October 2017
Monthly Newsletter
Conversation is at the core of our work in College Counseling. We ask questions, we listen, we share ideas, and, when needed, we nudge and challenge to get the flow of ideas moving in a direction that allows students to begin to "hear" what matters to them and discern what it is they wish to say.
Through the lens of the college search process, a process that blends students' academic preparation, extra-curricular pursuits, and individual interests with real-world expectations and deadlines, students have the opportunity to view their high school years as a whole, where everything they have experienced and mastered influences the independent young adults they are becoming. Though some students might feel that academic work and teacher expectations are completely separate from their athletic and artistic endeavors, or how they choose to spend their free time, they come to realize that all of their experiences are interconnected. Everything matters when moving toward adulthood. The self-reflection required by the college search process allows students to begin to recognize how their interests and talents have merged with their ever-expanding skill set, and highlights their readiness for the independence and self-advocacy that college – and life after college – will require of them. The paths they have selected matter immensely, whether those paths have been false starts or detours, easy or difficult, uncharted or well-trodden.
Growing up takes time, and by necessity, includes a bit of experimentation and exploration to discover not only our talents, but also our preferences. There is no fixed set-point for adulthood, though the transition to college is an important "marker" for what will be an ongoing journey that continually asks us to use the skills we started acquiring the first time we crossed a classroom threshold. It is a given that life's journey will include mishaps, missteps, and wrong turns, but a St. Anne's-Belfield education will keep you from ever feeling lost.
This month's reflection is adapted from an article written for the winter 2016 - 2017 issue of Perspectives.
Senior Reminders
If you haven't taken a look at the College Counseling Handbook lately, we encourage you to do so, paying close attention to the information found on pages 18 and 19. A few highlights:
- Re-take ACT, SAT, TOEFL, if necessary.
- Pay attention to early submission deadlines, such as Early Action, Early Decision, and Priority, as well as UCAS if you are applying to universities in the U.K. Some schools ask you to apply by an earlier date in order to qualify for scholarships.
- Complete the first draft of your Common App essay and supplements for all early decision/early action schools.
- Complete essay drafts and submit to your College Counselor for feedback.
- Send standardized test scores to colleges.
- FAFSA and Financial Aid CSS Profiles are available.
- Check email and your SPAM folder regularly. You do not want to miss important communications from this office or from a school to which you have applied.
Useful Advice for Seniors: What to Avoid When You're Applying…
Though this blog entry from Brittany Baker-Brousseau, the assistant director of admissions at the University of Southern California, was written last fall, her insight into the process and her suggestions about pitfalls to avoid are timeless.
Accessing Naviance
There is a new and easier way of accessing Naviance; instead of using www.naviance.com for logging into Naviance, which will soon be an unavailable route, students and families can login here. We encourage all users to bookmark this link for direct access and timely logins into Naviance. You may also continue to access Naviance via the Family Connection portal located on the College Counseling page on the School's website.
Merit Scholarships
Many universities and colleges offer merit scholarships to students. Deadlines for merit consideration are often earlier than a school's regular decision deadline and might require information and essays beyond what is included in the application. To learn more about merit scholarship opportunities available at the schools you are considering, please visit each school's website. This information is usually found though the Admissions portal and is frequently bundled with information about Financial Aid.
In addition, several organizations provide merit scholarships to high school seniors. The following may be of interest to you:
Raise.me partners with more than 225 colleges and universities to award scholarships to students for academic and extracurricular accomplishments.
Coca-Cola Scholars are judged on their academic performance, extracurricular activities, leadership experience, and community service. This award is open to current high school seniors. Each year, 150 awards of $20,00 are given out.
Applicants to the Burger King Scholars Program are judged on their GPA, work experience, extracurricular activities, and community service. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $50,000.
Opportunities for Artists & Writers
The 2018 Scholastic Awards are now open for submissions. For more information about the competition categories and deadlines, visit their blog.
The deadlines for the annual Writer's Eye poetry and prose competitions sponsored by the University of Virginia's Fralin Art Museum are in mid-November.
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