Submitting College Applications

I am happy to say that I have been seeing more and more students working their way through the beginning stages of the college application process. I think that many students have found that they are worried that it will be much bigger and more difficult than it really is. Without a doubt*, the most challenging part of the college application process is writing your college essay. (*OK, so I said this is the most challenging part, but really I should say this is the most challenging part for right NOW. Picking your list of schools was the most challenging part before you started applying and soon waiting will be the most challenging part and then, of course, making the decision about where to attend will be the big challenge. :-) I know it can be overwhelming, but you will get through this and I am here to help you in any way that I can!)

When applying, the colleges definitely prefer for you to apply online. Most schools will require you to create a username and password. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you save all of these usernames and passwords! You will more than likely need them again when you want to check your admissions status. (Once upon a time I would have suggested saving it in the notes area of PrepHQ, but since that isn't an option, please find a safe place at home where your dog won't eat it or it won't be thrown away by accident.)

A few reminders about your online application...
1.) Punctuation and spelling matter! Pay attention to the details - this is your introduction to the college and you want to make a positive impression.

2.) Use your parents "real" names - they are more than just "mom" or "dad."

3.) Double check that you have the correct social security number. Many schools use that to connect all of your application pieces together.

4.) If it has a spot for an essay response - that is really an essay - do not just write in a quick sentence and move on. Take the time to draft, edit, revise, edit, revise, step away from, edit, and revise some more before you copy and paste the final essay into the application and submit it.

5.) Tell the Truth! Do not make up something or claim that you won an award, completed community service, or had some other issue during high school if it is not true. Honesty matters in how the college will perceive you and it is also simply an issue of integrity.

(And, for the record, all 5 of these problems are actual problems I have found when reviewing student applications at WKHS! I couldn't make them up...)

After submitting your application online most colleges will have a form that you will need to download for me to complete for you. You need to bring these forms with any other supportive materials that the college requests to the Counseling and Career Center. (Supportive materials might be teacher recommendation letters, sample writings, etc.)

There are yellow Transcript Release forms on the filing cabinets right in the middle of the Counseling and Career Center that you must complete for each school in order to authorize us to release your transcript to the college. You will need to complete the transcript release form and provide all of the materials plus a $2.00 fee to Mrs. Hoyt (Registrar). She then runs your transcript and places it in a folder along with all of your other materials and passes it off to me. I will then work on completing the form and we will mail the entire packet of materials to your college.

It is ESSENTIAL to watch your deadlines carefully! You need to provide plenty of time for the application to be processed. The best “rule of thumb” for your getting your application to the counseling center is 30 days before the due date. Most college due dates are for all materials (and not just the application) to be received in their office before that date. Don’t forget that many colleges also have earlier due dates than those publicized to be considered for scholarships so you need to read carefully! If your application requires a recommendation letter from me, you definitely need to provide me with the 30 days of time because I write all recommendation letters on a first come first written basis and I do not want to have your application submitted after the due date because it wasn’t given to me with a reasonable amount of time. If the form does not require a recommendation letter (or if I already have a letter written for you) then my goal is to turn your application around in 1 to 2 school days. Please remember though that there is additional time required to actually get the materials to me and then also get them mailed out.

As always, please remember that I am here to help you and will help guide you through the process as we go. Feel free to ask questions and drop in to see me as you work on your applications.

Making a Campus Visit

Some of you may be making the most of the extra day off on Friday by traveling to visit a college campus so I thought it might be useful if I gave you some information to help you during your campus visits. This is a long post, so please bear with me. :-)

During your campus visit, ask questions as you tour the school. After each visit, review the list to see if there are any other questions you might want to add. Remember, you are visiting campuses to get a feeling for the atmosphere of each place – something you can’t get from a brochure or website.

Questions to Ask During a Campus Visit:
- What activities and services are available to help students get settled (academically and socially) during their first year?
- How big are the classes?
- (Ask students) How easy is it to meet with faculty?
- (Ask students) Are you able to register for the classes you want?
- What is the total cost of attending the college?
- What types of financial aid does the college offer and how do I apply?
- Are all freshmen assigned to an academic advisor?
- Where do most freshmen live?
- Can I take a tour?
- What activities are available for students?
- Who teaches the majority of the courses for first-year students?
- How successful are the college’s graduates in finding jobs?
- What services (such as transportation and shopping) are available locally?
- What is there to do on weekends? Do most students stay on campus or leave on weekends?
- Are the dorms spread throughout the campus or clustered in one area?
- Is there any kind of shuttle service between classroom areas, the library, the student union, and dorms? How late does it run?
- Is there a security system to bar outsiders from entering dorms?
- How large is the campus security police force? Does it patrol the campus regularly?
- What services are offered by the campus health center? How large is it?
- Does the student health center refer students to the local hospital? Is there a nearby hospital? How large is it?

Ask Students:
- How many of your courses are taught by a big-name professor and how many by a teaching assistant?
- Is the teaching innovative and project oriented or is it mostly lecture oriented?
- Do most freshmen class lectures take place in an amphitheater?
- What are the strong majors? What are the weak majors?
- How hard do you have to work for your grades?
- What’s the reputation of the ________ department?
- How adequate for your needs is the campus computer network?
- Do fraternities and sororities dominate the social life of the college?
- What do students do on weekends? Do most go home?
- How is the advisement system? Do you feel your professors really care?
- How helpful are the other students if you miss a class? (Are they willing to share a copy of their notes or review the information covered with you?)
- There are a lot of organizations on campus. Are they dominated by a few groups or is anyone welcome?
- How active is the ___________ (fill in the activity in which you are interested)?

Pay Attention to/ Take note of:
- Are the dorms quiet or noisy? Do they seem crowded?
- How large are the dorm rooms? Is there adequate space and light to study?
- Does each dorm room have access to the internet and the campus LAN?
- What’s advertised on dorm and classroom bulletin boards? What does this tell me about campus life?
- How good is the lighting around each dorm, classroom, and lab buildings?
- Do the buildings and grounds look well cared for or do they need painting and general repair work?
- Is the grass cut and are the grounds landscaped?
- What’s the condition of the playing fields and the sports equipment?
- How is the quality of the food in the cafeteria or dining hall? How are the sizes of the portions? Is it healthy or fast food? Are there meal plans?
- Does it look like there is much to do outside of campus?
- How easy is it to get to places off campus?
- Are there places within walking distance?
- Are there places to get extra furniture, like bookcases, for your dorm room?
- Is there a supermarket nearby to stock up on snacks and soda?
- If you move out of a dorm after freshman year, what are the options in apartment complexes or buildings?

Things to Ask Yourself:
- While waiting how did the staff members that you observed interact with students? Were they friendly or did they approach students – both potential freshmen like you and enrolled students – as if they were interfering with the staff members jobs?
- Was the Admissions office a friendly and inviting place with a great deal of information about the school or was it cold and sterile with little information to pick up?
- What did your parents find out about the career planning services offered to graduating seniors and to graduates? What do the services include?
- Do most of the students seem to be like you or are they completely different? Can you imagine being friends with the people you see on campus?
- How would you feel being in a classroom full of these students? Sharing a dorm with them?
- Do the students try to make you feel at home? Are they happy to answer your questions or do they make you feel like you’re intruding? How do they interact with one another?
- Does the campus seem too big or too small?- Do freshmen live in their own dorms? How do I feel about living in a single-sex or coed dorm?- Do you feel comfortable and safe?
- Think about the kind of person you are. Are you a self-starter or do you need someone to motivate you? Do you like being part of a crowd or would you rather be alone or in a small group? How important is it to be near your family? How comfortable are you with challenging courses?
- Compare your offers – financially and what the school has to offer. Make a list of pros and cons of each school and the key reasons for your decisions. Remember some factors may be more important to you than others.

After the Visit/ Interview:
- Write thank you notes to your interviewer and anyone else you met with formally, such as a coach or a professor.
- If you spoke with any students and traded e-mail addresses, send an e-mail thank you.

And, of course, by now it should hopefully go without saying, please don’t forget to take a picture of you on campus to bring back for the “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” display! :-)

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

How many times have people (including me) asked you what you want to be when you grow up? I often see many students stare back in a look of pure panic because they really don't have any idea what they would like to do when they are out in the "real world." Don't worry! It is normal to be uncertain of what career you will spend the rest of your life pursuing, but it is helpful for you to start exploring different career fields and considering different jobs that might be a good fit with your strengths, needs, and interests.

I have been working with a committee of parents, teachers, counselors and other staff to help plan the 2010 Career Fair. Upperclassmen may recall the 2008 Career Fair as this is an effort we are attempting to hold every other year. The Career Fair will give all students the opportunity to interact one-on-one in an informal setting (during the school day at WKHS) with a variety of different career professionals. I know that in addition to my students, many parents read this blog - and I desperately need your help with this project! We need to find more people to attend the Career Fair and we'd also like additional information about a wide range of careers even if people cannot attend as we will compile the responses in a Career Resource Handbook for students to use as a resource. Adults can help by completing the career questionnaire and I would also love it if you could forward the survey to any of your family members, friends, neighbors, or colleagues!

In the meantime, for students who still are at a loss and wouldn't even know a broad area that you might be interested in considering for your future, perhaps it would be worth your time to take a Career Interest Inventory.

The Ohio Career Information System (OCIS) has an online assessment that the district provides access to for WKHS students. You will need to know the username: Worthington and password: ohiocis03

Here are a few other sites with career related information that you can explore:

Occupational Outlook Handbook: The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. The Handbook is revised every two years.

O*Net (Occupational Information Network): source providing comprehensive information on key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations. This site also includes a Skills Search section for students to complete as a self-assessment.

Enjoy exploring these different sites and learning about careers and opportunities available in your future!

Confidentiality

It is very important to me that I work to earn your trust every day. During high school there are times when you may feel that there is no one there to listen and I want to remind you that I am here for you. Please remember that what you say to me is confidential between us unless you are a risk to yourself or someone else in which case I am required to report it.

If you want to meet with me - just drop by my office! That is honestly the BEST way to meet with me. You don't need to schedule an appointment in advance. I'm generally around before and after school as well as during your lunch or academic prep/ option periods for you to stop in and chat. You don't need a big reason to come down and say Hi. I am happy to see you even if you just wanted to tell me how well or how poorly you did on a test that day. If I am busy meeting with another student or parent - you can stop back down or leave a pass for me. If I don't know who you are and you have left a pass that leads me to search for you in the commons please try to help me out and let me know that "you" are the student. (I know, not always easy, but if you left a pass and I haven't tracked you down that day or the following day, chances are I can't find you in the commons - so please come back!)

Don't forget I have candy and toys in my office - so it is always worth just stopping by to say hello. :-) Nope, I am not above bribery if it means that I get to know you all better. :-)

Columbus Suburban College Fair

College Fairs provide the opportunity for you to gain a lot of useful information from a large number of schools in a short period of time. The Columbus Suburban College Fair will be this Sunday, September 26th, from 1:00 - 3:30 at Otterbein College. I have to be honest, college fairs can feel like mass chaos so I am hoping that this information will be helpful to you. Try to take a deep breath, relax, and try not to get too overwhelmed.

The good news is that college fairs give you a chance to meet with admissions representatives in person. They are all gathered together in one place in order to meet you and to answer your questions. Many schools also keep track of the number of interactions/ meetings you have with their admissions representatives during your search and application process so that they can gauge your interest level in their school. As a component of this, and also a way to expand their mailing database, a large number of the college fair booths will have cards for you to fill out with your contact information and interests. If you want to save time you can create and print out address labels that include your name, address, phone number, e-mail, high school name, year of graduation, intended major(s), and extra-curricular activities of interest. You can then just put the label on the card instead of re-writing the exact same information at table after table for each college.

Be prepared before you get to the college fair. Know that there will be far more schools than you are interested in or can even truly take in during one afternoon, so it is useful to come up with a list of colleges that you would be interested in learning more about. You can search online to help you create that list by doing a search that looks for different criteria that seems to be a good fit for you. With that list in hand you now have a starting point for the colleges that you would like to talk to during the fair.

It can be useful to ask the same questions of each college so that you can compare them and their responses appropriately. There are suggestions and tips for getting the most out of the college fair and a list of questions you can ask at the college fair in the Student Resources section of the Columbus Suburban College Fair website. The National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) also has a handout that you can use to help with questions and I encourage you to also consider thinking about the things you most want to know about the school and can’t find in a brochure or website. Everyone is different so your questions are going to be different depending upon your interests, but if you are really interested in playing a club sport in college, you might want to ask about their club/ intramural program and the numbers of students that participate. You may want to ask what the top 2 or 3 majors are on campus as that will give you an idea of what most of the students are interested in studying. If you are undecided about what you would like to study, it would be a great idea to ask them what support and services are available to help students in exploring different majors.

Take something with you to be able to jot some notes on and also a pen or pencil. It is a crazy event with so much happening that if you don’t write it down as you go, you won’t remember much after the fact. The admissions representatives are giving you a small look of the college – what do you think following each glimpse?

When you are walking through the college fair with the list of schools that you want to talk to don’t forget to leave some time for browsing – you may realize that a school you hadn’t previously considered has just what you are looking for in a college. It can be easy for us to get caught in the cycle of only looking at specific schools because that is what “everyone” else is considering.

Ideally you will be able to avoid getting caught up in the crowds and confusion so that you don’t walk away from the college fair with a lot of brochures, but no real ideas or impressions about which colleges most interest you. At the end of the day you will likely have a bag filled with information about colleges. As the “Faring Well at College Fairs” article says, “Don’t succumb to the temptation of just piling all those brochures in some obscure corner of your bedroom. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a day or two away from the college search. Then get out all of those brochures, along with the notes you took at the fair, and read through them. You may find that some colleges aren’t as interesting as you first thought. Others only look better the more you research them.”

Good luck and happy college searching… I can’t wait to hear about the schools that spark your interest!

25 Common Mistakes in Choosing a College

Today I was meeting with a student in my office and wanted to find an old blog posting that I remembered writing about and as I was searching for it I came across this list of 25 common mistakes in choosing a college. I whole-heartedly agree with the list and think it is important for students to consider as they are looking at schools. The list of 25 mistakes came from this article which also provides good explanations for WHY these actions are mistakes.

1. Only look at colleges your best friend is looking at

2. Go to college where your girlfriend (or boyfriend) is going

3. Consider only colleges that mom or dad attended

4. Choose a college because it is the last place mom or dad want you to go

5. Choose a college based on the quality of their athletic teams

6. Go to the college with the best party scene

7. Look only at colleges within 50 miles of where you live

8. Don’t examine who you are and what you want from a college

9. Consider the cost of the college in deciding where to apply

10. Don’t visit a college or a similar type of college before applying

11. Choose a college without investigating campus safety

12. Let the choice just happen instead of taking charge of your future

13. Apply to colleges that you don’t really like because you think it will make your parents proud or impress your friends

14. Choose a college based on whether the student body is attractive

15. Believe that the harder a college is to get into, the better it must be

16. Assume that all colleges are the same

17. Rely on the rankings in news magazines

18. Apply only to prestigious colleges

19. Rely on someone else’s opinion

20. Be too shy to ask questions

21. Rely on a college’s advertising

22. Misjudge your ability to get admitted to a particular college

23. Ignore the resources you have available to help

24. Don’t adequately investigate your college choices

25. Decide that there is only one “right” college

College Admissions Creep

I am the first person to say that I want students to be on top of the college application process. The tendency to procrastinate can be difficult to overcome. This is why I am constantly after the seniors to start drafting essays, to get organized, and to pay attention to the application deadlines. That being said, I also strongly agree with what this article about avoiding the college admissions creep shared. The rush to take college admissions tests earlier than necessary is one of the most frequent examples of college admissions creep. At this time, sophomores and juniors do not need to worry about taking the ACT or SAT. Students should take one or both of these tests during the second semester of their junior year. At this time of year, sophomores should be looking forward to the PLAN test (practice ACT) which will be during the afternoon of October 13th and juniors should be gearing up for the PSAT (practice SAT) which will be held on the morning of October 13th. Rushing these tests to earlier than necessary usually results in students (and often parents) feeling stressed out and getting burned out before the real application process begins. I hope you take a moment and read the Washington Post's article about Saying "No" to College Admissions Creep.

Colleges Visiting Kilbourne

Did you know that many college admissions representatives come to WKHS in order to visit with you? Stop for a moment and think about that – the schools are paying someone to come to Kilbourne in order to meet with you and showcase the opportunities available at their college.

While a meeting with a representative cannot replace the actual experience of walking on campus, seeing the people, and experiencing the classes, it can be an important piece of your information gathering process. Possibly even more importantly, you are expressing your interest and desire to attend their college! The admissions representatives who are traveling to the schools keep track of who they see. Many colleges can go back and tell you exactly how many times a student has come to tour campus, contacted the admissions office, or had an official interaction with a representative of the school. You never really know what can make a difference so if you are able to attend a meeting with a representative, it can only help you.

Normally we have the college visits posted on PrepHQ so that you can see which schools are coming to WKHS and sign up for the visits right there on the website. As this is not an option presently, we have uploaded a list on the Counselors Corner of the WKHS PTO website. The visits are also being listed on the VIS and you can also stop into the Counseling and Career Center and look through the list of college visits (on the middle island area) and sign up for any that interest you.

Juniors and Seniors have unlimited opportunities to attend these sessions. Please be reasonable though. If a visit is scheduled during a time when you have class, you MUST get your teacher’s approval in advance of attending the information session. You are responsible for all missed work and teachers are not supposed to excuse you from tests, quizzes, or labs. (You can download a pass from the WKHS PTO website or pick up a pass to have your teacher sign in the Counseling and Career Center.)

Sophomores are also invited to attend the sessions with the college representatives, but are limited to participating in the visits during your lunch or Academic Prep periods. If you have academic prep, you will need to secure a pass just as the upperclassmen are required.

These are great opportunities to talk directly with the college admissions representatives so please take advantage of their visits.

PrepHQ Frustrations

I know that you are getting frustrated with the fact that PrepHQ has not been working and, let me assure you, all of the counselors remain extremely frustrated by the fact that PrepHQ is still not working properly. We have heard reports that some students have been able to get in and complete college searches, but (although I have tried multiple times daily) I have not. Their "upgrade" is obviously lacking and hopefully it will be working sometime soon and we will be able to use it as a resource, but for the time being we realized that we needed to find other ways to provide you with some of the information you typically would have been able to find on that site. Fortunately, the WKHS PTO and their extraordinary webmaster, Kathy Domer, came to our rescue and offered to create a page off of their website to post items you may want and need. The basic information that would have been shared on the "Shared Files" area of PrepHQ as well as the college admissions testing dates and details are now being shared on the Counselors' Corner page of the WKHS PTO website. You can visit http://www.wkhspto.org/ and then click on the Counselors' Corner page for a list of information and resources.

Thank you Kathy and the WKHS PTO for helping us to provide this information!

Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, and Rolling

As you start through the college application process you will be exposed to a variety of new terms. One area that can be confusing is what all of the different application deadlines such as Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision and Rolling Admissions mean.

Early Decision
The key to remember with Early Decision is that it is a final decision and a COMMITMENT! Applying to a school in this program is considered a contract between the student and the college. You can apply to only one school as an Early Decision school. If you are accepted, you are promising to withdraw all other applications. Few students will ultimately apply to a school Early Decision because you are promising to attend the school - without seeing their financial aid package - and most students are not 100% certain that they want to attend one particular school. If you are considering applying to a school under the Early Decision program, please stop in and talk to me.

Early Action
This is a non-binding option and significantly more students will apply to schools using this option. Early Action has an earlier application deadline and students will learn if they have been accepted to the school much earlier than regular decision dates. (Some schools will defer an admissions decision to the Regular Decision deadline if the student is on the bubble and they want to wait to see how the rest of the applications will look.) Early Action is not a contract and, as a student, you are not obligated to attend school at that institution.

Regular Decision
This is the deadline that you will generally see publicized from colleges as it is the most common. This means you are applying and will hear your decision on their regular time schedule. There are no commitments or early notifications. It is important to note that the Regular Admissions deadlines are often AFTER the deadline for scholarship consideration – which adds in a whole additional set of deadlines to watch, but that is a different story for another day.

Rolling Admissions
This means that the colleges look at each application as they arrive and they make a decision as they go. So, if you apply quickly to a school with rolling admissions you are generally going to receive your admissions decision quickly. Schools that function with a rolling admissions policy of evaluating applications will still generally have a regular decision deadline which is the final date that the college is willing to accept any applications for the fall class.

It is really important to be watching your deadlines carefully – I can’t stress that enough! If you are struggling to find the deadlines for different schools, please stop in to see me.

PTO's Meet the Teacher Night

Tomorrow night, September 15th, is this year's PTO Meet the Teacher Night. This is a night when your parents can come through school, follow your schedule, and meet all of your teachers. The evening event runs from 7:35 to 9:30pm. Each class will be 10 minutes in length and yes, your parents will have the same 5 minute passing time that you have during the day. (Hopefully they won't get lost and be late or else they could end up with lots of tardies!) :-)

Here is the schedule for the evening:

1st period - 7:35 - 7:45
2nd period - 7:50 - 8:00
3rd period - 8:05 - 8:15
4th period - 8:20 - 8:30
5th period - 8:35 - 8:45
6th period - 8:50 - 9:00
7th period - 9:05 - 9:15
8th period - 9:20 - 9:30

Please make sure you give your parents a copy of your schedule or at least write down the room numbers for all of your classes so they know where they are heading for the evening! Beginning at 7pm in the Auditorium Mr. Dunaway will be presenting on the “State of the School” if anyone is interested in hearing the latest updates.

Please make sure your parents know about this evening because I know many of them will want to attend and they usually like putting a face with a name so that if you are talking about a test in Mr. ____'s class or an assignment for Mrs. ____'s class they will be able to keep it straight. Unfortunately, if any of your parents attend, I will not have the opportunity to meet them as I have a class tomorrow night.

Oh The Places You'll Go

I am so excited for you to see the new and improved "Oh, The Places You'll Go" display that has been upgraded from the boring white wall outside of my office door to a bright, cheerful, Dr. Seuss inspired bulletin board in the front of the Counseling Center. A huge acknowledgement to Ms. Schwartz for her awesome artisitic talents in creating the art work for the display! She did an incredible job so I hope you will compliment her on it if you see her.

As you are probably aware, this display is something that came about after asking students to take a picture on every college campus that they stepped foot on - no matter if it was for vacation or for an official visit - because each impression helps to shape your view of what you want and expect from a college. As the enthusiasm for this project grew, the counselors decided that this was something we wanted to ask all Kilbourne students to do. I have been begging for pictures for a lot longer than the other counselors have so it is only natural that the majority of the pictures on the wall are from "my" students. (In fact, as of this moment, all of the pictures are of "my" students!) The other counselors have heard reports (as have I) of more students with pictures that they just haven't dropped off yet so we are all looking forward to seeing who else will bring us pictures in the days, weeks, and months ahead. I am thrilled with the pictures I have received already and I know that many of you have recently taken or are soon planning college visits and I hope you will take a moment to capture a picture of you somewhere on the college campus. As a reminder, the picture can be anywhere at the college - a pretty place, in front of a cool building or an area where you expect to spend a lot of time, or, as seems to be the biggest hit - in front of a sign featuring the name of the college.

One of the things that I thought was interesting and a bit strange is that we do not have any pictures from most of the colleges that are at the top of our list of college applications. (For example, OSU is the college to which the most Kilbourne students have applied and we do not have any OSU pictures for this year... somehow I find it hard to believe that no one in this year's graduating class has been on OSU's campus!)

I appreciate everyone who has helped with taking pictures to make this display possible. A couple of acknowledgements...

The first picture received from this year's class was from Chad Ellwood on a trip to Kansas State.

Most pictures received ended up coming from Ali Wright who brought in 8 pictures! She dropped off her 8 pictures at the end of the day on Friday knocking Wyatt Allread out of the lead (who had brought in pictures from 7 different colleges!)

I meant to look and figure out who had the school the greatest distance away from WKHS and forgot, but looking at the picture, I believe that person would be Jami Brunner's picture at USC. (See, all of the band students who made the trip there last year should have brought back pictures from the trip to USC!) :-)

There are only 2 schools that had multiple pictures - Miami had 2 pictures (Jennifer Anthony & Wyatt Allread) and Ohio Northern also had 2 pictures (Gina Badillo & Carmen Casillas)

On a separate note, I wanted to let you all know that I will be out of the building all day tomorrow for the College Articulation Meeting. (This is a huge meeting where all of the Ohio public and private 2-year and 4-year colleges come together to share updates with high school counselors about their schools and applications.) I also anticipate being out of the building for a few hours on Tuesday for a funeral, but promise to do the best I can to get in touch with any of you who are trying to see me on Tuesday. Don't forget that tomorrow (Monday) is a late-start day for you so enjoy sleeping in and your shortened class periods!

Class Rank

When completing college applications you will find that most colleges will ask “What is your class rank?” and if they can’t get you to give them an exact rank they might also ask you for a percentile ranking. (Some schools may not ask you and may ask on the counselor form that I am required to complete for you.) The official answer is “We Do Not Rank.”

That is what I write on all of the forms that I complete for you and what you should indicate on your application – UNLESS you are one of the students with a grade point average of a 4.0 or higher for your high school career. If you have greater than a 4.0, then you are automatically ranked #1 in the class. (So yes, that would mean that there are multiple Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores ranked first in their respective class.)

As you already know, WKHS is an academically competitive high school and we would not want a class ranking to hurt you in any way. For example, a GPA at WKHS might rank in the top 20% , but at a less competitive school the same GPA might rank in the top 5 or 10%. So, unless you have a 4.0 or better, do yourself a favor and write “Do Not Rank” when completing your applications.

Follow The Directions!

I have to say that today’s topic is a lesson that can apply to lots of different circumstances throughout your life. From the time you were little you probably learned that there are always rules and consequences of not following those rules. Sometimes we don’t have any problem following the rules and sometimes… well, it isn’t always quite so easy to do *exactly* what we are supposed to do.

I can think of countless examples of this in my everyday life and many of them cross over into your life too – be at work/ school on time, don’t use cell phones on 2nd floor at school, drive the speed limit, etc. Some times these are easy and sometimes we may struggle even though the reality is – they really aren’t that difficult to obey.

OK, I am rambling – the basic point is that I’d like to remind you to follow the directions! In everything and in every way – there are consequences of not following directions. This applies to your school work and – for those of you who are seniors – your college and scholarship applications.

When teachers or applications ask you to write an essay of 250 words or less – keep your essay to that length. If they ask for a list – give them a list. If they ask a question – answer the question completely. The difference is often in the details! Please pay attention and do what they are asking you– you never want someone to have a reason to eliminate your hard work on a technicality. And yes, as far as college applications are concerned, even if they say it is optional or preferred that means they really want it that way, so just suck it up and do it their way. Remember, in class not following your teacher’s directions might result in a bad grade, but as you get out into the real world the consequences can be much more severe and have a lasting impact.

I recognize that this all seems very obvious, but at some point we all get tired and think, “oh well, this is good enough…” So remember I’m here if you need me to encourage you to push through and take it that one extra step. :-)

Homeroom Update

Just a quick reminder that we will be on a modified bell schedule tomorrow as it will be the first homeroom schedule for the year. We will have a 16 minute homeroom between 2nd and 3rd period. There will be a lot happening during the homeroom tomorrow and several components are connected to the Counseling Center.

The first item is that all students will be asked if they have a cell phone and, if so, the phone number and if you allow texting. I have long ago realized that the majority (but not all) of the students have a cell phone and that it is nearly always with you. It isn't always easy to find you in the commons or during your off periods, but we are hopeful that being able to text students will make that an easier process. We hope to be able to attempt a new system by which we will be able to text you and let you know when we need to see you during your off periods. You are still not allowed to check your phones during classes, but this will allow you to receive messages in a more confidential manner than the passes or phone calls to the classroom informing you that we need to see you. If we need to see you immediately then we will still need to use these other methods of locating you since we do not want you using your phone while in class.

The other item from the counseling center is that many students will receive a verification sheet regarding the total number of credits you are taking and the potential impact on co-curricular eligibility. Any student with less than the required number of credits for academic eligibility will have a sheet to complete and students who have exactly the number of required credits (and therefore must pass every class) in order to maintain academic eligibility will also have a form to sign verifying that you understand the impact should you fail a class.

As always, if you have any questions about any of this, please don't hesitate to stop by and see me during one of your off periods.

And, in case you are curious about tomorrow's bell schedule:

1st Period: 7:45 - 8:33

2nd Period: 8:38 - 9:26

Homeroom: 9:31 - 9:47

3rd Period: 9:52 - 10:40

4th Period: 10:45 - 11:33

5th Period: 11:38 - 12:26

6th Period: 12:31 - 1:19

7th Period: 1:24 - 2:12

8th Period: 2:17 - 3:05

The Ohio State University

Yesterday morning I attended the annual OSU breakfast where their staff provided updates to local counselors about the latest in admissions. With OSU being the school that Kilbourne students most frequently apply, I thought you might be interested in some of these statistics.

- The 2010 class has over 6600 students and approximately 53% were in the top 10% of their class. The average ACT of these students that will be attending is 27.7 and the average SAT is between 1230-1235 (out of 1600).

- For the students that they accepted, 54% were in the top 10%. The ACT Middle 50% was 26 to 31. (Remember, that means 25% of their acceptances scored less than a 26 on the ACT. Of course, that also means that 25% were higher than a 31.) The SAT Middle 50% was 1170 to 1380 (out of 1600).

- One of the biggest areas of influence that they stressed multiple times during the meeting was the fact that over 93% of the students they accepted had exceeded the minimum requirements in math, science and foreign language. The strength of curriculum is one of the primary areas that you can control and they look closely at that as a deciding factor when making their admissions decision.

As I mentioned at Wednesday's senior night meeting, the deadline for admissions is February 1st. If you want to be considered for scholarships, you must apply by December 1st. All of the materials must be RECEIVED at OSU before the deadline that you are trying to meet. That includes your transcript and your test scores. So, please remember that your transcript will need to be mailed several days prior to December 1st so that they have it in their office on time. And, of course, that you need to provide your transcript release form at least 10 days in advance of when you want it mailed so that we can get it through the entire process.

Admissions into the Honors College is by invitation only and typically they are students in the Top 10% of their class with an ACT of 30 or higher and an SAT of 1340 or higher.

OSU prides itself on the Scholars Program which includes 14 programs of academic and professional pursuits including themed housing. These are not based upon a specific major, but rather an area of interest or passion. All main campus applicants are eligible to apply to the scholars program if interested.

The Morrill Scholars Program is run by the Office of Minority Affairs and provides some very impressive scholarship opportunities for minority students. This year only 1 recommendation letter will be needed for this program. There are minimum standards for applying, but the average recipient has had a 3.9 GPA, been in the top 6% of their class, and had an average ACT of 29.3. If you might be a candidate for this scholarship, I strongly encourage you to begin working on the scholarship NOW! Your deadline will be December 1st and ideally your application for admission will have been reviewed well before that date.

Their single essay question, Why are you considering the Ohio State University, has remained the same this year. Be sure that you are giving them information about why OSU is a good fit for you and you for OSU. They are looking for far more than OSU is in your backyard, you have always been a Buckeye, you love going to the football games, and everyone in your family has always gone to OSU.

Don't forget that the branch campuses are a very impressive alternative. If you attend a branch, your transcript still simply says OSU and once you complete at least 45 quarter hours with at least a 2.0 GPA at a regional campus then you are automatically accepted to transfer onto main campus.

School Pictures

Most of you had your pictures taken during schedule pick up days, but some of you missed out on this opportunity. Tomorrow, Thursday, September 2nd, is the make-up day for pictures. I believe the announcements said that the make-up pictures would be in the gym balcony area during your lunch periods. Don't forget, it is important to have your picture taken even if you aren't buying any of the pictures as we use your pictures in the computer.

Thanks also to all of the senior students and parents who attended tonight's college meeting! It was great to see so many of you there as we kick off the senior year and all of the fun of applications.