Guidance Dept February Newsletter

Welcome to the February edition of the Guidance Department monthly newsletter! We’re excited to share with you some exciting updates and news!

PreACT: SAVE THE DATE! PRE-ACT REGISTRATION IS LIVE!

Dear Sophomore, Families and Guardians,

NHS is hosting the pre-ACT test on Saturday, March 28th. The test runs approximately from 7:30 AM to 10:45 AM. If you are interested in taking this test, please sign up on the Google Form and bring a check for $35 made out to NHS Testing or cash to the Guidance office attention Ms. White or Ms. Slattery by Friday, February 6th. Payment is required by Feb 6th with registration.

Pre-ACT registration

The PreACT is a practice ACT test, which is a college admission test comparable to the PSAT, for Sophomores. This helps students get comfortable with the standardized testing experience and understand how they are doing in core subjects.

For more information about practice tools and resources, click here.

The total time for the PreACT is 2 hours and 10 minutes, consisting of four sections: English (30 minutes), Math (40 minutes), Reading (30 minutes), and Science (30 minutes). However, the PreACT assessment as a whole includes about 40 minutes of pre-administration activities (instructions and breaks) for a total time of approximately 3 hrs.

PreACT test timing

• English: 30 minutes

• Math: 40 minutes

• Reading: 30 minutes

• Science: 30 minutes

Total time

• Test time: 2 hour and 10 minutes

• Pre-administration time: Approximately 60 minutes

This will be a paper and pencil test.

Please bring a calculator and #2 pencils

calculator policy

& Snack for break

Test Date

Sat March 28th

Arrive 7:30 (start time of 7:45 & approx 10:45 dismissal)

Room assignments will be posted in the lobby on Fri March 27th

Please reach out if you have any questions.

Sarah Erving

serving@natickps.org

pre-ACT coordinator

COLLEGE VISITS:

February and April break can be good times to visit college campuses. Please check the colleges’ admissions websites for more information.

As juniors begin to research colleges, here are some factors to consider:

• Location
• Size
• Public vs Private
• Community
• Student Body
• Amenities
• Clubs/Activities
• Surroundings

Colleges track student visitations to colleges as well as demonstrated interest. Many college admissions counselors will offer virtual visits with them just for Natick students during the fall, as well as send representatives to college fairs, and offer local events for prospective students. We encourage you and your child to take advantage of these opportunities and attend when possible.

If you are touring a college on a school day, students should use the below form to excuse their absence. Juniors and seniors are eligible for two excused absences each semester during both their junior and senior years to visit colleges.

College Visit Form

JUNIOR PARENT COLLEGE PLANNING PROGRAM:

Guidance Counselors released a collection of short recorded videos covering a variety of college planning topics. The presentation can be watched in full or by individual topic. If you are feeling anxious, have not begun to think about the process, have questions, want to clear up what someone else has told you, or just happen to have a child in their junior year, please watch them at your leisure!

The Guidance Department received rave reviews from past parents that this is one of the most helpful parent programs we host throughout the year.

Junior College Planning Program

GUIDANCE SEMINAR: Counselors will meet with their students once a cycle in Guidance Seminar throughout the third term (either Red 1 or Blue 2 mornings). Students will cover topics such as standardized testing, course selection for senior year, the college search process and building a list, college visitations, essays, the common application, alternative post-secondary options, and more. We provide a tremendous amount of information in our Guidance Seminar Google Classroom. Please have your child share this with you.

COURSE SELECTION:

Guidance Counselors will meet with 11th graders in Junior Guidance Seminar to review the scheduling process and highlight important dates. The PowerSchool portal for students to enter in courses will be open between Friday, January 30th @ 3pm - Friday, February 13th @ 3pm.

Directions and resources for the course selection process are posted on the Guidance website here.

MID-YEAR GRADES:

The Guidance Department will send mid-year grade reports automatically to colleges for every student. Our goal is to send mid-­year grade reports before the February break. When colleges contact students asking for these grades, please let them know to expect them in mid to late February.

COLLEGE ADMISSION DECISIONS:

We appreciate this is an exciting time of year, and want to remind seniors to respect each other’s privacy as decisions are released. While some students are happy to share the details of their application results, others may prefer not to publicly disclose this information. Please remember to keep your guidance counselors aware of all college admissions decisions; We are here to support you through this entire process.

COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID:

February 15 and March 1 are common deadlines for applying for financial aid for college. Be sure to check each college’s financial aid website for necessary information such as deadlines and required financial aid application materials. Colleges require families to submit a completed FAFSA financial aid application.

The FAFSA can be accessed here.

If you have additional questions related to the FAFSA, please visit the MEFA Family Webinar Series "Understanding the FAFSA" for a detailed presentation.

The NHS Guidance website and the MEFA website are excellent resources for families in the financial aid application process. MEFA offers a FAFSA Festival online support event scheduled for Wednesday, Feb 11 from 4-6:00 PM. Students and families can sign up to meet with a financial aid professional and get the support they need.