Viz US Counseling News

• September 25: Junior Parent Night with Counselors, 6:30pm in DeChantal
• September 29: West County Private Schools College Fair, 2:00-4:00pm at Whitfield
• September 30: Jesuit Excellence Tour @ Visitation, 2:30-3:30 PM List of attending schools

• October 5: SAT National Test Date (regular registration deadline 9/20)
• October 10: Testing Day @ Viz (Grade 9: PreACT, Grades 10-11: PSAT)
• October 26: ACT National Test Date (regular registration deadline 9/20)
• October 27: NACAC College Fair, 1:00-4:00pm at St. Louis University

Please join us for our annual West County Private Schools College Fair on Sunday, September 29, 2024 from 2:00-4:00pm at Whitfield School. Admissions representatives from more than 125 colleges and universities nationwide will be on hand to share information about their respective institutions and to answer your questions. For a complete list of attending schools click here. Save time and register ahead of time at https://app.strivescan.com/registration.

As a reminder, October 10 is Testing Day at Viz. All students in grades 9-11 will take a practice college admissions test. Students will be dismissed from school when they are finished testing.

9th Grade: The PreACT

The PreACT is a paper and pencil, multiple-choice assessment that will give students an early measure of college and career readiness while serving as a practice opportunity for the ACT college admissions test. Students will be tested in English, Math, Reading, and Science. For more information about the PreACT click here.

10th and 11th Grade: The PSAT

The PSAT is a digital, multiple-choice assessment that will give students an early measure of college and career readiness while serving as a practice opportunity for the SAT college admissions test. Students will be tested in English and Reading and Math. Additionally, the PSAT is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Competition for juniors. For more information (including practice questions) about the PSAT click here.

12th Grade: College Application Day

While all other students are testing, seniors are encouraged to work on their college applications that day. They may choose to work from home or join our counseling team in the SAM Room to ask questions and receive assistance with their applications.

The Viz Peer 2 Peer Tutoring program is up and running! The goal of this program is to provide a productive and positive learning experience in which students support each other. This offers students the opportunity to receive extra academic support and guidance from a trained peer tutor. Tutors have the chance to apply their knowledge in a meaningful way, knowing they are helping others. Students in this program will benefit from one-on-one attention and positive reinforcement from their peer tutor. For more information and to connect with a tutor, students should visit the Peer 2 Peer website. Please contact Meghan Swaller with any questions mswaller@vizstl.org.

Each fall, admissions representatives from colleges across the United States visit Viz to share information about their respective institutions with our students. Juniors and seniors are welcome and encouraged to attend any session, but if they will miss class, they need to ask for teacher permission prior to attending. Freshmen and sophomores may attend sessions during Collaboration or their free period. All students must sign up to attend a college visit in Naviance at least 24 hours in advance.

Colleges scheduled to visit next week:

• University of Iowa
• Rhodes College
• University of Missouri-Columbia
• St. Mary's University
• Alfred University
• University of Memphis
• Providence College
• University of Dallas
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• University of Louisville
• Southeast Missouri State University

For date and time information and to view a complete list of scheduled visits, click here.

Note: Visits are added almost daily. Please check back for an updated list.

National Portfolio Day Event at Washington University, September 22, 2024, 12:00-4:00pm

Showcase your artistic evolution! Visit with counselors, admissions team members, and faculty from art and design schools for a portfolio review before applying to colleges or universities. For more information and to register visit https://nationalportfolioday.org/schedule/sep-22-stlouis

St. Louis HBCU Alumni Association's Scholarship Summit September 28, 2024 at McCluer North High School

Interested in attending an Historically Black College or University? Then consider attending the St. Louis HBCU's Scholarship Summit on 09/28 from 9:00am-4:00pm. Meet with admissions representatives and attend workshops related to admissions and scholarships. For more information and to register visit https://www.stlhbcualumni.org/scholarshipsummit.

University of Notre Dame "ND on the Road" event at SLUH October 2, 2024

This event 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. This is a great opportunity for students and their families to learn more about Notre Dame.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 7:00 PM

St. Louis University High School

4970 Oakland Ave

Saint Louis, MO

Registration for the ND on the Road event is available here:

https://enrollment.nd.edu/portal/ndontheroad?id=5e40199f-ac5d-436e-af1e-ffeaede9581a

Harvard, Princeton, UVA, Wellesley, and Yale Virtual Admission Presentation on October 6, 2024

Don't miss your opportunity to hear admissions officers from all five schools discuss the variety of opportunities you can find at their institutions. For more information and to register visit https://admission.virginia.edu/hpuwy

The St. Louis Scholarship Foundation FAFSA Workshops (Virtual)

Attend the St. Louis Scholarship Foundation's FAFSA Workshops to learn the basics of the FAFSA, including the part it plays in the college application and financial aid process and why it is important to complete the form accurately and submit it early.

October 16, 2024: FAFSA Workshop 6:30-7:30pm – Click here to register

November 6, 2024: FAFSA Workshop 6:30-7:30pm – Click here to register

US Naval Academy Admissions Forum, Saturday, October 28, 2024 at 1:00pm

Receive an overview of the US Naval Academy admissions process, meet your admissions counselor, Regional Director of Admissions, congressional representatives, and Blue and Gold officers. Location: Julia Davis Library, 4415 Natural Bridge Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63115

Click here to register.

The Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student (MVS) Contest:

The 2025 MVS application is now open. Applications can be found online at enf.elks.org/MVS. The application deadline is November 12, 2024.

The Elks National Foundation Legacy Awards – The Legacy Awards program begins on September 1, 2024. Legacy Awards provide $4,000 scholarships for children and grandchildren of dues-paying Elk members. The ENF offers a total of 350 national awards. The application deadline is February 3, 2025. Please visit enf.elks.org/Leg for more details and the application link.

Stephanie Sparks, 9th Grade Counselor (all)

Karen Verstraete, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (A-G)

Mary Bodlovich, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (H-M)

Chrissy Boyce, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (N-Z), Counseling Department Chair

Meghan Swaller, Counseling Department Coordinator