September Counseling News

All Grade Levels

• Level drop window for advanced courses
• Austin Community College Dual Credit Courses - Spring 2022
• AP course and exam registration
• School Day PSAT dates and test prep resources
• GPA/Rank Calculation Update
• VHS Counseling Office "Zen Den"

Senior Specific Info

• Senior 1:1 meeting information and prep
• College Visits
• Senior workday sessions during PIT

• New TEA Graduation Requirement (HB 3) - FAFSA

• Save the date: Understanding Financial Aid & FAFSA Overview

Students struggling in an Advanced or AP course may request to move into the equivalent on-level course beginning Sept. 1. The deadline to make this request is 4:00 PM on Sept. 24. It is important you speak to your teacher about your wish to drop prior to submitting the form.

NO CHANGES WILL BE PROCESSED UNTIL THE AFTERNOON OF SEPTEMBER 7. We are unable to make level changes until the first progress report date has passed and grades have been posted.

Note the following:

• Dropping an AP/Advanced course may result in an unavoidable readjustment of student’s current course schedule including the possibility of teacher, period, and/or lunch changes. Due to the volume of requests counselors are processing, we are unable to meet with students regarding such changes. By submitting the level drop request, students are acknowledging and agreeing to any such changes.

• Once processed, level changes and their associate schedule changes are FINAL.

• The exact grade in the advanced class student is dropping will transfer to the new on-level course.

• AP/Advanced weight is only awarded and calculated into GPA after completion of an entire semester of an AP/Advanced course; therefore, the student will lose this when dropping into the new on-level course.

• Until the schedule change is complete, all coursework for the AP/Advanced class must be completed.

• A student who participates in a UIL activity and is currently failing an advanced class, should consider remaining in the advanced course until the end of the six weeks to be eligible for a AP/Advanced participation waiver.

• Students pursuing the IB Diploma Programme must reach out to Ms. Sherry Green, IB Coordinator, or alpha counselor before submitting a level-change request.

• Not all advanced courses have an on-level equivalent. In these instances, a student will need to speak with their counselor about the appeals process to determine if that is the appropriate course of action.

It's already time to start planning for Spring semester college courses through ACC:

• Returning Dual Credit students: registration is set to open October 18. Keep an eye on your email this week for instructions on verifying your course plans with Mrs. Spradling.
• New Dual Credit students: registration is set to open late October. Students must complete the Dual Credit Enrollment Steps, including meeting with Mrs. Spradling to discuss course plans.

Full details about the Dual Credit opportunities through Austin Community College can be found on our VHS College & Career Center website.

Please follow the steps to complete your enrollment/registration: AP Course Enrollment & Registration.

AP Registration is a 2 Step Process

1. Step 1 is joining the College Board Classroom for each AP Course you are taking. Access to the AP Classroom will unlock study material, provide test prep including registration for their AP Exam in May. Registration in the AP Classroom for the AP Exam must be completed November 15, 2021 to avoid a $40 late fee per exam.
2. Step 2 involves paying for your exam through Total Registration. Once you have enrolled in your AP Classroom through the College Board, please complete step 2 with Total Registration to pay for your exam and finalize your AP Exam registration. Remember, pay by November 15, 2021 to avoid that $40 late fee!

SAVE THE DATE!

• October 26, 2021 - all 10th & 11th grade students will take the PSAT during the school day.
• April 28, 2022 - all 9th grade students will take the PSAT during the school day.

These school-day PSAT tests are free and require no registration! There are no make-up opportunties for these test dates.

More Than a Teacher offers practice tests and test prep classes, while Khan Academy offers free online SAT prep. Click below for more information.

Leander ISD GPA & Rank policy* dictates that GPA and rank re-calculations be completed at three distinct points - after the completion of fall semester, completion of spring semester, and completion of the second summer school session.

The district technology office oversees these calculations. They report to us that they are currently encountering difficulties and are behind in this process. Once VHS receives notice that the calculations are complete, we will notify families that the information has been updated in Naviance for review. In the interim, GPA/Rank information is not currently visible in Naviance.

Seniors needing to see GPA/class rank information from the June calculation can continue to access their free self-view in Parchment. If your self-view is outdated, click on the picture of your transcript, click the 'update' button. This will send notification to our registrars who will process your request.

*This policy is applicable only to the Classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024. For rank and GPA information for the Class of 2025 and beyond, click here.

Our VHS Counselors are pleased to announce a new addition to our office space. In the spring of 2020, our team received a Viper Nation grant to fund the creation of a Mindfulness area. Over the past year, counselors have designed and decorated a designated space within our office suite. This space, coined "the Zen Den," is a safe, inviting and quiet oasis where a student or staff member can spend a brief moment to employ mindfulness practice in order to refocus, regulate feelings or relax before returning to the classroom setting. We are also launching the Vandegrift Mobile Zen Den, a virtual space for staff, students and families to access tools and strategies for managing emotions and feelings at any time! We invite you to visit our site here.

STUDENTS

• Senior Student/Counselor 1:1 Conferences will take place between September 7 - October 1.
• The link to schedule your conference is included in the Senior Student/Parent Presentation linked below.
• Make sure to complete the Senior Checklist prior your 1:1 meeting with your counselor.

SENIOR PARENTS - How can you support?

• View the parent night webinar linked below (if you were unable to attend)

• Talk with your Seniors about where they are in the post-secondary planning process and discuss questions they still have.

• Seniors are soon launching into the post-high school world and the Senior 1:1 is designed to help them practice those independent, adult skills just as colleges and employers expect. The Seniors are driving this process. Encourage your Senior to present the outcome of their 1:1 conference to you after they meet with their counselor.

Senior Workdays are available to any senior seeking assistance with college applications, essays, resumes, financial aid, etc.! Seniors can come and go as needed during PIT (11:44 AM - 12:26 PM) Mon/Tue/Thur for help from the Counseling Team and College & Career Peer Advisors. Sign up in the PIT Portal and join us in the College & Career Center (room 1306).

College admission representatives want to connect with our amazing Vandegrift students, either virtually or in-person! There are so many benefits to connecting and tuning into these college visits:

1. To develop an understanding of college offerings, college lingo
2. Gain unique perspective on individual colleges
3. Fully understand the admissions process, scholarship opportuniites, etc.
4. Connect personally with admission representatives (the folks who review college applications!)

To see upcoming visits, sign up, and connect virtually, access our College Visits at Vandegrift website.

Beginning with students enrolled in 12th grade during the 2021-2022 school year, each student must do one of the following in order to graduate:

• Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  
• Complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) // forms available on October 1(only for non-citizens who are classified as Texas residents)
  
• Submit a signed opt out form (to be submitted to the student's alpha counselor) - English // Spanish
  

Senior parents and students (or anyone planning ahead) is invited to join us virtually on Thursday, September 23rd at 6:00 for a deeper dive in to financial aid and overview of the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA application opens on October 1st each year, and since aid is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis, families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Additionally, beginning this year, FAFSA completion is a graduation requirement.

Save the date and register now to join us on September 23rd via the link below!