College and Career Corner
September 6, 2024
Coach's Note
Good morning students and families!
Happy (warm) fall! I am excited to share some information about this very busy month of October. This week (October 7-11) the state of Alabama is hosting its annual Free Application Week! Seniors may drop by the library for help with their applications throughout the day-- details below! We will also be attending our first campus visit of the year on Wednesday, Oct 9th, to the University of Alabama at Huntsville. The trip is full at this time, but I have just received confirmation that we have received a grant that will fund additional trips throughout the year! Finally, we are also in fall testing season. Seniors will take the WorkKeys assessment and Sophomores will take the preACT on October 18th. Also, there is an upcoming ACT National test date for Seniors and Juniors on October 26th.
College Application Week!
It is finally here! Free Application Week is upon us! Between October 7-11th is Seniors' opportunity to submit their college applications completely for free to over 50 participating institutions both in and out of Alabama! I am including a list of colleges below, and I can give students' waiver codes as they complete their apps!
IMPORTANT: I will be in the library throughout this week (except for Wednesday for our UAH campus visit) during Advisory and Lunch to help students complete their applications, and to celebrate them! Once they submit their applications they MUST let me know by signing my sign-out sheet. This is how I will know where to submit your transcripts!
Students will need:
- their Social Security Number,
- their address and other personal contact information
- their PROFESSIONAL non-school email address
- their charged laptop!
- SOME colleges may require your personal statement, supplementary essay, or letters of recommendation to be submitted with your application.
Conservation and Agriculture
This week, we invited six guests with careers in agriculture, education, sustainable food systems support, and conservation to MCAA to share a lunchtime conversation with students. Students learned from Arlo Pate from Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, Katie Willis, Bethany Boatwright, and Mohamed Jollah from Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Izette McNealy from the Alabama Extension Office, and Hunter Meadows from Jefferson County Greenways Alliance.
Careers in agriculture sciences are growing in our state and beyond. Agricultural and environmental scientists can identify plant and animal pathogens, study insects and help growers control pests, conduct soil and water tests, and educate the community about best practices. If you are interested in working outdoors, helping the environment, or supporting our food system, this career field might be interesting to you! Check out O*Net's resources on different career pathways in the agriculture and conservation fields for more information on salary, job outlook, responsibilities, and education requirements!
College Exploration and Planning
This month as Seniors get ready to submit their first round of applications, it would be a great time to begin discussing continued education with your student. Middle school and high school students can greatly benefit from exploring different colleges, major and minor programs, visiting campuses, and discussing the application process. The Common Application (commonly called Common App) is a great one-stop shop for learning about colleges and comparing basic information. Students can make a free account and save colleges, as well as get a preview of their admission requirements. And then when the time is right, they can apply to ALL of their saved schools at one time and in one place.
The College Board also offers a college match service called Big Future that provides students with quizzes and interactive tools to help them learn about and connect with different institutions across the country. This website also contains a scholarship search function that can assist with students' financial aid needs.
If your family is considered low income and your student is high-achieving and interested in attending a competitive college, please look into QuestBridge. This program provides students with guidance and information about the application process through its National College Match program, as well as mentorship and support to Juniors preparing for college in its College Prep Scholars program. Students would also automatically qualify for scholarship consideration which may possibly cover all of their tuition and expenses.
