Meet the Teacher Night

Wednesday night, September 2nd, is this year's PTO Meet the Teacher Night. This is a night when your parents can come through school, follow your schedule, and meet all of your teachers. Just before the Meet the Teacher night, Ms. Adrean will be providing an overview of the year regarding initiatives, improvement plans and upcoming events.  Ms. Adrean's information session will begin at 6:40pm and the Meet the Teacher part of the evening will be over by 9pm. Each class will be 10 minutes in length and yes, your parents will have the same 5 minute passing time that you have during the day. (Hopefully they won't get lost and be late or else they could end up with lots of tardies!) :-)

Here is the schedule for the evening:

Overview of the Year by Ms. Adrean - 6:40 - 6:55

1st period - 7:00 - 7:10
2nd period - 7:15 - 7:25
3rd period - 7:30 - 7:40
4th period - 7:45 - 7:55
5th period - 8:00 - 8:10
6th period - 8:15 - 8:25
7th period - 8:30 - 8:40
8th period - 8:45 - 8:55

Please make sure you give your parents a copy of your schedule or at least write down the room numbers for all of your classes so they know where they are heading for the evening!  Of course, if you have lost your copy of your schedule, your parents can print off your schedule on Infinite Campus.

Also, please make sure your parents know about this evening because I know many of them will want to attend.  Parents usually like putting a face with a name so that if you are talking about a test in Mr. ____'s class or an assignment for Mrs. ____'s class they will be able to keep it straight.

We Do Not Rank

When completing college applications you will find that most colleges will ask “What is your class rank?”  (Some schools may not ask you and may ask on the counselor form that I am required to complete for you.) The official answer is “We Do Not Rank.”

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

As you already know, WKHS is an academically competitive high school and we would not want a class ranking to hurt you in any way. For example, this year, a 3.7 GPA ranks as a top 25% at Kilbourne, but at a less competitive school might rank in the top 10%. So, unless you have a 4.0 or better, do yourself a favor and write “Do Not Rank” when completing your applications.

And, for those of you who really want to know what your current class rank is – you can stop by to see me and I can show it to you.  Please, please, please, remember that no one else will see your class rank and we do not release it so it is NOT a reason to worry or be upset if your rank is not as high as you would have expected or guessed.

OSU Admissions Update

Yesterday morning I attended a meeting at OSU learning from their admissions staff about the latest requirements and updates.  Because there are so many students who plan on applying to OSU each year I wanted to pass along some of the information I learned.

- November 1st is the Early Action deadline for admissions.  It is also their deadline to be considered for their automatic scholarships.  Students who plan on applying for the Honors and Scholars program, majors in the college of Engineering, or the Morrill Scholarship program are strongly encouraged to submit their applications by this date as well.  The November 1st deadline includes having all of your supplemental materials received by the admissions office in addition to your application (such as test scores and transcript).

-  OSU does not require a letter of recommendation.  They will accept one if you send it and it can be from anyone who knows you well - a teacher, coach, counselor, boss, etc.  This is a change from the last few years.  Just to give you background - OSU never required recommendation letters and then a few years ago they transitioned over to using the Common App and until this year Common App mandated that all colleges who used their application to require a recommendation letter.  Now that Common App has dropped that obligation, OSU has dropped the requirement of submitting a rec letter.

-  OSU had over 46,000 applications last year and enrolled just over 7,000 new freshmen.  For those admitted to the Columbus campus, the average ACT composite score was a 28.85 and 95% of the students were in the Top 25% of their class (nearly 63% were in the top 10%).  Needless to say it is very competitive to gain admission onto main campus, but they pointed out the opportunities available for admission to OSU at the branch campuses with open enrollment.

-  Students who begin their college career at a branch campus have the opportunity to stay and complete their degree in some majors if they want, but they can also change campuses and move from the branch to main campus after completing 30 credit hours (1 year of full time classes) and earning a 2.0 GPA.

-  The university is focused on goals of increasing access, affordability and excellence.  What does that mean to you?  It means that they are striving to focus not only on the cost of attendance, but also trying to improve the 4 year graduation rate.  (Over the last few years the 4 year graduation rate at OSU has been just shy of 59% and their six year graduation rate has been just over 83%.)  Regarding excellence, they are focused on "BUILDING" the best class possible - that means they don't just look at grades and test scores, but the entire student.  They want to increase enrollment among underrepresented populations, bring in more students with special talents and who can make unique contributions to the college, and increase the completion rates for students who begin at regional campuses.

-  There are no set numbers for being admitted or for being deferred to a branch campus.  Representatives from the regional branch campuses also talked and shared about some of the opportunities and experiences on their campus and they are still academically strong - for example the average ACT at the branch campuses was a 22.6.

-  They are major blind in acceptance to the university and then you would be considered for acceptance into your particular major or preferred program.  (So for those students who hope to "game the system" by picking some obscure major that you really are not interested in, that won't actually matter for admissions to the university.)

-  OSU will now be requiring all students to live on campus for 2 years.

Do you know what the best part of visiting OSU's campus and attending the meeting?  As I was leaving I ran into one of Mrs. Lord's former students (who also happens to be featured in one of the scholarship brochures for the university) and hearing how much he loves OSU so far and how well prepared he felt from the teachers and classes he took at WKHS.  It's always so good to hear that from Kilbourne grads - the only thing that would have made it better is if it would have been one of my former students.  :-)

Over the next few weeks I will be attending more informational meetings to get additional information about other colleges in Ohio and beyond so that I have the latest information to be able to share with you as you are working on your applications.

Relax - We can do this together

I guess I should have expected it... the panic which so many seniors seemed to have today as they stopped by my office.  Last night's senior college information was well attended (thank you!) and I was happy to see so many of my students and parents in the audience.  The reality is that for many students, hearing the information during the presentation and having that "ah-ha" moment that you are really a senior and it is really time to apply to college now, is startling.  If you are having anxiety over the fact that it's time to apply to college, please try to relax.  Take a deep breath and start taking it one step at a time.  I will help you through and as long as you don't give up we will be able to make sure that you finish your applications.  Over the next month or so I will post a lot of information on my blog about the college application process and details about various steps of your applications in an effort to help you.  More importantly, stop by and see me if you have questions, to keep me posted on your progress, and to make sure that you are staying on track with your applications.  I am looking forward to hearing about your plans for life after high school!

SAT Changes

Have you heard that the SAT is changing?  It has been talked about a ton in the college admissions world and is particularly important for juniors (and younger students) to be aware of because you are the ones who will be most impacted.  Starting in March 2016, the SAT will be redesigned.  This October’s PSAT (practice SAT) that all juniors should plan on taking, will be the first administration introducing the redesigned test.

So, what is different about the new SAT?

•           The test will be scaled on 1600 (800 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing combined and 800 for Math)
•           The penalty for guessing will be removed
•           Similar to the ACT, the essay is now optional
•           Free SAT test preparation is available online through Khan Academy
•          There will be more charts, tables and graphs and less remote vocabulary words
•           There will be passages from “founding documents” like the Declaration of Independence instead of random sources
•           The math section will reflect real world math that does not always require (or allow) a calculator
• Students who take the SAT with the “old/ current” SAT can still use the scores when applying to college and/or they can wait and test with the “new” SAT and use that score for admission. 

WKHS junior and senior students also have a unique opportunity to take the “new” SAT in December free of charge.  CollegeBoard (the organization responsible for the SAT) is doing final comparison research on the old and new SAT.  As a result they have provided some schools with the opportunity to allow students to experience both tests.  Any WKHS student who registers for and takes the October SAT can then take the new SAT on December 9^th at WEC.  This is a school day and you will be excused from your classes, but you will still be responsible for making up your missed work.  The test is free for students, but you will not receive your test scores until May.  The test scores can be submitted as official results for your college applications.  CollegeBoard has also determined that students who complete the October and December administrations will receive a $50 Visa giftcard in the spring as a thank you for assisting them in their research of the tests.  This is a great opportunity for students, so if you are curious about how you might do on the new SAT this is the best of both worlds – take the old SAT and the new SAT all for the cost of just the old SAT and get a giftcard and not have to give up another Saturday along the way.

Confidentiality

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

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

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

College Applications... START!

Procrastinating on college applications always makes me nervous.  Over the last few weeks as I started talking to seniors about their applications, I realized that some of you were thinking that you would wait to start until you adjusted to being back to school, some didn't realize they needed to be working on applications already and others said they were waiting until after Wednesday night's meeting. Please (PLEASE!) don't wait! The time to start working on your applications is now. That doesn't mean you have to have the entire application complete, but begin getting organized, start thinking about and drafting your essays, start filling out the "easier" paperwork section that requires name, address, and other basic information because it can become time-consuming, and (if you still haven't done so) put together a master list of activities and experiences you have had during high school so that you can add that information to your applications easily.

And, if you still don't know which schools you will be applying to - it is definitely time to start determining your list. Get online and search for the characteristics of a school that you are looking for and, if possible, make arrangements to visit different campuses. (Of course, if you make visits to schools, don't forget to bring me a picture!)

I know that not everyone is procrastinating on working on college applications and some have already submitted their applications and will be hearing back soon.  :-)

Another reminder, to help all senior students and parents there will be a Senior College Information Night on Wednesday evening, August 26th, at 7:00pm.  Please plan to attend as we will be covering details you will need to know during the application process!

Last Day to Add a Class

A quick reminder that tomorrow (Friday, August 21st) is the last day to add a 1st semester or year long class to your schedule. Please make sure that you bring in the schedule change form (which you may have picked up from the counseling center or you can download from the WKHS Counselor Website) signed by your parents indicating that they support your class change request.

A New Beginning

Tonight is filled with anticipation for your teachers and I hope for many of you too.  I hope you are excited for a new school year.  I hope you are looking forward to reconnecting with your friends and the staff at WKHS.  I hope you find that 2015-16 will be your best year yet.  So often people focus on new year's resolutions at the start of the calendar year, but in my opinion, for students, THIS is the best time to set your resolution about what you'd like to accomplish this year.  I have mentioned setting goals for yourself in several blog posts recently.  I mention it one more time simply because I want you to know that I believe in you!  Whatever you want to accomplish, I know you can do it and I am willing to work with you to help you reach your goals.  

Tomorrow, as we start the new year, there are some details about the schedule which you need to know.

Here is the bell schedule for tomorrow:
7:45 - 9:35am - Freshman Students Only
9:50 - 10:25 - 1st period
10:30 - 11:05 - 2nd period
11:10 - 11:45 - 3rd period
11:50 - 12:25 - 4th period
12:30 - 1:05 - 5th period
1:10 - 1:45 - 6th period
1:50 - 2:25 - 7th period
2:30 - 3:05 - 8th period

There are some students who won't be following this exact schedule though.

Students in grades 10-12 who are attending the Worthington Academy will be on their normal bell schedule and will be attending the Academy during your designated times and catching the morning or mid-day shuttle as normally scheduled.  Mr. Schirg sent an e-mail to all Academy students with details of your schedule for tomorrow so check it out if this applies to you.

Students who are participating in the College Credit Plus (CC+) courses taught by CSCC instructors on Kilbourne's campus, won't actually start with the English or Psychology classes until August 31st.  However, we will be meeting on the 24th and 25th at 8:45am.  So, for the next few days you do not have to attend class during your designated CC+ time (1st and 2nd period).

It will be a great start to the year and I look forward to seeing all of you back in school!

Senior College Information Night

The Senior Student and Parent College Information Night will be held next week on Wednesday, August 26th, at 7:00pm 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 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 August 26th!

Prepare for Success

This coming week we will start a new school year and it is important to put yourself in the best position possible to successful.

The first step is to set your goals for the year.  What are you hoping to accomplish?  What do you need to do to reach these goals?  It is often easier to dream big and quite honestly, most of you could achieve any goal that you set your mind to, but it will take dedication and commitment.

Many of you are also spending the last few days searching for new school supplies.  As you buy your folders, binders, and notebooks pause for a moment to really think about what organization system tends to work best for you.  Are you a "stuffer" who just stuffs papers into whatever happens to be available?  If so, folders are probably best for you. (Try to get thicker folders that can hold up to a lot of papers.)  If you are the type of person who wants to be able to combine notes from class with notes that you take from the book, you might gravitate toward a binder with loose-leaf paper rather than a spiral notebook. Whatever system you select, make sure it is one that will work for you.

Preparing for success is probably most closely connected to having an organization system for tracking your assignments.  Perhaps you bought a planner at schedule pick up day or maybe you are checking out all the different planner options available in stores or maybe even searching apps for the perfect online system.  It doesn't matter to me what type of an organization system you have selected, but it is essential that you pick something and commit yourself to using it.

This will be a great year!  I hope you are looking forward to getting started (even though it means that summer is over) and if you need help with setting reasonable goals or with organization, please don't hesitate to stop in and see me.

So Many Changes

When we start school next week there will be lots of new staff members for you to meet and get to know.  Perhaps you have already seen the different names on your schedule and wondered who all of the new staff members are that make up the Kilbourne staff.  We are lucky to have a wonderful group of new teachers coming to work with you.  They are passionate about making a positive difference in your life and I am confident you will enjoy having them as teachers.

You may have heard the news at the end of the school year that Mr. Brown got hired to be an Assistant Principal at McCord Middle School.  Mr. Anderson will join Mr. Souder as the new dean.

Ms. Burke was at Kilbourne just a few periods a day last year, but she will now be in the building full time and we will also have Ms. Swihart in the art department a few periods a day.

If you are involved with the band program you already know Mr. Brough who is new in the instrumental music department and head of the marching band.  (And rumor has it the sneak preview yesterday was awesome.)

We have several new staff members in the special education department including Ms. Kraft, Mr. Guthrie, Ms. Baehr, Mr. Palmore, Ms. Zimmer, and Ms. Mess.

As you know, we had several teachers retire from the global language department.  Mrs. Knott (who also happens to be Mrs. Clark’s daughter and was a senior my 1^st year at WKHS – can I tell you how old I feel?!?), Ms. Bruck and Ms. Duffin will all teach Spanish at WKHS this year.

Mr. Cooke used to be at WKHS but then spent a few years at TWHS has rejoined the Kilbourne staff as the IB Coordinator and an English teacher.  Some of my past students who had Mr. Cooke can still share the stories of insights Mr. Cooke shared with them about what to really expect in college.

Ms. Minor is a new math teacher.

Mr. Patch is a new social studies teacher.  (You can spot his senior picture in Ms. Schwartz's office because he is also a Kilbourne alumni and was one of Ms. Schwartz's students.)

Ms. Evans is a new custodian you may see in the afternoons after school is out for the day.

And Mrs. Miller, our School Psychologist, will have several new staff members helping her including Ms. Griffith and Ms. Beauvais.

As if all of those new faces were not enough, a few staff members got married over the summer and have new last names.  These include:

Mrs. Rehkopf (previously known as Ms. Scott)

Mrs. Hundertpfund (previously known as Ms. Kiehborth)

Mrs. Donovan (previously known as Ms. Gilkerson)

While that certainly seems like a lot of changes, the other big changes that I believe you will possibly notice even more are all of the physical upgrades to the building.  The teal color that used to be on the stairs, support beams, poles, and walls has been replaced with Kilbourne Blue.  The gym floor has been redone and looks awesome.  The disgusting gum spots are finally gone from the entrance (thank goodness).  And, of course, the awesome new turf field.  It is gearing up to be a great year!

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 red 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.

Please Be Patient

As the dreaded schedule change requests start pouring in I beg you to be patient with me. Not only in the process of waiting in line to see if your schedule can be changed, but, more importantly, in helping me to remember your names. I am absolutely terrible at remembering names! I will recognize faces, but coming up with the names to go with those faces is a challenge for me especially after the summer break and with so many of you streaming in one right after the next. So, please, know that I am doing the best I can and forgive me if I can't come up with your name. (And, I have to tell you, that if I didn't love this comic so much I would probably be hesitant to even admit that to you.)

Also, remember, you do not need to wait in line to see me in person!  If you are requesting a change I encourage you to leave the schedule change request form in the designated black bin. I will make the change (if it is possible) and will leave the updated schedule in the red bin so that you can pick it up at your convenience between now and the start of school.

It's a School Night... For Me

You still have a little more than a week of summer left, but today was my final day of summer vacation and tomorrow it is back to the real world.  I am looking forward to the new school year, but will definitely miss sleeping in and spending time with my puppy, Lexi.  Tomorrow is the first schedule pick up day and if past years is any indication, it will be a hectic and fast-paced day in the counseling center so there won't be much time to adjust, but that is ok because I'm excited to see you.

When you come to pick up your schedule don't forget that you need to be prepared to have your school photos taken and you need to have your school emergency forms all completed online.

If something is wrong on your schedule, you will have to fill out a schedule change request form.  You do not have to wait to see me - if I am able to make the adjustment, I will make it and you can pick up your revised schedule on the first day of school.  Remember, as in the past, if you need to change to a core class, you will need your parent's signature indicating that they authorize the change.  I have to be honest with you, classes are unbelievably tight.  As of this moment, there are only 4 seats remaining in the entry level art classes, there are only 5 seats left in ALL of the business classes combined, and there are NO seats remaining in any of the health or physical education classes.  I'm telling you this just so you are prepared for the fact that it may not be possible to make many changes.

See you tomorrow (or Wednesday)!

Physics Summer Work

Over the last few weeks each time I have checked my school e-mail there have been questions from students about the AP Physics summer work.  As you know, many honors, AP and IB classes require students to complete summer assignments.  At the end of the school year the Physics teachers had planned to e-mail their summer work to students in August.  Students are worried because they haven't received their assignment yet.  I heard from Mr. Troutner and Mr. Green (the 2 Physics teachers) and they shared that your work has been posted to Google Classroom.  The challenge is that you cannot access Google Classroom until you receive your new username and password next week during schedule pick up.  The work will take 2 to 3 hours to complete so you will want to make sure you save a little time in your final week of summer to get it finished.

College Credit Plus Reminders

Many WKHS students are planning to take classes this school year that will allow them to earn both high school and college credit (for free) at the same time through a program called College Credit Plus.  College Credit Plus (CC+) was introduced this past spring and students who wanted to participate for this school year had until April 1st to declare their intent to participate.

For those of you who are participating this year, you will be taking classes through either Columbus State Community College (CSCC) or through Central Ohio Technical College (COTC).  These credits are guaranteed to transfer to any public college in the state of Ohio when you provide your college transcript showing that you had earned the credit.

I wanted to make sure all students participating in CC+ classes remembered that you must apply to the college, provide them with any required documents (just like you would if applying to college as a full time college student) and fulfill any requirements that the college has for their students.

For students planning to take a class through Columbus State, this includes completing an online orientation before August 13th.  The online orientation can be accessed here:  http://cscc.edu/community/dual-credit/CollegeCreditPlusOrientation/
(CC+ courses offered at WKHS through CSCC would include English, Psychology, Government, Sociology, and Intro to Programming Logic)

COTC does not have an online orientation required of their students.  So for those of you who will be taking a math course or Intro to Business through CC+, you do not need to worry about this additional step.

It would also be wise to log into your application and make sure that you have been accepted by the college and have fulfilled all of your steps required for your application.  If you realize that they are missing something, please communicate with the college directly to get it worked out and to make sure they have everything they need.  (For example, one of my students received an e-mail indicating that she had until today to complete her application and she ended up finding out that the college had not properly uploaded her Compass Test Scores so even though she thought everything was done she realized that it wasn't and was able to get it straightened out before it was too late.)

If you have any problems with getting through the requirements with the college, please email me so that I can try to see what I can do to help.

Schedule Pick Up Day Reminder

Everyone has been working hard to prepare for the start of the school year.  By now you should be aware that the next week are the designated days for you to pick up your schedules.

Tuesday, August 11th: 
9th graders - 8:30 - 11:00am
All students new to the district (regardless of grade) - 8:30 - 11:00am
12th graders - 12:30 - 3:00pm

Wednesday, August 12th:
11th graders - 8:30 - 11:00am
10th graders - 12:30 - 3:00pm

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.

Your emergency medical information needs to be updated online prior to coming through the schedule pick up lines.  Your parents can also pay your fees online.

I know that every year there are questions about what you should do if you are not available to attend on your designated schedule pick up day.  If you cannot pick up your schedule and books on your designated day, then you can come to school on the other schedule pick-up day.  If you will not be able to attend either day, then you will not be able to pick up your your books or get your student ID made until the 1st day of school, but if you want, you can pick up your schedule and turn in your forms on Monday, August 17th or Tuesday, August 18th from 1:00 - 3:00pm.

Each year schedule pick up days are two of the craziest days in my office, but I am looking forward to seeing you!

2 Weeks!

2 Weeks!  Can you believe it?!  In just two short weeks we will be back at school for the first day of the 2015-16 school year.  It is going to be a great year - it is Kilbourne's 25th anniversary year - and hopefully for each of you this will be your best year yet both academically and personally.

While many of you... and possibly me too :-) ...are wishing that these final days of summer would drag out and move slow, there is good news for how the first day of school will run.  We will not be on a normal bell schedule.

Freshman students will come to school at the normal time (7:45am) and they will have some introductory transition meetings and a chance to move through their bell schedule to find all of their classes in the morning before all of the upperclassmen join them in the building.

All students, grades 9 - 12 will start attending their actual classes at 9:50am.  So this means that for sophomores, juniors and seniors, the school buses will run twice on opening day and you won't have to be at school until later - a great way to transition back into the school year!

Here is the bell schedule for August 19th:

7:45 - 9:35am - Freshman Students Only
9:50 - 10:25 - 1st period
10:30 - 11:05 - 2nd period
11:10 - 11:45 - 3rd period
11:50 - 12:25 - 4th period
12:30 - 1:05 - 5th period
1:10 - 1:45 - 6th period
1:50 - 2:25 - 7th period
2:30 - 3:05 - 8th period

Also, a reminder for all freshman students and parents - there will be a Link Transition Day on Monday, August 17th from 11:00am - 3:00pm.  Busses do not run on this day so parents will need to coordinate for transportation, but it is a fun day full of activities, class bonding, and mentorship opportunities that freshmen students will not want to miss.

ACT Registration Reminder

Just a quick reminder for all students planning on taking the ACT in September, the registration deadline is rapidly approaching!  The last day to register without a late fee is this Friday, August 7th.

The September ACT will be held on Saturday, September 12th and while I really recommend that you register this week, there is a late registration deadline of August 21st.

As a reminder, you will register for the ACT directly on their website - www.actstudent.org.

Common Application

The Common Application is a centralized application that students can complete for over 500 different colleges and as of yesterday it is now updated and released for the Class of 2016 to begin working on their applications. The colleges that participate in this application commit to treating applications received through the Common App with the same consideration as if students had applied through the institutions individual 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 is 1 essay that typically must be completed for all colleges, but you do have a choice about what essay to pick from a list or prompts.  (New this year is the option for the essay to be included even if colleges don't require it - for the colleges I looked at when testing the site they all required it, but perhaps some may not which is exciting.)  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. 

Not all schools use the common app - there are 26 Ohio schools which will utilize the common application this year, but as you are getting ready to start applications for the schools you are considering it is worth looking to see if more than one school from your list utilizes the common app.

I have spent the last few hours playing around on the Common App website and the new format will be pretty straight forward for you to use.  A few things I want to make sure you are aware of to help as you are completing your application...

- When you are looking at the college information section to see the number of recommendations required sometimes it may say "0" but the reality is that a recommendation letter may still be required.  You will want to double check on the college's website to see if they require a rec letter.  Ohio State is an example of where this confusion can be seen.  They allow your recommendation letter to be from any adult (non-relative) so they don't require that it is from a teacher or from a counselor or from a non-academic source and therefore it lists required as 0, but they do want 1 recommendation letter from the adult of your choice.  (At least they have in the past - and I am guessing they still do.)

- After you have selected your colleges and added them to your list you will see specific questions (the supplements specific to that school) and some of them are updated now, but others haven't been posted yet so you may have to check back.  You will find the specific questions and additional application pages for individual colleges under the "My Colleges" tab.  The general information that you will complete for all of the colleges is under the "Common App" tab.

-  If you have attended WKHS for all 4 years of high school, then you entered Kilbourne in August 2012.

-  Your graduation date is May 29, 2016.

- It will ask you questions about me and so you will want to be sure that you spell my name and e-mail address right or else I won't receive the e-mail to complete your school forms.  (Ms. Brianna Abbott, Title: School Counselor, E-mail: babbott@wscloud.org, Phone: 614-450-6490)

-  It will ask you about other schools you have attended.  Obviously, if you moved into Worthington you have other schools to list, but I also want to remind you that if you took summer classes through a different school district (such as TRECA or K-12) then you need to include that school on your common app form too.

-  If you are a student who will be taking classes through College Credit Plus, you will need to include that information in the Academic Section under Colleges/ Universities.  (English, Psychology, Sociology, Government, and Intro to Programming Logic are all through CSCC.  Pre-Calculus, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC and Intro to Business are all through COTC.)

-  I strongly encourage you to make a complete list of your activities and honors BEFORE attempting to fill out the Common App.  For example, you will need to give a total number of your honors before you start naming them.  If you haven't developed that resume list then you'll have a tough time filling it out.

-  As you are working on each area there is a panel on the right side of the page titled "Help Center" and I found it very helpful as I was going through the different areas.  Some of the typical questions kids have asked me in the past as they are completing the Common App are now answered in the help center.

-  You will have to indicate your class size - for the Class of 2016, it is 302.

Let the fun begin!  Good luck as you start working on your applications.