March 2019: 12th Grade
MDHS Counseling Newsletter
MD Seniors
Spring is just around the corner!
Complete submitting and verifying your service hours on MobileServe and turn in your reflection essay to Mrs. Hopkins. The spring deadline is March 18th.
If you plan to attend a California Community College next year, submit your OpenCCC application and see our reminders below.
As a reminder, Spring Break is a wonderful time to visit colleges, catch up on work, and rest!
Thank you for celebrating National School Counseling Week with us in February!
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We're a Team
Higher Education
Senior Awards Night: May 22, 2019
Senior Awards Night is a special convocation held to laud the graduating seniors receiving honors, awards, and scholarships from Mater Dei High School, MD alumni and families, universities, and state and national organizations. Seniors will be recognized for their many special gifts and talents, from academic distinction to athletic excellence, for personal character, dedication to service, and more. This year Senior Awards Night will be on May 22, 2019 at 6:00pm in the LeVecke Center. All students and their families and guest are welcome to join the celebration. Recipients of honors and scholarships are expected to attend. For more information on the Senior Award Night and scholarship applications, please visit www.materdei.org/apps/pages/seniorawards.
Counseling Articles
- As high schoolers await college acceptance letters, one counselor has some advice
Boston Globe – Feb 19, 2019
College acceptance season will soon be in full flower. And seniors everywhere are on edge. - Head off the blues when your teen heads to college
Medical Xpress – Feb 20, 2019
As excited as you are that your teen’s going to college, it’s normal to have mixed emotions, such as anxiety, sadness and possibly depression. - Opting Out of a Four-Year College
KQED – Feb 15, 2019
For the first time in 15 years, the number of freshman applicants for the UC system dropped. YR Media’s Chris Weldon explains why he’s not applying for a four-year college. - Why it’s important to seek college scholarships
The Philadelphia Tribune – Feb 19, 2019
While paying for college can be a challenge, for many students, thousands of dollars... - Love & College Admissions
- How to Appeal a Financial Aid Letter
- The Grand Adventure: Selecting a College and How Grandparents Can Help
- Dear Admission Dean: What Parents Can Learn From Their College Applicant
- Picking a College? Don’t Do This
Wellness
Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, wrote some practical tips for living well and loving others better under stress.
"Under stress, people can say and do things they would otherwise not—sometimes even things they regret. The issue is not that they have no filter or are uncaring, but rather, they've reached an unhealthy capacity (emotional limit) due to stress. The energy needed to "tame" their emotions, and not react to things that may frustrate or upset them, is at a low.
Like a car low on gas, it's important to refuel in order to find the energy you need to keep going in a positive direction emotionally. Nobody likes "blowing up" or "flipping out" on the people they love—it's embarrassing and hurts our relationships. So what can you do if you find yourself in such a place? Here are a few tips:
- Breathe — When you find yourself at capacity, find a calm, quiet place for a few minutes and practice deep breathing. It will help you relax and does wonders for relieving stress tension.
- Pray or Meditate — Take a moment to talk to God and release the burden of whatever weight you are carrying to Him. Express gratitude for the relationships in your life. If you are not religious, take five minutes to be silent, and meditate on a few things you are grateful for. Gratitude does wonders for the heart.
- Exercise — Sometimes you just need to work it out. Start an exercise routine so your body can release endorphins—your brain's "feel-good" neurotransmitters. These endorphins are also known as the body's natural pain killers. If you feel better physically, you will be able to handle stress more efficiently.
- Sleep — If you find you are simply cranky and cloudy, chances are you may be sleep deprived. Try going to bed at an earlier time, and seek to get at least eight hours of sleep. The more rested your body feels, the more capacity you'll have when it comes to the stress sneaking up on you.
These are just a few ways you can begin to combat the stress in your life. Try them out, and see if your capacity begins to grow. If so, you will find you'll be more likely to relate in healthy ways and be more present for the people you love and those who love you."
If you ever need to talk to someone about personal concerns (family, friends, how you're feeling, dealing with stress, etc.) please let your school counselor know. We are here to support you. We also have two Wellness Counselors available every school day.
Spring CSF Dates
CSF Members, scholarship applications are available this month on the MD CSF website: https://www.materdei.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=383409&type=d&pREC_ID=1656198
3/7/19 CSF Scholarship Applications Available
3/25/19 CSF Scholarship Applications Due
4/11/19 CSF & NHS Awards Ceremony (LeVecke) 7:30AM
If you have any questions please contact Kelly Troisi at ktroisi@materdei.org or stop by the Counseling Office.
Community College
- Will you be attending a California Community College next semester? Make sure to apply now!
- Create an OpenCCC account: https://www.openccc.net/uPortal/p/AccountCreation.ctf1/max/render.uP
- Check your community college's requirements for assessments and orientation and sign up for these dates
- Don't forget to file FAFSA or the CA Dream Act Application for financial aid and list your community college
Service Hours/Reflection
As a reminder, to graduate from Mater Dei students must complete 10 hours of volunteer service per semester, and at least half of all hours must be "direct service." For seniors who have been at MD all four years of high school, your requirement is at least 80 total hours of service, 40 hours or more of these must be direct service hours. The deadline in spring for service hours is now March 18, 2019. Seniors also must submit a Reflection essay.
Visit the Christian Service Program web page for more information. Be sure to submit your hours through our new app, MobileServe. Please check that they have been verified.
If you have any questions, talk to Mrs. Hopkins, our Director of Christian Service, in Campus Ministry.
College Application To Do's
- Remember to check your email or college portals periodically for updates on your application status
- If you haven't already, fill out the Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) https://fafsa.ed.gov/ or the CA Dream Act Application https://dream.csac.ca.gov/. For many state financial aid programs March 2, 2019 (date postmarked) is the deadline. We recommend all students to file. Financial aid is often first come first serve. Some colleges and programs require the CSS Profile. Click here for a list of CSS Profile participating schools.
- Check your college application requirements to see whether you need to send your "Mid Year Report" or "First Semester Senior Grades". Order your official transcript to the Common Application through your Parchment account.
- Send your official SAT/ACT scores to colleges that require them through your Collegeboard or ACT account
- Student Athletes: Check your NCAA account and make sure your documents (transcript, SAT/ACT score) have been received by the Eligibility Center: http://eligibilitycenter.org
Peer Tutoring
You Got Accepted, Now What?
You may have heard back come college decisions if you applied early, or you may begin to receive your decisions throughout the spring. Congratulations on your acceptances!
Some important next steps will be reviewing your college offers and submitting your statement of intent (SIR) to register by May 1st. Here are a few things to do next:
- Attend a College Admit day or campus visit, ask questions
- Calculate and compare the cost of attendance (tuition, housing, etc.)
- Contact financial aid office if needed
- Respond to your acceptance letter
- Make a deposit
- Respond to financial aid letter, if required
- Check for any other required items
- Let your school counselor know! We'd love to congratulate you in person and hear where you're going next.
Here are some articles with information that can help you to navigate the decisions you will be making. You are also welcome to ask your counselor for support.
You Got Accepted, Now What? https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/making-a-decision/you-got-accepted-now-what
Calculator for Comparing Financial Aid Package/College Costs: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-awards/compare-aid-calculator
Explanation of Types of Aid: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-awards/your-financial-aid-award-explained
9 Steps to Take After Acceptance: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-cohn/the-9-steps-you-should-ta_b_9128546.html
What to Do if You're Wait-Listed: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/making-a-decision/what-to-do-if-youre-wait-listed
Mater Dei High School Counseling Department
Website: https://www.materdei.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=70016&type=d&pREC_ID=237246
Location: Mater Dei High School, 1202 W Edinger Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92707