Welcome Seniors WSHS Senior Class Staff Richard

Welcome Seniors!!!!

WSHS Senior Class Staff Richard Griffin – 12 th Grade Administrator Jennifer Ferrara – Director of Student Services Jeff Stahl – 12 th Grade Counselor (A-KI) Esther Pincus – 12 th Grade Counselor (L-Z) Hannah Hurlburt – Career Center Specialist Lois Kurth – Transcript Secretary Jeff Stahl & Michaelle O’Brien, Class Sponsors

Class of 2011 Information Senior Dues: $111 – due to class sponsors by October 1 st to cover the cost of graduation activities (rental of Patriot Center, caps, gowns, diploma covers, security and Senior Picnic) Homecoming Float Building – check Blackboard for dates and times. Everyone is welcome! Spartan. Fest - need volunteers to work the booths! Prom – June 17 th at Hyatt Regency in Reston Town Center Graduation - June 21 st at Patriot Center Balfour – www. balfour. com – website for ordering additional graduation items

The College Selection Process Where are YOU in this process? Identify preferences Meet with counselor Do college search in Career Center Narrow choices (5 -8 schools) Research deadlines/admissions policies and requirements Visit colleges/Meet with representatives

Post-High School Options 4 year college/university Community College Technical School Armed Services Apprenticeship Training Workforce Volunteerism Gap Year

How do you decide? ? Identify the decision to be made – what do you want to do after graduation? What are your short term and long term goals? Know Yourself – what are your skills, strengths, and weaknesses? What are your interests? Identify Options Gather Information Evaluate pros and cons of each alternative Design a course of action to implement your decision

What are the steps in applying to college? Student fills out online college application on a college or university’s website Student needs to request transcripts through their counselor using the WSHS transcript request form SAT/ACT scores need to be sent directly from www. collegeboard. com or www. actstudent. org Letters of recommendation (if required) need to be requested from teachers (Provide them with envelopes addressed to the college Admissions Office)

Requirements for Admission What do you need when applying? APPLICATION (Completed by student) TRANSCRIPTS (Requested by student, sent by school) TEST SCORES (Requested by student directly from testing agency) RECOMMENDATIONS (Counselor recommendation send with transcript if desire, teacher rec usually sent separately)

College Applications Most are available and submitted online. STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING THE APPLICATIONS AND COMPLETING THEM. All of your application “pieces” do not have to be mailed at the same time. As materials are received, the colleges will create “your” file. After submitting applications, you will want to follow up with each college to make sure that they have received all “pieces” of your application so that they can begin to evaluate your application.

Decision Types Regular decision – usually between January 1 st and February 15 th Early Admissions – usually need to apply by November 1 st. Early decision = binding, early action is not. Check with college before applying early! Rolling Admissions – applications reviewed as they are submitted to college. Speak with your parents and counselor if applying early. Keep your options open!

Transcript Request Form To request a transcript, students need to fill out a Transcript Request Form. This form is available in the Office of Student Services from your child’s counselor. Each year the school counseling office processes approximately 6, 000 college transcript requests. To guarantee that the transcripts arrive at colleges in a timely manner, Mrs. Kurth, the transcript secretary, requires processing time. Allow at least three weeks for processing transcript requests. Seniors are reminded that their mid-year grades will automatically be sent to all colleges for which they have requested a transcript. A final transcript will be sent to the college designated on the senior survey.

ASAP IS NOT A DATE You only get one transcript request form Your counselor keeps it in their office

Request Deadline Transcript Due at College October 15 November 13 December 3 January 14 November 15 December 1 January 15 February 1

Transcript Request Form Official vs. Unofficial transcripts – applications/scholarships First 3 are free. After that you pay $5. 00 per transcript. Payment must be submitted for transcripts to be sent! You must sign and date it. DO NOT start more than one transcript request form. Counselors keep it on file in their offices. You want to waive your right to see recommendation. Follow up with colleges to be sure all information has been received! Semester grades automatically sent to any college a student lists on their transcript request form.

SAT AND ACT www. collegeboard. com www. actstudent. org Register online at the above websites. Upcoming SAT Dates: October 9 th, November 6 th, December 4 th Upcoming ACT Dates: October 23 rd, December 11 th

Additional Post-High School Options Community Colleges (NOVA) – 2 year programs usually lead to an Associate’s degree, license, or certificate in a particular field. Many community colleges offer academic courses as well as technical/occupational training in a variety of fields. After two years, it is usually possible to transfer to a four year university and earn a Bachelor’s degree in a particular field. Technical/Trade Schools – Privately owned schools that offer technical training. Be sure to know what type of degree you can get and what opportunities are available upon completion. Check to see if school is licensed and ask questions regarding job opportunities available after graduation. Areas of specialization include fashion, cosmetology, medical and tech training, broadcasting, etc.

Military Options Army www. army. mil Navy www. navy. mil Air Force www. af. mil Marine Corps www. mc. mil Coast Guard www. uscg. mil National Guard www. ngb. dtic. mil Check Career Center frequently for information about visiting recruiters! For more information, go to www. militarycareers. com

Going Military? Take the ASVAB! ASVAB = Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Timed test that determines if you are qualified to serve in the military. Your scores in the other areas of the ASVAB will determine how qualified you are for certain military occupational specialties and Enlistment Bonuses. A high score will improve your chances of getting the specialty/job and signing bonus you want. Offered here at WSHS! See Ms. Hurlburt in Career Center to sign up! She can give you a practice test first! Offered on November 5 th and March 23 rd

Additonal Post High School Options Volunteer opportunities – www. americorps. com Apprenticeship – employer’s training program that combines on the job training with related instruction. Sponsored by an employer. See Ms. Hurlburt in Career Center for options and questions about applying for an apprenticeship. Trade School/Workforce – are you interested in learning a specific trade? Do you have a resume?

Your Responsibility for the College Process YOU take ownership of the process. Do NOT have your parents do things for you! Research deadlines in Family Connection. Look at college websites! Call Admissions Offices. Request standardized test scores directly from College Board and/or ACT Be familiar with WSHS processing policy Research individual college requirements in Family Connection Provide counselors with copies of Secondary School Reports when required

Parents’ Responsibility for the College Process Stay in the loop regarding your Senior’s college application process. Ask your student’s counselor if you have any questions regarding your college applications. Seniors should check their email and Family Connection account on a consistent basis. Encourage students to follow up with applications to colleges to be sure that everything has been received. Be patient with University Mail Rooms. We might have mailed something, but it takes a while for it to get to the admissions office.

Senior Year Grades COUNT! Your grades count all year – work hard into 2 nd semester even if you are accepted to a college. Upward trend Senior year can help when applying to colleges. We send a copy of your first semester grades to any college you list on your transcript request form. Colleges can and do revoke acceptances after they receive final senior grades. Know your requirements for graduation. If you are not sure, ask your school counselor!

Student Email Communication is KEY! We will be communicating through school based email with you and your Senior throughout the year. It is vital that students read this email regularly. If they have a problem with school email, complaint forms are available in the library. Email Address is firsname. lastname@studentmail. fcps. edu Login is firstname. last name Password is same as it was last year. If you forget your password, see a librarian to have it reset.

Counselor Recommendations Have you completed: ◦ Junior Self Assessment ◦ Resume (About Me Section in Family Connection) ◦ Parent Response (handout) ◦ Meeting with counselor Counselors need this information to write the best possible letter of recommendation! No information = No letter. Will be sent with your transcript from WSHS.

Teacher Recommendations Provide teacher with a stamped addressed envelope. Give the teacher enough time to write the letter of recommendation. Make sure that you indicate the deadline and check back with the teacher beforehand to make sure your letter is sent on time. Be sure to thank the teachers for writing a letter for you!

School Profile Gives colleges information about the WSHS Class of 2011. Fairfax County Public Schools DOES NOT RANK. We provide a percentage based on the entire class. We do not provide a number for class rank. School profile sent with all transcripts.

Secondary School Report Most colleges require the high school to give data about applicants to them with the recommendations. For many colleges we can use our own WSHS report, but we must staple it to the colleges official Secondary School report. Students are responsible for bringing their counselor this form to complete when they do their transcript request. Make sure you sign and completes the student portion of this form. Most reports are readily available on the college websites. Also available in the Office of Student Services also.

Avoid SENIORITIS! A strong senior year makes a stronger application! Stay Organized Use Good Time Management Demonstrate Responsibility and Advocacy! Colleges are not afraid to change their minds on their decision to accept you! Final grades will be sent to the college you select to attend at the end of the year. All Seniors will complete a Senior Survey – students will indicate their college choice. Reply to the college of your choice by May 1.

College Reps at West Springfield HS Several visits to WSHS- take advantage! College Rep visits are posted on the Career Center website AND in Family Connection. Obtain a pass at least one day in advance from Ms. Hurlburt in the Career Center. Teachers must approve and sign passes before students may meet with reps. If you are absent, come to the Career Center before school to obtain a pass. Ask good questions! Make connections!

Scholarships & Financial Aid All info about scholarships is available on the Career Center website and in FAMILY CONNECTION! Students have the ability to browse through scholarship activities from one central location! Check deadlines for scholarship opportunities! Talk to Ms. Hurlburt in the Career Center. FASFA forms are available online. Can fill out FAFSA starting January 1 st, 2011. FAFSA workshops offered in FCPS in the winter. Financial Aid workshop December 8 th at 7: 00 pm in WSHS Cafeteria. Guest speaker from a college Financial Aid Office will be presenting.

Family Connection – what should you be using it for? Please log on and use Family Connection regularly to keep updated with your counselor. New features include being able to check the status of your transcripts, the college match feature, and the Scholarships page. Accessible through your child’s Blackboard page. A great resource and guideline during the college application process! Contact information, admissions requirements, deadlines, etc all can be found here!

Important Dates to Remember September 20 -21 October 2 October 8 -9 October 12 October 15 October 17 October 18 November 1 December 8 June 21 Senior College Unit Spartan. Fest Homecoming Weekend National College Fair – DC Convention Center Alcanza Latino Student College Fair - GMU College Fair: Fair Oaks Mall 7: 30 – 9: 30 PM College Night at Hayfield HS 7: 00 – 9: 00 PM Early Decision deadline for many colleges Financial Aid Night (WSHS Cafeteria) 7: 00 PM Graduation – 2: 00 pm – Patriot Center