RCHS Seniors

Ask at least two teachers for a character letter of recommendation (LOR), so you have them for college and scholarship applications that may require them.

Strengthen your college list and create a balanced mix of academic safety, fit, and reach schools.

Safety is a college that you likely have a chance of getting into and can afford. They should also be colleges you’d be happy to attend.

Fit is a college you likely have a good chance of getting into and is a good fit for you overall.

Reach is a college that may be more of a challenge for you to get into. Getting accepted isn’t a sure thing, but it’s realistic enough to be worth the effort of applying.

Get organized and DOCUMENT important application information:

Admission tests you plan to take and their fees, registration deadlines, test dates, and locations. College application due dates. Scholarship deadlines.

Begin working on your applications.

Start crafting your essays.

Continue applying for scholarships and track your progress.

BigFuture Scholarships

Ms. Thrash’s Scholarship List

Texas First Diploma - Scholarship for Texas high school early graduates

Merit Aid breakdown by college

AP exams:

Review the credit policies for the institutions you're interested in.

If you plan to ask for testing accommodations for your AP exams because of a disability, start the request process early.

If needed, practice and retake the SAT or ACT

SAT- Khan Academy

ACT- Kaplan

Test day tips for SAT and ACT

Institution "Optional" Information

Approved accommodations for students with a disability

More Info

Complete the FAFSA (or TASFA), the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Create your FSA ID and start your application as soon as it opens in December (this is new).

It takes 3+ months to receive your financial aid award package(s) AFTER you hit submit. You don't want this to be what you're waiting on to decide which institution you will attend.

Need-based aid breakdown by college

The FAFSA and TASFA are not just for those who qualify for free money but also for scholarships and loan opportunities.

College Visit checklist

RCHS allows 2 college visits during your Junior year and 2 college visits during your Senior year. Please make sure you bring something from the admissions office so that your absence can be excused.

Planning on playing sports in College, use this link for more information about the NCAA and this link for NAIA.

More information on collegiate recruiting.

Get ready for early decisions, early action, or rolling admissions deadlines.

Early Decision: You can apply to only one early decision college, and if the college accepts you, you must attend that college.

Early Action: You can apply to more than one early action college, and if they accept your application, you can accept right away or wait until spring to decide.

Rolling Admissions: The college will consider each application as soon as all required information has been received and will usually notify you of their decision quickly.

Early Decision and Regular Decision Acceptance Rates (August 2022)

Family Action Plan: 12th grade

Pro-Tips for Parent

Just a reminder that your school email account will be deactivated shortly after you graduate.

Please make sure you have a personal email address that you can use for college applications, testing sites, resumes, and other items for after high school graduation.

Career Development: https://www.ccmrwithmsthrash.com/career-development

If you're unsure about what career path to take after graduation, consider taking a career assessment. These tests help you gain insight into your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences to decide which jobs best fit you. By taking a career test, you'll better understand yourself and your goals, which can help guide your plans. It's worth considering if you're unsure which direction to take in your career.

https://www.ccmrwithmsthrash.com/career-personality-and-task-preference-assessments

Resume resources: https://www.ccmrwithmsthrash.com/resume-resources

https://www.ccmrwithmsthrash.com/military

If you plan on attending a prestigious university and have the grades and ambition to do so, the military academies are excellent choices because they are highly selective, open a wide range of opportunities, and provide FREE tuition.

https://www.ccmrwithmsthrash.com/military/military-academies

Even more benefits:

GI Bill benefits help you pay for college, graduate school, and training programs. Since 1944, the GI Bill has helped qualifying Veterans and their family members (you) get money to cover all or some of the costs for school or training.

Review your GI Bill Statement of Benefits.

The GI Bill Comparison Tool and Veterans Service Organizations can help you explore options and find out what benefits you can get. Find a Veterans service organization.

https://www.ccmrwithmsthrash.com/military/gi-bill

Use this link to take a variety of different quizzes to make a plan for after graduation.

House counselors will be reaching out to schedule individual senior meetings, please be patient as we work through all of our seniors. If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out.

Alpha House (A-Co) Carol (Paige) Smith

Beta House (Cr-He) Leah Wright

Gamma House (Hi-Mi) Charline Hoevers

Delta House (Mj-R) Shannon (Lacy) Harris

Kappa House (S-Z) Lori (Kristi) Davis

Sigma House (Associates or P-tech) Kim Combest

Student Support Counselor Matt Wheatley

Student Support Counselor Tiffany Goff

Lead Counselor Kathy Blann