News Bulletin 8-30-23
The College Tour is a TV series bring colleges to you. Students and parents learn about the culture of campuses across the USA through the voices of current college students. There are currently over 110 epoisodes with 110 different colleges. Episodes are 30mins long with attached links to college websites.
COLLEGE PLANNING
This list is updated and provided yearly through the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. (VSAC). It is recommended that seniors use this planning guide to organize the college process. Senior College Planning Checklist
Junior College Planning Checklist
It’s never too early to start planning for your future. Juniors should focus on narrowing down their interest and possible pathways for after high school. Participating in College visits, Fairs and Tours will help students get a ‘feel’ for different styles, sizes and layouts of colleges. Speaking to reps provides students with information about the college and allows them to ask questions that may not be answered through websites. VSAC also provides a Junior College Planning Checklist
Already decided on where you want to apply? Here are some important steps to keep your paperwork in order and meet deadlines.
Meet with your school counselor often. We are here to help you through this process.
Create a checklist of your important ‘Wants & Needs’ in a school. Compare this list to what each school offers.
Students who plan to apply Early Decision or Early Action should get started ASAP as the deadlines are as early as October.
Keep track of important documents & Deadlines.
College Board College Search and Common App are great places to start your college planning process. Search by location & campus setting, courses of studies and Majors, Enrollment Size and diverse population.
Don’t get overwhelmed with all of the choices, remember your checklist and make sure your select colleges that meet your criteria.
College Board is a non-profit organization that clears a path for all students to own their future through the AP Programs, PSAT, SAT, & BigFuture Career Search. Use college board to register, view and submit SAT scores to colleges.
Windsor uses Common App as our platform for storing and submitting college documents. Create an account on Common App and begin your application. Fill out the student information section and select colleges that fit your needs and requirements. If the college(s) you are applying to are not on the Common App, identify how you will be applying and begin those applications.
Stay on top of deadlines and requirement documents. This is the students responsibility.
Sign up and take the SAT and/or ACT … Ideally these tests should be completed by December of your senior year. When submitting scores, it is your responsibility to have those scores sent directly to the colleges from the testing organization.
Please Note: majority of the state and private schools no longer require SAT/ACT scores. These colleges have not only gone test optional, but are committed to being test blind. Meaning they will not look at scores, even if a student submits them.
Test fee waivers are available for those who qualify. See your counselor if paying for these tests would be a hardship.
Students who are considering playing a Division I or II sport in college must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Create an account and complete the student profile. Notify your counselor that you have created an account and they will upload your transcript.
Guide for college bound student athletes - 22-23'
Know the rules before you commit - National Letter of Intent
Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form allows you to be considered for federal student aid. In addition, states and colleges use FAFSA information to award their own grants, scholarships, and loans. The FAFSA opens each year on October 1st.
Scholarships - Finding money to pay for college
VSAC - Vermont Student Assistance Corporation.
VSAC administers more than 120 scholarships available to Vermont residents. We encourage you to apply!
VSAC's scholarship booklet is updated each fall and available both online and in hardcopy through your school counselors. The scholarship booklet for 2023–2024 is available to review online. The Unified Scholarship Application (USA) can be completed by logging into MyVSAC.
Log on to MyVSAC.org to create a student account.
Deadline for VSAC Scholarship application is February
FastWeb is the leading scholarship database when it comes to nationwide scholarships. The platform is designed to simplify the scholarship search for high school and college students. Students create a profile and get personalized scholarship recommendations. Students can search for scholarships based on specific criteria, fields of interest or through the scholarship directory.
Keep track of specific deadlines and scholarship requirements. Many scholarships require an essay based on a specific prompt. Do not procrastinate! Deadlines will vary, visit Fastweb to create an account and start your search.
Local Scholarships from community organizations, businesses and alumni groups come out in the spring. All scholarships will be posted in the senior lounge, listed on our webpage and emailed to seniors and parents.
