Tuesday, August 31, 2010

An Upgrade...

PrepHQ is a wonderful resource that, under normal circumstances, I strongly encourage all of you to use. Unfortunately, this weekend PrepHQ underwent an "upgrade" that has resulted in it not being accessible. To say that this is frustrating does not even begin to describe how we have been feeling as counselors and I can't even imagine how challenging this is making things for you. Please be patient and hopefully it will be up and running soon. I am very hopeful that the changes they have made to the website will be useful, helpful, and will still include all of the old favorite components. PrepHQ sent us an e-mail stating that they are working around the clock to try to fix the latest problems. Once the website is updated, you will need to know your old username and password as well as our school id (which is worthingtonkilb) to create a new username and password. Parents will now be able to create their own username and password so that students and parents no longer have to share the same username and password. I will post when the website is back up and working... hopefully it will be very soon. In the meantime, know that we are just as unhappy and stressed about it not working as you.

A final reminder to all senior students and parents that tomorrow night, Wednesday, September 1st will be the College Information Night. We will be covering topics such as the process for submitting your application materials to Kilbourne and to the colleges. As this will be your first time going through the college application process, please make every effort to attend this meeting and try to bring a parent along with you since they will be very important and helpful throughout your application process.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Just Get Through It?!?

I have heard the sentiment - "I'll just get through it" - and, in all honesty, I admit to having mentioned it lately myself. The desire to get through that which can be hard or challenging or overwhelming is understandable, but "getting through it" might not be the best approach. I recently read a post entitled An Open Letter to Students on the Danger of Seeing School as a Trial to Survive on the Study Hacks blog. I think it brings up a lot of very good and important points. The stress levels among high school and college students are increasing and it is essential to do a reality check on what is really important. I really like the three principles this article includes. Remember, your life isn't something to just get through.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Last Day To Add Classes

Tomorrow (Friday, August 27th) is the last day for students to add a year-long or first-semester class to their schedule. This is an important deadline to pay attention to for all students. You have 6 weeks to drop a class without it appearing on your transcript, but you can only drop a class if you will still have above the minimum required number of courses. So, for example, after tomorrow, sophomore students with 6 classes would not be able to drop a class because it will be too late to add a class in its place. If you have any questions about your particular situation and if you would or would not be able to add or drop a class, please stop in and see me tomorrow during your lunch or off period.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

College Admissions Tests

There are two main college admissions tests – the SAT and the ACT – that enable colleges to compare students from different schools and backgrounds. Most colleges will accept scores from either test, but it is important to double check with the college admissions office to be sure they will accept the test you plan to take. One test is not better than another - take the test that is best for both you and the school to which you are applying. And yes, you may take both tests.

The Scholastic Aptitude Test I (SAT I)
When people are talking about the “SAT” they are generally speaking about the SAT I test or the SAT Reasoning Test. No matter what you choose to call it, this is a 3 hour and 45 minute long test. There is a critical reading, math, and writing component to the test. Scores for each section range on a scale of 200 – 800.

SAT Subject Tests
The SAT Subject Tests are sometimes also referred to as the SAT II Achievement Tests. They are one-hour tests in specific subjects such as English, history, mathematics, or foreign languages. Some of the more competitive schools require two or three tests for first-year placement. Be sure to check to see if these tests are required before you sign up to take them!

The ACT Tests
The ACT tests assess specific academic abilities in English, math, reading, and science reasoning. Scores range from 1 (low) to 36 (high) for each of the four tests and for the composite. The composite is the average of the four test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.

Submitting Your Test Scores
When you register to take your test they will ask you which schools you would like to have notified of your scores. You automatically have 4 “free” choices of colleges to be notified of your scores. It is to your benefit to take advantage of this because the colleges will consider your highest score (and disregard your lower scores) and it will cost money to send the scores to the schools after you receive your results. Nearly all schools want the ACT/ SAT directly from the testing provider rather than from WKHS.

When should I take the test?
Students usually take it in the spring of their junior year, early in their senior year or both.

When is the next test offered?
The next Ohio testing date for the SAT is October 9th. The registration deadline is September 10th. The next Ohio testing date for the ACT is September 11th, but the registration deadline has already passed. The next ACT for which you can still register is October 23rd and the registration deadline is September 17th.

Do I need to take the writing test?
Yes. For the SAT it is now a standard portion of the test. With the ACT you will need to pick if you will be taking the test with or without the writing portion. At least one of the test score reports to your college should include the writing test.

How do I register, figure out costs, and find more information?
Visit the SAT and ACT websites. (I also have a link to the websites on the right side of the page.)

And, last but certainly not least, do I *HAVE* to take the test again when I did OK the first time I took it?
Unfortunately this isn’t an easy answer. No, you don’t *have* to do anything. If you are confident in your score then relax and be done with the testing. If you are confident in your score, but know that you could do better… well, then I’d say relax (there is no testing pressure because you are confident in your score) and take the test again. Some of you are sitting there wishing you hadn’t read that last line… but the reality is that if you take the test and improve your score it can only help you. You can benefit in the eyes of the college if you ended up on the bubble for their admissions decision and you can benefit financially if you are applying for any scholarships that consider your test scores. If you are not confident in your scores or if you know that you can do better – then the answer is simply, yes, take it again and see if you can improve your score.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Schedule Changes

I have no idea how many schedule changes have been requested - definitely too many to count! The reality is that while some were possible, many were not. Remember, we cannot make teacher changes. If you have a schedule change, you can pick up your new schedule from the trays in the middle of the counseling center. Each of the trays are identified with a counselor's name. You will see my name on the top tray and just look through the schedules in that tray to find your schedule if you still need to pick it up. This way you don't have to miss out on getting the new copy of your schedule just because I am in a meeting or trying to help another student.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Schedule Confusion

When the schedules were printed there was a problem that has created a great deal of confusion for many students and parents. The Academic Prep and Options periods were not showing up on the print-out even though they are appearing on the computer. Computer services has been working to resolve this problem and we are not sure why it was happening as it all looks fine electronically. So, as you look at your schedule, if you notice that you do not have anything listed for a period, then that is your Prep or Options time. If you are a freshman or sophomore, that means that it is Academic Prep and you will need to report to Room 207. If you are a junior or senior, that means you have Options, so you can select where you study and spend your time within the school building. I am sorry for the confusion that this has caused for so many students. Looking forward to welcoming the students of the Class of 2014 tomorrow! For all of the upperclassmen, enjoy your last day of summer!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Senior College Night

The Senior Student and Parent College Night will be held on Wednesday, September 1st, at 7:30pm at WKHS. This is one of the most important meetings for senior students and parents to attend because there are so many college related questions that we will be able to answer.

We will be reviewing the college search and application process, the procedures for submitting your items to WKHS and to the colleges, and other information you need to know. I really hope you will make every effort to attend… and yes, this is for you and your parents because this is YOUR life, so you need to be there as you are the one responsible for completing all of the work to get accepted into college. It is beneficial for your parents to also attend because they will be a very valuable asset in helping you through this process. And, trust me, your parents will appreciate having an overview of how this entire process will play out so bring them along with you so that they can get the information all at once with you.

I know that it is not always possible for every student and family to attend, but I hope you will try. Remember, I have approximately 100 seniors, so it becomes very challenging to try to repeat the same basic information and make sure everyone understands unless we all start with the same foundation of information. This evening will answer a lot of your basic questions and then we’ll figure out the rest together as the year continues. I’m looking forward to seeing you on September 1st!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Good Luck in College!

One of the most rewarding parts of being a counselor at WKHS has been the visits, calls, texts, and e-mails from former students. When they no longer need me for schedule changes or a college application and yet still find time to fit me into their schedule means more than I can explain. Over the last few weeks I have seen or heard from students in each of the 4 graduating classes that I have been fortunate enough to work with at Kilbourne. Over the next days and weeks, the recent WKHS Class of 2010 graduates will be heading off to start their college careers. Knowing that many of these students and their families continue to follow this blog, I wanted to wish you well and also pass along some of this information that might be helpful and interesting to you as you prepare for your future.











Don’t Send in the Clones (Article about the benefits of being open to new experiences where roommates are concerned)







Chances are, you have been driving your parents crazy this summer... and you would say that your parents are driving you crazy. Unfortunately, that is a normal (although very frustrating) part of the typical pattern of the "senior to freshman" summer. You and your parents are working to establish a new relationship where you will not interact with one another on a daily basis and in the same ways that you have during high school. Below are a few links that are geared specifically to your parents...




To the future college Class of 2014 (as well as all of my former students) - Good luck in College! I am confident you will be successful and I wish you happiness as you pursue your dreams. Don't forget to stay in touch!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Schedule Pick Up

By now you all should have received the new school year information packets in the mail, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of this week's schedule pick up days!

Tuesday, August 17th:
9th graders - 8:30 - 11:30am
12th graders - 12:30 - 3:30pm

Wednesday, August 18th:
11th graders - 8:30 - 11:30am
Marching Band Members (All Grades) - 12:30 - 1:30
10th graders - 1:30 - 3:30

Don't forget, schedule pick up day is packed with lots of activities - finding your locker, getting your school picture taken, picking up your books, etc. (All non-freshmen students need to bring your ID's with you... the freshmen will have their ID cards made while at schedule pick up.)

I'm sure it will be a few crazy days in my office, but I am looking forward to seeing you so don't forget to stop by and let me know how your summer vacation was and update me on your lives.

See you tomorrow!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

New Names & Faces

As you return to school there will be several new names and faces around the building. Several teachers will be using new names that you will want to know as you pick up and read through your schedules...

Ms. Laveen is now Mrs. Winkle

Ms. Lavelle is now Mrs. Anderson

Ms. Gunter is now Ms. Kneubel

Ms. Feheley is now Mrs. Smith

We will also have a few new faces...

The new FCS teacher is Mrs. Dickerson.

And, in the counseling center, we are thrilled to welcome Mrs. Lord to the building. Mrs. Lord was previously a counselor at Kilbourne Middle School and she is excited to get to know the students with last names Ri-Z. Even though you are all stuck with me, I hope that you will be sure to make Mrs. Lord feel welcome. Her office is right next to mine so feel free to say Hi to her when you stop in to see me.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Course Titles

As we prepare to head back to school, there are several changes that have taken place and I wanted to alert you to one which is that what was formerly known as "Enriched" courses will now be called "Honors" courses. This change is a title change only - so the level of work expected and the grades you earn in these classes still count the same as they have in the past. This change is important because it will make it easier for colleges to understand your transcripts when they are evaluating them as the phrase "Honors" is more common across the country. Hopefully this will help clarify for when you pick up your schedules next week and see the new class names.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Science Research Internship

Last spring Carmen Casillas applied and was selected for a summer research internship position at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She has had a great experience in which she has learned a lot while also enjoying her time working side by side with other researchers. Today's Columbus Dispatch features a story about Carmen and her internship. Congratulations Carmen!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

With Great Sadness...

Unfortunately, I have some sad news to share with you. We learned that Mrs. Nagel's daughter, Claire, passed away this week at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Many students at WKHS have had Mrs. Nagel as a Global History or Classical Humanities teacher. As you may be aware, Mrs. Nagel and her husband, along with their son, Henry, were thrilled to welcome a baby girl into their family this past spring.

There will be a memorial service for Claire on Saturday morning. For more information, please read Claire's obituary which appears in today's Columbus Dispatch... here is what it says:

Claire Elizabeth Anne Nagel passed peacefully in the loving arms of her parents on August 2, 2010. Claire was born into this world on May 7, 2010, and although her time here was brief, she managed to touch the lives of many. Her life brought out the true meaning of generosity from others and opened her parents' eyes to the wonderful staff at Nationwide Children's Hospital, especially the amazing nursing staff of the J4 NICU. Claire was preceded in death by her grandmother Patricia Ungerer. She is survived by her parents, Adam and Rosanne Nagel; big brother, Henry; grandparents, Rollin and Paula Nagel, Tony and Carmela Alastra; great-grandmother, Hildegard Meyer; many aunts, uncles, and cousins. A memorial service, welcoming all family and friends, will be held at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Hilliard at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 7. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in Claire's name to the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation or Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Career Fair

I have been working with a committee of parents, teachers, counselors and other staff to plan the 2010 career fair. (For those of you who are entering your junior or senior years, you hopefully recall the first Career Fair that WKHS hosted in 2008.) Our goal is to hold a career fair every other year so that all Kilbourne students will have the opportunity to interact with professionals from a wide range of career fields twice during your high school career.

The first major part of this effort was launched today - a survey for professionals in all different career fields to complete about their job.

In addition to my students, I know that many parents read this blog - and I would sincerely appreciate it if you (parents) could help with this project by completing the career questionnaire. I would also love it if you could forward the survey to any of your family members, friends, neighbors, or colleagues - especially anyone with unique careers! Below is additional information about our efforts.


High school is a time for students to explore options for their future and one major aspect includes investigating careers. Most students are unsure of how different majors might lead to specific careers and exactly what various jobs involve. We are trying to assist students by providing them with information from a wide range of careers and our hope is that you will help us!

This is a link to a brief questionnaire (28 questions) that we would like you to complete regarding your job. We would greatly appreciate your help in completing the survey! We will be compiling the information provided through these questionnaires to create a career resource handbook for our students.

In addition to the career handbook, we are also planning a career fair for the students at Worthington Kilbourne High School. If you live in the central Ohio area, we invite you to join us for the career fair on Friday, November 19th. All career representatives will be given an assigned table area set up in a manner similar to a health fair or trade show and students will be able to talk to you informally in one-on-one conversations or in small groups. We will create a handout using the career information you provide in the questionnaire and while you do not need to bring anything else, you are also welcome to bring samples of any aspects of your job as a “show and tell” for the students.

We also hope you will forward this message to family members, friends, or colleagues so that we can gain information about their careers as well.

Thank you for your time!


If you have trouble using the hyperlink, please copy and paste the following link into your browser.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CXL2RMW

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Working on your College Essay

Now that it is August, many of you are probably a lot like me in that your thoughts are starting to focus on the fact that it is almost time for us to return to school. As you consider all of the things you were hoping to accomplish this summer and throwing yourself into any summer assignments that are still remaining, I would like to remind you that this is a great time to being working on your college application essay drafts. While submitting your applications may still feel a long way off, it will be here before you realize and having a rough draft or two before classes begin and your schedule gets even busier will definitely help you in the long run. As you have probably been able to tell from most of my posts this summer, I have been doing a lot of reading including articles and blog posts about college applications. Below are a few that I found and believe are particularly helpful and important to think about as you are working on your college essays.

How NOT to write a college application essay

Common Application Essay Tips

Need help with your college application essays? Ask the experts.

College essays and plagiarism

Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Common Application

The Common Application is a centralized application that students can complete for over 400 different colleges and as of today, August 1st, it is now updated and released for the Class of 2011 to begin working on their applications. The colleges that participate in this application method commit to treating applications received through the Common App with the same consideration as if students had applied through the institutions idividual application. This will generally mean that you have to spend less time filling out all of the basic information about yourself and can mean that you have fewer essays to write (but maybe not).

On the common app there are two essays - one short answer (150 words) and one long essay which is to answer one of the following questions:
- Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
- Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
- Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
- Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
- A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
- Topic of your choice.

Then, the "tricky" part of it all is that many of the schools will also have supplements required which are other questions of their own that they want students to complete. Sometimes it is just simple questions that weren't covered on the common app, but would have been if you had applied through their individual application, but often times it includes short or long answer essays. Be aware and be prepared for that when completing your application. Over the next few weeks I will be reviewing the supplements required by the colleges for schools I know my students are interested in attending. I also warn you to double check and make sure that the supplement's are for the current year as sometimes there is a bit of a lag in supplement essay questions being posted.

Not all schools use the common app - there are 18 Ohio schools which utilize the common application, but as you are getting ready to start applications for the schools you are considering it is worth your time to look and see if more than one school uses the common app.

If you are using the Common App as a tool to apply, please take a moment and read this article about Summarizing Your Activities on the Common Application.