Class of 2027 Notes 6-11 5
Updated 7-7
Updated 7-7
To Do
Contests/Programs
SAT/ACT
College Search
Scholarships
Recs
Did you take an IB exam in May?
Use the IB credentials provided during our last College Workday to log in to the IB portal on July 6 to learn your score(s).
RSVP to the IB summer social, July 21, 1-2 pm, KC Commons.
Component grade reports and score reports for those who lost their credentials will be prepared for attendees.
We'll provide a general overview of IB results and assist those considering a rescore.
Indiana Diploma Enrollment with Honors Plus Seal: Many of you have signed up to be an Early Adopter. Reach out to Shannon Hughes directly with any questions. Stay motivated to complete those summer courses. Remember the perks which include:
Weighted grades for the Financial Literacy and Computing Foundations for a Digital Age online courses.
15 hours of community service, documented together in August.
Automatic admission to our flagship Indiana public universities.
Signature School's gratitude.
Missed the College Application Workshop? Slides here.
HL2 Literature Assignment (personal essay preparation) due at the start of school.
Get your EE Ready to upload to the ManageBac dropbox on August 2.
Attend the College Essay Guy Live Workshop series:
invitation in your school email
all sessions recorded and available on your dashboard
CAS, CAS, CAS
Review your Power School profile. Do you have changes to make? Resubmit the Power School profile questionnaire by August 10 for mid-August data upload.
To ensure your scores arrive by November 1 early application deadlines, you should complete all SAT and ACT testing by the end of September.
August: August 22, 2026 (Registration Deadline: August 7)
September: September 12, 2026 (Registration Deadline: August 28)
Registration & Calendar: College Board SAT Dates
Fee Waivers: SAT Fee Waiver Eligibility. See Ms. Cirino to obtain a fee waiver.
July: July 11, 2026 (Standard Registration has passed, Late Registration Deadline: June 24)
September: September 19, 2026 (Registration Deadline: August 14)
Registration: ACT Registration
Test Prep: Free ACT Test Prep
Fee Waivers: ACT Fee Waiver Eligibility. See Ms. Cirino to obtain a fee waiver.
The formal scholarship push begins in August. Use the summer to familiarize yourself with major regional programs and set up profiles on national search databases:
Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship
Eligibility: Indiana residents evaluated on academic merit, leadership, and service.
Application Location: Signature students typically apply through Vanderburgh County (school location). If your home county does not require local school attendance, you may apply through your county of residence instead. You may apply through one county only.
Vanderburgh County Requirements: Applicants must have a minimum 1200 SAT and a 3.8 unweighted GPA (calculated to three decimal places: e.g., a 3.7995 rounds up to 3.800).
Timeline: The application opens in late July or early August.
The Gates Scholarship: Highly selective award for outstanding minority, Pell-eligible student leaders. Phase 1 opens in July.
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship: Up to $55,000 per year for high-achieving seniors with financial need. Submitted via the Common App. Opens in late August.
Coca-Cola Scholars Program: An achievement-based $20,000 scholarship recognizing students for their capacity to lead and serve. Opens August 3.
Hagan Scholarship: Need-based merit award helping rural and public high school students graduate college debt-free. Opens September 1.
Foundation 649 Scholarship: Disburses $4,000 awards to Asian American and Pacific Islander students dedicated to community involvement. Opens in the winter.
QuestBridge National College Match: Connects high-achieving, low-income seniors with full four-year scholarships to top-tier universities. Opens in late summer.
Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship: Awards 500 four-year scholarships ranging from $4,000 to $30,000 based on academics, leadership, and financial need. Opens August 1.
Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship: Provides up to $10,000 per year for high-achieving Indiana students who commit to teaching in Indiana for at least five years after graduation. Opens in the fall.
Explore Scholarship Databases
BigFuture’s Scholarship Search
Financial Aid Information Guide (includes FAFSA info)
New procedures coming soon for the Class of 2027. Need a rec this summer? Contact Ms. Hughes.
Interested in attending a Service Academy for a full ride plus room, board, and textbooks? Applications for a congressional nomination to the four Service Academies requiring such a nomination are due on October 1 of senior year. Here is some more information:
Congressman Mark Messmer is accepting applications through this form. He provides a checklist, and a Service Academy fact sheet.
Sign up for College Fairs Online and enter a drawing for a $1000 scholarship. The more you engage, the more chances you earn.
Admissions Beat, a podcast wherein an Ivy League Dean demystifies the college search and application process
The College Tour is a free video series providing an inside look at over 110 college campuses through the perspective of current students. Use their website to access their complete library and guided search tools that filter featured colleges by state, public or private status, size, and acceptance rate.
Free College Search Classes: Self-guided, 45-minute video courses designed to help you identify what you want in a university. The core class covers four pillars: location, campus culture, college type, and majors. They also offer a dedicated course for first-generation college students.
Big Future's College Search Guide
Programs--No University Affiliation
Become a Schoolhouse tutor in many topics, including the SAT, deadline dependent on program. Don't delay if you want to volunteer over the summer.
Receive training, develop leadership, accumulate service hours!
To become an SAT Bootcamp tutor you need a score of 700+ on SAT Math or SAT Reading and Writing.
Programs--University-Affiliated
Windows on Williams application due August 1. Fully funded fly-in program October 4-October6.
Preference given to high-achieving students who otherwise could not afford to visit Williams College, a "Little Ivy."
Pre-College Programs are available throughout the year. This list is not exhaustive.
Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS). Mid-November 2026 (Applications open June 2026). Cost: Free. The nation's oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors. Focuses on original, independent scientific research across all STEM disciplines. Requires a comprehensive research report, transcripts, and recommendations.
Davidson Fellows Scholarship. Early February 2027. Cost: Free. Awards scholarships up to $50,000 for students who have completed a significant, graduate-level piece of work. Focus areas include STEM, Literature, Philosophy, or Music. Eligibility: Open to students aged 18 or under attending any traditionally accredited public or private high school in the United States.
Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI). Rolling submission. Cost: $49 submission fee (100% waivable upon request for financial need). A peer-reviewed journal publishing original, hypothesis-driven STEM research by middle and high school students. Submissions undergo an authentic review process by graduate students and faculty. Note: Submissions must be uploaded by a teacher or adult mentor.
The National High School Journal of Science (NHSJS). Rolling submission. Cost: Free. A student-run, peer-reviewed journal with a professional advisory board designed to make academic publishing accessible to high schoolers. Focuses on STEM original research articles and comprehensive literature reviews. https://nhsjs.org/
The Thomas Wolfe Scholarship (UNC Chapel Hill). October 15, 2026 (UNC general application) and November 15, 2026 (Wolfe portfolio submission). Cost: Free. A full-merit scholarship covering all expenses for student writers who apply and enroll at UNC Chapel Hill. Focuses on creative writing portfolios in prose, poetry, or playwriting.
National YoungArts Competition. Mid-October 2026. Cost: Free. The premier national platform for young artists. Focuses on Creative Nonfiction, Novel, Play/Script, Poetry, or Short Story portfolios. Requires a substantial multi-page portfolio compiled over the summer. Winners receive cash prizes, national mentorship, and exclusive consideration for the Presidential Scholar in the Arts nomination.
Bennington College Young Writers Awards. November 1, 2026. Cost: Free. Highly prestigious national competition judged by Bennington College faculty. Focuses on Poetry, Fiction, or Nonfiction/Academic Essays. First place wins $1,000 and eligibility for four-year undergraduate scholarships up to $60,000. Students must submit a Common Application to Bennington College first (non-binding, no application fee) to receive the portal link to submit their writing. Because you must wait to receive this link via email, you should submit your Common App well before the November 1 deadline (ideally in September or October). All entries must be reviewed and approved by a high school sponsor teacher.
The New York Times Student Writing Contests. Rolling throughout the year. Cost: Free. Short, creative prompts with strict word limits that teach precise editing skills. Focuses on short-form opinion writing, reviews, and 100-word personal narratives. The Summer Reading Contest runs weekly from June through August. Winners are published on the NYT Learning Network.
Technology/App Development Contests
Congressional App Challenge. October 26, 2026. Cost: Free. Hosted by the U.S. House of Representatives, this competition encourages middle and high school students to learn to code and create their own original applications. Students compete against peers in their specific congressional district. Winning apps are eligible to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol and on the House.gov website.
Presidential AI Challenge. Annual cycle starting in August. Cost: Free. A national initiative from the White House challenging students to develop artificial intelligence-powered tools that solve real-world problems in their local communities. Students can compete individually or in teams, with national champions earning recognition in Washington, D.C.