October Guidance Newsletter
Guidance Office Newsletter
October 2019
September was a busy month! Seniors went on their retreat to self-reflect, while sophomores bonded with each other and participated in leadership activities at Camp Joy. We had visits from college reps and students were encouraged to attend the many college fairs in the area.
Some reminders for the month of October:
Please watch for any updates from the Guidance Department in Mr. Gressock’s Friday emails.
Upcoming College Representative Visits to CLS:
During the month of October, several college representatives will stop by to see students. The visits will take place outside of the forum or in senior guidance classes. I encourage all students to stop by to say hello to the reps, but especially those who are thinking about attending that college - tell the rep your name, introduce yourself and let them know you are interested.
10/4 University of Cincinnati 12 pm in Commons
10/7 Walsh University 11:15 am in Commons
10/8 University of Evansville during senior guidance class
10/9 Centre College 11:45 am in Commons
10/15 University of Kentucky during senior guidance class
10/22 Northern Kentucky University during senior guidance class
10/29 Thomas More University during senior guidance class
Questions to Ask on a College Visit:
What questions should you ask during a college visit? Students received a list of questions to ask college reps at college fairs to help them become more comfortable talking with college reps. Here is a list of questions that may be helpful when visiting colleges to determine if the college will be a good fit.
Admissions:
- What are the application deadlines for admission?
- Do you offer Early Decision or Early Action?
- What is the average high school GPA of the entering freshman class?
- Do you accept AP credit? Is there a limit?
- When do I have to declare a major?
- What if I do not meet admission requirements?
- Do you accept transfer credits? Is there a limit?
Academics:
- What is the average class size of introductory classes?
- What is the average class size of upper-level classes?
- What is the largest class on campus? What is the smallest?
- What are the most popular majors?
- What types of internships are available?
- Are there study abroad opportunities available?
- How do you assign faculty advisors to students, especially those who are not sure about
their major?
- What is the student to faculty ratio?
- What opportunities are there for undergraduate research and funding?
- How many students participate in undergraduate research?
- Do you have an Honors College? Is there a separate application for it?
- Do you have a learning community, learning dorm, or other freshman experiences that I
should be aware of?
- What type of tutoring programs do you have?
- What additional academic services are offered to students (career counseling, mock
interviews, study skills workshops, etc.)?
- Do you have a writing center on campus?
- What is your four-year graduation rate? What does it take to graduate in four years?
- What percentage of your freshmen return for their sophomore year?
Financial Aid & Scholarships:
- When is the priority deadline for financial aid applications?
- What kind of financial aid is available?
- What percentage of your students receive financial aid from the university?
- What types of scholarships are available to freshmen?
- What is your average financial aid package?
- What work-study opportunities are there?
Campus Life:
- What percentage of your students live on campus?
- What kind of dorm choices are there?
- What percentage of the study body belong to a sorority or fraternity?
- What organizations and extracurricular activities do you have on campus?
- What events are popular on campus?
- Is there transportation on and off-campus? Is it easy to get to town and/or home?
- What is the climate during the school year?
- What is your relationship with the community like?
- What do students do in their free time?
- How are roommates selected?
- How does the meal plan work?
Questions to Ask Current Students:
- Why did you decide to attend this college?
- What was your freshman experience like?
- Do you feel there is a strong support/transition program for freshmen students?
- What is your favorite thing about this college? Least favorite?
- Where is your favorite place to study on campus?
- Where is your favorite place to eat on campus? Off-campus?
- What are you studying here? How did you choose your major?
- If you could change one thing about this college, what would it be?
- What sort of campus events does the college host?
- Do you have any advice for an incoming freshman?
- How approachable are the staff/faculty/administration?
- How would you describe the community and atmosphere?
- What clubs or extracurricular activities do you recommend?
- Did anything surprise you when you became a student?
- Who is your favorite professor or what is your favorite class you have taken?
College Fairs and College Meet and Greets in October:
College Fairs are a great place to go to get information from many schools at once. During sophomore, junior and senior guidance classes, we will talk about questions to ask college admission representatives. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are encouraged to go to college fairs. It is never too early to start thinking about post-secondary goals.
10/3 Meet Morehead State University from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Newport Aquarium.
10/9 Northern Kentucky Regional College Fair from 6 pm to 7:30 pm at Thomas More University Connor Convocation Center.
10/17 Information Session with Harvard, Princeton, UVA, Wellesley, and Yale starting at 7 pm at Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter in Covington. Admissions representatives from Harvard, Princeton, UVA, Wellesley, and Yale will discuss academic programs, campus life, selective college admissions and financial aid. Please bring your friends and family. Please register for this event here.
Scholarship Opportunities!
Start your scholarship search now. Many scholarships are open to freshmen through seniors. There are many websites to search for scholarships. Try fastweb.com, studentscholarships.org, or goingmerry.com to name a few. You may also contact local organizations, companies, and religious organizations to ask if they offer scholarships. Start accumulating your college money now!
Listed below are a couple scholarships of interest.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. Each year 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected to receive this $20,000 scholarship. Apply now! High school seniors may visit Cokeurl.com/Apply2019 to apply to be a Coca-Cola Scholar. Deadline: October 31, 2019, at 5 pm.
Horatio Alger Scholarship Program is one of the nation's largest need-based college scholarship programs in the country. This scholarship specifically assists high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives. While many programs are directed primarily to recognizing academic achievement or leadership potential, the Horatio Alger Association seeks students who've exhibited determination, integrity, and perseverance in overcoming adversity, in addition to having critical financial need. You may apply for this scholarship here. Deadline: October 25, 2019
William T. Robertson High School Essay Scholarship Contest is open to any Kentucky resident High School Seniors. The winner will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship to be paid to the college of their choice in their freshman semester and will also be invited to attend the KCA Winter Convention to be held in Louisville Kentucky this year to accept the award. You may apply here.
Deadline: November 4, 2019
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship is an undergraduate scholarship program available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend and graduate from the nation's best four-year colleges and universities. In addition to the monetary award, Cooke Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising, significant cohort-based programming, and graduate school funding, as well as access to a thriving network of more than 2,600 fellow Cooke Scholars and alumni. You must apply for this scholarship through the Common App. Deadline: November 13, 2019
Ramsey Debt-Free Degree Scholarship Giveaway is giving away $10,000 in college scholarships. Answer a few easy questions about going to college debt-free and be entered for a chance to win one of three scholarships. Open to freshmen through seniors. First place wins $5,000, second and third place wins $2,500 each. It really is as simple as answering a few True or False questions! You may apply here.
ACT/PSAT
10/16 PSAT at CLS Mandatory for all Juniors and Optional for Sophomores
10/26 ACT National Test Date (not held at CLS) register here by October 8.
10/30 Practice ACT at CLS Mandatory for Juniors
11/2 SAT National Test Date (not held at CLS) register here by October 15.
Other News:
FAFSA opened on October 1. The website http://www.understandingfafsa.org/ has guides to help both parents and students complete FAFSA.
To file your FAFSA, please go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa
College Essays
The blog written by Ethan Sawyer aka College Essay Guy, a nationally recognized college essay expert, is full of tips, advice, and examples to help with writing a college essay. Please check out this post “How to Start a College Essay-9 Surefire Techniques” to help you get started!
Naviance:
Seniors, juniors, and sophomores work with a program called Naviance in guidance class. Naviance is a tool for students to learn more about their interests and then connect those interests to colleges, majors, and careers. One of the tools in Naviance is SuperMatch. Using SuperMatch students can choose things important for them to have in a college and receive a list of colleges that match their “must-haves” by percentage. They can also compare their GPA and test scores with the averages of current students attending that college.
I hope you enjoy this short highlight video of SuperMatch!
https://www.screencast.com/t/HLZ2LKluK1JV