Senior Survival Guide

IMPORTANT STEPS IN REACHING YOUR POST HIGH SCHOOL GOALS

WHO IS MY COUNSELOR?

A - D: Jennifer O'Donnell

E - L: Rachel Gandar

M - Re: Jess Riddle

Rf - Z: Jenny Ruppert

College & Career Facilitator (FAFSA/College Apps): Theresa Purtell

SATURDAY CREDIT RECOVERY DATES

Location: Lake View High School

Time: 8 am – 12 pm

You do NOT have to register for Saturday Credit Recovery, just show up at Lake View at 8am with your student ID!

DATES TO BE DETERMINED!

EDGENUITY INFORMATION

How to Log-In:

IPAD Users: Use the CHROME browser and type in: www.edgenuity.com

- If this does NOT work, please go through CLEVER and sign-in

Edgenuity Website: www.edgenuity.com

Username: ANGELO(5 digit student ID) ex: ANGELO12345

Password: 8 digit birthday ex: 02022000 for a birthday of February 2, 2000

Who do I contact if I get locked up?

Laura Elms: Laura.Elms@saisd.org

Gabriel Chapa: Gabriel.Chapa@saisd.org

HOME ACCESS CENTER

You can access your Grades, Rank, GPA, & (unofficial) Transcript in Home Access Center.

GRADES & GPA

Students and parents are encouraged to monitor grades online regularly, and email teachers (by clicking on their name) if concerns arise. Students must pass all required credits & meet STAAR testing requirements in order to receive a diploma.

RANK

Rank is an important factor in college admissions. LVHS recalculates Rank/GPA only twice a year (January & June). To view your Rank/GPA, log into Home Access Center, then click on the "A+ Grades" Icon:

IDENTIFYING PROSPECTIVE COLLEGES

To assist in identifying prospective colleges, you can utilize college search engines such as: CollegeBoard's College Search & College Navigator, etc.

In addition, College websites offer a wealth of information about their admissions requirements, programs of study, extra curricular activities, summer programs for high school students, etc. Students should utilize these websites to thoroughly investigate their prospective colleges, in order to narrow down their top choices.

Most college websites also exhibit promotional videos on Youtube or at the college's website. Here are a few examples of these types of videos: A&M, Angelo State, Baylor, Howard College, Tarleton State, Texas State, Texas Tech, The University of Texas, UTSA, etc.

Finally, you can attend college fairs, including virtual fairs such as CollegeWeekLive or in-person-fairs, such as Concho Valley College Night (usually held in early October).

TECHNICAL SCHOOL

2 YEAR COLLEGE

4 YEAR UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE VISITS

Juniors & Seniors are allowed to have 2 college visit days per year. If proof is provided (i.e. excuse note on college letterhead) to your LVHS Attendance Clerk, these absences are excused and will not count against you for final exam exemption purposes. To plan/register for this visit, you can use the search words: "College Visit" or "Tour Campus" within website of your prospective university.

COLLEGE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Most colleges require the following (at minimum):

SAT and/or ACT (for 4 year universities)
Completed College Application
Application Fee (unless college waives this requirement)
High School Transcript

The college can receive these requirements in any order, although it may be beneficial to complete them in the order listed. See below for more details.

SAT/ACT TESTING

Four year universities require students to submit college entrance exam scores on or before the admissions deadline. Since SAT/ACT scores can take 3-6 weeks, it is recommended that you test at least 2 months prior to the admissions deadline.

Therefore, if you have not tested (or want to retest) it is important that you register online at the SAT or ACT as soon as possible. Be sure to send your scores to your prospective college(s).

More information about SAT/ACT dates, fees, and registration is available at Counseling Center's page of the LVHS website.

TEXAS SUCCESS INITIATIVE (COLLEGE READINESS)

Although this is not an admissions requirement, students who are planning on attending a public community college or university in the State of Texas are required to prove "College Readiness" (in Math & English) before taking a college level course. If you are admitted, but do not meet TSI college readiness standards, you may be required to take one or more remedial classes.

You can be exempt from taking TSI tests, by achieving strong scores on SAT or ACT.

See TSI Exemption Information at the LVHS Website. If not, you can take the TSI test at the Howard College or ASU testing centers (or at your prospective college).

COMPLETE YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION

Students should watch the application deadline, and resist the urge to procrastinate. Some college applications are more involved than others, so be prepared to devote time to such requirements as writing admissions essays, listing your involvements at school, in the community, etc.

Application fees are also required by most schools, and you can usually pay this fee with a credit card at the end of the online application. If your family has limited income, you may want to see if your college accepts application fee waivers, or google "application fee waiver" within your prospective college's website.

AT THE COLLEGE'S WEBSITE

The college/University's website will have a link to their online application

TEXAS COMMON APPLICATION

Applications for most public Texas Colleges are accessible through the Texas Common Application (GoApplyTexas.org).

THE COMMON APP

Several private and out-of-state colleges use an online application called

"The Common Application"

(CommonApp.org).

SEND YOUR TRANSCRIPT TO COLLEGE

As part of the college admissions process, students are required to submit a current high school transcript. You can access an "online transcript request form" at the LVHS website. Some online college applications, allow you to request that LVHS send your transcript electronically (e.g. SENDedu, CommonApp, etc.) In this case, you may be asked to provide your counselor's email address. Any SAISD employee's address is FirstName.LastName@saisd.org.

Dual Credit Students: Due to privacy laws, LVHS cannot request your college transcript. If you would like a copy of your college transcript, or want ASU or HC to send your transcript to another college, you will need to complete an ASU Transcript Request or a Howard Transcript Request form.

AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS

Students in the Top 10% of their class are guaranteed admissions to any public college in Texas. You must be on the Foundations with Endorsement (Distinguished Level of Achievement) plan & complete all admissions requirements by the college's deadline in order to qualify.

EXCEPTIONS TO AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS

The University of Texas at Austin automatic admissions standards vary from the Top 6-8%. See UT's current standard at their website. Private & Out-of-State Schools are also not held to this state law regarding automatic admissions.

IF YOU DO NOT QUALIFY...

Many colleges offer an alternative admissions program that can ensure acceptance by your Sophomore year of college. Examples include...

MONITOR YOUR APPLICATION STATUS AND COMPLETE OTHER IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS

The college may contact you via email or through an online student account, so be sure to check these accounts on a regular basis in order to monitor the status of your application.

For example, you may be contacted about how to complete other important requirements, such as.... (see below)

APPLYING FOR HOUSING

Students are encouraged review all Residential Housing options and submit an application early in order to secure a desired room.

MEAL PLAN SELECTION

Each student has different preferences, so most colleges offer a variety of meal plan options.

PROVIDE PROOF OF MENINGITIS SHOT

Texas college-bound students are required to show proof of a meningitis vaccination within 5 years of the first day of their college class(es).

BE A PART OF OUR LVHS "WALL OF FAME"

BRING OR EMAIL YOUR ACCEPTANCE LETTER/INFORMATION TO Mrs. Graham.

The Counseling Center will post Senior photos & their prospective college (or military branch) on the "Senior Wall" for students who provide proof of their acceptance. Our hope is that, by highlighting our Seniors' accomplishments, we will inspire underclassmen to follow their dreams. We are excited to celebrate you!!!

PLAN AHEAD & BE PROACTIVE ABOUT...

DEVELOPING YOUR PERSONAL RESUME AND REQUESTING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Students are encouraged to identify at least 3 people who would be willing to write a positive letter of recommendation (required for many scholarship applications). Be ready to provide the following to each recommender:

To WHOM the letter of recommendation should be addressed.
WHEN you need the letter (1-2 weeks' notice is preferred)
WHERE the letter should be mailed (or if you plan to pick it up).
IMPORTANT: Provide a copy of your personal resume. Below are examples of what you can include on your personal resume.

YOUR RESUME SHOULD DOCUMENT YOUR...

EDUCATIONAL & CAREER GOALS

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

INVOLVEMENT IN...

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

EMPLOYMENT & INTERNSHIPS

ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE YOU

APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

Peek scholarship season is between January - March. In your search, be sure to....

1. ...check the website of your prospective college/university for an application for scholarships that are unique to this school. Some colleges' scholarship applications are embedded within their admissions applications.

2. ...regularly check your SCHOOL EMAIL for scholarship information at the LVHS website.

COMPLETE THE FAFSA

Through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), you can apply for several forms of financial aid, including...

Grants
Need Based Scholarships
Work Study Programs
Loans

ALL SENIORS ARE REQUIRED TO EITHER COMPLETE A FAFSA, TASFA OR AN OPT-OUT FORM AS A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

COMPLETE THE FAFSA AS EARLY AS OCTOBER 1ST

At the FSA-ID# website, both the you & a parent will need to apply for ID#'s that will serve as your electronic signatures on the FAFSA.
Before you complete the FAFSA, you will need to gather the necessary documents.
To complete your financial aid application, go to the FAFSA website.
Educate yourself regarding the common myths about financial aid.
Consider completing the TASFA, if you are ineligible to complete the FAFSA due to your foreign status. Watch the TASFA Video.
Some (very competitive) universities ask students to complete a more detailed financial aid application called the CSS Profile (available at the Collegeboard website).

Informational websites and helpful videos are available.

Click here for SAISD FAFSA/TASFA Information.

Register for your College Orientation

At this Orientation you will attend several activities designed to help you transition to college life, including registering for your freshman classes.

Colleges may not allow you to register for your classes until you have submitted all required documents, including a final high school transcript. If you plan to attend an orientation in early Summer, you may want to hand carry an official copy of your final high school transcript, so that you will not experience any problems.

CONTACTING U.S. ARMED SERVICES REPRESENTATIVES

Talk to your counselor if you need assistance...

...applying for admission to a U.S. Military Academy.
...applying to a college ROTC program.
...enlisting in the military or contacting a military recruiter.
...getting information about military education benefits (i.e. Hazlewood Act, Montgomery GI Bill)

For more information regarding U.S. Military Academy's application/nomination process, your counselor can provide contact information for the Service Academy Liaison or Congressman Pfluger's office.

BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO PLAY COLLEGIATE SPORTS

NCAA REGISTRATION

If you plan to participate in collegiate sports, you should begin by registering at NCAA's website. You will also be required to pay a registration fee online. See your counselor if this is a concern. Once you have registered, CHS receives a notification.

LVHS WILL SEND YOUR TRANSCRIPT

LVHS electronically sends current transcripts to NCAA for all registered students. LVHS will also send a final transcripts to NCAA at the end of senior year. Your GPA is a one factor that NCAA will use to determine if you are cleared play collegiate sports.

SEND YOUR SAT/ACT SCORES TO NCAA

Using NCAA's code (9999), it is important that you request to have your SAT/ACT scores sent to NCAA. Your SAT or ACT score is another factor that NCAA will use to determine if you are cleared play collegiate sports.