Wolverine Student Services

Need to book an appointment with your counselor?

Visit our website at https://windermerehs.ocps.net/student_services/contact_us

Senior Common Final Exams are scheduled to begin on Monday, April 21 and run through Thursday, April 24. We will operate on block schedules in order for seniors to complete these assessments. Please see below for the modified block schedules.

Required for all students, starting with the class of 2027.

Students will explore how personal values and cognitive biases impact financial decision-making, including loss aversion and herd mentality. They will learn to evaluate job opportunities based on potential income and non-income factors, understand the significance of education and training in career choices, and analyze the benefits and costs associated with various financial decisions. Additionally, students will investigate the role of taxes, the nature of interest and investment income, and the principles of budgeting and spending. They will also cover topics such as the importance of credit, the implications of debt, and the various forms of insurance and their relevance. By the end of the course, students will have developed a comprehensive understanding of personal finance concepts, enabling them to make informed financial decisions and prepare for future economic challenges.

** We recommend students take the Personal Finance and Money Management course via a virtual entity prior to their senior year, as it may impact the ability to earn senior privilege.

Personal Finance & Money Management

Personal Finance & Money Management Honors

OCPS has updated the Super Scholars Program. As you know, since 2016, OCPS has recognized graduating seniors admitted to highly selective institutions. The district has recently expanded the program's criteria to celebrate a broader range of exceptional student achievements. This expansion now includes students admitted to:

• The Top 1% of Colleges/Universities in the Nation*
• The Top 20 Liberal Arts Colleges
• The Top 5 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)**
• U.S. Service Academies

• *Based on U.S. News & World Report's Top 50 National University Rankings (representing approximately 1% of the ~5,000 colleges/universities in the country).
• **Based on U.S. News & World Report's Rankings of HBCUs.

For a complete and updated list of OCPS Super Scholar Schools, please visit: https://www.ocps.net/departments/public_relations/super_scholars

At Windermere High School, we are thrilled to recognize all our Super Scholars, both those who met the original criteria and those who now qualify under the expanded program. We will continue to celebrate their accomplishments through social media and at our Senior Awards Night. The OCPS Communications Department will also highlight these achievements on the district webpage and social media platforms.

We are proud of all our students' hard work and dedication, and we look forward to celebrating their successes.

Each year, OCPS celebrates its "Super Scholars," those graduating seniors who were accepted into the nation's top 20 colleges and universities (as ranked by U.S. News and World Report) and U.S. service academies.

Top 20 National Universities

Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, California Institute of Technology, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, University of Chicago, Brown University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, University of California - Los Angeles, University of California - Berkeley, Rice University, University of Notre Dame, Vanderbilt University.

Top 20 Liberal Arts Colleges

Williams College, Amherst College, Swarthmore College, United States Naval Academy, Bowdoin College, Pomona College, Wellesley College, Carleton College, Claremont McKenna College, United States Military Academy at West Point, Harvey Mudd College, Vassar College, Barnard College, Davidson College, Hamilton College, Smith College, Wesleyan University, Grinnell College, Middlebury College, Washington and Lee University.

U.S. Service Academies

U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy,

U. S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy

Ms. WIlson is here to helps students plan for their future after high school, including their career and college plans.

• Post-Secondary Planning: Help students explore career options or find the right schools and apply to college
• Financial aid: Help students with scholarships and the financial aid process
• Provide resources: Give students resources and information to help them achieve their goals

Ms. Wilson can be reached at Cynthia.Wilson@ocps.net. You can also stop by the College and Career Center in 8-101B during your scheduled lunch.

Go to https://www.nacacattend.org/fairs to register for each program and to see the list of participating colleges. Then log in on any fair date to attend sessions, chat your questions, download informational resources, and demonstrate interest… all without leaving home. It’s a great way to connect with several colleges in a short amount of time to learn about majors, scholarships, and more.

• Sunday, April 27, 1:00-6:00 PM

The following new scholarships have been added to the OCPS Scholarship Bulletin: https://bit.ly/ocps_scholarships

Applying to national and local scholarships takes time, and most require an essay on a specific topic; please review the requirements and apply to the ones that are a good fit for you. You may also use scholarship finders and create profiles for each; the better the profile the student develops, the closer match the scholarships they will send. Remember that the best scholarships come directly from colleges in the form of merit/institutional aid; make sure to work hard on your academic performance.

Chi Tau Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Scholarship - Competitive scholarship available to OCPS graduating African American male candidates, minimum 2.5 GPA, and demonstrated achievement through extracurricular and community activities.

• Deadline: April 25, 2025
• Award: $1,000
• https://www.orlandoques.org/scholarship

Seminole Club of Greater Orlando Scholarship – For students who will enroll full-time at Florida State University in Fall 2025, minimum 3.0 GPA, active community involvement through past or ongoing participation in athletics, the arts, civic community service, or other activities.

• Deadline: June 6, 2025
• Award: varies
• https://fsu.academicworks.com/

WTS Central Florida Transportation YOU High School Scholarship - To foster the development of women in transportation fields, they will award six scholarships. Eligibility: Female graduating Seniors who plan to pursue a career in transportation-related field (example: transportation engineering, construction management, planning, finance or logistics), minimum 3.0 GPA,

• Deadline: May 4, 2025
• Award: varies
• https://www.wtsinternational.org/chapters/central-florida/scholarship

Career One Stop - Resource for students to explore career options, find training and education, and assist with job planning. They have a Scholarship Finder, where students can search for more than 9,500 scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid award opportunities.

A list of scholarships and deadlines is also available to all students and parent observers on the Windermere High School Student Body Page under Modules >> Scholarships

Class of 2025: Our PTSO is welcoming applications for their annual scholarship program, through April 25 at 4pm! Visit this link to apply: https://forms.gle/6JDsfqQbFkuqKLXQ6

Juniors & Seniors: Are you self-motivated? Do you have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.6? You may qualify to apply to the University of Florida Dual Enrollment Fall 2025 term!

The University of Florida's Dual Enrollment program helps eligible accelerated high school students access coursework at UF. The fully online courses are taught by UF faculty, provide students with a college learning experience, and adhere to the UF academic calendar.

The Fall 2025 application is now open and closes on May 23, 2025.

Characteristics of Successful Dual Enrollment Students:

• Reading and writing proficiency
• Independent
• Motivated
• Self-directed
• Good time management skills
• Personally responsible for learning
• Effectively communicates with counselors

We invite you to explore the University of Florida Dual Enrollment website: https://dualenrollment.dce.ufl.edu/

Qualifications:

• Junior or Senior in high school
• 3.6 cumulative unweighted GPA
• One of the following test scores:
• SAT: 1100 composite
• ACT: 22 composite
• PSAT 10 or PSAT/NMSQT: 1130 composite score
• CLT: 72

Seniors, last chance to apply to Valencia College with us! Don’t miss the last FREE application workshop on Friday, April 18 in the College and Career Center at 12:30 PM. Sign-up required: tinyurl.com/WHSfreeVCapp