Saturday, April 30, 2016
AP and IB Exams
Friday, April 29, 2016
Personal/ Social Articles
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Career Related
Here are some articles that may help you as you consider your future career choices:
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Senior 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!
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
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:
Monday, April 25, 2016
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:
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Articles - Rejections and Wait Lists
Dealing with rejections:
Wait List Articles:
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Prom
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!
Friday, April 22, 2016
Understanding Financial Aid Awards
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Teacher Recommendation Letters
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.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Articles of Interest - Testing
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:
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Making the Final Decision
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:
Gap Year
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:
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Life Goes On!
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!