ROSE TREE MEDIA SCHOOL DISTRICT PENNCREST HIGH SCHOOL

SENIOR GUIDANCE NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2017

JANUARY CALENDAR 2 Holiday – No School 11 Financial Aid Night 7:00 PM 15 Blood Drive Assembly, during C lunch 16 Holiday – All Buildings Closed – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 19,20,23 World Language Mid-term 21 SATs – not at Penncrest 24 World Language Mid-term make-up 25-26 Mid-term exams 27 Mid-term/Final make-ups / No School for students – except for make-up finals 27 End of 2nd marking period and 1st semester Feb. 3 Pep Rally, 1:30 PM 3-4 Emanon Production, 7:00 PM 5 Emanon Production, 2:00 PM

MID-TERM EXAMS All students will take mid-term exams. Understand that these exams will count toward 1/3 of your 1st semester grade in your content courses. College decisions are still pending for most seniors. These colleges will use your 1st semester grades as part of their decision making process. Be sure to adequately prepare and take advantage of your teachers’ review sessions. Also, if you require a make-up exam, arrangements to do so need to be made with your teacher. The mid-term exam schedule is as follows: English – Wednesday January 25th 7:44AM Math – Wednesday January 25th 9:35AM Social Studies – Thursday January 26th 7:44AM Science – Thursday January 26th 9:35AM Make-up exam – Friday January 27th

SEMESTER CHANGES The second and final semester for seniors begins on January 30th. Be sure to check your roster for schedule changes and different room assignments. A copy of your roster can be found in the 10/12 Office.

FAILURES Some seniors might fail their first semester English and/or Social Studies class. Don’t let this happen to you! Remember you must pass both semesters of English and Social Studies in order to complete that graduation requirement. Notification will be sent to parents of seniors whose graduation is in jeopardy because of poor grades. If you receive a letter, consider it a warning for a situation that is serious, but can still be corrected. A word of caution, even though we will make every effort to reschedule a failed English or Social Studies course, sometimes it cannot be done. The bottom line is there is no guarantee. See your counselor immediately if you fail any half-year courses in order to assess the damages and investigate the availability of other options.

MID-YEAR REPORTS At the beginning of February, specifically after report cards are available during the week of February 2nd, we will be sending Mid-Year reports to colleges where your application is still pending. This is a major undertaking for the guidance secretary, Ms. Stokes. Nevertheless, you can assume she will handle the transaction as quickly and as efficiently as possible. You must complete a paper, mid-year report request form in the Guidance Office before your grades can be submitted. Please see Ms. Stokes. Work hard these last few weeks of the marking period and study for your mid-term exams so that your first semester grades will be the best they can be. This is probably the last piece of the admissions puzzle; your last chance to make a positive impression.

SCHOLARSHIPS Scholarship information is available on your Naviance Family Connections account. Reference books such as the A,B,C’s of Academic Scholarships or Financial Aids for Higher Education can also be used for this purpose. On the internet, you can access information at various web sites. Also, contact your colleges to learn about their scholarship offerings.

STUDENT AID The combined Federal Student Aid and Pennsylvania State Grant Form (F.A.F.S.A.) is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov . Your parents need to use their 2015 Federal Income Tax return in order to file the FAFSA. The average processing time, provided the application is mailed in January, is about six weeks. There is no charge for the FAFSA and it is recommended all seniors planning to continue their education next year file for aid. Some colleges also require their own Financial Aid Form, such as the CSS Profile or their school form, in addition to FAFSA. Check your college catalog or handbook for more specific details.

NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER Now hear this! If you’re planning to participate in college athletics at a Division I or Division II school, you must be certified to play by the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s initial eligibility center. See your coach, athletic director or check the web site at http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp for details. See your counselor.

FINANCIAL AID - AN OVERVIEW The first step in learning of your eligibility for financial assistance is to file the necessary financial aid forms. Encourage your parents to begin this process now as many schools have priority deadlines which occur in early January. Check each of your prospective colleges’ Financial Aid section on their websites for detailed information about what is required. Also visit FAFSA.ed.gov for the online FAFSA form.

If you qualify, money is available from the federal and state government and from the institution itself. After forms are filed, in about six weeks you will learn of your Expected Family Contribution (E.F.C.) from the processing agency. This amount will be reported to you on a Student Aid Report (S.A.R.) and it reflects how much money your family must pay toward the cost of education per year. The information is also sent electronically to the schools you indicated interest in on the financial aid form. The Financial Aid Office at each school will then prepare a Financial Aid Package. The Financial Aid Administrator will combine federal, state, and institutional grants along with scholarships, loans, and work study to try and make up the difference between the cost of education and the E.F.C. Each school’s package may be different and some will look more attractive than others. Consider each package separately along with the educational advantages of each school before deciding where to attend. Remember, the E.F.C. does not vary from school to school. What does change is the monies called the Financial Aid Package put together by the Financial Aid Administrator. Even if you are qualified for aid, you will receive no Financial Aid Package if the E.F.C. exceeds the cost of education at that institution. The program will answer many of your questions. Come and bring a parent.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION REGISTRATION Online registration for the 2017 AP Exams will open during the second week of January, 2017. The link to the online registration will be available on our PHS homepage and the guidance webpage. Here are the registration costs and deadlines:  $93 per exam if ordered by 2:30PM on Friday, February 10th  $103 per exam if ordered by 2:30PM between February 13th and February 17th.  $123 per exam if ordered by 2:30PM between February 21st and February 24th.

NO exams will be ordered after Friday, February 24th. NO refunds will be given after Friday, March 10th. A fee reduction may be available to low income families who have qualified for the free/reduced lunch program. This fee reduction is contingent upon state funding.

WELCOME BACK – HAPPY NEW YEAR

Mr. Harple, Mrs. Rice-Spring, Ms. Kerr, Mrs. Douglass-Garrett, Mrs. Graham, Ms. Stokes, Mrs. Espinosa & Mrs. Naismith