Counselor Connect
Fall 2023
BHS School Counselors wish to provide specific and important information to all families this fall, including upcoming post-secondary exploration events, testing information, and more.
School counselors are resources for all students regarding academics, social/emotional support, and post-secondary planning. Students can stop in the Student Services Office to set up appointments or contact their counselor directly to reserve a meeting time.
Upcoming Events:
October- College Knowledge Month- Lots of upcoming events throughout the state and at BHS including free college applications for participating MN colleges.
October- Mini College Fairs every Tuesday during lunchtime throughout October
October 2nd-October 24th- Ready, Set, FAFSA- a series of virtual college and financial aid events- scholarship $ awarded to some participants
October 1st-31st- Minnesota State Month- explore Minnesota State Colleges and apply for free
October 4th & 5th- National College Fair- Minneapolis Convention Center, register before you attend!
October 16th- Term 1 Conferences at BHS from 4:30-7:30pm
October 18th- PSAT (10th and 11th grade- Registration due October 6th or until tests run out)
October 18-20th- MEA Break
October 28th- National ACT test date (Registration deadline passed, Late deadline 10/6)
November 3rd- Registration deadline for December 9th National ACT test date
November 13th- Career Exploration and Job Fair at BHS Bison Activity Center during school
January 29th- FAFSA Completion Event at BHS, 4:30-7:30 pm
** Please scroll through the remaining information to find topics of interest. **
Direct Admissions Pilot Program - A letter and survey will be sent out to participating seniors on the afternoon of October 2nd. The Direct Admissions Program allows students the ability to see which colleges will directly admit them if they follow the steps and submit their application on time. It takes the stress away from waiting on an admissions decision and knowing that they will be accepted as long they follow the admissions timeline. Additionally, with participation in the program, students do not have to pay an application fee when they follow the steps and they are able to order their high school transcript for free!
PSAT Reminder to sign up!-The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test ( PSAT/NMSQT ) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and co-sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in the United States. Buffalo High School will be offering the PSAT/NMSQT test for students on Wednesday, October 18th. This is a rigorous standardized test. Approximately 3.8 million students take the PSAT and less than 1% of testing 11th graders are eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program based on top scores. Only 11th grade students are eligible to compete for the National Merit Scholarship Program. If there is space available, 10th grade students are allowed to take the test in preparation for taking the PSAT as an 11th grader or for additional standardized test practice.
There are a limited number of tests available and it will be a first come first serve basis. The deadline to sign-up will be Friday, October 6th at 4:00pm. We will provide transportation for the student if there is a need since this exam is offered on a non-school day. Please sign up for bussing within the google form. *We will not be providing lunch after the exam is finished.
When: Wednesday, October 18th 7:45am - 11:45am
Where: BHS Bison Activity Center (BAC)
Cost: Free
Preparing for the PSAT- General Info, practice tests, resources
Advanced Placement (AP) Testing- Students who are enrolled in AP Classes (Biology & Calculus AB) need to communicate with Mrs. Leach by November 8th if they do not plan to take the AP exam in May. If students decide to not take the exam after November 8th, there will be a $40 cancellation fee. Please refer to Mrs. Leach with any additional questions regarding AP testing.
ACT Testing- Students interested in taking a college entrance exam can locate information, dates, registration links, and test prep resources on the ACT website. Upcoming national test dates and registration deadlines can be found here. If you have a student who receives free or reduced lunch, please have them contact their school counselor for an ACT fee waiver.
SAT Testing- Another college admission test option.
College Knowledge Month takes place in October. BHS will host mini fairs each week on Tuesdays during lunch time. Currently we are scheduled to have more than 30 representatives from colleges and military branches participate in mini fairs.
All BHS students will also have an opportunity to sign up for BASE time sessions regarding a variety of post high school topics such as: NCAA eligibility, ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps), Financial Aid, college application help, study abroad, an alumni panel, and more!
College Exploration and Changes to Admission- COVID-19 has had an impact on the college exploration and admission process. Many colleges that have previously required a college entrance exam are now considered test-optional. For more information and answers to questions such as if you should still test or if you should provide test scores on college applications, refer to this article.
The University of Minnesota suggests students should reference the academic profile of their colleges of interest. This profile will include the middle 50th percentile of freshman applicant test scores admitted for Fall 2022. This data will provide some indication on if you should submit your test scores for application purposes (if they are a test optional college). If similar to your scores, go ahead and submit them with your application. If your scores are below the average admitted test score, apply without those scores. **Check with each of your colleges to determine their application requirements and check with admission reps if you have questions on submitting ACT or SAT scores as part of your application.** Please note that test scores may be required for some scholarship opportunities.
MN Office of Higher Education Podcast- Life After Now
This podcast will explain the college admissions process, debunk misconceptions, and help students explore the successes and challenges of life after high school.
Financial Aid
FAFSA updates! - The FAFSA is having the largest overhaul in recent years, due to the The FAFSA Simplification Act . This law reduces the number of questions students will have to answer on the FAFSA, making crucial changes to expand Pell Grant eligibility and remove outdated restrictions to make federal student aid more accessible. Presently the department has stated that the 2024-2025 FAFSA will be ready mid-December 2023. However, they are not required by law to have it available until January 1, 2024. As we hear finalized dates for the release, we will update students and families. BHS will host a Financial Aid night with FAFSA completion support January, 29th 2024–more information to come in future newsletters!
Financial Aid Basics- general info on the FAFSA, work study, and student loans
College Financial Aid 101- US News articles on a variety of topics.
Federal Student Aid- info on getting ready for college and how financial aid works
Federal Student Aid Help Center
FAFSA application- available in December or January
Scholarships
Scholarships can be used to pay for college and do not have to be repaid. Scholarships fall under merit- or need-based categories. Check out the local and regional scholarships on the BHS Student Services website. More info on the scholarship search process is available here.
Transcripts
All official Buffalo High School transcripts must be requested and sent using Parchment, an online transcript ordering service. Further information on creating accounts and placing orders can be found on the Student Services website or by using the QR code. If your student qualifies for free or reduced lunch, please let your assigned counselor know so that a fee waiver can be provided.
Freshman Connections
Counselors will connect with freshmen this fall through Advisory to reintroduce ourselves and to gather quick and pertinent information that will help us support them as students for the next 4 years.
Page Program
The Minnesota House of Representative High School Page Program offers a unique opportunity for students to examine what they learn in the classroom under real life circumstances. Students participate in a wide variety of activities, each designed to further their understanding of our state government and the legislative process. If a student is interested in learning more about the Page Program or would like to apply, please have them see their school counselor. The application is due to the Sergeant at Arms Office by the end of business day on November 22nd, 2023.
Helpful Links
Helpful Links- Be sure to keep checking our Student Services website frequently for new events on our Student Services Calendar!
- Minnesota Private Colleges
- University of Minnesota -links to all campuses
- Minnesota State Colleges
- United States Military
- MN Apprenticeships
- MN CareerWise
- MN Career Information System - students have an existing acct
- Wright Cty. Children’s Resource Guide
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Change to Chill- stress relief for teens
Mark Jones (A-F)
763.682.8107
Shanlee Maher (G-K)
763.682.8054
Christina Cox (L-Rn)
763.682.8075