AP/IB Newsletter

With two weeks underway, West students are settling in and reaching towards their futures. Whether it's their first year or their last, students know this is the time that counts in building the learning and the skills that will put them on their future pathways. Fall is not the end of a season, but the start!

AP exam registration began the first week of school and students should be wrapping up their registrations soon. Students login to their MyAP account and enter a "join code" provided by their AP teacher to register for exams.

IB exam registration begins this week. Students register one-on-one with their IB Coordinator.

Information about registration deadlines and payments is below.

Please note: payment and registration are due by October 14, and payment is required before an exam can be ordered

The American College Testing (ACT) exam is a standardized admissions test used to assess student readiness for college. It evaluates student learning in English, Math, Reading and Science, with an optional Writing section. Students receive a 1-36 score and take the exam in Junior and/or Senior year as frequently as they wish. At West, all Juniors take the ACT for free in March, without needing to register. Juniors wishing to take additional tests, and any Seniors, must register themselves on the ACT website. Students planning to attend college should investigate whether their chosen college(s) require(s) a college admissions exam such as ACT or SAT. Please view the ACT test and registration dates below:

The SAT is a college admissions exam made by College Board, the same organization that designs AP exams. It tests a high school student's Reading, Writing, and Math skills and measures a student's ability to apply knowledge to various academic scenarios. Most students take their first SAT exam in the spring of their Junior year and many retake it in the fall of their Senior year. Students planning to attend college should investigate whether their chosen college(s) requires a college admissions exam such as ACT or SAT. SAT registration can be done on the College Board SAT website. Please view the SAT test and registration dates below:

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is co-sponsored by College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, typically for 10th and 11th grade students. It provides practice opportunity for the SAT, and offers students a chance to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Further information about this exam can be found on College Board's PSAT/NMSQT site.

This exam is a low-stakes, standardized test for 10th grade students and measures college readiness while giving practice for the SAT. It includes sections in Reading, Writing and Math. Further information about this exam can be found on College Board's PSAT 10 site.

Registration for the fall PSAT is now open. Students of all grades can take the PSAT to get information about their current aptitude and practice for the SAT. Juniors can use this test to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship process. Students only can register by going to PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 for 2026-2027 School Year – Fill out form. The cost is $30 for the test. Registration and payment must be completed by Sept 24, 2026.

• September 1: FLEX schedule begins
• September 7: No School
• September 9: ELP/IB Steering Committee at 5:30 in 229
• September 9: PTA at 6:30 in 229
• September 12: SAT
• September 14: SCC at 5:30 in Library
• September 17: Homecoming Assembly
• September 18: Homecoming Football Game
• September 18: Term 1 Midterm
• September 19: Homecoming Dance
• September 23: Jostens Assembly for Seniors
• September 23: Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00 - 7:00
• September 24: Parent Teacher Conferences 3:00 - 6:00
• September 24: Short Day Schedule
• September 25: No School
• September 29: 9th Grade IB Information Night at 4:30 in Choir Room

9th grade students and their parents are invited to attend a 9th Grade IB Information Night together with their parents:

• Tuesday, September 29 at 4:30 in the Choir Room
• Thursday, October 1 at 6:30 in the Choir Room

9th Grade IB Coordinator Carla Zumbado will provide information about IB program options at West, along with recommendations for 9th grade students preparing to do IB.

10th grade students interested in West's IB programs are invited to attend a 10th Grade IB Information Night together with their parents:

• Monday, October 26 at 6:30 in the Choir Room
• Tuesday, October 27 at 4:30 in the Choir Room

10th Grade IB Coordinator Jenny Nicholas will provide information about IB program options at West and how students make their IB Plan for 11th and 12th grade.

11th grade students currently in the IB Independent Study class are hard at work defining and refining the research question for their Extended Essay (DP) or Reflective Project (CP). They will shortly be assigned a faculty/staff Supervisor who will guide them through the process of their research.

Seniors are nearly finished with their Extended Essays (DP) and Reflective Projects (CP), with submission by October 2. These students have spent one year engaged with the research, writing and learning involved in this project and deserve big congratulations for their work!

College representatives are coming to West High through the Fall. This is an ever-changing list and will differ from what is attached below. Updates will be made weekly and can be found on the West High calendar. Students will also hear about college visits through the daily Morning Announcements, and can view a list of visits posted to the hallway outside the Guidance Center. These visits are a great way to get to know a college/university, learn about their application/scholarships, and to make a connection with them!

In addition, representatives from Harvard, Princeton, UVA, Wellesley and Yale are hosting a virtual counselor meeting with students and sharing news from their campuses about the coming admissions cycle. There will be a live Q&A opportunity as well. Advanced registration is required and available for these dates:

• Tuesday, September 1 at 7:00 am MST
• Wednesday, September 2 at 8:00 am MST
• Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00 am MST
• Thursday, September 17 at 8:00 am MST
• Tuesday, September 29 at 10:00 am MST
• Thursday, October 1 at 10:00 am MST

Seniors should have started their Common App already, but it's not too late to get going! More than 1,200 colleges and universities worldwide use this system to facilitate their application process and provides a streamlined way for Seniors to apply to multiple institutions at the same time. Please reference the Common App Quick Reference Guide for more information. Seniors may also be interested in Common App's Direct Admissions Offers, proactive admissions offers to students directly.

College Board is the organization that provides AP, SAT and PSAT testing. They also develop tools to help students prepare for their post-high school plans. Please visit their BigFuture site to gain grade-specific information about career exploration, college planning, financial planning for college and more. Be sure to look at the Big Future Scholarship opportunity: a monthly $40,000 scholarship drawing for students who complete steps designed to help them with college preparation.

Members of the University of Utah and Westminster admissions offices will be available during College Application Clinics at three local libraries: Salt Lake Main, Glendale Branch and Sprague Branch. Various dates and times are available online. This is an excellent resource for questions about how to stand out in the application process. They can help with questions about applications in general and not specific to the UofU or Westminster.

Students with interests/experiences in Social Studies, Politics, Community Involvement, Leadership, etc. are invited to consider participation with the US Senate Youth Program. Winners earn a trip to Washington, DC and a $12,500 scholarship! If interest, please share a resume and letter of interest with Mrs. Budge in the library. The resume and letter should highlight activities, accomplishments, awards and skills relevant to this opportunity.

Sterling Scholar is a scholarship competition unique to Utah. Senior students apply in various subject categories, but younger students interested in pursuing this opportunity should preview the requirements. Student course selection, club involvement, leadership experience, etc. all play a role in the awarding of these scholarships. Ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students should look at the information about Sterling Scholar portfolios and start pinpointing experiences/artifacts that could be used to build a successful future portfolio. Share your specific questions about Sterling Scholar with West's Sterling Scholar representative: Mrs. Budge in the Library.

The $20,000 Coca-Cola Scholarship has been won by West High students already--be the next one! Applications are due September 30, 2026.

Tutoring is available after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is a free resource available to all West students. It's a great way to boost understanding of a subject, or even just have a dedicated space and time for homework/study.