WHS College & Career Center News

January 2025

Important Dates & Information

Important Dates

December 1: FAFSA Opened

December 23: ORSAA Opened

January 14: Class of 2026 Assembly- Life After High School

January 14: Senior Family Financial Aid Night, 6:00 pm

January 15: PCC Admissions Rep at WHS for application assistance

January 15: Regular Decision Deadline- UO, Willamette University & Others

January 16: Junior Family College Night (Times below)

January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School

January 22, 23, 24: Final Exams

January 27: No School for Students - Staff Work Day

January 28: Semester 2 Begins

February 3: Regular Decision Application Deadline- OSU, George Fox & Others

February 16: Virtual College Fair 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Junior Class- Future Planning

The counseling department works with students at each grade level in the area of planning for life after high school. On January 14 the Junior Life classes will attend an assembly in the PAC. The counseling team will discuss graduation requirements, transcripts, Senior course selection, career and college possibilities, dual credit, and the SAT and ACT.

Senior Family Financial Aid Night

Attend our in-person, informational meeting and workshop on the 2025-26 FAFSA on Tuesday, January 14, at 6:00 pm in the Pointe. A Financial Aid Specialist will present information regarding financial aid and the FAFSA. A workshop for families who would like assistance with their 2025-26 FAFSA will follow the presentation. Assistance will be available in Spanish and English.

Junior Family College Night Events

The school counseling team will share what students and families need to focus on during the second semester of 11th grade in preparation for 2-year and 4-year college admission. Topics will include: college exploration/research, senior course selection, SAT/ACT, and Naviance.

Thursday, January 16 at 5:30 pm: Presented in Spanish (In-Person) - Room 100

Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 pm: Virtual via Zoom in English (the link to Zoom recording will be posted after the event)

Zoom link: https://wlwv-k12.zoom.us/j/97017829279?pwd=gzEIOvUPrkuEUhydeYnfcNdtWTsZ6V.1

NACAC February Virtual College Fair

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) will hold three virtual College Fairs this spring. The first of these is on February 16. The fairs are free, open to the public, and are good places to kick off your college search from the comfort of your home.

Students will be able to explore their options from hundreds of colleges and ask questions from representatives from a variety of colleges.

For more information or to register, go to https://www.nacacattend.org/fairs/. Spring fair information will be posted soon.

There will also be an in-person spring College Fair at the University of Portland on Sunday, April 27. Registration will open in January on the PNACAC website.

Graduation Attire Orders

Seniors who have not ordered their cap, gown, stole, and tassel should do so as soon as possible. The method for ordering has changed from the form used in the fall. Families should place any remaining graduation attire orders at Wilsonville Senior Place- Jostens. Contact Mrs. Willard in the College & Career Center with any questions.

Regular Decision Deadlines Approaching

The Regular Decision application deadlines are approaching for many universities. January 15 is a common Regular Decision deadline for universities nationwide and local schools like the University of Oregon, Willamette University, and Pacific University. Many schools also have early February Regular Decision application deadlines. These include Gonzaga on February 1 and Oregon State University on February 3. Seniors should double-check the application deadlines for any school they have yet to apply to.

FAFSA & ORSAA Applications are open

Class of 2025

The FAFSA and ORSAA Applications Are Open

The FAFSA is a federal document completed by the student and parent, with information from the parents’ 2023 tax filing. It assesses the student’s and their family's financial situation to determine how much they can afford for college. The FAFSA is the form for accessing grants, federal student loans, and work-study funds (need-based financial aid).

Access the FAFSA here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

The ORSAA (Oregon Student Aid Application) is the document to be completed by students who do not have a Social Security Number.

Access the ORSAA here: https://oregonstudentaid.gov/orsaa-filter.aspx

Students and their parents will need their own FSA ID in order to fill out the FAFSA. If you do not already have an FSA ID, you can set one up now at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch. It can take a few days for this to process. We recommend setting up your FSA ID now to be ready when you want to start your FAFSA application.

Class of 2025 Scholarship & Financial Aid Opportunities

Many scholarships require applicants to complete the FAFSA or ORSAA.

Access the FAFSA here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
The ORSAA (Oregon Student Aid Application) is also available. This form is used by students who are undocumented, DREAMERS, DACA, or unDACAmented. Access the ORSAA here: https://oregonstudentaid.gov/orsaa-filter.aspx

OSAC: One application qualifies students for multiple scholarships. Think of the Common App for scholarships. Students write four personal statements and complete an activity chart. Occasionally, a scholarship may ask for additional information. Each scholarship has its own criteria and limitations. These scholarships are available to Oregon residents who will attend college (in and out of state).

https://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/scholarships/ FAFSA is required

Complete Oregon Promise if community college is an option you are considering

https://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/grants/oregon-promise-grant/ FAFSA is required.

Naviance Scholarship List: Colleges>Scholarships & Money>Scholarship Search
Two Current Naviance Scholarships:

Ford Scholars: Scholarship competition for Oregon students who will find it hard to fund and obtain a college degree. Deadline 3/01/24.

https://www.tfff.org/program-areas/postsecondary-success/scholarship-programs/ford-scholars-program FAFSA is required

The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Latino Scholarship Program for applicants of Hispanic ancestry with 3.0 GPA. Deadline 01/12/25.

https://hmccoregon.com/scholarship/

Other Ways to Look for Scholarships - Students are welcome to start their search for scholarships by visiting some popular search engines now.

Follow WHSCollegeCareer on Instagram.

Naviance

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: ujbz6xc

11th Grade: 3wugnvo

10th Grade: tu3xem3

9th Grade: le3ce24

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.