Welcome to Senior Kickoff! Presented by the Dublin High School Counseling Staff

Senior Essentials: Deadlines are EVERYTHING!!! Senior Reviews – week of August 22 – August 25th in Civics/Econ Get us your approved community college official transcripts!! For sports exemptions – MAKE SURE you fill out your paperwork in Student Activities, log your hours, have your coach sign regularly Remember: if you are hoping to earn an Advanced Scholar Diploma, counselors will need volunteer hours verification as well as verification of season of a sport/year of a club by March. Give the complete packet to your counselor. This diploma requires Golden State Merit Seal (from SBAC) - TBD later this year. Senior year planner has been sent to your IC account this morning! Check out important information!

SAT/ACT SAT/ACT – fee waivers (see your counselor if you qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch. You can test through December of senior year. SAT/ACT for four-year college admission – not required for community colleges SAT date (FREE!) – October 11th. All seniors will take the SAT, courtesy of DPIE Required for 4-year schools Superscoring Take with Essay/Writing if applying to competitive schools

Senior Application Help: Senior Night – parents are welcome. Come on Wednesday, September 20th at 6:30. We will have breakout sessions (CSU, UC, Common Application, community college, NCAA). Drop in for quick questions: September 26th – November 29th on Tuesdays 7th period and also Wednesdays at lunch. Come in to the Counseling Office and ask to see your counselor. Set up an appointment online with your counselor to review the following: applications that you have already filled out and essays. You will need to enter the data prior to the appointment. Do not wait until the last minute for counselor reviews, please! NCAA – see Mr. Calloway to ensure that your pattern of coursework is approved for D1, D2 or D3 schools!

Letters of Recommendation: Common Application and some other schools (typically privates) require these Counselors fill out the Secondary School Report (recommendation). The number of teacher recommendations depends on the school. Get your packet with the following at least two weeks prior to your deadline to your counselor/recommenders: resume, transcript, ACT/SAT/AP test scores, cover letter with where you are applying and your major. No letters for CSU, most publics. On occasion, UC Berkeley wants them. Do not send them unless they are requested.

Developing Your College List: Most people applying to four-year institutions apply to 8 – 10. Have a “reach” or two if you want, but most should be “pretty sure” and you should have some “safety” schools. Check the college’s website under “Freshman Profile” to see the average admitted student data. If applying to community college, remember that you can go to colleges outside of this area, out of state (WUE). Check out those options as well. At the Senior Night we will have a list of good websites for you to check out.

College Majors: College Majors Scorecard is available for you to take in the Career Center at lunch on 9/22. Compare majors at different schools – often can be different emphasis If going to community college and doing a transfer program, take a look at the transfer requirements if you are doing a TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) program Most schools have four-year plans for particular majors listed – check out the plans to see if you like them

College Visits: Check out the College and Career Center for college rep visits Attend college fairs You MUST visit a school if you are admitted prior to committing! It could be a serious mistake if you don’t like it! Visit community colleges as well! Many have unique specific programs

Community Colleges: 47% of Dublin High School students attend community colleges and transfer Many times, it is easier to gain admission to highly competitive colleges/universities It is far less expensive We will have a community college application workshop on senior night. Nobody cares where you start – you can still be done with a Bachelor’s degree in four years!

Stress and Senior Year: Totally expected Can motivate you to take care of business We are here to help! Remember to keep up senior year grades. Offers of admission can and are rescinded if grades are poor!!!! See your counselor, often, and come prepared with questions. Make sure that you have filled out applications if you want us to review them. Do not submit applications if we have not reviewed them for accuracy and professionalism.