As we look toward the end of first semester and head toward Winter Break, it is a good time to see what is on the horizon for 2025. Students in Grade 11 will prepare for their first SAT test, seniors who plan to attend college next year can shift their focus from college applications to scholarships, and our 9th graders will take their first high school mid-term exams.

This issue will feature information on:

• Grade 11 Parent/Guardian Night
• SAT prep for Grade 11
• "Good News" from the Class of 2025
• Scholarship Overview
• Special National Merit Recognition Programs
• NCAA Athletics Information Night
• TheCollegeTour.com

Read on for an overview of those topics as well as some helpful calendar notes. We hope you find these updates helpful and always encourage you to reach out to any of our School Counseling and Career Center staff with questions. We wish our SWHS families a happy, healthy, and peaceful Winter Break!

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For the remainder of the school year, we will use this section to celebrate good news about future opportunities for our graduating Class of 2025. We will feature college/university acceptances, military enlistments, and offers of employment for next year.

This month's highlights:

• Allyson Benblatt - University of Maine, University of New Haven, University of New England

• Daytona Goldstein - Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Johnson and Wales, Western New England University and Curry College

• Reshika Partheeban - University of Hartford, Savannah College of Art and Design

See below for directions on how to be featured in an upcoming newsletter and have post-graduation opportunities displayed on the big screen outside of the School Counseling and Career Center offices.

Fill out this Google form below to be included in our "good news" announcements for the Class of 2025! We will feature these announcements each month in this newsletter and also start posting them on the big screen outside the Career Center and School Counseling.

This form can be filled out with as many college acceptances as you receive, and can be filled out multiple times as future decisions arrive. You may also use this form to indicate that you have enlisted in the military or received an offer of employment for after you graduate.

Albertus Magnus College will host free virtual Financial Aid Information Sessions on selected dates from 6:00-7:00 pm where students can learn important information about the financial aid process and tips to completing the FAFSA. During this one hours session they'll cover topics such as:

• Sticker price versus true cost
• Merit Scholarships ranging $18,00 - $32,000
• Completing your FAFSA (and why filling it out early is the best move!)
• Different kinds of institutional aid
• Grants versus loans
• Subsidized versus unsubsidized loans
• Outside scholarships (and how to search for them)

Access the registration site with available dates here! The first session is offered December 18th with more dates in January.

As many students are finishing up their college applications and anxiously awaiting decision letters, it is time to shift the focus to the next step - scholarships! Financial aid packages provide a variety of assistance in the form of merit money, grants, loans and work study programs, but that still leaves a gap that families are expected to cover. That is where scholarships play a role. We've compiled a list of FAQ's to help tackle this often overwhelming topic.

IS APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS A WASTE OF TIME?

Whether you attend a community college, a program within the state university system, or a private college, the tuition, fees and potential room and board add up fast! Applying for scholarships can be time consuming, but if you plan right and focus on those that are local (usually meaning fewer applicants and therefore less competitive), you can come away with at least some money to offset the costs of “extras” like books or traveling to and from campus, and possibly enough to make your dream school a reality.

HOW DO I FIND SCHOLARSHIPS?

The easiest and fastest way for SWHS students to find scholarships is to use Naviance. From now until late spring, scholarships are added or updated in the Naviance database on a weekly basis. To access them, log in to your Naviance Student account, click on the Colleges tab, and then under "Scholarships and Money", click on Scholarship Search. Sorting this list by deadline will help focus efforts on those that are most imminent. Click on a scholarship for more information such as amount awarded, criteria to apply, application deadline, and links to a website or application. Check back often to see if scholarships are added or updated and repeat this process until the end of the year.

WHAT ARE THE BEST SCHOLARSHIPS TO FOCUS ON?

There are nationwide scholarship programs that offer generous scholarships, and you can certainly apply to them. However, they will also attract a large applicant pool. Scholarships directed toward students in South Windsor or the surrounding region are more attainable, so if your time is limited - start there. We strongly suggest SWHS students look at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving program (2/4 deadline), South Windsor Dollars for Scholars (portal opens mid-January through mid-March), the Big Y Scholarship (2/1 deadline), and the SBM Foundation Scholarship (typically 4/1 deadline, but not open for this year yet).

WHAT ARE RENEWABLE SCHOLARSHIPS?

While most scholarships are one-time awards that can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, there are some listed as “renewable”. This means that recipients can expect to get that amount each year they are enrolled in college (up to 4 years). Often there will be criteria for continuing to earn the scholarship such as maintaining a minimum GPA or staying enrolled in a particular program.

DO I HAVE TO HAVE A HIGH GPA TO EARN A SCHOLARSHIP?
The short answer is no! It is a myth that scholarships are only for students with 4.0 averages or perfect SATs. There are scholarships for all sorts of students. Some will require a minimum GPA, but there are many based on future career plans/intended majors or involvement in community service. There are also some related to a student’s heritage, extracurricular activities, or other personal characteristics. This is especially true for South Windsor Dollars for Scholars, where you could be eligible for an award based on the elementary school you attended, an interest you have in a trades career, or simply because you are willing to write a brief essay - just to cite a few examples. It pays to look at each one and see if you qualify.

It is "scholarship season" for the Class of 2025, but there is a great opportunity available for students in 10th and 11th grades.

BIGFUTURE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Would you like an opportunity to win a $500 or even a $40,000 scholarship just for completing tasks to plan for your next steps after high school? The BigFuture Scholarship program allows you to do just that. Using your College Board account, complete tasks such as exploring careers or building a college list and you will be entered into monthly drawings for these awards. There is no minimum GPA or test score, no essay required, and citizenship status does not matter. It is a great way to stay on task with a college search while also giving yourself a chance to win a scholarship. Students in the Class of 2026 and Class of 2027 are now eligible to participate in this program, which continues all the way through senior year. Visit the BigFuture Scholarship page to learn more, and see this screenshot of the site to see how the program works.

As students take their PSAT exams each year, there are several scholarship recognition programs they can be considered for based on scores. While not finalists for the National Merit Scholarship program, the following students have met specific criteria (such as score in the top 10% of test takers from their award group in their state, or earn at least a 3 on 2 or more AP exams, and have at least a 3.3 GPA) to earn recognition in the following categories:

• Genesis Cruz-Longo - National Hispanic Scholar
• Peyton Downs - National African-American Scholar
• Briana Nkrumah - National African-American Scholar
• Emily Porter - National African-American Scholar
• Abby Ramirez - National African-American Scholar & National Hispanic Scholar
• Journee Ward - National African-American Scholar

Furthermore, there are corporate-sponsored scholarships through the National Merit program that are given in a range of amounts and based on a variety of standards set by the corporations. All recipients are high-performing program participants. The SWHS students who have been recognized in this way are:

• Adithya Anand
• Abeer Dhillon
• Cassie Polansky
• Vidyuth Srikanth

Congratulations to all of the SWHS students who have achieved these honors!

Are you just starting to think about colleges and want do some exploring? Would you love to see a college campus, but it is too far to get to right now? The College Tour streams on a variety of platforms as well as on their website. The series offers a glimpse into a wide variety of campuses through the perspective of current students. There are currently 13 seasons to view with a 14th on the way. Students and families can select episodes by scrolling through a list or searching for schools they are interested in. Go to the show's website to find episodes, which are approximately 30 minutes long. You can also use the site to do general college research

While there are not any new positions posted in the Career Center, local employers often seek SWHS students to fill part-time positions. There are still positions posted on the Part-Time Jobs bulletin board in the Career Center for jobs that may hire on a regular basis. Students are encouraged to come take a picture of thesefor information on hours, pay, and how to apply.

Ms. Keleher and Ms. Iuliano met with grade 9 students earlier in December to help them create College Board accounts, find their PSAT-9 scores and understand how to read their score reports. They also reviewed the upcoming mid-term exam schedule, created their own personal timelines for that week, and discussed study strategies.

Please see the mid-term examination schedule included in this newsletter. This can be a stressful experience for freshmen as they have never experienced this type of testing. Students are encouraged to take advantage of resources such as the Academic Support Center and National Honor Society tutoring program, or to reach out to their teachers if they feel they need extra support in preparing for their exams.

Ms. Keleher and Ms. Iuliano will visit with students again early next semester to go over class selection for next year and prepare them to transition to their next School Counselor. Reach out to them at dkeleher@swindsor.k12.ct.us (A-L) or kiuliano@swindsor.k12.ct.us (M-Z) should you need individual support.

All students who took the PSAT in October can now view their scores in their College Board accounts, along with a breakdown of how those scores were achieved. Students can see how they compared to their peers who took the test as well as where they excelled and where they can improve on future standardized tests. If any students cannot access their College Board account, they will have to reach out to College Board directly. Counselors will be visiting sophomore classes in the new year to discuss PSAT score reports as well as course selection for next school year.

Congratulations to Alveena Faruq Suha and Jane Carty who will represent South Windsor High School at the Hugh O'Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership Seminar in the spring of 2025. Alveena and Jane were selected from a very competitive group of grade 10 students who applied for this opportunity. HOBY describes its annual program in the following way: "HOBY Leadership Seminars are highly interactive programs, following our leadership development curriculum which allows students to discover leadership from a personal, group and socially responsible perspective."

All students in grades 6-12 have a dedicated school counselor. The role of a school counselor centers on each student's social-emotional development, academic achievement/advisement, and career/future planning. These areas are covered through classroom lessons, individual conferencing, family meetings, and in conjunction with school-based teams. School counselors are committed to meeting the needs of each individual student and family.

The Career Center offers a variety of assistance to students and parents preparing for post-secondary opportunities. It is located in the School Counseling office and can also be accessed from the hallway outside School Counseling.

Website: https://highschool.southwindsorschools.org/departments/school_counseling
Phone: 860-648-5003