701-572-0967
2005-06
Mrs.
Wick Counselor
Ms.
Koperski Counselor
Senior Check List
June through November
ü
Are
your immunizations current? Check it out and have immunizations before
the school year begins.
ü
Take
the American College Test (ACT) as early as possible. Remember there is a registration
deadline. Be sure to check to see if the
schools(s) you are considering want the ACT or SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test).
Information about dates and registration packets can be obtained from counselors. BE
AWARE OF DEADLINES!
ü
Obtain
as much information as you can about schools you’re considering attending. Read catalogs, brochures, (send for a copy
of the catalog) and complete CHOICES in the counselors’ office.
ü
Visit
schools. Parents should visit the
schools with their students.
ü
Obtain
application forms from schools you are considering.
ü
Keep
your options open – if you are considering the armed services, take the ASVAB
(Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and have it interpreted. October
3rd is the scheduled day for the ASVAB at WHS
ü
Attend
a college/career day. The date is
Wednesday, September 14. Sign up in the Counselors’ office by September 9th
ü
Use
CHOICES and Career Explorer to help you search for schools and career
information.
ü
Submit
an application for admissions and housing to the school(s) of your choice. Know the school deadline.
ü
Fill
out scholarship forms and mail them in by the deadline dates. Check the counselors’ office and the
COUNSELORS’ NEWS newsletter (remember it is on- line) for information on
scholarships.
ü
Check
your credit count. You don’t need any
surprises second semester. Review the
University System Requirements.
ü
Attend
a financial aid workshop to pick up pointers on completing the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid.
ü
Early
in January, work with your parents on the completion of financial aid forms for
money for your education. This means
having income tax forms prepared early in January/February. Obtain the FAFSA in the counselors’ office. Or check out the web site and complete the
FAFSA on the web.
ü
Financial
aid deadlines are usually from March to April 15. Be sure your forms are mailed. Check school catalogs to find deadlines.
ü
Remit
any deposits required.
ü
Notify
other schools to which you have applied of your final decision.
ü
If
your school needs a transcript prior to graduation, complete the transcript
request form, located in the counselors’ office.
ü
Request
a final transcript of your high school record to be sent to the school of your
choice. Note forms in the Senior
Information booklet you will receive this spring.
ü
If you
are going to attend a
College Entrance Exams
There are two
major college entrance exams, the ACT and SAT.
All
ACT tests are
given at Williston State College (032190). Registration packets are available for your
convenience in the counseling office.
Students planning to attend a college that prefers the SAT I must also
determine if any SAT II subject tests are required. You can apply on line.
SAT I: Reasoning Test – the SAT I is a three- hour test,
primarily multiple choice that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning
abilities.
SAT II: Subject
tests – Subject tests are one hour, primarily multiple-choice test, in specific
subjects. Unlike SAT I, that measures
more general abilities, subject tests measure your knowledge of particular
subjects and your ability to apply that knowledge. Some colleges require or recommend one or
more tests for admission or placement purposes.
Check the requirements of colleges under consideration before deciding
which test to take. You may begin taking
subject tests as early as your first year of high school after you hve
completed a course of study in subjects such as advanced biology or AP US
History and the material is still fresh in your mind.
For other subjects
such as languages, you will want to compete several years of study before
taking the test.
Dates to Remember
ACT
2005 -2006 ACT Test Dates:
Test
Date Registration
Date
2005-2006 SAT I and SAT II
test dates
Test Test
Date Registration Deadline
SAT
I/SAT II
SAT
I/SAT II
SAT
I/SAT II
SAT
I
SAT
I/SAT II
SAT
I/SAT II
Planning Your Future
Here are some
suggestions to help you prepare for the future and particularly for
post-secondary training. Discuss your
plans and problems with your parents, teachers and counselors.
ü
Know
yourself. Achievement, abilities, interests and
ambitions are important factors to be evaluated in setting your goals. Initiative, responsibility and personality
will determine your degree of success.
ü
The
world of work. Explore the many occupational fields. Evaluate this information as it relates to
your self-evaluation. Don’t select an
occupational field or goal just because a friend or relative thinks it is best
for you.
ü
Plan
for your vocation as early as possible. Start planning your future now. Get some experience in the various
occupations that interest you. Find out
all you can about these occupations. Talk
to people actually doing the work in which you are interested.
ü
Select
your post-secondary school. Investigate the schools, which offer training
in the field of your choice. Talk to
people who have attended these institutions if possible. If you don’t know such a person, ask your
counselor and they will arrange for you to meet someone following the career in
which you are interested. Find out the
cost of your proposed course and what scholarships the school you selected
offers. Learn about projected demands for employment in the field of study.
ü
Learn
to study. Your teachers can help you learn good study
habits for various subjects. Work hard
to constantly improve your study habits.
You will be glad you did.
ü
Strive
for good grades. Grades of”B” or better are called recommended
grades. You must have recommended grades
to be eligible for most scholarships.
Good grades are important. If you
are not getting recommended grades, talk to your teacher about your difficulty.
ü
Become
a well-rounded individual. Develop hobbies and participate in school,
community and church activities. Broaden your field of interest through reading
and contacts with people.
ü
Plan
finances. Parents and students should consider the
combination of savings, scholarships, loans and part-time student jobs when
planning the financing of higher education.
Parents should attend the financial aid night in January. Watch for announcements on date and time.
ü
Learn
about college acceptance. In addition to the ACT, a few post-secondary
schools require applicants to take an admission examination of some kind. Secure information on these tests from the Admissions
Office of the post-secondary you plan to attend.
ü
Prepare
for scholarship and application early. Familiarize yourself with the various awards
for which you may qualify and their deadlines.
Awards are limited, and you won’t be able to receive a scholarship
unless you submit your entry/application.
Remember to ask admissions people at the post-secondary you plan to
attend about college sponsored scholarships.
Get references, transcripts and other material in order long before the
deadline. When applying for
scholarships, type your application.
Watch for spelling errors and sentence fragments. Follow requirements exactly.
ü
Keep
track of deadline dates. Keep your deadline dates all on one source, a
kitchen calendar, desk calendar, and planner – but always the same place so
that you can keep track of them efficiently.
ü
Immunizations.
When were your last immunizations?
There are guidelines that must be followed, do these early in your
senior year.
ü
ACT. If
you did not take the ACT in the spring of your junior year, pick a registration
folder in the counselors’ office, complete it and keep track of the admission
ticket. This must be completed in order
to attend a post-secondary.
Western Undergraduate
Exchange
WUE is the Western
Undergraduate Exchange, a program coordinated by the Western Interstate
Commission for Higher Education. Through
WUE, students in most western states may enroll in many two-year and four-year
college programs at a reduced tuition level – 150 percent of the institution’s
regular resident tuition. In all cases,
WUE tuition is considerably less than non-resident tuition.
For the academic
year 2005-06, resident students from the following states may participate if
they meet eligibility requirements:
Further
information may be obtained from the admissions office of the participating
institution or you may call (303) 541-0210 or write Student Exchange Programs,
Western Interstate commission of Higher Education, PO Drawer P,
Suggestions for writing
college admission/scholarship essays
When you write an
essay . . .
DO
start early. Leave time to revise, record and rewrite.
You can improve on your presentation.
DO
read the directions carefully. You will
want to answer the question as directly as possible, and you will want to
follow word limits exactly. Express
yourself as briefly and as clearly as you can.
DO
tell the truth about yourself. The admission committee is anonymous to you; you
are completely unknown to the committee.
Even if you run into a committee member in the future, he will have no
way of connecting your essay to you.
DO focus on an aspect of yourself that will show your best
side. You might have overcome some
adversity, worked through a difficult project, or profited from a specific
incident. A narrow focus is more
interesting than broad-based generalizations.
DO
feel comfortable in expressing anxieties.
Everybody has them, and it is good to know that an applicant can see
them and face them.
DO
tie yourself to the college and or program.
Be specific about what this particular school or program can do for you. Your essay can have different slants for
different situations.
DO
speak positively. Negatives tend to turn people off.
DO
write about your greatest assets and achievements. You should be proud of them.
But . . .
DO NOT repeat information given elsewhere
on your application. The committee has
already seen it and it looks as though you have nothing to say.
DO NOT write on general, impersonal topics
– like the nuclear arms race or the importance of good management in
business. They want to know about you.
DO NOT use personal statements to excuse your shortcomings. It gives them additional attention.
DO NOT use clichés.
DO NOT go to extremes – to witty, too
opinionated, or too intellectual.
Remember . . .
The personal
statement should be a reflection of you.
Be sincere.
A “gimmick” essay
rarely goes anywhere. The committee is
amused, but unimpressed with your candidacy.
Write a serious
essay, from the bottom of your heart, in the most mature manner possible.
When requesting a
letter of recommendation from a teacher, friend or employer, be
sure to:
ü
Fill
out the student information worksheet as completely as possible. Add a separate sheet if needed.
ü
Think
of an individual who knows you well.
ü
Make
an appointment to ask the individual to write a letter of recommendation for
you. Plan ahead to meet your timeline
and allow 10 to 14 days for the completion of the letter. DO NOT assume the letter will be completed if
you leave the request in his/her mailbox or drop it off at their desk. Make sure you make personal contact with the
individual.
ü
At the
time of the appointment, give the individual specific dates and directions for
disbursement of the completed recommendation.
If appropriate, proved stamped envelopes.
ü
Write a
thank you note to the person who wrote you letter of recommendation.
Student
Information Sheet for Recommendation Letters
Student’s Name:
____________________Date:
_______________
Date Letter is needed: _______________Cumulative GPA Rank: _______
Future Goals:
Special interests,
hobbies, talents and how you have pursued them:
Most important
activities at school:
Describe yourself
and provide relevant information that will be of benefit to the writer. What
are your proudest accomplishments – academic or personal? :
List any special
awards or recognitions you have received:
What community
service project(s) have you been involved with: Describe your experience?
What job
experience has been especially meaningful? Why?