March 2025 Newsletter

This month's newsletter includes information on the following:

ACT Test for Juniors

Junior Conference Wrap Up

Scholars of Promise/Madison College Support

Early College/Start College Now

Trades Fair

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 Tuesday, March 18th 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).

There's still time to get approval for college classes for Early College Credit (UW-Madison) and Start College Now (Madison College)!

Early College Opportunities - Madison Metropolitan School District: Click on Early College Credit Opportunities button: https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/secondary-programs-and-personalized-pathways/early-college-opportunities
Link to apply for course approval: https://webapp1.madison.k12.wi.us/webapp4/college-credit-programs/users/login
Guide on how to fill out application: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tyAKrvH3r9XsM-PHHC0jTpcb4ARMTZt4Ut5DecHIMT4/edit?tab=t.0

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, 2025. Click on the button below for more information.

Free FAFSA Help Session on March 5!

Fair Opportunity's experts are ready to guide students through the FAFSA form, ensuring you understand the ins and outs of financial aid and helping maximize potential funding for college.

Register HERE

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.

Go Wisconsin would like to announce the 2025 Emma D. Boettiger Scholarship, with applications being accepted starting today! The scholarship will award two academic scholarships to Wisconsin high school students who plan to enroll full time at a Universities of Wisconsin university starting this upcoming Fall 2025 term. This scholarship award is $2,000 and will be awarded to the recipients for four consecutive years (awarded in two disbursements each year, $1,000 for the fall semester and $1,000 for the spring semester).

The scholarships are given in memory of Emma Boettiger's sister, Nettie Dieckmann, and nephew, Freddie Dieckmann.

For more information about how to apply for this scholarship, please visit the Go Wisconsin website: https://go.wisconsin.edu/pay-for-college/explore-financial-aid/go-wi-scholarship/

All applications are due Friday, March 21.

Monday, March 10th

10 am - Noon

Verona High School

List of participating colleges

Link to Register (required)

*Note, this is not an MMSD-sponsored event. Students are responsible for their own transportation.**

All Juniors are eligible to take the ACT Test on Tuesday, March 11th 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 3/11.

THIS IS A JUNIOR ONLY SCHOOL DAY! ALL OTHER GRADES WILL HAVE AN ASYNCHRONOUS VIRTUAL LEARNING & ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT THIS 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 who meet eligibility criteria were emailed an invitation to apply letter on 2/27.

Students interested in being considered for membership in the National Honor Society at West need to have volunteered a total of at least 60 service hours in two or more activities; no more than 30 hours from a single service activity. In addition, a student must have earned a cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 3.6.

For more information about selection and application deadlines, Click HERE

The Dream Career Finder!

Helping students figure out what comes next after high school just got easier. The Dream Career Finder is a free AI-powered tool that matches students with careers based on their interests, financial goals, and education plans.

Whether your students are considering college, trade school, or entering the workforce, this tool can help them make informed decisions about their future.

Try it out 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 11, 2025 (See flyer below). 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 3.3 GPA, who are motivated to attend college, and who come from an underrepresented group in college or are experiencing family hardship. See the flier below for QR Code.

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!

What do you think about wellness at West? We want to hear from you! Should we do more? Are we doing enough already? What kinds of activities would you like to see? Students - and staff, too - we would love to know all of your thoughts so we can plan more support for students on wellbeing and stress management. Fill out this short survey! (MMSD login required)