Athens High School
SENIOR NEWSLETTER
The Great Adventure
Senior year comes with a great deal of excitement, decision making, anxiety, planning and lifelong memories. Know that while you work through those decisions, your plans may also take a detour. Change is ok. In fact, change can be WONDERFUL!
I am excited to serve as your senior counselor this year and help you to navigate through all of the information and choices available to you. I will be sharing scholarship opportunities, senior deadlines, special opportunities, important dates and much more. It is YOUR job to read through the information and see what applies to you. Stay tuned and stay aware!
The key for us all to get the best out of this year ahead is communication. The three ways in which I will communicate with you will be through this newsletter, my Remind and your school email. I do not want anyone to miss important information coming out.
There are three things I need for you to do for me right away:
- Sign up for my Remind by clicking the link below
- Fill out the Senior Survey below
- Sign up for the ACT to be given in October here at AHS. Deadline to sign up is September 17th. I have fee waivers for anyone on free/reduced lunch.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE...
2021-2022 ACT TEST DATES
College Rep Visits at AHS
At this time, College Rep visits will take place via zoom from 11:30-11:55 on Thursdays this Fall during Connect. Those visits will be shared with you via the Newsletter.
- University of Alabama Huntsville- Thursday, September 9th
*We will also be having an in-person college fair in October. More details to come at a later time.
NACAC Virtual College Fairs
Interested in a school you may not be able to visit or is too far away? Sign up to participate in one of the National Association of College Admission Counseling's Virtual College Fairs. Click the link below to sign up today. https://virtualcollegefairs.org/conventions
College Visits
Fall Preview Days are a great way to see many facets of a college or university. I have linked the most popular school's websites below to sign up online to participate in their preview day. If you cannot make the preview day, then sign up online for a tour of campus. If the preview day or campus visit takes place on a weekday, make sure to fill out a College Visit form in advance so that absence does not affect your attendance. College Visit forms can be picked up in the attendance office.
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
http://auburn.edu/admissions/visit/index.php
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
https://visit.ua.edu/university-days/
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE
https://www.uah.edu/admissions/undergraduate/discover-uah/prospective-student-events
ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY
https://www.aamu.edu/about/visit-us/visiting-campus.html
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/admissions/visitourcampus.html
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN BIRMINGHAM
https://www.uab.edu/admissions/visit/campus-tours
JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY
http://www.jsu.edu/admissions/preview-day/index.html
UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO
https://www.montevallo.edu/admissions-aid/undergraduate-admissions/tours/preview-day/
UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA
https://www.uwa.edu/admissions/visituwa
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
https://www.tuskegee.edu/tours
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
https://www.admissions.msstate.edu/visit
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI (OLE MISS)
https://admissions.olemiss.edu/visit/
SAMFORD UNIVERSITY
https://www.samford.edu/admission/visit
BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE
Want to take a college visit, but can't right now? Check out the website below
Need a Transcript?
Athens High School has now partnered with Parchment to order and send your transcripts securely. You should have received an email in July with a link and code to create an account. You can create an account with or without the code, but registering with the code is much quicker and easier.
You will be able to order a transcript and track the process of your order all online!
Some things you should know:
- For current students, the first 5 orders are free
- After the first five orders, there will be a fee of $5 for each transcript ordered
- Your FINAL transcript upon graduation will be free if ordered by June 30th of your graduation year
- Paper Transcript Requests for current and former students will no longer be accepted
The link to order a transcript is available at the link below or on the school's main webpage as well as under the Guidance Page> Senior Resources
Senior Portrait Info
Prestige Portrait Studios sent out email blasts during the summer to seniors and their parents/guardians with emails on file. If you did not schedule an appointment over the summer, you can still do that new by either booking online at booknow.appointment-plus.com/yq20jemy or by calling 256-382-2798 to schedule by phone. Prestige will also be here on campus on November 2 and 3 for makeup portraits. More details about those days will be become available closer to time.
**IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES**
Calhoun Community College Fair
Monday, Aug 30, 2021, 06:00 PM
Kelley Gymnasium, Tanner, AL, USA
SENIOR MEETING
Tuesday, Sep 21, 2021, 10:30 AM
AHS APAC
JUNIOR MEETING
Tuesday, Sep 21, 2021, 09:30 AM
AHS APAC
JUNIOR/SENIOR PARENT MEETING
Tuesday, Sep 21, 2021, 06:00 PM
AHS APAC
Auburn University Student Reception
Auburn University will be hosting a reception in Huntsville this fall on Tuesday, September 28th, at 6:00pm at the Space and Rocket Center.
During this event, students will learn about the Admissions Application for Fall 2022 and have the opportunity to speak with representatives from the colleges and schools across our campus.
Any current seniors that are interested in Auburn University can register to attend at https://apply.auburn.edu/portal/prospectivestudentevent.
Tuesday, Sep 28, 2021, 06:00 PM
U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL, USA
FAFSA Opens
Thursday, Oct 1, 2020, 12:00 AM
undefined
It's FAFSA time!
Ready or not, the FAFSA will open on October 1, 2021.
Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA, is the most important step you can take to get money to help pay for college. All federal financial aid programs, many state aid programs, and some programs offered by individual colleges require students to complete the FAFSA. Because the FAFSA unlocks so many types of financial aid, students from families of all incomes should complete the FAFSA.
The FAFSA opens to seniors for the 2022-2023 academic year on October 1st and remains open through June 20, 2022, but the sooner you fill out the FAFSA the better so that you don’t miss out on qualifying for aid you are eligible for. Many schools have priority FAFSA filing deadlines in early 2022 so make sure you know the deadlines for your the schools you are interested in applying to.
More information will be coming out closer to October 1st.
Need a Recommendation?
- Look at the recommendation criteria. It will be specific in who the recommendation can come from.
- Don't assume they will write one for you- ask.
- Choose someone with whom you've had a positive relationship.
- Provide them with a resume, what or who the recommendation is for, and when you need it completed.
- Let them know if it is to be returned to you or if they are to mail it. If they are to mail it, please provide them with a stamped, addressed envelope.
- Don't rush in the day before the deadline. Give them ample time to write the recommendation. A month before the deadline is preferable. The more time allow, the more thoughtful your recommendation will be.
**FEATURED WEBSITES**
SCHOLARSHIPS
All scholarships and special opportunities will be listed here in chronological order. This section will continue to grow throughout the year. Keep an eye out as new information is listed. If you see a scholarship that you are interested in and need an application, those are available in the scholarship box in the Guidance Office.
- The Heisman High School Scholarship program honors hundreds of the nation’s most accomplished, community-minded high school senior athletes each year. This year, the college scholarship amounts have been doubled, increasing support for each student-athlete’s education. They will recognize a winner from each high school in the nation that has student participation in the Program by way of application. The top male and female applicants from each state will be awarded $1,000. Among the top male and female applicants from each state, the twelve (12) most outstanding will be identified as national finalists and win at least $2,000. Of the national finalists, a male and a female winner will be selected as the winner of the $10,000 National Heisman High School Scholarship. Community-minded scholar-athletes can learn more and apply at https://heismanscholarship.com. Deadline is October 19, 2021.
- While the Army ROTC Program will teach you valuable leadership skills, military training, and discipline, ROTC can also provide you with money for tuition and other expenses through scholarships. More information and applications can be found at https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/high-school-students.html. Deadline is January 2022.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR 9-12
- The Athens Mayor's Youth Commission was established to teach students about local government’s role and their role to be engaged and informed citizens. If you are interested in applying for membership and have not served on Youth Commission previously, please complete application linked HERE. Requirements: Applicants MUST be students at Athens High, Athens Bible, Lindsay Lane or a home school student in the city and be in grades 10-12. Deadline is September 13, 2021.
- The University of Alabama College of Engineering will host an open house on Friday, October 1, 2021 from 8:30- 1 pm. If you are interested in learning more about admissions, housing, financial aid, scholarships, honors programs and more, register at eng.ua.edu/e-day. Deadline to register is September 17, 2021.
The William Randolph Hearst Foundation is sponsoring the 60th Annual United States Senate Youth Program. Brochures about the program may be obtained at www.ussenateyouth.org. The United States Senate Youth Program is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students. Each year, two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity spend a week in Washington, D.C., experiencing their national government in action. This year due to COVID-19 restrictions, participation in the program will be virtual. The United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week Online will be held March 5-12, 2022. Delegates will participate in interactive online policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials of the Departments of State and Defense, leaders of other federal agencies and senior members of the national media. Delegates traditionally participate in a meeting with a justice of the U. S. Supreme Court and the President of the United States. Speaking events typically include in-depth question and answer sessions. In addition, each delegate will be awarded a $10,000 college scholarship. Any Senior interested in being nominated for the Senate Youth Program must see Mrs. Smith by Friday, September 17th.
Mrs. Laura Lou Smith
Athens High School
Email: LauraLou.Smith@acs-k12.org
Website: www.athenhighschool.org
Phone: 256-233-6613