Volunteers make a difference

Did you take the time to investigate the opportunities highlighted at last week's volunteer fair?  I was so thankful that Mrs. Glaros coordinated such a wonderful event to showcase just a few of the opportunities you can pursue as a volunteer as a way to make a difference and give back.  The benefits of volunteering are not only for those whom you help through your efforts, but also in the positive feelings you will have knowing that you had helped someone else.  

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

Please don't panic though, your volunteer work doesn’t have to be a huge project or consist of thousands of hours of time.  What is important is to get involved!  Community service opportunities are as different as each individual who decides they want to help make a difference in the world around them. The sky is the limit and I encourage you to find something that inspires you.

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

My current community service story is that I have been taking Lexi to visit assisted living facilities.  I like it because I am able to take Lexi to new places on the weekend where she can meet other people, but the biggest benefit is that since my grandma moved 5 hours away to be near my mom and I miss her a lot, it is nice to visit with other people in the same way that I hope someone might be visiting my grandmother.  I am anxious to hear your volunteer stories!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

How many times have people (including me) asked you what you want to be when you grow up? I often see many students stare back in a look of pure panic because they really don't have any idea what they would like to do when they are out in the "real world." Don't worry! It is normal to be uncertain of what career you will spend the rest of your life pursuing, but it is helpful for you to start exploring different career fields and considering different jobs that might be a good fit with your strengths, needs, and interests.

If you are among those students who are at a loss and wouldn't even know a broad area that you might be interested in considering for your future, perhaps it would be worth your time to take a Career Interest Inventory.

The Ohio Means Jobs has a K-12 section with various assessments you can complete along with the Profile section which can help you identify careers that might be worth exploring based upon your potential career matches. 

Here are a few other sites with career related information that you can explore:

Occupational Outlook Handbook: The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. The Handbook is revised every two years.

O*Net (Occupational Information Network): source providing comprehensive information on key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations. This site also includes a Skills Search section for students to complete as a self-assessment.

Enjoy exploring these different sites and learning about careers and opportunities available in your future!

Pass/ Fail & Drop Deadlines

Just a few reminders related to your classes...

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

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

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

College Reflection and Visits

On Saturday night I went back to my college alma mater - do you know where I attended college???  If you thought to yourself, of course, the University of Kentucky, then I have reason to smile.  If you didn't know that I went to UK then let me start off by mentioning that UK is located in Lexington, Kentucky.  Lexi, our school therapy dog, is actually named LEXINGTON!  :-)  Lexi is just her nickname.  And, if naming my dog after where I attended college isn't enough, then perhaps the large pennant, magnets, artwork, and lamp in my office would make it clear.  Ha.  Yes, I am proud of the fact that I attended the University of Kentucky.  I had an incredible 4 years there and was reminded of that this weekend while there for the football game against South Carolina.  Thankfully UK won the football game which is exciting as football is not particularly their greatest strength.  I had an AWESOME time at the game and was reminded so much of my times in college.  And, as I am apt to do, my college memories made me start to think about you and your search for a college.

During my time in college I traveled often to LOTS of different college campuses, but my visits to each campus was short and basically consisted of the training rooms, football stadiums, tennis courts, or gyms. I know enough to remember that if I never see the color orange and hear the song Rocky Top again it will be too soon (University of Tennessee) and that everywhere you turn at the University of Arkansas you will see the image of the Razorback which is this bizarre pig like looking creature, but truthfully I cannot tell you much about either campus and the academic offerings at those or most of the schools that I recall traveling to in the past.  It is important to remember that while you may be a die-hard fan for a particular college team, you still need to make sure the actual college - the campus, the academic opportunities, the dorms, and the organizations available will fit your interests and needs.  Just because you are at a campus for a game (like I was this weekend) does NOT equate to a college visit - so if you are traveling to a beloved school to see a game, please be sure to see more than just the stadium.  (And yes, this does include OSU - you should actually go and VISIT campus and not just assume that because you have gone to lots of games at OSU or because it is in your "backyard" that you already know everything there is to know about the school.)

One of my biggest tips for when you are making your college visits is to pay attention to the details around you and all that there is to learn about the school.

Try to keep in mind that there are a lot of outside factors that can influence the quality of your visit – positively or negatively. For example, the weather… if it is a gorgeous sunny day with perfect temperatures you may think it is the most beautiful school and if it cold, rainy, or dreary you may think it is miserable, but try to remember that the weather changes from day to day and judge the school without being overly influenced by the weather. (Please also remember that if you are traveling to areas in different climates than Ohio that weather may be a factor, so I am not making a blanket statement to always ignore the weather.)

Tour guides also form a huge impression of the school that you visit. Most colleges know that and will try to find outgoing, positive, energetic students to take you through the campus. Ideally the guides will try to get to know something about you or your interests to help point those aspects of the school out to you, but the reality is the students serving as tour guides are not always great and, let’s be honest here, we all have bad days so even some of the good ones can have off days where they won’t be impressive on the visit. I know it can be hard, but try to separate the guide from the school.

If you can spare the time – stop and sit on a bench and just “people watch.” Are these people that you can imagine being your friends in the future? Remember, you are hoping that in the near future that you will be able to make friends with them and others like them on campus. Think about how you are feeling on the campus – can you imagine yourself being there and being both happy and successful at this school?

Eat in the dining halls of campus.  Is there a wide selection of food choices available?  Do you like the food?  Talk to students who are also eating in the cafeteria - find out what they are studying, what they think of the school and ask for suggestions they have for you. Sometimes your best insights into a campus may come from those you just run into and can strike up a conversation with during your visit.

In addition to people watching, check out the bulletin boards, campus newspaper and other signs highlighting upcoming events and opportunities on campus.  Try to think about how much the activities appeal to you.

If school spirit and pride in your college is important to you (and, quite honestly, I think it is always a good sign when people are proud of their college), then watch as you walk through campus - how often do you pass people wearing shirts or sweatshirts featuring the college's name - it is shocking at how different that is on various campuses.  Now, that being said, please remember that this measurement is not going to be valid on a game day as you are likely going to see TONS of people decked out in their team's colors.

Visiting college campuses is one of the truly fun adventures in the college search process, I hope you will enjoy every second of it.  Who knows, maybe the next campus you visit will be your future home for 4 years after you are done at WKHS.

Recommendation Letters

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

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

Once you have figured out the teacher or teachers that you want to ask for a recommendation (if needed) it is then time to ASK them (nicely) if they are willing to write a letter for you. It is really important to be reasonable in the amount of time that you are giving them to write your letter. (Think at least 30 days or more!) They are very busy with their classroom work and grading homework and papers and of course life in general and many teachers are often bombarded by students requesting recommendations. If a teacher is unable to write a recommendation letter for you – either because they don’t feel they know you well enough to write a strong letter or because they have too much on their plate, don’t take it personally, simply ask another teacher. You will be thankful that you didn’t force them to write the letter because it wouldn’t be as solid of a recommendation letter if they were rushed or only had vague highlights to discuss. 

If you are applying to schools that do not need teacher recommendation letters, please do not waste your teacher's time by asking them to write a letter. Also, only ask the number of teachers that you need recommendations from - so if you are applying to two schools and both need 1 teacher recommendation letter, just ask one teacher to write a letter that will be used for both schools. You do not need to ask for more letters in case one is "better" than another - if you are not sure the teacher will write a positive letter for you, then you need to pick someone else. If you trust the teacher enough to ask them to write the letter, then you should trust them enough to be able to send their letter (without seeing it) to the college.  In fact, you should not be reading your recommendation letters - they are supposed to be confidential.

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

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

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


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

Grade Point Average

Do you know how your grade point average is computed?  Your transcript consists of every high school class you have taken and the grade you earned in that class. 

The "easy" explanation for how your GPA is calculated is that every class you take at WKHS taught by a Kilbourne teacher with traditional grading is computed into your GPA.  Some students begin taking high school courses while still in middle school.  Those grades will appear on your transcript, but they are not calculated into your GPA.  This is done to assist you because many times middle school students haven't recognized the impact that their grades have on their high school GPA and the long-term impact on their future college applications. The state requires that College Credit Plus (CC+) classes are calculated into your GPA so no matter where or when you take those classes they will be computed into your GPA.  Additionally, any classes that you pass that were taken as pass/ fail appear on your transcript but will not be calculated in your GPA.

All regular and honors classes are unweighted which means that they are all based on a 4.0 scale.  AP, IB and CC+ courses are weighted on a scale of 1.25.  Below is a chart that shows how GPA is calculated.

Letter Grades	Percentage	GPA Scale	AP/ IB/ CC+ Weighted Calculation	AP/ IB/ CC+ Weighted GPA
A	90 – 100%	4.0	4.0 x 1.25	5.00
B	80 – 89%	3.0	3.0 x 1.25	3.75
C	70 – 79%	2.0	2.0 x 1.25	2.50
D	60 – 69%	1.0	1.0 x 1.25	1.25
F	0 – 59%	0.0
S	Satisfactory
P	Passing

All classes are granted credit based upon the semester.  This means that when you pass the 1st semester you have earned that credit and it is computed into your grade point average.  Each semester class is worth 1/2 a credit excluding physical education courses which are worth 1/4 a credit.  So, if you earn a B in the first semester of English 1 and a C in the first semester of Physical Science, then your GPA for these two semesters of classes would equal a 2.5.  Plusses and Minuses in your grades are still calculated based upon the base grade as we don't have different GPA weights for a B+ vs a B or B-.

It is important to know that some students have taken classes at other schools and are transferring their credit to WKHS.  Those classes will also appear on your transcript with the grades, but are not computed into your GPA.  This is because your Kilbourne GPA will just reflect your Kilbourne classes - any classes you took at another high school will have the GPA that you earned at that school.  So, for example, if you transferred to WKHS from a surrounding district, your classes and grades will be transferred over to Kilbourne, but they won't be included in your GPA.  This means that students will not have a grade point average until after a semester at WKHS.  The reason that this is important is that some students have transferred from schools that have different grading scales and it doesn't allow equitable comparisons.  When students are applying to college you will submit both of your transcripts so that they have the complete picture of your grade point average.

You can see a copy of your transcript on Infinite Campus and it also shows your grade point average.  If you have any questions about your GPA, stop by and see me.

Wendy's HS Heisman

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

All applications received will be judged based upon academic achievements, athletic accomplishments, community-leadership and involvement in various extracurricular activities. Applications are available at http://www.wendysheisman.com/ and must be completed by October 3rd. 

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

PSAT

PSAT Test Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Cost: $15 (checks payable to WKHS)

The PSAT is the practice test for the SAT. This is a great opportunity for students to begin to assess their progress toward college and career readiness standards.  WKHS will be operating on a late-start schedule to assure that students are able to take the test without the concern about missing what is happening in their classes.  The test is mandatory and will be provided to all freshmen and sophomore students free of charge.

Juniors are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to take the test!  This is an important practice test for the SAT and it is also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship competition. Even if you took the test in past years you should re-take the test as a Junior to try to open you up for scholarship opportunities!  Juniors should register in the Counseling Center by bringing in a check for $15 made out to WKHS. (Exact cash is also an option for registering for the test.)

The deadline for juniors to register for the PSAT is October 14th.

Also, for students interested in practicing/ preparing for the PSAT, CollegeBoard and the KHAN Academy are offering free supplemental practice tests to prepare for the PSAT.  Information can be obtained at: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat and https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/practice

ACT Scores and Test Optional

Students who took the ACT earlier this month can begin accessing their scores online today.  I hope you will be thrilled with the results!  I know that seeing results can be stressful - especially if you didn't do as well as you had hoped.  It is important to remember though that there are many colleges that do NOT require test scores when evaluating applicants for admission.  So, if your score is not what you had hoped it doesn't mean there are not still tons of college choices available to you.

The National Center for Fair and Open Testing facilitates the website Fair Test.  On their site you will find a list of colleges that are test optional schools.  Hopefully this will remind you that any one aspect of your college application will not make or break you - there are always more options to explore until you find the college that will be the best fit for you!

Writing your College Essay

I need to warn you this is a VERY long post, but I hope that it will be helpful to seniors as they work on their college essays!

Writing a college essay can be a frustrating, challenging process, but this is your opportunity to put your best foot forward and show the colleges what makes you special.  And for all of you who are thinking, "I'm just a normal kid from Worthington - there isn't anything special about me to write about," I whole-heartedly disagree!  You are unique and special - there is not another student within Kilbourne's walls that is exactly like you and there won't be another person just like you in all of their other college applications so you have to help the admissions committee realize what makes you YOU.

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

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

As mentioned at senior night, when you have to write an essay you need to keep a few important points in mind:

Answer the question!

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

Show me - Don't just tell me.

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

Did I learn something about you?

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

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

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

So, let's get started!  Below are some strategies for you to consider if you are having a tough time with your essay.

PICKING THE TOPIC

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

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

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

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

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

Check out this article which highlights the value of change.  At the end of the article it says, "Ultimately, it's not what you have been through that defines who you are; it's how you got through it that has made you the person you are today, and the person you are capable of being tomorrow."  Doesn't that sound exactly like what the colleges are trying to figure out?! :-)

You can also brainstorm on the following questions:

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

How have your personality traits helped you in various situations?

What did you do?

Where did you do this?

What were your responsibilities?

What was your best memory or experience there?

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

What did you learn from the experience?

How have your experiences changed or impacted you?

Why was this experience meaningful?

How have your experiences shaped your character?

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

How have your activities or experiences impacted you personally?

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

What is the value of this experience to you?

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

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

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

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

Be sure to use your voice and stick to the word count.  (Hint: I know it doesn't seem like it, but I promise, it is always easier to cut words than to try to figure out how to squeeze more detail in later, so answer the question fully first before worrying too much about word count, but plan ahead enough so that you are at least in the ball park of your word limits... you want to cut 50-100 words out not try to cut 2,000 words.)  This is a formal essay so you need to make sure that you are using proper grammar, punctuation and varying your sentence structure.

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

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

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

When you begin reading through your essay again ask yourself:

Does it reveal who you are?

Does it represent your best academic ability?

Does it sound like you? 

Look at the overall structure of the essay:

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

Have you made clear the relationship between your ideas?

Is the essay well organized?

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

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

Here is an article US News recently reposted on 10 tips for writing your college essay.

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

College Fairs

The Columbus Suburban College Fair is one week from today - Sunday, September 25th from 1:00 - 3:30pm at Otterbein University in the Clements Center (180 Center St., Westerville, OH 43081).  This is the largest, local fall college fair and a great opportunity for our students.

There are several other college fairs coming up which may interest you due to their special focus or if you are unable to make it to the Columbus Suburban College Fair.  These include:
- Columbus Kiwanis Club College Fair: Monday, September 26th from 6:00 - 8:00pm at COSI
- Performing & Visual Arts National College Fair: Monday, September 26th from 6:30 - 8:30pm at Xavier University's Cintas Center
- Learning Disabilities College Fair: Wednesday, October 4th from 6:30 - 8:00pm at Gahanna Lincoln High School

If you have never been to a college fair before, I admit that it often feels like mass chaos.  But it is also the opportunity for you to gain a lot of useful information from a large number of schools in a short period of time.  Here is some information that can hopefully help you when attending the college fair. Take a deep breath, relax, and try not to get too overwhelmed.

The good news is that college fairs give you a chance to meet with admissions representatives in person. They are all gathered together in one place in order to meet you and to answer your questions. Many schools also keep track of the number of interactions/ meetings you have with their admissions representatives during your search and application process so that they can gauge your interest level in their school. As a component of this, and also a way to expand their mailing database, a large number of the college fair booths will have cards for you to fill out with your contact information and interests. If you want to save time you can create and print out address labels that include your name, address, phone number, e-mail, high school name, and year of graduation.  If you know your intended major(s) and extra-curricular activities of interest for college, this is also information that you might want to include on your label.  You can then just put the label on the card instead of re-writing the exact same information at table after table for each college.

Be prepared before you get to the college fair. Know that there will be far more schools than you are interested in or can even truly take in during one afternoon, so it is useful to come up with a list of colleges that you would be interested in learning more about by doing a search that looks for different criteria that seems to be a good fit for you. With that list in hand you now have a starting point for the colleges that you would like to talk to during the fair.

It can be useful to ask the same questions of each college so that you can compare them and their responses appropriately. The National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) has a handout that you can use to help with questions and I encourage you to also consider thinking about the things you most want to know about the school and can’t find in a brochure or website. Everyone is different so your questions are going to be different depending upon your interests, but if you are really interested in playing a club sport in college, you might want to ask about their club/ intramural program and the numbers of students that participate. You may want to ask what the top 2 or 3 majors are on campus as that will give you an idea of what most of the students are interested in studying. If you are undecided about what you would like to study, it would be a great idea to ask them what support and services are available to help students in exploring different majors.

Take something with you to be able to jot some notes on and also a pen or pencil. It is a crazy event with so much happening that if you don’t write it down as you go you won’t remember much after the fact. The admissions representatives are giving you a small look of the college – what do you think following each glimpse?

When you are walking through the college fair with the list of schools that you want to talk to don’t forget to leave some time for browsing – you may realize that a school you had not previously considered has just what you are looking for in a college. It can be easy for us to get caught in the cycle of only looking at specific schools because that is what “everyone” else is considering.

Ideally, you will be able to avoid getting caught up in the crowds and confusion so that you don’t walk away from the college fair with a lot of brochures, but no real ideas or impressions about which colleges most interest you. At the end of the college fair you will likely have a bag filled with information about colleges. As the “Faring Well at College Fairs” article says, “Don’t succumb to the temptation of just piling all those brochures in some obscure corner of your bedroom. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a day or two away from the college search. Then get out all of those brochures, along with the notes you took at the fair, and read through them. You may find that some colleges aren’t as interesting as you first thought. Others only look better the more you research them.”

Good luck and happy college searching… I can’t wait to hear about the schools that spark your interest!

Infinite Campus/ Interims

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

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

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

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

College Admissions Tests

There are two main college admissions tests – the SAT and the ACT – that enable colleges to compare students from different schools and backgrounds. Most colleges will accept scores from either test. One test is not better than another - take the test that is best for both you and the school to which you are applying. And yes, you may take both tests.

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) 
The SAT consists of reading, writing and language and math sections with an optional essay section.  The test will last 3 hours and an additional 50 minutes if you elect to complete the essay.  Scores go as high as 800 per section for a total of 1600 for the test.

SAT Subject Tests
The SAT Subject Tests are one-hour tests in specific subjects such as English, history, mathematics, or foreign languages. Some of the more competitive schools require two or three tests for first-year placement. Be sure to check to see if these tests are required (and if so, in what areas) before you sign up to take them!  You can take three of these tests during one testing date.

The ACT Tests
The ACT tests assess specific academic abilities in English, math, reading, and science reasoning, and writing. Scores range from 1 (low) to 36 (high) for each of the four tests and for the composite. The composite is the average of the four test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.

Submitting Your Test Scores
When you register to take your test they will ask you which schools you would like to have notified about your scores. You automatically have 4 “free” choices of colleges to be notified of your scores. It is to your benefit to take advantage of this because the colleges will consider your highest score (and disregard your lower scores) and it will cost money to send the scores to the schools after you receive your results. Nearly all schools want the ACT/ SAT directly from the testing provider rather than from WKHS.

When should I take the test?
Students usually take it in the spring of their junior year, early in their senior year or both.  With admissions deadlines continuing to get earlier and earlier each year, I strongly suggest that juniors plan to take the tests in the winter/ spring of their junior year and just save the early fall test dates as back ups in case you need another chance to improve on your score.

When is the next test offered?
The next testing date for the SAT is October 1st. The LATE registration deadline is September 20th.  There is another SAT scheduled for November 5th.  The registration deadline for that is October 7th.

The next testing date for the ACT is October 22nd. The registration deadline is tomorrow, September 16th.

Do I need to take the writing test?
Check to see what your intended colleges require.  Recently more and more have been deciding that they don't need the writing test.

How do I register, figure out costs, and find more information?
Visit the SAT and ACT websites. (I also have a link to the websites on the right side of the page.)

What is the high school code that the testing sites request?
The CEEB/ ACT Code number for Worthington Kilbourne High School is 365507.

And, last but certainly not least, do I *HAVE* to take the test again when I did OK the first time I took it?
Unfortunately this isn’t an easy answer. No, you don’t *have* to do anything. If you are confident in your score then relax and be done with the testing. If you are confident in your score, but know that you could do better… well, then I’d say relax (there is no testing pressure because you are confident in your score) and take the test again. Some of you are sitting there wishing you hadn’t read that last line… but the reality is that if you take the test and improve your score it can only help you. You can benefit in the eyes of the college if you ended up on the bubble for their admissions decision and you can benefit financially if you are applying for any scholarships that consider your test scores. If you are not confident in your scores or if you know that you can do better – then the answer is simply, yes, take it again and see if you can improve your score.

Good luck to the WKHS Football team tomorrow against TWHS!  And, don't forget to come out and support the Girls Water Polo team in the Ohio Cup this weekend!