SENIORS Class of 2017

24 CREDITS REQUIRED FOR A WV HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA 4 YEAR COLLEGE-BOUND (FORMERLY KNOWN AS “PROFESSIONAL PATHWAY”) 4 English 4 Social Studies 4 Math 4 Science 1 Fine Art 1 PE 1 Health 2 Foreign Language (same language) 3 Electives (1 related to Career Cluster) 24 Credits Total (minimum) TRANSCRIPTS ARE REVIEWED REGULARLY

2 YEAR TECHNICAL/TRADE (FORMERLY KNOWN AS “SKILLED PATHWAY”) 4 English 4 Social Studies 4 Math 3 Science 1 Fine Art 1 PE 1 Health 4 Career Concentration Credits (Refer to Programs of Study Brochure) 2 Electives 24 Credits Total (minimum) ALGEBRA I and II MUST BE ON THE TRANSCIPT

WORK-BASED LEARNING/COMMUNITY SERVICE Students must complete 4 hours to graduate and have documentation on file! Student must get form signed by mentor or supervisor, parent, and advisor (homeroom teacher) before turning it in to the Guidance Office. Students who have 200+ documented community service hours will receive a medallion to wear at the graduation ceremony. (Paid hours do not qualify.) FORMS ARE DUE BY THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER! INSERT W BASED LEARNING FORMS

A.S.V.A.B. ARMED SERVICES VOCATIONAL APTITUDE BATTERY November 3, 2016 The ASVAB Career Exploration Program provides tools to help students learn more about career exploration and planning, in both the civilian and military worlds of work. The ASVAB is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. Scores can be used to enlist for up to two years after the date of testing, provided that they can be verified as being yours. Learn more about the ASVAB program at http://official-asvab.com/ An individual interpretation of scores will be scheduled a few weeks after testing. Sign up in the Guidance Office in the Fall.

COLLEGE VISITS, FAIRS, AND REPRESENTATIVES Campus Visits/Open Houses http://uhshawkschoolcounseling.weebly.com/ College Fair - October 20 at the WVU Rec Center (Evansdale Campus) College Rep Lunch Visits – College representatives visit our school during lunches. Representation usually includes: Two and Four year colleges/universities for both in-state and out-of-state, technical colleges, and military.

APPLICATION PROCESS EARLY DECISION EARLY ACTION COMMON APPLICATION 1. Submit applications. Begin applying in early fall. Most prefer or require online applications. Be sure to include all required documents, such as application fees and recommendations. Some may also require a School Report Form (Common Application). - Give recommenders sufficient time to complete their letters. Give a resume of activities and information about what you are applying for to help them write your letter. 2. Be sure ACT and/or SAT test scores are sent to the college. - You do not need to wait until you have your test scores to complete your application. - Know what scores are required. Some may require SAT Subject tests. 3. Submit a Transcript Request Form to the Guidance Office to have your official transcript sent to the school. A parent signature is required on the Transcript Request Form. It can be found in the Guidance Office or on the school webpage. EARLY DECISION EARLY ACTION COMMON APPLICATION

ACT AND SAT EXAMS To Register: www.actstudent.org sat.collegeboard.org Both tests are college entrance exams for 4-year colleges. Most schools accept both. However, some may require SAT Subject tests to be taken as well. Students should be aware of specific colleges’ requirements. UHS’s CEEB code is 490-880. When registering, you are permitted four “free” score reports. A fee must be paid if requested later (approximately $12 per test date per report). To Register: www.actstudent.org Research shows that of the students who took the ACT more than once: 57% increased their Composite score on the retest. sat.collegeboard.org Note: AP scores must also be sent from College Board to the college the student is attending in order to receive corresponding credits hours.

NEXT TESTING DATES ACT Current Cost - $42.50 No Writing/$58.50 with Writing Oct. 22, 2016 Register by: September 16th Dec. 10, 2016 Register by: November 4th Additional dates: February 11, April 8, and June 10, 2017 SAT Current Cost - $45.00 No Essay/$57.00 with Essay November 5th Register by: October 7th December 3rd Register by: November 3rd Additional dates: Jan. 21, March 11, May 6, June 3, 2017. * There is a Late Registration period for an additional fee. Standby testing may also be available. ** Students who may qualify for accommodations due to a disability or medical condition must submit a request in advance. e

WHICH TEST SHOULD I TAKE?

PREPARE FOR THE EXAM www.actstudent.org Sat.collegeboard.org See Mrs. Eades in room 139 for information about ACT Prep courses held at UHS. The cost is $160.00. FREE PREP: www.actstudent.org Sat.collegeboard.org www.cfwv.com

AP SCORES AP CREDIT POLICY This site allows you to search by college for a list of AP scores required by AP subject area and corresponding credits granted. apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/s earch-credit-policies SAMPLE: AP score reports are provided to the (one) college/university designated on the student's registration answer sheet. The reports are cumulative and include scores for all the AP exams a student has ever taken, unless the student has requested that one or more scores be withheld from a college or canceled. If you wish to send additional score reports to colleges, universities and scholarship programs, you can do so online for a fee (approx. $15 per report). Most AP scores become available in July. apscore.collegeboard.org/scores

* Watch the Scholarship Bulletin on the UHS webpage!* $CHOLAR$HIP$ College specific scholarships Look EVERYWHERE! Examples of FREE Search sites: www.cfwv.com www.fastweb.com www.scholarshipexperts.com www.studentscholarships.org * Watch the Scholarship Bulletin on the UHS webpage!*

PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP Currently, eligible high school graduates receive annual awards up to $4,750 per year to cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees at WV public or private institutions of higher education. See CFWV .com for more detailed information about eligibility, renewal requirements, etc. Show Promise Site on Edline

WHERE CAN I USE THE PROMISE? The Promise Scholarship may be used at several West Virginia: Two-Year Institutions (Community/Technical Colleges) Four-Year Institutions (Colleges & Universities) Private Institutions (Colleges & Universities) The complete list of eligible schools are listed on www.cfwv.com

PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS CURRENT GPA REQUIREMENTS (8 sems): Cum GPA (3.0) & CORE GPA (3.0) CURRENT TEST SCORE REQUIREMENTS: ACT: 22 Composite - (Must score 20 or above on each subtest in English, Math, Science, and Reading) OR New SAT: 1100 Combined Score – (Must score minimum of 540 on Reading & Writing with minimum of 510 in Math) Note: For students who have taken the old SAT prior to March 2016, different qualifying scores may apply. Scores must be from a single testing date and cannot be combined from multiple test administrations. Last test dates to qualify for PROMISE: SAT - June 3rd 2017; ACT - June 10th 2017 Students may use their eighth semester grades to achieve PROMISE eligibility (3.0 GPA in the core classes and overall), but must apply by the March 1st deadline.

The PROMISE Scholarship Application will be available at: APPLY IN FALL 2016 The PROMISE Scholarship Application will be available at: www.cfwv.com *Counselors will meet with seniors to complete PROMISE applications on October 5th during their senior social studies classes. Success/TOC labs

FAFSA IS THE KEY! FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID The FAFSA is the key that opens the door to financial aid. It serves as the application for most financial aid from federal/state programs and from colleges/universities. Even if you are not sure that you will need or qualify for financial aid, we recommend that you complete FAFSA anyway -- it's free. The FASFA is also required for many grants and scholarships. You should submit the FAFSA as soon as possible. Promise Scholarship applicants must have filed the FAFSA by March 1st to qualify.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid Students will be able to file a 2017–18 FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2016, rather than beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. Use Earlier Income Information: Beginning with the 2017–18 FAFSA, students will report income information from an earlier tax year. (Use 2015 Income Information)

The FAFSA will be available on www.fafsa.gov OCTOBER 1, 2016 The FAFSA will be available on www.fafsa.gov Be careful to use the correct website. Some will charge a fee. (Example: fafsa.com)

CFWV CFWV provides free resources to help students and families College Foundation of West Virginia www.cfwv.com CFWV provides free resources to help students and families PLAN, APPLY, and PAY for education and training beyond high school. Career Planning High School Planning - career interest profiler - planning timeline - career exploration - study skills section College Planning Financial Aid Planning - virtual campus tours - find scholarships - in-state degree programs - financial aid calculator - applications - Financial Aid 101 - free ACT/SAT test prep

UPCOMING EVENTS College Fair at WVU– October 20th @ WVU Rec Center (Evansdale) College Application and Exploration Week – Oct. 31-Nov. 4 ASVAB - November 3rd - Sign up in the Guidance Office. Financial Aid Parent Meeting – September 27th at 5:00 A college financial aid officer will give detailed financial aid and FAFSA information. Area admissions counselors will also be available to answer questions. Academy Day - Saturday, October 8th from 2:00 - 4:00 Financial Aid Workshop – November 7th - Parents will receive FREE, confidential support in completing the FAFSA. Appointments can be made in Guidance at 2:00 or 4:00 pm.

TIPS TO PREPARE Prepare for and take ACT/SAT (if applicable) Scholarship searches Volunteer/Community Service Create a resume of involvements/activities/ honors/awards Explore Majors and Careers Visit/Research Prospective Campuses Keep your grades up!

* GRADUATION * May 19, 2017