Class of 2024 Transition Guide

• This newsletter includes valuable information for the transition from high school, no matter what the student's future plans include (2 or 4 year college, technical school, apprenticeship, military or work)
• Although not all topics will apply to all seniors, it is important to look at the various topics all the way to the end of the newsletter to see what applies to the senior. I encourage you to use the Table of Contents to be able to view all the topics that apply to you or your senior.
• This communication is for the senior, but also for the parent's information and support of their senior
• This Guide is meant as a resource. It is a good idea to download it and save it in case you need some of the information later.
• It is best to view this guide, because of the content size, on a computer, Chromebook, or tablet instead of a phone, if you can.

Financial Aid offers can look differently from school to school.

Here is a guide to help you understand Financial Aid offers and the topics that are related.

A comparison tool can be useful for evaluating different offers.

Some colleges could offer a student one more potential chance for admission with a waitlist offer. There is no guarantee for admission with a waitlist offer, and the student will not know how many students are on the waitlist or where their position is within the waitlist. Different colleges handle waitlists differently.

The student will need to decide if they want to be on the waitlist, or decide not to use the waitlist and make their commitment to one of their other admission offers. It could be up to July for the student to know if they will be offered admission, if they choose to be on the waitlist. It is an individual choice.

If the student does decide they will accept being on the waitlist, they will also need to decide if they want to put a tuition deposit/commitment to another university or not. If they do put the deposit and are accepted through the waitlist, typically the deposit for attending is not refundable. If the student does not put a deposit/commit to another university and only stays on the waitlist, if they are not offered admission through the waitlist process, they potentially will have "lost their seat" at other universities that they were admitted, especially if the college is a regular decision school.

Typically the date to commit to a college is May 1st.

However, with the FAFSA issues, some colleges have pushed back their commitment/enrollment date to May 14 or June 1. The difficulty with multiple dates is being organized to know when the student truly needs to make that decision based on the earliest commitment date.

A deposit is needed with the commitment. Usually these are non-refundable.

A final transcript is required; you will need to complete the Final Transcript survey.

Different colleges handle this process in a variety of ways. Summer Welcomes, Orientation, Virtual Meetings, In-Person Meetings with an advisor, etc. The first semester someone is attending college typically requires assistance from an advisor to choose the classes. High school counselors cannot advise on what the student should take in college; it is not our expertise. The college advisors are the best person for this process.

Some colleges opened housing earlier in the school year, and others combine housing with committing/enrolling. Watch the individual student portal for communications, forms and instructions to housing requirements and deadlines.

If you have chosen an apprenticeship, be sure to get all the information you need to begin the first day. Do you need to have your own equipment? Is there a dress code or requirements about what you wear such as safety shoes, or other necessary considerations.

Be sure to have the contact name, email and address to provide for the final transcript survey. Apprenticeships require proof of graduation that the final transcript provides.

If you have chosen the military for your post high school plan, be sure to get all the information you need to plan for the day you will leave to start your enlistment.

Be sure to have the contact name, email and address of your recruiter to provide for the final transcript survey. The Military requires proof of graduation that the final transcript provides.

If you are choosing employment as your post-high school plan, be sure you have all the information you need to begin the first day, if you have not already started working. Do you need to have any equipment or tools? Is there a dress code or other requirements? Find out if the employer requires proof of graduation.

You are required to complete the final transcript survey.

ALL three of these surveys are required by Parkway. For details on the Final Transcript Survey - read the above information.

Students should complete the District and Tech surveys now, and the Final Transcript Survey once they have committed to their plans for the Fall.

• South High Final Transcript Survey - click here
• Parkway District Survey - click here
• South High Technology Survey re: Chromebook - click here

Student's Final Transcript is used as proof of graduation, and a record of all their courses, grades and credits for high school credit.

• A Final Transcript is required by all colleges, even community colleges and technical colleges.
• Military recruiters require a letter of graduation verification by Ms Seuc. In her communication, she includes a final transcript.
• Apprenticeships require a final transcript
• NAIA requires a final transcript.
• If a student is taking summer classes at a different college than where they will attend in the fall, a final transcript is needed.
• Some employers require a final transcript.

How does a student request the sending of their final transcript?

All seniors are required to complete the Final Transcript Google Form for Ms Seuc to initiate the process of the final transcript being sent. Seniors should completed this form by May 6th.

Final transcripts are not sent by email requests; only by the senior completing the official Google Form.

• The final transcript survey should not be confused with a student activities project to hang banners in the commons. It is not for the same purpose.

Colleges and universities typically send out automated messages (emails, texts, prompts in portals, etc.) starting in April to students who are enrolled as freshmen reminding students about the need for a final transcript to be sent.

• These are automated messages and do not mean that the college or university has not received your final transcript and proof of graduation. If the student completed the Senior final transcript survey, the final transcript will be sent by the end of May. If a student is finishing up graduation requirements this summer, and has completed the final transcript survey, a final transcript will be sent after summer school has finished.
• If the new graduate is not sure, they can first look in their individual portal to their university to see if the final transcript has been uploaded and processed.
• It is common for universities and colleges to have a delay up to several weeks between receiving the final transcript, uploading it and updating the student's account. Unfortunately they may continue to send automated messages until the processing is complete.
• Remember: Colleges and universities are working with a large volume of transcripts this time of year. Sending additional transcripts is not helpful, if the transcript has been sent, as it puts more burden on the college and university's data systems.

• The last eligibility requirement for the A+ Scholarship is graduation! Students' status remains "ineligible" until after graduation, even if you have met all the other criteria.
• If you have met all the A+ eligibility requirements, the A+ eligibility seal will be clearly visible on the official final transcript prior to being sent to any college. This is how the college verifies eligibility.
• For students meeting all the categories to be eligible for the A+ program, their official transcript will have a permanent A+ seal with the dates of eligibility.
• A+ funds are available for up to four years from graduation. There are some restrictions.
• The college will provide forms, usually online, for the student to complete to initiate the transfer of the A+ scholarship funds. The funds cannot be used without this step.

• If you have met all the criteria for the A+ program, there is no paperwork for South High that needs to be completed. However, the MO Department of Higher Education, which provides the A+ scholarship funding, does require paperwork/online forms to be completed for the funds to be distributed and used for your education.
• Be sure to be diligent with the communications from your college and their financial aid office. Be sure to check your college portal as often the links to the forms are in the portal.
• Most schools that are using A+ funds, will make the online forms available in the student's portal, after the college has received the official final transcript with the A+ eligibility seal. The final transcript is sent after graduation. The process is generated by the student completing the South High Final Transcript Survey.
• If a student does not complete the forms by the deadline, they can still use A+ funds, but would be required to pay the tuition invoice, then complete the forms, and then wait to be reimbursed after the college has received the A+ funding from the Missouri Department Higher Education Department.

One of the requirements for the A+ Scholarship is FAFSA Completion.

• If you will be attending community college or technical/trade college beginning Fall 2024, you will need to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA.
• If you will be attending community college for Summer 2024 and using A+ funding, you will need to complete the 2023-2024 FAFSA.
• Summer is considered as part of the 2023-2024 school year.

Some 4 year universities offer what they call an "A+ Scholarship". Not many schools offer their own A+ scholarship.

• Technically this is not an A+ Scholarship Program as the funding does not come from the Missouri Department of Higher Education, as A+ funds are only available to 2 year colleges (community & technical/trade. It is actually a university's own scholarship based on A+ eligibility.
• To be eligible for any A+ Scholarship given by a college or university, you must have completed all the criteria for A+ eligibility, have the A+ seal on your official transcript AND complete the college's A+ Scholarship application. If you do not do all of these steps, you will not be eligible.

If a student has earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in one more language, the information is listed as part of their transcript. This is under the "State Seals" section with the date earned and specific language or languages.

• Students receive one free AP Score Report to be sent to a College.
• Remember that AP scores are used for placement or credit, so there is no risk with the Score Report containing all your scores from all your AP exams, as this is for credit, not admission.
• Your AP scores will be available and sent by mid-July. Colleges are used to the information not being received until July, as is when the AP scores have always been available.
• The deadline to request your AP Score Report be sent for free is June 20, 2024.
• You will use your myap.collegeboard.org account to request your score report.
• Colleges will only accept your AP Score Report directly from the College Board. High schools, including South High, cannot send your AP Score Report.

• Sign into your College Board/AP account at myap.collegeboard.org
• Go to the "MyAP" section
• Go to the "Scores" tab
• Click on "View Scores"
• Click on the "Send Your Scores for Free"
• Then "Designate Free Score Send"
• Choose the College to receive your one free AP Score Report
• Save

Click for screenshots

To order any additional AP Score Reports, the cost is $15 for standard delivery (7-14 business days) or $25 for rush delivery (5-9 business days).

Any dual credit courses you had enrolled in are not on your Parkway transcript. South High cannot send proof of any credit you earned through the dual credit partnerships. Colleges only accept credit through a transcript sent directly from the university that granted the credit to the university you will attend. At the end of the school year, once the university has updated the grades and transcripts, you will need to request a transcript be sent to the university or college you will be attending.

• If requesting a transcript prior to graduation/grades being updated by the university, be sure to check the box "after grades have posted", otherwise the transcript sent will not have all of your dual credit courses on the transcript and you will need to request and pay for a second transcript to be sent.
• If the university does not have a "box" to wait on finalized grades, the student should wait until after graduation to request the transcript so it will include all the grades from the 2023-2024 school year.
• If you want an unofficial copy for your records, you can order that, too. There will most likely be a charge for all transcripts ordered. Colleges will not accept a transcript from you. They will need the official transcript from the college directly.

• After Graduation
• OR if you request prior to graduation, be sure you are requesting the transcript to be sent AFTER all grades are finalized on the college transcript
• If the college has an "after grades have posted" box, it is safe to request prior to graduation, if not, it is best to wait until graduation to ensure the transcript is complete.

Many of our dual credit offerings are full year classes, no matter when registration took place. That means that the grade is a combination of both semesters. If the class was a semester class, the grade is based on that one semester.

Here are the websites to request a transcript:

Maryville University - Click here

Missouri State University - Click here

Saint Louis Community College - Click here

Saint Louis University - Click here

University of Missouri - Saint Louis - Click here

*There may be a fee for the transcript and could be a "sending fee" also. This varies by university.

If you are planning to play college sports for NAIA or NCAA Division 1 or 2, an official final transcript is required. The request to have the transcript sent is part of the Final Transcript Survey for South High.

Please know that you must already have an account set up with NCAA and/or NAIA in order for a final transcript to be processed with these athletic organizations.

If you have questions about college athletics, you can contact the South High Athletic Director, Mr Matt Roach.

NCAA Division 1 and 2 require any student who will be playing NCAA sports to complete the Final Amateurism Certificate and revisit and update their NCAA account, especially the "sports" section.

NAIA requires ACT/SAT scores. If you have not yet sent official ACT or SAT scores, log into your ACT or College Board account, request scores to be sent to NAIA and pay the ACT or SAT score report fee.

You will want a copy of your unofficial final transcript for your own records. You have access to download an unofficial transcript until Friday, July 26, 2024. Seniors and parents/guardians can access the unofficial transcript to download or print from their Infinite Campus account. Students should download between graduation and June 26.

Beyond for your own records, unofficial transcripts are often used for car insurance, internships, fraternity/sorority recruitment, scholarships, or other memberships.

• Log into your Infinite Campus account
• Select Students
• Click on Reports
• Click on Parkway Unofficial Transcript
• Print or download a copy for your records

• Seniors and parents/guardians of seniors will receive information from the district technology department about access to Parkway email. Seniors will have access to their Parkway email to read emails longer than they have access to send emails.
• Seniors will be able to send emails from their Parkway Gmail through the end of May.
• Students will be able to log in and read email for a year. This should help with seniors being able to update any accounts with a current email in case the account is linked with their Parkway school email address.

Seniors will have access to their Parkway Google Drive for one year. This allows them time to transfer the documents they would like to keep or use to another account.

Just like the email, parents and seniors will be receive an email from the Parkway Technology Department with detailed information.

Students and parents/guardians of seniors will have access to their Infinite Campus account until July 31, 2024.

• Colleges are not informed by the high school if a student has an IEP or Section 504 plan.
• Colleges and universities are not bound by the same requirements that primary and secondary schools are for meeting student's educational needs.
• If a student is interested in pursuing accommodations in college, they should meet with their college's office that would serve students' needs. The office might be called an Access Office, or Student Service Office, Students Disabilities Office, or it could be another name. You would need to reach out, set up an appointment and have a copy of your last high school IEP or Section 504 plan, and if you have a 504 plan, a copy of your official diagnosis to share with the college.
• High schools and school employees are not allowed to send IEPs or 504 plans to or share the information with a university, only the student, or their parent, can give this information to a college or university.
• The college will review the documents you provide and determine what they can offer. Whatever accommodations they approve for their individual college, will be communicated by the university . The responsibility of implementing the accommodations is the student's responsibility.
• Colleges are much more open to accommodations that are supported by documentation than ten years ago.

• 11% of all college students register a disability with their college or university according to the National Center on Education Statistics in 2021.

• Most universities do not modify classes.

• Universities and colleges are willing to approve accommodations; each institution will determine what accommodations can be offered based on documentation and the impact on the educational integrity..

• The laws are very different from K-12 to higher education

• Colleges and universities must provide accessibility, but are not required to provide accommodations that would alter the educational program or academic requirements that are essential to the study or to fulfill the educational or licensing requirements, according to information provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s legal information.

More information can be found at the US Department of Education’s website in cooperation with the Office for Civil Rights by clicking here.

Most colleges communicate initially through an email students used when applying. After that point, most use a portal account that the student must set up.

For example St Louis Community College, like most 4 year colleges, assigns a student ID and a temporary password for the student to set up their account. Once the student has set up their college account, all communication comes through this college account, as well as a task list, and for some the financial aid information, etc.

Colleges usually also provide a student email that students should begin using, which means checking the inbox of the email account.

Be sure to follow through with setting up your account so you are well informed and ready for Fall 2024.

The soon to be graduate is the person who should be communicating with the college, employer, or recruiter. This is good practice for the fall when it will be the college student who will be required to communicate in-person, by phone call and/or email for all aspects of their education, and related needs. It will be the graduate who will need to work with the military officers, apprenticeship leaders, or employer.

Congratulations on your future plans!

College for some is a continuation of success, but for other students it can be a time for a fresh start. For the best outcome, whether you have chosen the military, work or college, there are a few keys to success. They are: personal responsibility, communication, time management, attention to detail, being willing to seek assistance, using your resources, doing your best, and not giving up.

For those attending college, typically it is advised that for every one hour you spend in the classroom, you will need two or more hours for study. A shift in the amount of time in class from high school to college, more responsibility on the student for academic progress, and fewer opportunities for grades can be an adjustment. Remember that if you have a bad academic day, tomorrow is a new day and you can start with your goal again.

Don't forget that your tuition pays for services for students. Check to see if your university or college has an academic center, tutoring, physical and mental health services for students that are included, or if there is a nominal fee.

Scholarships are available and open to college students of all levels. Sometimes we only focus on a scholarship search for incoming freshmen, but the opportunities do not end there.

During their time in college, students can continue to look for scholarships within these suggested sources:

• The college or university they are attending. There can be general merit scholarships, or department scholarships.
• If the student is transferring to another college or university, there are transfer student merit, automatic and need-based scholarships.
• Local scholarships through employers and organizations
• My Scholarship Central has scholarships from students that are from Missouri, or the St Louis Metro area no matter where the student is attending college. Click here to create an account.
• National scholarship search websites such as FastWeb, Sallie Mae, the College Board's Big Future and others.

It is not uncommon that a student changes their mind about the path they have chosen. Maybe they started the "straight to work" path, but with some time and experience decide they want to enroll in a class or two, or begin in a training program. Or, they chose one university and find that it is not a good "fit and match" for them, so they either stay and apply to transfer for Fall 2025 or apply and attend a community college for spring semester while they find a better school for them either in the fall or Fall 2026.

These scenarios happen because students continue to grow and know themselves better, which sometimes means a change of plans. See the "requesting transcripts" section for more information on the process for graduates.

The FAFSA is required for each year a student is seeking federal and state financial aid, and may be required by the university or athletic department to be considered for financial aid.

FAFSA plans to return to opening the FAFSA on October 1st for the 2025-2026 school year.

Students and parents will go through the same process, but if they have fled this year, they will already have their FSA ID and account.

Students and parents sometimes forget that finding scholarships is not just a high school senior year opportunity. Each year a student is in college is an opportunity to find and apply for scholarships from the college, the community and scholarship sites.

Your records remain at South High for one year after graduation. You would request a transcript for the "new" college through the request form on the South High Counseling page. Here is a link to the page. This form will be available beginning June 1, 2023.

This transcript request does not replace the Final Transcript Google Form that should be used for your original college choice. This option is for students who have a new request for a transcript.

After June 1, 2024, your records are transferred out of South High. To request a transcript, you must go through the Parkway district student services office. Please call 314-415-9062 or 314-415-9063 for assistance or use the Parkway website page for more information.

For questions, please contact Ms Seuc by email, or students can make an appointment for during the school day, schedule through the AcLab mod scheduler, or drop in to see if she is free at that time.

Parkway South High Counseling Department

Robin Seuc, College & Career Counselor

Instagram @pshcollegecounseling

Email & Website