AP and IB Exams

Over the next few weeks many WKHS students will be putting the knowledge learned over the course of the school year in their classes to the test with the Advanced Placement and IB Exams. The AP tests are held at the WEC on designated days while IB exams will be held at WKHS.  I know that many of you have been spending an extraordinary amount of time studying to prepare for the exams. Good Luck!  You will do great!  Stop by sometime and let me know how you felt after the tests.

Personal/ Social Articles

While I have been sharing countless articles related to college and careers, it is also important that you have the chance to learn more about the areas that impact the rest of your life.  These were some of the most relevant that I have come across recently that I thought might interest you:

Heroin addiction in teens: what parents need to know to spot the signs

49 phrases to help calm an anxious child

3 tips for controlling your emotions

How to fall asleep when stress creeps over you at night

Suicide hotline will serve children in crisis

The Biology of positive habits

Complete Guide: How to relieve stress naturally and fast

21 timeless strategies to lower your daily stress

7 timeless strategies for finding inner strength (when you need it most)

Dear stress, let’s break up: 10 tips to help you de-stress

The hidden psychology of failure

The mental trick you can use to get through any stressful situation

How to tell if your kid is dangerously stressed

Disturbing behavior of self-cutting on the rise among teens

Attachment parenting teens: cutting and self-harm

3 things parents of high schoolers need to know about study drugs

Teen dating violence: red flags and how to get help

Teen dating rules: 5 guidelines parents need to implement

For teens, breaking up is hard to do

What parents should know about depression in teens

When depression hits, teens find help

Would you know if your teen was depressed?

Not in their house, not in my house, not in any house: the 4 risks of social hosting

Career Related

Choosing what you would like to do for the rest of your life can be pretty overwhelming for most students. The idea that, as a high school student, you are expected to decide what career you will enjoy doing every day can seem scary. One of my students described his view of the future as endless 40 hour work weeks and while there is certainly some truth to his statement, the goal is that you will find a career that you love. When you enjoy your job and find it fulfilling and rewarding then every day will give you something meaningful. 

Here are some articles that may help you as you consider your future career choices:

7 ways to help your child choose a career

Snag 5 top healthcare jobs with an associate degree

Trying to decide between becoming a Physician Assistant and a Medical Doctor

7 sports related careers super fans should consider

Find career focused volunteer opportunities in high school

7 high paying jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree

The 10 coolest jobs you can get by learning a foreign language

Find your field

6 lucrative jobs you can get with an associate’s degree

10 good jobs that don’t require a degree

6 healthcare jobs you don’t need to go to medical school for

Why high school career counseling steers kids off course

Senior Reminders

Seniors, can you believe that today was your last homeroom?  This is a busy time of year when you have lots of pieces to pay attention to so I thought it might be helpful if I gave you a few reminders...

-  Caps and Gowns: You should have picked up your Cap and Gown already.  If you forgot to order your cap and gown, please stop by the counseling center to get the phone number for National Recognition Products and call to place your order right away!  Don't forget, if you had planned on using an older sibling's cap and gown, you need to be sure that your sibling graduated within the last few years because prior to that there was a different style.  

-  Diploma Presenter Form:  If you plan on asking someone to present you with your diploma at graduation - the deadline for submitting your presenter request form to the co-curricular office was (technically) April 15th, but you can still turn in your form if you forgot to submit it. I love the fact that you all have this opportunity as a way to make graduation an even more memorable experience. If you do not select someone to give you your diploma, an administrator from WKHS, central office or a school board member will present your diploma to you.

-  Senior Pictures:  I sincerely hope that you have already taken care of submitting your senior picture to Mrs. Mullen so that they can be included in the Yearbook.  If you didn't get your picture taken, please see Mrs. Mullen right away to make alternate arrangements.

-  National College Decision Day:  I believe most of you are well aware of the fact that May 1st is national college decision day.  The colleges have all united in the fact that they will not require you to make decisions about where you will attend prior to May 1st, but this is one of the deadlines that is firm.  As you are aware, through the college application process each college has their own timeline and often have different application deadlines, financial aid deadlines, and announce their admission decisions at different times, but May 1st is a universal deadline among all colleges requiring students to declare their decision.  Please remember that this not only means that you have informed the college of your choice that you intend to attend their college, but it also typically includes submitting a deposit.  As you reach the final hours of your decision making window, if you need to talk out your choice with someone, please feel free to stop in and talk to me.  You can, of course, also use my books and the resources that I have in my office to help guide your decision making.

-  Mandatory Graduation Form: Included in the senior packet that was mailed to your house was a mandatory graduation form.  This is a required form that you must return no later than May 2nd.  This form not only outlines your college decisions and scholarships received, but it also allows you to indicate where you would like your final transcript to be mailed after graduation. The information collected about colleges and scholarships will be used when putting together the information for Senior Recognition Night and when they are creating the graduation program so it is very important that the information is accurate! (For example, in the past a student called one scholarship by the wrong name and the parents were upset that it was listed wrong, so please double check to give the correct details.) If students do not complete the survey the school will not have anything to list in the commencement program, so please take a few minutes and complete the form!

The "business" of college

It is hard to find high school students who haven't started receiving mail from colleges - especially if you have ever taken the PSAT, ACT, SAT or attended a college fair. At first it is often a rush of excitement to learn about different colleges and I know that lots of students will pour over the different brochures, booklets, or information packets. In time though most students get frustrated and overwhelmed by just how much mail comes from all of the different colleges. This is a perfect reminder that colleges are a business and they are marketing themselves as a result. When you get the mail from the colleges take a few minutes and look it over - remember, they are not saying you will be accepted, but it can help give you an idea about the characteristics and features that are most important to you in selecting the college that is best for you. Go ahead and keep any that look particularly appealing to you, but don't worry about throwing the rest away.

Aside from the onslaught of mail you are receiving, take some time to explore colleges which you think will be a good fit for YOU!  Need help figuring out more about colleges in general, the college search and the application process, perhaps these articles will help you:

Advice college admissions officers give their own kids

Napping pods let students doze off between classes

Find the right college as an undocumented applicant

4 reasons for high school graduates to turn to community college

Show these 5 traits during college admissions interviews

What the people who read your college application really think

4 things you should know about applying to art school

5 steps for using college admissions essays to address weaknesses

4 college admissions strategies for students with bad grades

9 essay writing tips that will ‘wow’ college admissions officers

5 things that don’t impress colleges

3 ways to capitalize on college fairs to distinguish your college application

Michelle Obama shares the college application advice she’s given Sasha and Malia

Admission officers share advice they give their own college-bound kids

Awesome Etiquette: deflecting questions about your college application

Find the right pre-college summer program

Video takes aim at stressful college application process

4 ways to show a college it’s your top choice

7 college admission myths you shouldn’t fall for

4 tips to guide your college search

A glimpse inside the college admissions process

I’m a college student with disabilities.  Here’s what it’s like.

How applications are evaluated and decisions are made

Former Yale admissions officer reveals secrets of who gets in

What really goes on in a college admissions office

4 things I would’ve done different in my college search

How to avoid having your college acceptance rescinded

Fun, useful, unexpected “stuff” about colleges you probably don’t know

College admissions: 5 admission factors you can’t predict

8 things I wish I knew a year ago about college applications

3 great college search tools

Why big name colleges aren’t always your best choice

3 rates you should look at when evaluating colleges

What high school juniors should do now for college

Remedial classes have become a hidden cost of college

The truth about admission decisions: what to do next

Weigh passion, practicality to narrow your college search

Narrow your college application list with lifestyle, career goals

6 factors to narrow your college search

5 ways to get started on college apps before senior year

Greater competition for college places means higher anxiety too

Time is Running Out!

Seniors have just 18 days of school remaining and underclassmen have 22 days (including the 3 exam days) before summer break.

Obviously that means every moment counts if you are not doing well in your classes and you are trying to pull off a passing grade for the semester.  It is essential that you spend the remaining weeks taking care of your classes so that you do not jeopardize your future.

The truth is that this last month of the school year is essential for many WKHS students.

For seniors, I realize that there is a rampant case of senioritis running through the school, but I must remind you that next year most of you will be heading to college. You have already received your acceptance letters and decided where you will be attending school next year so it seems like your grades this last semester don't really matter... except they do! You must submit a final transcript to your college. If you go back and read the acceptance letters that the colleges sent to you, you will notice the fine print that points out that they can turn you down if you don't maintain the level of grades that they expect from you and your past performance. Last year schools did turn away hundreds of students and I can't even imagine how hard it was for a student to believe they knew where they would be attending to suddenly find out that they could no longer attend there because they blew off school during their final semester.  The other comment I hear from seniors often is that school doesn't matter now, but that next year, in college, when it matters they will turn it around and try. Well, while I would love to believe you (and I hope you are right), the reality is that it isn't always that easy. Bad habits are hard to break. Next year there won't be anyone bugging you about turning in homework or reminding you that a paper or project is due next week. They won't accept late papers. Most teachers won't check attendance and they don't care if you want to throw your money away by not attending class. It is your introduction to the real world. At WKHS if you show up late to class and get a tardy or two you end up with a detention. In the real world, if you show up late for work you get fired. At WKHS if you can't manage to turn in a paper or project on time teachers take points off and it might hurt your grade, but in the real world the devastation of not following through and meeting the expectations of your boss are much more serious. I know, you think I am just nagging and I promise that I am not trying to lecture you, but I am worried. The last few weeks of high school need to be a time to practice developing some good habits. For many of you, you have taken a long enough break at the beginning of this quarter. Spend time studying. Work on your organization skills. Practice taking better notes. All of those things will help you in college and in the future.

For the underclassmen... it is far too early for you to be claiming senioritis (although I heard that from quite a few students recently). The classes that you are taking now will impact your grades and grade point average. Having a higher grade point average doesn't guarantee you admission to the school of your dreams, but it does provide you with more options. For most of your classes - you need it to meet graduation requirements. (Even your elective classes as you need multiple credits of electives to graduate.) It always surprises me when students give up at this point in the year. I don't understand it. If I was faced with the option of working really hard for the last 4 weeks of school and kicking butt on the exams or taking the class for an entire semester (or year) again over the summer or next year there is no question that I would apply myself now. That is what so many of you need to do. Stop and think about it for a moment. Your 3rd quarter grade was worth 40% of your semester grade. This quarter's grade is worth another 40% of your semester grade and your final exam makes up the remaining 20%. That means that with your exam and this quarter you are dealing with 60% of your total points for the semester. Hopefully you realize that this also means that you can still pass, but you must commit yourself now and not let a single point slip by without trying to earn it.  Every point matters! Talk to your teachers, get input from them on what you need to do differently in order to turn things around in your classes. Please, don't wait until it is too late. If you have already realized that there is no way to pass the class and your teacher agrees that there is no hope, please come and see me so that we can talk about what your plan is to make up the class. Are you going to take it during the summer? Are you going to take it next year? If you are taking it next year does that bump out any of your other classes because you are now missing the requirements? There is a great deal to consider. If you aren't going to be able to pass one class, please work hard to make sure that you pass all of the others. As soon as you realize that one class is a lost cause it doesn't mean that all of the others are gone too. Try to use your time wisely and put more effort into the ones that still have hope. Feel free to stop in and talk to me if you need help developing a plan on how to focus your energy and effort to passing your classes.

Believe me, I do understand that it is hard to focus right now. And yes, I admit that I don't always want to get up and come to school when there are other things that sound more appealing for the day. But we only have one today and the decisions we make today have a much bigger influence than we can imagine. Make the most of today!

Academics are essential and these related articles may interest you:

Discover the difference between AP and IB classes

The cost of skipping class (college), by the numbers

6 habits to largely improve your memory and brain power

8 high school habits that will fail you in college

4 answers for parents about college-level classes in high school

5 keys to success in advanced placement courses

7 ways to bounce back after disappointing 1st semester grades

25 crucial study tips for finals week

5 items to have on you so you can always study on the go

Improve your concentration

Teaching good study habits, minute by minute

3 last minute AP prep tips to ace the exam

End of year mistakes to avoid for high school juniors,seniors

3 tips for parents to teach teens to take academic responsibility

The truth about senioritis

5 problems all second semester seniors have (and how to fix them!)

3 ways parents can support teens ahead of AP, IB exams

Will dual enrollment classes help you get into college?  What to consider

Articles - Rejections and Wait Lists

What do you do if the college decisions you received were not what you had hoped and you ended up with a rejection or being placed on the wait list?  Being rejected can be difficult to deal with and students often feel like they were "not good enough" which is NOT true.  Being placed on the wait list has it's own challenges as I talked about recently on the wait list post, but it is the limbo land - a rejection, but with hope which can make it very hard because when you are still holding out hope it is hard to move forward to something else.  If you are still struggling with a college rejection or trying to decide how to handle being placed on a wait list, these articles are meant for you...

Dealing with rejections:

I got rejected from my first choice school, now what

3 Steps to take if you are rejected from your dream college

5 pieces of real talk about getting rejected

Dear parents: here’s how to handle a college rejection

Managing the dreaded college rejection letter

3 things to do when you get a college rejection letter

Dealing with rejection from dream colleges

5 ways to rebound if rejected by your top choice school

College rejection a distant fear as life lessons take hold

Getting past a college rejection

You got rejected from your dream school – now what

Wait List Articles:

3 college wait list mistakes to avoid

The wait list: colleges’ safety valve, students’ purgatory

Wait listed by your dream college?  Here are 6 steps to take now.

How to get off a college’s wait list

Steps to take if you want to stay on the wait list

The wait list – is it worth it?

What to do if you’re wait listed from your dream college

Wait list fundamentals

Top colleges put thousands in wait list limbo

Prom

Tonight is prom night for WKHS juniors and seniors. This is an exciting and memorable night for students and I hope you have a great evening. Let's be honest, I also hope that it is a safe evening! You want prom to be memorable because it was a positive experience... 

Hopefully you have finalized all of your plans and are looking forward to a great night both at prom and at After-Hours. I am looking forward to being a chaperon at prom again this year because I love seeing "my" students dressed up and enjoying themselves. It should be fun!

One last reminder about safety - please remember that just because it is prom night that doesn't give you the excuse to make choices that you know are not wise.  Take the time to talk with your parents before you leave tonight about what you will do if you end up in an unexpected situation and need help. If, for any reason, you need help tonight while at prom - you know that you can find me. Have a good time - and please, be smart and stay safe!

Understanding Financial Aid Awards

It can often be challenging for students and families to figure out how to read, understand and compare financial aid award letters from various colleges.  This is because so many colleges have different ways of calculating and reporting different financial obligations.  One of the most frequent components you'll see is tuition/ fees.  If you will be living on campus there are room/ board costs.  And then also, Cost of Attendance, which is what colleges actually use as the starting point of all of the costs associated with attending their college.  For example, this typically includes books, travel, incidentals and other necessities like laundry costs.  Your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is another term you might find on your financial aid award letter and this is the amount that the FAFSA indicates that your family can afford to pay.  Sadly, the EFC doesn't typically align with what students and families actually think they can pay... not to mention that many colleges will still leave the families needing to pay even more than their EFC.  Because making decisions related to college that you will actually be able to afford in the future is essential, there are lots of articles focused on understanding the award letters.  I hope you will find them helpful.  If you have any questions, please feel free to stop and see me and we can try to figure it out or you can always call the financial aid office at the college for clarification.

Colleges that report meeting full financial need

4 questions to help parents, students compare college admissions offers

How to decipher a financial aid letter

How to understand your financial aid package

How to compare your financial aid award letters

The good, the bad, and the ugly of financial aid award letters

Deciphering the financial aid award

How to decode a financial aid award letter

How to read your ridiculously confusing financial aid letter

Teacher Recommendation Letters

Recommendation letters are a time consuming process requiring a great deal of thought and time. Juniors, as you finalize the list of schools where you will be applying next fall, it is important to determine if you are going to need a recommendation letter from a teacher (or two). Many of the Ohio schools - OSU, Ohio University, BGSU, Kent State, etc. do not require teacher recommendations.  Because rec letters are a time consuming process, if the colleges where you are applying do not require recommendations, then do not waste your teacher's time by requesting letters that won't be needed or used. 

Juniors, as you recall during our schedule and future plans meeting, we talked about the fact that if you are applying to schools that need teacher recommendation letters, it is very helpful and beneficial to the teachers if you can give them as much time as possible to write your recommendation letters. That means, if you know now that you are going to be applying to a school which needs a teacher rec letter, then I would like for you to ask the teachers this spring allowing them to have the entire summer to write your letter. (These next few weeks are a great time to ask!)  After you ask your teacher(s), you will want to provide them with information that can help them as they write your letter. We have several handouts in the counseling and career center and on the WKHS Counselor website that you can use for this purpose.

Articles of Interest - Testing

I don't know if you noticed, but yesterday's post had a LOT of articles at the end.  Today's will have more... and in the days ahead you will find more articles that I think will interest you.  As you may be aware, I read a lot of articles about college.  I follow blogs and twitter feeds on topics that I think can be helpful to my students and families and as I read articles that I think will interest you I save the links in a document to share.  Yesterday I realized that I have over 30 pages of article links saved!  Yikes!  That is too many to share all at once if I actually want you to be able to read any of them.  So hopefully if I space them out over the coming days/ weeks based upon their topics it will allow you to pick any that might be useful and applicable for you to read.  I'd also like to point out that I noticed some of the articles were re-posts (most often on Twitter) - articles that had been written previously, but were highlighted again because the content continued to be applicable.  And so on to this post...

With regards to college applications one of the more stressful aspects is taking the admissions test(s).  Students are often trying to decide if they will take the ACT or the SAT.  With the new revisions to the SAT, the availability of the PSAT and the fact that the SAT now has free prep resources available through Khan Academy, I suspect we will have more and more students taking the SAT in the future.  It doesn't matter which test you take as colleges will consider them equally.  Also, for students who took the ACT in April, your test scores are now available online.

Here are a few testing related articles:

ACT essay scores inexplicably low causing uproar among college bound students

Don’t make these mistakes during SAT, ACT Prep

6 final steps before sitting for the SAT, ACT

How parents, teens can make use of new PSAT scores

Problems with PSAT score delivery sparks anger at CollegeBoard

Making the Final Decision

There is less than two weeks left for seniors who are trying to decide what college they will be attending next year.  Remember, there is no right or wrong choice – it is all about what school is the best fit for you and your individual wants and needs in a college. Try to take a deep breath and relax as we head into the final countdown. Trust yourself and know that you will be successful in the future – no matter where you end up!

As you are starting to think about your different schools and comparing and contrasting them, it is essential that you determine what you really want in a school and what is most important to you in a college. If you are still struggling with your choice, then chances are pretty good that the schools that you have narrowed your decision down to are probably relatively similar.

Take the time to go back and look at the same factors you considered when picking which schools you wanted to apply to and try to get really picky about the different factors that played into your choice. Perhaps creating a chart can help you clarify how important each factor is to you and how each school compares in that category. For example, think about the location of the school. How important is that issue to you in picking a college? The schools are likely within your comfort zone of a location from home, but when looking at two colleges consider how far or close they are from your family. What does it mean to you if the school is 10 minutes away, 4 hours away, or a flight away? How important is it to you to be able to come home for an evening, a weekend, or a holiday? You can also look at the size of the school. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different sizes of schools. For example, the larger school might provide additional choices and the smaller school may provide better teacher/ student ratios. What is more important to you? And if both are important to you then you will need to consider what you will do to adapt to make sure that the school will meet your needs. Consider the social life and activities on and around the campus. Is it what you picture for your college years? Most importantly, you need to figure out what categories and issues are critical to you and compare the school on those aspects.

If your school comparison charts are similar and you still can’t decide – go visit the schools again. Sit in on the classes and, if possible, arrange for an overnight visit (yes, you are running out of time for overnight visits). People watch and consider your interactions with the students on campus. Are the students friendlier at one school over the other? What about the professors that you talk to? Are they engaging and whose classes are you most interested in attending? How was school safety? What strategies are in place to help keep students safe? Which campus support staff (admissions, financial aid, etc.) is friendlier and more helpful? (While this is not necessarily a key factor it can give you an image of the school and a glimpse at their values as an academic institution.)

How do the schools compare regarding the costs?  What will the difference in costs mean to you over the long haul?  Ask yourself if the school will meet your academic needs, if you will have the social life you desire, and if your family can make the investment. As you are progressing through your decision making process, remember not to be shy about asking questions and getting them answered because you are entitled to feel confident in your decision. This is your choice. You are not a victim in this process – you are the key active participant. Remember that if you want to stop in and talk about your college decision I am always here for you, but know that I can’t make this decision for you – just like your family and friends can’t make this choice for you. The good news – the stress is almost over and you will be relieved to be able to finally answer the question that everyone asks endlessly of “Where are you going to college?”

Here are some articles that may also help you when trying to make your decision:

10 tips to make your final college choice

3 reasons not to overthink your final college choice

Consider the downside of attending a reach school

5 questions to ask any college you’re considering attending

Concerning college column: how to select a school once you are accepted

4 important things to consider when choosing a college

6 terrible reasons to choose a college

5 questions to ask before deciding on a college

Guidelines for making the final college choice

Choosing which college to attend

7 things that shouldn’t affect your college decisions

Making the final decision: tips for narrowing down college admission offers

College admissions: how to keep from choosing the wrong college

7 questions you need to ask yourself before committing to a college

Anxious about college decisions? Frank Bruni has comforting words for you

Time to decide: making a college decision

Making your big college decision?  These 4 steps can help

Which college will you choose to go to?  Here’s what to consider

Your child got into a few colleges.  Now here is what you need to know before making a decision

3 reasons parents, students should attend admitted students days

5 scenarios to avoid when choosing a college

Current students share advice on making the right college choice

Gap Year

Have you heard of Gap Years? Without question, the majority of WKHS students move straight from high school to college, but this is not always the best option for every student. In the past few years I have had several students who elected to take a gap year which is a year off between high school and college. The one point that I would like to make though is that a gap year is not just hanging out at home, living in your parents basement, playing video games for a year. Students pursue lots of different options during gap years and colleges recognize that gap years can be a valuable opportunity for students to gain perspective, personal insight, and re-energize their love of learning before beginning their college careers.

Sometimes students elect to take a gap year if they haven't been accepted to a college where they feel like they will be happy to attend. In these instances students may decide to take a gap year and hope that their experiences during their gap year will enhance their applications for the following year when they apply the following year.

Other times, and perhaps even more frequently for Kilbourne students, is that students will still complete their applications during their senior year and then defer their acceptances for a year. If you are interested in pursuing a gap year opportunity, talk to your college admissions office to confirm if they will defer your enrollment date by a year (or a semester if you are taking a shorter time off between high school and college).

Want to learn more about gap year programs and opportunities? Check out these articles:

Young gap year farmers flourish in VT

Gap years create successful students

8 strategies for managing your teen’s gap year experience

How to choose the perfect gap year

Students benefit from gap years

Why students may not consider taking a gap year, but should

How to negotiate a gap year

Will taking a gap year hurt my daughter’s college chances?

Why top universities want students to take a gap year

Countdown to college: advantages of taking a gap year

NBC News’ Tom Costello: Taking a gap year before college changed my life

Why your high school graduate may want to take a gap year

Don’t send your kids to college.  At least not yet.

Life Goes On!

Finding out if you have or haven't been accepted to the college(s) of your dreams can be extremely stressful. It is rewarding and a weight off when the news is good and you find that the school you were hoping to be able to attend also wants you as a student at their college. But when the news isn't what you had hoped and you find out that you were rejected, it can be disappointing and frustrating. Unfortunately, the reality is that everyone will not be accepted to every single school. You may have been a great candidate and have so much to offer to the college, but it is all a part of the process.

I acknowledge that it is sad when you are rejected and find out that your "dream school" is no longer an option and I am here to listen. I would also like to remind you that life does go on and there are plenty of other great schools that will be thrilled to have you as a member of their incoming class. Several years ago the Wall Street Journal featured an article that highlights some famous people who all have in common the fact that they were rejected by their "dream" school. After allowing themselves time to process through their disappointment, they refocused on making the most of the opportunities available to them at their other college choices and, as a result, today they are all successful. 

I don't have any magical answers for why one student gets accepted and another seemingly comparable student does not, but I do know that you can and will be successful in the future. Believe in yourself and know that the college where you complete your undergraduate degree will be lucky to have you as a member of the class of 2020!