CC+ Transcripts

If you are a senior who took College Credit Plus (CC+) classes through CSCC or COTC last year or this year, you need to be sure that you request for your CSCC and/ or COTC transcripts to be sent to your future college.

If you are going to continue at Columbus State, then you don't have to do anything with your CSCC transcript (they already have that), but you would need to send them your COTC transcript.

If you are going to a 4 year college, then you will need to send them both transcripts... and yes, this is in addition to us at WKHS sending them your final high school transcript.

We have posted the links for how to send your CC+ transcripts on the Counselor website so if this is something that applies to you, please be sure to request them to be sent.  

ACT My Answer Key

One of the features that ACT offers, but SAT does not is the option to sign up to receive your test questions and answers for particular tests. They used to call this Test Information Release, but now it is simply called, the ACT My Answer Key.

Students can use this option on the October, April and June test dates. There is a $36 fee to sign up for this option.

Part of the reason that I am pointing this out now is that the deadline to sign up for the June ACT test date is coming up on Friday. So, if you are planning to take the June ACT and would potentially use your test answers to help you review for any future test attempts that you make, signing up to get the My Answer Key is a great way to make sure you can better understand your test strengths and work to build on those while also improving on any areas of weakness.

National College Decision Day

Seniors, by now you should all be well aware of the fact that tomorrow, Friday, May 1st, is national college decision day. The colleges are 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, throughout 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 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 us. Remember to trust yourself. You will make the decision that is right for you!

Next Year's Schedule

Mrs. Travis (in partnership with the rest of the WKHS administrators) has been working on the master schedule for next year. They have determined where each class will be held during the school day to meet the most student requests possible. This includes running your requests through the computer to try to match as many of the requests as possible between what you had asked for and what is possible in the computers. As of this week, they have officially "locked" the master schedule into place. 

Unfortunately, now that the schedule is locked it becomes crazy for the counselors as we go through each of the schedules that didn't match and try to figure out if there is a solution and what possible options we can use to make a schedule fit together. We will spend hours pouring over schedules and will have to call down some of you to talk about back up choices based upon the conflicts in your schedule. This is never easy and we know it is disappointing when you don't get all of the classes that you wanted, so we promise that we are doing the best we can to make everything work together.

We are starting the process of calling kids down regarding conflicts. If in the coming days, you get an email or pass to come see us during your lunch, off period or between periods, we are asking you to please make every effort to come at the day and time we are calling for you so we can look at your schedule together. (And that specific timing is when we think we should be able to fit you in without making you wait for long.) You don't want us to be the one to make those tough choices for you so we really do need to meet and look at the options together.

Inevitably, when everyone hears that the schedule is locked, students will be curious about the schedule and what their classes will look like for next year. We are more than happy to talk about this with you, but not until all of the conflicts are resolved. So, we ask you to please be patient with us and wait until the last week of school (week of exams) to try to come and get a sneak peek at what your schedule will hopefully be for next year. (Full disclosure though, all schedules are 100% up for revision and changes based on whatever has to happen with the master schedule as the summer progresses.)

Making College Lists

Having a good, solid, balanced, reasonable college list that meets your needs academically, socially and financially is an essential part of the college application process. Juniors, it is time for you to be actively working on building that perfect (for you) college list.

To support students and parents in this process we have a Junior Seminar coming up this week focused on building your college lists.

On Thursday, April 30th, we will host the final Junior Seminar of this year in Room 201 from 8:15-8:35am to talk about finalizing your college list.

We hope you will make plans to join us on Thursday!

AP and IB Exams

Over the next few weeks many WKHS students will be taking Advanced Placement and IB Exams. The AP and IB exams are held on designated days and will be in varying locations. I know many of you have been spending an extraordinary amount of time studying to prepare for the exams. Good Luck!  You will do great! Remember, you have spent the whole year learning all of the content that you need to know in order to take the tests to hopefully earn the college credit. 

Additionally, I want to remind you that IB exams begin at 8:30am and AP exams start at 8:00am. That means all students who will be taking AP tests next week need to make arrangements to arrive to school by 7:30am for morning AP tests. You will then get checked in and ready to go for testing to start promptly at 8:00am. Since this is different than our typical normal schedule you will want to make sure you have a plan for getting to school because the buses won't have you to school on time.  Also, since that is an hour earlier than you are probably arriving to school normally, it wouldn't be a bad idea to start waking up a little earlier so that your body (and brain) is prepared for the earlier start next week.

Mandatory Graduation Form

On Friday, all seniors received an information link for the Senior Information Questionnaire that we need for you to complete and submit prior to May 4th.

Every year, the graduating high school seniors have the option of picking a teacher, coach, administrator, counselor, secretary, or other Worthington staff member who has played a significant role in their lives to give them their diploma.  This is one of my favorite traditions at Kilbourne!  It is a way to make the graduation ceremony much more personal and memorable.  You will select your 1st choice and 2nd choice diploma presenters on the form.

The form also allows you to request where you want us to send your final transcript.  When you head off to college or enlist in the military, they will all want a copy of your final transcript to confirm that you did officially graduate.  The information you submit on the form is what will enable us to make sure we send your transcript to the appropriate location.

We are busy working on preparing for the senior recognition and commencement ceremonies and we need additional information from you in order to put together the programs!  As you complete the senior questionnaire you will be asked to list what scholarships you received and are accepting and how much they were worth.

And finally, the form also allows for you to share some thoughts about your reflections related to high school because we value the insight and perspectives that our seniors share each year.

These forms are due back ASAP, but no later than May 4th.

If you have updates/ changes after you have submitted your form - such as you received an additional scholarship, please email that new scholarship information to Mrs. Focht at afocht@wscloud.org.  We will try our best to include your updated scholarships in the program, but it is possible that information received after May 4th may not be able to be included if the program.

Prom

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

Hopefully you are looking forward to a fun night at both prom and at After-Hours. 

One last reminder about safety - please remember 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. Have a good time - be smart and please be safe!

Tomorrow's Bell Schedule

We are on a very unique bell schedule tomorrow. The day will include a pep rally at the end of 6th period to kick-off prom weekend with the Powderpuff football game and a celebration of the spring sports athletes.

Here is the bell schedule:

• 1st: 8:40-9:19
• 2nd: 9:24-10:12
• 3rd: 10:17-10:56
• 4th: 11:01-11:40
• 5th: 11:45-12:24
• 6th: 12:29-1:08
• Pep Rally: 1:08-1:49
• 7th: 1:57-2:36
• 8th: 2:41-3:20

It's going to be a fun day and I hope that you will lean into the enjoyment of the festivities of the day.

Free Vaccine Clinic

Kilbourne will be providing a free vaccine clinic for students on Wednesday April 29th from 8:30 -12:30 with Columbus Public Health. This is a super easy, convenient option because parents do not need to be present, all vaccines are free and no one has to drive downtown to the main clinic location.

Registration can be completed online Vaccine Clinic Registration or consent forms can be picked up from Nurse Julie in the Health Office, completed and returned to school for students to participate. 

This is the perfect time for current 11th graders to receive the Meningococcal vaccine which is a requirement for starting senior year.

If you have any questions, please stop by the health office and ask Nurse Julie between now and next Wednesday.

Culture Day

Tomorrow at WKHS we will be celebrating all of the various cultural backgrounds that contribute to and shape the lives of our Kilbourne students and staff.  

As a component of this fun day, all students will have the chance to explore and engage with information and experiences during your lunch period. We know the students have worked really hard to put together a meaningful and impactful experience for all of our students.  There is no question that we are stronger because of our differences and the backgrounds which have shaped us into the people we are today. I hope you will take the time to check out the exhibits and thank the students who have worked so hard to make this day special.

Government EOC Test

Just a quick reminder that all students who are currently enrolled in a Government class (which includes regular Government, AP Government and CC+ Government), will be taking the Government End of Course test tomorrow morning starting at 8:40am. Most students will be testing in the Main Gym. Check your school email to verify your testing location. Good luck on the test!

SAT/ ACT Test Prep

Juniors, now that you have received your scores back from the school administration of the SAT it is time to come up with a plan for what comes next.  

Some of you may be perfectly content with your scores and not need to do anything else, but for many of you, I know that you are focused on improving your scores.  Statistically, many students are able to improve their scores when they repeat the tests because you are now familiar with the pace required to complete each section and what to expect from the tests.   As a result, I encourage you to consider signing up to take another college admission test this spring or summer.  You can take either the ACT or the SAT (or both).  If you're not sure which test you did better on and want to focus on re-taking, you can use the Concordance Table to compare your scores. Don't forget, while there are some test dates in the fall, you need to watch your timing so that you can get the tests completed before your earliest college application deadlines. Remember, a test prep plan is going to be important if you are applying to colleges that are no longer test-optional.

To register for the tests, please visit their websites.

ACT: www.act.org

SAT: www.collegeboard.com

And, yes, sorry, there are fees for the rest of the times you take the college admissions tests.  However, if you are a student who qualifies for free or reduced lunch, please stop to see me as I am able to help give you a fee waiver that can cover the cost of a test.

The other point we need to talk about is what you are going to DO between now and when you retake the test to help improve your scores.  There are a wide range of options that students can do to help improve their scores, but generally speaking if you don't do something different, you will typically not see a significant change in scores.  This list is in no way fully inclusive of all of your options, but it can help get you started on ideas...

- Look at your test and reflect back on what you remember from the test and review the areas that are weakest for you.

- Take free practice tests online.

- Use question of the day practice opportunities to regularly get adjusted to the types of questions you will see on the ACT/ SAT.

- Work with an individual tutor or sign up for a course.  These options will have a range of costs associated with them and so it is important to know that ACT and SAT will say that the best preparation is a rigorous curriculum.  However, many students have found that having someone that they are meeting with and having an appointment to work on preparing for the tests helps to hold them accountable so that they can master the strategies and truly show what they know when they take the tests.  We have many tutor resources available on the Counselor Website if you are interested and I also have business cards in my office from some of the tutors/ companies.

- Make use of websites such as Khan Academy that have free test prep sections.  The ACT and SAT websites also have resources and materials available for students to help prepare for their tests.

- Get one of the books with practice tests (you might even be able to find them at the library, but many students prefer to buy them so that they can write in the books).  

And that actually brings me to a key point that I hit on a little earlier - I can mention lots of different ideas and strategies, but these tests are so easy to procrastinate on and think "I'll work on that later..." but so often "later" becomes "never."  I know because I have been there.  So try to figure out what you are realistically going to be able to set up for yourself as a plan and then stick with it.  Have someone help hold you accountable and don't stop until you have reached your goals.

Good luck on your test preparation.  Most of all, don't stress about it - that will never help your scores, but do the best you can and it will pay off in the long run!

Students of the Month

Friday was the ceremony to honor Kilbourne's April Students of the Month. 32 students were nominated by WKHS staff in recognition for demonstrating the characteristics that are the foundation of the Portrait of a Learner - Confident Communicators, Adaptable Leaders, Critical Thinkers, Responsible Collaborators, and Resilient Learners. Students are only eligible to receive this recognition once throughout their high school career.

Congratulations to the following students who were honored this month: Ben Blankenship, Mia Calcara, Leandro Cobo, Ella Cottell, Allison Davis, Michael Dolciato, Ikrame Eddahraoui, Gavin Exclusa, Kayden Gates, Laney Grant, Lillian Griffith, Scarlett Haase, Cylie Holman, Fatin Juniad, Mia Kim, Hawthorne Kitay, Joshua Krebs, Elena Lively, Isabel Ludsin, Alex McCracken, Reese Miller, Angel Morales Ramirez, Amanda Riberio De Barros, Nayla Riberio De Barros, Brayden Rippel, Justin Serralde Romero, Brooks Tweedle, Addison VanLear, Sophia Wang, Amauri Williams, Traiden Winegar, and KaMaila Woodson-Levey. We are proud of you all!

Making the College Decision

Seniors have 2 weeks left to decide what college they will be attending next year. Remember, there is no right or wrong choice – it is all about what school is the best fit for you and your individual wants and needs in a college. Try to take a deep breath and relax as we head into the final countdown. Trust yourself and know that you will be successful in the future – no matter where you end up!

In talking with some of my students who are stressed about trying to pick which college they will attend, it has become obvious that part of the struggle is even in determining how to compare and contrast them.  As you are starting to think about your different schools, 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 schools on those aspects.

If your school comparison charts are similar and you still can’t decide – try to 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 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 culture and 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 you and 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, if you want to stop in and talk about your college decision we are always here for you, but know that we 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?”

Senioritis

The number of seniors who have mentioned that they feel like "senioritis"  is taking over is too high to count.  While we understand that it can be a challenge to continue motivating yourself to finish your high school career strong, it is important!

With Seniors only having 4 weeks of high school left, the appeal of letting everything slide to just enjoy the remaining time seems to be very strong. We have even heard younger students claiming to feel “senioritis” early and this is definitely not a good thing.

Third quarter grades were rough (to say the least). This is particularly a concern for seniors as it can jeopardize graduation (a real fear for many) and it can also jeopardize your college future. For example, remember, the colleges reserve the right to revoke your acceptance if the grades you are earning are not on track with what they expected at the time of your application. They can also place you on academic probation and take back scholarship offers. Obviously, these would not be good scenarios, but it does happen across the country every year. 

So, while the weather is finally improving, senior tag, and "fun" days like Arts in Action in the coming weeks may make it hard to focus on the day to day responsibilities of meeting your classroom expectations, it is very important!  Please keep pushing to work hard in your classes!

Recommendation Letters

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

We will be hosting a Junior Seminar Presentation on Thursday morning (April 16th from 8:15-8:35am in Room 201) to address Rec Letters specifically.

If you are applying to schools that require 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 we would suggest that you 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. 

Caps & Gowns

The reality of high school coming to a close for seniors often starts to set in when caps and gowns are distributed and for the Class of 2026, that will take place during lunch periods over the next 2 days. We love seeing the looks in seniors eyes as they walk away from the tables carrying their cap and gown package. This is such an exciting time in your lives and you have worked hard over the last 13 years to get to this point. Don't forget to keep pushing academically, but also know that it's ok to pause as you pick up your cap and gown and realize that this is part of what your efforts have been for - to reach this milestone in your life! We're proud of you and excited for you.  

Also, one other hint from years of seeing seniors pick up their caps and gowns - when you get home, take the gown out of the bag and hang it up! There will be TONS of creases in your gown and you'll still have to iron/ steam it to try to get them all out, but giving gravity a chance to help is always a plus as well.

Parent Lunch & Learn

On Friday, April 17th from 12-12:30pm we will host our final parent Lunch & Learn session of this school year. This quarter's topic is about choosing Careers and Majors.

For so many students, deciding what they want to be when they grow up and trying to figure out what path to take to get towards their end goal can be a challenge. Our hope is this lunch and learn topic will help parents as you work to support your children with their future exploration.

This brief, 30-minute session, will take place over zoom so that parents can grab their lunch, hop on the session, learn about choosing Careers and Majors, and continue on with your day. The zoom link will be emailed to all parents Friday morning and it will also be posted on the Counselor website.

If you are unable to join us online in person, we will post the video of the session to the Counselor Website within the next week.

Wait Lists

For high school seniors, the question that is asked over and over is "Where are you going to college?" It can be a exciting to share the answer when it is the school you had your heart set on for your future. It can be overwhelming when you still haven't decided and are still trying to figure out which school is the best fit for you. For some students though, this question still brings anxiety and uncertainty because the top school on their list didn't fully accept or reject them - they put them on their Waiting List. Being wait listed often feels like being in an emotional limbo.

We need to be brutally honest (even though we know you don't really want to hear this...) and say that there is not a lot that you can do to improve the chance of coming off the wait list and being accepted to the college. You need to make plans and start getting your mind set on attending one of the other schools who accepted you. If, in time, you find out that you have the opportunity to attend the school that had previously put you on their wait list, then you can re-evaluate and decide if you still want to attend. The reality is that very few students actually end up being selected off the wait list for acceptance. (Once again, this is why it is so important to tell colleges as soon as possible when you know that you will not be attending in the future so that they can make plans to potentially accept other students off their wait list.)

In the mean time, if you decide that you want to remain on a college's waiting list, be sure to follow their directions (usually filling out a form indicating your desire) and then you can also consider sending them a letter updating them about any new achievements, awards, or other information that you have accomplished since your application to their college so that might be able to take that into consideration when making their waiting list decisions. (Some colleges may specifically say that they do or do not accept that supplemental evidence - follow their directions!)

If you are struggling with a wait-list decision, please remember that we are here to talk about it with you.

Your Life Challenges

I had lots of time to think over spring break. (Perhaps too much time...) And I kept coming back to thoughts about how so many of you are dealing with really hard things in your lives. The challenges may be big or small and the impact from them may last a day or a lifetime, but no matter what, each of you are facing your own unique battles. What makes this even harder is that on the outside, you appear "FINE." Perhaps you are fine most of the time, but that doesn't mean that there aren't moments that feel hard or more difficult. And, in spite of the fact that this is something nearly all of you are dealing with, I suspect that most of you feel like you are the only one going through such challenges.

So here are some of my reflections.

1. Be nice. Kinder than you think you need to be. To others and to YOURSELF! You are often your toughest critic and you deserve the same level of compassion that you are willing to extend to those around you.

2.  Seek support. We are here to help you and so are your teachers, your friends and, of course, your family. Asking for help and acknowledging that you are facing tough challenges in your world is the most courageous thing you can do. I promise, if you come to us, we will NOT see you as weak and will be thankful you had the strength to share what it is that you are facing in your life.

3.  There is no such thing as too small. If it is on your mind, if it is weighing on you, if it is frustrating or hurting or annoying to you -- then it matters! Do not belittle how you think or feel.

4.  Take it one step at a time. Part of the challenge of life and especially for teenagers today is that difficulties refuse to slow down and come one at a time. In fact, quite often life shifts from total calm to middle of a massive storm in just seconds. If your problems would line up and come one at a time, you'd be completely fine, but that isn't how life works. And so, while you may not be able to solve all of the problems in front of you in an instant, you will be able to make progress by taking it one step at a time. Be patient with yourself and if you can't solve the problem remember that there are hundreds of coping strategies that you can use to help manage until there is a solution.

5.  Try not to jump to conclusions or assume the worst. I feel guilty even saying this one because I definitely have jumped to the worst possible scenarios on many occasions, but here is the thing - it made me a nervous wreck as I waited for the news and it didn't have any actual impact on how it all played out. Try to remind yourself that the story you are telling yourself is just one possible story and remain open to the possibility that there are other reasons that something may be happening or outcomes which may result from this situation.

6.  Be real. Have the courage to allow yourself to feel whatever it is you are feeling and to express those feelings and emotions. Laugh, cry, celebrate, or scream - whatever you feel, lean into those emotions (at least with some of the people closest to you who you can trust with the real you). It is ok to not be "fine" and it is ok to be far better than "fine" too. 

Please remember that whatever it is you are dealing with today in your life - significant problem or not - if you want the support and help or just a safe place to talk it through with someone then please remember that we are here!

Online Summer School

Every year we get questions about taking online courses or classes in other districts during the summers and as long as it is an accredited school this is completely fine. So, for example, if your parents are divorced and you go to spend the summer with a parent who lives in another state you can take your summer school class at the school near your other parent and then transfer the credit back to us. Or for those students who plan on traveling a great deal over the summer, taking an online course might be more in line with your needs. Again, in Worthington we try to be very flexible in helping all students meet their academic goals so, as long as the school you are taking classes from is an accredited school, we will transfer those credits to Worthington.

Students and parents often ask me which online schools they can use and again, if it is accredited it is fine. The school we have had the most students utilize in the past has been TRECA due to the cost effectiveness of their credits. But again, that can change from year to year and so I encourage you to search for the schools and programs that will best meet your individual needs. I do know that TRECA summer school registration has now opened for the year, so if you were planning to take a TRECA summer school class, please be sure to get signed up for that soon. Their website is: https://treca.org/programs/summer-school 

SAT Results

Juniors, your SAT scores from the March in-school testing day have been released. Hopefully you have already received an email directly from CollegeBoard to share this news. But you can now log into your CollegeBoard account to see your scores. 

I also have access to your scores, but I can just see the number whereas when you go into your CollegeBoard account it will give you a greater breakdown of how you did to help you determine where you might want to focus for future testing opportunities.

Remember, statistically speaking, students who repeat the tests perform better on them. So if you're not thrilled with your scores, you may want to go ahead and sign up now for an upcoming ACT or SAT test date. We saw issues last year where students had to drive to areas pretty far outside of central Ohio in order to be able to get a testing seat because they waited too long in order to register to test.

Common App Essays

The Common Application has announced that their essay question prompts for next year will remain the same. In case you don't know, Common Application is an application website that many colleges use allowing students to fill out one application that can then be submitted to various colleges and is one of the primary methods that students will utilize when applying to college. 

Juniors, you can take a look at these prompts and start brainstorming what your answers might be for each question. After you list your thoughts for each question, look at which response best allows you to tell the story of who you are and will be the best introduction of you to the admissions committee.  Then it is time to start drafting and editing and drafting some more.  :-)  

Students who utilize the common app will be asked to select and answer one question in 250-650 words. (Please don't worry about word count on your first draft - it is always MUCH easier to cut words than it is to try to add more in later.)

Below are the common app essay questions to help you get started: 

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and new understanding of yourself or others.

6.  Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7.  Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Also, don't forget that Wednesday morning (April 8th) we will host our Essay Brainstorming Workshop in Room 205 at 10am to help you prepare for writing your essays. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Schedule

How was your spring break? Are you ready to be back at school? We have a busy, unique week ahead which will be a challenge for some and a nice transition for others. Sophomores are going to be testing all week. Freshmen and juniors will likely have some days of testing and some days of sleeping in and seniors get to enjoy the mornings off for the week.

Ohio State End of Course Tests:

This week we will have late starts for the Ohio State required End of Course tests. We will be on a modified bell schedule where you have classes from 12:25-3:20. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday you will go to your 1st through 4th period classes. On Tuesday and Thursday you will go to 5th through 8th period classes.

On Monday and Tuesday, students will take the English 2 End of Course test which contains 2 parts. Part 1 will be completed on Monday and Part 2 will be taken on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, students will take the Biology End of Course test.

On Thursday, students will take the US History test.

On Friday, students will take both sections of the Algebra 1 or the Math 2 End of Course tests.

Here is a link to find the bell schedule for the week. Good luck to everyone who will be testing! And please, remember to bring your fully charged chromebook with you to school for testing!

If you are not testing, remember that buses will run 90 minutes later than normal. You will have some down time before lunch and then lunch will be offered from 11:30-12:20 for all students.

College Essay Workshop:

On Wednesday, we will be hosting the essay brainstorming workshop from 10-11:30am in Room 205 for juniors who are planning to apply to a 4-year college in the future.  Please be sure to sign up if you plan to attend.  The link has been included on the email that was sent to you and it is also on the Counselor Website and you can sign up there - www.wkhscounselors.com. We hope to see all juniors for this workshop!

Spring Break College Visits

No matter what grade you are in and what plans you have established for spring break, I'd like to encourage you to consider adding in at least one (if not more) college visits to your agenda.

For seniors, many colleges are in session during our break and so this is an ideal time to be able to visit the campuses of your top choices. Being able to compare your college choices and to make sure you are finding the school which will be your best fit before the May 1st decision deadline is helpful. You can also consider making an overnight visit at the colleges for a different opportunity that you have probably not had a chance to do thus far.

For freshmen through juniors, making college visits is a beneficial opportunity to start identifying what aspects you like most and least in a college. You will have the chance to actually walk around on a campus and imagine yourself being there in the future. People watch, explore opportunities, investigate academics, and engage with the admissions staff to help guide you in your future college application plans.  

If you are planning to be in town, there are lots of local colleges that you can visit easily. If you will be traveling over break, you can still make college visits wherever you find yourself during break. Chances are good that there are colleges near or along your destination and even if it is not a school that you are considering for the future, it still gives you the chance to get another view of colleges... and this can be incredibly valuable as you ultimately determine what you want or don't want in a school.

AI & College Admissions

There is no area that is changing faster and growing more rapidly than the influence of AI in college admissions. It is the area where we are watching the most webinars, reading the most articles, and listening to the more podcasts about over any other aspect of college admissions. 

Can AI be a useful tool in supporting your college admissions process? Absolutely.

Can AI be mis-used and therefore hinder your college applications? Absolutely.

And that is why it is a tricky area. 

Tomorrow, all junior students are invited to attend the Junior Seminar on AI & Admissions where we will spend 20 minutes talking about appropriate use of AI in applications. Juniors, as a reminder, the seminars take place before school from 8:15-8:35 in Room 201. We hope to see you tomorrow morning for this workshop!

There are some colleges that say students must cite any AI resource used in any aspect of their application. There are others that know AI can be a helpful tool in researching, brainstorming, or giving feedback. And nearly all colleges would say that you should absolutely NOT use AI to write your essay or complete your application as a whole.

The best rule of thumb we have seen and heard related to appropriate AI use in your applications is that if you would not ask a human such as your parent, teacher or counselor to do something for you then you should not be asking AI to do it for you! I think that is a key way to help reframe thinking about AI and your applications.

AI and applications is an exciting, interesting area of growth and we will all continue to learn together.

Final CC+ Reminder

All students looking to earn free college credit in classes next year MUST turn in the College Credit Plus intent to participate form by April 1st!  This is a firm deadline established by the State of Ohio and we cannot extend it. Since we are not in school after March 27th it is really important to be sure you get your forms turned in to us before spring break!  

Just as a reminder, this is what gives you the chance to take CC+ classes next year on the college campus, online, taught by college instructors at WKHS (English, Psychology, Government, Sociology, Ethics), and/or the regular WKHS classes taught by the WKHS teachers which can get you college credit for the exact same class you may have already signed up to take (Pre-Calculus, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB).  

If you have any questions about College Credit Plus - stop and see us or watch the video on the counselor website.  (www.wkhscounselors.com).  The intent to participate form packets which includes the video sign-off forms are also available on the counselor website.

Anxiously Awaiting Decisions

The rest of this month tends to be big for college admissions decisions. Most of the colleges who have yet to announce their decisions will be releasing them over the next week or so. This can be a very stressful time for students. Try to take a deep breath and relax – you have done the best job to put yourself in the best situation possible with your applications. If you are stressing out awaiting the news, feel free to stop in and see me so we can talk about it.

CSCC Application Day

Are you planning on attending Columbus State Community College next year after you graduate? This is a great option for a lot of students because it allows students to transition from the high school to college expectations in typically smaller classes and for a fraction of the cost. 

Students attending CSCC have much later deadlines for admission and so it can be easy to procrastinate on completing the application. This Wednesday, in the Counseling Center Conference Rooms, we will be hosting an admissions representative from Columbus State Community College for an Application Day. Seniors, if you have not already applied to CSCC and want to have it as an option for you in the future, please take advange of this application day! Students can come during lunch periods and should bring their Social Security Number so that your entire application can be completed on the spot.  

For students who are already technically CSCC students because of participating in College Credit Plus, you don't have to submit an application to attend full time next year, but there are steps that need to be completed and the admissions rep will be able to assist you with completing those requirements as well.

Even if you're not sure you're ready to go to CSCC right away or if you are still holding it as an option for financial reasons as you try to make your decision about college, you can also come and participate in the Columbus State Community College Application Day.  

Feel free to stop and see me if you have any questions.

Worthington Schools Job Fair

All students who are 16 years old and over are invited to attend the Worthington Schools Job Fair on Friday, March 27th. There will be many employers looking for students who are interested in working summer jobs, part time jobs in the school year, and even some for soon-to-be graduates who are interested in working full time in the future. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity if you are in need of a job. Check out the information and download the permission slip from the Counselor Website - www.wkhscounselors.com.

Creating a Resume

One of the questions I have had a few students ask me lately was about how to create a resume when you are a high school student with no job experience. It is a great question!

Interestingly, a webinar that I had attended talked about how as seasoned professionals with lots of years of experience, we still aim for resumes that are a page or, at the most, 2 pages long. And yet for high school students, all too often they feel as if they need to try to craft a resume that is 2-3 pages in length. Let me stop that myth right now. No, you do not. A one page resume is absolutely appropriate and more than adequate for a high school student!

When you develop your resume, this is one of the areas where many students will use AI or Templates that are readily available to help design your resume. I assume it goes without saying, but just to clarify, you should only list information in your resume that is accurate and truthful! Do not embellish to try to make yourself look/ sound better. Honesty is essential.

Your resume will often include aspects such as honors/ awards received, jobs (if you have had any - and yes helping babysit or take care of a neighbors pets counts), and activities you're involved in.

Here are a few videos about creating a resume without job experience that might be helpful to you as you work on developing your resume:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU9pQFt7xms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z4v-Dw7n50

Pathways & Possibilities Day

Tomorrow is Kilbourne's "Pathways and Possibilities" Day and I am so excited for it! During lunch periods all students will have the opportunity to interact with dozens of career professionals to learn about alternative pathways or possibilities for your future. 

We have intentionally targeted inviting job representatives that do not typically require a 4-year degree in order to work in the profession. You might wonder why. Well, there is so much time and attention spent in helping students look at 4-year colleges that we want to make sure that ALL students are getting support even if continuing on to a traditional college isn't in their plan. But it is more than that. There are a lot of jobs that you can get a certificate or other credentialling and be able to begin working where you will make more money than you would in just the typical high school diploma jobs.

My niece, Carly, is a perfect example of this option. Carly is a senior at the University of Kentucky. During the summer between her freshman and sophomore years of college she got 2 certificates - one in phlebotomy (drawing people's blood) and one to be a nursing tech (CNA). Then, from her sophomore through senior years of college she has worked part time at the UK Medical Center making far more money (and requiring way less hours of her) than she would have earned if she worked at a restaurant or store. Even more importantly, this clinical experience helped Carly have an even more impressive application when she was applying to med school. Let's be honest, did she want to be a phlebotomist or nursing tech for the rest of her life? No. Are those great career paths for some people? Absolutely! But it still was an important part of Carly's journey and has opened up more great opportunities for her in the future.

My hope is that EVERY student will take a few minutes out of your lunch periods to walk through the tables which will be set up in the commons and hallways to talk with the different career professionals. You never know about the various jobs that might peak your interest. Perhaps you will find something that will be a great pathway for your future or there might be jobs that can give you better paying possibilities. At the very least, please take a moment as you walk past our guests to say Thank you to them for giving their time to come and share with all of us!

It's Still Work

There is a famous Confuscious quote, "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." I suspect many of you have heard it. Confuscious is a famous philosopher and far smarter than me, but I have to tell you, I think he got it wrong with this quote.

I absolutely LOVE my job, but I work incredibly hard at it. In fact, because I love it so much I probably pour even more of my time, energy and effort into what I do each day. I have a part-time job that I also love. I can assure you - they both require hard work, time and dedication. But, they are both incredibly rewarding and meaningful. My guess is that was probably the point Confuscious was trying to make. The reality is that as human beings, we can endure almost any circumstance if we feel the end outcome will be worth it.

The reason I am even talking about this though is that I think there are a LOT of high school students (and probably some adults) who struggle trying to figure out what they want to do in life and are constantly searching for the job that they will love so that they don't have to work. And I believe that is setting you up for failure. Find a job that you will be good at, that you will feel you can contribute and use your personal gifts and talents to benefit others and pursue it with everything you have inside of you. But know that there will still be days or at least parts of the job that will most definitely be struggles and feel like hard, demanding work. (And even work that you don't enjoy.) Adjusting that expectation can change everything because if you are able to go into the work world with the awareness that you won't love every part of your job and that there will be hard days that you dread (and yes, I can assure you there will be plenty of both), then you will be far less likely to beat yourself up and fall into the mind trap that there must be some other job out there that will be better for you - that you won't feel like work.

There is already so much stress and pressure that you experience as high school students, adding the extra level of stress that you must find the PERFECT job that you love is a pressure you don't need to add. We have so many career exploration opportunities for you and I want you to do them all, but I also want you to understand that you are far from done learning and growing. You will find and explore new paths ahead of you and all of it will contribute to you finding your right place in this world. So try to take the pressure off and enjoy the learning process.

For now, start thinking ahead a little bit. For students in all grades, do you have plans for Spring Break? That would be a great time for you to head out and make college visits, but they are also ideal days to ask a neighbor, friend, or extended family member if you could spend a day shadowing them to learn more about what they do each day. The summer is also a great time to try to get some experience out shadowing and learning about what some of the job possibilities are that exist in the world today so you can start now thinking about what experiences you might like to observe. My hope is you will ask the people you are spending time with what they love about their jobs, what they don't like, and if they feel like they work hard at what they do... because I suspect you will find that in every job there is definitely a LOT of work involved!

Roadtrip Nation

When writing this blog, I don't always do themes because I tend to focus on whatever questions are coming to us as counselors at that time. But this week I want to spend some time talking about careers.

It can feel impossibly hard to imagine what you'd like to be when you grow up when there are so many jobs in the world that you know nothing about. It is part of what makes exploring options and learning about various careers so exciting. I will acknowledge that the sheer quantity of opportunities and avenues that you can pursue can be overwhelming, but it can also be energizing when you find a job that sparks your interest and excites you to learn more.

There are a lot of different resources students can use to try to learn about careers. Roadtrip Nation is one of those. You can sign up for a free account and then access tons of career information. Through the Start your Career Path option you will be able to select fields of interest and then an area that aligns with your values and it will give you information about careers that might be of interest for you to learn more about and as you explore you can continue to refine your searches.

Your future path will be yours and yours alone, so try to embrace the exploration with an open mind and a sense of curiosity. You have a bright future ahead and we need difference makers in our world!

Socratic Society

Last Friday morning, 24 Kilbourne students were inducted into the Socratic Society. Students are selected for the Socratic Society based upon their display of the Socratic Core Virtues - scholarship, lifelong learning, compassion, integrity, and personal effort. Students are only eligible to receive this award once throughout their entire high school career. 

Congratulations to the students recognized (alphabetically): Adam Al Kharyo, Finn Barker, Ryan Burke, Tyra Butler, Madisyn Genheimer, Malachi Green, Mayrin Gutierrez Gallegos, Kevin Henderson, Isabel Ludsin, Quinn McGlone, Marisabel Morales, Caitlyn Ohlemacher, Andrea Pelcastre, Anna Popkie, Afia Prempeh, Ayden Rambo, Luke Renneker, Matthew Richey, Liam Ryan, Michal Scott, Avery Tate, Brooke Todd, Camdyn Vantell, and McKenzie Wade.  Congratulations to each of you! We are proud of you!

Junior Seminars

 

Thursday kicks off our Junior Seminars and I am really excited about the programming. On designated Thursdays, junior students are invited to attend brief, in-depth, workshops on a particular topic. Students can decide which workshops interest them and come to just those sessions. The seminars will be held in Room 201 from 8:15-8:35am just before the start of school so I hope you'll grab your breakfast or coffee and come to school 20 minutes early to participate in the sessions that interest you most!

March 12th: Choosing careers/ majors

March 26th: Using AI effectively in college applications

April 16th: Recommendation letters

April 30th: Creating a solid college list

Save those dates and we hope to see many of you Thursday morning!

Tomorrow's SAT Schedule

We are on a VERY different bell schedule tomorrow!

Freshmen, Sophomores and Seniors - you will be functioning on a late-start schedule tomorrow. This means that you get to sleep in and relax a little bit in the morning. If you ride a bus, your bus will pick you up  90 minutes later than normal. If you walk or drive to school, you can determine what time you want to arrive just be sure to make it to school in enough time to be able to get to your 5th period class at 12:25pm. As I mentioned, with late start buses running 1.5 hours later than normal, this means that if you ride a bus that will likely mean you will arrive to school around 10:10am and you'll have that time until the start of classes to study, eat lunch, and hang out in the Aux Gym.

Juniors - you will ride the bus at the normal time and arrive to school like every other day. You will then report to your assigned testing location by 8:40am so that you can begin taking the SAT right away.  The test will conclude in time for you to have a break for lunch before the start of classes.

And then everyone (9th through 12th grade) will proceed to afternoon classes with the following bell schedule:

• 5th Period - 12:25 - 1:05
• 6th Period - 1:10 - 1:50
• 7th Period - 1:55 - 2:35
• 8th Period - 2:40 - 3:20

I also have a few SAT Testing reminders for the juniors:  This test is an official SAT so you are strictly bound to all of the restrictions and requirements set forth by SAT.  Testing will begin promptly at 8:40am so you will need to report to your assigned rooms (check your email for location assignment).  Please be sure to bring your district issued chromebook (fully charged!), your Student ID card, and, if you want, a calculator.  And I would also suggest that you bring a watch.  Cell phones are NOT allowed to be on in the testing room at all.  You should have already completed the pre-registration steps so that you're all set to test. Good luck tomorrow!  You will do great!

4th Quarter Begins

What is 1 small step that you could take that would help you to be a better student?  Now that we are in the 4th and final quarter of the school year, that is a question I hope you will pause to ask yourself and try to think about what you can either continue doing or start doing differently to finish the year out strong.

The reality is that school is your job and so reflecting on what you're doing and how it is helping to get you to where you want to be is important.  When I think about my students your individual strengths and struggles are so diverse.  Some students struggle to show up to school on time every day while others have great attendance.  Some students pick up on what teachers are saying when they just listen in class, but many others have to take detailed notes and write everything down.  Some students are great about getting work completed on time and turned in fully finished and others are continually confused when teachers ask for assignments to be submitted having never even realized something was assigned.

Today your 3rd quarter grades were do and so you and your parents can all log into Infinite Campus to get an idea of where you stand academically at the half-way point in the semester.  But I really do want you to forget the letter grades for a moment and think about yourself and the efforts and commitment you are showing in your classes. 

Can you do better?  If so, what can you try?  Want me to help hold you accountable, I am happy to if you come and let me know about your goals and plan to improve.  

Are you pleased with how things are going for you in classes?  That's awesome!  Be proud of your success and accomplishments.  Try to think back on what you think has helped you the most to have this success and make sure you consider how you can continue with that moving ahead.  Know that I'm also here to help celebrate those successes with you if you want to share with me what it is that you think has helped you most.

Finishing out this year strong is important and nothing is a lost cause because you still have half of the semester to go.  Use your resources and apply yourself.  You can do this!

Cut Them Free

Seniors, once you start narrowing down your college choices it is important to cut your other schools free. As you begin identifying which college or the few colleges that are still in the running, it is important for you to notify the other colleges that you do NOT intend to attend their school beginning next year. 

Please be sure to wait to notify the schools that you will not be attending until you are completely sure that you are no longer considering them. However, I realize that many of you have narrowed your choice to a smaller group of colleges and you have completely eliminated others from consideration. Those which have been completely eliminated are the colleges I am recommending you notify now. 

This is important because it allows the college to plan for their upcoming student body and to know if they have room to accept other students off of their wait-lists. Think about your classmates who might be on the waiting list for a school and they want to hear back from the schools as quickly as possible and there are other students across the country in the same situation. Colleges can't begin opening up additional slots until they know which students will or will not be attending. 

Additionally, if you received scholarship offers from one of the colleges that you have eliminated from the running, this can also potentially allow the college to offer that money out to other students which, again, can help people such as your fellow classmates. Believe me, the colleges will not be angry with you for deciding that you will not be attending their school - they understand that this is part of the process, so just go ahead and take a few minutes to let them know of your intent to attend a different college.