Senior College & Career Newsletter

Scroll through for important information regarding College/Career

How to reach us?

For general questions and inquiries please email (Please do not use the link at the bottom of this Newsletter to contact us)

Ms Ignaitis: tignaitis@seq.org

All HCA, Study Skills Students and Last names A-L

and/or

Ms Yeager: tyeager@seq.org

All DAA, ELD Students and Last names M-Z

UPCOMING EVENTS/DUE DATES:

Sept 16th- CSF Applications due (see information below)

Sept 20th - Counselor School Report/LOR Form Due for Application Due Before Dec 15th

Thursday , Sept 5th:Whole School Activity

Friday, Sept 6th :Whole School Activity

If you missed the Grade Level 4YR College & IB Meeting on August 28th

The grade-level presentation in English and Spanish ( without the recording) and handouts are available on the Sequoia College and Career webpage.

DUE: Sept 16th by 3:45pm – Don’t Wait! No Late Exceptions!

The California Scholarship Federation (CSF) emphasizes high standards of scholarship and community service for California high school students. For families that do not know about CSF, it is basically a state-wide honor roll organization. The word scholarship has to do with academic performance NOT SCHOLARSHIP MONEY.

You must be a member at LEAST one semester of your senior year to be a Life Member!

For applications, class lists, help completing the form, and general information about the CSF organization please visit the College and Career Center’s CSF webpage or pick up a packet in the bin outside of the College and Career Center

Directions and deadline for submitted Spring 2024 CSF Applications - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

DIRECTIONS:

Only students can complete and submit the application to Ms. Yeager in the College and Career Center/Room 115 from August 26th-September 16th by 3:45pm

The submitted application packet must include:

1. A completed CSF application

2. $5.00 application fee in cash or a check made payable to Sequoia High School

3. A copy of the previous semester report card or transcript- A transcript can be obtained through a student’s Infinite Campus account (report tab).

Please DO NOT GO TO THE COUNSELING OFFICE FOR YOUR TRANSCRIPT!

STUDENTS - if you need help, have questions, or have an issue paying please come by the College and Career Center WE will help you!

The Teen Wellness Center is offering Flex Session to help you cope.

Complete the 2024-2025 Meal Application

We want all families to complete this confidential meal application so that qualifying students can receive reduced cost bus passes, internet, prom tickets, grad night tickets, college application fees and IB testing registration. To complete the meal application, click here.

Needs to be completed every year!

All Workshops will be in Room 128

Sept 5th at lunch, after 5th, after 7th

Sept 6th at lunch

Sept 12th at lunch or flex

Sept 13th at lunch or flex

Seniors needing a school report/letters of rec (SR/LOR) for college applications are required to attend ONE workshop during on Sept. 5th, 6th, 12th, or 13th.

If a senior was not in their social studies class on Aug. 28-29 (Slides from Senior class visits)

for counselor class visits then they missed the opportunity to sign-up for a workshop, however, please contact your assigned counselor ASAP so that they can help sign you up for a workshop on one of the dates listed.

PLEASE NOTE

• Workshops are for students only
• UC/CSU/California Community Colleges do not accept SR/LORs as part of their applications.
• DEADLINE TO SUBMIT FORM TO COUNSELOR

Sept 20th - for application due dates until Dec 15th

Nov 8th - for application deadlines AFTER Dec 15th

HOW TO SIGN UP

STEP 1: In your Naviance account, go to the “Colleges” tab on the top bar, click on “College Visits”, to get the complete list OR under “What’s New” on your homepage, select a college you want to visit and click on “Register Now" and it will change to "Registered".

STEP 2: Ask your teacher, of the class you will be missing, for permission to leave their class during the time listed on Naviance. IF OK, go to Step 3.

*STEP 3: Either print confirmation or show your teacher on your phone you have registered

PROBLEMS –

• If you are not on the list, you will not be admitted EVEN THOUGH your teacher signed a pass.

• If you know you might have printer problems, print the pass in the College and Career Center at lunch the day before the visit.

• The College and /Career Center does not excuse students from a class, only your teacher can allow you to attend a college visit.

NEED HELP

How To Video - Sign Up for a College Visit at Sequoia

If you get the email below with the subject Visit Reminder, that is not confirmation that you are signed up for a college visit, it is an invitation to go to Naviance and sign-up.

Washington State University

Wed Sept 4th 11:15am

Marist College

Thurs Sept 5th 2:00pm

Hampden-Sydney College

Fri Sept 6th 8:30am

Occidental College

Fri Sept 6th 9:00am

Lafayette College

Mon Sept 9

7:45 AM

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Tue Sept 10

9:30 AM

Santa Clara University

Tue Sept 10

10:30 AM

University of Southern California

Tue Sept 10

11:15 AM

Gettysburg College

Wed Sept 11

7:45 AM

University of Puget Sound

Wed Sept 11

8:30 AM

University of the Pacific

Wed Sept 11

11:15 AM

Indiana University-Bloomington

Thu Sept 12

9:30 AM

Macalester College

Thu Sept 12

11:15 AM

Clark University

Thu Sept 12

2:00 PM

Oberlin College

Mon Sept 16

7:45 AM

Pace University

Mon Sept 16

8:30 AM

Saint Mary's College of California

Mon Sept 16

10:30 AM

Reed College

Mon Sept 16

11:15 AM

Two Virtual Presentations: Sept 3 & 8th

Two In Person Presentations: Sept 11th & 12th

Learn about 8 Highly Selective Liberal Arts Colleges at one event.

Claremont McKenna, Colorado College, Connecticut, Grinnell, Haverford, Kenyon, Macalester, and Sarah Lawrence College will be hosting an informational meeting for students and parents.

For more information and a full list of presentations CLICK HERE

San Francisco Registration

San Jose Registration

A great opportunity to learn about small liberal arts colleges!

Sept 8th

Take your future in art and design above and beyond! Visit with counselors, admissions team members, and faculty from art and design schools for a portfolio review before applying to colleges and universities. National Portfolio Day is a way for students to meet with counselors, admission team members, and faculty from accredited art and design schools around the world for free portfolio reviews.

For more information and registration CLICK HERE

September 11th

The University of Notre Dame's Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be hosting ND on the Road events in your area.

These events will include information on academic, community, and spiritual life at the University of Notre Dame, as well as insights into the admissions and financial aid processes.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 7:00 PM

Bellarmine College Preparatory

960 W Hedding St

San Jose, CA

Registration for the ND on the Road events is available here.

Sept 15th

NACAC Virtual Fairs provide students and families the opportunity to connect with college representatives, learn about the admissions process, and discover financial aid and scholarship opportunities. These sessions support all students, including seniors who may still be weighing their college options. Click on the links below to register.

For More INFORMATION and Links to Registration

(scroll down a little and click tab VIRTUAL next to In Person tab)

September 16th

Go here to see an example of admissions to West Point

September 21st

The MIT admissions team will be on the road (and online) this fall to help any students who might be a good fit for MIT. Sessions will go over: Preparing for MIT, Making MIT affordable, and Applying to MIT

Register: San Jose Information Session
Saturday, September 21 at 1:00 PM
San Jose, CA

September 21st and 22nd

Students, and their families are invited to Explore Hopkins, where you’ll learn what makes Hopkins unique, our generous financial aid program, the Blue Jay experience on campus and in Baltimore, and how we set our students up for success in the real world.

In this hour-long presentation, we will also share tips for supporting your students throughout the application process. At the end of the presentation, guests will have the chance to ask questions during the Q&A portion

Register for San Francisco - Sept 21

Register for Santa Clara - Sept 22

While your transcripts are the most important admission factor for the majority of colleges, a lot look at factors beyond the classroom. If you are thinking about applying to a private or UC, they have areas on their applications to include activities like extracurriculars, community service, and work.

Every semester it is a good idea to update your Naviance resume as a way to keep organized and assess your goals.

Keep organized by entering all of your activities and accomplishments in your Naviance Resume.

Super Important Step: Write a reflection of the activity in the DESCRIPTION BOX

Include:

Why do you do this activity/What do you get from this activity?

What did you learn from this activity?

Are you making an impact in school or in your community? (use concrete examples- fundraised 300.00 instead of just “fundraised)

THEN

After you enter in all of your information, reflect on how these activities/awards will help you reach your long-term goals.

Small actions, over the course of time, are evidence of your commitment and responsibility to what you care about.

Does your resume include community service?

If you are thinking about applying for scholarships as a senior, a lot of the local scholarships are based on a sustained community service activity. It is not about collecting hours but showing you are committed to the program of your choice.

We will go over the process on how to request official transcripts at the Senior Grade Level 4yr College/IB Meeting on August 28th

Summer work needs to be added and counselors need to make sure they are correct before we upload them to send to colleges!

You can download your unofficial transcript off of Infinite Campus

One of the first questions on the application is-what the major are you applying for?

Majors/Degrees

All of the CSU are not the same and sometimes they have different names for the same subject area. Figure out HERE what degree you are applying for each school on the CSUapply website.

First Time Freshman Supplemental Factors by Campus

September 19th

The CSU is proud to host five College Nights at different locations across California this fall. These events are free and open to any high school, community college or returning students. Parents, family members and educators are encouraged to attend. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from all 23 CSU campuses and learn about how to prepare best prepare for CSU admission.

Please join us in spreading the word about this year’s CSU College Nights. Share our promotional video

To register for one of the dates and locations listed below, visit www.calstate.edu/collegenights.

This year students will be able to launch their UC application from californiacolleges.edu and have their courses/grades transfer over. Come to flex to get help with this process.

When the UC Application asks for SSID# they are asking for your State ID from the top left of your transcript

The UC Application will ask multiple questions about whether you attended and will graduate from a California high school. Additionally, you will be asked “Do you want to be evaluated for California residency for tuition purposes?” ANSWER YES TO THIS QUESTION IF YOU DON’T WANT TO PAY OUT OF STATE TUITION.

From UC: The UC application for fall 2025 opened. UC encourages students to spend ample time on their application, developing each section to reflect the accomplishments, challenges, opportunities and talents of each student within their own family, school and community context.

The UC application provides built-in help and support throughout each section of the application. Applicants can view answers to their commonly asked questions on each page of the application by clicking ‘Help’ on the top navigation bar or by clicking on the blue ‘i’ icons seen throughout the application. Students needing further assistance can contact the UC Application Center via phone or email. The center is available Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (Pacific Time).

• (800) 207-1710 (within the U.S.)

• (925) 298-6856 (outside the U.S.)

• ucinfo@applyucsupport.net (email)

Click HERE for the How to Apply webpage on the UC website

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT SR/LOR FORM TO COUNSELOR

Sept 20th - for application due dates until Dec 15th

Nov 8th - for application deadlines AFTER Dec 15th

There is a required process and form, as well as deadlines. All students needing a SR/LOR for early action/decision must complete the process, form, and meet with their counselor by Sept. 20th. Students applying for regular decision admissions must complete the process no later than Nov. 8th. Please note that the workshops are for students only and that the UC/CSU/California Community Colleges do not accept SR/LORs as part of their applications.

SEE COUNSELOR ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THE REQUIRED FORM

At this point, if you know you need a LOR, there are a few important things you can do.

1. Make sure you understand any specific LOR requirements for each college on your list (how many and do they have grade level or subject area requirements?)

2. Ask your teacher in person if possible or in an email.

3. If a teacher agrees, you can complete the Teacher LOR Survey on Naviance (it is a good practice to write your responses on a Google doc and transfer the information)

How to Access - Surveys From Your School (Counselor School Report, Teacher LOR, Upload Personal Statement, etc)

More specific information about officially requesting teachers on Naviance will be explained at the meeting on August 28th.

There is a specific process for Sequoia High School.

Please attend the grade level meeting August 28th

Official Class Size

Will be in the weekly newsletter SEPTEMBER 15th

We will focus on the community college application process the second semester of school.

SAVE THE DATE: Community College Info Night and Fair will be February 6, 2025

The steps to enroll are different for each site. Go to the websites below for more information.

• Canada College: https://canadacollege.edu/admissions/new-student.php

• Skyline College: https://skylinecollege.edu/outreach/pep.php

• De Anza: https://www.deanza.edu/apply-and-register/index.html (not available for Fall 2025 until the spring)

• Foothill: https://foothill.edu/reg/admission/highschool.html (not available for Fall 2025 until the spring)
  

As you are considering different schools to apply to, make sure to check out their testing policies. If you need or want to take a test, it is your responsibility to sign-up and register for the tests.

Use these links below to sign-up for the SAT or ACT:

College Board

ACT

Click HERE to go directly to the Sequoia High School website for the most updated scholarship and student opportunities lists. How to Access Scholarships on Naviance (9-12th Grades)

If you find a scholarship you are interested in and want the link to the website or more information be sure to log in to your Naviance account, under the College tab, click on Scholarships and Money, then Scholarship list, and put the name of the scholarship in the search box, then click on the name of the scholarship.

DUE: September 10th

ELIGIBLE GRADES: 9-12th

Two Separate Scholarships

ESSAY Scholarship - How we can protect our democracy from becoming a theocracy and unite against religious bigotry $1000.00

VIDEO Scholarship: How can we protect our democracy from becoming a theocracy and unite against religious bigotry? $750.00

Due:9/2/2024

Grades Eligible: 9-12th

The (YCA) Leadership Program brings 9-12th grade students from across San Mateo County together to empower youth to take climate action into their own hands. Through the program, students will develop projects designed to drive change within San Mateo County and gain a diverse set of skills related to sustainability and climate action. WEBSITE

Are you interested in helping the environment? Do you want to see more sustainable practices at school and make greater changes outside of school clubs? If so, the SUHSD Sustainability Committee is the place for you!

We’re a student-led committee formed in 2021 when students declared a climate emergency to the school board. Since then, we’ve garnered support from teachers and administrators across the district and have successfully implemented more sustainable practices at schools.

One such project was the environmental literacy survey that students took a few years ago, which showed that an overwhelming majority of you all wanted to see more use of environmental literacy in their curriculums. Joining the SSC is one of the best ways to not only implement that change but also leave a lasting impact on your community!

To join our Google Group and stay updated, click this link. This year’s meetings will be scheduled according to this link. Our first meeting will be on September 10th, 6:15 - 7 PM via Zoom. Hope to see you there :)

If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know! The leadership team emails are Kara (811693@seq.org), Iris (816766@seq.org), Daniel (816339@seq.org), Supriti (816261@seq.org), and Alex (817304@seq.org).

Due:9/16/2024

Grades Eligible: 9-12th

Get involved with a youth advisory group educating the impact of teen smoking. Headed by

San Mateo County Office of Education: Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE)

FIRST MEETING OCT 1st - Apply ASAP

ELIGIBLE AGE/GRADE: 15-21 Years Old

NAMI's Youth Advisory Council will be starting soon and we are looking for youths who are interested in advocating for mental health and organizing events to destigmatize mental health conversations and topics Residents and able to commit to one hour every other week for YAC meetings for one year, virtually with occasional in-person meetings.WEBSITE

all year

Eligible Grades:9-12th

Volunteer to staff the Bookstore in the Downtown Library. This requires a 2-hour per week commitment. Volunteers chat with customers and accept payment. It's pretty fun and very easy volunteer opportunity. There are Saturday shifts plus shifts from 4 to 6 and 6 to 8 in the afternoon/evenings. WEBSITE

all year

Eligible Grades:9-12th

The San Mateo County Historical Association offers a number of free public programs throughout the year for Lunar New Year, Happy San Mateo County Day, Fourth of July (half-price admission), Victorian Days, Día de los Muertos, and Hometown Holidays. We are always looking for volunteers to assist with craft activities and gallery monitoring for these events. Interested students can email carmen@historysmc.org for upcoming volunteer opportunities. WEBSITE

Due: 9/18/2024

15-18 years old

8-month service-learning program is for high school students aged 15-18 in the San Francisco Bay Area who are interested in working with marine mammals and educating the public about important ocean conservation topics.

Email youthcrew@tmmc.org if you have any questions. WEBSITE

Virtual Information Session (50 people max)

September 12 | 5:00pm-6:00pm | RSVP

Project Read has some upcoming training for teens who would like to volunteer on

September 10

October 8

This is a great opportunity for SHS students to be matched with a younger student to tutor once or twice a week.

If interested contact:

Email - rclread@redwoodcity.org

Phone- 650 780-7077

For more information go to their website and scroll down to the Teen Volunteer Section.

(Flier in College and Career Center)

Sequoia Union High School District will submit your GPA to Cal Grant in September.

Make sure your Infinite Campus information (name and address) is correct to avoid matching problems. If something needs to be change, contact the counseling office

No Verification Form is needed AFTER submitting your FAFSA/Dream Application!

Sept 5th

Hear from career expert Jacqueline Gilbert at VLACS with advice on how high school students can explore careers by taking interest-based assessments as well as gaining real-world exposure to related jobs!

REGISTER HERE

ELIGIBLE GRADES/AGE: Juniors and Seniors

$17.00 hour Looking for students with good math and reading skills who are available to work approximately 6 - 8 hours per week on Monday and Thursday afternoons. Ideal part time job for high school or college students. Pick up a flier in the College and Career Center

If interested email qualifications and resume to kumonsancarlos@gmail.com

ELIGIBLE AGE/GRADE: 16yr+ (Must have own transportation)

Looking for high school students with exceptional math skills through Algebra I and Geometry to join our team! We offer competitively paid part-time jobs at Sequoia Station with flexible scheduling and ongoing training opportunities. Join us for the opportunity to make a REAL difference in a child’s life by passing on a love for math!

Our starting salaries are $17.00-$19.00 depending on what level of math the instructors can teach.

If interested, please apply online

Pick up a flier in the College and Career Center

ELIGIBLE AGE/GRADE: 15yr+

Part-time work is available teaching after-school group Piano Classes at local elementary schools, as well as private lessons (in all instruments) in-person or online. Pay is $60/hour for group classes and $45/hour for private lessons. Please apply online at http://hummingbirdmusicschool.com/about

Students: visit the website for a number of How-To videos that Sequoia Counselors made for help with common application, scholarships and much more!

August 18-24, 2024

August 25-31, 2024

GENERAL FOUR-YEAR INFORMATION:CaliforniaColleges.edu, Transcript Info CSU INFORMATION: Opens October 1st!, CSU Night Events UC INFORMATION: Launching with CaliforniaColleges.edu, Evaluation for California Residency, Application Now Open, Help on UCSB website