MHS Fall 2017 Counselor Presentation

Counseling Staff Kerry Hoover ~ Last Name Z-C Follow us on Twitter: Molly Marcum ~ Last Name D – Hillman Taylor Savas ~ Last Name Hinojos – Moran Rachelle Taylor ~ Last Name Moreno – R Nicole Ramon ~ Last Name S – Y Claudia Prince ~ Special Populations (A – Z) Gwendolyn Taylor ~ Collegiate Coach (A – Z) Ashley Crawford ~ Counselor Clerk Silvia Garza ~ Special Populations Clerk Follow us on Twitter: @couns_MHS Follow us on Facebook: Midland High School Guidance and Counseling

Attendance Assistant Principals are responsible for attendance issues. Please see your Grade Level Principal with concerns. A student may not be given credit for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90% of the days the class is offered. Saturday School may be assigned by your Grade Level Principal if you have excessive absences.

Gradebook Please see the registrar for your individualized Portal ID. Go to midlandisd.net Click on Parent Portal and follow steps to create account. You can continually get updated on how you are doing in your classes.

Transcripts A transcript is a record of academic achievement. It contains all courses taken for high school credit, semester grades, rank, GPA (5 point and 4 point), graduation plan, test scores and demographic information. Transcripts are updated by MISD Central office after semester grades (January/June). Students can obtain an official copy of their transcript at the registrar’s office for $1.

Transcripts

6 credits = Sophomore 12 credits= Junior 18 credits= Senior Grade Classification 6 credits = Sophomore 12 credits= Junior 18 credits= Senior

GPA Your transcripts will have two GPAs. Weighted 5.0 on the left. Unweighted 4.0 on the right. The first four years of: English Math Science Social Studies The first two years of Foreign Language

Foundation Graduation Programs

Texas Scholars GPA of 2.75 on 5.0 Meet standards on all sections of STAAR Graduate on the Foundations with Endorsement Complete 20 hours of community service Recognition Program Students may begin earning service hours during their 9th grade year. Note: Deadline for the seniors to turn in community service hours is Feb. 23rd no later that 4:00 PM. (Turn in hours to Mrs. Crawford in the Counseling Center)

Midland Legacy Scholarship Student must: Graduate with a 2.75 or higher grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Complete at least forty (40) hours of community service at an approved agency. Wait to start community service hours until the summer AFTER their junior year. Turn in documentation of hours to the Financial Aid Office at Midland College beginning January of each year. All information can be found online. www.midland.edu/legacy

Scholarships Several scholarships are available in the MHS Counseling Center throughout the school year. Scholarships are also posted on the MISD website: www.midlandisd.net under “Student and Scholar Development”. Scholarships are available on college and university websites. Additional resources: www.fastweb.com www.aie.org www.student.gov www.salliemae.com www.anycollege.com

SAT & ACT The SAT and ACT are both college entrance exams required for admission into a 4 year university or college. www.collegeboard.org www.actstudent.org Universities do not prefer one over the other. We recommend that students take both test beginning the fall of their junior year. https://www.princetonreview.com/college/sat-act (comparison) This information can be found on the What’s Your Plan webpage.

PSAT All students who took the PSAT in October will receive a score report in early January. Use this report to study and increase your score when you take the PSAT/SAT. Individual results are uploaded to Khan Academy located on College Board. Free personalized tutorials will be available to assist in preparing you for future testing. Sophomores, when you take the PSAT as a Junior, you are placed in the running for National Merit Scholarship Competition.

Fee Waivers The fee waiver programs are designed to assist students for whom payment of test and college application fees could be a barrier to college entrance. Waivers are available for both SAT and ACT. (see Mrs. Savas in the Counseling Center) If a waiver is used to test, you may have up to 4 college application waivers. In order to qualify for a waiver a student must fill out the free/reduced lunch application and be approved.

College Admissions Most college/universities begin accepting applications online in July. If students are interested in attend a public universities in Texas, apply at www.applytexas.org If students plan to attend a private college in the U.S., check the college website for the appropriate application. Many private universities require the common application- www.commonapp.org IMPORTANT!! Know the application deadline for the school in which you are applying!!

Counselor Evaluations If your admissions applications requires a counselor evaluation, you must inform your counselor. This includes online requests. Please be courteous and inform your counselor if an email is being sent by Common App or send.edu. You will need to provide your counselor with a copy of your resume. If you do not have a resume, blank forms are available in the scholarship drawer. Counselors and teachers require a two week notice (not including Saturdays and Sundays) to complete college forms. You will receive your letter of recommendation in a sealed envelope. If you open the envelope, it is no longer official.

Transcript Request If a college is requesting your transcript for admission purposes, you need to inform the MHS Registrar. She is located in the front office. Your counselor does not send out the Official Transcript. You will receive your transcript in a sealed envelope. If you open the envelope, it is no longer official.

What’s Your Plan? What is "What’s Your Plan?" “What’s Your Plan?” is the MISD K-12 initiative branded to support the mission of "graduating all students prepared and ready for college or career" through coordinated messages and aligned tools for parents, students and staff . What is College and Career Ready? The mission of every staff member at Midland Independent School District is to graduate all students prepared and ready for college and career. A college ready student is an academically prepared student who is ready for postsecondary education without the need for remediation.   We also recognize that not all students will choose the college route. A career ready student is someone who possesses the academic skills, employability skills, and technical skills required for careers after graduation (critical thinking, adaptability, technology proficiency, responsibility, persistence, team work, etc.).  

What’s Your Plan Website

Information Through Text A live one-on-one counselor will contact you. They focus on college selection, college entrance (including ACT/SAT) and financial planning (FAFSA).

Tutorials Tutorials can be done with your teacher. Check with them for times. Khan Academy For homework help www.collegeboard.org/khan academy

FAFSA~SENIOR ONLY FASFA help also located on What’s Your Plan

Midland College Senior Interest Form Please go to this link to fill out the MC Senior Interest Form. This help Midland College identify those students who plan to attend MC upon Graduation. https://goo.gl/forms/SKcOS6AU4Wd2e4Ld2