SENIORS, 

Welcome Back Class of 2026!! You will notice that we have some new faces this year. Let's welcome Mr. Andrew Hipple as Principal and Mrs. Fallon Grindstead as Assistant Principal/Athletic Director. We also want to welcome Mrs. Tanya Kirk to the NHS business department, Marcus Orta Choir Instructor and Cameron Robison Band teacher!!

Please remember to check your school email daily or at least weekly for important Senior announcements!

Come by the guidance office and check out our scholarship board. Make sure you pay attention to deadlines. Scholarships turned into Guidance office past the due date will not be submitted. 

***IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER***

College/Career night @ OPES on September 10 from 5-7 pm. I encourage all seniors and juniors to come out and explore what colleges are offering.

Senior Trip Non-refundable Deposits are due no later than September 12

Virginia Highlands Community College - Transcript Request

Virginia Highlands Community College has changed to parchment for requesting your transcript. To request your transcript from Virginia Highlands Community College you will need to go to www.vhcc.edu.  In the green box at the top of the page, scroll over I WANT TO...click on Request a Transcript.  Click on the blue box that says Order my Transcript and set up your account.  You have to have a debit or credit card to pay for your transcript.  Digital transcripts are $3.00.  Paper transcripts are $5.50.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION STAND OUT!

Here are 5 Pro Tips to Getting Your Scholarship Entry NOTICED

1. Greetings & Introduction Matter

As I’ve noted before, reviewing scholarships can become dull (and even daunting) after a while. As with any other tasks, it can feel robotic to read essays after essays after essays.

Pro Tip: Write a short intro and greet the person reviewing your scholarship entry. You’d be surprised to see how a simple greeting can make a huge difference in perception and reception. (See: Email Etiquettes #2 and #3).

2. Use a Proper & Professional Email Address

This one is obvious, if you want the judges to take you seriously.

Pro Tip: If possible, use your school (.edu) email address, and make sure to actually check your email in case the judges need to contact you!

3. Don’t write a thesis paper – tell a story.

According to Monica Matthews, “judges look for solid students who have helped others and write their scholarship essays from the heart.” I agree. Reading scholarship essays shouldn’t be like reading a textbook. If you’re just listing facts, you’re doing what the majority of the applicants are doing, and that’s not going to make yours stand out.

Pro Tip: Get personal! Be creative! Don’t be afraid to share your story.

4. Make sure you send the correct links…

I get it – you didn’t mean to send the link to your friend’s Facebook page or your online homework platform. But you can’t blame anyone but yourself… By sending the wrong links, your chance of winning the scholarship just dropped to zero! :s

Pro Tip: Triple check that you copy pasted the correct link (and that the link is not broken)!

5. Cross the t’s and dot the i’s!

To reiterate and sum up everything I’ve said in 4 words, be meticulous and thorough!

Pro Tip: After you’ve made your final edits, take a 24-hour break, then look through the whole application one last time before clicking that ‘send’ button!

Conclusion

Instructions are meant to be followed, and guidelines are meant to help you! 

If you want your scholarship application to be taken seriously, you seriously have to follow the rules & make your application stand out from the rest!

Senior Class of 2026

Young men must register for the Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Go to http://www.sss.gov Come to guidance to learn about all the benefits once you are registered. 

Please don't forget to apply for FAFSA! The application opens on October 1, 2025. You can complete the FAFSA online at https://fafsa.ed.gov 

Seniors – work with your parents and counselors to get the following ready:

• Social Security Number

• Federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned

• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)

• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

• FSA ID to sign electronically. You can create that ID here: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

FAFSA Federal Deadline

Online applications must be submitted by midnight Central Time, 

Any corrections or updates must be submitted by midnight Central Time, 

FAFSA State Deadline

Virginia - Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.

FAFSA College Deadline

Check with the college(s) you are interested in attending. You may also want to ask your college about its definition of an application deadline - whether it is the date the college receives your FAFSA, or the date your FAFSA is processed.