The Countdown

The countdown is on... we have just 12 days of school left before semester exams. I *know* some (or maybe all) of you don't want to hear this, but it is REALLY important that you start studying now for exams. 

With exams taking place before winter break, it is important that you take a critical look at where you stand in each of your classes and what you need to do to fully prepare for exams.  If your grades are not where they should be at this point in time, please make use of the resources available to you - the academic assistants in room 209 and, most importantly, your teachers. I am also here to help you with studying strategies and tips if needed. For many students, your final grade for the semester will come down to how you finish out this quarter and how well you do on semester exams. Please don't neglect this opportunity to make the most of the remaining time as a chance to start reviewing for exams.

A "Black Weekend"

The day after Thanksgiving is known as “Black Friday” for all of the people who plan out their day and shop til they drop, but for high school seniors across the country the entire weekend has been called a “Black Weekend.” NOT because of shopping, but because the push to finish applications is down to the wire so parents are forcing their senior students to spend all weekend working on college applications in an effort to try to get them completed. I keep wondering how many of you are really spending the weekend locked away in your rooms stressed out as you try to finish your college applications. Hopefully many of you were ahead of the game and didn't end up procrastinating to try to get everything done over the holiday weekend. 

Below is a list of articles related to writing your college essay that might be helpful if you are still scrambling to finish your essays:

10 tips for writing the college application essay

Dumpster words for college application essays

How to find your essay voice

They know when you’ve been naughty – Write your own essays!

3 things not to write about in your college application essay

Sample essay for common application essay #2 – “Striking Out”

Common application essay #3 – Challenging a belief or an idea

Last minute tricks for taking your college essay from average to awesome

4 tips for non-writers on writing college admissions essays

What makes a college application essay “great”?

My favorite college essay tip

What’s Sup?  10 hot tips to power your supplements

2 sample outlines for “why you?” supplements

The college application essay: looking at the prompts –option 1

Top 5 college application essay fears debunked

TMI in college application essays?

College App grabber trick: Show First!

Think Movies!  Another great way to write your college application essay

More college application essay tips from “Concise Advice”author Robert Cronk

Letterman’s Top 10 Ways to make your college application essay stand out – and mine

College application essay lessons from Modern Family

If a significant part of your holiday weekend has been "black" due to non-stop college application work, I hope you finish soon so you can enjoy some of the break.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I have had fun with my entire family gathering together at my house.  It's been busy but lots of good memories.  I am so thankful to have each of you in my life.  I am blessed to have a job I enjoy and I never forget how fortunate I am to walk alongside you in your journey through high school.  Enjoy the rest of your break!

Have a great break!

I'd imagine many of you were like me and were so happy that the school week is already over.

I hope you have a wonderful 5 days off and that wherever your travels take you that you will have fun and be safe!

Also, one last reminder that if you will be on any college campuses during break, please take a picture for me!  :-)

College Admissions Decisions

College admissions decisions are already starting to come in for some students. Every senior looks forward to receiving their college acceptance letters. It is an exciting time and reassures that there is more ahead. Depending upon the schools where you are applying, it is possible that you will hear back quickly or you may be waiting until sometime in March to find out if you have been accepted. I do ask that as you begin receiving your acceptance or, sadly, even rejection letters, to please keep me informed about the decisions. For the vast majority of the colleges, the only way I know about your admissions decision is if you share the information with me.

Remember, the only way to receive an acceptance letter is to actually APPLY to the college! (Just a friendly little reminder for those of you who are still struggling to get your applications finished.)

Stress

How are your stress levels?

Stress comes from a range of events and life circumstances. When positive things happen such as getting a new job, dating someone new, or graduating from high school, stress levels increase. And, obviously, stress levels are higher when negative things take place like failing a test, fighting with family or friends, or having a lot to do in a limited amount of time. Quite simply, the reality is that stress is a part of life and it cannot be escaped, but it is important to learn strategies for dealing with stress.

Hopefully having 5 days off school will help to decrease your stress levels, but I am also very aware of the fact that holidays can also create stress. Expectations tend to be higher during holidays. Families are often together and sometimes that means lots of questions about your college plans or it could mean that siblings who are off to college are home and the change in routine can cause challenges. Students whose parents are divorced are often juggling multiple holidays and trying to be in several places at once which is never easy. Whatever the circumstances are for your family, try to remember that even though the holiday may not be the picture of perfection that you might see portrayed on movies or TV shows, it can still be enjoyable - even if it is stressful.

Finding the stress relievers that are effective in your own life is important not only during the holidays, but throughout the year! Talking to friends, writing in a journal, drawing, reading, listening to music, running, coloring, playing sports, spending time with your pets, taking a walk, dancing, exercising, watching a funny movie, or helping someone less fortunate are all examples of some simple stress relievers that might be ideas you can consider utilizing. Remember, if you need someone to talk to about some additional strategies for learning to manage the stress in your life that I am always around and willing to listen!

Also, below are a few articles related to stress that might interest you:

Teen Stress: How parents can help

Stress could literally kill you, here’s the reason why

And we can handle that!  ;-)

Delaware Area Career Center

Today was the field trip to the Delaware Area Career Center. I always love the excitement, smiles and hearing the stories about the fun experiences students had while on the visit to the career center.

As a reminder, don't forget that even if you decide to attend the career center, WKHS students are always WKHS students. With most programs you will have the option of attending the career center for full days (where you would take your lab coursework which counts as elective credits and your academic courses all at the career center) or for half days (where you only take the lab coursework at the career center and then return to WKHS for the other half of the day for your academic classes). You will graduate from Worthington Kilbourne and continue to participate on our athletic teams - even if you decide that you want to attend the career center for the full day. 

I strongly encourage you to check out the programs because the hands on opportunities to learn something new while also gaining your required elective credits can be a very appealing option! If you didn't have the chance to participate in today's field trip there will be "second look days" coming up soon. Any students interested in making this visit should stop by the WKHS Counseling & Career Center to pick up a permission slip from the secretaries. Permission slips must be submitted in advance in order to make arrangements for your visit.

Also, if you made the trip to the Delaware Area Career Center today and are excited about the possibility of attending in the future, please make sure to start working on your application and get it turned in to the DACC so that they can consider you for a spot in their program.

Making a Difference

When I was in high school my mom encouraged us to volunteer at a local hospital. We’d go every week and put in the hours and it was a fine experience – something I was glad to do – and to be able to list on my applications, but there wasn’t anything particularly unique or memorable about the experience. For example, my main memory from my days of volunteering was the job of refilling the water jugs in patient rooms… and how my sister would skip the rooms of anyone moaning… who’d have thought she’d end up becoming a nurse?! (My sister would NOT be happy with me for telling this story!) But that was it – no great epiphany or story beyond the fact that I had volunteered.

As you begin applying to college and for scholarships there are many times that questions come up about what community service experiences you have had. And, even if not asked directly, if you had memorable experiences they can often be used to support your essay responses.

No need to panic! Your volunteer work doesn’t have to be a huge project or consist of thousands of hours of time – what is important is to get involved!  No matter how old you are, now is a great time to start working on volunteering – the experiences will help you in the long run.

Community service opportunities are as different as each individual who decides they want to help make a difference in the world around them. The sky is the limit and I encourage you to find something that inspires you.

Some volunteer ideas that could help get you started could include – community beautification projects (cleaning up parks or areas of the city), helping elderly neighbors, visiting nursing homes to perform music or talk with residents, homeless outreach, packing groceries for a food bank, assisting at the humane society or other animal shelters, wrapping and handing out gifts to those less fortunate, organizing and attending holiday parties for kids or the poor that would usually have nothing to celebrate, serving in a project for those who are disabled or ill (such as Make a Wish, Adventures for Wish Kids, or the Special Olympics), fundraising or recruitment events, becoming the champion for a cause and helping with awareness (Diabetes, Cancer, Organ Donation), and the list literally goes on and on. Also, don’t forget that there are several co-curricular groups at WKHS that focus on community service such as Interact Club and Wolves for Cubs and you are encouraged to look into those opportunities as well.

Some students have also participated in the Leadership Worthington program which helps to teach students outstanding leadership skills and participants work together to complete a small (5-hour) community service project.  The next Leadership Worthington class will begin in January and they are looking to select about 15 high school students for the opportunity.  We have additional information on the website and available in the Counseling Center if you are interested.

I am anxious to hear your community service stories and the ways you are working to make a difference!

4 year colleges?

How long will it take you to make it through college? Most people will quickly think to themselves "4 years" because most WKHS students are looking at 4-year colleges.

Unfortunately, that is not always the reality. While a traditional college is a 4-year school, for many students it is not always realistic that their students will, in fact, graduate in 4-years. You may wonder why this matters now, but it is very important for you to look at the 4-year graduation rates when you are considering colleges for your future because the longer it takes you to graduate from high school, the more you will be taking on in costs for college as well as the longer it will take you to graduate and get out into the working world or to move on to grad school.

You can usually find the 4-year graduation rates on college websites, but it isn't always easily accessible. This is a link to a US Department of Education website called College Navigator where you can search for schools and then by looking at the retention/ graduation rate area you will be able to see the statistics for each school in an easily accessible way.

Each school's 4-year graduation rates should not be your sole factor in making a decision, but it is another piece of the puzzle to help you. You should use the information to help you ask more questions about why their graduation rates are so low. Is it because it is too difficult to schedule classes when you need, is it because the costs are too expensive, is it because students change majors too many times so they end up with a lot of classes that do not help them toward their major, etc.

Happy Searching as you look for the school that is the best fit for you and your future.

Study Strategies

Do you know how to study? I ask students that question a lot and, quite honestly, the most common response is "no." It really isn't a surprise though. The reality is that until high school gets hard enough that you hit the wall and it no longer comes easy to you, studying isn't something you typically have to worry about and spend a lot of time focusing on.

The challenging part of studying is that what works best for one person may not be what works best for someone else. And, even if you figure out what works best for you in one particular subject area, that still doesn't mean that this particular strategy will be most effective for a different subject.

The best news is that there are lots of different ideas and strategies that you can use to develop a study strategy that works best for you! For what it is worth, think of learning to study like you think of learning to run. You already know some skills that have helped you to know how to study and to be successful - just like you already know how to run, but if you practice and really train at running, you can improve significantly and studying will work just the same. Keep working at your study strategies, practice and continue refining your technique until you find the perfect combination that works for you.

If you are struggling to find strategies to try out, I encourage you to visit the WKHS Counselor website as their are lots of examples there.  You can also work with the Academic Assistant's in the Teaching and Learning Center (Room 209) as they have a wealth of knowledge and helpful tips for study strategies that can help you in their particular subject areas as well as studying overall.  And, last, but not least, you can also stop in and see me and I can help brainstorm ideas that you could try.

College Admissions Interviews

Some colleges require all prospective students to participate in an interview with an admissions counselor or an alumni representative as a component of the application process. If you are looking at a school which requires an interview – don’t panic!

It is important to relax and be yourself. This is your opportunity to shine. Display your personality and allow your interests and passions to be expressed.

In addition to answering their questions, don’t be afraid to ask any questions you have about the school. Be sure to complete some research ahead of time so that you are not asking questions you easily could have found by visiting their website.

If there is anything about yourself that you want to be sure that the admissions representatives understand – unique circumstances, experiences, or special traits that they might not ask about don’t hesitate to offer up this information. This is your one opportunity to actually discuss these areas with a real person. By bringing up these topics, it may spur them to ask additional questions that you will be able to answer.

And, hopefully it goes without saying, but remember that first impressions are important – so be polite, smile, dress appropriately and arrive on time for your interview!

This article about college interviews may also interest you:
http://www.hercampus.com/high-school/applying-college/how-nail-your-college-interview-0

Be Patient

Let me start off by acknowledging that I am *NOT* the most patient person on the planet!

I know that it can be frustrating waiting for something to happen. Waiting to hear news. Waiting for the next phase of your life. Waiting... waiting... and still more waiting.

But the reality is you need to be patient.

Right now colleges are overwhelmed and frequently back-logged with all of the applications they have been receiving. When colleges are receiving materials it often takes them two weeks to get everything processed and updated in the computer. They often send out notices to students that are automatically generated letters that they send just to remind you that you need to send your transcript and test scores and a recommendation letter. Students tend to panic when they receive that letter and want to send the materials again. Colleges typically do not want that happening as it will simply back up their system even more. 

Try to be patient. If you get one of these letters (from any college) take a moment and double check - did you send your transcript? Are they missing everything or some particular item? If you applied via Common App you can log in and check to see if everything was submitted and downloaded by the college.  If your materials were mailed within a 2-3 week time-frame, then take a deep breath and relax knowing that it is likely just because their system is backed up. Continue double checking on the college website (most will give you access to see your application status) and see if they have everything. If you are nearing the end of the 3rd week and they still don't have all of your items you can give them a call to double check. Chances are they just haven't made it there yet, but there are times where things get lost in the mail or filed in the wrong area. If items need to be sent again then we will work on taking care of that, but first make sure that they really are missing it.

As always, swing by my office to see me if you have any questions.

Cap and Gown Order

Cap & Gown and Announcement Ordering Information

Seniors have already received information about ordering their cap and gowns and announcements.  It is often one of those moments that makes students realize how quickly graduation is approaching.

If you have lost your packet of information, extra copies of the packets which contain brochures and order forms are available in the Counseling Center.

You can place your order during lunch at school this Thursday or Friday (Nov 13 - 14), by mail or online.  If you are submitting it by mail send your order to NRP Grad Ohio, 3227 Edington Rd., Fairlawn, OH 44333.  To place your order online please visit www.NRPGradOhio.com

Impressive Accomplishment

I have been meaning to post about this accomplishment for several months.  Perhaps you have already heard this news, but Hana Estice has received award recognition for being a National Achievement Semi-Finalist.  This is an award that advances her in the scholarship competition connected to the PSAT.  Hana, I am so proud of you and impressed by your academic focus and dedication.  Congratulations!

Socratic Society

On Friday morning 49 students were inducted into the Socratic Society. Staff members are given the opportunity to recognize students for excellence in one or more of the core socratic values of Scholarship, Integrity, Personal Effort, Compassion, or Lifelong Learning. Students are only eligible to be selected for this honor one time during their high school career.

I was disappointed that I wasn't able to be there for the ceremony so I had to ask Ms. Adrean to share a copy of the group picture with me.  I had 17 students in my part of the alphabet who were honored.  So impressive!  A special congratulations to "my" students who were among those recognized this month! (Alphabetically): Joey Ambrozich, Miriam Bassani, Sam Beerman, ChaRon Booker, Steven Borchers, Anna Chen, Joey Coogan, Charlie Cox, Markell Crockett, Sammie Crozier, Vaishnavi Dasaka, Grant Dierksheide, Amy Du, Luke Durbin, Hannah Fahmy, and Trey Flores. I am proud of each of you!

December Test Registration

Just a quick, last minute reminder that we have reached the deadlines to register (without late fees) for the December ACT and the December SAT. Today is the deadline to register for the December SAT and tomorrow, Friday, is the deadline to register for the December ACT.  If you were planning on trying to take one of these tests in December, please make sure you get online and complete your registration today!

Why THIS college?

Why do you like a particular college?  What is it about the school that made it stand out to you and left you with the impression that this would be a good place for you to spend your collegiate years?

Hopefully, you have an idea about what you'd answer for both of those questions for each school that you are including on your list of schools where you are going to apply.  And, let me clear - you should like something about every college that you are considering and you should feel good about each of the schools if you are applying there.

In addition to mattering for deciding where you are going to apply, your answers to these questions are essential when you are trying to answer college-specific essay questions.  Some colleges will ask applicants to answer supplemental essay questions and often one of these questions relates to what you like about their school.  They may phrase it in different ways, but the bottom line is that they are trying to determine why you believe their school is a good fit for you.

Remember, the admissions officers who work for the school already think their school is great and they know about the wonderful opportunities available so you need to take it beyond saying that they have a great location, outstanding professors, and wonderful weather.  You need to take it to the next level by identifying specific aspects at the school where you can see yourself contributing to the school and offerings that you plan to take advantage of while you are in college.

This article has great information and suggestions for doing specific research about a college and what you like best about the school and how you'll take advantage of the opportunities.

College Admissions: School Specific Research

Good luck in searching for the right college fit for you and for conveying why it's a good fit in your essays.

Demonstrating Interest

It is interesting to stop and think about all of the different factors that play into a college admission decision. When colleges are evaluating all of their applications, one of the aspects that may help set one student apart from another is the level of interest that they have demonstrated. The reason that demonstrating interest is important to a college is that they have a limited number of spots that they can offer for admission. They are trying to find a way to maximize the number of students who they accept that will actually attend their college in the future and they still want to find a way to get the most competitive, involved group of students that they can find.

So what are some of the ways that you can demonstrate your interest in a college?

Meeting with the college admissions reps when they come to WKHS is a great first step. I'll be honest, for this year, admissions officers visiting Kilbourne is coming to an end, but for the younger students, this is something you should keep in mind for next fall. The reason that this is such a significant way to demonstrate your interest is because a lot of kids don’t take advantage of this opportunity so when you do take the time to come and meet with them, you will stand out.

Attend their community nights – many colleges will offer presentations at area hotels or community centers that students and parents can attend. We have been listing these upcoming nights on the WKHS Counselors website. These events tend to be more common in the fall and spring months so you can always check our website and also the college's website for opportunities to meet with them.

Visit their campus! Visiting their school is probably the best way to demonstrate your interest in their college. 

I know it isn't always feasible to visit every single school that you are interested in applying to so find other ways to familiarize yourself if you can't make it to their campus. Visit their website. Read the admissions blogs. Don’t be a pest, but if you have questions, seek the answers by contacting admissions representatives. (And, for the record, you should make those contacts rather than having one of your parents call on your behalf!)

Some schools will offer alumni interviews in the area and if the school you are considering is among them, it would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity as it, again, demonstrates the sincerity of your interest in their college.

College Application Step Review

Today the most common question I heard (and I heard it a LOT) was, "Did I miss anything?"  The reality is a lot of seniors have been worried that they are missing steps related to their college applications. The most accurate and most important response that I can give to you is to look at exactly what the college is asking for and make sure that they have each item requested by the deadline date. (And remember, that means that they actually have the materials in their office - not the date that you bring it to WKHS to have us mail or even the postmark deadline - it is the date that they need to have your entire completed application packet.)

1. Complete your application - this will be online.

2. Write your essay. I have mixed emotions if I should list this as #2 because you can't actually complete your application without your essay if one is required, but you probably don't know what the essay questions are unless you have started the application. Some schools will not require an essay while others will require multiple essays. Please plan accordingly because they take a long time to perfect.

3. Fill out the blue Transcript Release card for each school that you are applying. You can find this card in Mrs. McDaniel's office (you do not need to wait to try to see me). There is a $1.00 transcript fee unless you are applying to a school that utilizes Common App or SendEDU as we can submit transcripts to those two systems for free.

Another side note related to the transcript release cards- if you are applying to schools with deadlines of December 15th - January 10th we ask that you complete your transcript release card by December 1st.

4. Send your test scores - You need to make sure that you have submitted your ACT or SAT test results directly from the testing agency to each college where you are applying. You complete this step directly with the testing companies. If you are not sure if your test was sent, please log on to their site and double check.

5. If your college requires a teacher or counselor recommendation I really hope you have already arranged for someone to write them. Again, you should be giving your recommender at least 30 days notice to write a letter.

6. Double check your entire application, pay your application fee and submit the application.

7.  Sometimes people ask what are the other papers that might need to be mailed. This is one of those pieces that goes back to what the colleges require. Some colleges will have other requests such as a resume, an extra essay, teacher recommendation letters, a picture, etc. If it cannot be uploaded and needs to be mailed to the college, then you should combine it all into the same packet and mail it to the college.

It truly is not meant to be overly difficult, but it does require a great deal of organization and follow through on your part. With 278 seniors in this year's graduating class it is important to remember that you have to stay on top of things because deadlines are real and you do not want to lose the opportunity to apply to a school or to earn a scholarship just because you had not taken care of all of the details required.

If you have questions, stop by and see me and I will try to help make sure that we are all on the same page regarding what you need to do before your deadlines to complete all of your college applications.

The Week Ahead

I hope you are having a great weekend!  As we look at the week ahead, you are probably looking forward to the fact that you only have a 4 day school week.  :-)  You do not have school on Tuesday as it is election day.  With so many schools in the district serving as polling places the district doesn't have students in the building as just another example of the fact that you, your safety and well being is our top priority.

I also wanted to let you know that I will be out of the building on Thursday and Friday for two full days of a statewide counselor conference.  (I even get to present at the conference so I'm pretty excited to learn more and also feel like I am contributing back to the profession too.)  Why does that matter to you - because if you need anything from me this week, I'd ask you to plan ahead and stop to see me tomorrow or Wednesday.  As always, if there is an emergency that comes up while I am gone, you will be able to go and meet with one of the other counselors.

The other reminder that I wanted to mention is that any students interested in participating in the fieldtrip up to see the Delaware Area Career Center and all of the programs available as options there, please turn in your completed permission slips to the tray in the front of the counseling center as soon as possible!  Technically they were due on Friday, but we can still accept late forms over the next few days so don't delay in getting your signatures and turning it in.  Remember, making a visit doesn't commit you to attending - it is just keeping that option available to you for the future should you decide that you'd like to apply.

I've Been Slacking

Clearly, I have been slacking off on updating my blog this week.  Yikes!  I am sorry for the delay.  Between parent/ teacher conferences and the madness of trying to hit the November 1st deadline, something had to give and evidently it was updating the blog.  But, I'm back.  :-)

Today is November 1st.  Can you believe it?  This school year is flying past!  Today is a common early action deadline for a lot of colleges and so many of our seniors are submitting applications today.  (Or, ideally, have done so in the days prior to today.)  One common question that has been coming up a lot over the last few days is about what appears on the pdf submission preview.  Multiple students have been concerned that their test scores aren't appearing even though they have entered them.  Colleges have the option of how they want some features to appear (or not appear) and OSU, for example, doesn't have test scores show up.  So, don't worry about it being missing if you are reviewing your information before submitting and it doesn't appear.