Central Catholic - Find Your Path

Student Advisory Day presentation: We met with all seniors on September 4 to remind them of important college events and showed them how to sign up for college visits at CC. Click HERE to view the slides.

Classroom check-ins: Ms. Calcagno is presenting to seniors in their Theology classes on September 9 & 10 to explain the college recommendation and transcript request process. Students will link their Common App and Naviance accounts. Click HERE for presentation slides.

Senior College Planning Night: On September 9, seniors and their families learned about what to expect this year and how to plan for the college application process. Click on the links below to hear the presentation and access the slides.

Presentation recording

Presentation Slides - You will find direct links to many items referred to during the presentation.

College essay writing: All senior English teachers will be offering dedicated classroom time and guidance on writing college essays this month.

College Counseling appointment requests: Seniors should request an appointment with Ms. Calcagno through our Counseling Department Assistant Mr. Ruiz. Your school counselor is also knowledgeable about basic college information too.

Seniors are invited to sign up with Remind and get important reminders from us. We will send info about college visits at CC, test registration deadlines, and other college and career-related activities at CC. Some students are already signed up and do not need to do so again. Click HERE to opt-in as a student.

Parents and guardians: We have a limited number of people who can join a class. If you would like to join Remind, please click HERE to opt-in. The same information will be sent out to students and parents/guardians.

Each newsletter will provide suggestions on ways for seniors to learn about different career paths and the education or training needed to pursue them. To get started, Naviance Student offers lots of resources and tools. Select Self-Discovery from the main navigation bar and choose Self-Discovery Home or an assessment from the list. We recommend the Career Key assessment (requires students to log into Naviance). It will help you identify your traits, best-match work environments, and related careers by answering questions about your interests. Students can compare their results with previous assessments and look for common themes.

Seniors are welcome to attend any of all of the optional College Application Drop-in Sessions listed above for dedicated time to work on any applications and received assistance.

College Application Drop-in Sessions - Each month, we will be hosting some sessions for seniors who would like assistance completing their college applications. No sign-up is required. Seniors are welcome to join us this month in the Commons for any or all of the following sessions:

• September 18 from 8:30 to 9:05 am
• September 24 from 2:45 to 3:30 pm
• Every Thursday & Friday morning from 7:25 to 7:55 am

Open Student Life College Application & Essay Sessions - Seniors can opt in to have dedicated time to work on any college application with the help of Ms. Calcagno. Senior English teachers will also be available to review college essays. Sign-ups will take place during Advisory soon. Below are the two different options:

• Quarter 1 sessions will meet on 10/8, 10/15 & 11/5
• Quarter 2 sessions will meet on 1/10 & 1/17

Need recommendation letters? Be sure to link your Common Application to Naviance first. Requests should be made at least four weeks prior to the deadline. Click on the Recommendation Request Process button below for instructions.

Parent/Guardians: We also welcome input from parents/guardians to assist with the counselor recommendations. Click HERE and share input about your senior.

The Common Application is accepted by over 1000 colleges and universities. A complete list of colleges accepting the Common Application can be found HERE. All students started working on the Common App last spring in their English classes. Check out our instructions to completing the Common App. Click HERE to check out Common App's video on how to approach the Activities Section.

In addition to the Common Application, there are a variety of other applications students might choose or be required to submit depending on their college list.

• Coalition Application - Similar to the Common App, students can apply to multiple colleges; however, fewer colleges use this application.
• Common Black College Application - Apply to any of the 66 participating HBCUs for $20.
• System-wide applications - University of California, California State University - this is the only application accepted by these institutions.
• UCAS - The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is the primary method for applying to higher education institutions in the United Kingdom.

Representatives from a variety of four- and two-year colleges and universities will be on campus to meet with students. The admission representative typically presents information about their institution and then allows time for students to ask questions. Students should make the effort to meet with college representatives when they visit CC or host evening receptions. It gives college reps an opportunity to get to know you, answer your specific questions, and lets them know that you are genuinely interested in their institution. It is to your advantage to learn as much as you can about a college before you apply or visit the campus.

• Which colleges are visiting CC? Visits will be advertised in Naviance Student under the "What's New" section, daily announcements, and outside the Counseling Center.
• How do I sign up for a visit? Students sign-up for visits in Naviance Student. Then, pick up a College Visit pass from the Counseling Center and have the teacher sign it at least one day in advance of the scheduled visit.

The fall of senior year is often a good time to visit college campuses while they are in session. Visiting campus is one of the most important steps for students to decide what type of college or specific institution is right for them. Because of this, most colleges offer campus tours, information sessions, or open house events to showcase academic and social life. Whether these events are in-person or online, they should help students visualize themselves thriving on campus. Click HERE for resources on making the most of your campus visit.

While seniors are allowed to miss school time for campus visits, they should try to minimize missing classes whenever possible. The following days are recommended for scheduling a campus visit:

• October 11 (Teacher Inservice Day)
• October 16 (Testing Day for Grades 10 & 11/Frosh Retreat)
• November 6 (Teacher Grading & PD)
• November 11 (Veterans' Day)

Also, I highly recommend A Pocket Guide to Choosing a College: Questions to Ask on Your College Visits. The Guide was created as part of an ongoing public awareness campaign to refocus the national conversation about what constitutes quality in the college experience. You can view it in English or Spanish.

Many colleges are hoping to enroll students from first-generation, lower-income, or various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Traveling to campuses can be extremely expensive, especially for students looking at colleges far from home. College Greenlight compiled a list of over 90 fly-in and diversity programs for eligible students. Click HERE for details.

Can't make it to the college fair in Portland? The virtual college fairs feature hundreds of different colleges and universities from the US and worldwide. Don't miss these free, one-day events for high school students, transfer students, and families. Click below to register for each program and to see the list of participating colleges.

September 15 from 10 am to 3 pm PT

October 13 from 10 am to 3 pm PT

November 3 from 10 am to 3 pm PT

The cost of college can be intimidating for many students and families, but it’s important to know that help is available. Hear from a panel of admissions and financial aid counselors from Coalition intitutions will provide expert advice on making college affordable, securing scholarships and applying for financial aid. Bring along your questions and leave with the tools you need to make financially smart college choices. Registratoin will open soon - HERE. Can’t make it? Register, and they’ll send a recording of the event. Recordings include Spanish captions.

A number of institutions no longer require students to submit ACT/SAT scores to be considered for admission or scholarships including public universities in Oregon, Washington and California. Test Optional can still be a valid choice; however, below are other things to consider...

How does your SAT/ACT score compare to other admitted students? Check out "SAT and ACT Policies and core Ranges for Popular College & Universities" or visit the individual institution's website. If you're in the middle 50% range or higher, it might be in your best interest to submit score. According to Compass Executive Director Bruce Reed "Slowly, the prevailing best practice seems to be trending toward sending scores, when in doubt. In fact, this strategy might be most fitting at schools with exceedingly low acceptance rates." Read more in Bruce's Blog "A Testing Revival" especially if you are applying to highly selective institutions.

What about test scores for merit-based scholarships? If a college offers merit scholarships and is test optional, they are likely not requiring a test score for scholarships; however, they might require something else. Check out the requirements for each college on your list, so there are no surprises.

If I submit scores, how do I know if I need to submit official test scores? If you submit test scores, they can often be self-reported on your college application. You might still need to send official scores directly from the testing agency. Be sure to check the policy for each college.

October 26 - Register by September 20

December 14 - Register by November 8

Register HERE

Free ACT Prep HERE

October 5 - Register by September 20
November 2 - Register by October 18
December 7 - Register by November 22

REGISTER HERE - Most seniors should already have a College Board account. DO NOT create a new one -- use the one you have!

FREE SAT Prep HERE

Coming soon...Paying for College Webinar

College Place Oregon and the Oregon Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators will offer a virtual Paying for College session for seniors and families later in October. Watch for next month's newsletter for details.

SEPTEMBER

Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship - This is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students recognizing their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. Due September 30 by 2 pm PT

The Gates Scholarship (TGS) - TGS is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households. Due September 15

OCTOBER

AES Engineering Scholarship - The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of character, as determined by an evaluation of the essays that are submitted for it. Scholarships are intended for our future leaders across a wide spectrum of fields of study. You are not required to be taking Engineering courses to be eligible. Due October 8

National YoungArts Foundation Scholarship - Up to $50,000 for young artists in grades 10-12 or ages 15-18 with talent in cinematic arts, dance, design arts, jazz, music, photography, theater, visual arts, voice, and writing. Due October 17 at 5 pm PT

NSHSS Foundation STEM Scholarship - $1,000 scholarships for underrepresented students with a 3.0 GPA or higher who plan to study a STEM field. Due October 13