CHS Counseling Office Updates

December 2020

Hello Cavalier Family!

We're almost there - 2020 is (finally) coming to an end! We are hoping for a happier and healthier 2021, and we're sure you are too. We hope that you have a healthy and happy holiday season!

Please reach out to your CHS School Counselor if your family needs assistance this holiday season. Calvert High School has offered help for families experiencing financial difficulty for many years. This year poses new challenges for all of us. Please reach out so we can help.

If there's ever anything that we can do to support you or your student, please let us know. We are here to help!

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Student Grades and Progress

Second quarter interims will be available on HAC on December 18. The second quarter (and first semester) ends on January 27. Please continue to work with your student to make sure they are passing all classes. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher.

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PSAT Update

At this point, any student who took the PSAT should be able to access their score report by logging in to their College Board account. For more information on understanding scores, please click here: Understanding PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 Scores | The College Board

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Dual Enrollment at CSM

Current 11th and 12th grade students can take college classes at CSM while still in high school. The deadline to register for Spring 2021 classes is December 15. Please contact your student's counselor to begin the registration process.

Also, paperwork is now available for those students who are currently enrolled in Honors Pre-Calculus, Accelerated Algebra 2/Pre-Calc, and Honors Composition & Rhetoric (Senior English) at CHS and who want to receive CSM credit. Completed paperwork must be received by CSM on January 15 for Math classes and January 27 for English classes. Please contact your student's school counselor to obtain the paperwork or if you have any questions.

Junior Breakfasts

Are you the parent of a junior who is planning to attend college after graduation? Are you already feeling overwhelmed just THINKING about how to help your child apply to college? Get in to college?? Pay for college??? CHS counselors are here to save the day and make your journey to college easier! The counselors are planning virtual Junior Breakfasts on the 2nd Thursday of each month, starting in December to present information to help you and your child get ready for college. The following topics will be covered:

Thursday, December 10: College Search Process (if you were unable to attend this session, you can watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/MyN8EPMjK-U)
Thursday, January 14: SAT/ACT & Standardized Tests
Thursday, February 11: College Application Process
Thursday, March 11: Financial Aid & Scholarships

Registration is required to receive the link to join the virtual meeting. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/CHSJuniorBreakfastRSVP. We will send out the links to the meetings the day before. Open to parents/guardians of 11th grade students ONLY!

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Junior Information for the Class of 2022

Counselors will be meeting individually with juniors in January to discuss graduation requirements and planning for life after high school. We can't wait to see our 11th grade students and help them continue to plan for their future!

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Senior Information for the Class of 2021

Application Deadlines

College application deadlines are quickly approaching! We ask that students submit transcript request forms and recommendation request forms to their counselor AT LEAST 10 SCHOOL DAYS in advance of any deadlines! If students turn the forms in later than that, we cannot guarantee that the documents will be sent to the college on time. The transcript request form and recommendation request form can be found on the CHS Counselor Schoology page.

*PLEASE NOTE: If your student is planning to apply to any college with a January 1 deadline, their completed transcript request form and/or recommendation request form is due to their counselor by Monday, December 7! Counselors will NOT be working over the holiday break, so please plan ahead!*

FAFSA

FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is a form that both seniors and their parents will need to complete in order for students to receive financial aid at most colleges (including CSM – this is how you apply to get the Promise Scholarship aka FREE community college!) and trade/technical schools. We recommend that ALL seniors complete the FAFSA! The Maryland State deadline to file the FAFSA is March 1, but some colleges may have earlier deadlines. There’s limited availability of some grants/scholarships, so it’s important to complete this quickly. You can complete the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Attached are three documents that may be helpful to you as you complete the FAFSA – one covers things you’ll need to complete the FAFSA, one covers the step-by-step process of how to complete the FAFSA and one explains the Promise Scholarship program.

If you need help with this or have questions, please reach out to your child's school counselor. Mrs. Kidwell, CHS’s representative from Chesapeake College Plan, is also available to answer any questions you may have about the FAFSA. She can also schedule one-on-one virtual appointments to help you complete the FAFSA. She can be reached at collegeplan.mk@gmail.com.

Wall of Acceptance

Don’t forget to share your acceptance letters with your school counselor! We love hearing your good news! 😊 Check out where the Class of 2021 has been accepted so far: https://bit.ly/CHSclassof2021wallofacceptance.

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SAT and ACT

The SAT and ACT are tests that students take in order to prepare for college applications. Typically, we recommend that JUNIORS take the SAT and ACT. Below is a list of all test dates and registration deadlines for the SAT and ACT this school year.

Click here to view CHS Virtual College Visit Schedule

During virtual learning, many colleges have signed up to meet virtually with CHS students. These visits are a great opportunity for students to meet with representatives from colleges & make connections.

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Chesapeake College Plan

Chesapeake College Plan is a great resource for our juniors and seniors and their families. Our representative, Michelle Kidwell, is available to meet with students and their families to help with all the aspects of the journey to college, like applications, scholarships, and financial aid.

Mrs. Kidwell offers weekly virtual meetings (on Google Meet) every Friday from 12 - 1 PM for students. To request an invitation, email Mrs. Kidwell at collegeplan.mk@gmail.com.

Mrs. Kidwell is also available to meet with students or families via an individual virtual appointment. To request a meeting, email Mrs. Kidwell at collegeplan.mk@gmail.com.