Connections Weekly Newsletter

NACAC National College Fair, Sunday, September 25, 2022, 1pm - 4pm (MT),

Denver Coliseum

4600 Humboldt St

Denver, CO 80216

Directions and Parking

Parking fee: $10 per car

Register here and sign up for College Matchmaking™ - get connected with
colleges and universities that match YOUR desired attributes.

TIP: Be sure and print or save your barcode to your cellphone for easy connection with colleges

I visited with seniors in their rhetoric classes last week. We discussed the Common Application format and the importance of the personal statements as part of the application.

Approximately 80% of seniors will apply to at least one college before December. Time moves quickly in the next few months, so seniors are encouraged to stay on top of “their game.” Colleges will not excuse a missed deadline.

One final note, October 18-20 is Colorado Free Application Day. I encouraged all seniors considering applying to a Colorado state school (most of the Colorado private schools) to wait for the free days to save money on application fees. That said, students should complete the application in advance of the October dates, so they are ready to submit without delay. Click here for more information.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens on October 1 for the 2022-23 academic year. The U.S. Department of Education uses this form to determine a student's eligibility for need-based federal financial aid for college based upon their financial situation.

October 1st is the day that the FAFSA form opens for the next academic period, and it’s a little bit of a first-come-first-served system. All families are encouraged to fill out the FAFSA as soon after October 1 as possible. This can be done before a student is accepted to a college or university.

The first step, before filling out the FAFSA, is to create an FSA ID. Parents and students can find a link to obtain an FSA ID through the Federal Student Aid website. Filling out the FAFSA usually takes 30 minutes or less to complete.

Here is a link to a series of ten short videos with quick tips and advice from Colorado College to help jump-start college applications. Some of the content is specific to Colorado College, but overall, you can apply the information to all colleges.

Here is a link to the Senior Year Checklist to help stay aware of some of the monthly “milestones.”

Now that juniors have settled into the “academic rhythm” of the semester, it’s an opportunity to plan for the rest of the year. Junior year is the best time to explore possibilities whether those possibilities include college, travel, or a career. Now is the time to ask questions about your future, shadow a job, visit colleges, and take interest surveys.

Your junior year is the last complete year that colleges may review, so it's important to maintain good grades. Here is an article on areas you should start to consider as you think about the rest of your junior year.

One of the biggest mistakes in the junior year is not taking advantage of college meetings from college representatives when they visit TCA. A complete list of upcoming visits can be found in Naviance: Naviance home page> Scroll right side>”What’s New” box> Bottom of box> Click “Show More”>Click “More Info”>Click “Register” to sign up.

Sophomores spent time in class delving deeper into career descriptions, tasks, attributes, and more. As they complete a survey, it’s typical for students to just click on the career title and how much money they make. Taking the time to explore why a certain career matched is a more important path.

Students completed the Holland Code inventory titled “Career Key.” According to John Holland's theory, most people are a combination of the personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Students receive feedback about their three highest personality types. This Holland Profile is then matched with the Holland Codes of people typically found within particular careers. John Holland's Theory of Career Choice (RIASEC) maintains that in choosing a career, people prefer jobs where they can be around others who are like them. They search for environments that will let them use their skills and abilities and express their attitudes and values while taking on enjoyable problems and roles.

While freshman year may feel too early to be thinking about future careers, it is a perfect opportunity to explore possibilities. Attending a Career Chat, every Friday during Flex, can expose students to new possibilities. Attending a college fair or college visit can help answer questions about opportunities. The freshman year provides a “no-pressure” approach to exploration. I’ll be in classes next week as we continue exploring. As always, feel free to connect with me for any questions. –Joanna Peters petersj@asd20.org

If you paid the optional fee for the PSAT/NMSQT in October, you would have received details; the update was emailed via Naviance. Please check your spam boxes for any missed messages. Student guides were distributed in Flex classes this week. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Peters at petersj@asd20.org

We are excited that we have hosted over 30 colleges and universities this year. Sign up in Naviance for a visit today.

Connections, Room 1104

* Monday, 9/26 1:45, Mini College Fair – Outside of Cafeteria
* Tuesday, 9/27 8:40, Binghamton University
* Tuesday, 9/27 9:35, University of California-Riverside
* Tuesday, 9/28 10:30, BINGO
* Tuesday, 9/27 10:30, Missouri University of Science and Tech
* Tuesday, 9/27 10:55, Allegheny College
* Tuesday, 9/27 11:25, Southwestern University
* Tuesday, 9/27 12:20, University of the Pacific
* Tuesday, 9/27 12:45, University of Northern Colorado
* Tuesday, 9/27 1:15, University of Puget Sound
* Wednesday, 9/28 10:30, Davidson College
* Friday, 9/30 11:25, Berklee College of Music

In the Community

NACAC will be hosting a college fair on Sunday, September 25 from 1-4pm at the Denver Coliseum.

Southern Colorado College Fair will be held on September 26 from 5:30-7:30pm at the Coronado High School Gym. Approximately 200 admissions representatives from colleges and universities throughout Colorado and across the country will be in attendance.

The Colorado Council on High School/College Relations will be hosting a college fair for District 20 on Wednesday, October 5 from 6-7pm at 1110 Chapel Hills Drive.

UCCS College of Education will be hosting an Open House, on October 19 from 10am-3pm in Berger Hall. This event is open to students interested in helping professions such as teaching and human services. Giveaways and free food await.

It is never too late to start adding your volunteer hours into our tracking database, x2Vol. If it is your first time or you need a refresher, check out this x2Vol HOW TO video. If you need to find out how many hours and papers you need, look here at the Community Graduation Requirements; both can be found on the TCA website on the Connections page.

Career Chats are held on many Fridays throughout the year in Connections during Flex period and provide the opportunity to bring in speakers from a broad range of careers to share their stories with our students. If you are a parent or guardian and love what you do and want to share your passion with our students, are a student and have a request for a career speaker, or would like to earn volunteer hours by baking cookies for one of our chats, contact Jodi Hoffman at jhoffman@asd20.org or stop by Connection.

Northwestern University has created a vlog series to offer insight into the college admissions process from the college perspective. Check out these episodes on Admission Interviews and How to Write an Effective College Essay

Bennington College’s annual Young Writers Awards competition is now accepting submissions in the areas of Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Entries for the competition may be submitted online at bennington.edu/ywa. This competition is free to enter. The deadline is November 1.

Family Resources to help your child be ready for high school and beyond.

Interested in experiencing what the application process is like? Join Tulane University for their virtual favorite “You’re the Dean” mock application review.

The Boettcher Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship for Colorado high school seniors that is awarded in partnership with Colorado’s four-year, nonprofit institutions of higher education. Boettcher defines merit to mean superior scholastic ability/intellectual curiosity, leadership, service, character, and more. They care deeply about lived experience and the context in which a student has thrived as a leader, either because of or despite personal circumstances. The upcoming webinars this fall are on the following dates: Thursday, September 29 (12 p.m. – 1 p.m.) or Thursday, October 6 (6 p.m. – 7 p.m.)

The Daniels Scholarship Program provides the opportunity for highly motivated students to earn a bachelor’s degree that helps them build a successful career and rewarding life. Daniels Scholars demonstrate exceptional character, leadership, and a commitment to serving their communities. The Daniels Scholarship Program provides a four-year, annually renewable college scholarship that is unique to each student and varies depending on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and their choice of school and degree program. Apply online October 1-Sunday, November 15, 2022, by 4:00 pm MST. For eligibility requirements, click here. For more information, visit www.DanielsFund.org/Scholarships.

The Jodi Neff Schultz Scholarship honors the memory of Jodi (Neff) Schultz, an alumna and faculty member of Clarkson College, and supports incoming students to the Radiography and Medical Imaging program. Learn more.

Seniors, if you are interested in Norwich University and have demonstrated an exceptional record of service to TCA or the community, contact Ms. Peters in Connections. The Norwich High School Service Award is valued at $5,000 each year for a total of $20,000 over four years of study!

Our state’s Care Forward Colorado program is revitalizing Colorado’s healthcare workforce through zero-cost, short-term training programs at 19 community and technical colleges. Starting in Fall 2022, students who enroll in eligible healthcare certificate programs will have tuition, fees, and course materials covered as Care Forward Colorado funding allows.

Learn More About the Foster Youth Financial Assistance Program Recent legislation requires that all public higher education institutions provide Colorado resident students who have been in foster care in Colorado at any time on or after reaching the age of 13, with financial assistance for the remaining balance of the student's total cost of attendance over the amount of any private, state or federal financial assistance received by the student.

Interested in Psychology? Check out these resources to explore the field!

• My Colorado Journey
• Onet
• APA
• APA Summer Programs

If you are interested in Engineering, check out this affordable small college list from Peter Pitts, owner of u2k4college.com

The College Tour tells the story of colleges and universities around the world without ever leaving home. In the latest episode, you can step inside Northeast Ohio's premier public research institution. Since 1870, The University of Akron has been a leader in transforming lives through excellence in the sciences, arts, education, law, and health professions.

New Programs

• Eastern Florida State College is starting two new tracks in its science teaching B.S.: one for teaching chemistry in grades six to 12 and one for middle school science teaching.
• Mississippi State University is starting a new major in supply chain logistics.
• University of Maryland at College Park is starting a graduate certificate in quantum computing.

Digital Skills for Work and Life

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/digital-skills-for-work-and-life/35/todo

Joanna Peters, Director - 9th & 10th Grades, PSAT/NMSQT, Scholarships

Skip Zickmund, Assistant Director - 11th & 12th Grades, AP

Jodi Hoffman, Office Manager - Rep Visits, Community Service

Email: tcavisits@asd20.org
Website: tcatitans.org
Location: 975 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, CO
Phone: 719-484-0091 1104