Guidance Department Cla ss COLLEGE FAIRS This is a great way to meet representatives from many colleges in one day. Also, plan to visit your top three How did it choices in person. If that is not an option, do as much research as possible. Find out:  What are the admission requirements for this college? get  Does the college have the program(s) in which I am interested?  How much does it cost to attend? Application Deadlines?

so late so Crown Point HS College Fair Wednesday, September 11th soon? 5:00pm - 7:00pm Indianapolis National College Fair Convention Center It’s night Tuesday, September 24th 9:00am - 1:00pm(EST) Central Midwest College Fair before it’s Purdue Northwest Wednesday, October 2nd 6:00pm -7:30pm

afternoon. Chicago National College Fair McCormick Place Saturday, October 5th 11:00am - 3:00pm December Career/College Fair is Thursday, October 24 6 pm—7:30 pm Calumet College Career Fair here March 2020 TBD

before

it’s

June.

Cap, Gown & Announcement Info Invested Indiana Caps and Gowns are ordered through Jostens. They will be available FAFSA Completion Event for ordering during lunch on several dates in the Fall… TBA…. Dates and Times tba! Graduation Information Financial Aid Night Graduation will be held at RFHS on Saturday, May 30th, 2020 dates and times tba! Information concerning tickets will be available at the beginning of second semester. Senior Pictures Seniors pictures for the yearbook will be taken October 4th. This is the official school portrait that will show up in the FINANCIAL AID yearbook. Yearbook Ads NOTE: The BEST source of financial aid Yearbook ads will be posted throughout the school see Mrs. Stobie in room 208 for more information! information comes directly from the financial aid department in Military Visits to RF which the student is interested. Visits are periodic throughout the school year during lunch hours.

Local Scholarships

OCTOBER 16 Wednesday In order to be considered for merit scholarship consideration for November 1st deadline schools, you MUST have all application materials, including teacher recommendations AND transcripts, completed and submitted by this date! FAFSA

WHAT IS FAFSA?

To apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study, and loans, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school. In addition, many states and colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state and school aid, and some private financial aid providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for their aid.

HOW TO CREATE AN ID DEADLINES The FSA ID allows students and parents to To be considered for federal student aid for identify themselves electronically to access the 2019-2020 award year, you can FSA Web sites. complete a Free Application for Federal An FSA ID is made up of a username and Student Aid (FAFSA) between October 1, password and can be used to log into FAFSA 2019 and midnight Central Time, June 30, on the Web. 2020. State Aid needs FAFSA completed While you are not required to have an FSA by MARCH 1st. ID to complete and submit a FAFSA on the Web application, it is the fastest way to sign Many states and colleges have earlier your application and have it processed. It is deadlines for applying for state and also the only way to access or correct your institutional financial aid. You can find information online, or to pre-fill a FAFSA on your state’s deadline at https://fafsa.ed.gov/ the Web application with information from deadlines.htm. Check with your college your previous year’s FAFSA. about its deadlines. If you do not already have an FSA ID, you can create an FSA ID. Because of the variation in state and If you have an FSA ID but do not remember college deadlines, it is highly your username, click Forgot Username. recommended that you fill out the FAFSA If you have an FSA ID but do not remember as soon as you can after October 1 to your password, click Forgot Password. ensure that you do not miss out on available aid. FYI

STEPS TO COMPLETING COLLEGE APPLICATIONS Helpful Websites

Check college websites for application deadlines.  ACT www.act.org/  Apply online  COLLEGE BOARD  Request transcripts through www.parchment.com collegeboard.org or common application  KHAN ACADEMY khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat  Submit application fees or fee waivers  GO COLLEGE www.gocollege.com  Submit SAT/ACT scores  LEARN MORE www.learnmoreindiana.org  APPLY EARLY  MAPPING YOUR FUTURE www.mappingyourfuture.org/  OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK HANDBOOK www.bls.gov/oco/ TRANSCRIPTS  THE SCHOLARSHIP PAGE www.scholoarship-page.com/index.php TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Request through PARCHMENT! www.fafsa.ed.gov Both of these services allow RFHS Guidance to “upload”  SCHOOL SOUP to your destination of choice. RFHS will upload within 2 schoolspoup.com/scholarship-directory/ -3 business days. It is then up to the receiver to access  FASTWEB and “download” your transcripts. YOU can check the fastweb.monster.com delivery and receipt of your transcripts through  FASTAID Parchment. www.fastaid.com/ FINAL TRANSCRIPTS  FINAID Your FINAL TRANSCRIPTS will be sent to your www.finaid.com chosen school by June 30th, 2020. YOU must select the  FEEA final destination in Parchment This is how you will www.feea.org/ designate where your final transcripts will be sent. If you  MILITARY SCHOLARSHIPS still have not made your final decision, you will have until June 3rd to complete your graduation survey education.military.com/education-home/  DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS You will likely get a notification from your chosen www.riverforesths.dollarsforscholars.org university indicating your “final transcripts have not been  INDIANA COLLEGE COSTS sent”. These notifications typically begin to go out in www.indianacollegecosts.or/research-other- April or May. (We have seen these notifications as early planning-steps/other-college-selection-resources as January!) Don’t panic! This is only sent to you as a reminder and does not indicate a missed deadline. We are NOT behind on this!

Did we mention???

OCTOBER 16 Wednesday In order to be considered for merit scholarship consideration for November 1st deadline schools, you MUST have all application materials, including teacher recommendations AND transcripts, completed and submitted by this date! RIVER FOREST HIGH SCHOOL Guidance Department Cla ss

Counselors will be meeting with senior students. You do not need to put in a pass for the counselor. You will be called down to the guidance office.

IMPORTANT DATES  September 2nd– No School, Labor Day  September 20th– Homecoming  September 30th– No School  October 1st– FAFSA opens  October 10th- College Visits/ PSAT for 9- 11.  October 4th– Senior Picture Day  October 15th— End of Grading Period 1  October 17th– ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR NOV 1ST DEADLINE DUE!  October 23rd– Parent Teacher Conference * IU Wells- for any major at Indiana University.  October 25th-28th– Fall Break, No School Due to RF on September 12th at 2:30 pm. RF will  November 27th-29th– No School, then interview and select two nominees to submit to Thanksgiving Break IU, where those students then compete with other  December 19th– Last Student Day of 1st students from other high schools for roughly 20 semester scholarships.

 December 23rd-January 3rd– Winter Break  January 6th– First Day of 2nd semester * Lilly Scholarship- for any Indiana college. Has  January 20th– No School, MLK Day or Makeup Day 1 a strong financial need component. RF can  February 14th–No School or Makeup Day 2 nominate one student who then competes with  February 17th— No school, Presidents Day other students from across the state for one of six  March10th—FAFSA COMPLETED scholarships. OPEN NOW: www.legacyfdn.org  March 13th— end of Grading Period 3  March 23rd-27th— spring break * Jim and Betty Dye– for Lake County students at  April 8th– Parent– Student Informational tending Indiana University, IUN, Purdue, Purdue Event 3-6 Northwest, IUPUI or Ball State. This is an online  April 15th– IN FAFSA Deadline application that is due around the middle of  April 10th– No school or Makeup Day 3 February.  May 15th—Senior Trip  May 25th — No school, Memorial Day * IU Group Scholar- The Groups Scholars  May 39th— Last Day of School Program was created as a way to increase college  May 30th— Graduation, Class of 2020 attendance among first-generation, underrepresented students at Indiana University. Provides academic, financial, and social support to help students attain a bachelor's degree at Indiana Military Information University. See Mrs. Ramirez for information.

 All males turning 18 MUST register. Please visit www.sss.gov

to register.

OCTOBER 16 Wednesday In order to be considered for merit scholarship consideration for November 1st deadline schools, you MUST have all application materials that River Forest must submit, including teacher recommendations AND transcripts, completed and submitted by this date! SAT Information: 2019-2020 www.collegeboard.com RF School Code: 151543 Fees: With Writing: $64.50 Without Writing: $47.50

TEST DATE LOCATION REGISTRATION LATE DEADLINE REGISTRATION (Online, additional fee required) August 24th, 2019 – 6 miles July 26th, 2019 August 6, 2019 (for mailed Hanover High School- 7 miles registrations) Highland High School- 7 miles August 13, 2019 (for - 8 miles registrations made online or by phone October 6th, 2019 Portage High School– 6 miles September 6, 2019 September 17, 2019 (for Morton High School- 9 miles mailed registrations) Purdue Calumet- 9 miles September 24, 2019 (for Merrillville High School- 11 miles registrations made online or by phone) November 2, 2019 Portage High School– 6 miles October 3rd, 2019 October 15, 2019 (for mailed Purdue Calumet- 9 miles registrations) Morton High School- 9 miles October 22, 2019 (for Crown Point High School- 11 miles registrations made online or Merrillville High School- 11 miles by phone)

December 7th, 2019 Portage High School– 6 miles November 8th, 2019 November 19, 2019 (for Griffith High School- 7 miles mailed registrations) Munster High School- 8 miles November 26, 2019 (for Purdue Calumet- 9 miles registrations made online or by phone) May 2, 2020 Portage High School– 6 miles April 3rd, 2020 April 14, 2020 (for mailed Highland High School- 7 miles registrations) Hanover High School- 7 miles April 21, 2020 (for Munster High School- 8 miles registrations made online or by phone June 6th, 2020 Purdue Calumet- 9 miles May 8th, 2020 May 19, 2020 (for mailed registrations) May 27, 2020 (for registrations made online or by phone) ACT Information: 2019-2020 www.act.org RF School Code: 151543

TEST DATE LOCATION REGISTRATION LATE DEADLINE REGISTRATION (Online, additional fee required) Purdue Northwest- 9 miles September 14, 2019 Merrillville High School– 11 miles August 16 August 17–30

Purdue Northwest- 9 miles October 26, 2019 September 20 Sept. 21–Oct. 4

Portage High School- 7 miles December 14, Purdue Northwest- 9 miles November 8 November 9–22 Merrillville High School- 9 miles 2019 Morton High School-11 miles

Morton High School- 11 miles February 8, 2020 - 11 miles January 10 January 11–17 Portage High School– 7 miles

Portage High School– 6 miles April 4, 2020 Purdue Northwest –9 miles February 28 February 29–March 13

Purdue Northwest- 9 miles June 13, 2020 Merrillville High School- 11 miles May 8 May 9–22

Purdue Calumet - 9 miles July 18, 2020 Merrillville High School- 11 miles June 19 June 20–26 Portage High School-7 miles

ACT and SAT If you would like to take the ACT or SAT one more time, you will need to register, choose a location, choose a date, and pay at ACT.org/student or collegeboard.org/register Be sure to indicate River Forest High School as your high school. Code 153112 ACT and SAT will send score reports to four colleges free of charge if the request is made during registration or prior to the test date. After testing, both will charge a fee to send your scores. aft made AFTER the test date. Your scores from either ACT or SAT must be sent directly