Class of 2021 Senior Newsletter #2
Second Edition, September 10th, 2020
We have begun!
You've got a little over a week of senior year under your belt, and I bet it feels ... weird. It's weird that you're learning online. It's weird that you're not in the school. AND it's weird that you're seniors! I'm sure you were all thinking that you'd be rolling around the halls like the big men and women on campus, but instead you're sitting at your desks at home (or in your beds). I can't imagine what that feels like, but I know you are all resilient and can handle anything that comes your way.
I truly hope that your first few days have been successful, productive, and not too stressful. More than that, I hope you know that you have a resource in me to help you through this crazy senior year. I've heard from some of you, but not enough. If you don't mind, I'd love for you to take a little time to fill out the survey below. I posted it in your Google Classrooms already, so if you've done it, you don't have to again. Truth be told, I would have done this with you last spring if I had the chance. I want to get to know you and your goals, and this is the best way I can think to do that. I will use these to help guide you towards your goals, and advise you in the best way I can.
If you'd like to schedule a time to chat, send me an email or schedule a time through OnceHub. I am more than happy to talk about whatever is on your mind.
In this newsletter, you will find:
- A short survey about yourself that I'd LOVE if you could fill out for me.
- Information about virtual visits with college representatives (I'm excited about this!)
- Information about FAFSA and Financial Aid
- Information and FAQ about the SAT
- College Application Information (I've included a link to all of the information in Presentation form - this might make it easier to understand!)
- A little bit about scholarships and opportunities
Remember, I AM HERE FOR YOU. You've always got a resource, you just have to reach out.
All my best,
Mr. Watters
Class of 2021 Senior Survey
This is the same survey that has already been sent to you via email, and been assigned in your Google Classrooms. If you have already completed it, you do not have to again.
A Message from Mrs. Graham:
Cap and gown money will be collected on Wednesdays from 11:00AM - 11:30AM (during September and October) in the Main Office by Mrs.Graham. The cost is $25 and is Due no later than October 30, 2020. Please place a check (payable to Lakeland Activity Fund) or cash in an envelope ALONG with your full name, height and weight. You may also choose to mail payment to:
Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School
ATTN: Leslie Graham
1355 Lakeland Drive
Scott Township, PA 18433
If you have any questions or concerns please email Mrs Graham (the Senior Class Advisor) at lgraham@lakelandsd.org.
College & Career Communications
First let's start with some college and career related announcements. We have something really cool to announce first off!
RepVisits
Most sessions are being conducted via Zoom, so if you do not have that application on your computer or mobile device, it might be a good idea to download it ahead of time.
Students can register for these visits right through their Naviance Accounts. Look for the "College Visits" link under "Colleges I'm Thinking About." You can register for as many of these sessions as you'd like, and should receive a confirmation email with all the details once you do. There is also a link to a video HERE or below that walks you through how to do this.
Please note that new sessions are being added daily. You are strongly encouraged to check the RepVisits calendar every day to see if a school you are interested in has scheduled a session! If you have any questions, let Mr. Watters know.
FAFSA & Financial Aid
To help you prepare for all that the FAFSA and Financial Aid entails, we have scheduled a representative from PHEAA to host a Financial Aid Night for Lakeland students and parents. This will be a virtual event and will take place in two parts on October 22nd. There will be a Financial Aid presentation at 6:00 PM followed by a FAFSA Completion Workshop at 7:00 PM.
You can register for the 6:00 PM presentation by clicking HERE or by following the link below.
You can register for the 7:00 PM workshop by clicking HERE or by following the link below.
Below is also a link to last year's financial aid presentation from PHEAA, a link to the PA Student Aid Guide for 2020-2021, and a FAFSA checklist if you want to get ahead. Keep in mind that you should fill out the FAFSA as close to October 1st as you can so that you can give yourself the opportunity to qualify for the most financial aid possible.
Dickinson College Virtual Interviews
The CommonApp and Recommendations
*****Please note, the CommonApp requires a counselor recommendation. You can choose to omit my comments from this recommendation, but that could hurt your chances of acceptance. If you do not want this to be omitted from the CommonApp, please fill out the Senior Profile and submit it to me via Google Classroom. Because I haven't gotten the chance to know you well, I would like to have this to write a strong, accurate recommendation for you.******
You have been assigned the Senior Profile in their Google Classrooms, and should submit them to me there if you would like a recommendation, especially in the CommonApp. I will not be able to send your transcripts for CommonApp schools until I have this, or you notify me that you want me to omit my comments.
Testing
There have been many questions asked about the SAT. Here are answers to as many of the questions that I can possibly think of. Please feel free to reach out if you have other questions.
- Test Optional Schools: Please note that many colleges and universities have decided to go test optional for the 2020-2021 application period. This means that you can submit test scores if you would like, or think they will benefit you, or you can choose not to submit if you think it might be a detriment to your application. Institutions are aware of the challenges that students are facing in their attempts to take the SAT, and what that rollercoaster might do to their SAT scores. I strongly encourage you to learn about the application requirements of the schools that you are considering prior to taking the SAT or ACT. Be sure to research each of the schools AND the programs you are interested in there to see if they require a test submission. The more competitive schools and programs are the ones that are requiring these tests. This information can be found on the university's admissions websites, or by calling their office of admissions.
- SAT Cancellations: We have been alerted that several of the local SAT offerings for September and October have been cancelled. It seems as though information from the College Board is slightly delayed. If you are concerned that your SAT offering has been cancelled, your best bet is to contact the testing site directly.
- Sending Test Scores: An important consideration is that you are given the ability to send your SAT scores to up to four colleges for free if you choose the schools during the application process. I encourage you to use these if you are planning to submit your scores. We cannot send test scores to schools for you. Schools typically only accept score reports that come directly from the test provider. This means that you will have to pay the test provider to send your scores to schools.
- SAT Fee Waiver: If you are eligible for Lakeland's free/reduced lunch program, you are also eligible for an SAT Fee Waiver. This will cover the cost of your SAT registration. If you need a Fee Waiver, please email Mr. Watters for a code.
Upcoming SAT testing dates and deadlines are:
- September 26th (late registration deadline of September 15th)
- October 3rd (registration deadline of September 4th)
- November 5th (registration deadline of October 7th)
- December 5th (registration deadline of November 5th)
- March 13th (registration deadline of February 12th)
- May 8th (registration deadline of April 8th)
Upcoming ACT testing dates and deadlines are:
- September 12th (registration is closed)
- September 13th (registration is closed)
- September 19th (registration is closed)
- October 10th (registration deadline of September 17th)
- October 17th (registration deadline of September 17th)
- October 24th (registration deadline of September 17th)
- October 25th (registration deadline of September 17th)
- December 12th (registration deadline of November 6th)
- February 6th (registration deadline of January 8th)
- April 17th (registration deadline of March 12th)
Below, you will find a Presentation detailing all of the information that was posted in the previous newsletter, followed by the information as it appeared in the first newsletter. This included information about signing up for and filling out the CommonApp, Naviance for seniors, requesting transcripts, and requesting letters of recommendation. Please review this information, and reach out if you have any questions!
P.S. There is more information after this, so keep scrolling!
Seniors and Naviance Presentation
This presentation would typically be given to seniors in classrooms at the start of the school year. Because we are not in the building, I am sharing it with you here. I am hoping that it will add more detail to previous information, as well as clear up any questions that you might have had.
As always, please reach out with any questions you might have. You can access the presentation by clicking on the link below.
The CommonApp
You can create a CommonApp account here: COMMONAPP WEBSITE
What You'll Need to Complete The CommonApp
CommonAPP/Naviance Matching
You will need to match your CommonApp account with Naviance in order to get transcripts sent to the schools you are applying to.
Please watch this video. It walks you through how to create a CommonApp Account, and how to match your CommonApp and Naviance accounts:
CREATING A COMMONAPP ACCOUNT AND MATCHING NAVIANCE WITH THE COMMONAPP
The CommonApp and Transcripts
Naviance
Ahh, speaking of Naviance!...
If you forget your account password, there is a link on the Naviance Student main page that you can click to reset your account. If you have forgotten the email address you used to register, or just can't get logged in, let me know and I will get it taken care of.
Transcripts on Naviance
If you apply to a college, that college will require a copy of your high school transcript in order to be accepted. You will need to request to send a transcript to that college through Naviance.
Please watch this video. It walks you through how to request a transcript on Naviance. REQUESTING A TRANSCRIPT ON NAVIANCE
A plea from Mr. Watters - please only request transcripts be sent to schools that you have already applied to. This will lighten my load a bit and help me get transcripts out to schools a little quicker.
Letters of Recommendation on Naviance
If you are applying to college, you must request a Letter of Recommendation right on Naviance. This will allow your teachers to communicate directly with the college, and ensure that the college will receive the letter.
Please watch this video. It walks you through how to request a Letter of Recommendation through Naviance.
REQUESTING A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION ON NAVIANCE
*** It is important to note that you should always ask your teacher for a Letter of Recommendation before you submit the request on Naviance. Your teachers will be getting many requests, and good letters take time to write. It would be very beneficial for you to ask teachers for Letters of Recommendation soon to give them plenty of time to write them. ***
*** Some teachers will also want more information from you so that they can write the best letter possible. This will be the case for me as well, especially since I have not had much time to get to know you. Keep reading to find out what that looks like. ***
Senior Profiles
It is good practice to have a document ready to give anyone you ask for a Letter of Recommendation. This should include accomplishments, activities, work, personal qualities, and anything else you think has helped make you who you are today.
The counseling department has created a Senior Profile document to help guide those thoughts and self-reflective activities. There are lots of questions that are meant to make you think about yourself, and reflect on where you have been and where you plan to go. You are not required to answer every single question, but you should include as much information as possible so that your recommender can write you the best letter possible.
*****Please note, the CommonApp requires a counselor recommendation. You can choose to omit my comments from this recommendation, but that could hurt your chances of acceptance. If you do not want this to be omitted from the CommonApp, please fill out the Senior Profile and submit it to me via Google Classroom. Because I haven't gotten the chance to know you well, I would like to have this to write a strong, accurate recommendation for you.******
If you follow the link below, you will be able to make a copy of the Senior Profile sheet. You can complete this right in Google Docs, or print it out and jot down your thoughts. There will be an assignment created in my Google Classroom around the first day of school where you can submit your Senior Profiles to me. I will use them to write any letters for you, and can distribute them to teachers if you ask me to.
If you have any questions about the Senior Profile, please don't be afraid to ask!
The "Explore" Option on Naviance
I strongly encourage you to explore not only on Naviance, but by Googling careers, looking at the O*Net Online Career Database, job shadowing, and any other way you can think of. If you have any questions about your exploration, please do not hesitate to reach out!
Please watch this video. It shows you exactly where to go to explore careers on Naviance.
Scholarships & Opportunities
Naviance Scholarship Search
For now, you can start getting familiar with scholarships by looking through the Scholarship Search tab in Naviance.
Please watch this video. It walks you through how to access Scholarships through Naviance.
Questbridge
The deadline to apply for this is September 29th, 2020.
NASSP Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
Anyone who has volunteered in any way over the past year can apply. The student application deadline is November 10, 2020.
You can learn more about the award, and access the application by clicking HERE, or on the button below.
Army ROTC Scholarships
Army ROTC provides full tuition and fees (or $10K for room and board) scholarships to over 2000 high school students each year. In addition to the tuition and fees, the scholarship pays $1200 annually for books and a stipend of $420 per months (for up to 10 months a year).
Cybersecurity schools
AND BREATHE!
For those of you who are curious, at this point those taking the college route should have at least begun their CommonApp, and have a good idea of what schools they would like to apply to. Those looking to apply Early Decision or Early Action should be mindful of upcoming due dates. There is no one size fits all model for this process, but you should be keeping on top of things as best you can.
Please, please, please do not be afraid to reach out and ask me for help. This is all super overwhelming, but you do not have to go through it alone! I might not have all the answers, but I promise to always do whatever I can to find the ones I don't. I am here for you through it all.
Until next time,
Mr. Watters
Past Senior Newsletters
Lakeland School Counseling Office
Classes of 2022, 2024, & 2026
Make an appointment: https://go.oncehub.com/MrsdeQuevedo
Mr. Watters - zwatters@lakelandsd.org
Classes of 2021, 2023, & 2025
Make an appointment: https://go.oncehub.com/MrWatters
Please note that Mrs. DeQuevedo and Mr. Watters are not in the school building everyday, so it may take time to return phone calls. Email is the best option to contact if needed.
Email: lhsguidance@lakelandsd.org
Website: http://counselingatlakeland.weebly.com/
Location: 1355 Lakeland Drive, Jermyn, PA, United States
Phone: 570-254-9485
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lhscounselors/
Twitter: @chiefsguidance