GRIZZLY COUNTRY
SENIOR NEWSLETTER
Fall 2016
COUNSELING OFFICE
The counseling office is a great place to find college and career resources. It is essential students thoroughly investigate all of their educational options. In selecting a school or program, a student should be prepared to make a mature and realistic choice, based on their academic goals and financial resources. A valuable resource available in the counseling office is The AHS College Handbook, which is revised each year to give students the most up-to-date information on the process of pursuing post high school education. The handbook is also located on the AHS website under Counseling Services/Post High School Education/ College Handbook. Other college and career reference books, college catalogs, and view books can also be found in the counseling office and the AHS library.
COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2016-2017
This year AHS students are assigned a counselor based on their last name. Diane Berry is the counselor for students with last names A-Hi, Glenna Stiles is the counselor for students Ho-Mi, and Jeff Roscher is the counselor for students Mo-Z. Seniors can email to schedule an appointment with their counselor or stop by the counseling office to see if they are available to meet.
Financial Aid Information Night
September 22nd, 7:00-8:30 pm, IVC
This meeting is important if you plan to attend a private/public university, community college or trade school. Financial Aid Counselors from SOU will discuss the procedure for completing the FAFSA, the financial aid form required by most US schools. This year the FAFSA goes live on October 1st, and will use 2015 tax information.
ASPIRE!
Seniors: Are you uncertain about your plans for the future? Need help finding a college or career path that suits you? Stop by the counseling office and talk to Jen Marsden, the ASPIRE coordinator. ASPIREmentors help students identify career, education, financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Whether students arelooking at attending a four-year college or university, a community college, or a training program, an ASPIRE mentor can help you get there.
COLLEGE INFORMATION SESSION
On Wednesday, OCTOBER 12th from 7:00–8:30 pm, senior parents and students are invited to a college information session. AHS counselors will discuss and answer questions about college admissions, financial aid, and scholarships in the IVC.
COLLEGE VISITS
Throughout the school year, admissions officers visit AHS to talk to students about their respective schools. If a visit is during class, students should get pre-approval from the appropriate teacher. College visits, times and locations are listed in the daily announcements and posted in the counseling office. Currently, the following visits are scheduled:
COLLEGE VISITSCollege / Date / Time / Location
Evergreen State Univ. / 9/16/16 / 2:00 PM / Counseling
University of Portland / 9/26/16 / 8:15 AM / Counseling
Pacific University / 9/26/16 / 2:00 PM / Counseling
Gonzaga University / 9/28/16 / 2:40 PM / Counseling
St. Olaf College / 9/30/16 / 11:40 AM / Counseling
Whitman College / 10/3/16 / 2:00 PM / Counseling
Corbin University / 10/4/16 / 8:15 AM / Counseling
Lewis & Clark College / 10/4/16 / 12:00 PM / Counseling
PN College of Art / 10/4/16 / 2:00 PM / Counseling
Whitworth College / 10/5/16 / 1:00 PM / Counseling
University of Oregon / 10/5/16 / 1:30 PM / Library
Linfield College / 10/10/16 / 8:15 AM / Counseling
Oregon State University / 10/10/16 / 8:15 AM / Library
Willamette University / 10/19/16 / 10:00 AM / Counseling
Univ. of Puget Sound / 10/27/16 / 2:30 PM / Counseling
Portland State Univ. / 11/16/16 / 1:30 PM / Library
A College Fair will be held at SOU on Tuesday, October 4th from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm. It will not be an organized activity for the senior class since they attended last year. Seniors may want to attend on their own as the fair has representatives from many colleges. To register for the fair and to see which colleges are attending, please visit: www.gotocollegefairs.com.
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS
Every college has information about its admissions process on its website. The majority of applications are completed online and many private schools use the Common Application (www.commonapp.org). Be aware of application deadlines; the public California universities are early - November 30th.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
There are 17 community colleges in Oregon serving more than 300,000 students. These schools offer an extensive array of professional training programs in fields such as Mechanics, Electronics, Culinary Arts, Massage Therapy, Dental Hygiene, Physical Therapy and many others. Students can get the skills they need in a year or two, and graduate ready to enter the job market. Students can also do their general education credits at a community college, and then transfer to a four-year university.
Tuition is significantly less at a Community College than at a four year university or for-profit vocational school. Community colleges offer open enrollment, meaning there are no admissions requirements. Students starting at a community college do not need to take the ACT/SAT.
In 2015, our state launched the Oregon Promise program, offering new high school graduates and GED recipients the opportunity to have the majority of their community college tuition covered by federal and state grants. To qualify, students must graduate from an Oregon high school with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and have been an Oregon resident for at least 12 months prior to enrolling in community college. Learn more about the Oregon Promise at www.oregonpromise.org.
OREGON PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
Many of the state universities send representatives to AHS during the school year. Each college also holds preview days and open houses throughout the year. Be sure you check the priority dates for application and scholarship deadlines, which vary from school to school (some as early as Dec 1st). Each university has its own application, which is completed online.
Admissions requirements for Oregon’s public universities include English (4 years), Math - Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra 2 - (3 years), Science (3 years), Social Studies (2 years) and Foreign Language (2 years); students must receive a C- or better in all of these classes. SAT/ACT scores are required. OIT, OSU, PSU, SOU, UO require a minimum GPA of 3.0; EOU and WOU require a minimum GPA of 2.75. Universities may conduct more comprehensive reviews of applicants who don’t meet the required courses/GPA for admission.
OREGON COLLEGE APPLICATION WEEK
The goal of Oregon College Application Week (CAW) is to provide an opportunity for all Oregon seniors to complete college applications. November 14-18 AHS will host a number of opportunities for students to explorepost high school educationaloptions and apply to college. There will be a big push during CAW to get seniors looking at community colleges to submit their applications, as these can be completed in a short amount of time and there is usually no application fee. Computer labs will be open during and after school so seniors can get assistance applying to the schools of their choice. Also during CAW, SOU, UO, and PSU will have admissions representatives at AHS holding information sessions and doing admissions on the spot. More information at www.oregongoestocollege.org.
COLLEGE ENTRANCE TESTS
Information on how to register online for the SAT and ACT is available in the counseling office. The SAT website is www.sat.org/register; the ACT website is www.ACT.org. The AHS code is 380025. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch are eligible for fee waivers for the SAT and ACT. This waiver also allows students four college application fee waiver forms. See Karyn Barats for more information. AHS is now a testing site for all SAT test dates. We only have 45 slots available, so register early. If the AHS site is filled, there are testing sites in Medford/Grants Pass.
SATTest Date / Deadline / Late / Location
October 1 / September 1 / September 20 / AHS
November 5 / October 7 / October 25 / AHS
December 3 / November 3 / November 22 / AHS
January 21 / December 21 / January 10 / AHS
March 11 / February 10 / February 28 / AHS
May 6 / April 7 / April 25 / AHS
June 3 / May 9 / May 24 / AHS
SAT fee is $45 and SAT plus essay is $57. Late registration is an additional $28. The SAT subject test fee is $26.00 for basic registration, plus $20 per subject test. The language with listening test is an additional $26.
ACTTest Date / Deadline / Late / Location
October 22 / September 16 / September 30 / AHS
December 10 / November 4 / November 18 / AHS
February 11 / January 13 / January 20 / AHS
April 8 / March 3 / March 17 / AHS
June 10 / May 5 / May 19 / TBD
ACT fee is $42.50 and ACT plus writing is $58.50. Late registration is an additional $25.00.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Some colleges require students to submit letters of recommendation from teachers/counselors. AHS asks students to fill out our letter of recommendation request form, which can be found on the AHS website under Counseling Services/Forms. The completed form can then be given/emailed to those from whom students would like to request a recommendation letter.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships are available throughout the year. Our local scholarships appear online in mid-December at www.ashland.k12.or.us/scholarships. The OSAC (Oregon Office of Student Access and Completion) scholarship application offers over 400 scholarships, including several specifically for Jackson County and AHS students. You can begin this online application November 1st at www.oregonstudentaid.gov. Check the Counseling Office bulletin board, or the AHS website for more information about scholarships and financial aid.
~ Provided by the AHS Counseling Office ~