Post-Secondary Counseling

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Some seniors are beginning to solidify their plans for life after high school, and we are continuing the bell-ringing tradition! The idea is to celebrate all students as they finalize their post-secondary plans—whether that means college, trade school, entering the workforce, or another path. Students who have committed to a college, or another path after high school, may ring the bell in the Mezzanine during lunch. Just be sure to check-in check in with one of the Post-Secondary staff first. Otherwise, on May 1st we will host a National Decision Day photo op on the front stairs with plenty of bell ringing!

Advice for students who are hearing back from their applications:

• If you are accepted, that is wonderful news. Celebrate your accomplishment, but please also be aware that some of your friends may not be getting the same good news. Please be sensitive with how you discuss or celebrate your acceptance(s). Also, we recommend that you send a thank you note to the teachers who wrote your letters of recommendation.

• If you are denied, please know that a denial does not define who you are or who you will be. Oftentimes, it is a pure numbers game, or, in some cases, the school really wasn’t a good fit for you. You, undoubtedly, will have choices of where to attend.

• If you are deferred from Early Action or Early Decision or waitlisted, you will want to meet with your Post-Secondary counselor to discuss next steps.

• Check your email and college portals frequently to make sure you don't miss any potential deadlines for additional documentation.

• Nearly every college or university offers its own institution-based scholarships. Check the financial aid webpages for each of your top schools to see what's available.

• Please remember to update your application outcomes in SCOIR as you hear back from schools!

Haven’t applied yet? It’s not too late! There are many colleges and universities that are still accepting applications. Schedule a meeting with Karen Hawkes (A-K) or Brennan Dignan (L-M) so that we can support you.

Trade and Technical Schools, Apprenticeships, and Certificate Programs. Of course, not every student will be pursuing a traditional four-year degree. If this is the case for you, please schedule an Individual Meeting with Karen Hawkes (A-K) or Brennan Dignan (L-M) so that we can start putting together a plan based on your interests.

-Karen, Brennan and Susanne

• Tom Peirce & Melanie Peirce Brown Memorial Scholarship

• Harley Baldwin Memorial Scholarship (1st Gen)

• Jerome Hatem Memorial Scholarship (Rugby player)

• Fast Forward Scholarship (trade school or two-year program)

Click here for ACF information and application links. Deadline, February 21

• Regarding letters of recommendation for this application, simply upload a dummy doc stating "I do not have access to my letters of recommendation. Susanne Morrison will email my letters directly to Scott Kenner/ACF."

2025/26 FAFSA application is open. Seniors hoping to receive need-based financial aid should submit as soon as possible. Click here for FAFSA and Financial Aid Tips. Colorado Mountain College offers free, 1:1 FAFSA completion support for Aspen High School families. Use this link to schedule an appointment.

IMPORTANT: We’d like to remind seniors (and parents of seniors) who have submitted/are submitting FAFSA to download your FAFSA submission summary report as a PDF and also save your login information. It is not only a good practice to have your FAFSA summary and login info on file, but doing so may safeguard your information if there are any changes to the Department of Education. Please also double check that all of your colleges/universities list are indicated in FAFSA so that they will receive your Submission Summary.

• To download your FAFSA Submission Summary: Log in to your StudentAid.gov account, navigate to the "My Activity" section, select your processed 2025/26 FAFSA submission, and then click "View FAFSA Submission Summary"; you can then download the document as a PDF by using the print option in your browser and selecting "Save as PDF".

Las solicitudes para becas locales ya están abiertas. Los estudiantes y padres deben consultar la página web de Becas Locales para obtener más información, incluido el cronograma, las descripciones de las becas y los enlaces a las solicitudes, así como para programar una "Sesión de Ayuda para Becas Locales" con Susanne. Información sobre becas en español.

Post-Secondary Counseling at Aspen High School is supported by the Aspen Education Foundation.