Seniors,

We're officially two weeks into the school year, and things are moving quickly! I'm hoping they can slow down a bit and you can find a chance to sift through this newsletter. I also hope that it's been a good start to the year for all of you. I know it's been great seeing you around the halls again.

Last week, I spent time in your English classes going over all of the things you need to know for the college application process. I'm sure it wasn't overwhelming at all.. Right now, if you haven't done anything to start down the "what's after high school" path, you aren't too behind, but you're getting there. The truth is that there's just so much to that process. It's so easy to feel stressed by it, but I hope the resources I share and time I spend with you make it all easier.

In the next week or so, I will begin calling you all down to my office for some one on one meetings. We can talk about where you're at and what you're thinking, and I can give you some pointers in the right direction if you need them. Just know that my door is always open for these questions, and you don't have to wait for those meetings to talk about things with me!

As Lunch & Learn begins, I will also be available during that time to chat and answer any questions that might come up. Don't be shy! Remember - I'm here for you all. It doesn't matter what the topic is!

This newsletter contains a lot of the information that I shared at the beginning of August. For the college-bound student, most questions you have can be answered somewhere in here. For the non college-bound student, you'll also find some resources related to your search for what's next.

In this newsletter, you will find:

• Information about graduation requirements
• Diploma Form
• A Copy of the presentation slides I went over in classrooms
• A complete overview of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website that includes:
• Career Exploration Resources
• Testing Information
• College Application Guide
• Information about transcripts and letters of recommendation
• Financial Aid Overview
• Scholarships
• And more!
• Some resources & events that have come to my attention in recent weeks, and might be of interest to you.

If you have any questions, please don't be afraid to reach out. Remember, I'm here for every one of you no matter what. Please know that I am here for anything you need - and that goes well beyond applying to college!

-Mr. Watters

Please take a good look at your schedules and transcripts to make sure that you have all you need to graduate. Keep in mind, you need the following to graduate:

4 English Credits

3 Math Credits

3 Science Credits

3 Social Studies Credits

2 Art/Humanities Credits

1 full Physical Education Credit

0.5 Health Credits

7.5 Elective Credits

EQUALS 24 TOTAL CREDITS

Additionally, you will need to complete a minimum of 20 service hours by May 1st to graduate. You can find the tracking sheet for service hours below.

***If you notice that there is something missing from your schedule that should be there, especially if it is a graduation requirement, please let me know as soon as possible. You have access to your transcript on Infinite Campus to check for yourself. There is definitely a chance that I missed something - don't let that go unnoticed. It could be the difference between you graduating or not!***

The goal of high school is to get a diploma at the end of it. We want that diploma to display your name as you wish it to. You should have received, or will be receiving a letter in the mail with a QR code to the Diploma Form that will be used to indicate how you would like your name to appear on your Diploma. That link is also included below.

You must complete the Google Form and fill in your name as you wish it to appear on your diploma no later than September 30th. Diplomas for any student who has not completed the form by that date will have names as they appear on Infinite Campus.

**As of typing this newsletter, we have only received 31 responses to this form. With over 100 students in the Class of 2025, please be sure that you take some time to fill this out.**

The button below will take you to the classroom presentation that was given in September of 2024. It goes over some important steps for students who are planning to apply to college. Please review it thoroughly! It's also linked later on in this newsletter with some additional pieces that are related to it.

The rest of this newsletter will give an overview of the different pages that can be found on the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website. This site was created to be a one stop shop for anything related to life after high school. There may be some things that come up that aren't answered in there, but most topics should be covered. The sections below will explain each of the pages on the site. If any questions come up, please ask!

If you don't really know what you want to do after graduation, that's okay! You've still got some time to figure it out. Part of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website will help you explore some of your options. Click on the link below to learn more about:

Activities you can do to help you explore

College/workplace visits

Job Shadowing

Choosing a major or career path

I would also strongly encourage you to come talk through this all with me! I'm here to help you figure this stuff out. I want to help you find what's next, and get there in the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way possible!

The next section of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website will go over is the Testing Information section. This is all about the SAT, ACT, and what you might need to consider if you think you are going to take them. Click the link below to go to the website and learn all about the test. Topics include:

Key terms and considerations

If you should take the test

When to take the test

How to prepare for the test

The difference between the SAT & ACT

How to sign up for the tests

How to send test scores to schools

Please note that the next SAT will take place on October 5th. We will be offering the November 2nd SAT at Lakeland. After that, the next SAT will be December 7th, and this will be the final opportunity until March. If you have not yet taken the SAT and are planning to go to college, you should be planning to take the test on one of those dates.

Many college applications, including the CommonApp officially open on August 1st. Every year, there are a handful of students who want to get those applications in within the first week. Pay close attention to this section so you know how to do that! I won't be in the office every day, so questions may take some time to get answered. Rest assured, most of the answers can be found right on this site.

For those of you who do not start on applications right away, I will be in your classrooms within the first two weeks of school to explain everything to you. Much of it will refer to this site, but it will still show you all you need to know.

Please know - college applications take a lot of time. There is so much that goes into it, so please don't wait too long to get started.

It can all be so intimidating. Please reach out to me if you're feeling stressed, don't know how to do something, or just need to vent!

If you click the link below, you'll go to the College Application Guide section of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website. This has:

Tips to get you started with your applications

Things to consider when applying

Information about what you need to complete for applications

FERPA & College Applications

And more (keep reading to find out)

There are multiple ways that you can apply to college. The most popular is through the Common Application. This opened on August 1st for the Class of 2025, and is a gateway to many different schools. You can create an account and play around before that date, but please note that anything you enter will reset when the new application period begins on August 1st. The button below will take you to the Types of Applications section of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website. Here you'll find information you'll need to apply with:

• The Common Application
• The Coalition Application
• Group Applications
• Individual Applications

There are several different ways that you can apply to college that all may have various benefits to your application. The button below will take you to the Decision Types section of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website. This will walk you through all the different terms and types of applications that you may be prompted to complete.

SCOIR has many different features, but at Lakeland it is primarily used to connect students and colleges directly. You will use it to explore different schools and career paths, request letters of recommendation, and get your transcripts sent to schools. You will not be able to apply to college at Lakeland if you don't use Scoir.

You can click on the button below to go to the SCOIR section of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website. You'll find all sorts of information about SCOIR there.

It is important to remember that Scoir is NOT the same as the Common App or the Coalition App. If you fill out college applications with the Common App or the Coalition App, you will be prompted to request both letters of recommendation and transcripts within those applications, but you can ignore those requests. All letters of recommendation and transcripts MUST be sent through Scoir. No letters or transcripts will be sent through the Common App or Coalition App.

When you first log in to Scoir, you will be asked to "waive" and "release" your FERPA rights in order for Lakeland to communicate with colleges. Please do this at the start to save a few headaches down the road! You can learn more about the purpose of this on the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website section linked below.

I cannot send any documents to schools until you complete the FERPA Releases and Waivers! Please make sure this is done before you do anything listed below.

Students will also utilize SCOIR to request letters of recommendation from teachers. There is an etiquette to requesting letters that this section of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website will walk you through. It will also go over the steps you need to take to request your letters. You should look at this early on so that your teachers don't get overwhelmed by all of the requests they receive!

You'll also want to review the information here about the Senior Brag Sheet. This is something you'll have to fill out so that your teachers can write their letters. It is mandatory, and must be completed before your letters of recommendation can be sent. It's housed on SCOIR, and is a place where you can talk about the important things you've done and want highlighted!

All transcripts will be sent to colleges through SCOIR. Students cannot get this information sent to a school without utilizing SCOIR. The Sending Transcripts/Self-Reported Grades sections of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website will walk you through everything you need to know about transcripts, as well as what you need to do to get them sent to a school.

The College Essays page of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website will give you some tips and tricks to writing your essays. Click the link below to check it out, and learn more about the different types of essays you may need to write.

The FAFSA Application will (hopefully) open on October 1st. More information will be shared once this happens, but you can be educating yourself about all it entails until then. The Financial Aid Information section of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website will help you do just that. I'd recommend that you check it out now, and ask any questions that might come up. Here you'll find information such as:

Why financial aid is important

What financial aid is

Tips to get you started

The different financial aid applications

When you apply for financial aid

Who fills out the applications

What the different types of applications look like

At this point, we have heard that the FAFSA will not be available until December 1st at the earliest. We do still want to share the free FAFSA Helpline. You can text the help desk at 313-723-2372 with questions at any time!

Each month, PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) hosts webinars aimed to help families looking for financial assistance to help pay for college. We will share the upcoming topics here each time they are updated. You can access a flyer below with links to register!

A tip - even if you can't attend the webinar at the time its scheduled, registering for the event should give you access to a recording of the event so you can watch it at your leisure.

Upcoming topics include:

• Searching for Scholarships
• The Financial Aid Timeline
• Borrowing For Education - Which Loan Is Right For Me?
• The Two-Step Approach To Finding An Affordable Higher Education
• Understanding The Offer Letter and Balances
• Covering the Gap - Pieces of the Puzzle To Help Pay Your Education Bill

There is generally no more asked question than "how can I get a scholarship." If I had the answer to that, I promise I would share it, but unfortunately it isn't that simple. At this point, there are no specific scholarships that you can apply for. Most are national applications that are highly competitive. The local scholarships will become available sometime in the winter of your senior year, and will all be announced via newsletter. For now, you can check out the Scholarships page of the LHS Postsecondary Counseling Website. It has some scholarship sites that may provide you with some opportunities!

I know there is A LOT of information here. I promise it is all important in its own way. Let's keep one thing in mind - your senior year is a marathon, not a sprint - but that marathon has already started. You still have the luxury of time, but that doesn't mean you can procrastinate! It means that you can take your time and really produce quality results.

I believe in each and every one of you! I know that you will all absolutely crush your senior year, and I can't wait to see what you all make of it. If you made it this far, you'll be in great shape. There's lots more information to come, so keep breathing and we will get through this together!

Remember, if you don't know, ask! Reach out. I can only help you if I know what you're struggling with. I'm here for all of you no matter what.

Best,

Mr. Watters

Mrs. deQuevedo - ddequevedo@lakelandsd.org

Classes of 2026, 2028, & 2030

Click Here to Make an Appointment

Mr. Watters - zwatters@lakelandsd.org

Classes of 2025, 2027 & 2029

Click Here to Make an Appointment

Location: 1355 Lakeland Drive, Jermyn, PA, United States

Email: lhscounseling@lakelandsd.org | Phone: 570-254-9485

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