LANCERS

CLASS OF 2017

From The School Counseling Department: Vol. I

Ms. McCrea; A-Dh October 2016

Ms. Meade; Di-J

Ms. Clark; K-Q

Ms. Thomas; R-Z

Ms. James; AEC

Ms. Fluker; Career Coach

Ms. Sandidge; Secretary

FINALLY! Your senior year is well under way (and believe it or not, nearly a quarter of the way through)! We hope that you have a fun, yet safe and productive year at ACHS. We don’t have to tell you how important it is that you come to school every day, get to class on time, and complete your school work in a thorough and timely fashion. You already know that! Remember also, that newsletters, flyers, and announcements will be more important than ever now that you’re a senior. Information will be provided on scholarships, college visits, open houses, financial aid workshops, and much, much more. Please make sure that you read everything and that you share theinformation with your parents. (Trust us, your life will be much easier if you do!) We'll also be posting the newsletters and other items of interest on our school web site, for your convenience. Please remember, that we are here to assist you. Let us know if you need additional information, letters of reference, or help with applications. If we are not in the office or not immediately available, please put your name on the sign-in sheet at Ms. Sandidge’s desk and we will contact you as soon as possible.

FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP (Important changes this year in financial aid!)

This year, for the first time, families can begin to apply for financial aid for college as early as October 1.To help you and your parents understand the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) the school counseling department will be hosting a financial aid workshop during parent/teacher conferences on Wednesday, October 26. Michelle Davis, the Associate Director of Financial Aid at Lynchburg College will be here to talk about the ins and outs of financial aid and to help families set up their Federal Student Aid #IDs – something that must be done to electronically sign the online FAFSA. She’ll also explain the IRS data retrieval tool, which if used can make filing the FAFSA so much easier. We’ll be meeting in the ACHS library from 5:30 – 6:30pm. Give your parents a heads-up and encourage them to join us! The FAFSA can be accessed at

DÉJÀ VU

We have now visited all senior English classes to discuss plans for next year and what we can do to help you meet your goals. For those of you applying to two or four-year colleges, here’s a re-cap:

1. Keep it simple. The college application process requires you to be diligent, careful, thorough, and

organized, but it does not require you to be overwhelmed. Get familiar with just a few good

resources. One of our favorites is plus the individual college websites are excellent.

  1. If you haven’t already, please visit the colleges to which you are planning to apply. Nothing can

substitute for spending time on campus. Most schools have fall open houses which are great times to visit. This information is readily available on the colleges’ websites.

  1. Your goal should be to complete your applications before winterbreak. You will be so glad you did this! In most cases, all SAT and ACT testing should also be completed by December. Remember: you must contact the testing companies directly to send your scores to colleges. SAT and ACT scores will not be on your high school transcript!
  1. Complete your senior information sheet and transcript release form and bring them to our officeas soon as possible. We won’t send any transcripts until you tell us you’re ready, but we’ll havethe form on file when that time comes. Remember, you’re going to keep us posted on your progress, so that we'll have all the supporting documents ready to go shortly after you send your applications. Two weeks, however, is the minimum amount of time you need to give us to pull all of that together for you. Don’t miss a deadline because you haven’t given us enoughtime to do what we have to do.
  1. If you are applying Early Decision or Early Action and have not seen us to discuss this, you to get in touch with us immediately!!
  1. Online applications are now the norm. Some colleges waive the application fee for students who apply on-line. Some even have different application deadlines for paper applications versus online applications. (Earlier deadlines for paper!) Go to the websites of the schools you are interested in and check things out. With most colleges you can apply online, download an application, or request a hard copy by email. If you do not have Internet access at home, let us know; you can use the computer in the Guidance Conference Room.

COLLEGE VISITS

We’ve already had a number of colleges and universities that have visited ACHS to speak with interested students. The schools listed below have been scheduled thus far for the rest of October. Take advantage of this opportunity to meet face to face with admissions representatives. Sign-up sheets are on the door to the Guidance Conference Room. Come in, sign up, and we’ll send for you when the reps arrive. We’ll let you know when additional colleges are scheduled to be here.

Longwood University – Friday, October 14; 10am

Lynchburg College – Tuesday, October 18; 10am (Will be conducting both a general information session and on-site admission. If you provide a completed application, transcript, and SAT or ACT scores, you’ll receive a decision that day! See your counselor if interested.)

Ferrum College – Wednesday, October 19; 9am

Roanoke College – Friday, October 21; 9:30am

VA Tech – Wednesday, October 26; 8:30am

OPEN HOUSES

Visiting a college during an open house is a great way to gather information, ask questions, meet current students, and tour the campus and its facilities. Here are some that are scheduled this fall. If you don't see the schools you're interested in, just give them a call or go online to their website; they've probably also got an open house or two planned. Also, please check the websites for any multi-cultural visitation programs that may be scheduled in addition to open houses and general tours.

Bridgewater CollegeOctober 15;November 19

Ferrum College October 8; November 12; December 3

George Mason UniversitySee website for tour schedule

James Madison UniversityNovember 12

Liberty UniversityNovember 10-13

Longwood UniversityNovember 12

Lynchburg CollegeNovember 12

Norfolk State UniversityNovember 12

Old Dominion UniversityOctober 29;November 19

Radford UniversityOctober 15; October 29

Randolph CollegeOctober 10;November 8

Roanoke CollegeOctober 8; November 19

Sweet Briar CollegeOctober 9-10;November 13-14

University of Mary WashingtonOctober 29; November 12

University of RichmondNovember 14

University of VirginiaSee website for tour schedule

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityOctober 8; October 29

Virginia Military InstituteOctober 14-15;November 4-5

Virginia TechOctober 8; October 9; November 5; November 6

See website for tour schedule

NEWS FROM THE CLASS OF 2017

The next senior class breakfast will be Friday, October 28at 8am. Seniors that have not yet paid dues can see Mrs. Reed in Room 112A from 7:30 - 7:40am or after school to take care of that. Dues are $30 and help to pay for various senior activities associated with graduation as well as the senior breakfasts. Only those seniors that have paid dues will be able to attend the breakfast on the 28th. After breakfast, all seniors will be called to the cafeteria where a representative from Jostens will present information about ordering caps and gowns and other senior items. Senior graduation orders will be taken November 1st and 2ndand December 2nd during all lunches.

Officers for the class of 2017 are:

President – Peyton BryantSecretary – Angelica Lovelace

Vice President – Abby TomlinTreasurer –Michael Buzzelli

SCHOLARSHIPS

Information on the following scholarships is currently available:

  1. Our school has an opportunity to nominate one senior to be considered for the Harry F. ByrdLeadership Award. One student from each congressional district will be chosen to receive a $10,000 scholarship. Wow! If you are interested in competing for this award, please see Mrs. McCrea in the school counseling office right away. The deadline is fast approaching!
  1. The Horatio Alger Association seeks to assist students who have demonstrated integrity, perseverance in overcoming adversity, strength of character, financial need, a good academic record, commitment to pursue a college education, and a desire to contribute to society. If this describes you, you should consider applying for the Horatio Alger Scholarship Program. The application may be found at All parts of the application must be completed by October 25.
  1. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) offers many scholarship opportunities both at the state level and the national level for continuing education in a variety of fields. For national scholarships, go to and click scholarship opportunities; for state awards, go to and click on scholarships. You will find information about deadlines and application procedures.
  1. If you are interested in attending James Madison University, you should check out several of their merit-based scholarships, including the Dingledine and Madison Award for Academic Excellence. Applications for the Dingledine Scholarship are due November 1. Students must apply early action to be considered for this particular scholarship. The deadline for the Madison Achievement Scholarship is January 15, which is the deadline for applying to the university. No additional application is required for this particular award. Go to more information.
  1. The Jack Kent Cook FoundationCollege ScholarshipProgram is for students with significant financial need and who have excelled academically. Students must have a cumulative, unweighted grade point average of 3.5 or above and have SAT or ACT scores in the top 15%. The application deadline is November 30 and can be accessed at
  1. If you are interested in attending Washington and Lee University, you should look into the Johnson Scholarship. This very competitive award recognizes leadership, service, and outstanding academic achievement and covers tuition, room and board. A student may be considered for the Johnson Scholarship by submitting a complete Common Application, including the W & L Writing Supplement by the deadline of December 1.
  1. The Outreach Office at the University of Virginiawas created to support the University’s commitment to diversity. As a part of that mission, the Office coordinates several scholarships specifically for students from underrepresented minority or ethnic groups. Check out the following websites: and for information about the Holland Blackburn Scholarship; the Walter N. Ridley Scholarship; the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Oliver Lindwood Perry Scholarship.
  1. If you are a young entrepreneur who operates your own small business, you may be eligible to receive a 2013 NFIB Young Entrepreneur Scholarship. You must apply online by December 18by going to
  1. The American Legion presents its High School Oratorical Contest for the 2016-17 school year. Scholarship awards are made at the national and state levels. State contest winners are awarded $1,100 for first place and $600 for second and third place. National awards range from $1,500 to $18,000. You may find more information at
  1. Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia has announced its Institute ScholarshipProgram. These full and partial scholarships are very competitive – students must have excellent high school grades and SAT or ACT scores. The application deadline is February 1, 2017, but students are advised to submit their materials as early as possible. Contact Col. Rob McDonald at if you have questions.
  1. ACHS has the opportunity to nominate one senior to be considered for the A.C.E. Award given by the Lynchburg Exchange Club. This particular $1,500 scholarship is for a student who has overcome obstacles and made a dramatic change in their attitude and academic performance at some point during high school. If you feel that is true for you, please see your counselor.
  1. Go to if you are interested in entering your name in a scholarship sweepstakes offered by SunTrust Bank. Two winners of a $500 scholarship will be chosen nationwide every two weeks from October 28 through May 12, 2017.
  1. Check out and search for scholarships that might be of interest to you!

MISCELLANEOUS

1.The Common Application for Black Colleges allows students that are interested in applying to historically black colleges and universities to complete a single application form, pay a one-time $35 fee and have their applications submitted to 35 member institutions across the US. Go to for more information.

2.The Outreach Office at the University of Virginia is sponsoring a Diversity Chat on October 18 from 8pm-9pm where students from underrepresented minority or ethnic groups can chat with admissions officials and current students about academics, admission, and student life at UVa. You can join the conversation at and click on “Head to the Chat Page.”

3.The Virginia Space Grant Consortium is offering a free, online Earth System Science course to 175 juniors and seniors in Virginia. This three-credit, dual-enrollment course engages student in real world investigations of the Earth and its dynamic systems through the use of the latest NASA research and data. Students will explore all science disciplines while honing their critical thinking, data analysis, and problem-solving skills. The application deadline is October 30. For more information, visit

4.If you are interested in helping to solve the difficult global issues of hunger, obesity, limited access to healthy food choices, and food waste, you should consider applying for the EF Global Citizen Scholarship. This is not money for college, but an expense-free trip to Europe, culminating in a two-day conference in Milan, Italy which addresses those food-related topics and explores how food shapes our culture, environment, and economy. Apply at by November 7.

5.If you will be attending a private college in Virginia next year, you will be eligible to receive the TuitionAssistance Grant (TAG), a monetary award for undergraduate students which you do not pay back. The amount of the award varies each year, but is in the $3,200 range. Once you have decided where you will be going, make sure you ask the college’s financial aid office about the TAG.

6.The College Board has introduced a free app called CollegeGo to help you quickly and easily explore various college-related topics such as preparing for college, discovering careers, finding colleges, affording college, and applying. Download it now!