Harker Heights Counseling Staff

Daniel Stovall, House 1 (A-Ce, TBI)Laura Dunnells, House 2 (Cf-Gao)

Cassie Scott, House 3 (Gap-J)Michelle M. Taylor, House 4 (K-Ni)

Mary Galeana, House 5 (Nj-Sl)Kimberly Shultz, House 6 (Sm-Z)Gayle Wilson, Guidance secretary

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS-

Recommended Plan 4 English credits 4 Science credits 4 Math credits 4 Social Studies credits ½ Speech credit 2 Foreign Language credits 1 P.E. credit 1 Fine Arts credit 5 ½ Elective credits

A total of 26 credits are required for graduation – Know your credits! See your counselor

regarding other plans.

Must pass all 5 sections of the exit level STAARS in order to graduate

Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD degrees -a requirement for most

professional jobs

4 Year College

2 Year Community CollegePublic schools, open admission,

flexible schedules, online coursesCost saving – tuition is less than a

public 4 year schoolCourses usually transfer to 4 year

schools –check with the 4 year school to make sure which classes transfer for your degree.

Certificates/2 year diploma may be earned

Business, Technical, and Trade Schools

Certificates/2 year diplomas may be earned

Programs of study two years or even less

Hands-on training/provide assistance with job placement

Approximately 85% of graduates get jobs

MilitaryFive branches:1. Each offering college credit courses on

bases.2. Educational benefits for higher

education. Benefits transferable to family members. Benefits differ from state to state.

3. On-the-job training4. Valuable work experience – on-going

benefits after retirement5. Recruiters visit our office – see our

secretary if you wish to see a recruiter.

ASVAB

Test date is November 4th here at HHHS.

Sign up ASAP in the guidance office – see our secretary!

Bring #2 pencils to the testIt is YOUR responsibility to report at

8:45 on Nov. 4th to the HHHS auditorium for testing, we will not call you down, so don’t forget.

Join the Work Force

-Immediate monetary benefits

-Skills are necessary for the higher paying

jobs

TESTING COUNTS!Before college, you may

need these tests:STAARS – required for high

school graduationCollege entrance tests:

TSI, ACT, and or SAT (go online to register now)

ASVAB - military

Choosing a College

Apply for your “Dream School” Pick at least three other schools Pick one “ Sure Bet” Things to consider

How much does it cost $$$ Degrees/majors offered SAT/ACT requirements Social Opportunities Size of school

Contact the Colleges

Check out the college websites NOW!!!! E-mail college admissions offices with any

questions NOW!!! Complete the applications and return them

with application fee ASAP. You will NOT be committed to the school until you accept financial aid!

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DEADLINES! Don’t wait until deadlines to do applications

Mid-Tex College Night

Thursday October 22nd at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton.

Over 100 Colleges and Universities represented – lots of opportunities to talk to college representatives

Details will be announced at a later date on the guidance page of the HHHS website and on daily announcements.

Completing Applications

APPLY EARLY!! APPLY EARLY! APPLY EARLY! GET STARTED NOW!!!!!!! Get organized!

For Texas schools, go now to www.applytexas.org to apply online – preferred by most schools

Remember letters of recommendation Request an Official Transcript from the

Registrar’s office next to the cafeteria or through Parchment.com

Letters of Recommendation

Identify people who can write a positive letter of recommendation for you, such as teachers, employers, school staff, ministers, family friends…

Allow the writer 2 weeks to complete the letterProvide the writer with a stamped, addressed

envelope and a resume.Politely verify with the writer before the

deadline that they have sent the letter as you requested.

Take the time to thank the writer for the letter, either in person or with a thank-you note.

Essay WritingBe sure to actually address the

topic asked for by the application!!!

Follow all the instructions! If it asks for a typed essay then TYPE THE ESSAY.

Spell checkers DO NOT catch all the errors. You must check it yourself!

Ask your English teacher or another teacher to look over your essay but be sure to give him/her time to do it.

Applying to NCAA

Fee to apply You need a transcript from every high

school you have attended No actual deadline on applying but should

apply by beginning of senior year to be considered by athletic recruiters

Students needs to be aware of which courses are approved with NCAA

Athletes - Go to the website www.ncaa.org to apply

FINANCIAL AID

Five types: Federal Grants – FREE money! Scholarships – FREE money! Private/federal Loans – must be

repaid! Work/Study programs at colleges Your Own Pocket – OUCH!

The FAFSA

Free Application Federal for Student Aid – every student every year must file the FAFSA online - www.fafsa.ed.gov

Financial aid is first come, first served so don’t be last! File after Jan. 1 – can file estimated taxes based on last year and correct later.

Visit our website for links to several financial aid websites for help with the FAFSA or to apply on-line

SCHOLARSHIPS

Get Scholarship information Note every due date!!!! Prioritize by due date and

start working on applications ******Early***** Apply for as many

scholarships as possible!!!!!!!!!

Sources for scholarships:1.Guidance Office/Website2.Other websites, for example,

www.fastweb.com or www.bridges.com – we can give you a list of reputable websites so stop by and ask our secretary.

3.Local Organizations 4.Churches5.Colleges, etc.

HHHS Scholarship Emails

Sign up with the guidance office to receive scholarship emails from us about what scholarships are available through our office. Go to the HHHS Guidance webpage

tonight and look for the sign up link.

Contact the College Financial Aid Office EARLY!!!!!

File the FAFSA after Jan. 1Check with each college’s financial

aid office often.Be persistent and ask questions of

the colleges. Contact their financial aid/admissions offices with your specific questions.

You can email colleges with any questions and they will answer you. Don’t be shy!!!

Good online resource

Visit www.killeenisd.org and check out the “KISD Student Guide to the Future”. It can be found under “Departments” – “Guidance and Counseling”. This guide covers all kinds of info about high school, college, and career planning. Use it! Show it to your parents.

Scams are out there! Beware of scams – avoid any “Services”

that want you to pay money for them to find you money for college. Info about financial aid is FREE!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------- Notify the Guidance office secretary

of all scholarships you receive – we want to brag on you at graduation! Deadline to do this is May 2nd. Check the procedures for scholarship award announcement on the guidance webpage.

Remember…We are here to help with specific

questions you may have.E-mail your counselor if needed– see our website for our addressesCall in advance for parent

appointment if needed w/counselorStudent can do optional sign-up with

Guidance secretary for senior conferences

College Mentor

ARE YOU LOST? DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?????

The CTC Mentor in our guidance office is a great resource for researching colleges, college applications and financial aid. The mentor can help you with the entire process.

Stop by and sign up for an appointment with the College Mentor. Times to announced later.

Beware of “Senioritis”

What is it? Poor attitude, skipping classes, failing grades, not graduating on time, dropping out!

DON’T let this be you! Only you can avoid senioritis!

Monitor your grades, attend school, impress your teachers, attend tutoring, know your credits, work on future plans NOW!!!!

Last reminders… Order your final transcript in May in the

Registrar’s office to be sent to the school you will actually attend.

Your counselor can excuse 2 college visits – see the Guidance secretary for the College Visit form in advance of the visit.

If you do not have a computer at home, you can use the Guidance office and library computers for college applications and scholarships.

This is all up to you! Get busy!

Now!!!