Dear Seniors
and their Parents:
This is a busy and very
critical time for you and your student!
Whether this is your first child to graduate from high school or your
last, there is something unique about each graduating class and the world they
are going into. The largest task right now for every senior
is to solidify their post high school plans.
Since the time they were freshman I’ve been asking them to narrow down
their college search, so by September of their senior year they are ready to
send in applications to three or four schools.
Students do
not have to know which one they will choose right now. They send in applications and decide when the acceptance letters return. Please
don’t feel panicked or frustrated if your student is still unclear about his
specific choice of a school. That is
common and I have found that by the time the acceptance letters arrive in
December and January that they have narrowed down their choices.
The earlier the application
arrives the better chance there is for acceptance. University
admission requirements can be checked at the school web sites. Any search engine can be used to locate these
schools by name or you can use my recommended web sites, collegeboard.com and fastweb.com. We also
have books with information on all two and four year universities in the
Scholarships and Financial
Aid are the second biggest issue. Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA)
forms need to be completed in January or February of their senior year. We will have a workshop on this for students
and parents in January. This form is
mailed, or submitted electronically, then after review you will receive a
Student Award Report (SAR). This
notifies you and the colleges of your choice of the amount you receive in
financial aid, if any.
Scholarships can, and do,
come from many sources and for numerous reasons. Some are academically based, talent based or
need based. Sources range from local to
national. But, please keep in mind the
largest awards are from the colleges themselves. That is why early application and acceptance
are critical. As soon as the student is
accepted they should contact the financial aid office and reference their
school’s web site for all the information and deadlines unique to that
school.
College testing can be
frustrating and confusing if you wait until the last minute. Most all schools accept either the SAT or
ACT, but you must check with the college of your choice to make sure nothing
else is required for admittance. The
minimum test score required for each university is based on the student’s class
rank. This information can be accessed
on school web sites and in college information kept in the counseling
center. Test preparation
material is available in a variety of formats.
Below I have listed a few of the most utilized:
The envelope your student
receives the first two weeks of school will contain information both of you will
need all year. I encourage you and your student to keep this
and use it as a reference. I also encourage
the use of college and financial aid web sites.
Today the huge volume of information can easily be overwhelming. It is better
to take the time and investigate each web site keeping a notebook with the
pertinent information logged in it for future use. This is well worth the investment of time and
effort for the student’s future.
Statistics show the following earning potential based on education:
|
|
Dropouts |
Assoc. Degree (2 yr) |
Bachelor’s Degree (4yr) |
Master’s Degree |
Doctorate or other Adv.
Degree |
|
Weekly |
$311 |
$554 |
$778 |
$984 |
$1,660 |
|
Annual |
$16,173 |
$29,872 |
$40,478 |
$51,183 |
$86,297 |
|
Lifetime |
$646,920 |
$1,194,880 |
$1,619,120 |
$2,047,320 |
$3,451,880 |
Know you have support to navigate through this
exciting, hectic and important time!
Feel free to contact me for any questions or concerns you may have. I enjoy working with you to help your child
succeed.
Sincerely,
Jane Brugh
Guidance Counselor