Seniors
Seniors and Parents/Guardians, this year is an exciting time! It can also be a stressful and deadline-driven time, full of events, activities, and many decisions. Please make sure you are checking your emails, listening to announcements, and staying on top of your requests. Here is some information you may find helpful at this time:
UNC COLLEGE ADMISSIONS:
Click here, or scroll down to the bottom of the page, to view a helpful overview of UNC's college admissions information, created by our very own Mr. Suttles.
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS & LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION:
Seniors who are applying to colleges, please use your assigned counselor's information (found on the homepage) when counselor information or recommendation is requested.
When needed, counselors will send you an email requesting you complete a recommendation form for them and/or ask you to meet. Please monitor your email. Counselors require two weeks in advance for recommendation requests.
Many schools require or request letters of recommendation from teachers or other sources. Pay attention to the amount, as well as, whether or not the college requires them, requests them, allows them, or does not want them.
If the college wants recommendation letters, then typically these are from Junior-year teachers. Be sure to ask teachers who know you well and can provide a positive recommendation. Some teachers have caps on letters they will write, to ensure they are providing quality recommendations. Please ask recommenders at least two weeks in advance. Counselors require two weeks.
Always follow up with gratitude and thank yous to those who wrote letters for you. It is time-consuming and often thankless, so your thank you can mean a lot to a teacher, counselor, or other adult in your life who spent their time to help you.
TRANSCRIPTS:
***For dual enrollment transcripts (students taking ACC or Elon University classes, for example), you must request those transcripts be sent from those institutions. The high school does not have access to send these transcripts.***
Some colleges will accept dual enrollment classes on your high school transcript for the initial application and acceptance, but ALL colleges require a final transcript from another institution as part of the final admittance process. You cannot receive credit for those classes without sending this to them.
For initial high school transcripts that are sent to colleges, they may be sent a variety of ways depending on the method in which the student applied and where the institution is located:
For students applying to institutions through Common App, the initial transcript is uploaded by their assigned counselor, who they must add as a counselor recommender.
For students applying to institutions within NC through the college portal or a different portal that is NOT Common App, initial transcripts should be requested using their CFNC portal (see CFNC section below).
For students applying to institutions outside of NC through the college portal or a different portal that is NOT Common App, initial transcripts can be requested here (students must be logged into their ABSS email to access).
If changes are made to your classes/transcript after it has been sent to an institution, you must let the institution know of the change.
If a student needs their unofficial transcript to upload in a portal or for themselves to use while filling out applications, please request it from our counseling secretary Mrs. Lopez, elizabeth_lopez@abss.k12.nc.us and let her know if you would like her to email it to you or pick up a copy in student services.
Some colleges require mid-year transcripts, as they want to see your S1 grades. Be sure to follow up with your counselor if your college wants this. These are typically ready to be sent in February, after report cards have been sent and we have ensured accuracy.
The final transcript process will be taken care of with your Senior Exit Survey, which is a requirement for graduation. This will take place in May. (If you graduate early, this will take place in December.)
Please see the first bullet point and sub-bullet point regarding dual enrollment final transcripts.
TEST SCORES (AP, ACT, SAT):
If you are sending official test scores to an institution, you will have to request those scores from the appropriate parties and a fee is often required. The high school does not have access to send your test scores.
CFNC:
Set up your CFNC account (make sure you’re tied to Western Alamance High) so that you can:
Send your own initial transcript to institutions within NC
Complete your Residency Determination Survey (RDS) -- required for schools in NC
Check out all the other services that are provided through a CFNC account, including career exploration, applying to colleges, looking into scholarships, et cetera.
SENIOR MEETINGS:
All Seniors need to meet with their assigned counselor to go over graduation requirements and post-secondary plans.
If you have not had your Senior Meeting yet, please click below to set up your meeting with your assigned counselor:
A-Go: Lesli Bryant
Gr-Pe: Mary Oney
Pf-Z: Angel Cotton
Please complete the brief Senior Meeting Form before your meeting.
FAFSA & SCHOLARSHIPS:
All scholarships will be found on our Scholarship site (so be sure to check it often!).
Additional resources are found on the site, as well, such as FAFSA, scholarship websites, and tips and tricks.
Additional help with the FAFSA can be found at ACC. They have resources, workshops, and appointments for community members, not just ACC students. Learn more here.
PROM:
All prom information can be found on the Prom website.
SENIOR AWARDS DAY:
Save the date!: seniors and families invited on Thursday, May 23rd at 9:30 am- WAHS Auditorium
View the scholarship page for the form you will need to submit for Awards Day
CAP AND GOWN:
Click here to place your order for your cap and gown.
If you ONLY want the cap, gown & tassel choose Grad Pack D.
Orders must be placed by Dec 15 in order to get the lowest price.
Extra fees will be added after Dec 15.
Any questions about cap/gown and graduation can be directed to Mrs. Angie Stuart (angela_stuart@abss.k12.nc.us)
UNC College Admissions.docx