WHS College & Career Center News

September 2023

Important Dates & Information

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Important Dates

August 29: First Day of Classes

September 4: Labor Day - No school

September 20: Curriculum Night

September 21: Senior Family College Nights (English & Spanish - See below)

September 27: Professional Growth Wednesday (Early Release)

October 11: PSAT & SAT School Day

October 13: Statewide In-Service - No School

October 13: PSAT at Wilsonville High School (See below)

October 24: Paying for College Webinar - English (Statewide) (See below)

October 26: Paying for College Webinar - Spanish (Statewide) (See below)

November 2: Senior FAFSA Night

Google Classroom

We'd like to remind students and families about the Grade Level Google Classrooms, maintained by the Counseling Department. Students and families will find announcements and information ranging from job postings to college and career information to mental health resources.

Once a student joins using the join code below, they are able to invite their guardians to join.

12th Grade (Class of 2024): 3vifzqz

11th Grade (Class of 2025): ujbz6xc

10th Grade (Class of 2026): 3wugnvo

9th Grade (Class of 2027): cnwkubm

Information for the Class of 2024

Senior Planning

The counseling department works with students at each grade level in the area of planning for life after high school. The School Counselors and College and Career Coordinator will be visiting senior Life Class classrooms the weeks of September 11 and September 18 to share information about next steps. Students will receive information about college applications (process and deadlines), SAT/ACT testing, and using Naviance during the application process and for career research.

During the final week of September, students who indicate that they are applying to college will be assembled for small group meetings to learn about processes specific to their applications..

Those who indicate that they have other plans or interests or would like to research other options will also have the opportunity to work with their counselor and Teri Willard in the College & Career Center.

Senior Family College Night

Seniors and their families are invited to join the counseling department for our Senior Family College Night events on Thursday, September 21.Topics of interest will include finalizing your list of colleges, application deadlines and types, SAT/ACT, how to apply, and how to use Naviance Student during the admission process.

The event will be presented to our Spanish speaking families in -person at 5:30 in the WHS College & Career Center.

Information will be presented in English at 7:00 p.m. in a webinar format. A link to the webinar will be sent out in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions, please contact your school counselor or Teri Willard.

College Related Opportunities & Events

SAT & PSAT School Day - October 11 & October 13

This fall, Wilsonville High School will once again offer the PSAT and the SAT School Day. The tests will be administered on Wednesday, October 11 for the SAT and Friday, October 13 for the PSAT. This is the only date that these tests will be offered at Wilsonville High School. Read below for details regarding registration and taking the tests.

PSAT: The PSAT is a practice version of the SAT. This test can be useful for college bound sophomores and juniors who plan on taking the SAT (please note that not all colleges require the SAT). To learn more about the PSAT, please take a look at the College Board website: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10. To register for the PSAT, students can stop by the Bookkeeper’s office, or visit the Web Store. The fee to take the PSAT is $18.

SAT School Day: This administration is for SENIORS only. Any senior who plans on applying to a college that requires the SAT, is invited to register for this test date. Seniors should check the websites of the colleges to which they will apply (or chat with Mrs. Willard or their school counselor) to find out if the SAT is required. Again, not all colleges are requiring the SAT as part of their admissions requirements. . To register for the SAT School Day, students can stop by the Bookkeeper’s office, or visit the Web Store. The fee to take the SAT is $60.

The SAT is also offered on Saturdays in October, November and December at schools around the area (not at WHS). For more information about the SAT, in general, please visit the college Board website: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat.

Registration deadlines for both tests are September 11. Please contact Teri Willard with questions willardt@wlwv.k12.or.us or 503-673-7628.

College Rep Visits

Each Fall reps from colleges all over the country visit Wilsonville High School to share the best traits of their respective institution. These visits take place during the school day and are the perfect time for juniors and seniors to learn more about some of these schools. Students are encouraged to log into Naviance to check the list often. Juniors and seniors can sign up for college visits through Naviance if they are interested in being invited to any of these sessions.

The list is growing daily, but here are a few that we have scheduled:

9/25 San Diego State University

9/26 University of Chicago

9/26 Boston University

9/28 Loyola Marymount- Virtual

9/28 Southern Oregon University

9/28 Portland State University

9/29 Oregon State University

10/2 Lewis & Clark College

10/9 Gonzaga University

10/9 Scripps College

10/10 Chapman University

10/10 University of Hawaii and Manoa

10/10 University of San Francisco

10/12 Central Oregon Community College

10/12 University of Washington- Seattle

10/12 Seattle University

10/16 Oregon Institute of Technology

10/18 Portland State University

10/18 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10/19 Pacific University

10/23 University of Puget Sound

10/26 University of Redlands

10/27 Pepperdine University

11/13 Portland State University

Paying for College

Paying for College Webinars

Sponsored and presented by The College Place and the Oregon Association of School Financial Aid Administrators (OASFAA), Paying for College workshops are offered in a webinar format; families can register individually and participate from the privacy of their homes.

Tuesday, October 24th at 6:30 pm (in English) register at: https://bit.ly/PFCE2023

Thursday, October 26th at 6:30 pm (in Spanish) register at: https://bit.ly/PFCP2023

Participants will be able to use the Q & A function to ask personal questions, which will be answered by some of Oregon's financial aid administrators. Questions may be asked anonymously, so that families feel comfortable asking those hard questions!

College Scholarships

Scholarship applications for the class of 2024 will start becoming numerous in late fall, and many will be posted in Naviance and in this newsletter as they become available. Students are welcome to start their search for scholarships by visiting some popular search engines now. Some of our favorites:

Two currently open scholarships are:

Beat The Odds Scholarship: This fall, Stand for Children will award $16,000 college scholarships to five or more outstanding students who have “Beat the Odds.” The scholarship is $4,000 per year, renewable for up to four years provided the recipient maintains a 3.0 GPA or better, completes 12 or more credits each term, and funding is available.

Scholarship applicants must demonstrate that they:

Be a student enrolled in an Oregon public high school, who will graduate in 2024.
Have a 3.0 GPA. Students with a GPA between 2.5 and 2.9 may be considered if their transcript shows marked improvement in recent terms.
Plan to earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited 4-year college in the United States. (Note: Scholarships cannot be applied at community college. Awardees who opt to attend a community college will have their awards held until they are ready to transfer.)
Be able to clearly communicate, both in their written application and in an interview setting, how education and/or their school is helping them overcome obstacles and land on a path to success.
This year, priority consideration will be given to students who will be the very first person in their immediate family to attend a 4-year college. See the FAQ page within the application for details about how we define "first-in-family."
Have a demonstrated financial need.

To apply, visit here: https://stand.org/blog/apply-for-the-beat-the-odds-scholarship/ Deadline will be September 13, 2023!

The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential.

To apply, a student must be:

A high school senior, from at least one of the following ethnicities: African American, American Indian/Alaska Native*, Asian/Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American,

Pell-eligible, A US citizen, national, or permanent resident, In good academic standing with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)

Additionally, a student must plan to enroll full-time, in a four-year degree program, at a US accredited, not-for-profit, private or public college or university.

*For American Indian/Alaska Native, proof of tribal enrollment will be required.

For more information on the application timeline, qualities of an ideal candidate and/or to apply go to: https://www.thegatesscholarship.org

Naviance

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Naviance is a web-based college & career planning resource provided to families by the West Linn Wilsonville School District. Every student at WHS has an account and within that account students are able to research virtually every college and career they could possibly think of! Tools include interest and skills inventories, personality assessments and the careers and majors that match those results.

Seniors who are applying for college use Naviance to keep track of applications, request transcripts, and letters of recommendation. See below to access your student's Naviance account.

Student Log-in to Naviance

Sign in to your school Google account
Go to school website
Click on Naviance under Quick Links
If you have never logged into Naviance on your current computer, it will ask you what school...find Wilsonville High School on the dropdown
Choose your user type: All users should click on Student
Click on the green bar - CONTINUE WITH SINGLE SIGN ON

Parents will follow the same steps...they must log in as the student.

Questions? Contact Teri Willard (willardt@wlwv.k12.or.us or 503-673-7628)

Stay Connected with Your Counseling Team

Stay Connected With Your School Counseling Team

Students and families are encouraged to join their grade-level google classroom and follow us on social media:

12th Grade: 3vifzqz

11th Grade: ujbz6xc

10th Grade: 3wugnvo

9th Grade: cnwkubm

Instagram: @whscollegecareer

College & Career Center webpage: https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/domain/2384

The school counseling team is here to support you! Below are the best ways to connect with us.