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Upcoming Events for College Bound Seniors
Upcoming Events for College Bound Seniors
Wellseley College Amplify program
Learn more about college essay writing, financial aid and more. Although this program is run through Wellseley college, much of the information is applicable to students going through the college application process (in general).
Senior Planning Nite at AHS is HERE
Wednesday, September 24 5:30-7:30
Hear from a panel of College Admissions representatives about what they are looking for in an applicant, attend sessions on Career Resources or meet with your Counselor. I will give a session on "Writing the College Essay" and talk about how families can help support students during their Senior year!
Reserved Officer Training(ROTC) scholarships takes applications for one of the branches of the US Military. Check out this website to learn more about eligibility and the process of how to apply. This is an amazing opportunity to get your college paid for and start your career!
Looking to Improve Your SAT score? Schoolhouse/Khan Academy SAT Bootcamp
SAT Bootcamps: 4-week programs in the month leading up to each official SAT date. Run by certified peer tutors who scored 700+. Average score improvement: 40-55 points
Who Am I? Brainstorming the Personal Statement
Who Am I? Brainstorming the Personal Statement
The Love-Storm Activity: For Families
The Love-Storm Activity: For Families
This week, I finished teaching 2-day workshops to all English 12 classes on “Writing the College Essay/Narrative Personal Statement” filled with all my best tips on getting started, choosing a topic, and ways to structure the essay. All seniors got 180 minutes of activities and tips to get them thinking about writing this essay!
This personal narrative is one of the first assignments for all English 12 classes so that the English teachers can give individual feedback to students in the coming days.
Love-Storm exercise. It’s like brainstorming…but with total, gushing love and it involves YOU (if you’re open to doing it)!
I asked students to gather their best friends and family together. Have one person take notes in a Google Doc (preferably, not the student). Don’t look at the Common App essay prompts…just talk for ½ hour about your child’s wonderful and unique personality traits, experiences (especially high school ones), interests, hobbies, habits or ideas. How would you describe their personality in 3 words? Their values? What's unique about them?
Write down everything–don’t worry about organizing or editing and welcome all tangents/thoughts but keep it POSITIVE. If a comment sparks conversation, roll with it.
Each senior also got a series of handouts to help them brainstorm (including the Love-Storm exercise).
My hope is that our Seniors get a better sense of their unique assets and strengths. For many Seniors, it can be difficult to decide what to focus on in the personal narrative and involving those that LOVE our seniors the MOST (friends and family) might just help.
Now, I appreciate that MANY of our Seniors are wanting editorial independence when it comes to the writing of these essays–so, if your child has said, “I want to do this myself,” I want to assure families that in my 25 years of working with Seniors, this is pretty normal. After all, in Kindergarten, you’re making 100% of your child’s decisions and by Senior year, that number is trending towards…well...maybe not 0, but close.
Many students want to do this themselves (with support from their English teachers). But I really think some brainstorming/love-storming at the beginning of this process might help a student HEAR what makes them great. And, it’s a beautiful tribute that might just create a lasting memory too.
Stop by room 97H in Library to pick up ALL the Brainstorming Handouts!
How do I write the Activities List and Honors Section in Common App?
How do I write the Activities List and Honors Section in Common App?
How do I craft a good resume/brag sheet?
How do I craft a good resume/brag sheet?
AHS Brag Sheets Available for Download HERE (includes Senior Brag Sheet, Parent/Family Brag Sheet, Teacher Brag Sheet)
https://sites.google.com/k12albemarle.org/ahs-college-application-guide/home?authuser=0&pli=1
Search UP Schools: Get Ready for College Applications
Search UP Schools: Get Ready for College Applications
3 Search Engines for Colleges: Schoolinks, Big Future/College Board, and Common App
Stop by room 97H for a copy of my HANDOUT on Getting Ready for College Application Season.
Additional College Resources
Additional College Resources
College Search: How do I choose the best school for me (a guide)
College Search: How do I choose the best school for me (a guide)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UoTIcq9G6760E4im4oha-jGBpXkF0v9Z/view?usp=sharing
SAT Preparation:
SAT Preparation:
Khan Academy X College Board (FREE)
Schoolhouse Tutor Bootcamp (FREE)
PVCC Enrollment and Questions about Early College Scholars Program
PVCC Enrollment and Questions about Early College Scholars Program
Information for Early College Degree Through PVCC (PVCC Eligibility Through Dual Enrollment)
contact cratliff@pvcc.edu
PVCC for FREE
https://www.pvcc.edu/pvcc4u100
What is Test Optional?
What is Test Optional?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UoTIcq9G6760E4im4oha-jGBpXkF0v9Z/view?usp=sharing
Download a College Application Checklist CRAFTED by AHS BCU
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q-8xm_VohHTelHh42_izj-3ycALeG1IZrqughTkK8aw/edit?usp=sharing
Podcast: AHS Senior Panel Evening Session (March 2021)
AUDIO Recording
Click HERE for the Podcast/Audio!
Topic: "Things I wish I'd known/done before starting college applications SENIOR year"
CeDar Campus Disability Resource Database:
with disability information for every degree-granting college and university in the US--find the college that is the best fit for you https://www.cedardatabase.org/
Help with FAFSA
Help with FAFSA
contact: FAFSA and Virginia College Advising Corps:
The Virginia College Advising Corps (VCAC). VCAC is a college access organization based at the University of Virginia that places recent college graduates in high schools throughout Virginia to serve as college advisers and support students with their plans for life after high school.
Our college advisers have received extensive training on how to support families with navigating the new application, and we would like to extend our support to high school seniors who have not yet finished it.
Contact our College Advison, Jada Smith at jsmith12@k12albemarle.org
PVCC Registration for Seniors
PVCC Registration for Seniors
Email PVCC Cay Lee Ratliff at cratliff@pvcc.edu.
Mrs. Ratliff helps students with the application, financial aid, and registration.
The Wild Card Schools
The Wild Card Schools
Colleges You May Not Know But Should A curated list of lesser known (at least, here at AHS) schools (and a write-up about each).
Hidden Ivies (book in Talent Development Office) gives a little write-up about each school.
*There are a LOT of REALLY exceptional schools out there. Consider applying to a "Wild Card" school. Ask Ms. Newman for more information.
Scholarships
Scholarships
SchoolLinks: For all high school grades (9-12), log in by entering the same information you use to log in to your computer. Select FINANCES. Your source for local scholarships.
https://app.schoolinks.com/login/k12
Other Scholarship Resources:
Big Book of Scholarships (in the Talent Development Office)
National Society for Black Engineers College Search Engine, Scholarship Search Engine: https://www.nsbe.org/k-12/education/college-preparation
Full-Ride Favorites and Big Ticket Scholarships
Full-Ride Favorites and Big Ticket Scholarships
Interested in full/partial tuition scholarships? Here is a list of universities and their merit based scholarships as well as how to apply, or if they are embedded in the admissions process.
https://blog.prepscholar.com/colleges-with-full-ride-scholarships
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17ReUtWMwR6ZYH6PHhzsM6o9n5_6TisuWYiH8yVY7-pk/edit?gid=0#gid=0
QuestBridge Program
Are you a low-income high school senior who has excelled academically, but feels that the nation’s best colleges are financially out of reach? The QuestBridge National College Match can be your pathway to a top college. Through this college and scholarship application process, you can apply for free to the nation’s best colleges and be considered for early admission and a full four-year scholarship.
We seek students who have demonstrated a level of academic achievement that meets or exceeds the admissions standards of top tier colleges. We are looking for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges. Finalists typically come from households earning less than $65,000 annually for a household of four and have minimal assets.
https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match/how-to-apply
Jack Kent Cooke--The Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program
https://www.jkcf.org/our-scholarships/college-scholarship-program/how-to-apply/
STAMPS Scholars
https://www.stampsscholars.org/
Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards
https://hhfawards.hispanicheritage.org/2025/forms/welcome.php
Golden Doors Scholars
Want to Learn More About Merit Aid (versus Need-Based Financial Aid)?
Want to Learn More About Merit Aid (versus Need-Based Financial Aid)?
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