Welcome to WKHS

Last Thursday morning we hosted a breakfast for students who are new to the district to welcome them to the Worthington Kilbourne High School community.  We wanted to take the opportunity to check in on how the new students are adjusting to life at WKHS and hear more about where they moved here from as well as what they like or dislike.  It was a great way to start the day!

WKHS has more than 40 students who are new to the district this year.  Many of them are from within Ohio, but we also have new students from as far away as Iraq.  Each of these students brings knowledge of their past communities that will strengthen and enrich our school.

I was impressed by how many of the students are already involved in activities - football, soccer, cross country, water polo, theater, band, and choir were just a few I heard mentioned and many of the students are looking forward to joining sports or clubs as the year continues.  Some students commented on the differences in food at WKHS compared to their old schools and the long lunch periods that students have.  We heard reflections about how thankful they are for the freedoms and trust that we put in students, and also the helpfulness of students and staff members.

I am thankful to come to work at WKHS every day and as I talked with these newest Kilbourne Wolves, I was excited that they are a part of our school because they have so much to contribute and I was overwhelmed with pride - not only in the way that these students have overcome the challenges involved with adjusting to a new school, but also with pride for how the students and staff have welcomed these new students.

On the bulletin board in the library there is a map with pins representing where our new students (at least those who were able to make it to the breakfast) have moved here from and I will be printing a picture of them to put with the maps.  Be sure to check it out and if you haven't had a chance to meet any of the new students - try to take a moment and find one of them in your classes, lunch, sports, or clubs and welcome them to WKHS.

Award Opportunity

Seniors that are High School Student Athletes can apply for the Wendy's High School Heisman award. 

All applications received will be judged based upon academic achievements, athletic accomplishments, community-leadership and involvement in various extracurricular activities. Applications are available at http://www.wendysheisman.com/ and must be completed by October 10th. 

I realize that a lot of you are still trying to get your head wrapped around starting your college applications, but remember, deadlines are real and some scholarships or awards (such as this one) have deadlines that will come before your college application deadlines. Manage your time effectively and watch all of your deadlines carefully if you want to make the most of all of the opportunities available. 

Reminders for Tomorrow

Just a few quick reminders about tomorrow...

We will be on a modified bell schedule tomorrow for an assembly to start the day.  Here is the schedule:

1st Period: 7:45 - 9:35 (After teachers take attendance, half of the classes will go to the assembly and the other half will have class and then the classes will switch so that everyone gets 45 minutes for 1st period class and 45 minutes for the assembly.)
2nd Period: 9:40 - 10:22
3rd Period: 10:27 - 11:09
4th Period: 11:14 - 11:57
5th Period: 12:02 - 12:44
6th Period: 12:49 - 1:31
7th Period: 1:36 - 2:18
8th Period: 2:23 - 3:05

Additionally, after 1st period and the assemblies are over, the freshman students will have activities in the gym for 2nd through 4th period.

Tomorrow is also the first day that students can register for the PSAT.

I have had a lot of questions from students about if they should take the PSAT or not.  Juniors, the answer for you is very simple - YES!  You should definitely take the PSAT.  Remember, registration costs $15 and you can sign up with check (made payable to WKHS) or cash in the counseling center with Mrs. Focht.

For the underclassmen, I have to be honest, the answer is not as simple.  As you have heard, the SAT (and therefore the PSAT) are changing.  The PSAT will change as of next fall and the SAT will change in the spring of 2016.  So, what does that mean regarding this year's PSAT?  Well, it means that you are welcome to take it as a practice for what taking standardized tests will feel like, but I acknowledge that you have already had practice at taking standardized tests.  If you were hoping to take it as additional practice for what the PSAT and SAT will be like when it will count for you, then this test will not do that.  There are free practice tests available on Khan Academy's website that you can check out as a free way to practice instead.

If you'd like more information about the upcoming SAT and PSAT changes, check out this article.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2014/09/12/how-the-new-sat-is-trying-to-redefine-college-readiness

And, last but not least - don't forget to make sure that your parents are aware that there will be a Digital Danger presentation in the WKHS Auditorium tomorrow at 6:00pm.

I will be anxious to hear from all of you who had a chance to check out the College Fair at Otterbein today!  It is a great event, but also organized chaos.  I hope you found some new schools to consider and also got more information about those already on your list.

Words Fail Me

All day today I have thought about what I wanted to say on my blog to you tonight.  And all day long I have come up empty.  Words fail me.  I don't have words that can comfort your grieving hearts, that can ease the pain and suffering, or that can help make things feel normal again.  For those of you who were friends with Ally, your lives are different today than they were a few days ago.  And for those of you who didn't know Ally, although it is in a different way, your lives are different today too.

Dealing with grief at any age can be difficult and may even feel overwhelming.  As a teenager, when you are already facing so many different stressors, the death of a friend, classmate, or fellow high school student can completely shift your outlook - even if only for a short time.  My heart ached watching you deal with such sadness.  I wished that I could take your pain away, but knew that in spite of this terrible tragedy you would show your strength and your compassion.  I am always in awe of the strength and compassion I get to witness in my students and times of tragedy allow it to shine through even more brightly.

Whenever bad things happen I have a phrase that I find myself repeating (silently in my head) over and over again and that is "Look for the good."  When bad things happen no matter how big or how small, goodness follows.  I saw so much goodness on Friday - people hugging one another in support, stopping what they were doing to listen, setting aside differences to find common ground, or understanding that other things needed to take priority over scheduled meetings and plans.  No, none of the "good" took away the sadness and heartache over the tragedy of another Kilbourne student's death, but the good was there and it gave me hope.  I hope that in your own life when something bad happens you will be able to experience and see the good too.

Last week I was talking with Mrs. McDaniel about an old episode of The West Wing (my favorite show of all time which most of you have probably never seen and, as scary as this is to me, may not have even heard of before) when President Bartlet was giving a speech following a tragedy at a college.  The words from his speech continued popping in my head as I tried to figure out what to say tonight and so I decided to close with a quote from part of that speech in the Season 4 episode...

"The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They're our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars. God bless their memory, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."

Suicide Prevention

Tonight Mrs. Lord, Mrs. Gratz and I had the opportunity to attend a powerful presentation by the President of the Jason Foundation.  The Jason Foundation is an organization dedicated to the prevention of youth suicide in the country.  Obviously, at WKHS and the greater Worthington community has been impacted by suicide too many times.  (Even one time is too many.)  As I sat listening to this gentleman share his story (his son, Jason, died by suicide 17 years ago) and the statistics about what makes a difference my mind continually turned to you - my students.

There may be times when you feel lost and alone, but please remember that I am here and I care about you.  You are important to me, to your teachers, to your friends, to your family, and to the community.  I acknowledge that there may be times in your life when you question if people really do care and if you really do matter, but YOU DO MATTER!

If you or one of your friends is having thoughts of suicide, please come see me.  If it happens after school hours, please contact an adult you trust and reach out to a suicide hotline.  (The suicide hotline is 1-800-273-TALK.)

If you're interested in learning more about the Jason Foundation, visit them at www.jasonfoundation.org and they also have a free app called "A Friend Asks" that you can download.

Pass/ Fail and Drop Deadline

Just a few reminders related to your classes...

- Next Monday (September 29th) is the last day for students to drop a class without having it appear on your transcript. Remember, for those of you who are athletes or compete in any co-curricular activities, this is only an option if you have more than the minimum number of courses required to remain eligible. (After dropping classes, students must still have at least 5 classes that are worth at least 1/2 a credit.)

- Monday is also the last day to be able to change a class from conventional grading to pass/ fail grading. If you are interested in this option, please start by making sure that pass/fail grading is a choice for the class and then stop by the counseling center to pick up a pass/ fail slip. (They are located on the shelves in the counseling center.)  After you have it signed by your parent return it to me for my signature.

These forms MUST be returned to the Counseling Center by the end of the day on Monday!

College Application Process

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. 

A few reminders other important 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 you will need to request your transcript.  Your parents already signed your transcript release card if they attended senior college information night.  If not, you will need to take the form home and have it signed.  Mrs. McDaniel (Registrar) keeps the transcript release cards in her office.  You will simply go into her office, find your card in the box and add in the specific colleges where you want your transcript sent and give her the $1.00 fee for each transcript.  She will then submit your transcript directly to the college(s) you have indicated.

It is ESSENTIAL to watch your deadlines carefully! You need to provide plenty of time for the transcript to be processed. The best “rule of thumb” for your getting your application to the counseling center is a week 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.

After you have submitted your application you may also need to verify that your official test scores were sent from the testing organization (ACT/ SAT) directly to the college. If you did not have them sent to that particular school then you will need to pay the fee to have them sent if the college requires official scores from the testing agency.

Then it is time to sit back and wait...

When you eventually hear back from your schools, please stop in to see me and let me know the admissions decision as this is something that we track.

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.

Senior College Application Basics

Over the last week I have had quite a few students and some parents contacting me to ask questions to help when filling out various college applications.  So I figured it would be helpful if I covered a few of those basic questions in case you come across them too when you are completing your applications.

- Your graduation date is May 24, 2015

-  Your class has 278 students

-  WKHS offers 16 AP courses, 21 IB classes, and 17 honors classes

-  If your grade point average is a 4.0 or higher you have a rank of 1.  If your gpa is less than a 4.0 then we do not rank and that is what you should write instead ("Does Not Rank").

If you come across any other questions don't hesitate to let me know.  Also, for those of you who took the September ACT - your scores are now available online.

Columbus Suburban College Fair

The Columbus Suburban College Fair is one week from today - Sunday, September 28th from 1:00 - 3:30pm at Otterbein University in the Clements Center (180 Center St., Westerville, OH 43081).

If you have never been to a college fair before, I admit that it often feels like mass chaos.  But it is also the opportunity for you to gain a lot of useful information from a large number of schools in a short period of time.  Here is some information that can hopefully help you when attending the college fair. 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, and year of graduation.  If you know your intended major(s) and extra-curricular activities of interest for college, this is also information that you might want to include on your label.  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 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. The National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) 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 had not 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 college fair 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!

Organization

The time to get organized is NOW! Yes, I realize that it is still early in the year, but we are halfway through the 1st quarter and trust me, it is better to start off organized and just maintain it rather than to let things get completely out of control and then work on cleaning everything up in order to find that *one* item that you needed.

For some students, being organized comes easier than it does to others and the reality is that one system of staying organized doesn't always work for everyone else so you really need to think about what does or does not work for you. Sometimes the best way to figure out an organization strategy that will work for you is to stop and reflect back on what has NOT worked for you in the past. For example, if you are a person who always tries to keep things in binders, but then ends up with the little pocket areas in the front and the back of the binder stuffed to the breaking point then this system of organization really isn't working very well for you so it is probably time to try something different.

Stress is usually the outcome of not being organized. You forgot a homework assignment, can't find a paper that you need, or didn't realize that you were supposed to study for a test. By being organized you can help eliminate (or at least cut back a great deal on) stress. Let's be honest... you don't always like writing down all of your assignments in your planner, but there are so many other things going on in your day and such a wide variety of activities and events competing for your attention that it is hard to remember exactly which questions you were supposed to answer for homework for a particular class. Having one place where you write down the information that you are going to need to know and the deadlines are essential for good organization skills.

And, staying organized isn't just an important task when you are doing school work - this is also vital for your entire college application process and it will be important to you for the rest of your life.

As far as the college application process is concerned - most of you should be moving through the "getting organized" phase. Figure out and write down in one place all of the schools where you plan on applying. List out the other key pieces of information that you need to keep track of for that school - deadlines, recommendation letter needs, essays required, etc. Having one page with all of this information is not meant to stress you out - it is meant to be a way to help you look easily at all of the things you need to do and by when and then you will be able to break it down into more manageable pieces in order to meet your goals/ deadlines.

As always, feel free to come by and talk if you need some help with organization strategies and remember that the academic assistants in the Teaching & Learning Center (in Room 209) are outstanding resources for organization help.

Infinite Campus/ Interims

Can you believe we are already at the half-way point of the first quarter?  In many ways it feels like we just got started.  As you probably recall, we no longer send home interim reports because you and your parents have the opportunity to check your grades on an ongoing basis.  But, since we are about half way through, this is the time when you are able to get a good feel for how you are doing in each of your classes.  I strongly suggest that you take a look at your grades and make sure you are on track for the quarter.

I am sure you and your parents know how to access Infinite Campus which is the system that has your schedules, attendance, grades, and transcripts.  Your teachers are updating their grades at least once a week so that you can check and have an ongoing update for how you are doing in each class.  This continual information provides you with the chance to celebrate if you are doing well and to identify what you might need to change if you are not meeting your own expectations for the goals you had set for the year.

One challenge for me is that I cannot see the same things you see when you look at Infinite Campus.  I have heard students say the program is a bit more difficult to use on the computer, but that for people with smart phones, the free app from Infinite Campus is very easy to use and is a great tool.  If you are interested in downloading and using the free Infinite Campus app, you will need to know that the District Code is: YCWTRL

If you haven't figured out how to access Infinite Campus at all, please visit the Worthington Website at www.worthington.k12.oh.us and then you will click on the Login Icon that is located in the top Right portion of the page.  You can also look below the login boxes for a link to Frequently Asked Questions for more detailed information.

PSAT

PSAT Test Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Location: WKHS Gym
Time: 7:15 (check-in) beginning promptly at 7:45am – 10:45am
Cost: $15 (checks payable to WKHS)

The PSAT is the practice test for the SAT. Juniors and interested underclassmen can register in the Counseling and Career Center by bringing in a check made out to WKHS. This is an important practice test for the SAT and it is also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship competition. Even if you took the test as a sophomore you should re-take the test as a Junior!

Students can register for the PSAT between September 29th and October 9th.

Searching for a College

Today seemed to bring lots of seniors and a few underclassmen who are starting to think about where they would like to go to college, but aside from knowing that they want to go somewhere they don't have any clear direction yet about how to make their college list.

When you start the college search – the answer lies in you! (And not in the mountains of junk mail you are probably receiving from various schools across the country.) I know, that sounds a bit cheesy, but it is true. Before you really start looking for the “right” school it is important to figure out what you want in a school and that can only be found by looking in yourself and determining what factors are most important to you.

For example, for some students, distance from home may be a big deal. Being close can have it’s advantages – like being able to come home and have a free home cooked meal or a place to do your laundry and also not having to worry about flying half way across the country any time you would want to come home for a visit. Going to school at a college far from home can also have it’s advantages – often a different climate, a new experience and adventure where you can be independent, and no concerns about mom or dad just dropping in unexpectedly. And, of course, there are some students who will elect to find a school that is not too far and not too close. (Remember, that by communicating with your family about what you are looking for in a school you may find that a college outside of your comfort zone is still worth looking at because you and your parents may be able to reach some mutually agreed upon ground rules – so the concern that they might come see you or you might come home too often can be eliminated by talking about those issues up front.)

The size of a school is another factor for many students. Small, Medium, Large or somewhere in between – the challenge is that many students will say, “I don’t know” and that is where making a variety of visits to different sized schools can be advantageous. You can explore a small school and see if the experience of knowing lots of people on campus and in your classes is better for you than a medium or large school where you may have a class in a lecture hall with hundreds of other students. As you visit the schools you may find that there are experiences or advantages that a larger school can provide that a smaller school can’t such as a wider variety of clubs or groups for students to be involved. The key is to figure out what size school fits you and then you can narrow your search to explore more schools in that range.

Other factors that often influence a student’s college decision will include the types of majors or programs offered at the school, their athletic programs – both collegiate sponsored and intramurals, the food, the dorms, the cost (but don’t necessarily eliminate potential colleges simply based upon cost because often the private schools are much more expensive on paper, but they also tend to offer a much larger financial aid package to make it competitive and comparable to a public school), extra-curricular opportunities, and on and on.

Once you have an idea in mind of what you are looking for in a college, then it is time to start investigating which schools might be a good match. Spend some time searching online. There is a wealth of information available.   Make some visits to local colleges just to get a feel for different opportunities available on various campuses.

Again, I cannot stress the point that everyone is different and what is best for one person is not necessarily the ideal school for someone else. All too often I listen to students who are only looking at the 2 or 3 schools that their best friend or sibling looked at rather than trying to find the school that fits best for them. Also, I truly believe that it is about being a good match – for both you and the college.

I know, it can be a bit intimidating to search for a school and to try to figure out what you really want in a college and for your future, but it is also supposed to be fun so try not to put too much pressure on yourself to find “perfection” and try to take a step back and figure out what will make you happy. It really can be fun, but I know it is also overwhelming so remember that I am here to support and help you in any way that I can.

Recommendation Letters

Recommendation letters tend to create a lot of stress, headaches, and confusion for students, but the anxiety and drama over rec letters is not necessary!

Personally, one of the absolute FAVORITE parts of my job is the opportunity to get to know my students better and learn about your entire high school experience as a whole and the stories you share when I am gathering information to write your recommendation letter. I find your stories fascinating, your insight remarkable, and quite often your humor to be very entertaining. 

While the seniors are certainly the students who are more focused on the need for recommendation letters, it is also a great reminder of why it is important for students of every grade level (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior) to drop by my office throughout the year to allow me to get to know you better. I sincerely want to hear about the things you are involved in and are accomplishing during high school. Plus, I am pretty good at saving random tidbits of information that I see or learn about you that might help me "someday" when I need to write your recommendation.

Your first step is determining if you even need recommendation letters.  Look at your college applications to see if they require recommendation letters from me or from your teachers. Some schools will require it and some will not. Ohio University, for example, does NOT require any recommendation letters. Miami University, on the other hand, will require one recommendation letter. If you are having problems determining if the colleges you are considering require recommendation letters – just stop down to see me and I can try to help you figure it out.

If you do need recommendation letters, give some thought ahead of time about who you would like to ask for the recommendations. Look at the requirements specified by the school – are they open to coaches or advisers writing letters or do they want them to come from academic teachers? If it requires that the letters come from teachers, can it be from any subject area or are they only looking for the core subjects of English, math, science, and social studies? Are you looking at a career in a specific area that a teacher at WKHS can write about your strengths in that field? For example, if you are considering majoring in Spanish perhaps a recommendation letter from one of your Spanish teachers would be appropriate. What teachers know you best? Who can speak to your work ethic and classroom contributions? If you need multiple teacher recommendations, when possible, it is ideal to show your strengths across multiple subjects, so if you have a few teachers to pick from and 2 are math and 1 is science perhaps it would be beneficial to ask 1 math and 1 science teacher rather than the 2 math teachers simply to show that diversity. Remember, in recommendation letters from teachers, the colleges are asking for information about you as a student and your potential for handling the academic rigors of college.

Once you have figured out the teacher or teachers that you want to ask for a recommendation (if needed) it is then time to ASK them (nicely) if they are willing to write a letter for you. It is really important to be reasonable in the amount of time that you are giving them to write your letter. (Think at least 30 days or more!) They are very busy with their classroom work and grading homework and papers and of course life in general and many teachers are often bombarded by students requesting recommendations. If a teacher is unable to write a recommendation letter for you – either because they don’t feel they know you well enough to write a strong letter or because they have too much on their plate, don’t take it personally, simply ask another teacher. You will be thankful that you didn’t force them to write the letter because it wouldn’t be as solid of a recommendation letter if they were rushed or only had vague highlights to discuss. If you are applying to schools that do not need teacher recommendation letters, please do not waste your teacher's time by asking them to write a letter. Also, only ask the number of teachers that you need recommendations from - so if you are applying to two schools and both need 1 teacher recommendation letter, just ask one teacher to write a letter that will be used for both schools. You do not need to ask for more letters in case one is "better" than another - if you are not sure the teacher will write a positive letter for you, then you need to pick someone else. If you trust the teacher enough to ask them to write the letter, then you should trust them enough to be able to send their letter (without seeing it) to the college.

In the Counseling and Career Center and on the wkhscounselors.com website we have a form you can use to ask your teachers to write a recommendation for you. It is also helpful to provide information to your teachers regarding your involvement in their classes as a way to help jog their memory. (To make this easier, on the back of the recommendation request form, there are questions you should answer about your experiences in that teacher's class.) It is also really important to specify the number of letters that you need, for which schools, and, if they are not able to submit them online, to provide envelopes as well as any forms required by the schools for the teachers to complete. 

Once your teacher has completed his/ her recommendation letter they will return it to you in a sealed envelope with their signature across the seal. It is important that you do not open the letter as this is the format the college would prefer to receive the letters. You are ultimately responsible for making sure that you get your recommendation letters back in time to mail them to the college by their designated deadlines. 

If a counselor recommendation is required it is beneficial to come and see me as soon as you realize it so that we can set up a time to meet.  I write the letters on a first come first serve basis as that is the only way I know how to be fair. Writing recommendation letters is a very time consuming process taking multiple hours per letter which adds up quickly. So please, watch your deadlines and try to help me write the best letter possible by allowing me to have plenty of time. (Like teachers, you should be giving me at least 30 days!) The reason recommendation letters take so long is that each letter should (hopefully) capture the essence of you – and each of you are very different. Remember, when writing recommendation letters generalized praise is wasted space so I need stories and examples to help give admissions officers a better understanding of who you are and what you can bring to their campus. Plus, it needs to be more than just what they can read about you in your application. The short answer essays that are on the "Counselor Supplement Sheet" that you will complete along with a "Parent Brag Sheet" are important aspects to help me in writing a recommendation letter. Additionally, if you have developed a resume or list of activities and awards that can also be helpful. 

So, for the next few months, if you are curious about how I will be spending my "free" time - the answer is writing recommendation letters. Thankfully, I will also be balancing that out with lots of time talking to each of you and getting to know you better... and I am REALLY looking forward to that!

Oh The Places You'll Go

Last week we updated the new "Oh, The Places You'll Go" display featuring pictures of students out on their college visits. I am thrilled with the pictures that we have received already, but I also know that many of you have taken and are soon planning college visits and I hope that 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.

Miriam Bassani gets the recognition for giving me the first picture for the class of 2015.

Justin Souder gets the recognition for giving me the most pictures to date. (6 colleges)

Ariel Bloom, Miriam Bassani and Grayson Biglin all get equal recognition for giving me the picture from the college from the greatest distance from WKHS. (They were all within a few miles.)

Thanks again to everyone that has helped us with this project by taking pictures! There is still a lot of space to fill up, so please continue taking pictures - I love seeing them when you bring them back and hearing more about your visit to the school!

Colleges Visiting WKHS

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. The visits began today and nearly 50 colleges are already slated to spend time in the building visiting with our students.

While meeting with a representative cannot replace the actual experience of walking on campus, seeing the people, and experiencing the classes, it can be a very 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.

We have a list of the upcoming college visits posted on the Counselor website so that you can see which schools are coming to WKHS. You can then stop into the Counseling and Career Center to sign up for any of the visits 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. (Pick up a pass to have your teacher sign when you are in the Counseling and Career Center to register for the visit.)

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!

Test Optional

I know that the college admissions tests (ACT/ SAT) can be stressful to students (and parents), but it is important to know that not every college requires strong test scores... in fact, there are many colleges that do not require test scores when evaluating applicants for admission.

The website Fair Test is the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Their site features a list of colleges that are test score optional schools. This hopefully reminds you that any one aspect of your college application does not make or break you - there are always more options to explore until you find the college that is the best fit for you. So please, don't allow the college admissions tests give you nightmares!

For those of you who are still trying to take another admissions test this fall, don't forget that the deadline to register for the next SAT is this Friday and the deadline for the October ACT is a week from Friday.

College Application Deadline Terms

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.

This Week's Schedule

I am sure you are well aware of the fact that tomorrow is a late start day, but just a last minute reminder that you get to sleep in tomorrow morning.  :-)  I hope you enjoy the extra sleep and I will see you when classes start at 9:10am.

I also need to make sure you know that I am not going to be available at all on Tuesday.  I will be out of the building all day to attend a meeting to learn the latest college news from all of the 2 and 4 year colleges in Ohio.

And then on Wednesday I will not be available from 5th period on because I will be attending the school PBIS training session.  I am sure you have seen the PBIS information posted in each of your different classes and throughout the building.  The Positive Behaviors Interventions and Support program is taking place throughout the district and you will continue to hear more about it as the year progresses.

So, if you need anything from me, please be sure to stop in tomorrow, Wednesday morning or else we will have to connect on Thursday or Friday.  Hope you will have a great week!

Writing Your College Essay

Earlier this week I went into one of the Advanced Composition classes to talk about writing your college essay and many other students have been stopping by to ask for ideas so I decided to share information with all of you about writing essays.  This is definitely a long post, but I genuinely hope that it will be helpful to seniors as they work on their college essays!

Writing a college essay can be a frustrating, challenging process, but this is your opportunity to put your best foot forward and show the colleges what makes you special.  Ideally the college admissions and scholarship officers will learn something about you and see how well you write. 

When colleges review your application they can read things like your grade point average and test scores, but they still want to know more about YOU – the person behind those grades, scores, and activities.  This is your chance to communicate to the colleges who you are and how your mind works.  It is important to remember that your essay will be one of hundreds or more-likely thousands that the admissions committee members will read.  (Can you imagine reading all of those?!?)  Try to interest them in what you have to say and be sure that it is written well so that it will stand out.  Think of this as your opportunity to personally introduce yourself to the admissions and scholarship officers reading your application. Be open, honest and real. 

I mentioned this at senior college night and I genuinely believe it is true – think of your essay as a blind date.  You are trying to make a positive impression on someone you don’t really know by showcasing who you are and all of the great things about you.  You want them to walk away knowing that you are special and thinking, "Wow, I really want to meet this kid."  The best news of all though is that you don’t have to suffer from the nerves of making a silly mistake on this “blind date” – you can perfect your essay so that you can make sure you are putting forth a positive message with a good tone that also shows your ability to think and write clearly and logically.

When you have to write an essay you need to keep a few important points in mind:

1. Answer the question! 

When they give you a prompt or question – be sure that your essay is answering what they are asking!  These are smart people – they know when you are just taking a different essay and trying to make it fit for their question.  Put in the time to write an essay that answers the question they are asking.  Also, be sure that you respond to all parts of the prompt. 

2. Show me – Don’t tell me. 

Great, so you told me that you are organized and honest… good qualities for their future college students, but are you demonstrating that to them with your essay?  Show them what you mean with vivid examples – that will usually be specific, concrete stories to illustrate your point.

3. Did I learn something about you? 

The whole point of these essays is so that the college admissions officers will learn something new about you.  (And trust me, they are learning something about you – even if that lesson is you didn’t appear to care enough about getting into school to pay attention to details like spelling.)  So, step back and look at your essay again – did they learn something about you that they wouldn’t have known prior to reading your essay?

Let me assure you – they really do read the essays!  Don’t think you can just throw something down on paper and have it be “good enough.”  These are formal essays for an application to a college that will be the launching ground for the rest of your life.  I know that it sounds intimidating, but relax and start writing – and editing – and then do some more writing and editing… 

One of the biggest challenges as you write your essay is controlling the tone.  You want to come across as confident but not boastful, self-assured but not aggressive, accomplished but not perfect. Try to avoid claiming that everything you've ever done has been unbelievably great.  Don't be afraid to admit that you are human. Colleges want real, interesting people.  Because it's so hard to control the tone of an essay about yourself, you will want to ask several people – teachers, friends, your parents, and even me – to read and respond to your essay. Get a variety of reactions, and then decide how you want to revise the essay.  Remember, when getting help with essay revisions it is important to go into it with the thought that you want to get revisions so it can be the best possible essay (instead of going in hoping the editors will just say – good enough.)  And yes, that also means you can’t procrastinate and put it off writing your essay until the last possible second.

PICKING THE TOPIC

The first step to selecting your topic is to think about what you want the college to learn about you that will not be apparent in the rest of your application.  If you are given multiple questions to select from, it is often helpful to work backwards and focus first on what you want to convey and then identify stories and examples that can illustrate your point.  Next look at the various questions you can pick from and think about which of your anecdotal stories fits with the questions.

Remember, it is worth putting time, energy and effort into picking a good and meaningful topic that is powerful for you because the passion you have for your topic will naturally convey itself in your writing.  Additionally, many topics that come to mind immediately for you will also come to mind right away for hundreds of other students applying to college.  You want to explore a new angle and show how you are different from everyone else.  Try to think about what excites and interests you when picking your essay topic.  Be careful though, this is not “true confessions” time.

If you are still struggling to come up with topics for your essay or how to go into depth on an essay topic idea, try to write your "5 and 5's".

First, write out  the 5 characteristics that make you who you are.  Be sure to select different characteristics (so not caring, kind and nice - those would all be 1 characteristic not 3).  Then, after you have listed those characteristics, bullet point examples of stories/ times when you have demonstrated them.  It is possible that some of your stories of when you show a characteristic may cross over into several of the characteristics.  (So, for example, if I had listed caring and adventurous as 2 of my characteristics, I could say that the time I carried a friend on my back while I climbed a mountain would be under both characteristics.)  *No, I didn't really do this, it is just an example.  ;-)

After you have done that, your next 5 to list would be times when you have changed.  These don't have to be BIG changes.  Think about specific moments in time when you went into something and then were different after it.  This might be a new perspective, mood, value, outlook, priority,

You can also brainstorm on the following questions:

What do you want me to learn about you in the essay?

How have your personality traits helped you in various situations?

What did you do?

Where did you do this?

What were your responsibilities?

What was your best memory or experience there?

What inspired you to get involved or how did you get involved?

What did you learn from the experience?

How have your experiences changed or impacted you?

Why was this experience meaningful?

How have your experiences shaped your character?

What is significant to you about being involved in these activities or receiving the honors or awards?

How have your activities or experiences impacted you personally?

What is your personal motto in life?  How did you come to this?

What is the value of this experience to you?

If you are still completely stuck, go to your family members and friends and ask them to help you identify traits, stories and examples of “That is so YOU” moments.  (Those stories that are so perfectly you that it is hard to imagine them fitting or applying to anyone else.)

COMPOSING THE ESSAY
As you consider your purpose, you should focus on being creative and coming up with a plan for your writing so that you do not just ramble.  Look back at the question again before you begin to make sure you are fulfilling what the college is asking you to do (list, define, explain, compare/ contrast, evaluate, etc.)

When you are writing your essay, get specific.  It is often the small things or experiences in our lives that have the biggest impact on how we feel, think or act.  Sharing a specific example that speaks to who you are by illustrating your character, values and background is much more powerful than offering sweeping generalizations about yourself.

One tip is to select a topic that allows you a more narrow response and then you can use your word count to provide details and depth.  It can be helpful to describe the scene or the person with sharp nouns and active verbs or by using details that will invoke the senses. How did it look? feel? smell? sound?  Don’t just say that "Uncle John was odd." Show us his dog who smashed through closed windows and his unique decorating style of mixing plaid and polka dots.

Be sure to use your voice and stick to the word count.  (Hint: it is always easier to cut words than to try to squeeze more in later, so answer the question fully before worrying too much about word count, but plan ahead enough so that you are at least in the ball park of your word limits.)  This is a formal essay so you need to make sure that you are using proper grammar, punctuation and varying your sentence structure.

Whenever possible, start your essay with a catch – something that will engage the readers and compel them to continue reading.  And I hope this goes without saying, but don’t lie.  Do not make up stories that are not true or genuine.  You are the best you there is and this essay is about you so show yourself off and just be careful on tone.

Don’t forget, if you are writing the main common app essay, do NOT tailor the essay to one particular college because all of the schools that you apply to will receive the same version of the main essay.  Also, for what it is worth, when you are sending specific essays to individual colleges that are personalized, be sure to double check and make sure you are submitting the right essay to the appropriate college.

REVISING THE ESSAY

Give plenty of time to edit!  I understand that this is different than most of the essays you have written in high school, but it is worth writing a draft, walking away from it for a few days and then coming back to read it again to take a fresh look.  Many students are stunned at how the essay that they initially thought was great doesn't meet their own expectations when they re-read it with fresh eyes.  It can help to read your essay out loud and see if it feels natural and sounds like you.  Time to edit and go through multiple drafts is a gift you can give yourself to drastically decrease your stress with the entire college application process.

When you begin reading through your essay again ask yourself:

Does it reveal who you are?

Does it represent your best academic ability?

Does it sound like you? 

Look at the overall structure of the essay:

Does it make a stunning point at the beginning and then fizzle, or does it steadily build in interest and intensity?

Have you made clear the relationship between your ideas?

Is the essay well organized?

As you begin to get picky, look at your word choice and make sure you are not overusing particular words.  Pay careful attention to the verbs - they should give your reader a clear picture of you in action. Although the essay needs to be personal, you shouldn't overuse the pronoun "I."

The essay also needs to read smoothly. As you revise and refine the piece, be sure that it has an attractive introduction, carefully crafted body paragraphs, and a confident conclusion. Look for clear transitions between paragraphs, and try to vary sentence length and structure.

Please rest assured that I am here to help you with your essays.  I will NOT write it for you, but if you are struggling to come up with topics or want help editing, don't hesitate to stop by and see me.  Also, the English teachers are awesome resources for editing help too.  Good luck and happy writing!  :-)