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Senior College & Career Newsletter

Jan 26-Feb 1, 2025

Senior College &Career NewsletterJan 26-Feb 1, 2025
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Welcome Students & Families

Scroll through for important information regarding College/Career

How to reach us?

For general questions and inquiries please email (Please do not use the link at the bottom of this Newsletter to contact us)


Ms Ignaitis: tignaitis@seq.org

All HCA, Study Skills Students and Last names A-L

and/or

Ms Yeager: tyeager@seq.org

All DAA, ELD Students and Last names M-Z

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Important Dates/Deadlines & Upcoming Events
Scroll through for more detailed information!

Important Dates and Deadlines

UPCOMING EVENTS/DUE DATES:


Jan 31st: MYR will be sent out by end of the month

February 6 - Senior Community College Information/Fair (See information below)

Feb 6th- CSF Application Due (See information below)

Feb 8th - Cash for College at SHS - Complete your FAFSA/Dream App

Feb 13th- Canada Application Workshop-FLEX

Feb 14th- CSM Application Workshop-FLEX

Feb 14th-Sequoia HS Class of 2025 Senior Scholarship Application Due (see Scholarship section)

January-March- Various CSU Applications Deadlines (see 'CSU Section)

March 2nd - Priority Deadline for FAFSA/Dream Application

March 2nd - Deadline for Cal Grant (Last Day to Submit FAFSA/Dream Financial Aid Application for Cal Grant Eligibility)

March 14th- Foothill College Application Workshop-FLEX

Upcoming Flex Offerings

Come to Flex Sessions for help with financial aid and community college applications.

A representative from Canada College will be in the College and Career Center during Friday Flex Periods (Can help with community college applications)

Sequoia Community College Night for Students and Parents/Guardians

Feb 6th 7-8:30PM

Sequoia High School will hold a Community College Night for seniors and their families on Thursday, February 6th from 7pm to 8:30pm. There will be representatives from our local community colleges. A representative from each college will present overviews of their respective programs and their admission process. There will also be a brief financial aid presentation specific to community colleges. The night will conclude with a college fair where students and parents can speak to the individual schools with their specific questions.

It is important that all students submit their FAFSA/Dream Application to qualify for the Promise Scholarship or New San Mateo County Grant - which pays for the first two years of college!

CSF Application for Fall 2024 is Open from January 13th- February 6, 2025 -Please DO NOT WAIT CSF APPLICATION PERIOD FOR Fall 2024 Grades Open Until Feb 6th

Due February 6th

Seniors Must Turn in CSF Application During Your Senior Year to Be Eligible for Life Membership

DIRECTIONS

  • The application must be completed and turned in by the STUDENT ONLY!

  • Go to the College and Career’s CSF webpage for application form, course list, and more information or pick up a copy outside of the College and Career Center

  • Applications must be turned in by Thursday, February 6th.

  • NO Late Applications, NO Exceptions! Please complete it early!

  • If you need help completing the application form, come to College and Career Center at lunch

SENIORS Benefits of Becoming Life Member Now

  1. Your name will be in the pool for a random drawing for a $300.00 scholarship

  2. You could be considered for CSF Seymour Award Scholarship nomination

    1. SENIORS: IF you want to be considered for this scholarship - turn in your Naviance Resume along with your application by Feb 3rd to the College and Career Center.

Launch Your Financial Aid Applications from California Colleges

REMEMBER TO LAUNCH YOUR FAFSA/CADAA through CaliforniaCollege.edu

Login using your seq.org email (no password or username)

Click on sign in with Google

Hover over Financial Aid tab and choose Launch with either FAFSA or CADAA

FROM THE COUNSELING OFFICE

Edgenuity Lab is open!

Students completing Edgenuity credit recovery online courses for graduation and/or UC/CSU A-G requirements are required to take unit tests and cumulative tests in the Edgenuity lab in-person. The lab is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4pm-6pm in Room B-8 with Mr. Calles. The deadline for seniors is May 30, 2025.

Sequoia High School College Visits
In Naviance go to the College tab and then click on 'College Visits' for a complete list of visits and to register!
OTHER COLLEGE EVENTS

Statewide Cash for College Webinars - Virtual Schedule This Special Alert from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) announces an upcoming series of Statewide Cash for College Webinars.

February 6, 12, and 18th

These webinars will provide information to help students and families complete their financial aid applications - Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) - for the 2025-26 academic year to maximize their financial aid eligibility. The priority deadline for 4-year institutions is currently Monday, March 3, 2025.


Please register for a webinar indicated below.

Upcoming Webinars Listed HERE

COLLEGE INFORMATION

GENERAL FOUR YEAR COLLEGE INFORMATION GENERAL FOUR YEAR COLLEGE INFORMATION

REMEMBER TO SCROLL DOWN TO THE SCHOLARSHIP SECTION

Scholarship Opportunities

The majority of scholarship opportunities are available from January to the beginning of April.

  • You should be applying for scholarships before you even know if you are admitted to a college.

  • There are scholarships if your parents work in specific industries. If your parents are in the education, beverage or financial services industry, check out the CTA Scholarship, Christermon Beverage Scholarship and the Gordon Rich Scholarship.


Click on the link in the scholarship section below for the updated list of scholarships listed in Naviance

Add All College Applications – To “Colleges I’m Applying To” on Naviance

Please list every school that you applied to on Naviance including CSUs and UCs. We can’t submit documents until you list them on Naviance. Also, make sure you note that you submitted your application as well.

REMOVING a College From Colleges I’m Applying to on Naviance

Email your counselor, Ignaitis/Yeager, and teachers of the colleges you are not applying (one email to all) and complete this FORM (Only Students using their seq email can complete the form)

Process of Submitting Application and School Documents

When we submit documents for your 1st due date, we submit them to all the schools on your list and there is NO way we would know if you added or removed a school, unless you tell us.

SPECIFIC FOUR YEAR COLLEGE INFORMATION BY TYPE
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CSU

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UC

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The Common Application

CSU INFORMATION

Set Up Portals and Check Them Regularly!

Check Portals and Emails Often

Every school is a little different so make sure to keep track of your login information. To meet all deadlines, check your email and portals weekly and DO NOT WAIT to complete your “To Do” list.


Changes or updates to a submitted application (For Example -Report D/F on Transcript or Change in Coursework)

When a student submits their first application to any campus, regardless of the priority deadline, they will not be able to make any changes to any subsequent application. If students need to report any corrections or updates, please have them contact the campuses they applied to directly.

After You Submit and Some CSU Deadlines Extended

Next Steps: AFTER YOU SUBMIT APPLICATION

Soon after you apply, you will receive an email from the CSU with directions on how to set up its portal. Every school is a little different so make sure to keep track of your login information.

Check Portals and Emails Often

Every school is a little different so make sure to keep track of your login information. To meet all deadlines, check your email and portals weekly and DO NOT WAIT to complete your “To Do” list.

Campuses will send out notice of their admissions decision by March 31, 2025.

Lastly, applicants should apply for financial aid as soon as possible. At the CSU, about 80% of students receive some kind of financial aid, and 60% of undergraduates have their tuition completely covered by grants or other non-load aid.


Find out more about what to expect after you’ve submitted a CSU application.

CSU Application Deadline EXTENDED for some schools:

Later Deadlines are available for some CSUs, visit the Application Dates & Deadlines page for more information on which campuses are still open and their deadlines.

Fall 2025 Admission - Extra time to apply! - From Cal State Apply Counselor Bulletin

The following CSU campuses continue to accept freshman applications:

  • Bakersfield
  • Channel Islands
  • Chico
  • Dominguez Hills
  • East Bay
  • Humboldt
  • Maritime
  • Monterey Bay
  • Northridge
  • Sacramento
  • San Bernardino
  • San Francisco
  • San Marcos
  • Sonoma
  • Stanislaus

Visit our application dates & deadlines page and use the “Is Your Campus Still Accepting Applications?” feature to view open campus programs and their deadlines.

UC INFORMATION

Canceling/withdrawing a UC application (From UC Counselor Bulletin)

Did you get in ED or EA and have decided to attend a specific college?

Each campus has specific instructions for their individual process if an applicant wishes to cancel or withdraw their application from further consideration. This only applies to students canceling or withdrawing prior to admission.

See campus instructions for canceling/withdrawing a UC application.

Reporting D & F or Schedule Changes

You must tell each UC if you changed your schedule (dropped courses) or received a D or F during the Fall 2024 semester.

Minor changes to your activities, awards, volunteer work or employment are unlikely to have an impact on your admission decision.

NOTE Each Campus has a different policy:

Campus instructions & websites for reporting changes

UC application verification

Deadline: January 31, 2025


As in previous years, UC selects a random sampling of applicants who are required to verify information in their application. The selection and notification take place in mid-December. Applicants are notified by postal mail, email and text message that they have been selected for verification, along with instructions on how to meet the requirements.


The instructions sent to the selected applicants detail how to complete the process as well as a list of appropriate documentation. The deadline to respond is January 31, 2025. Failure to respond to the request by the deadline will result in cancellation of the application.

COMMON APPLICATION/PRIVATE COLLEGE INFORMATION

Transcripts and Mid-Year Reports (MYR) Information

All MYR will be submitted by your counselor by Friday, January 31st


Common Application Schools Require a Mid-Year Report (MYR) Information

Most MYR include only your new GPA and 7th semester transcripts. They also include any change in course work listed on your School Report (SR).


MYRs will be sent automatically if you requested a SR through Naviance IF YOU HAVE LISTED THE COLLEGE AS A COMMON APP School (if there is a ? mark –EDIT it to Common Application if the school needs a MYR)


If you need to speak to your counselor about some personal situation that should be included in your MYR, please make an appointment right away.


Non Common Application Private Colleges

If you had a school report sent to a non- Common Application college, send an email to your counselor ASAP, if a MYR is required.

How to Complete CSS Profile

CSS Profile is an online application that collects information used by hundreds of colleges, universities, professional schools, and scholarship programs to award financial aid from sources outside of the federal government. After you submit your application, the College Board sends it to the colleges and scholarship programs you have chosen.

Who Should Complete

Not all colleges and scholarship programs require the CSS Profile. Check with the ones you’re interested in to see if they require it.

When to Complete

Start your CSS Profile by visiting cssprofile.org at least two weeks before the earliest college or scholarship priority application date you need to meet. This date is the college or program’s deadline for submitting a completed CSS Profile application.

How Much It Costs

CSS Profile is free for families who make up to $100,000 a year. First-year domestic undergraduate students may submit CSS Profile for free if your family adjusted gross income is up to $100,000 or you qualify for an SAT fee waiver, or you are an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24. CSS Profile fee waivers cover all application and reporting fees. If you do not qualify for a fee waiver submitting your CSS Profile to one college or scholarship program costs $25. Additional reports are $16 each. To qualify for the SAT-based fee waiver, students must log in to CSS Profile using the same College Board account used for the SAT. Providing eligible students with fee waivers for College Board programs and services is integral to our mission of connecting students to college success and opportunity.

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Adding or Removing a College After you Submit your SR/LOR Form

APPLICANTS

You are responsible to keep your list up to date to

ADDING a College:

1. You must contact your counselor to get a NEW SR/LOR ELECTRONIC Form (No Signatures are needed on this form)

2. Once completed, turn in to your counselor

3. Add the college on Common App (it should automatically be added to Naviance but check)

3. Submit a NEW teacher LOR request on Naviance


REMOVING a College: Email your counselor, Ignaitis/Yeager, and teachers of the colleges you are not applying (one email to all) and complete this FORM (Only Students using their seq email can complete the form)

Process of Submitting Application and School Documents

When we submit documents for your 1st due date, we submit them to all the schools on your list and there is NO way we would know if you added or removed a school, unless you tell us.

Sequoia School Information for Common Application

For the Education – Grades Section of the Common Application

  • Class Rank Reporting – Do not rank

  • Graduating Class Size – 464

  • GPA Scale – 4

  • GPA Weighting – Weighted

  • Guidance FAX – (650) 306-8893

  • Graduation Date – June 6, 2025

  • Your Official GPA- Overall weighted GPA - first one listed on your transcript

COMMUNITY COLLEGE INFORMATION

Community College Help and Information

We will focus on the community college application process the second semester of school.

SAVE THE DATE: Community College Info Night and Fair will be February 6, 2025

Application Workshops

Feb 13th Canada College Application Workshop-FLEX

Feb 14th CSM Application Workshop-FLEX

March 14th: Foothill College Application Workshop-FLEX


If you have a social security number, please bring a copy or a picture of your card.

How to Apply to Community College

The steps to enroll are different for each site. Go to the websites below for more information.

  • Canada College: https://canadacollege.edu/admissions/new-student.php

  • College of San Mateo: https://collegeofsanmateo.edu/admissions/new-returning-students.php

  • Skyline College: https://skylinecollege.edu/outreach/pep.php

  • De Anza: https://www.deanza.edu/apply-and-register/index.html (not available for Fall 2025 until the spring)

  • Foothill: https://foothill.edu/reg/admission/highschool.html (not available for Fall 2025 until the spring)

Student Scholarships
Updated monthly scholarship list is available on the College and Career page on the school website for all grades

Monthly SHS Scholarships & Student Opportunities Lists

Updated February lists are now NOW AVAILABLE.


Click HERE to go directly to the Sequoia High School website for the most updated scholarship and student opportunities lists. How to Access Scholarships on Naviance (9-12th Grades)


If you find a scholarship you are interested in and want the link to the website or more information be sure to log in to your Naviance account, under the College tab, click on Scholarships and Money, then Scholarship list, and put the name of the scholarship in the search box, then click on the name of the scholarship.

SWE Santa Clara Valley Scholarships Info Session

Date: January 30th

Time: 5-6pm PST

Sign up: https://www.scvswe.org/event-details/scv-swe-scholarships-info-session-2025

Scholarship Application: https://www.scvswe.org/scholarship-application


SWE (Society of Women Engineers) Santa Clara Valley is hosting a virtual Scholarships Information session, where our section's Scholarship Chairs will be giving tips on how to submit a good application. There will be 30 mins of prepared content and the rest of the time will be for Q&A.


SWE SCV promotes SWE's mission by awarding scholarships to local women pursuing an accredited engineering or computer science degree (ABET or CSAB) in the United States. Scholarships are open to high school seniors and college students in the Santa Clara Valley area (more details on qualifying locations here)

Northern California Scholarship Fdn Scholarships

Due: Jan 27th

Check with Ms. Yeager if you would like to be nominated: this is due in Feb, prior to your March application deadline. For students w/ financial need, high GPA & SAT, outstanding moral character, extracurricular activities, willing to earn a portion of their expenses while in college and have an idea of which college courses they intend to pursue.

Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Nomination Form

Nomination Info Needs to Be Completed by Jan 27th

Seniors who meet the following criteria can nominate themselves for a $5,000 scholarship sponsored by the 49ers, Warriors, Earthquakes & Sharks: 3.0+ GPA between grades 10-12; leadership experience; extracurricular involvement; legal residency; and financial need. Three seniors will be selected to represent SHS in this scholarship application. Seniors must complete this form by January 27th at 11:59 PM. If nominated, you will need to complete an application in early Feb.

Big Futures Scholarship, College Board

Due: Jan 28th

Grades Eligible: 10th-12th

Earn entries in monthly drawings for $500 and $40,000 scholarships by completing steps to plan for college. The sooner you start and the more steps you complete, the more chances you’ll have to win

Al Teglia Jobs for Youth Scholarship

Due: Jan 29th

Grades Eligible: 11-12th

For juniors/seniors with financial need who have attended a Jobs for Youth workshop and registered as a member. Minimum GPA 2.0.

InspirASIAN, a non-profit Employee Group at AT&T, is seeking qualified applicants for our 2024 National InspirASIAN Scholarship Program.

Due January 31st

The scholarship program is open to all high school seniors graduating in 2025 with a minimum GPA of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale. Information about our scholarship program, the link to download the scholarship application, and the process to submit the scholarship application. US citizen or legal resident, ANY ethnic/racial background

Link to the application is within the FAQ on their website

eQuality Scholarship Collaborative - PFLAG San Jose/Peninsula

Due January 31st

For HS seniors of all gender identities & sexual orientations. To recognize service to the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community.

CA State PTA Graduating HS Senior Scholarships

Due: Feb 1st

For volunteer service in the school/community. No GPA requirement. Must be a member of PTA/PTSA.

CSF Seymour Award

Due: Feb 3rd

Must be a Life Member - Nominees must have earned Sealbearer status by the end of the first semester of their Senior year. See newsletter for requirements to be nominated by Ms Yeager.

McDonald's HACER Scholarship

Due: Feb 6th

For seniors with at least 1 parent of Hispanic/Latino heritage; must be legal U.S. residents, 2.8+ GPA

CTA Cal. Teachers Assoc. Scholarship

Due: Feb 7th

Applicants must be student CTA members, or dependent children of active, retired or deceased CTA member.

Peninsula College Fund 4 YR Renewable Scholarship for Low Income Families

DUE: February 7th

The Peninsula College Fund is excited to begin the application process for the 2025 PCF Scholarship Program! PCF is a scholarship given to multiple Sequoia students each year. Students need to have a 2.8-3.8 UNweighted GPA, plan to attend a four-year college, and come from a low-income family(documented).

This is a four-year renewable scholarship and a great opportunity!

Class of 2025 SHS Senior Class Scholarship Available Now

Due: Feb 14th

All Sequoia seniors can now apply for the 2025 SHS Senior Class Scholarship available on Naviance. By applying, you are eligible for over 20 scholarships that will be awarded by the senior scholarship committee. To access the scholarship application, go to Naviance →About Me → Surveys from my school and complete the “2025 SHS Senior Class Scholarship.”

Christermon Beverage Industry College Scholarship

Due: Feb 15th

4-yr university only. Parent, guardian, or grandparent is employed with a company holding a valid CA liquor, beer or wine license. Involved in extra-curricular school activities and community service.

Gordon A Rich Memorial Scholarship

Due: Feb 20th

For children of full-time employees in the financial services industry. Must demonstrate financial need. 4-yr college only. GPA 3.5+. Must be US citizen or legal resident

Pursuit of Excellence Renewable Scholarship for High Achieving Low Income Students

DUE: February 28th

This scholarship is renewable (you get money for all four years in college) and has strict income guidelines around $65,000. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 It is local and every year more than one senior from Sequoia receives this scholarship.

Are you applying to a college that requires a nomination from Sequoia for scholarships or programs?

Important Process Below:

When you are researching colleges to apply to, check to see if they have scholarships and programs that require nominations.

For example, Davidson College has the Belk Scholarships which provides 8 full-ride scholarships to students who are selected. Also, Washington University in St. Louis has the Danforth Scholars Program that awards partial and full-tuition scholarships based on merit and does not consider need as part of the award process. Both of these examples require being nominated in order to apply.

After you research your colleges, if you find a scholarship or program you want to be nominated for, complete this form three weeks prior to the nomination deadline to be considered.

CONTESTS

88nd Annual Student Speaker Contest: Redwood City Lions Club

Come to College and Career for an Application by January 27th

The contest is open to all students 9-12. This year’s topic: “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Friend or Foe?” Students must speak on the topic for a minimum of 5 minutes and no longer than 10 minutes. All speeches will be judged on text, delivery and effectiveness. However, the club is limited on the number of contestants.

Come to the College and Career Center to pick up an application.

Digital Responsibility: Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship Contest

Due: Jan 30th

Grades Eligible: 9-12th

All grades. Focus of scholarship is to help students understand the negative effects of too much screen time. US citizen or legal resident.

Leyla Beban Young Authors Creative Writing Contest - open to all grades

DUE Feb 1st

Welcome aspiring young authors, and thank you for your interest in the $1000 for 1000 Words Creative Writing Contest! We’re looking for an outstanding piece of short fiction that consists of exactly 1000 words. As long as you do so in precisely 1000 words

For More Information click here

2025 EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Due February 1st

2025 Topic: Write a piece describing a common object you would make "smart". Tell us what it would do, how it would help people, and what could go wrong.

Open to all high school students! More Information and Application HERE

GET INVOLVED! Student Opportunities
click on the images below for opportunities to learn more and get involved virtually on and off campus! New list available for December.

Princeton Prize in Race Relations

Week long program and scholarship

Due Jan 31st

Grades Eligible: 9th - 12th

The Princeton Prize in Race Relations (PPRR) recognizes and rewards high school students who, through their volunteer activities, have undertaken significant efforts to advance racial equity and understanding in their schools or communities. All expenses paid trip to week long symposium. Must have an adult sponsor not related to you. WEBSITE

Grassroots Ecology: Youth Stewards Volunteer Program at Stulsaft Park Redwood City

Register by Feb 1st

Grades Eligible:9-12th


Grassroots Ecology invites local high school students to apply to our Youth Stewards volunteer cohort at Stulsaft Park Redwood City. Youth Stewards will have the opportunity to meet new friends, learn about nature from expert staff, enhance their observation skills, and help restore local California woodland, creekside and grassland ecosystems through planting, weeding, mulching, and more. This is a 10-week volunteer and educational experience for local high school students, with no mandatory number of sessions required for participation. WEBSITE

REGISTER HERE

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ELIGIBLE GRADES: 9-12th

Rhizome, a nonprofit is offering a community service, leadership, and civic engagement opportunity through their Civic Service Fellowship. Year round opportunities! website

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ELIGIBLE GRADES: 9-12th

free and open collection of material from thousands of MIT courses, covering the entire MIT curriculum. No registration. WEBSITE

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ELIGIBLE GRADES: 9-12th

Weekly activities some online, some offline, of varying levels of difficulty. Each activity features a woman in tech who pioneered innovative technology.” Click here for more information

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Saturday Homework and Tutor Help at the Boys & Girls Club

Dates for the first semester of the year. LUNCH INCLUDED!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Second Harvest Silicon Valley

Volunteer

all year

Grades Eligible: 9-12th

To sign up to volunteer, visit our website by selecting one of the following options:

Sort food at our warehouses, Distribute food to community members - Distribution sites are located in nearly every neighborhood in Silicon Valley,

Deliver food to homes – Load your vehicle and deliver healthy groceries to homes of seniors and other homebound clients in Santa Clara or San Mateo County. You must be 18 years old to volunteer for this activity. WEBSITE

Do you love dogs? Doggie Protective Services (DPS) Volunteer Opportunity

ELIGIBLE AGES: 14+

DPS Rescue is searching for new volunteers for our biweekly events in Palo Alto! We welcome volunteers of all experience levels and backgrounds, ages 14+, and offer community service credits/sign-offs if needed. Complete form on their WEBSITE.

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Camp Volunteer Opportunities at Marine Science Institute

ELIGIBLE GRADES: 9-12th

This is a great place for volunteers interested in science to help younger students learn about science.Year round opportunities! WEBSITE

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City Trees Volunteer Opportunities

CityTrees loves working with volunteers from our community. The easiest way to volunteer with City Trees is to sign up for an upcoming event. Year round opportunities! WEBSITE

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San Mateo County Historical Association

all year

Eligible Grades:9-12th

Volunteer for free public programs throughout the year: Lunar New Year, Happy San Mateo County Day, Fourth of July (half-price admission), Victorian Days, Día de los Muertos, and Hometown Holidays. Interested students can email carmen@historysmc.org for upcoming volunteer opportunities. WEBSITE

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Friends of the Redwood City Library

Eligible Grades:9-12th

Volunteer to staff the Bookstore in the Downtown Library. This requires a 2-hour per week commitment. Volunteers chat with customers and accept payment. There are Saturday shifts plus shifts from 4 to 6 and 6 to 8 in the afternoon/evenings. WEBSITE

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Must be 16yr+

Help families able to stay close to their sick children

Families with critically ill children are going through some of the hardest moments of their lives.Year round opportunities!

For more information, click here

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Volunteer Opportunity with Habitat for Humanity

Must be 16yr+

Help at their construction site in Daly City.

Click Here for more information

WUE- Tuition Discount Program for Regional Out of State Public Schools

What is WUE? (From the WUE website)

WUE (pronounced “woo-wee”) is the Western Undergraduate Exchange, a program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Through WUE, students in western states may enroll in more than 150 two-year and four-year college institutions at a reduced tuition level: 150 percent of the institution's regular resident tuition. WICHE member states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Search the WUE Online Database to see which institutions participate and which programs are available at the discounted WUE rate.


Tools:

The Tuition Savings Finder helps students identify reduced tuition opportunities at participating colleges and universities in the West*. Students can browse school profiles, explore WUE-eligible majors, and estimate WUE tuition rates and savings at participating schools.


For more information, go to the their website http://www.wiche.edu/wue/students


Things to Remember


  • WUE colleges individually sets their policies and they are all different

  • Watch out for details, certain majors are sometimes excluded (nursing and engineering are often excluded)

  • Some are automatically given to students if admitted and some students must meet a given criteria


If you go to a public out of state college - you pay a lot more for your tuition than a resident. One way you can cut costs is by choosing a WUE participating institution (others offer non resident scholarships as well). Look at University of Nevada, Reno Tuition with and without WUE:


WUE: $12,645

Resident: $8,430

Nonresident: $26,572

Through WUE You'd Save: $13,927

Next Steps After Submitting Your Financial Aid Application

  1. Check your email for confirmation that your application has been submitted.

    1. If you do not receive an email, log back into your application, and verify that you submitted it. Also, verify that you submitted an application for the correct school year. It should be for the year you will be in college.

  2. After a few days, check your email for confirmation that your application has been processed.

    1. If you do not receive an email, log back into your account, and check for any error messages.

    2. For FAFSA filers, contact Federal Student Aid for questions about processing your application. For CADAA filers, contact CSAC for questions about processing your application.

See this document for full instructions about Next Steps. Copies available in College and Career Center.

Parents: Some General Financial Aid Information at Sequoia High and CA Assembly Bill 132

  • Students were given a FAFSA/CADAA Worksheet in their Social Studies Class. This is just as a guideline for what information you will need to have in order to complete the FAFSA/CADAA starting in December. (sorry for any confusion)



  • The district will be sending out information about AB 132, that requires all public school districts and charter schools in California to confirm that all high school seniors have completed a FAFSA or CADAA, unless the student opts out



  • If families do not want to complete the FAFSA/CADAA, you can go to the district's Financial Aid Resources webpage to complete an opt-out form (scroll all the way to the bottom of the page)

Cal Grant Verification

Sequoia Union High School District submitted your GPA to Cal Grant November 6, 2024

Make sure your Infinite Campus information (name and address) is correct to avoid matching problems. If something needs to be change, contact the counseling office

No Verification Form is needed AFTER submitting your FAFSA/Dream Application!

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FAFSA

Two and four-year college bound seniors, complete this Free Application for Federal Student Aid online today regardless of your family income.

Go here to learn more.

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CA Dream Act

California Dream Act allows undocumented and nonresident students to receive certain types of financial aid funded through public universities, state administered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers, and cal grants.

Go here to learn more.

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CSS Profile

The CSS Profile is an online application that collects information used by nearly 290 private colleges and some public university scholarship programs to award non-federal aid.

Go here to learn more.

Career in Gaming

What is the Difference between Game Design and Game Development? From Gameplan



Game Development and Game Design are two critically important aspects of making a game that go hand in hand with each other. The creative skills of game design can involve writing engaging stories, forming interesting characters, creating rough level designs from concept art, describing and making core gameplay mechanics, and more.
The technical skills of a game developer, also known in the industry as a game programmer, include the knowledge and use of programming languages and game engines to implement the designer’s mechanics properly, adding functionality to an artist’s completed work that a player will experience.


Careers in Game Development and Game Design

Here are just a few of the many different positions you can find within the industry:

Gameplay designer: Every mechanic in the gameplay itself is thought of by the gameplay designers. They are responsible for the core gameplay experience - how fast your character is, how dangerous the enemies are and how you win the game are all factors that are decided and refined by the gameplay designers.

Gameplay programmer: Once the gameplay designers have devised an in-game mechanic, the gameplay programmer will use their technical expertise to see it function as intended.

AI Programmer: Non-player characters (known as NPCs) can be a vital element to many different kinds of video games. Whenever you see a computer controlled component try to beat you in a racing game, or an enemy try to take you down in a fighting game, that is an example of an artificial intelligence programmer’s work.

UX Designer: Short for user experience, a UX designer’s job is to make sure that a game is pleasant and easy to interact with.

QA tester: The primary role of a QA tester, or a Quality Assurance Tester, is to discover and thoroughly report any issues they experience whilst playing the game. They look to find bugs in the game and figure out vital information about them so that the development team can fix it. VFX Artist: VFX stands for visual effects. Unlike graphics programmers who bring the looks of a character to life, or make the world appear exactly as the game designers want, VFX artists work on the finer details.

Animator: Animator's primary role is to take the in-game assets created by the 2D and 3D modeling artists and bring them to life.


Here are two steps to consider in high school to prepare for a career in gaming :

1. Learn Programming

  • Languages to Focus On: Start with languages commonly used in game development, such as C++, C#, and Python.

Free Resources: Girls Who Code Codecademy, freeCodeCamp, or Coursera to find beginner courses.

Job Opportunities

Recreation Leaders I/II and Program Coordinator positions with San Carlos Parks and Recreation Summer Camp programs

Must be 16 or older to apply

San Carlos Parks and Recreation is looking for individuals who are passionate about giving back to the community, motivated, enthusiastic, and responsible. Engage a fun and positive leadership experience while also having the opportunity to make an impact on kid’s lives. Come join our Parks and Recreation staff as a Recreation Leaders I/II or Program Coordinator in our Summer Camp Programs! Learn more and apply today at https://www.calopps.org/city-of-san-carlos

Goetz Bros. Sporting Goods Customer Service Part-Time Job

Goetz Bros. Sporting Goods is looking to hire part-time sales associates. Students usually work 6-10 hours a week, after school and on Saturdays. Sports experience is nice but not a must and no work experience is required. Tasks will include customer service, inventory management and assistance with custom decoration. For more information or to apply contact Brent Goetz, brent@goetzsports.com or 650-366-4082

Part-time Grader Assistants Needed San Carlos Math and Reading Center Kumon Tutoring Center

ELIGIBLE GRADES/AGE: Juniors and Seniors

$17.00 hour Looking for students with good math and reading skills who are available to work approximately 6 - 8 hours per week on Monday and Thursday afternoons. Ideal part time job for high school or college students. Pick up a flier in the College and Career Center


If interested email qualifications and resume to kumonsancarlos@gmail.com

Mathnasium of Redwood City, a Math-Only Learning Center

ELIGIBLE AGE/GRADE: 16yr+ (Must have own transportation)

Looking for high school students with exceptional math skills through Algebra I and Geometry to join our team! We offer competitively paid part-time jobs at Sequoia Station with flexible scheduling and ongoing training opportunities. Join us for the opportunity to make a REAL difference in a child’s life by passing on a love for math!

Our starting salaries are $17.00-$19.00 depending on what level of math the instructors can teach.

If interested, please apply online

Pick up a flier in the College and Career Center

Hummingbird Music School is looking for fun and talented high school musicians to join our team of Music Teachers!

ELIGIBLE AGE/GRADE: 15yr+

Part-time work is available teaching after-school group Piano Classes at local elementary schools, as well as private lessons (in all instruments) in-person or online. Pay is $60/hour for group classes and $45/hour for private lessons. Please apply online at http://hummingbirdmusicschool.com/about

FAQs/How To Videos
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How To Videos for students now on our website!

Students: visit the website for a number of How-To videos that Sequoia Counselors made for help with common application, scholarships and much more!
REMINDERS From Previous Weekly Newsletters
Click here for a list of past newsletters links

Do you need free or reduced costs for College Applications, IB Exams, Prom Tickets and more?

Complete the 2024-2025 Meal Application

We want all families to complete this confidential meal application so that qualifying students can receive reduced cost bus passes, internet, prom tickets, grad night tickets, college application fees and IB testing registration. To complete the meal application, click here.

Needs to be completed every year!

Missed the Grade Level College/IB Meeting on August 28th

If you missed the Grade Level 4YR College & IB Meeting on August 28th

The grade-level presentation in English and Spanish ( without the recording) and handouts are available on the Sequoia College and Career webpage.

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Past Newsletters

Dec 8-14, 2024 ANNOUNCEMENTS: PCF Info Meeting FINANCIAL AID- Sequoia’s Cash for Colleges (Help with FAFSA/CAADA), Sticker Price v What you Pay GENERAL 4 YR: What to do after you’ve submitted your applications: Some Schools Require Self-Reported Academic Record, Add all Colleges to Naviance UC: Random LOR CSU: Fee Waivers PRIVATE/COMMON APP: Deferred What to do next

Dec 15-21, 2024 CSU: Changes or updates to a submitted application UC: Supplemental Applications From UC Counselor Bulletin COMMON APP: What is Early Decision 2 and Which Colleges Offer It? - From Maia Learning

Dec 22, 2024-Jan 11, 2025 CSU: Changes to Application UC: Supplemental App, Application Verification, Common App Transcripts and Mid Year Reports, FINANCIAL AID: Next Steps After Submitting your FA

SECOND SEMESTER

Jan 12-18, 2025 CAREER: Career in Radiology

Jan 19-25, 2025 Mid Year Reports & Transcript Info, FINANCIAL AID: WUE Tuition, Applying for Scholarship NOW

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