Courtland Counseling
Making futures happen!
In this issue
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Important Events
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: To Do
Grades 10, 11, 12: What Is the ASVAB?
Grade 12: What Is the FERPA Waiver?
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: What Are College Entrance Examinations?
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Score Optional Review Admissions
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Career Planning … It’s Never Too Early!
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Stay Connected!
Important Dates
November 3: Deadline to register for the December 3 SAT
November 4: Deadline to register for the December 10 ACT
November 5: SAT
November 7: End of 1st quarter grading period
November 8: Student Holiday
November 14: ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)
November 17: Report cards given to students
November 23, 24, & 25: Thanksgiving Holiday
November 30: Parent Conference Night, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Parent Workshop: College Affordability, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Courtland High School Library
To Do List
Senior Parents: Parents of college-bound seniors please remember that the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opened on October 1 this year. In general, the amount of aid is limited, so the best time to apply is as soon as possible. Find information and help at: https://fafsa.ed.gov.
Junior Parents: Talk with your students about what they want to do after high school. Students who are considering a 4 year college should plan to take the SAT and/or ACT in their junior year. For more information about the SAT and to register go to: www.collegeboard.org. For more information about the ACT and to register go to: www.act.org.
Sophomore Parents: Encourage your student to get involved in school or community clubs, organizations, and volunteer service. Courtland High School has a wide variety of opportunities for students including honor societies, debate, literary magazine, lacrosse, book club, scholastic bowl, and student government.
Freshman Parents: ‘Work Values’ was the subject of the Counselors’ Freshman classroom guidance lesson this week. Students participated in a learning game and work values inventory to help them start thinking about careers. Students uploaded the results from their work values inventory to the Naviance account that each freshman created. Ask to see your student’s results!
What is the ASVAB?
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is an aptitude test that helps students identify their skills and ability to perform different types of jobs. The test measures eight categories: general science, arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, mathematics knowledge, electronics information, auto and shop information, and mechanical comprehension.
The ASVAB results help students identify potential career fields based on their interests and abilities. The military also uses the ASVAB to help determine career fields for students who are interested in enlisting in the Army, Air Force, Marines, or Navy.
The ASVAB will be given at Courtland High School on the morning of Monday, November 14 and is free of charge. Students should see their counselors by Friday, November 11, to sign-up to take the ASVAB.
What is the FERPA Waiver?
How does FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) relate to your college application?
FERPA gives you the right to review confidential letters of recommendation under certain circumstances IF:
- You are enrolled in college and that college saves the recommendations for enrolled students, OR
- You are 18 or older.
In the application you'll be asked if you want to waive this right. Why would you want to do that?
Waiving your right lets colleges know that you do not intend to read your recommendations, which helps reassure colleges that the letters are candid and truthful.
Some recommenders may refuse to write a letter for you unless you waive your rights.
What are the College Entrance Examinations
College entrance exam scores are used by colleges and universities to assess a student’s readiness for and potential to succeed in college. Most colleges (see the next article for colleges that don't) require that students submit scores from the SAT and/or the ACT with their college application package. The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The SAT is an assessment that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning.
It is recommended that juniors take the SAT and/or the ACT in the second semester of their junior year and that some preparation be made for the test, especially between the first and second tests if the student takes them a second time.
The College Board (the SAT company) has partnered with Khan Academy to develop a FREE SAT test prep online program. See the Khan Academy website: www.khanacademy.org. The College Board also offers practice lessons on its website: www.collegeboard.org.
Score Optional Admissions
Score optional/test optional/test flexible consideration is an alternative admissions plan for students who believe that their SAT/ACT test scores do not adequately reflect their level of academic achievement and/or predict their potential.
Score optional review provides an opportunity for applicants to be considered for admission without submitting, or in disregard of, college entrance examination scores.
Students who choose the score optional consideration admissions plan should be strong students who have earned above average grades in challenging courses.
Score optional requirements vary from college to college and can include, for example, a grade point average minimum and additional essays.
Virginia colleges that offer score or test optional consideration:
Christopher Newport University
George Mason University
Hampton University
Marymount University
Old Dominion University
Radford University
Roanoke College
University of Mary Washington
Virginia Baptist College
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia University of Lynchburg
Virginia Wesleyan College
The Art Institute of Washington
Check with the college’s admissions office to learn more about specific admissions requirements.
CAREER PLANNING...IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY!
When planning a career with your child, consider the following:
- Work situations and skills needed for employment are constantly changing.
- Almost half of the working population expects to change jobs in the next three years.
- Retraining and upgrading skills will be a requirement for maintaining employment.
- Two-thirds of the jobs created today will require education beyond high school.
- The worker of tomorrow must be able to work as a team member, communicate, solve problems, use technologies, adapt to change and be drug-free.
- Career development is a lifelong process.
As a parent, consider the following to help your high school student:
- Help your child make independent decisions.
- Encourage exploration of all kinds of post-secondary education opportunities.
- Involve yourself in your child's future planning.
- Give certain economic responsibilities.
- Encourage job awareness.
- Be flexible as the decision-making process evolves. It takes patience and numerous modifications.
"Careers: Building Your Child's Future Together | American School Counselor Association (ASCA)." American School Counselor Association, 13 July 2011
Your student’s counselor is here to help too! We have many resources for your student to use and may be able to offer classes that follow the career path. We are all in this together, so let’s make your student’s future happen!
CHS Counseling Department
Mrs. Emily Hall …………….…. Counselor A — De
Mr. Tom Mitchell ………….… Counselor Di—Kh
tmitchell@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Ms. Kashima Morrison ………... Counselor Ki—Ra
kmorrison@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Ms. Mary Nelson ………….... Counselor Re— Z