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March 26, 2008
GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING NEWSLETTER
IT IS TIME FOR SENIORS TO FILE THE FAFSA FORM
Senior students seeking financial aid for college should file the FAFSA federal financial aid form as soon as possible. The form is available on the internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Paper copies are no longer sent to the high schools. You may not submit the form until January 1, 2008, but you are strongly advised to send it in during the month of January in order to maximize your eligibility for financial aid. Keep in mind that even if you do not demonstrate financial need on the FAFSA, simply completing and submitting the form will qualify you for the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.
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FAMILY CONNECTION PROVIDES COLLEGE PLANNING PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
The Guidance and Counseling Department has made available a powerful tool for college planning called the Family Connection by Naviance. This web based program can be accessed from any computer, anywhere. The web address is:
http://connection.naviance.com/sfhs-wheaton
A link to this site has been created on the list of Websites for College Information that is on the Guidance and Counseling Department webpage.
In order to initially log into the program, students or parents must use a personally assigned registration code. Junior students have already received their codes, registered, and been trained in using the program. Sophomore students, sophomore parents, and junior parents received their registration codes in the mailing that included tests scores for the PLAN or PSAT, which was sent last month. Once you receive your registration code, we strongly recommend that you complete the log-in process whereby you will enter your email address and create a new password. Each user must register with his or her personal email address. Parents and students cannot use the same email address. Once you complete that process, you will no longer need the registration code to access the program.
If you misplace your registration code before you complete the registration process, simply contact Lynn Ellis, Guidance and Counseling Administrative Assistant at ext. 142.
The Naviance Family Connection program allows students to maintain their own personal college planning site. You can complete a college search, build a resume, make a game plan for college, create a list of potential colleges, and track the application process.
If you have any questions or problems in regards to using the program, please contact Trudy Rigney, College Counselor and Director of Guidance.
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MY COLLEGE QUICK START AND MY ROADARENOW AVAILABLE
TO STUDENTS
WHO TOOK THE 2007 PSAT EXAM
The College Board is offering any sophomore or junior student who took the 2007 PSAT exam free access to the My College Quick Start and My Road Career and College Planning Programs. My College Quick Start provides an online score report for the PSAT exam, projected SAT scores, a customized SAT study plan, and a personalized list of college majors and careers. The My Road program is an excellent tool for students who are trying to determine their career and college major choices. It also allows students to complete a college search, research college majors and careers, and organize other aspects of the college planning process. It provides a nice addition to the tools provided in our new Naviance Family Connection program.
To access My Road, students should go to: www.collegeboard.com/quickstart
To complete the log in process, the student must have the personal code that can be found in the upper right hand corner of his or her PSAT score report form.
St. Francis strongly recommends that students utilize My College Quick Start and the My Road programs.
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TURNING NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES—HELP YOUR TEEN LEARN FROM MISTAKES
Getting your kids to stop making mistakes is impossible. Helping them turn those mistakes around, however, is not only possible, but one of the greatest life skills you can teach them.
Turning negative experiences into positive ones is a skill that will serve your child far beyond his adolescent years. The tips below can help instill in your teen the ability to turn negatives into positives:
- Create support rather than condemnation. Because teens are growing physically and beginning to look more like adults, we often expect them to think like adults as well. Although your child may be as tall as you, his experiences and ability to reason is still limited and he will still make childish mistakes. The way that you react to these mistakes can teach him that everyone “messes up’, but what is important is that you can “clean it up”.
- Try to respond to your teen’s foul-ups objectively. This means you might need some rational self-talk before you approach him. If you react with high emotion, the message you send will be more personal: “I can’t believe you did this”. If you respond with the facts: “Ok, you have done this. Now here is what you need to do to fix it,” he will get the message that he’s still an OK person and there is a solution to the problem.
- Teach the power of thought. Our thoughts create our experiences. Look at the glass of water as half full and you feel good; look at the glass as half empty and you feel bad. Help your child to understand and use this concept and you will help him create a positive life, no matter what comes his way. A teen who fails a test can say, “I’ve failed; I am a failure.” And his attitude will affect every choice he makes, ultimately confirming his belief. Or, he can say,” I’ve failed to get a passing grade on this test, but I know that if I study harder or ask for help I will do better next time.” This attitude will affect his future choices, and he will find much success in life.
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HOW TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
Now is the time of year when both parents and students begin to wonder, “Now that we have applied to these colleges, how are we going to pay for this?” Such thoughts naturally lead to the pursuit of scholarships.
Obtaining college scholarships is not as easy as some would have us think. The best source of money for college is the college itself. Students should ask every college what merit scholarships are available. These scholarships can be highly competitive at some schools and not as hard to obtain at others. Some schools are now offering “leadership scholarships” for students who have shown a strong commitment to extra-curricular activities.
Students who are looking for corporate or community scholarships can access information on those awards through programs such as:
http://www.collegezone.com (for general financial aid information)
http://www.finaid.org (for general financial aid information)
Mrs. Rigney publishes a weekly college information and scholarship bulletin that homeroom teachers announce and post. This bulletin lists scholarships for which the Guidance Department has current applications. This scholarship bulletin is posted outside the Student Services office. This bulletin is also on the Student Services page of the St. Francis website under Weekly Bulletin. We are also loading scholarship information the Naviance Family Connection website. Students often have the best chance to earn a scholarship offered by a local organization since these scholarships have a smaller applicant pool. Some scholarships will be based on financial need; many will require that the student write an essay.
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JUNIORS SHOULD START REGISTERING FOR SPRING ACT AND SAT TESTS
The dates for the 2007-2008 ACT and SAT tests are listed on the last page of the St. Francis High School Calendar. This same information is also on the Student Services page of the school web-site. Use these sources as future reference for upcoming test dates and registration deadlines. Juniors should plan to take the ACT or SAT at least two times from January of 2008 through June of 2008.
When registering for ACT and SAT tests, students may use two different methods. They may go online to www.act.org for the ACT or to www.collegeboard.com for the SAT test. To register with the paper copy, students may pick up a registration packet from the large metal bookshelves in the Students Services hallway. St. Francis administers the ACT on the April test date only . If a student wants to test at St. Francis, he or she must register in advance of the regular registration deadline and select St. Francis as the first choice for test centers. Students are not guaranteed their test center choices. Places are assigned on a first come, first served basis. When re-registering for a second test, students may do so by phone for a small charge or online for free. It is very important that the student include the St. Francis six digit high school code on their registration. Our high school code number is 144-383. We strongly recommend that a student plan to take both the ACT and the SAT and take each test more than once. This ensures that the student will be likely to earn a score that best reflects his or her true ability. Colleges will use the higher score when making admissions decisions.
Students should also be aware more and more colleges, including several Big Ten Schools, are requiring the new ACT Writing Assessment. Not all colleges require that students take the Writing Asssessment; however, if even one college that the student will apply to requires the writing assessment, then the student will need to take it. Therefore, the Guidance and Counseling Department strongly recommends that all juniors take the Writing Assessment along with the ACT exam every time the student takes the test. The revised SAT includes a mandatory writing assessment. For details on these new writing assessments and preparation materials, students should go to www.act.org or www.collegeboard.com.
REMINDER: THE ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL CODE FOR ACT AND SAT TESTING IS: 144-383
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