Reminders...

Happy Halloween!  Here are some important reminders for you as we head into the new week...

- Monday, November 1st, is a common early application deadline for many colleges.  You have until 11:59pm to submit your applications, but do NOT wait until the last second.  Inevitably there could be computer glitches and errors due to lots of people trying to submit at the last possible moment.

- Remember, you MUST request your transcript through the transcript request form in addition to inviting me on Common App to submit your school forms.  The transcript request form is on the Counselor Website - www.wkhscounselors.com - hover over the college/ career tab and then it is the bottom option.  You MUST do this before the end of the school day for me to be able to upload your transcript on Monday.

- You can submit your application before your teacher or counselor pieces are uploaded.  

- In some non-college news, don't forget that you get Tuesday, November 2nd off.  I can assure you that your teachers are jealous that you can enjoy the bonus day off while we work.  ;-)

- Friday is the deadline for registering for AP exams at regular price.

- Friday is also the next parent Lunch & Learn session at noon over zoom to review how to get the most use out of the Counselor Website.

I hope you have had an enjoyable and productive weekend.  

FAFSA: It's for you!

Did you know that each year about $80 million goes to waste because people don't fill out the FAFSA. That's right, $80 million throughout the United States just sits there because student's didn't bother to fill out the FAFSA. So, what is the FAFSA? FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is the form you will fill out to get federal financial aid for college and post-secondary training. It may also help you qualify for financial aid from the state of Ohio and at the college of your choice. The form is free, but it could save you thousands of dollars. Please do not pay to fill out the FAFSA. There are many sites that are misleading and will ask you to submit a payment to fill it out. NEVER pay to fill out the FAFSA. The legitimate site for filling out the FAFSA form is: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa  

So how does the FAFSA work? By filling out the FAFSA, you will find out what you qualify for. You may qualify for grants, which you don't need to repay. If you qualify for loans, federal loans have lower interest rates and you don't start repaying them until you graduate. When filling out the FAFSA, you will need to have certain information available such as, your social security number, your parent's social security number, your drivers license (if you have one), federal tax returns and information on cash and savings. The form takes a little while to fill out but you can work on it for a little while, save it and then go back at a later time to complete it.

There are some common misconceptions about the FAFSA, so I would like to clear up a couple of them. Yes you can apply for FAFSA if you are going to school for a trade. Every year there are many Ohio students who complete the FAFSA and get funding for career training. Yes you should complete the FAFSA even if you haven't been accepted yet. There is a great website that just became available and it is an initiative of the Ohio Department of Education, it is called "FAFSA Is For You". Just click here to take you to the site.

Net Price Calculator

When you are wondering how to consider which colleges might be a good fit financially, it is important to know about the option of taking advantage of the Net Price Calculator.

Every college features a net price calculator on their website. This requirement is in an effort to help provide students and parents with the information needed to make more informed decisions and choices about what they can expect to pay for a college education at each school. Now, I will forewarn you that not every net price calculator is the same and some are more detailed than others. Why does this matter? Well, if it is very specific and takes all of the different factors into consideration that the financial aid office will be looking at when creating your financial aid package, then you are likely to get a better picture of what your estimated aid might be, but if it is a more simplistic calculator then there could be more variance when compared to your actual aid package.  Plus, of course, the accuracy of the information that you submit will determine the accuracy of the information that you receive back.

Without a doubt, college is very expensive and so trying to figure out the best ways to be able to finance your education is an important factor to consider in your college search and selection process. I hope that this tool will be useful to you as you investigate schools and to guide you as you are making decisions about if it is in your best interest to apply Early Decision or not.

Holiday Help

As we look ahead to the holiday season I wanted to make sure that you (or perhaps one of your friends) would be aware of some of the resources that could be available to help you.

School connected resources:

- One of the local churches, Worthington Presbyterian Church, is providing WKHS with all of the food for Thanksgiving meals so that we can distribute them to some of our families in need.  If you need help with a Thanksgiving meal, please contact me ASAP so that I can try to arrange for a meal for you.

- Community Cares Backpack Program: a group of dedicated, compassionate, and incredibly thoughtful Worthington mom's do a variety of things to help our school community through the Activity Club.  One of those programs is to provide bags of food that students can take home with them over the weekend to add a little extra to their family's food supplies.  Every other week we receive several bags that we can distribute.  If this resource is something that would be helpful for you, please let me know so that I can add you onto the list for future backpacks.  

- WKHS Community Cares Closet:     The Activity Club also stocks a closet of toiletries and other items that any WKHS family in need can access.  There are a wide range of items available for you to take home with you including shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, soap, feminine hygeine products, lotion, deodorant, shaving cream, and more.  The closet is located in the Counseling Center and I am happy to show you where it is so that you can take whatever supplies you need.  Please note that if there are specific items you were searching for that might be out of stock when you stop by the community mom's are constantly refilling the closet and if you let me know what item you were hoping to access, I can make sure that they know it is currently out of stock and let you know once it has been added again.

Community Food Resources:

- Worthington Resource Pantry: www.worthingtonresourcepantry.org   614-985-1766     Located at 6700 Huntley Rd., Columbus, OH 43229, the Worthington Resource Pantry provides families in our community with food and other resources of support.  

-  Dublin Food Pantry: www.dublinfoodpantry.org     If you live in the 43016 zip code you could also utilize the Dublin Food Pantry.

-  Kroger Community Pantry:
     The Kroger Community Pantry is run in partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Bank.  The Kroger Community Pantry is located at 3960 Brookham Dr., Grove City.  Please check their website https://www.midohiofoodbank.org/get-help/ or call 614-317-9487 for information about hours and services.

-  Regular Monthly Meals:
     You may already know this because we have this resource is available year-round and is featured on the WKHS Counselor website, but several local churches provide meals to anyone in the community needing assistance.  This page highlights where and when these meals are available to families in need. 

I am fully aware that all needs are not just related to food/ toiletries.  Here are a few resources if you have additional needs.

-  Charity Newsies   http://www.charitynewsies.com/getting-help/
     Charity Newsies is an organization that provides clothing to students in need.  A parent/ legal guardian needs to arrange for the clothing to be provided, but they can provide a complete set of clothing needs for each student that qualifies and needs it.

-  Salvation Army:  Food and Toys
     Perhaps you have seen the red kettles that appear each year - these donations are used to help provide food and gifts for families in need.  Information about their Christmas assistance program is available here: http://co.salvationarmy.org/CentralOhio/christmas-assistance  Specific details about required documentation are available on the Salvation Army's website. If you have questions, you can contact them at 614-358-2622.  Here is the flyer for 2021.

-  Hands On Central Ohio: http://handsoncentralohio.org    By phone: 211
     Hands on Central Ohio is an organization dedicated to connecting those in need with resources.  

-  2 Hands:  Specific Needs

     This online resource helps connect Ohio families in need with those who are willing and able to help.  Families indicate their specific needs on the website and then others volunteer to help meet those needs.  Information about this resource is available at: http://www.2hands.org/online-christmas-help/in-ohio.php

As always, please stop by and talk to me if you are having problems this holiday season.  If you need food, clothing or just want to talk about some struggles you are having, my door is open for you.

Transcript Request Form

Seniors, as you get ready to submit your applications, don't forget that you will need to request your transcript for every college where you are applying.  You will do this using the Google Form on the WKHS Counselor Website. 

As you make progress with your applications, you can request your transcript at any point.  Sometimes students think that you have to wait until you have applied to request your transcript and that is not true.  In fact, as long as you have determined that you are definitely applying to a college, then it is fine to go ahead and request your transcript.  When you are applying through Common App, I will upload your transcript and it will be sent to your college automatically when you submit the rest of your application.  If you are applying through a non-Common App college then it will be sent electronically through a separate transcript program when you submit the request to us.

I know there are still a handful of my students who have invited me on Common App, but haven't submitted their transcript request form so if you aren't sure, please double check on your own Common App account because I am current on all of my Common App paperwork.

PSAT Reminders

Don't forget - tomorrow is the day when many Kilbourne sophomores and juniors, as well as many other students around the country, will take the PSAT.  

If you are one of the students who will be taking the PSAT, you will report directly to the gymnasiums when you arrive to school on Tuesday morning.  Check in begins at 7:15am and you will need to bring your student id with you in order to check in.  Please plan on leaving your book bag and your cell phone (turned off) in your locker.  (If you bring your cell phone or smart watch with you, you will have to turn it into the staff during the test and you will be able to pick it up again after the test concludes.)

You will also need to bring number 2 pencils (no mechanical pencils allowed), a calculator, an eraser, and I would recommend a normal watch.  (Obviously, you cannot use your phones, a smart watch, or anything similar for timing.)  The test will begin promptly at 7:45 and you will finish testing during 4th period.

You will be able to have water and a snack under your table for easy access during breaks, but you cannot eat or drink at all during the test.  As you know, the temperature in the building varies greatly.  So because we don't know what to expect in the gym, I strongly encourage that you dress in layers so that you can add a sweatshirt or take it off depending on how hot or cold you might be during testing.

As a reminder for all of the other students - I will be helping to administer the PSAT tomorrow, so I will not be available to meet with you.  Sorry.

Parent Lunch & Learn

The WKHS Counselors will be hosting the 2nd quarter Lunch and Learn Series for parents on Friday, November 5th.  This session will provide information on How to get the most out of the resources available on the Counselor Website.  

As a reminder, the lunch and learns are brief presentations on a particular topic over zoom during lunch time so that parents/ guardians can join and listen in from home or work while eating their lunch.  The goal is that the presentation will take about 15 minutes and then that will give about 15 minutes for any other questions that families might have that we could address as a whole group.  We are excited about this opportunity to leverage technology and to meet families where they are so that you can get the most up to date information that we can share with you.

We will be hosting the 2nd quarter session at noon on Friday, November 5th.  The zoom link will be emailed to all parents and we will also post it on the Counselor Website on Friday morning.

We have worked so hard on the website to make it a useful resource for our students and parents, so I hope you will make plans to join us online over zoom so we can help you learn about all of the resources you can find on our site!

AP Test Registration Reminder

CollegeBoard is in charge of AP Tests and they have fall deadlines related to the tests so you need to be sure you understand all of this so that you don't miss out on a key step related to the class and testing.

By now, all students should have “joined” the AP course online at the beginning of the year to access resources from the CollegeBoard throughout the year.  You will need your CollegeBoard account information to login and join the AP classes you are taking.  (If you have taken the PSAT, SAT, or AP Exams in the past then you already have a CollegeBoard Account.)

If you have a CollegeBoard account, it is important to use that account (and not to create a new one) as your scores from previous CollegeBoard assessments (PSAT, SAT, AP exams) are linked to your account.  If you already have established a CollegeBoard account, please visit myap.collegeboard.org and make certain that you can log in. If you have forgotten your password, you may call 1-888-225-5427 or email apstudents@info.collegeboard.org for assistance. 

If you have not already established a CollegeBoard student account, please sign up by going to myap.collegeboard.org. Make sure you write down and save your log-in information for future reference.  Remember, when you are setting up your CollegeBoard account, you do NOT want to use your school email account as your wscloud account cannot accept emails from outside of the district.

If you have questions, about establishing your account or linking it to the AP resources, please contact College Board at 1-888-225-5427 or email apstudents@info.collegeboard.org.

Once again this year students will register for the AP Tests in the fall rather than in the spring.  Below is information about the costs for registering for the AP exams and the deadlines for registering.

Exam Fees:

    Regular exam fee - $100 if ordered by November 5

·         Late exam fee $140 ($100 exam fee + $40 late fee)

o   Exams ordered between November 6 and February 25

November 5 – Regular Deadline

·         Last day to order exams at regular exam fee ($100)

·         Register for AP exams through My Payments Plus account

·         After November 5, all changes to exam status must go through Worthington Gifted Services Office

February 25 – Final Deadline

·         Last day to order exams with $40 late fee ($100 exam fee + $40 late fee = $140)

·         Last day to make changes to exam status

Questions? Contact Amy Reynolds or Suzanne Palmer in the Gifted Services Office, 614-450-6056/ areynolds@wscloud.org or 614-450-6055/ spalmer@wscloud.org.

What do I deserve?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of what we deserve.  This thought has worked it's way into lots of my conversations and the question and corresponding answers tend to present from different extremes.

What did I do to deserve this?  This question comes up a lot when it feels like everything in life is going wrong.  When bad things are happening to good people we ask why knowing that they didn't deserve it.  And we question times of feeling punished by actions or by life.  And the reality is, sometimes life is really NOT FAIR and it can be very overwhelming, but it isn't because you deserve to be punished!

Do I deserve this?  Sometimes people think about what they deserve as a way of self-punishment.  This is often masked as "a wolf in sheeps clothing" with the belief that we only deserve something if we are good enough.  If I exercise enough or do well enough on a test or win the competition, then I will be good enough to deserve whatever I am hoping for - a treat, love, attention, recognition, etc.  What this mindset really means is that I ONLY deserve those things IF I do well.

Both of these examples are actually very similar.  They stem from a belief that if I am good enough then I can prevent bad things from happening and "deserve" good things to happen and would then be able to allow that goodness into my life.  Sadly, that isn't how life works.  You DO deserve for good things to happen and you DON'T deserve for bad things to happen.  But life will always be made up of good and bad.  You are worthy of love and belonging and appreciation and happiness right now, just as you are.  Not just if you achieve some goal.

But those aren't the only ways I see this concept show up.  It also presents as I deserve it.  Almost with an air of entitlement.  I deserve to be able to do whatever I want - stay out as late as I want, make whatever choice I want, go to class only when I want, etc.  And this mindset can be just as risky and damaging as the self-punishment version because your choices and your actions do have an impact on others and there are consequences to your actions (or inactions).

This is one of those big life issues that has the tendency to show up often throughout different phases of your life.  So, when you notice yourself thinking about what you do or do not deserve, try to pause, take a deep breath, and figure out if you are being fair, reasonable and balanced in your mindset.  If you realize that you are not, try to think about what you would say to your friend if they were saying the same things to themselves that you are saying in your head.  And, remember, I am here too to be able to give you space to talk it through with because these are difficult issues to balance.

College Admissions Test Stats

Just one final reminder that tomorrow is the last day for any interested sophomores and juniors to register to take the Pre-ACT on November 8th.  The cost is $16 and registration and payment links are available on the WKHS Counselor website - www.wkhscounselors.com

But, with all of the talk of admissions tests both with PSAT coming up next week and PreACT sign up deadlines, I thought you might be interested in learning more about the past scoring trends in the nation and in Ohio for the ACT and the SAT.

Last year the average composite ACT score in Ohio was a 20.3. 

The average composite in the nation last year for the ACT was a 20.7.

Last year the average SAT score in Ohio was an 1070.

The average SAT score in the nation last year was a 1060.

And, if you are curious about how WKHS students, compare, last year the average ACT score for graduating seniors was a 23 and the average SAT score was a 1230.  (FYI, Kilbourne's data is somewhat skewed because FAR more students (all graduates) took the ACT, but very few took the SAT.)

So, obviously, WKHS students are well prepared for the college admissions tests - and in large part this is due to the curriculum you get to have from your teachers in classes each day, but the practice tests also certainly help too.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Is there a question that instills more paralyzing uncertainty for most high school students than "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  I doubt it.  

The reality is that most high school students are so caught up in the moments of today that it is hard to imagine what you will do for the rest of your lives.  Additionally, you don't always know all of the different types of careers that are out there that you can consider - for many of you, the careers you will some day have may not even exist today.  So, please, don't worry if you have no clue what you'd like to do some day.

However not knowing yet doesn't mean that it isn't important and helpful to start exploring different career fields and considering different jobs that might be a good fit with your strengths, needs, and interests.  

Tomorrow, representatives from the Delaware Area Career Center will be here to talk to students about the impressive programs they have as options for WKHS students.  In addition to exploring the opportunities that are available with DACC, here are 2 great websites with information about different careers that are great places to begin your exploration about additional career options available:

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!

Why THIS College?

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

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

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

Remember, the admissions officers who work for the school already think their school is great and they know about the wonderful opportunities available so you need to take it beyond saying that they have a great location, outstanding professors, and wonderful weather.  You need to take it to the next level by identifying specific aspects at the school where you can see yourself contributing to the school and offerings that you plan to take advantage of while you are in college.  Also, after you finish drafting your essay pause and read back through it... would it work for a different college on your list?  If so, then you missed the mark and you need to go back to revising the essay again to make sure it is specific to THIS college.

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

Application Completion Workshop

It may seem scary how fast time flies and that college application deadlines are rapidly approaching.  I don't want you to be haunted by your applications!  Even though it may be getting dark outside, on Thursday, October 21st, during lunch periods, the counselors will be in Room 120 to assist you.  The most important trick is to bring your information with you.  Sometimes the essays may seem spooky and common app can be ghastly, but do not be afraid - the counselors are here to help!  No costumes are required, but we will have some treats.  You don't want to boo hoo because you miss it.  :-)

Students are in very different places in their application process.  A few of you still haven't started and so this will be a great opportunity for you to get started with your applications with our support and assistance.  Most of you have started, but are struggling to get finished and so if you need help finalizing your essays or just finding the time to be able to work through your application and get it finished, this is the perfect opportunity to complete your applications.

While I understand that giving up your lunch period isn't very appealing, the reality is that it will make a difference.  By spending a little extra time dedicated on focused application work, I am confident you will find the progress you make on your applications worth the sacrifice.  So, unless you have finished 100% of your applications, I hope you will join me and the rest of the counselors in Room 120 (large conference room attached to Counseling Center on Thursday to work on finishing them!

Impressive Students

The students at WKHS never cease to impress me with all of their remarkable accomplishments, areas of involvement, awards, and activities. Below are a few of my students who deserve recognition.

Gavin Crozier and Katie Bartlett have been named National Merit Semifinalists!

Samantha Darby has been named a National Merit Commended Scholar.

Maya Abou Chahine, Alayna Bolyard, Abby Comp, Maria Cuozzo, and Joey Delashmutt were all selected as October Students of the Month.  This recognition can only be received once during a student's high school career.

JJ Calip was recently featured in a story in the Columbus Dispatch and has received several nominations as player of the week.

Little Women was the first play of the school year and the following students were vital to this production's success: Kya Angle, Ella Blanton, Thalia Weis, Alyssa Berger, Rose Aljafari, Eli Baylor, and Connor Dunn.  

Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and thank you for the positive impact you have at WKHS!

Virtual College Fairs

College fairs can feel overwhelming (both when they are in person and online), but they provide a great opportunity for students and parents to interact with a wide range of admissions officers and to learn about many different colleges in a short period of time.  Last year as I joined several of the virtual college fairs it took a little time to adjust to the format, but I also really enjoyed the chance to hop on to various sessions and learn about different schools without having to set up individual appointments with separate admissions offices.

There are two main organizations that are coordinating and facilitating the virtual college fairs.  The Ohio Association of College Admissions Counselors will be hosting college fairs on October 18th and October 21st.  The other organization is the National Association of College Admissions Counselors and they are hosting 4 more days of virtual college fairs on October 14, October 24, November 2, and November 14th.

I'm not sure if it will be the same as what I experienced last year, but I had a hard time figuring out who all had sessions running at any given time and felt like I was doing a LOT of jumping around.  One hint, in case it is helpful is that if you search for exhibitors by state you will see the colleges for that state and you can then scroll down to look at see when they might be running formal sessions that you could attend and on what topics.  So, for example, a college might have a general information session a few times, they may have a session on honors or other special programs, and they might have a financial aid and scholarship related session where other colleges may just have admissions information sessions.  They sent us an email today with a link to this 2 minute video on getting around and while I think it seems easy when I did it I didn't use all of the options they gave as easily as they made it seem.  So I strongly suggest you watch the brief video first.  And here is a quick start guide.  Also, one other hint - Don't look for OSU in the alphabetical list as "OSU" or even as "Ohio State" they are "THE Ohio State University."  Yep, under T's... not where I thought I would find them.

All of the college fairs are free of charge, but you do need to register for them.  Here are the links to sign up:

Ohio College Fair (not just Ohio colleges!): https://www.strivescan.com/ohio/ 

National College Fair: https://virtualcollegefairs.org/

These are great opportunities and I hope you will take advantage of these experiences to learn more about potential colleges for your future!

Application Reminders

Many of you are planning to try to apply to colleges before November 1st - a common early deadline for colleges.  (For the record, some colleges have early deadlines of October 15th and some have early deadlines that are later, but many are falling on Nov 1 this year.)  That means you are less than 3 weeks away from when you need to hit submit!

Time sure goes fast doesn't it?!

I spent quite a bit of time today going through the Common Applications that I have received from students and I have a few reminders for you...

You need to request for your transcript to be submitted to each college where you plan on applying.  You will do this by filling out the Transcript Request Form.  It is on the WKHS Counselor website - www.wkhscounselors.com - by hovering over College/ Career it is the bottom pull down option.  I cannot submit your transcript onto Common App without having this filled out!

It is ESSENTIAL to watch your deadlines carefully! You need to provide plenty of time for the transcript to be processed. Most college due dates are for all materials (and not just the application) to be received in their office before that date. Don’t forget that many colleges also have earlier due dates than those publicized to be considered for scholarships so you need to read carefully. For your transcript and school forms to be completed on time, you need to be sure that you have invited me AND filled out the transcript release form at least 3 school days in advance... so 2 weeks from tomorrow!

If you want colleges to consider your test scores when evaluating your application, you also need to verify that your official test scores were sent from the testing organization (ACT/ SAT) directly to the college. If you did not have them sent to that particular school then you will need to pay the fee to have them sent if the college requires official scores from the testing agency.

If you are applying to colleges that require a recommendation letter, hopefully you have already asked your teacher or me and given us your forms.  Remember, you are supposed to give them at least a month to write a rec letter for you.  So, if you need a letter and haven't already asked someone, please put this as your #1 immediate priority!  And, if your college doesn't ask for a rec letter then please let the pressure for seeking a recommendation letter go - colleges repeatedly tell us that they are only needing what they ask for in their applications.  If it is optional then it is only helpful to the college if the person who is writing on your behalf is sharing something new about you which isn't already covered in other aspects of your application.  The admissions representatives who are reading your applications only have so much time for each application and so you don't want them to skim through vital parts of your application as they work to read all of the pieces you have submitted if they aren't sharing anything new.

As always, please remember that I am here to help you and will help guide you through the process as we go. Feel free to ask questions and drop in to see me as you work on your applications.

Merit and Need Based Aid

Paying for College is expensive! There is no question that higher education costs add up quickly.

There are two broad categories of financial aid – Merit Based aid and Need Based aid.

Merit Based aid is what you think of when you think “Scholarships.” These are usually awarded to students based on academic achievements, leadership, athletics, special talents such as art or music, volunteerism, or other personal qualities that set you apart. These scholarships do not consider financial need. A significant portion of all merit-based aid comes directly from the college/ university. Some schools may require additional scholarship applications, essays, interviews, and many colleges will have earlier deadlines to be considered for their scholarships. It can be helpful to know that a lot of times the smaller, private colleges will have more money available for scholarships in order to help make attending their school competitive with the lower costs of the public colleges. Please also remember that there are scholarship offerings listed in PrepHQ. It is important to keep an eye out for unique scholarships that might apply to your personal situation. Last year I had a student who was able to qualify for an Italian heritage scholarship. Perhaps one of your grandparents won a purple heart or maybe you have time to write an essay for one of the other scholarship competitions… no matter what the situation, if you find a scholarship that you meet the criteria for go ahead and apply – you might be pleasantly surprised at the result and if you don’t, the answer is definitely a “no.”

Need Based aid is what you will sometimes hear people refer to as “Financial Aid” even though both Merit Based and Need Based aid technically fall under that one category. There are a variety of different Need Based aid programs which will require you to fill out the FAFSA in order to be considered for them. Grants are considered gift assistance – they give you money and you do not have to pay it back. Loans which can come from a wide variety of sources – the federal government, the college, and private banks is money that you are required to pay back. Work Study programs are on campus job opportunities that the government helps find that allows you to earn money for college through working on campus. The big difference between Merit Based and Need Based aid is that Need Based aid is that the type and amount of Need Based aid you will receive depends upon the amount of financial need you have.

And, yes, just to add to the confusion – there are some scholarships that will consider financial need as a criterion. They are still awarding the scholarship based upon some specific aspect of who you are it is just allowing them to narrow down the potential applicant pool.

One last important reminder - NEVER pay to be considered for a scholarship! That is a scam. Don't waste your money!

Seniors, hopefully you and your parents were able to attend the Financial Aid webinar we hosted last week - don't forget that a recording of the zoom session is available on the counselor website.  As you continue working on filling out your FAFSA, don't forget that you need to submit it prior to your first college's priority financial aid deadline.  If you have any questions you can always call the financial aid offices of the schools where you are applying as they are true experts in the field. I am also happy to try to help in any way that I can.

Pre-ACT

Pre-ACT Test Date: Monday, November 8, 2021

Location: WKHS Gym
Time: 7:30am (check-in) beginning promptly at 7:45am
Cost: $16.00 (payment through MyPayments Plus system)

The Pre-ACT is the practice test for the ACT. This test is an option for sophomores and juniors.  The content of the Pre-ACT is closely tied to that of the ACT achievement test, which is used for college entrance and placement decisions. It covers the same subjects and gives you estimated ACT scores.

The Pre-ACT has many benefits. It can help you get started in thinking about and planning for life after high school. It will show you areas where you may want to seek extra help. The results can also be used to help focus your test preparation to improve your ACT scores. Additionally, one of the other valuable aspects is that the Pre-ACT test includes a career component that helps identify career interests and possible career fields. For all of the students who have no idea what they might want to do some day this is one way to help come up with some ideas.

It is only a practice test; therefore, your score will not appear on your transcript.

Students can register for the test through October 22nd - seats are limited.  Sign up with the google form on the WKHS Counselor Website and pay through MyPayments Plus.