Post Grad News

Some students know what they want to do after high school from an early age; others aren't sure yet—and that's okay. At Legend High School, the Post Grad Center is your hub for planning your future after graduation. Conveniently located off the main hallway, we're here to help students prepare for whatever comes next.

Follow us on Instagram @lhs_postgrad

The Post Grad Center webpage is your go-to resource for all things post-grad! You can find it on the Legend website under the Post Grad Center dropdown, where you’ll find information and resources to help you navigate your plans after high school.

Commonly Asked Questions:

• What is the senior class size? Class of 2027 has 535 students.
• What is my class rank? Legend does Not provide class rank. Select, "School doesn't provide class rank" on the application.

Juniors and selected sophomores will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) on Wednesday, October 7th, 2026. This exam provides practice for the SAT and also serves as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes high-achieving students with scholarship opportunities. All juniors have been registered for the PSAT/NMSQT, and a $20 assessment fee posted to their MySchoolBucks account unless the junior has already been successfully opted out. Selected sophomores received an invitation by email to participate and were required to register through MySchoolBucks ($20 assessment fee).

On test day, they should arrive at their assigned room by 7:25 a.m. with a fully charged computer and charger. Testing will begin promptly at 7:30 a.m. Schedule for testing week can be seen HERE

Technology Action Required: Students must complete the Student Device Information Form. Then, please review these resources at home: PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide, About Bluebook Digital Testing, and the Bluebook App (the testing application from College Board). Students will not have time on testing day to download or learn the program. Questions about technology? Contact Sandy Sundine prior to testing day.

We are beyond proud of these five Titans who were recognized from the Fall 2025 PSAT/NMSQT Test! The following individuals were recognized for being in the top 3% Nationwide!

National Merit Semifinalists (top 1%):

Brooks Peterson and Katelyn Odau.

National Merit Commended Scholars (top 3%):

Jesse Johnson, Christian Bikis and Katie Wheelock.

Mark your calendar for October 26th at 5:30pm in the Library! All Legend students and parents/guardians are invited to join us for our first Financial Aid & FAFSA Information Night.

A representative from the Colorado State University Financial Aid Office will be here to provide an informative presentation covering financial aid and the FAFSA process. Following the presentation, the rep will stay around to answer any specific questions.

We would also love to hear from you! Would a future FAFSA workshop be helpful? Are there other financial aid topics you’d like us to cover? Take a quick survey and let us know what resources would be most helpful to your family.

Financial Aid & FAFSA Night Sign up

From Tuesday, Oct. 20th through Thursday, Oct. 22nd, many public colleges and universities in Colorado and several private institutions will waive their application fees, making it free for Colorado residents to submit an application. By waiving application fees—a common barrier to higher education—Colorado Free Application Days aims to improve access to further education and training. Visit the Colorado Dept of Higher Education website to find the code for your specific college.

2025 Free Application Days Results:

• 71,504 applications were submitted during October 7 - October 9, 2025
• More than $2.4 million saved by applicants in waived application fees

Did you know to receive college credit for the ACC courses you’ve taken at Legend, you’ll need to request that ACC send your transcript to the colleges you’ve applied to? ACC normally offers free electronic transcripts sent to Colorado schools through Parchment in October. Keep your eye out for those free days and take advantage after Colorado applications have been submitted!

(dates not announced yet)

Arizona State University has been named the nation's most innovative school for 12 years in a row; to celebrate, ASU is offering a $0 application fee for 12 days! Apply using Common App or directly during the 12-day window; No promo code required.

The Free Application Period runs from October 1st - November 30th, 2026. During this time, students can apply online to any of South Dakota’s public colleges and universities without paying an application fee.

Participating institutions include:

• South Dakota School of Mines

• Black Hills State University

• Dakota State University

• Lake Area Technical College

• Mitchell Technical College*

• Northern State University

• South Dakota State University

• Southeast Technical College*

• University of South Dakota

• Western Dakota Technical College (No application fee year-round)

​Free Application Week for University of Alabama, running October 5th–9th, 2026. Applications submitted via the Common App will continue to require a $40 application fee during this period, but you can apply directly to the school to save on fees.

We welcomed nearly 20 college reps in September—and have 30 visits planned for October! College visits are posted on the calendar, TV outside Post Grad, and morning announcements. No pass will be issued—your Naviance confirmation email is your pass!

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR COLLEGE VISITS IN NAVIANCE

Add colleges to your “Colleges I’m Thinking About” tab in Naviance; then you will receive email notifications when those colleges are visiting. If you would like to attend a visit, you need to sign up in Naviance under the “Colleges Home” tab and you will see the college visits on the lower right hand portion of the page. Visits are held in the Post Grad Office. Attendance is taken at the visits and you will be excused from class while you are at the college visit.

Below is a list visits we have planned to date for October. These are subject to change so always best to check out the rep visit calendar on the LHS website for accurate information.

Different branches of the military set up a table in the commons during both lunches certain times of the month (holidays excluded). Below is a list when they are scheduled; no registration necessary. Visits held on scheduled school days.

• Air Force: First Tuesday of every month
• Navy: Second Tuesday of every month
• Army: Third Tuesday of every month
• Army National Guard: Third Thursday of every month
• Marines: Fourth Tuesday of every month

We had such a great turnout for our College Fair on September 15th! If you happened to miss it, I’ve included a short list of other college fairs happening in the area that may interest you. These events are not sponsored by Legend, but they are a great resource to help you explore and learn more!

• NACAC Virtual College Fair: Online options are scheduled for October 18, 2026, and November 8, 2026, from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM MDT.
• NACAC Denver National College Fair: October 17, 2026, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the ⁠Colorado Convention Center. Featuring two-year, four-year, trade, STEM, nursing and visual/performing arts programs.
• Greater Denver College Fairs
• Monarch High School college fair Wednesday, September 30th, 5:30pm until 7:30pm
• Denver South High School college fair Thursday, October 1st, 5:30pm until 7:30pm

• Mountain Vista college fair Saturday, October 3rd from 10:00am until Noon

When you are applying to college directly or through Common App there are many steps that need to be completed. I have listed these steps for you on our Legend website. Please click here to see what is required to fill out Naviance, request a Letter of Recommendation (LOR), and request a transcript.

Requesting Transcripts

Transcripts must be requested through Naviance once you have moved the applicable colleges to “Colleges I’m Applying To.” Once your application has been submitted and payment has been made through MySchoolBucks ($3 per transcript), I will upload your transcript to the requested school.

Pay attention to the College Admission Deadlines. Once I have received a transcript request there are items that need to be completed on my end. It can take up to three weeks before I am able to send your information. For example if you have a college deadline of 10/22/26 your transcript request should be sent to me no later than 09/30/26, sooner if possible.

No transcripts will be sent over fall break as our office is closed (Oct 10th-18th).

To receive college credit for the ACC courses you took here at Legend, you must also send an official ACC transcript over to the college directly from ACC.

Letters of Recommendation:

When requesting a LOR please speak with the teacher in person before requesting it through Naviance. You are responsible for ensuring these get completed timely; please follow up with your teachers to ensure deadlines are met.

Transcripts for Scholarships:

No need to purchase transcripts to be sent for scholarship applications. First step is to add the scholarship opportunity in Naviance; this can be done on the "Favorite Scholarships" tab. After adding to Naviance, email Amy Cannode (acannode@dcsdk12.org) with details of where the transcripts should be sent.

I will email your LHS school email if I need clarification or further support from you before sending your transcript. I will not send your transcript until I hear from you.

Students should also check their college email and portal regularly, as colleges use these to share important updates, requirements, and communicate with you if any issues arise.

Make sure you are keeping an eye on your college deadlines. This year, Nov 1st and Nov 15th both fall on a Sunday! If those are your college deadlines; your deadline is actually earlier as the post grad team does not work weekends.

Early Decision plans are binding: A student accepted as an Early Decision applicant Must attend the college.

Early Action plans are nonbinding: Students receive an early response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the normal application deadline of May 1st.

Fee Waiver: A fee waiver may be granted to students who demonstrate financial need, allowing them to have certain school-related or college application fees reduced or waived. A fee waiver is different from a college-provided code for a free application. If you have a code or special offer for a free application, do NOT select “Fee Waiver.”

I’ve come across a few SAT prep courses that families may find helpful. These resources are not affiliated with or endorsed by the school, but I wanted to share them as options for those looking for additional test preparation.

Khan Academy (Free!) - Maximize your score with free Official Digital SAT® Prep; start by linking your College Board account to your Khan Academy account.

https://www.khanacademy.org/digital-sat

https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/practice/khan-academy

Applerouth (Free!) - Attend Workshops with proven strategies for exam success; Achieve higher AP scores with 2-hour sessions designed to help students earn 4s and 5s. See below link for webinars and practice tests; paid test prep programs are also available through Applerouth.

https://www.applerouth.com/#test-prep

Campus Prep via online or onsite at DU (Cost $195) - This is a 27-hour comprehensive course, including 3 proctored practice exams to help students increase their scores. Course is hosted at the University of Denver and taught by a Harvard graduate. A live online option is also available; families may choose between the in-person and virtual formats.

campusprep.org

https://www.eliteacademics.com/classes/

Visit College Board for registration; Please click here for test dates and registration deadlines.

Remaining 2026 testing dates through College Board:

Oct 3, 2026

Nov 7, 2026

Dec 5, 2026

2027 testing dates through College Board:

Mar 6, 2027

May 1, 2027

Jun 5, 2027

Scholarship Opportunities are listed on the LHS website and are updated as they come available. This list is not all encompassing and researching other opportunities is advised.

The college-specific scholarships shown in Naviance is a great resource as you can filter down to the ones you are eligible based on colleges you applied to as well as your specific GPA, SAT scores, ACT scores, etc. This can be found under the Colleges dropdown and "scholarships and money" section.

Several great resources for students and parents include:

DenverFoundation.org

Scholarships.com

AccessScholarships.com

Bigfuture.collegeboard.org

Spend a few minutes exploring the links above as well as researching further on your own.

There are countless opportunities waiting — you just have to take the first step.

We need our most dynamic thinkers, doers, and difference makers to stay in Colorado so they can positively impact their communities. That’s the ‘why’ behind the Boettcher Scholarship Program. Awarded in partnership with Colorado’s four year, nonprofit institutions of higher education, our comprehensive scholarship program offers financial support and enrichment opportunities to enhance learning journeys, launch careers, and cultivate the leadership potential of our Scholars.

LEARN HOW TO APPLY; student application deadline is November 1, 2026 at 5 p.m

Looking for students with great potential, strong character, big dreams, and values that align with the man behind it all, Bill Daniels. Daniels Scholars® are America’s next generation of leaders, persevering through life’s challenges and committed to making a difference in the world around them. They are independent and entrepreneurial thinkers who are proud of their country and their communities and work hard to improve them.

Apply September 1st — October 14th (4pm deadline) 2026 HERE to join an incredible community of over 5,000 Daniels Scholars and alumni across the country.

The U.S. Department of Education opened the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, on September 23rd, ahead of its anticipated Oct 1st launch date. The earlier rollout of the key college aid form could give more students a head start on securing much-needed financial assistance.

The earlier college-bound students and their families fill out the form, the better their chances are of receiving aid, largely because some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, or from programs with limited funds.

Contact Your Financial Aid Office

Check with the financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend for information on available state aid and deadlines. Additional forms may be required.

Source: CNBC, “FAFSA opens early: Why families should apply for college aid now” Sept 24, 2026.

COLORADO PROMISE

• Maintain your grades during your junior year is especially important. College Admissions Counselors look for an upward trend in grades throughout the high school years.
• Be aware of the PSAT and SAT dates.
• Determine what it takes to position yourself most favorable for admission to the college(s) of your choice, in addition to GPA and test scores.
• Speak with your advisor during your junior meeting about your academic record and profile; determine that gaps or weakness there are and get suggestions on how to strengthen your candidacy for the schools you are interested in applying.
• Attend college rep visits at Legend HS and college fairs to gain an understanding on how colleges differ in culture, class size, etc.

1. CREATE ACADEMIC PLAN (ICAP)

• Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) and/or Individualized Education Program (IEP) to be completed in Naviance during second semester of your senior year.
• Must complete the ICAP Survey prior to graduation. Within the survey, click on the Send Final Transcript button for your final institution. This is how we will know where to send your transcript after graduation.

2. EARN 24 SCHOOL CREDITS

3. 20 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

• Document 20 hours of service activity within the Helper Helper app or online at helperhelper.com. Hours are to be accumulated over 4 years at Legend.

4. MATH AND ENGLISH COMPETENCIES

• Students must demonstrate college and career readiness in both Math and English through one of twelve different methods prior to graduation. For menu of options; click here.

Every student attending a Douglas County School is required to fulfill a 20-hour community service requirement to graduate. Hours must be documented within the Helper Helper App and contact information (email/cell phone) is required for your volunteer coordinator to approve your hours electronically.

Volunteer opportunities are emailed directly to you through Helper Helper as they become available. We also encourage you to seek out volunteer opportunities on your own that match your interests and passions.

How Many Hours do you need to Letter in Community Service?

• 1st Letter: Complete 100 hours and complete the required body of evidence.
• 2nd Letter: Complete 150 hours during the year and complete the body of evidence.
• 3rd Letter: Complete 250 hours during the year and complete the body of evidence.

Lettering in Community Service: Find the correct form for, first year, second year or third year for lettering requirements HERE. Complete and submit the appropriate form with the body of evidence required to Ms Foos. Lettering packets are due for all students by mid March 2027.

• Community Service lettering program at Legend is limited to the current school year of service and is not retroactive to previous school years. Community service hours must be completed between May 30, 2026 and Mid March 2027 to qualify for lettering this year.

• You must be a current, full-time student to letter.

• Lettering hours count towards graduation required community service of 20 hours.

Will be added as they come across my desk

Employment, Military, Trade school or College... your opportunities are Endless!

Ellie Murphy; Post Graduate Counselor

emurphy@dcsdk12.org

303-387-4527

Amy Cannode; Post Graduate Admin Assistant

acannode@dcsdk12.org

303-387-4633

August 2026 Newsletter