VHS Counseling January Newsletter

January 2025

In this newsletter you will find information about.....

All Grades

Course Selection Timeline
Interested in Joining PALS?
ACC Dual Credit Information
Leadership Opportunities
College Visits for VHS Students

All Things Senior

Mid-Year Reports for College Applications
Austin Community College After Graduation
FAFSA is OPEN!! (And it's a Graduation Requirement!)
Frequently Asked Senior Questions
Accepted? We Want to Know!

Junior Zone

Junior Conferences & Parent/Guardian Informational Webinar - Save the Dates!
Upcoming Test Preparation Opportunities

Freshman Corner

Launch of Naviance Parent/Guardian Accounts

Leander ISD Mental Health Minutes

Your Brain
What to Do if a Friend Needs Help
Stigma
Refusal Skills

Dates to Remember:

January 16, 17, or 18: PALS Information Meetings
January 17 & 21: Counselor Connection Meetings for Juniors
January 21, 6p: Junior Parent/Guardian Info Webinar
January 27 - February 21: Junior Conferences
March 3 - Viper Night

Multi-Grade Level Information

Course Selection Timeline

Please view the VHS Course Selection Timeline document for all information regarding upcoming academic planning activities.

Interested in Joining the PALS Program Next Year? (current sophomores and juniors only)

Make sure to attend an information session in January to get information on the application process/requirements.

You have the option to attend before or after school on January 16, 17, or 18 in the Lecture Hall.

Dual Credit through Austin Community College

ACC spring 2025 classes begin January 21st. Students taking ACC this spring should check their Dual Credit Google Classroom for important updates and information.

Students interested in taking ACC dual credit classes summer 2025 and/or during the 25-26 school year should begin the ACC enrollment (if new to dual credit) and prepare for registration. All students (new & returning) will need to attend a dual credit advising meeting to enable registration. Advising meetings are held weekly beginning January 14 and all steps of the enrollment process must be completed before the advising meeting. Priority deadlines to complete the enrollment and advising meeting are March 13 for summer registration and April 25 for fall registration. Information about ACC's dual credit program can be found on the VHS College & Career Website.

Leadership Opportunities

Students in search of organized leadership opportunities through community organizations (Girls'/Boys' State, RYLA, etc) should check their Class of 20XX regularly for up to date application and deadline information. These opportunities are posted in the grade level appropriate Google classrooms once they are shared to us by the community organizations.

College Visits for VHS Students

Don't forget that college admissions representatives are still scheduling visits to connect with prospective applicants! This is a great way to find out more about colleges, develop an understanding about the admissions process, and connect with the representatives who will be reviewing your application. Click here to access the College and Career Center Webpage for further instructions.

All Things Senior

Mid-Year Reports for College Applications

Some colleges/universities require a Mid-Year Report as part of the college application process. Mid-year reports can be sent once semester grades are finalized and GPA's have been recalculated and reviewed. This will be complete by mid-February.

The method for submitting a mid-year report will differ based on your method of application for each school.

Common App - if any of your Common Application schools require a mid-year report, no further action is needed on your part for these schools. Your counselor will submit the report on your behalf once mid-year transcripts become available.
School Specific Application - if you applied through a school specific portal and need a mid-year report, you will order a transcript via Parchment. Please be sure to select the "Hold for Grades" option. This will ensure the registrar sends the mid-year transcript to include 1st semester grades.

Austin Community College After Graduation

Seniors interested in taking classes at ACC after VHS graduation should begin the enrollment process (either new to ACC or transitioning from being a dual credit student)- steps can be found here. ACC is offering free tuition to the Class of 2025 beginning August 2025, continuing for 3 years. More details about the free tuition program can be found here.

ACC representatives will be at VHS January 27th during PIT to discuss ACC's areas of study and then will be here monthly through the spring to aid with enrollment and registration. Come see Ms. Kendall in the College & Career Center if you have questions and be on the lookout for additional information in the Class of 2025 Google Classroom.

FAFSA is OPEN!! (And it's a Graduation Requirement!)

The FAFSA is NOW OPEN for this year's graduating seniors!!!!

In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0256, each student must do one of the following in order to graduate:

Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) (for Texas residents who are not eligible to apply for federal financial aid - usually includes students who are non-citizens or non-permanent residents of the United States)
Submit a signed opt-out form ENGLISH, SPANISH

*Reminder: this is only one graduation requirement component. Counselors and Administrators will continue working with Seniors on ensuring graduation requirements are met.

ACTION REQUIRED
Seniors: To complete this graduation requirement, submit your documentation to this linked form.

Frequently Asked Senior Questions

How do I get a cap & gown?

January 31 // Order Cap & Gown by this date to avoid late fee (link directly to only cap, gown & tassel, not fancy packages)

Do I need tickets for graduation?

No! Seating at the HEB Center is first come, first served. There is ample seating for all seniors and their guests.

Speaking of stuff to wear - when do I get all my fancy accessories? (medals/stoles/cords/cap & gown)

Graduates will receive packets containing applicable regalia during the walk-through at graduation rehearsal. Graduates will pick up their cap & gown immediately following graduation rehearsal.

Accepted? We Want to Know!

Once you make a decision of where you'll be attending, follow the steps below to be added to our "Going Places" wall at the front of the school.

Log into your Naviance account (access through Leander LaunchPad)
Navigate to "Colleges I'm Applying To"
Add your school or military branch and click on the edit icon and update your "Result" to "Accepted"
Once you know where you're committing, choose it from the drop-down of "College I'm Attending"

Junior Zone

Junior Conferences & Parent/Guardian Informational Webinar - Save the Dates!

Counselors will begin meeting with 11th grade students in January to begin the course selection process for the 2025-26 school year. Junior/Counselor Conferences will take place January 27 - February 21 to discuss post-secondary planning and finalize course selections for senior year.

**Be on the lookout for the Viper Vitals for Juniors newsletter with more specifics coming soon!**

Important Junior Dates

January 17 & 21 - Counselor Connection presentations during students' English class periods - Students taking English 3 through ACC will meet in the Lecture Hall during your ACC off period on Friday, January 17

January 21, 6:00pm - Junior Parent/Guardian Info Webinar // Register Here (password - Vipers)

January 27 - February 21 // 11th Grade Individual Student/Counselor Conferences (parents/guardians invited to join via Zoom)

Upcoming Test Preparation Opportunities

SAVE THE DATE - School Day SAT

SAT (no writing) for all juniors on March 6, 2024 // FREE, no registration required

Test Preparation Opportunities

1/11/25 Mock SAT at VHS ($15)
1/25/25 Mock ACT at VHS ($15)
Test Preparation Classes for March SAT after school at VHS ($649) // Classes begin in February

More Test Prep Opportunities:

Prepare for the SAT®

Access SAT test prep with Khan Academy and SchoolHouse
Bootcamp for March SAT testing - designed for learners scoring between 400-690 on an SAT Math or Reading & Writing section.

College and career planning tools - Use Big Future! and Naviance
Students review AP® courses

Additional Resource:
Research Foundations: Empirical Foundations for College and Career Readiness

Other Spring To-Do Suggestions:

Check out the College Planning & Application Resources link for the 11th Grade College Planning Checklist and Additional Planning Resources on the VHS College and Career Center website.
College Visits at Vandegrift – Meet with college reps (register in Naviance)

Freshman Corner

Launch of Naviance Parent/Guardian Accounts

We are excited to rollout parent/guardian access to our Naviance platform.

All guardians of 9th-grade students listed in eSchool Plus will receive an email with log-in information on January 10, 2025. Please be on the lookout for this email and check your spam folder.

Mental Health Minutes

In an effort to promote mental health awareness and reduce the stigma of seeking help for mental health concerns, the Leander ISD Counseling Services team is excited to continue the Mental Health Minute video series.

January Mental Health Minutes:

Your Brain English

What to Do if a Friend Needs Help English // Spanish

Stigma English

Refusal Skills English