College Career Center Newsletter

Happy Fall, y'all!

The College Career Center is up and running. In September we have had about 40 college representative visits and October will not fail you we have about 40 more scheduled. We finished our senior English class presentations, so we should have met to all of the senior class. We will continue to service our students but having one-on-one senior meetings, and are will open flex-time opportunities for students to come work in the CCC if they do not have to be anywhere else.

Stay tuned for updates, opportunities, and resources to support your college and career journey!

We have moved away from Naviance and will be using SchooLinks! Please bear with us as we are learning this new platform along with you.

Because this is a new schoolwide college/career platform, we need all students to activate their accounts.

To login to your SchooLinks accounts, go to https://app.schoolinks.com/, click on Log in with Google, and use your SMMK12 username and password. You are also able to access it thorough your Clever account.

• Once logged in, complete the “onboarding steps,” this should take about 10-15 minutes. Do pay attention as the responses and preferences selected will personalize your SchooLinks account. Please complete this task ASAP.

Hot off the press: if you are applying to college, the SchooLinks Student College Application Manager Guide is VERY IMPORTANT as it includes the steps that must be completed in order to ensure the colleges you’re applying to receive official school documents, such as your official transcript and letter(s) of recommendation.

The SchooLinks Student College Application Manager Guide is a bit lengthy because of the screenshots included. However, the steps are relatively simple. They are in sequential order so please make sure to follow the steps in order.

As you go through the process, let us know if you have any questions/wonderings. You’re welcome to stop by the College/Career Center before school, lunch or after school, email us, or message through SchooLinks (click on envelope icon top, right corner).

Brag Sheet was due Oct. 1st BUT it's not too late to turn it in! To begin and/or complete, login to SchooLinks and AFTER you’ve completed the “onboarding steps,” Recommendation Letter Brag Sheet will be listed under your To Do List tab (this is also your homepage).

• Highly recommended: Complete the Google Doc version of the Brag Sheet found HERE. Then, simply copy and paste your responses onto the SchooLinks Recommendation Letter Brag Sheet, as Teachers and Advisors will use this one and not the Google doc

FAFSA is open!

Seniors who want to be considered for federal, state (Cal Grant & SMC’s Promise Program), and in some cases, institutional aid, the FAFSA or CADAA is required, and for some colleges, so is the CSS Profile.

CSS Profile is NOW open. Please see the CSS Profile Participating Institutions and Programs list to see if the institution(s) you are applying too will require the profile.

FAFSA is proposed to open in December but you can create your FSA ID # now. Creating FSA ID

Check the college's respective financial aid website to confirm what is required and by when.

College Rep Visits begin next week! Thus far, there are over 70 college admission representatives signed up to visit Samohi to share all about their institutions!

• To check the list and register to meet with the rep, login in SchooLinks and AFTER you’ve completed the “onboarding steps,” click on Events tab towards the top.
• Remember you must pick up a Call Slip from the CCC before school, lunch or after school; a Call Slip will not be sent to you. Use the Call Slip to ask your teacher for permission to leave class to attend the Rep Visit.

• College Fair
• Where - Samohi - Cafeteria
• When - October 9, 6pm-9pm
• Black College Summit
• Where - Holman United Methodist Church
• When - October 28, 5:00pm - 8:00pm

If you can’t visit colleges in person, be sure to check out their virtual tours! They’re just a click away and a great way to explore campuses from the comfort of home. Don’t miss the opportunity to get a feel for the schools you’re interested in!

Dates and deadlines are crucial in the college application process. If you have any questions or need a refresher from when we met you during English class presentations at the start of the year, the Survival Guide is here for you. It’s your one-stop resource for everything you need to know about deadlines, applications, and milestone checks to keep you on track. Check it out!

Scholarship search engines:

• Unigo.com
• Scholarships.com
• Fastweb.com

We’re here for you! We’ve got your back. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s always best to clarify things before submitting your applications. You can make an appointment with us, or feel free to drop by before school, during lunch, or after school. We’re eager to help you succeed!

We want to keep you informed as well! Attached is the family letter that was sent to all parent/guardian emails on file. The letter includes the Cal Grant Opt-Out form and the FAFSA Opt-Out form for those who wish to decline participation in the Cal Grant or FAFSA programs.

We understand that this can be a stressful time, and we want you to know that we're here for you. Take a moment to breathe. It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos, so remember to pause, relax, and reconnect with yourself. Just breath!