West HS Counseling Newsletter

The last full month of the school year is here!

This newsletter includes info on the following topics:

Senior Information

Madison College Accepted Day

High School to College/Career Transition Support (Summer Melt Texting Campaign)

Summer Opportunities

AP Test Information

and more!

May 1st is nationally known as College Decision Day and we celebrate our CLASS OF 2024 Regents who have committed or are in the process of committing to a post-secondary plan where they will begin the next chapter of their lives. Lots of hard work went into getting to this point and we are proud of your achievements!

Cap/gown/stole pick-up is on Wednesday, May 8th in the cafeteria. All questions about orders should be directed to Midwest Scholastic at questions@mwscholastic.com.

Reminder to Seniors: You MUST complete the MMSD Senior Survey or you will not be able to pick up your cap & gown on May 8th. Access the 5 minute survey via Classlink or click on button below.

On Wednesday June 5th, Seniors will have a mandatory Graduation Rehearsal at 12:00 am in the Stevens Gym. The senior class photo will also be taken at that time. Students should bring their graduation cap & gown with them.

We've also arranged for 6 yellow buses to arrive at West (on Ash) immediately following the rehearsal to take our seniors back to their home elementary schools for a quick visit. Our Graduation Rehearsal should be over around 12:30 pm. Seniors will then board buses and head to elementary schools, with arrival times around 1pm, depending on travel times.

There will be West staff &/or parent chaperones on each bus. Students should wear their graduation gowns. Seniors will then walk the halls in their gowns, high-fiving our future Regents and thanking your former teachers. We should arrive back at West around 1:45 pm.

• Students sign-up HERE!

• Students pick up a permission slip in the counseling office, and return it there too.

• Parents, if you’d like to chaperone this field trip, or have any questions about this event, please email Sarah Quinn.

You will find additional graduation information on our Graduation website.

Congratulations class of 2024!

Good luck to students taking the Advanced Placement Exams in early May!

Click HERE for all things AP related (test schedule, cancellations/refunds, what to bring, etc.)

Seniors: It's your responsibility to send your FINAL TRANSCRIPT to your committed school via parchment.com. Counselors will not be sending these for you.

To request your final transcript, go to www.parchment.com

-To order your final transcript to be sent you can place the order anytime and then select 'Hold for Grades' in the drop down for when to send your transcript. (Your transcript will be sent once grades roll to transcripts mid-June)

-Note for Senior students with fee waivers: These expire on July 31. Please place your order for your final transcript prior to this time.

-All Senior students should make sure they use a personal email to log into their Parchment account. If you are currently using your school email address, please go to your Profile, account and add another email to this account and make your personal email the primary email. School email addresses are deactivated after graduation.

It's not too late to apply for scholarships!

Check out the following resources to support you in your scholarship search:

MMSD students can search for local scholarships in their Xello account. (a listing of local scholarships can be found under the "College Resources" section)

Additional Scholarship Resources:

College Board's Scholarship Search

FastWeb

Students are reminded to check with individual colleges for scholarships offered directly by the college or university you plan to attend.

Also, check out these two scholarships with upcoming deadlines:

• B. Davis Scholarship - This scholarship is awarded to any high school junior or senior. Applicants must write a 1000-word or less essay. Winners will receive $1,000. The application deadline is May 21st.

• Young Women in STEM Scholarship- Women make up only 27% of workers in STEM workplaces, and this scholarship aims to boost the representation of women in this field. You must be low-income and female to apply.

• Amount: $5,000

• Deadline: May 23, 2024

Don't wait until the last minute to start working on your College Essay! Many students describe the essay as the most challenging part of college applications. Be sure to carve out some time this summer to brainstorm and do some pre-writing of your essay.

Need help getting started? Check out Big Future's resource for College Essay tips or The College Essay Guy's free resources!

Common Application Essay Questions

Join Macalester this summer for Workshop Wednesdays, offered online and free to students planning for college!

Mac's admissions staff (the same ones who read thousands of applications) lead these engaging, practical workshops. Past workshops have proven to be helpful and motivating for students just starting their college search, as well as those actively working on their Common Application.

If you are unfamiliar with Macalester, or “Mac,” you should know that Macalester is one of very few small, highly selective, liberal arts colleges located in the center of a major metropolitan area. About 3.5 million people live in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Macalester’s campus is in one of St. Paul’s most attractive neighborhoods, less than 10 minutes from either downtown. Our video viewbook is a good way for students to discover more about our college.

Of course we hope that students are interested in Macalester, but that is not a requirement for Workshop Wednesdays. We welcome any student who would find value in diving into topics like Writing a College Essay and Navigating Financial Aid. The full schedule and registration links can be found HERE

Fall 2024 Universities of Wisconsin Application Demonstration: Walk through the application as a new freshman applicant. Learn how to create an account, list course information, and more!

• Wednesday, May 8 from 3:30-4:30 PM - Register Here

https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Uf-OnLaqRoWgm2xovXqYQQ

UW Journey App Demonstration: Learn how students can use UW Journey to determine which UW campuses are their best fit based on their interests and preferences.

• Thursday, May 9 from 4:00-5:00 PM - Register Here

https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FWKarg6YTmafazms_nMwNA

Registration is required.

West Counselors held two info sessions last week to help Juniors to start preparing for college applications.

Topics Covered:

Overview/Demo of The Common App

Letters of Recommendation

Personal Essays

& More!

Couldn't make this session? Be sure to attend the College Application Launch event in August! More details will be shared out in early August with Seniors about this event.

Be sure to make the most of your summer! Colleges and University admission representatives tell us that work experience is very important in teaching students skills that are not taught in a high school classroom.

In addition to working, your student may want to volunteer or job shadow in a career area they are interested in. VOLUNTEER HOURS ARE REQUIRED FOR NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY AS WELL AS MANY SCHOLARSHIPS!

Volunteer Opportunities

• County of Dane Volunteer Opportunities
• RSVP Dane County
• City of Madison Volunteer Opportunities
• Madison Volunteer Match (non-profit organizations)
• Van Hise Elementary PTO volunteer opportunities
• West Student Resource Hub (volunteer page)

Need a way to keep track of your volunteer hours? Check out the Volunteer

METHODIZE TEST PREP

This ACT preparation program is offered through Xello to all MMSD students. It's FREE & students can log-in and start reviewing/practicing for the ACT test which most students start taking in the Winter or Spring of their Junior year. You can access your Xello account through Classlink.

Make the most of your summer break! It's a great time for students to obtain volunteer hours, earn some money from a summer job, explore interest areas such as sports, drama, music and others, and complete summer course work through summer school.

Check out these helpful resources to help you maximize your summer!

MOST (Madison Out of School Time)

Student Resource Hub (jobs, volunteering opportunities)

Summer School will meet Monday-Thursday from

• June 17, 2024 - July 25, 2024 (no school June 19, July 4 & 5)

• 4 days/week, classes run in the morning 8-10 AM and 10-noon.

Students should enroll in summer school if they are deficient in credits for the next school year or if they wish to replace a grade earned during the school year (if space allows). To be “on target” toward high school graduation, students should have earned at least the following number of credits before entering their respective grade:

• 5 ½ credits before starting sophomore year
• 11 credits before starting junior year
• 15 credits before starting senior year

This summer, MMSD will offer a few different first time credit options. Click on the Summer School button below for a full list of options.

Parents are encouraged to look on Infinite Campus or talk with their child’s counselor if they wish to check on credit status.

Counselors are currently reviewing Semester 1 and 2 grades and emailing letters to families if summer school is recommended for your student.

If you would like to sign your child up for summer school, please contact your school counselor.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. At West, we strive to increase awareness of mental health, reduce stigma, educate our students, and provide information regarding resources and treatment options for mental health in our community. Our Student Services team (school psychologists, social workers and counselors) is here to help!