JUNIORS: Scholarship & Testing Info

I will be doing a repeat of the ACT Prep Presentation that I gave over MEA.

• ACT Prep Presentation: Fri Nov 14th 9 -10am
• Practice ACT: Fri Nov 14th 10am-1pm

ACT Information for JUNIORS

Planning on taking the ACT this year? There are many opportunities & options for taking the test and for Test Prep.

• The ACT will be offered at GRHS on Weds March 11, 2026. We will not be offering the writing portion; many colleges/universities do not require it but check with any you are considering attending or need it for scholarships. Do I need to take the Writing portion? Cost is $58 and will be able to be paid through check or cash or online prior to taking the test; it is waived for students who have completed the Free/reduced lunch application and were approved for the current school year. More information will be available in January. (Please note: the district offering of ACT does NOT give your answers back. You MUST test on the national test day for this service**)

• ACT National Test Dates are available at act.org. The 25/26 test dates are on Saturdays: Oct 18, Dec 13, Feb 14, April 11, June 13, July 11. You will need GRHS ACT code: 240990 to sign up. Fee Waivers will be available in counseling in October for free/reduced lunch students.
• Test Information Release (TIR) Oct, April or June is that you can purchase Test Information Release (TIR) which allows you to receive a digital copy of the multiple-choice test questions, your answers, a copy of your answer document, the answer key, and the conversion table used in determining your ACT scores. If you took the optional writing test, you will receive a copy of the writing prompt, the writing test scoring rubric, and your essay scores. However, the cost to take the test on national test day is more, and the TIR service costs $32 if you sign up before you test.
• The fees for national test dates can be found on this link

• Calvin Coolidge Presidential Scholarship Program offers JUNIORS full ride scholarships for 4 years to any college or university. Criteria required: academic excellence, interest in public policy, humility and service in the community.
  

• Deadline is December 16

During junior year, I encourage you to do four main things:

1. College research: Learn about different colleges and which ones might be a good fit. Potentially begin going on campus visits. Many colleges now offer virtual campus tours.

2. Study for standardized tests: If you’re considering a college that requires the SAT or ACT, it’s normally wise to take the test in the Spring. This way, if you’re unhappy with your score, you have time to retake it at the beginning of senior year.

3. Learn about financial aid: Once senior year rolls around, you’ll be too busy doing college applications to research the financial aid process. So focus on understanding that (and taking note of deadlines!) now. To start, here’s a good primer on how college financial aid works.

4. Apply for scholarships. High school juniors are eligible for plenty of scholarships, and it’s never too early to begin earning money towards your college tuition! Plus, it’s pretty easy to turn common scholarship essays into college essays, when the time comes. To find and apply for scholarships, I recommend you sign up for Going Merry.

I know that may seem like a lot to keep track of though, so you might also find this Junior Year Checklist to be quite helpful. Print it out, and check things off as you complete them!

College & Military Reps come to Grand Rapids High school to talk with students about what their organization has to offer. Juniors & Seniors can attend. Sign up to get a pass to come down to the counseling conference room during the scheduled times

• United States Air Force (USAF): Weds Oct 30th @ 11am
• University of MN Morris: Weds Nov 5th @ 8:30am
• University of North Dakota: Mon Nov 17th @ 1pm




SIGN UP HERE

GRHS Counselors (Remember that students are assigned to counselor by last name not by grade)

A-D: Tanis Henderson

E-KL: Nate Elsen

KN - RH: Teresa Stephens

RI - Z: Sheila Anderson

Counseling Office at GRHS

Email: hclairmont@isd318.org
Website: https://www.isd318.org/domain/129
Location: 800 NW Conifer Dr, Grand Rapids, MN, United States
Phone: 218-327-5760 .41544
Twitter: @GRCounseling