Common App

Today is August 1st... do you know what that means?  For seniors, it means that it is officially college application time!  :-)  Woohoo!  Here we go!

Common App went live today for the students in the Class of 2022.  I have been on their website exploring and the updated site looks user-friendly and straight-forward.  Granted, I say that having worked with the system a lot and I know that it isn't always quite as easy for all of you who will be working on applications for the first time.

In fact, let me back up a step... the Common Application is a centralized application that students can complete for 950 different colleges using this one application. The colleges that participate in this application commit to treating applications received through the Common App with the same consideration as if students had applied through the institutions individual application or through the Coalition Application. This will generally mean that you have to spend less time filling out all of the basic information about yourself and can mean that you have fewer essays to write (but maybe not).

On the Common App there is a 650 word essay that will be required for many colleges, but you do have a choice about what essay to pick from a list of prompts.  There are some colleges which will identify the essay as being optional.  We probably need to talk about how "optional" the optional essay really is so before you decide to skip it completely, let's discuss it.  And then for this year there is an "optional" COVID essay question of 250 words.  The other optional essay is to give you the chance to explain any special circumstances.  Most students won't need that one, but if you do, we have likely already talked about it previously.

One of the more confusing parts of the Common App for many students is that in addition to the main and COVID essays, many of the colleges will also have supplements required which are other questions of their own that they want students to complete. Sometimes it is just simple questions that weren't covered on the Common App, but would have been if you had applied through their individual application, but often times it includes short or long answer essays. Be aware and be prepared for that when completing your application and read those questions in advance so you know what to expect.  You will find this information under the "My Colleges" tab and then select each college down the left side of the page and click on "Questions" under both Application and Writing Supplement for each of the colleges where you will be applying.

Not all schools use the common app, but a lot of them do.  There are 47 Ohio schools which will utilize the common application this year, so as you are getting ready to start applications for the schools you are considering it is worth looking to see if more than one school from your list utilizes the Common App.

I anticipate that I will host a session to help walk interested groups of students through the Common App to be able to help you with specific details, but here are a few broad-overview things I want to make sure you are aware of to help as you are starting with your application...

- On the Explore section where you can look for colleges that use the Common Application there are search criteria filters that allow you to select colleges that don't require recommendation letters or don't require essays.  Both are good to know if you are doing things at the last second, but for what it is worth, that is NOT the best way to select your future college.  :-)  It made me laugh though because I am sure there are plenty of kids who will use that to help narrow their options in finding a school.

-  The general information that you will complete for all of the colleges is under the "Common App" tab.

- After you have selected your colleges and added them to your list you will see specific questions that each individual school wants to ask.  You will find these specific questions and writing supplement pages for the individual colleges under the "My Colleges" tab.  

-  If you have attended WKHS for all 4 years of high school, then you entered Kilbourne in August 2018.

- There are 327 students in your class.

-  Your graduation date is May 2022.  (Exciting!)

-  It will ask you about other schools you have attended.  Obviously, if you moved into Worthington you have other schools to list, but I also want to remind you that if you took summer classes through a different school district (such as TRECA or K-12) then you need to include that school on your common app form too.

-  If you are a student who has or will be taking classes through College Credit Plus, you will list the schools in the Colleges and Universities section with the checkbox for "Dual Enrollment while in high school" marked.  Don't forget - if you are taking COTC math classes along with CSCC English or Psych types of classes that you would have 2 colleges to list.

-  I strongly encourage you to make a complete list of your activities and honors BEFORE attempting to fill out the Common App.  For example, you will need to give a total number of your honors before you start naming them.  If you haven't developed that resume list then you'll have a tough time filling it out.

-  In the activities section, you can write about your top 10 activities.  Be sure to put them in the order of importance to you.  You can use the arrows to move them up or down if you get out of order.

-  There is a student self-reporting transcript section called "Courses and Grades."  Please know that your transcripts WILL STILL BE SENT to the colleges so you absolutely MUST be sure that you enter the information in the system exactly like it appears on your transcript.  The good news is that once school starts again you will be able to download and print your transcript off of Infinite Campus to use when completing this section.  It is very straight forward to use, but I have to admit that you will likely find it a bit tedious.  For the record (although I suspect you know this), our grading scale is A-F and we are on semesters.  Also, when you are filling out this section the "Other Courses" section is where you will list any high school classes that you completed during middle school or summer school.

-  As you are working on each area there is a panel on the right side of the page titled "Help Center" and I found it helpful as I was going through the different areas.  Some of the typical questions kids have asked me in the past as they are completing the Common App are now answered in the help center.

Let the fun begin!  Good luck as you start working on your applications and keep an eye out in the coming weeks for information about a Common App Completion Workshop.

Olympics

I love the Olympics.  And now, for the first time ever, I can say that I actually KNOW an Olympian!  I am so excited to watch the Olympics this year where I will be cheering not only for the USA, but also for Maggie Barrie, a WKHS alumni.  (Maggie's younger sister, Julie, is currently a student at WKHS.)  Maggie will be competing as a representative of Sierra Leone.  They march in 79th tonight and for those of you who didn't watch it this morning when it was happening live, Maggie does get a shout out when they are marching in even though you don't get to see her.

I love sports so perhaps that is part of why I love the Olympics so much, but to me, it is bigger than just the sporting events.  It is the accomplishment of working for years to simply have the opportunity to represent your country.  It is the uniting together as a country and as a world to celebrate the dedication and drive of never giving up on your dream.  While of course all 11,000 athletes would love to earn a medal, most are focused less on that recognition and more on being a part of an experience that is bigger than them.  The Olympic Creed says, "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.  The essential thing is not to have have conquered, but to have fought well."  What a powerful statement that carries over from the Olympics to life.

Throughout the Olympics there will be inspiring stories of triumph, heart-breaking stories of defeat, and many incredibly exciting moments to watch.  And as I think about the time, energy, effort, hard work, perseverance, and passion that each athlete must demonstrate to reach this one goal of qualifying for the Olympics. Although most of us will never be an Olympian (and yet Maggie is a reminder that perhaps you will be), you will face moments in your life where you are looking forward to a goal and will have a choice of how to respond.  I hope the Olympians help inspire you to find the strength and courage within yourself to believe in your dreams and to chase them with unwavering focus.

Test Scores Released

IB Test scores were released a week and a half ago and, as of this morning, scores for those students who took one (or more) of the Advanced Placement Tests in May should now be available online. 

To access your scores log in using your College Board account information.  

A lot of times students are curious about the policy various colleges have on how they grant credit based upon the AP scores. CollegeBoard maintains a list giving an overview of the college's policies.

Many WKHS students who took AP Lang were hoping to be able to use their scores to move directly to English 2367 (Composition 2) with CSCC next school year.  Please make sure you have scored a 3 or higher on the AP Lang test in order for this to be an option.  If I need to adjust your schedule to add you into Composition 1 because you didn't get the 3 as you had anticipated, or if you put Comp 1 into your schedule "just in case" and earned the 3, please let me know so that I can adjust your schedule and remove the class you no longer need.  (Also, don't forget that you will need to send your test results to the CSCC CC+ office so that they know you have met the prerequisites to jump directly to Composition 2.)

No matter which tests you took, I hope you are happy with your scores!

Meet Mia

My summer has been off to a whirlwind of a start... in large part because I adopted a new puppy.  This is Mia.  Just like Lexi, she is a miniature goldendoodle and although she was just about 6 pounds when I got her she will grow to be about 25 pounds when she is full grown.  (Same size as Lexi)

Mia is a precious snuggler who sleeps great, but unlike Lexi, Mia is FEARLESS!  She has too much bravery if anything and doesn't mind taking on stairs, climbing on, around and through furniture, and playing with dogs that are 150 pounds.  Lexi wasn't sure what to make of Mia for a while.  Actually, early on, she desperately wanted to send her away.  But she has adjusted and they play together and get along well for the most part.  (Lexi definitely doesn't want to share her bones and Mia doesn't mind testing that idea multiple times a day to see if she has possibly changed her mind.)  Lexi still can't figure out why Mia climbs through the coffee table or under the end-tables, and she will often bark at her to tell her to stop or come to alert me so that I know Mia isn't doing the "right" things.  :-)  So I am just being thankful that Lexi hasn't decided she should take on those same adventures alongside Mia.

Mia's full name is Amelia and she definitely hears that when she is in trouble.  I tend to frequently call her Miadora because evidently I should have named her Dora the Explorer because she is curious about all things at all times and has never met a stranger - dog, person, toy, cicada, bird, squirrel, or leaf - she wants to see it all!  

I'm sure I will share lots more Mia pictures and updates over the coming years and you can always come by my office where I will gladly tell you more stories about Mia's great adventures.

Diploma Presenter

Graduation was more than a month ago and yet, in some ways, part of it still feels like yesterday.  I loved being at the Schott for graduation with all of the students being shown up on the big screen so family members could easily see.  I loved the excitement of students lined up in the hallways under the arena anxious to get moving and celebrate the accomplishments after a trying year.  I loved hearing one of my students, Ella Brown, sing the National Anthem and watching as another one of my students, Brady Cloyd, was among those inducted into the Hall of Fame.  I loved seeing all of the families and groups of students gathered together outside after the ceremony ended hugging, laughing, and celebrating.  But, most of all, my favorite part of graduation was the hug I got to give to students just seconds before I handed them their diploma.

Kilbourne has lots of cool traditions and allowing seniors to have the option of who they want to have hand them their diploma has to be my favorite one of all.  I love the fact that students will be able to look back years from now and say x is who gave me my diploma because in so many districts that isn't the case.  To me, it is the ultimate recognition of how important the student/ staff relationship is to our school and district.

Each year that I have been asked to hand someone their diploma I am deeply touched and honored.  This means so much to me because my students mean so much to me.  And this year, the Class of 2021, I was able to hand out more diplomas than I ever had in the past.  But, for me, it wasn't about the number it is about who each of these people and how much they mean to me.

Pictured above from left to right: Alex Estrada-Ibanez, Aerial Davis, Courtney Earhart, Ella Bally, Blair Andrews, Emily Cline, Zach Bailey, Emma Blanton, Joseph De La Torre, Paveli Diaz Avalos, and Andrew Bickell.  (I also was able to present diplomas to Kaiden Bevelander, Twan Bentley, and Jorge Carbajal who weren't able to make it for the photo.)

So let me take a moment to tell you about these students... they are STRONG, COURAGEOUS, and CARING!  Those three words represent each of these individuals.  Over the last four years, they have faced their own battles, accomplished great moments, chased after their dreams, and worked really hard.  I have asked them to help me and not one ever turned me down when I needed their help... even though it was supposed to be me helping them.  ;-)  They spoke to groups, they encouraged other students, their shared insights with administrators, and, quite simply, they made a difference.  They are talented in all different aspects - some love sports, others are gifted at music, many are incredible students, they are extraordinary artisits, they are passionate about their futures and what path they will take to get there, and they are remarkable encouragers and friends.

Alex, Aerial, Courtney, Ella, Blair, Emily, Zach, Emma, Joseph, Paveli, Andrew, Kaiden, Twan and Jorge ~ Thank you all for allowing me to have the honor of presenting you with your diploma.  Thank you for the positive impact you have had on my life and on WKHS as a whole.  I am so fortunate that I had the chance to get to know you and I cannot wait to see all that you accomplish in the future!  Congratulations!  Love, Miss Abbott

OSU Info

So many WKHS students look at OSU as one of their college options.  And as a result I thought that you might want to know the following updates that OSU recently sent to us as counselors...

OSU Campus Visits:

Prospective students can once again visit our campus for a campus tour. Registration for the month of June will start May 24; July dates will open in early June. We are continuing to require masks be worn inside, and students can bring one guest. To register and view our visit guidelines, go to campusvisit.osu.edu.

Our virtual programming for prospective students will continue as we bring back in-person campus tours. 

OSU Test Optional Information:

Many of you have asked about our applicant pool as it pertains to whether or not students elected to submit a test score.

Summary
 

	Use tests	Do not use tests
Applicants	47.2%	52.8%
Admits	57.5%	42.5%
Acceptance fee paid	61.4%	38.6%

Ohio residents account for only 37% of admitted students but for 65% of students who have paid the acceptance fee. Ohio residents also, more than other populations, asked for their ACT and SAT test scores to be considered as part of the application process. Resultantly, the percentage of admitted students who submitted test scores who also paid the acceptance fee is higher than might be expected.

Because of continued inconsistency in testing availability, Ohio State has extended the test optional pilot for students applying in autumn 2022. We’ll be providing additional guidance to students this summer on submitting scores for 2022.

It's fascinating data to look at and it is exciting to see the return of campus visits for those who want that in person, on campus experience.

Impressive Students

The end of the school year felt like a full-on sprint for me.  Between trying to get through the end of the school year with all students, helping make sure seniors would graduate, assisting with graduation planning and execution details, recommending summer school, and saying good-bye to Mrs. Gratz it was a wild end to the year.  Because of all of that, I took a break from posting, but before I truly pause for summer break, I still have a few posts that I wanted to share with you all.

Recognizing the impressive accomplishments of "my" students is always top of my mind as it makes me so proud of them and how hard they have worked.  Today is no exception!

Athletics are a huge part of many of our student's lives.  Even though their seasons ended earlier than they had wanted or hoped, we had many of our students receive post-season recognition.  Several of "my" students were among those honored.

Congratulations to:

- Marissa Dolciato: Women's Lacrosse - 1st Team All State, 1st Team All Region, 1st Team All OCC and OCC Player of the year

- Julie Barrie: Women's Lacrosse - 2nd team All OCC

- Mitchell Abahazie: Men's Lacrosse - 1st Team All Region, 1st Team All OCC, and Honorable Mention All State

- Andrew Bickell: Men's Lacrosse - 2nd Team All OCC

- Cole Archual: Baseball - 2nd Team All OCC and Honorable Mention All District

- Macain Eldridge: Baseball - OCC Scholar Athlete

- Morgan Beals: Softball - 2nd Team All League

- Sara Dale: Softball - Special Mention All League and Honorable Mention All District

It is possible that I missed someone and that truly wasn't my intent, but these are the ones I had been made aware of and I think it is amazing that the hard work and dedication to their sports resulted in 8 of my students receiving recognition for their contributions... especially with so many of them being seniors which makes the accomplishment even more meaningful.

And then outside of sports, I also want to recognize and celebrate:

- Brady Cloyd: WKHS Class of 2021 Hall of Fame inductee

I am so proud of all of you and impressed with your accomplishments!