Some things to remember during each year of your AHA career

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Some things to remember during each year of your AHA career

Some things to remember during each year of your AHA career

Seniors, Class of 2021:

Don't forget to write thank you notes to those individuals that write you letters of recommendation. This is an important part of the process. Teachers are not required to write letters of recommendation, they do so to help you in your application process. They are not paid extra for the extra time they spend writing letters. Remember, their letters helped you achieve your college options. Writing a thank you note is considered a required part of this process.
Transcript requests need to be entered in your Naviance account at least two weeks before your college deadlines. If they are not entered two weeks before the deadline, we cannot guarantee they will arrive before your deadlines.
Remember most colleges this year are test optional, which means you do not need to have an ACT or SAT. However, you need to check every college website to see if they do have test requirements, as although many colleges are test optional, it is not every one. Some colleges may require test scores for specific academic programs or merit scholarships. It is important to look up every college of interest to determine if you need a score. If you have questions, please see your counselor.
If you are not sure if you want to apply to a college test optional or not, be sure to read the college's policy. Some colleges will let you change your mind after you have applied and some will not. So, if you apply test optional and then take an ACT that you want to be considered, it will not be if the college has said you are not able to change your mind after you submit your application.
Don't forget to bring in your acceptance and/or scholarship letters. We need this information for Celebration Day and Graduation.
Most importantly, it is imperative to keep up your academic work throughout your senior year. A final transcript will be sent to the college you choose to attend. Your acceptance was contingent on continuing a strong level of work. The colleges can (and will) rescind admission if you do not perform up to your initial application. Also, remember if there are any changes to your schedule, those need to be disussed with the colleges to which you have been admitted. The colleges are assuming you are completing all the courses you told them you were registered to take this year. If you have questions, please see your college counselor.

If you took any classes for PACC credit through St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and you hope to get credit for college, you need to have your PACC transcript sent to the college you are attending. You can go online to St. Mary’s website at: http://www.smumn.edu/pacc. Click on "Information for Students and Parents" on the left hand side of the page. Click on this and you will see a list of frequently asked questions, click on "Transferring Credits" to get information about ordering your St. Mary's Transcript to the colleges of your choice. Once the college you choose receives the final transcript, they will review and determine if they will award college credit for the coursework.

As always, your college counselors are here to discuss additional college options, financial aid, scholarship searches, etc. If you have questions, contact them!

Juniors, Class of 2022:

If you have not yet visited any colleges, we strongly recommend getting on a couple of campuses this year. (Of course, there are some colleges that are still not allowing in person visits, but they all have extensive virtual information options.) It is always beneficial to visit colleges when they are in session, if this is possible. Look at your calendar to see when you might have a couple of days to do some local visits. You can find the colleges' phone numbers in the college profile pages in your Naviance account. Otherwise, most colleges will have visit information right on their websites.

If you are planning to take the ACT this year, the next available test date is June 12, 2021. The deadline to register is May 7. This is a huge test date for juniors, so do not wait until the deadline. Many test centers will be closed before the deadline. You can register for the test at www.act.org. Remember you also have access to an online test prep program (Method Test Prep) in your Naviance account. If you have ANY problems getting registered in this program, contact Mrs. Proctor at tproctor@ahastars.org and she will assist you. Our students that have used it have found it really helpful. It is difficult to know how many colleges will continue their test optional policies for your class. This is something we will need to continue to watch throughout the year.

Your college counselors are in the process of reading all your college portfolios. We will return them to you before the end of the school year. See your counselor with any questions.

Keep reading the Daily Bulletin for college events that are happening virtually at school and through college campuses.

Sophomores, Class of 2023:

In February, you completed a career and personality assessment in homeroom, called Strengths Explorer. This assessment gives you ideas on careers that may be of interest to you, gives you lots of information on a particular career (pay, education required, etc.), college majors that might relate to that specific career and colleges that offer that major. It is an all-inclusive report that can assist you as you think about potential job, major and college options in the future. Remember to have your Strengths and Action Items in mind in case we stop you in the hall and ask! Hopefully you were able to attend our Sophomore Student and Parent College Planning Meeting on April 13 and the Virtual Signature College events during the week of April 19. If you are interested in seeing the Virtual Signature College Event recordings, they are posted in the Student and Parent Portals in MyAHA.

Students, remember to update your resume in Naviance to keep track of all your activities and community service for the year.

Freshmen, Class of 2024:

Ms. Kjorstad and Mrs. Proctor were excited to meet you in the College and Career Center this year.

Remember this is the first year in building your file for college. This year does count in your grades and information we send to colleges. Continue to do your best academically and get involved in your school or community. All of these things are important.

Next year, as sophomores, we will be working on career possiblities. You will complete a career assessment and we encourage you to watch for career speakers throughout the year in the College and Career Center. You can sign up for any career speaker of interest in the CCC with your college counselor or with the parent volunteer. Career speakers are open to freshmen.