The Guidance Newsletter – Vol. 6

The Guidance Newsletter – Vol. 6
2015
Important Dates
Sun. 2/1 @ 3-5pm – USA Gap
Year Fair at Philips Academy
Andover
Sun. 2/8 @ 1-3:30pm – USA Gap
Year Fair at Noble and Greenough
School
Important Reminders
Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors:
-
SAT/ACT Exams:
Fri. 2/13 – Registration deadline
for 3/14 SAT
-
Sat. 2/7 – ACT Exam (not given @
WHS)
Tues. 3/3- Late registration
deadline for 3/14 SAT Exam (late
fee)
Sat. 3/7 – Practice ACT @ Weston
Fri. 3/13- Registration deadline
for 4/18 ACT Exam
Sat. 3/14 - SAT Exam (not @
WHS)
Fri. 3/27 - Late registration
deadline for 4/18 ACT Exam (late
fee)
*WHS CEEB CODE: 222-355
-
Scheduling for the 2014-2015 school year will start this month. All students must see
their guidance counselor during the appropriate dates:
Juniors: Fri, February 28 - Mon, March 3
Sophomores: Thurs, March 6 - Mon, March 10
Freshmen: Wed, March 12 - Fri, March 14
Students interested in taking the SAT Subject tests for Biology and/or Physics, please
keep the following in mind before registering:
Students who have a strong B or better in an Honors course, and have a
thorough understanding of the material, usually do well on these subject
tests. However, students must have the time to study because there is
additional material on the test that is not covered in class.
Sophomores: A practice ACT will be administered at WHS on March 7th.
Registrations will be accepted in the guidance office through Monday, March 2nd.
The fee for this test is $30, and students can pick up their testing materials when
they turn in their checks. Please make checks payable to Town Weston.
Registrations received after March 2nd will incur a $5 late fee.
Seniors:
-
Your Guidance Counselor will automatically send out mid-year grades electronically to
your colleges/universities. If you submitted paper applications please bring Mid-year
forms to your counselor so that we can mail things out in a timely fashion.
IMPORTANT: grades are sent very shortly after you receive report cards, so CHECK
FOR ACCURACY and let your counselor know ASAP if you think you’ve found an error.
- It is far too early to be developing Senioritis. Did you know that slacking off can
jeopardize your future plans? Many colleges reserve the right to deny admission to an
accepted applicant should the student’s senior-year grades drop. Colleges expect
students to maintain previous levels of academic achievement, so stay focused!!
**Reminder to senior parents  Aim to complete financial forms as soon as possible;
financial deadlines are not flexible. You do not need to wait to file taxes before filing for
financial aid. You can use an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution. Also, it is
important to note that everyone should complete a FAFSA.
Tips for College Visits
As we look forward to February break, students should remember that it can be an opportune time to visit schools of interest! For
Juniors, it can be a great time to begin your college search. For Seniors who have already been accepted to multiple schools, the
break can be a chance to revisit those colleges and help make the decision-making process easier. Any students planning on visiting
colleges during February break should try to keep the following tips in mind:
1. Schedule an interview  Should you have an interview, try to schedule it after the tour, so you can speak knowledgably about
their school with relevant observations & questions. The Guidance department offers mock interviews. See Ms. Wong or Ms.
St. Jean to schedule an appointment!
2. Visit a class- Try to sit in on a class that interests you. Talk to the professor.
3. Eat in the dining hall- Ask yourself, could you eat this food for the next 4 years?
4. Visit the dorms- Check out more than one dorm since they’re not all the same.
5. Do an overnight- Some schools offer the opportunity to spend the night in the dorms! This can be both fun and informative.
6. Talk to lots of students  Your campus tour guide has been trained to hype the school. Try to hunt down students who aren’t
getting paid to woo you and ask them what they think.
The Guidance Newsletter – Vol. 6
2015
February is Financial Aid Month!
With the cost of college rising higher every year, it is growing increasingly important for students and their families to utilize
all financial aid resources available to them. Luckily, there are numerous ones to take advantage of, and following is a list of
just a few that are available nationally, locally, and even ones that are open only to Weston students. Take a look!
-
Visit Fastweb website for great information on federal aid, scholarships, and more: http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid
Speak to a financial aid expert for FREE! TERI College Planning has centers throughout the Boston area, and can help you
navigate the financial aid process. Call 877-332-4348, or visit http://www.tericollegeplanning.org/index.html
Apply for Weston Town Scholarships by May 1st; applications are available on the Guidance website
Note to all students applying for the METCO scholarship: you must also submit a Weston High School Application for
Scholarship Aid form to the Guidance Office in order to be considered for the METCO scholarship.
Scholarship information is coming into the WHS Guidance Office on a daily basis, and when it does, it goes directly into
the Scholarship Binder. This resource is organized in a way that makes it easy to look for those scholarships which you
might be eligible for. Whether organizations are seeking students with outstanding grades, a background in community
service, a particular ethnic heritage, or plans to pursue a specific field of study, the scholarship binder will direct you to
opportunities which could lead to hundreds if not thousands of dollars in scholarship money which can be used toward
your education. Come ask Ms. Wadsworth, Ms. Wong, or Ms. St. Jean for help in accessing this valuable resource.
Alternative Post Graduate Plans
If you feel like college may not be for you, or if you just need a breather before starting, you are not alone! Fortunately, there are various
options for students considering something other than college. Below is a brief description of a few of these options. Please schedule an
appointment with your guidance counselor if you would like additional help in searching for the path that’s right for YOU.
Post-Graduate (PG) Year- A post-graduate year is typically an additional year of academic study in a boarding school style of learning.
The PG year is usually offered by independent private schools throughout the country and stresses the ideal of the student’s achieving
their greatest potential. For those interested, the Guidance department has a list of private schools in the New England area that offer a
PG year. Below are some resources to help get you started on your search.
Boarding School Review- www.boardingschoolreview.com
Private School Review- www.privateschoolreview.com
Gap Year- The gap year is increasing in popularity around the country. Students who take a gap year typically take the year off between
high school and college to do something educational and meaningful. Often, it is possible to apply and get accepted to college at the
same time as your classmates, and then defer your admission until the following year. Gap Year programs vary greatly and can include
opportunities for learning & internships to volunteering & travel experiences. Below are some helpful websites to facilitate your search:
Center for Interim Programs- www.interimprograms.com
Outward Bound- www.outwardbound.org
National Outdoor Leadership School- www.nols.edu
Volunteer Scientific Field Research- www.earthwatch.org
AFS Intercultural Programs- www.afs.org
Corporation for National and Community Service- www.cns.gov
City Year- www.cityyear.org
Peace Corps- www.peacecorps.gov
Internship Programs with Dynamy- www.dynamy.org
Armed Forces- The branches of the armed forces include: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and US Coast Guard. Check out the website
of each branch to see if this is the right career path for you.
Army- www.goarmy.com
US Coast Guard- www.uscg.mil
Air Force- www.af.mil
Marines- www.marines.com
Navy- www.navy.com