College Decision Deadline for Seniors

It's getting close to that May 1 decision deadline that many college have in place. This means that, if you are a senior and you have received acceptance letters from several colleges, you need to decide and get your decisions (yes or no) to the colleges by May 1st or before.  Talk to your parents, your college admissions reps, financial aid offices, and/or come to the WMS Guidance Office to get help with making that final decision.  Once you decide, come by the Guidance Office to get your name officially moved to the college pennant of your choice :)

SAT for Juniors - Sign Up NOW (required)

Juniors, remember to sign up NOW for either the May or June SAT Reasoning Test using your College Board account: www.collegeboard.org/sat.  Use your extra time over long weekends and Spring Break to go over your PSAT's from grade 9, 10, and 11 so that you are well prepared for your SAT.  Remember, many college applications will be due next fall BEFORE you have a chance to take another SAT, so if you want to meet early college deadlines, you have to take your SAT this Spring.

Four Local Scholarships for High School Seniors

Usually, I blog one scholarship at a time, but I received four of them at once, so here they are!  This is an excellent weekend activity to earn some $$$ for college :)

Keizer Heritage Foundation ($500-$1000) is offering scholarships to high school seniors who have lived in Keizer for the last 5 years or more.  Awards are based on academic performance, school and community activities, monetary need, and accurateness and completeness of application form.  All materials must be submitted before Friday, April 3 at 5:00 p.m. For more information, or to download an application, go to:  www.keizerheritage.org/scholarships.html

West Valley Hospital Foundation is offering scholarships to students who plan to study in a medically-related field.  Applicants must be a senior, a resident of Polk County, and have applied to a college in their field of healthcare study before applying for this scholarship.  The deadline to apply for this scholarship is March 24.  For more information, or to download an application, go to:
www.salemhealth.org/scholarships and click on "West Valley Hospital Foundation Scholarship" link.

Brent Strohmeyer Memorial Foundation ($400) is offering scholarships to high school seniors who have a proven interest in the automotive hobby OR who plan to enroll in automotive classes.  The deadline for applying for this scholarship is April 15, but you are encouraged to apply early.  For more information, or to download an application, go to: www.stros.biz

Chemeketa Scholars Program (full tuition scholarship for 2 years) applications are due on March 6th for high school seniors who plan to attend Chemeketa next year and have a 3.5 GPA or higher.  There are SEVERAL things that need to be done prior to March 6th, and applications can ONLY be hand delivered on ONE DAY (March 6, 2015), so pay special attention to all the planning and instructions on their website if you plan to apply for this one:
http://www.chemeketa.edu/earncertdegree/payingforcollege/aidtypes/scholars/apply.html

Future Engineers Day

All HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS who want to explore Engineering Careers are encouraged to register for the Future Engineers Day Event to be held on February 24th, 2015.  Priority will be given to SOPHOMORES who sign up by this Thursday, February 5th, 2015 at the Guidance Office.  This full-day event is fully funded by local Engineering companies, so there is no cost for students to attend.  It includes opportunities to talk with colleges, engineering professionals, lunch, keynote speaker, and industry tours.  For more details, or to register, check the bulletin board at the Guidance Office.

Albany Service Adventure (lunch presentation)

Monday, January 26th, the Albany Service Adventure will be doing a presentation during high school lunch in the Student Center for interested High School Students and Parents.  If you have an interest in Service, and would like to stay in Oregon, this is a great opportunity for you! 

Students that attend this presentation will also have an option of signing up for a "preview weekend" April 23-26, where they can see what a year of service in the Albany Service Adventure Program would be like.  This is a sample weekend schedule:

Thursday PM - arrive and move in (WMS does not have school on Friday)

Friday AM - bike to work placements with current participants (nursing home, schools, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, homeless shelter, etc)

Friday PM - eat supper together - learning component

Sat AM - unit activity/trip

Sat PM - play games, hang out, be young

Sun AM - attend Albany Mennonite Church and depart

 

If you would like more information about this, but are unable to attend the meeting, you can e-mail:

 

Jill Baker at albanyserviceadventure@gmail.com

PSAT/SAT/College Board Website Appointments

Welcome back from Christmas Break!  I hope that most of you were able to log into your College Board accounts over the past two weeks and check out the awesome resources there for reviewing your PSAT results, registering for/studying for your SAT, and exploring colleges and careers.  If you need any help with this, I have posted a sign-up sheet outside of my office with 30 different choices for appointment times next week.  Sign yourself up if you'd like to talk more about your PSAT, SAT, or anything on the College Board website :)

PSAT Results for Grades 9-11

Thursday, December 18th, I will be giving students in grades 9-11 their PSAT results during their US History, AP US History, or New Testament class.  Also, I reserved the AC Computer Lab from 2:45-3:30 so any students who want help creating their College Board Account or accessing the one they created last year, please stop by and I will help you.  As a reminder, here's what each grade level should be doing with these results:

Grade 9:

• Create your College Board account using www.collegeboard.org/quickstart and your access code printed on the paper results I am giving you tomorrow. 
• Explore the sections on College Majors, Careers, and AP Potential to start thinking about whether or not you want to take an AP class next year.

Grade 10:

• Access your College Board account that you created last year (if you forget your password, there is a link to retrieve it...do NOT create a new account) and compare this year's results to last year to see areas you have improved at www.collegeboard.org/quickstart. Your access code is on your paper results.
• Continue to explore College Majors and Careers and AP Potential to help with your course planning for next year.
• This summer, go over all the questions/answers to past two years of PSAT results so that you are well prepared for it next year (could mean $$$$$$ if you get a top score in grade 11)

Grade 11:

• Access your College Board account (if you forget your password, there is a link to retrieve it...do NOT create a new account) and use your personalized SAT study plan to prepare for your SAT this spring at www.collegeboard.org/quickstart . Your access code is on your paper results.
• If you have not yet signed up for your SAT, do it over Christmas Break.  I recommend the May or June SAT so you have plenty of time to prepare.

If you have questions about any of this, come to the AC Computer Lab tomorrow (Thursday, December 18) after school...or...see me when you get back from Christmas Break.  Merry Christmas!