Get Organized!

The time to get organized is NOW! Yes, I realize that we are still at the very beginning of the year, but trust me, it is better to start off organized and just maintain it rather than to let things get completely out of control and then work on cleaning everything up in order to find that *one* item that you needed.

For some students, being organized comes easier than it does to others and the reality is that one system of staying organized doesn't always work for everyone else so you really need to think about what does or does not work for you. Sometimes the best way to figure out an organization strategy that will work for you is to stop and reflect back on what has NOT worked for you in the past. For example, if you are a person who always tries to keep things in binders, but then ends up with the little pocket areas in the front and the back of the binder stuffed to the breaking point then this system of organization really isn't working very well for you so it is probably time to try something different.

Stress is usually the outcome of not being organized. You forgot a homework assignment, can't find a paper that you need, or didn't realize that you were supposed to study for a test. By being organized you can help eliminate (or at least cut back a great deal on) stress. Let's be honest... you don't always like writing down all of your assignments in your planner, but there are so many other things going on in your day and such a wide variety of activities and events competing for your attention that it is hard to remember exactly which questions you were supposed to answer for homework for a particular class. Having one place where you write down the information that you are going to need to know and the deadlines are essential for good organization skills.

And, staying organized isn't just an important task when you are doing school work - this is also vital for your entire college application process and it will be important to you for the rest of your life.

As far as the college application process is concerned - most of you should be at the "getting organized" phase. Figure out and write down in one place all of the schools where you plan on applying. List out the other key pieces of information that you need to keep track of for that school - deadlines, recommendation letter needs, essays required, etc. Having one page with all of this information is not meant to stress you out - it is meant to be a way to elp you look easily at all of the things you need to do and by when and then you will be able to break it down into more manageable pieces in order to meet your goals/ deadlines.

As always, feel free to come by and talk if you need some help with organization strategies.

Surviving the Senior Year

Your senior year is supposed to be fun, but it can also feel like there is a lot of pressure to just survive it as you try to navigate through the college application process. The best advice I have for you is start early and stay organized! I promise we will get through it together!

The meeting I attended was very informative. For example, we learned that Miami University eliminated their supplement essay this year and Toledo doesn't have the strict 2 year foreign language requirements that other 4-year colleges maintain.

As we start down the path of Senior Year the next key step is to attend the Senior Student and Parent meeting at WKHS on Tuesday, September 23rd. It will begin at 7:30pm and will last until 8:30 or (more likely) 9:00 depending on the number of questions you have for me. We will be meeting in smaller groups - so all of "my" students and parents will be with me so that we can review the application process, the procedure for submitting items, things you need to know, etc. I really hope that you will make every effort to attend. (And yes, this is for students and your parents... this is YOUR life so you need to be there as you are the one responsible for completing all of the work to get accepted into college and it is beneficial if your parents also attend because they will help you through and - trust me on this one - they will appreciate having an overview of how this will all play out.)

Tomorrow is a homeroom day so if you have late start don't forget that the times are adjusted so that you are not late to class!

Noteworthy News

I wanted to let you all know that I will be out of the building all day tomorrow. Each year the counselors attend the Ohio Association of College Admissions Counselors Articulation meeting which is a gathering of high school counselors with all of the public and private colleges in Ohio to hear about admissions changes, trends, and practices. It is a very informative meeting, but I will miss out on a day at school... hopefully you won't miss me too much! :-)



There was an interesting story in the Columbus Dispatch today about cell phone use in a particular area at Kenyon College. With cell phones as a previous "hot topic" in our school I thought you would be interested in seeing their "compromise."



Over the summer there were some other interesting articles in the news...



Getting to know your roommate at college can be both stressful and fun. For the record, I do not recommend rooming with a friend from high school - I think it is great to be able to have a friend to go to when your roommate is driving you crazy (and they *will* drive you crazy at some point because it is a small room and you are not used to living with this person.) I will agree with this article and say that basing your assumptions on the information you can find online about your future roommate is NOT a good story - try to stay open minded!



The other article is one that I find terrifying and it is related to drinking games and how deadly they can be for college students. Please make smart decisions to stay safe!


Have a great day tomorrow. I'll see you Wednesday!

Applying to OSU

OSU is the top college that WKHS students apply to each year so I thought it might be helpful if I reviewed some of the information that they shared with the counselors at a meeting last week regarding admissions for this year.

- Last year they had 22,000 applications for 6,000 spaces

- For the students who are preparing to begin their freshman year at OSU, 59% were in the top 10% of their class and 93% were in the top 25% of their class

- The ACT Middle 50% was in the range of 25 - 30. The actual average was a 27.3

- The SAT Middle 50% was in the range of 1150 - 1330 (out of 1600). The actual average was a 1227

- More than 91% of students exceeded the minimum requirements in math, science and foreign language

- The deadline for admission is February 2, 2009, but if students want to be considered for scholarships the deadline for applications is December 1, 2008

- The FAFSA Deadline is February 16, 2009

- The writing score WILL be considered for admissions beginning with this year's freshman class, but it is not expected to factor into consideration for merit scholarships

- You must send official test scores from the ACT/ SAT testing agencies

- On the essays they are specifically looking to make sure that you are supporting your arguments and "giving credit where credit is due"

They gave an important reminder that is applicable to all schools - you should treat your application as if it is an interview. This is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the college and you must put your best foot forward.

Registration Reminder

A reminder to all seniors...

If you are planning on taking the ACT or SAT this fall, the deadlines are fast approaching!

The next SAT test is October 4th and the registration deadline is September 9th (which is Tuesday!) Late registrations will be taken (with an additional cost) up through September 16th. Just as a reminder, most you should be taking the SAT Reasoning test - frequently also called the SAT I. (SAT II or Subject Tests are for the highly selective schools and are in addition to needing the SAT Reasoning test. Double check with the colleges you are considering to make sure you will have all the tests you need to meet their requirements.)

The next ACT test is October 25th and the registration deadline is September 19th. They will also take late registrations through October 3rd for an additional fee.

To register for either test, please visit their website or to see a list of all upcoming test dates, visit PrepHQ and click on the link for "Test Info."

Picture Day!

Most of you had your pictures taken during schedule pick up days, but some of you missed out on this opportunity. Tomorrow (well, actually, today since it is so late and I'm just now able to post an update - sorry on the late notice!), Thursday, September 4th, is the make-up day for pictures. You will be able to go to the auditorium during your lunch periods to have your picture taken if needed. Don't forget, it is important to have your picture taken even if you aren't buying any of the pictures as we use your pictures in the computer.

Congratulations!

It is early in the year, but several individuals and teams at WKHS are already getting special attention for their athletic contributions!

Congratulations to:

- Will Campbell who was recently ranked as the 6th best lacrosse Junior in the nation!

- The WKHS Boys Soccer Team was announced today as the #1 team in all of Ohio in the first coaches poll! Good luck to the entire team as you continue to work to stay on top!

- Josh Burton was recognized for his outstanding play in the first game against Groveport when he was named the Channel 4 Player of the Week and was also recognized in the Columbus Dispatch for his impressive play.

Congratulations and keep up the great work!