www.adl.org/assets/pdf/education-outreach/Be-an-Ally-Six-Ways-online-version.pdf
Suicide Awareness & Prevention
GA College 411 Becomes GA Futures
Need Help Choosing a College or Career? Check Out GCIC!
SAT/ACT and Test Preparation
Madison County High School will be offering SAT prep for seniors before the November SAT test date. Remember, the November SAT is the last SAT test date that counts for STAR student. In order to register for test prep, students must bring proof that that are registered for the November test to the counseling office. You should also consider taking advantage of test prep through the Khan Academy. College Board has partnered with Khan Academy to offer this incredible service free to students! For more information, visit: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat . For ACT Prep, we have purchased 150 licenses of Method Test Prep and are offering ACT Prep sessions on Saturday, October 8th and Saturday, October 15th. Students will need to sign up in the counseling office for login information and test preparation sessions.
When you register for the SAT and/or ACT, DO NOT forget to take that extra step and request to have official scores sent to colleges from the testing agency! For SAT, this is an extra step after you've registered for the test. If you do it when you register, it will save you money and time later.
If you're a junior or senior and you qualify for free or reduced lunch, see your counselor before you register. Students who receive free or reduced lunch are eligible for up to 2 fee waivers for each test while they're in high school!
For more information about the SAT and ACT, visit www.collegeboard.org or www.act.org .
PSAT/NMSQT
Interested in Earning College Credit During High School through Move On When Ready?
We currently offer English 1101/1102 and Math 1111/1113 through Athens Technical College to seniors on our campus. We would love to offer additional courses on our campus but can only do so if there is enough interest (we need a minimum of 15 students). In addition to courses offered on our campus, students may take additional MOWR courses at any Athens Technical College campus or even online when available.
If you already know that you're interested in dual enrollment next year through Athens Technical College, you can apply now! Applications are available in the counseling office and online (see links below). We will provide Accuplacer test prep on November 7-8 and Accuplacer testing on November 11th at Madison County High School. Applications are due by November 2nd. See Ms. Bruce with questions. Admissions requirements may be viewed at: http://www.athenstech.edu/studentAffairs/admissions/highSchoolRelations/documents/2016Docs/OLD_Placement_test_scores.pdf
Students may enroll in MOWR at any participating GA institution. If you would like to discuss additional options, please see Ms. Bruce.
College Application Tips for Seniors
It’s that time of year! It’s time to begin applying for colleges and planning your future. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Visit the campus. Campus visits allow you to see and feel what it’s like to be a student. You also have the opportunity to meet with admissions and financial aid representatives, tour the campus, meet current students, and you might get to sit it on a class! Seniors are allowed 3 CI days for college visits but they must be preapproved in the counseling office. If you're an underclassman reading this, you are also allowed CI days for college visits and you should use them! Juniors are allowed two, sophomores are allowed one, and freshman must be approved by the principal--In order to receive a CI, all college visits must be preapproved.
2. If you need letters of recommendation, make sure you allow your recommender plenty of time to write it. If you wait until the last minute, your recommendation may not accurately reflect how truly awesome you are because it had to be written in a hurry. Also, provide your teacher/counselor/recommender with a list of your activities/awards/leadership/areas of interest (a resume is good for this!) so they'll be able to write more about you. Follow up with a thank you card to everyone who helps you along the way.
3. Make sure you’re applying to schools that are a good match for your interests/needs, finances, have the major you plan to pursue, and that you are a competitive applicant.
4. Also make sure you understand application decision plans—some application decision plans are binding!
5. Pay attention to application deadlines—this is true for applications and all financial aid. If you miss a deadline, you will not be considered!
6. Apply for the FAFSA. Starting this year, the FAFSA is available starting October 1. This application will determine your eligibility for need based financial aid and is also the application for the HOPE scholarship. Also plan to attend the fall and/or spring Financial Aid Parent meeting so you’ll be prepared! This year, our fall meeting will be combined with a FAFSA Completion event so come prepared with your tax documents!
MCHS/BRCCA College & Career Fair
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Athens Technical College
Brenau University
Columbus State University
Emmanuel College
Georgia College & State University
Georgia Gwinnett College
Georgia Military College
Gordon State College
Georgia Student Finance Commission
Piedmont College
Point College
Shorter College
Truett McConnell College
University of Georgia
University of Georgia's Upward Bound Program
University of North Georgia
University of West Georgia
United States Army
Valdosta State University
Young Harris College
Do some research beforehand so you'll know which schools you'd like to learn more about and don't be afraid to approach college admissions personnel, military recruiters, or representatives from business and industry. They'll be here because they want to share information with you and they are ALWAYS very helpful--don't be afraid to introduce yourself (with your name, grade level, eye contact, and a handshake) and ask questions. For suggestions on how to get the most out of a college and career fair check out these tips from the College Board: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/how-to-find-your-college-fit/college-fair-checklist .
Popcorn Fridays!
Upcoming Events
*October 8--ACT Prep
*October 12--SAT Prep (ELA)
*October 13-14--Early Release/Parent & Teacher Conferences
*October 15--ACT Prep
*October 17--Lunchroom Visitation: Auburn University at Montgomery
*October 19--PSAT
*October 19--SAT Prep (ELA)
*October 26--SAT Prep (Math)
*October 27-28--Fall Break
*November 2--Enrichment Session--"The 411 on College for 1st Generation Students"
*November 2--Fall MOWR Application Deadline
*November 2--Athens Tech Field Trip for Seniors
*November 2--SAT Prep (Math)
*November 7--Lunchroom Visitation: South Georgia State College
*November 7-8--Accuplacer Prep for MOWR Applicants
*November 11--Accuplacer Testing at MCHS for MOWR Applicants
*November 9--College & Career Fair
*November 15--ASVAB
*December 6--Senior Financial Aid Parent Night & College Goal GA FAFSA Completion
A Few Words From Kid President...
MCHS Counseling Department
Email: abruce@madison.k12.ga.us
Website: http://www.madison.k12.ga.us/schools/mchs/school-resources/mchsguidanceoffice/
Location: 600 Madison Street, Danielsville, GA, United States
Phone: (706) 795-2197
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madisoncountyhighschool/