March 2024 Newsletter

This month's newsletter includes information on the following:

ACT Test for Juniors

Scholarship Resources

Junior Conference Wrap Up

Early College Education Academy

College & Career Rep Visits

Tutoring

and more!

A student carrying more than the required number of classes may drop a class for a resource/study hall or approved activity without penalty anytime within the first seven weeks of the semester (Deadline is Friday, March 15th for Second Semester). If a class is dropped beyond the seventh week of a semester, the student’s transcript will reflect an “NC” (No Credit) for the current quarter and current semester. (See Student Handbook).

Program benefits include:

• Tuition Assistance: We cover tuition and fee costs that grants and scholarships do not for up to six consecutive semesters - summers excluded.
• Mentorship: Work with a mentor your first year, become a mentor your second year.
• Financial Aid Application Assistance: Dedicated support through focused application completion workshops.
• Academic Support: Academic advising and career counseling focused on SoP students.
• Volunteer Opportunities: Our newsletter helps you complete the required eight hours of service per term.
• Promise to Promise: Direct college transfer opportunities with UW-Madison's Scholars of Promise program.

Scholars of Promise application and materials must be submitted by April 1st, 2024. Click on the button below for more information.

March 5 at Madison College

Goodman South Campus

Scholars of Promise (SoP) will host its SoP Apply Day event on Tuesday, March 5 from 5-8 p.m. at the Goodman South Campus to help students start at Madison College and apply for tuition assistance.

The Scholars of Promise program provides income-eligible, graduating high school seniors an opportunity to access a college education without worrying about how to pay for it. Since its creation in 2017, SoP students have received nearly $1 million in funding.

At this event, high school seniors and their families will receive assistance with becoming a Madison College student and completing a Scholars of Promise application, including a Madison College Program Application, student account activation, FAFSA, placement testing, etc.

“SoP Apply Day was created to assist our students with completing all materials to apply to the program,” says Scholars of Promise Manager Shanai Kaashagen. “We welcome students and their parents and guardians to attend this event to learn more about what Madison College Scholars of Promise has to offer.”

Friends and family are welcome at the March 5 event. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Event details

When: Tuesday, March 5 from 5-8 p.m.

Where: Madison College Goodman South Campus, 2429 Perry St. Madison, Wisconsin

Contact: For more information on the Madison College Scholars of Promise program, call (608) 246-6036 or email scholarsofpromise@madisoncollege.edu.

Registration for the event is closed but walk-ins are welcomed.

Seniors should check out MMSD's directory of local scholarships in their Xello account. Students can access Xello via Classlink and click on "College Resources" and then "Local Scholarships".

This scholarship list is continually being updated as we are notified about local scholarships. Students can also save a list of scholarships they wish to apply to and track their application progress in Xello.

All Juniors are eligible to take the ACT Test on Tuesday, March 12th at West High School. Juniors were sent an email with a unique code to set up their MyACT account. Please attend to that email to ensure you are ready to take the test on 3/12.

THIS IS A JUNIOR ONLY SCHOOL DAY!

As a reminder, MMSD offers free test prep for the ACT through Xello. Students can access Methodize Test Prep through their Xello account. A link to Xello can be found by clicking the icon for Xello in Classlink.

Junior Conferences will wrap up by the end of March.

During your conference, you and your counselor will discuss the following topics:

Review your Future Planning Worksheet & Answer Any Questions You May Have

• Transcript Review
  
• Course selection for Senior year
  
• Discussion of post-high school plans

Students should complete the Future Planning Worksheet prior to their conference and review the Preparation for your Junior Conference slides before your conference. This document will be shared with families following the conference.

Juniors interested in being considered for membership in the National Honor Society at West need to have volunteered a total of at least 45 service hours in two or more activities; no more than 23 hours from a single service activity. In addition, a student must have earned a cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 3.5.

For more information about selection and application deadlines, Click HERE

• Early College Education Academy (link).
  

• MMSD and Madison College have partnered to address the educator shortage by providing a pathway for high school seniors to be introduced to a career in K12 education, and begin a course of study toward a bachelor’s degree.

• Students from under-represented populations are the primary audience, as they embody the biggest gap in teacher representation across Wisconsin.

Designed for seniors to attend full-time and aligned with 4-year transfer programs, students will be able to complete up to 30 credits. The application window opens on Monday, February 5th, and closes on March 22nd, 2024.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? COME TO THE INFO SESSION ON THURSDAY, MARCH 7th DURING LUNCH IN THE COLLEGE & CAREER CENTER (ROOM 2405)

Registration is open for the Spring NACAC Virtual College Fairs. Students are invited to attend the first NACAC Virtual College Fair of the season on Sunday, March 24 and Sunday, April 21 from 1:00pm - 6:00pm ET.

The virtual fair is a great opportunity to connect with hundreds of colleges and universities - all from the comfort of your own home.

Our fairs feature College MatchMaking®. At the time of registration, students will select the attributes that are most important to them in a college. They will receive an email that best matches them to specific colleges and universities based on the criteria they provided.

These fairs are FREE to attend! Register HERE

Stay tuned about rep visits by checking out the College & Career Rep Visit Calendar. (check back frequently, as the calendar is updated as schools reach out to us to schedule a visit)

All rep visits happen in West's College & Career Center, Room 2405.

Attention Sophomores: Free ACT Diagnostic Day - March 12, 2024 (flier). High School sophomores will have an opportunity to take a free baseline ACT test. Students may register at galined.com/diagday

Galin Scholars helps high-achieving 10th-grade students and their families navigate the college preparation process. The program is for sophomores with a least a 3.0 cum GPA, who are motivated to attend college, and who come from an underrepresented group in college or are experiencing family hardship. See the flier (English/Spanish)

West Tutoring Information

Are you looking for some academic support this semester?

West Peer Tutors are available for any subject! Students can meet with a tutor during a Resource or Study Hall or during lunch. Request a tutor using the following form linked below.

Are you interested in tutoring your West classmates?

Ms. Schumacher is looking for tutors in all subject areas. Peer tutors can earn volunteer hours for tutoring and it looks great on college/scholarship applications! Fill out the form below to get started on being a tutor!