Happy Fall from the Counseling Department!

We hope that you and your student have settled back in to the school routine and are off to a great start with the new school year.

The Counseling Department has been busy ensuring that students are set up for success this school year.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

College application season is in full swing! Check HERE for a suggested senior checklist of steps to take in the college application process.

We hope Seniors and their families have found time to explore the College Application Lauchpad and join Ms. Anderle and Ms. Davis for the 12th Grade Parent online event on The College Application Process and Financial Aid. (slide presenations and a video recording of the event are linked below)

There are still a few SENIOR WORKSHOPS happening in October during Lunch in the Counseling Office, Room 2003.

On Oct. 8th and Oct. 21, Seniors will have the opportunity to work on Post-HS Planning Tasks during one of their class periods each day.

The West Counseling Team is hosting a series of informational sessions for Seniors covering a variety of College Application topics. Sessions are held in the Counseling Office (Room 2003) during lunch.

See below for a list of remaning sessions:

Tuesday, 10/5 - Letters of Recommendation

Wednesday, 10/6 - Ordering Transcripts and Test Scores

Friday, 10/8 - Financial Aid & Scholarships

Seniors are required to set up a Parchment account in order to request official West High School transcripts.

Students will have to send transcripts for initial application, a mid year report and a final report at the end of their senior year.

It is the student's responsiblity to send transcripts via Parchment. School Counselors do not send transcripts.

The direct link to West's Parchment page can be found HERE.

12th grade students (with their parent/guardians) are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as early as possible. The window opens October 1, 2021.

There are a number of local events happening in October and November to help students and their families complete the FAFSA application, please see below for more info:

It will take more than good luck and best intentions to pay for college. You need a plan of action, and it should include College Goal Wisconsin!

College Goal Wisconsin is affiliated with a national event that provides free information and assistance to families who need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) the federally required form for students seeking financial aid, such as grants and loans.

Completing the FAFSA is the first and most important step in qualifying for aid.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available on October 1, 2021 for the 2022-2023 year. The FAFSA is available at studentaid.gov.

College Goal Wisconsin provides free information and assistance to families completing the FAFSA. This year, College Goal Wisconsin is offering both in-person and virtual FAFSA Completion Events. College Goal Wisconsin 2021 Fall Flyer

To register for a FAFSA Completion Event or to request additional information, please refer to collegegoalwi.org.

Students can access a database of local scholarships within the Xello platform. This resource can be found under the "College Planning" tab in Xello.

ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS

UW HELP is offering one-on-one sessions for students wanting assistance completing the online application for admission, looking for general information about a specific UW campus, or seeking guidance with the admissions process. Students can go online and schedule a 15-minute session with one of UW HELP’s Outreach Specialists.

To schedule a one-on-one session, please use the link below:
https://calendly.com/uwhelp/session

UW HELP OFFICE HOURS

UW HELP is hosting online Office Hours every Tuesday at 3:45 PM. During this time, students can drop in and ask questions about the online application or the general admissions process. Registration is not required.

Students are welcome to stop in during Office Hours using the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82307518459?pwd=Z0M0MVRadGovZFY5VG9JTVlac3Z3UT09

UW HELP will be hosting a virtual Fall 2022 Campus Panel featuring a panel of UW System campus representatives to discuss all things Fall 2022. Join us to learn more about updates to admissions, financial aid, and much more. Prospective students and families are encouraged to attend. Registration is required.

Fall 2022 Campus Panel with UW-Eau Claire, UW-Madison, UW-Parkside, UW-River Falls, and UW-Stevens Point

• Thursday, October 21st at 3:00 PM - Register Here

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k1TUSVcUQxeBQw0WP7G4bg

Thousands of high school students joined us this summer for Workshop Wednesdays to learn more about applying to college. Our live events have ended, but students can still benefit from the recorded events. There's a range of topics all aimed at making the college search process a bit easier.

1. What is a Liberal Arts College?
2. Writing a College Essay
3. Navigating Financial Aid
4. Getting Your Letter of Recommendation
5. Filling out the Common Application
6. Mac Admissions and Financial Aid Deep Dive (U.S. & Int'l)

These workshops are for any student looking for motivation and inspiration as they get closer to applying to college (interest in Macalester is not required).

Planning for the next step on your journey can be overwhelming. You might not know where to go or how to start. And that’s okay. It’s important to remember that while everyone’s journey to college and career follows a unique path, there are things you can do to make the best decisions about your future.

Join us for this free virtual event to learn from experts how to prepare for college and career—from finding scholarships to transitioning to life on campus. We’re here to help guide you along the way.

Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021

Sign up to be notified when registration opens.

All Juniors will take the ACT at West March 8, 2022

Membership

Students interested in being considered for membership in the National Honor Society at West need the following:

• earned a total of at least 45 service hours by the end of the first semester of their Junior year.

• earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50

• demonstrated their character and leadership through a clean school record.

NOTE: All eligible Juniors will receive letters about NHS early in second semester.

Click HERE for more info and a link to the service form

Beginning in December, Juniors will be asked to make an appointment with their counselor for their Junior Conference. During this conference, your student's counselor will review the following items with your student:

• Transcript/credit review
• Course selection for senior year
• Resume and/or activities log
• Career interests
• Post-high school plans

Students and parents will be emailed a conference summary and a timeline of steps to take in the post-secondary planning process.

More information on how to sign up for a Junior Conference will be shared with students later this fall.

If you are a Sophomore, this is a great time to start earning some volunteer hours, even virtually! Find something you enjoy. Perhaps it's an organization you feel passionate about, a future career interest area, a hobby or activity you enjoy and find out what options are available for volunteering.

Volunteer hours look great on a resume, applying for scholarships and eventually college applications.

Here are a few volunteer websites to check out:

• https://www.countyofdane.com/volunteer
• https://www.rsvpdane.org/
• https://www.cityofmadison.com/live-work/volunteer-opportunities
• https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/orgs.jsp?l=Madison%2C+WI

Need an easy place to keep track of your volunteer hours? Make a copy of this form!

West Counselors visited all freshman Biology classes on Monday, Sept. 27 to deliver the Freshman 101 Presentation. This was an informational lesson on how to be successful in high school. Topics covered include:

• Transcript Information
• Graduation Requirements
  
• Grade Point Average & How to Calculate a GPA
• Tips on how to be successful in high school
  
• Grade replacement and credit recovery
• How to connect with their School Counselor

Check out the slide presentation HERE (English) or AQUI (Espanol) if you missed it.

College Board's Advanced Placement exam registration period continues to occur in the fall this school year.

What do families need to know?

WHO SHOULD REGISTER?: All MMSD students seeking to take Spring 2022 AP Exams

WHEN IS THE REGISTRATION WINDOW?:

MMSD's registration dates are September 13 – October 24, 2021 for this spring's final exams. Exam fees remain at $110/exam or $143 for Seminar/Research exams, but please note a $40/exam deposit per exam is due at this time. The remaining balance will need to be paid between January and February 24, 2022.

WHERE DO I REGISTER?: Full registration details are found at aptsusa.com/mmsd

WHY SIGN UP IN FALL?: Studies have shown students who commit earlier in the school year have a higher engagement and commitment, as well as an increase in scores of 3 or higher across multiple groups.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION?: Specific registration information regarding MMSD's exam sign up, fee payment and AP updates can be found at HERE

Please contact Joanna Williams jbwilliams2@madison.k12.wi.us with any questions regarding AP exams.

Are you interested in after school tutoring support? West’s Homework Club is open to all students enrolled at West and will begin its 2021-22 operations on Tuesday, September 28th. Here are the details:

When: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (4pm—5:30pm)

Where: 2026 (Resource Hall)

Homework Club provides a safe space, internet access and teacher help upon availability. For more information contact Ms. Mo’ Porter in Room 1131 or by phone at (608) 204-3216 or maporter@madison.k12.wi.us

Badger Precollege is excited to announce a Fall session of our online program for high school students.

College Ready @ Badger Precollege is a holistic program that combines broad college readiness experience with an exploration of analytical skills to help prepare students for college success.

Live online classes will meet Saturday mornings from 9 a.m - 12 p.m on October 23, October 30 & November 6, 2021. Students choose from one of three program courses:

• Intro to Research Skills

• Writing Your College Essay

• Analytical Reasoning

Alongside each course, students learn about college admissions, financial aid, choosing a major and navigating college. It’s all designed to help students hone the skills they’ll need to succeed in college.

Registration is now open and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Register early to get the course you want! Any student in grades 9-12 is welcome to apply.

College Ready Scholarship applications are available to students who qualify for free/reduced lunch. If you qualify, please email info@precollege.wisc.edu for further instructions.

Students will be participating in Academic and Career Planning activities in each grade level throughout their four years at West. Many of these activities happen in content area classes and some activites are directly supported by West's School Counselors.

To find out more about ACP at West, click on the button below.

We are excited to announce families now have access to their scholar’s college and career platform, Xello!

Students use Xello in school in order to help them prepare for the future. It offers students a variety of activities from sixth grade to senior year. These activities help students explore their options to make informed decisions about their future goals and plans.

It’s important for students to take ownership in planning for their future. However, the caring adults in their life play an essential supporting role. Parents/guardians can use Xello’s New Family account to see their child’s work in future-readiness, and discuss and support their future goals and plans.

For more information and helpful resources, click here or reach out to your school’s ACP Coordinator. The link includes information for families on how to log in, navigate their account, and update language preferences.