College Counseling Summer Send-Off

Also, if you have plans to take the SAT/ACT and the college requires it for admission or they are going test-optional and you want to submit them, you will also need to have those scores available to submit. More on that below...

Many of the things that you need to know about the process are included in this newsletter. Please read it carefully and keep it for your reference as we proceed into summer and beyond.

Know that I am here to help you through this process. I am a 10 month employee so I do not work during the summer but I will be back on duty at the end of August.

Also, if you have not already, be sure to join the College Counseling Schoology Group. It is the main way that I will be communicating with you regarding college, scholarships, internships, etc.

Perry Hall High School Join Code: 9BXF-ZC87-VV3SM

I wish you all a wonderful, restful and safe summer and I look forward to working with you in the fall!

Stephanie Campbell, PHHS College & Career Counselor

Many colleges, particularly the more selective schools, have begun requiring test scores again. Please keep this in mind when you are creating your college list. To know what a college requires for admission, students should always consult the colleges' websites under the Admissions tab. There you will find a listing of what a college wants you to submit along with your application. If you are sending test scores, remember that the scores must be received by the college by the application deadline. Scores often take several weeks to reach the college after a student has ordered them. So, send your scores well before the colleges' application deadline.

Schools that are "Test Optional" mean you can choose whether or not to submit test scores. However, Test Optional does not mean "Test Blind". Test Blind is where a school does not want to see test scores from any applicant. Therefore, if a school is test-optional and all things being equal between you and another candidate, if they submit strong test scores and you do not, it is possible for a school to go with that other candidate over you.

Currently, the SAT will be held on the following dates:

SAT Test Date, Registration Deadline, Score Release Date

• August 22, 2026; August 7, 2026; September 4, 2026
• September 12, 2026; August 28, 2026; September 25, 2026
• October 3, 2026; September 18, 2026; October 16, 2026
• November 7, 2026; October 23, 2026; November 20, 2026
• December 5, 2026; November 20, 2026; December 18, 2026

Currently, the ACT will be held on the following dates:

ACT Test Date, Registration Deadline, Score Release Date

• September 19, 2026; August 14, 2026; October 6, 2026
• October 17, 2026; September 11, 2026; October 27, 2026
• December 12, 2026; November 6, 2026; December 22, 2026

If you have already taken the SAT during your Junior year or in June, then taking it again in August or September is recommended. I would not suggest taking the SAT or ACT later than the October administration as we will be encouraging you to apply early to college and you will need your scores available to send to colleges. Should you want or need to submit test scores to your colleges, you will need to have them available to send and they typically take several weeks to be posted.

Registration links are below. You must register directly with the College Board for the SAT and the ACT testing organization for the ACT. http://www.collegeboard.org (SAT registration) & https://www.act.org/ (ACT registration) These are also the websites from which you would send scores to your colleges.

1.Complete your Senior Brag Sheet - the answers you give will be used by your teachers and counselor to craft an awesome letter of recommendation for you! The more complete your answers, the better your letter will be! You are required to complete this if you will need a letter of recommendation for college applications, scholarships, etc.

Perry Hall HS Senior Brag Sheet 26-27 – Fill out form

2. Create a list of 6-8 schools that you are serious about applying to. Make sure to have a mix of public and private, safety, reach and good fit schools. For ideas on how to search for schools, see below. Make sure your list contains at least one MD Public University!!! (It is important to have this even if it is not your number one choice as finances can change in the blink of an eye and plans sometimes have to change with it).

3. Create a list/resume of your activities and clubs. Focus on the years of high school. Clubs, activities, honor societies, leadership positions, community service, employment, internships, etc. Jot them down with dates so that you have them. Colleges WILL be asking you about all of this in your application. Many students are responsible for caring for siblings and family members at home - this counts as an activity in the eyes of colleges so include it! Check out over 400 ideas here!

https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/college-resume-templates

4. GO VISIT!!!! There is nothing that compares to stepping foot on to a college campus and seeing for yourself what it is like and if it "feels right" to you. If an in-person visit is just not possible, go to the college's website and do their virtual tour. It's the next best thing.

5. Practice for the SAT/ACT. Log in to your College Board or ACT account for free practice tests and questions here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/practice. Another option? The Answer Class! Perry Hall High School PTSA in conjunction with The Answer Class is offering affordable SAT and ACT Prep classes online and in-person this summer. These classes are open to area high school students looking for comprehensive, convenient and engaging standardized test prep that won't break the bank. See the flier below.

6. Create a Common App account. The Common Application is one application that 1000's of schools use so chances are, many of your schools will be Common App schools. Set up your account with your profile but do not start completing applications to colleges until August 1st. August 1st will come and wipe out any active applications but will not erase your profile. See below for a helpful Youtube video on the Common App. The video is a year old but the info is all relevant to this year.

7. Begin your college essay! While you are in Common App, check out the essay prompts. These are the actual prompts that you will use for your Common Application. You will choose one and only one when doing your actual application but, even if you don't do a Common App, the prompts there are very similar to other essay prompts in other applications. Begin brainstorming some ideas for your essay. Remember, the essay is the way that you bring your application to life. You will need to do several revisions so this is just a start. Need help brainstorming? Check out the video below from the College Essay Guy!

8. Begin looking for and applying to scholarships. IT IS NOT TOO EARLY!!! College is expensive and most of us need all of the help we can get. See the financial resources sheet below for links to legit websites. Remember, you should NEVER pay for a scholarship search!!! That is a scam so don't even bother. The Golden Rule here - You should never pay money to get money. In your Xello account under "College Planning" is a link to search scholarships as well.

-College Board Big Future: Learn about and compare colleges

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/compare-colleges

-Collegevine: Provides college search and also great information on financial aid, scholarship searches and essay writing. https://www.collegevine.com/

-Niche: Great website that "grades" colleges based on college student reviews: https://www.niche.com/

-The Princeton Review: A long-trusted resource for students published yearly.

https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-colleges

-CollegeXpress: https://www.collegexpress.com/: A unique college search site that allows you to search for schools by major, activities, state, and more!

-Campus Reel: Using videos, CampusReel's student-driven video content puts students at the forefront of their college communities to build trust, connection and engagement in the digital world. https://www.campusreel.org/

-College Scorecard: An excellent resource from the USDE to analyze test scores, fields of study, cost, etc. of any college. https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

-Appily: Appily makes finding and connecting with the best colleges and universities easy. Browse using our free college search engine and see reviews, virtual tours, admission rates, and other insights to help you build your college list. https://www.appily.com/colleges

Email: scampbell3@bcps.org
Website: https://perryhallhs.bcps.org/
Location: 4601 Ebenezer Road, Nottingham, MD, USA
Phone: 443-809-5110
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PHHS.HallPride/