PSHS Counseling Newsletter

Plano Senior High School- May 2024

College Admissions- Ready, Set, Go!

JUNIORS: The summer between 11th and 12th grade is the perfect time to start the college application process! Parents and students are invited to a discussion on the steps you should take to begin and how to navigate college admissions.

Tuesday May 21

6:00-7:30 pm

Lecture Hall (B-Building)

Graduating Seniors are also invited to attend,

there are still many colleges and universities accepting applications!

Collin College Freshman Admission

SENIORS- Planning to attend Collin College after High School graduation? Fall 2024 registration is underway!

Collin College is a great option for students:

Who want to stay closer to home
Interested in completing a vocational, trade or career program instead of a 4 year degree
To start working on general education core classes before transferring to a university

COLLIN COLLEGE FRESHMAN ADMISSION

Complete your application and submit your test scores now as classes are first come, first serve and will fill up.

Questions? Contact our Collin Counselor Kenzie Lopes

Spring AP Exams

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Students who registered and paid for one or more College Board AP Exam have been assigned to testing rooms for the Spring 2024 AP testing dates.

AP Testing Dates & Room Assignments

WHAT TO BRING:

School ID or other Photo ID
Pencils and Black or Blue Pens
School-Issued Chromebook for Digital APUSH and English Exams

If you have any questions, please contact our Test Coordinator Keith Walls

Dual Credit Fall 2024

JUNIORS: If you applied and successfully signed up for a Collin College Dual Credit class for next year, it is now time to complete the process by submitting your payment.

Complete Campus Safety Training: All students must log into their Collin College OneLogin account and complete the Campus Safety Training in order to be registered for their class(es)
Registration: Our Collin College counselor Kenzie Lopes will register you for the classes you are approved to take after Campus Safety Training is complete.
Payment: Log into your Collin College OneLogin account and select "Workday" to pay the tuition and fees for the classes you have been registered for. Payment must be made by May 17, 2024 or you will be removed from Collin College Dual Credit.

Questions? Please contact Kenzie Lopes- klopes@collin.edu

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College Campus Tours

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College Preview Events

Many colleges and universities host preview events throughout the summer for prospective students. These open-house style events are a great way to see the campus and hear from admissions and academic departments. Below are some of the regional schools with summer dates:

College Preview Events

Lamar University: June 15 & July 27

Stephen F. Austin: June 22

Tarleton State University: May 24

Univ. of Arkansas Little Rock: May 18 & June 15

Dallas Baptist University: July 26

Midwestern State University: May 18

Oklahoma State University: June 8 & July 13

Southern Methodist University: June 7, July 15 & August 2

UT Arlington College Prep Day- July 16

There are also lots of online campus tour videos. Below is a great overview of Tarleton State University, sponsored by The College Tour

Senior Year-End Tasks

The following tasks must be completed in SchooLinks before seniors can receive their graduation tickets. Questions? Reach out to your counselor!

Log into SchooLinks (app can be found on the student's PISD Webdesk)
Complete the Senior Year End Activity from the Home Dashboard. This is how you will have your final transcripts sent to the college of your choice.
Update your FAFSA/TASFA Status by clicking on "Complete FAFSA/TASFA." You can use a screenshot of your submission email as proof.

Financial Aid for College

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FAFSA

SENIORS: HAVEN'T COMPLETED THE FAFSA YET? IT'S NOT TOO LATE!

MANY COLLEGES HAVE EXTENDED THEIR FINANCIAL AID DEADLINES.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is still open! Completing the FAFSA is the first step in receiving financial aid for college and is also a graduation requirement for all seniors in Texas. Those who choose not to can can submit the opt-out form (linked below) to their counselor:

FAFSA Opt-Out Form

Click Here for even more Financial Aid Information!

General College Application Info

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Admissions Deadlines

Seniors- It's not too late! Here are some college application deadlines for our most commonly attended schools:

University of Houston- May 31

Texas State University- June 1

University of North Texas- June 1

UT San Antonio- June 1

Texas A&M Commerce- July 1

UT Tyler- July 1

Texas Southern University- July 15

Stephen F. Austin- August 1

UT Arlington- August 1

Midwestern State University- August 1

Sam Houston State- August 1

Lamar University- August 1

Austin College- August 1

West Texas A&M- August 1

Texas Woman's University- August 1

Tarleton State University- August 1

Transcripts

A transcript is a record of all the classes the student has taken grades 9-12 (and will include HS credits earned during middle school if applicable.) Here's what to do when you need one:

Personal Copy (for your own use)

Log into SchooLinks and select "School" from the menu on the left
Select "Records Request"
Click "Download unofficial transcript"

Official Copy (to send to a college/university, Seniors only)

Log into SchooLinks and select "Colleges" from the menu on the left
Select "College Applications"
Set up your College Application Manager and then click "+Add Application" for every school you're applying to. An official transcript request will automatically be submitted.

FINAL TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS FOR SENIORS ARE DONE THROUGH THE

"SENIOR YEAR END ACTIVITY" IN SCHOOLINKS

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Counselor Recommendation Letters

Students requiring a Counselor Recommendation will need to complete the Counselor Recommendation Form (linked below) and submit it to their counselor at least 3 weeks before the recommendation letter or counselor report is due. Not all colleges require this, if you are unsure please reach out to your counselor to verify.

Counselor Recommendation Form

College Admissions Testing

SAT- If you’d like to take an additional SAT, you can register here: http://www.sat.org/

ACT- If you need an ACT score for college admission, visit their website to register: https://www.act.org/

IF YOU NEED A CHROMEBOOK FOR A SUMMER SAT/ACT, PLEASE EMAIL JENNIFER.COONEY@PISD.EDU

Scores from the March School Day SAT are available in your College Board Account. If you cannot access your scores online, score reports are available in the counseling office. Students must show a photo ID to get a copy of their score report.

Students had the opportunity to send their SAT scores to up to 4 colleges free of charge on test day. At this point, College Board does charge a fee of $12 per school to send your SAT scores.

Prevention and Wellness

Mental Health Awareness Month

It’s May, so just checking in… “How is everybody doing?” In case you missed it, Sesame Street’s lovable Elmo posed that very question on social media earlier this year – and the responses came flooding in. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a good reminder to focus on the importance of mental health and its impact on our well-being. Mental health conditions can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, or income level.

Your Plano Senior High counselors and social workers are here for you! Please contact us and we can provide guidance and resources to help support your mental health needs.

Additional Resources:

Plano ISD Counseling Services

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Mental Health Support- for Teens and Young Adults

Mental Health Texas

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Fentanyl Awareness

May 7 is recognized as National Fentanyl Awareness Day. Fentanyl can be found in illegally manufactured pills that appear to be Oxycontin, Percocet and Xanax and there is no way to tell which pill contains a fatal amount and which doesn’t. Learn the facts about Fentanyl at fentanylawarenessday.org

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Upcoming Events

CLASS OF 2024 GRADUATION

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Summer Program at Universal Technical Institute

Universal Technical Institute is offering Summer Ignite, a three-week summer training program AT NO COST. Students can have the opportunity to explore STEM career training before graduating from high school.

It’s fun and they’ll learn in a fun, interactive and hands-on environment with industry-aligned training! Plus, students who successfully complete the program can earn course credit toward an education at UTI if they choose to enroll after graduating from high school!1 This is a great way to get a head start toward training for a career!

UTI SUMMER IGNITE