• NEW CVHS CUSTOM GOWN!
  
• Brand new this year - for the graduating class of 2025 - CVHS is introducing a new custom cap and gown! (Sibling cap and gowns from previous years cannot be worn. Please reach out to Jostens for questions.)
• Why Should I Order NOW?
  
• Order online by October 9th, to take advantage of your school’s GROUP DISCOUNT PRICING.
• What's the best way to place my order?
  
• Order online by October 9th, accessing the following link: CVHS Online Orders.
• $40 OFF Class Rings!
  
• Place your class jewelry order online by your school's deadline, to get $40 off Class Jewelry Order! (Use promo code: RING40 at checkout. Certain exclusions apply).
• Who do I Contact for Questions?
  
• Please contact our Jostens representative directly with any questions at nils.erickson.office@jostens.com or by calling 303.985.0095.

• Please check in with your advisement teacher to make sure we have the correct information for your diploma. We order them soon!
• On Thursday, September 12, the State Board of Education voted to revise the math cut-score for the Digital SAT from 500 to 480 on the graduation guidelines menu of options for students graduating in 2024-2025 and 2025-26. This change will positively impact approximately 5 - 7% of our current juniors and seniors.
  

• We have lots of college reps visiting Castle View this fall. Reps visit to help students learn more about the college/university, but they are also usually the rep who reads your application and helps you with all steps of the application process. If you list a college in “college I’m applying to” or “colleges I’m thinking about” in Naviance, you will receive an e-mail notification about the visit as soon as it’s scheduled. If you don’t have colleges updated in Naviance, you will have to frequently visit Naviance or the College Visit calendar to check upcoming visits. You must register for each visit in Naviance and pick up your pass the morning of the visit.
• High Point University - Thursday, October 31st at 8:30 AM
• Knox College - Thursday, October 31st at 11:30 AM
• Oklahoma State University-Main Campus - Monday, November 4th at 8:00 AM
• Kansas State University - Monday, November 4th at 1:00 PM
• Savannah College of Art and Design - Tuesday, November 5th at 2:00 PM
• University of Kansas - Thursday, November 7th at 11:00 AM
• Colorado State University-Pueblo - Thursday, November 14th at 11:00 AM
• Early action, early decision and priority deadlines are quickly approaching. Be prepared. Be aware that counselors are inundated with requests and may be out of the building some days. Make sure that you request transcripts with plenty of time in case of emergency! Please make sure that students have completed the following steps:
• Add colleges to "colleges I’m applying to" in Naviance, or Match your account if you applied through Common App.
• Request the transcript in Naviance
• Apply and check the requirements for each college through the college website.
• Test scores are not on the transcript. You'll need to send them directly from ACT or SAT.
• Be aware that if you apply through the Common Application, there are extra required steps.
• Match your common app account in Naviance under "Colleges I'm Applying to"
• Complete the FERPA agreement in Common App
• Mark that you are applying through the common app and not directly to the institution.
• Tell your teachers writing letters of recommendation that you are applying through the common app. They must complete the common app teacher evaluation in Naviance for you.
• If you need a teacher recommendation, please allow 2 weeks for the teacher to complete a well-thought out recommendation. Also, make sure you have requested the teacher recommendation in Naviance AND in person/through email.
• Pay $3 per transcript sent through MySchoolBucks
• Transcripts will not be sent unless all required steps are completed. If your college asks you to print out the transcript request, you do not need to do that. You only need to request the transcript through Naviance.
• The last step is to see Ms. Gentry. Transcripts are not sent without a conversation of what needs to be sent. That way, students always know what was sent and when.
• Optional extra tasks:
• Complete the FAFSA in December.
• Complete any scholarship applications specific to the college.
• Complete the College Opportunity Fund application if you are applying to colleges in Colorado.
• This tool will help you find out how the classes you take, your GPA and test scores compare to Colorado college's and university's admission standards. And, if you choose to attend a technical or community college, you can explore that pathway as well. This information is also available in Naviance.

• South Dakota Mines is waiving the application fee for students from October 1 - November 30th. Apply here.

• SUNY is excited to bring back Free Application Week! Beginning Monday, October 21st, and ending Sunday, November 3rd, students can apply to up to five SUNY campuses with no application fee! This includes all campuses, no matter which application vehicle the student uses. Details are available here: www.suny.edu/apply
  

• College - Yes You Can!

  A bilingual informational event for the Hispanic community.

  Tuesday, Nov. 12 | 6 - 8 p.m.
  In person at OSU-Tulsa or online via Zoom
  For high school students, their families and anyone thinking about college.
  

  REGISTER HERE

  At this event, students and families will:

  • Hear inspiring stories from recent Hispanic college graduates and young Hispanic professionals.

  • Learn about services and assistance available to succeed in college.

  • Receive information about Oklahoma State University and how to be an OSU Cowboy, including admissions and financial aid resources. This session is also open to students considering transferring to OSU.

  
  

• 2025-26 Updates:

• Could open December 1st (not set in stone yet)

• Eligibility: Colorado application for state financial aid for Colorado ASSET students (non-US citizens); students who have lived in the US for 12 months before starting at college, attended a CO high school for 1 year before graduation. If student has a financial need, regardless of their ASSET status should complete CAFSA (even if not meeting the above criteria).

• ASSET (Advancing Students for a Stronger Tomorrow)- will pay instate tuition at CO colleges/universities; can be awarded the Colorado Student Grant depending on financial need through completion of the CASFA.

Step One - Create an FSA ID

• Students and parents login to Federal Student Aid to complete the FAFSA. Set this up early to avoid delays. Parents without a social security number can set this up as well. Colorado School of Mines has information on their website to answer common questions and troubleshoot issues: 2025-2026 FAFSA Information - Financial Aid.

• Like any website, it is overwhelming at first, but even 5 minutes clicking around can really help you get familiar with what resources are available.

Step Three - FAFSA completion

• Double check that you have fully completed the FASFA. Ensuring all required fields are filled out can help give you a piece of mind that you are on the track for higher education.

The FAFSA will be fully available in December. We recommend starting the application by late December and completing it as soon as possible. Many schools have a priority deadline to award aid so students should not delay. March 1 is the priority FAFSA deadline at Mines. Even if you do not think they will qualify for any aid, we encourage all incoming students to complete the FAFSA for their first year.

At Gap Year Solutions, we have long focused on helping teens build life skills, and be better prepared to walk on to a college campus and have an amazing and successful four years (yes, FOUR – not five or six years!) Now, we are adding focus on "professional skills", and are beyond excited to announce the availability of LaunchPoint!

LaunchPoint is a 4 week live, interactive, online course focusing squarely on helping young adults build the essential professional skills needed to succeed in post-secondary and business settings. We were inspired to build LaunchPoint as a direct result of our Gap Year internship placement service which we began offering a couple years ago. We found that many of our internship candidates lacked the basic skills necessary to perform well in a workplace.

More than being ready for an internship, mastering professional skills helps students stand out to all future employers, improve confidence, adapt to changing environments, and work well with others. Employers point out that younger candidates often lack basic professional skills and mastery of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management. Although GenZ is technically savvy, this reliance on technology has led to a lapse in certain soft skills that are often necessary for growth and success in the business world.

LaunchPoint will consist of a series of modules taught online by a live instructor in a group setting. The course will cover:

• Building a professional presence (essentials of an impactful resume and online presence, e.g., LinkedIn)
• Essentials in professional communication (verbal communication and listening, and written and non-verbal skills)
• Time management and prioritization techniques
• Professional interviewing and preparation
• Empowerment and personal success, including building relationships, sourcing internships, setting goals, and introduction to personal branding and messaging
• Mastery challenge (an optional personal “story” video highlighting unique strengths and business skillsets)

The LaunchPoint course is available to high school juniors and seniors, Gap Year students after high school and in college, and college students. Basically, we welcome any 16-22 year old who would like to improve their ability to perform well in a professional environment!

We are enrolling now for the session taking place November 12, 2024 – December 17, 2024. Sessions will be held at 7:00pm ET on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Interested school counselors, IECs, students, and parents can find more information here, and email us at hello@gapyearsolutions.com with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

• The required tasks for all seniors are:

• Create/Update a Resume. If you need to create one, use this website. Otherwise, update your resume, download as a PDF and upload to Naviance.
• Complete AchieveWorks® Learning & Productivity assessment from 9th grade
• Complete Career Interest Profiler from 10th grade
• Identify 3 favorite careers
• Add colleges to my list
• Complete AchieveWorks® Skills from 11th grade
• Senior Credit Check With Counselor
• Create a 12th Grade Post-Secondary Workforce Goal. What do you want to do after high school?

• Use the Naviance tool "SuperMatch college search" under the colleges tab. This tool allows students to search for specific interests and narrow down their college options. Students can then make a list of their appropriate choices.

• The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has scholarship opportunities for high school students. The Cooke College Scholarship is available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need. The application deadline is November 14th through the Common App.
• The Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) is an annual competition that provides high school students, grades 9-12, the opportunity to work on real world engineering challenges in a team environment. Each year, student teams will be asked to address a challenge that confronts our nation's leading industries. Deadline to register is November 25th. For more information and to register, visit the website.
  
• The Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr. Scholarship for Young Hispanic Leaders seeks to recognize Hispanic students who share Dr. Andrade’s lifelong commitment to servant leadership. Recipients will receive a non-renewable scholarship – a complementary registration to attend the 2024 USHLI National Conference and an academic scholarship ($1,000 for a 4-year institution or $500 for a 2-year institution) for undergraduate students. The application is due November 30, 2024, at 11:59 PM CT. Click here for more information.
• Each year, Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers awards two scholarships to innovative and highly creative high school and college students. We seek essay submissions from students who are creative thinkers and problem solvers. Whether you are a star in your local community, an aspiring leader, a tech whiz, an engineer or a creative writer, we want to hear from you. Deadline to apply is December 1st.
  

• IT TAKES MORE THAN FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO REACH COLLEGE GRADUATION.

  That’s why the Dell Scholars program was designed to provide a support system for the challenges many students face while pursuing a degree. Even so, we recognize that college costs can be a significant burden for many students and their families. Nationally, 500 Dell Scholars are selected each year to receive a scholarship plus lots of non-monetary supports. Application deadline is December 1st.

• National Driving and Traffic School is proud to announce their 2024 scholarship opportunity, entitled “In the Driver’s Seat.” The company is seeking to reward essay applicants $10,000 in scholarships- for students entering college or already enrolled in a higher education institution – on the topic of being a safer driver. The topic of this year's essay submissions deals with the serious implications of being a driver. The deadline is March 31st.