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 2023:

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 help you achieve your college options. Writing a thank you note is considered a required part of this process.
The college counselors will send your transcripts to the college you indicated you are applying to through the request process in your Naviance account. We process transcript requests on a date received order. In the fall, we typically process around 1000 different transcript packets for our students. We require your transcript request be submitted at least two weeks before your deadline to assure we will have time to submit it to your college before your deadline.
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 reported your scores on an application, they may require an official report sent from ACT before you enroll. If you need an official report, you will need to order that from act.org. If you have questions, please see your counselor.
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 to any college is contingent on completing the courses you indicated you were taking your senior year and 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 or are planning to take any classes this year for PACC credit through St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and you want to get credit for college, you need to have your PACC transcript sent to the college you are attending. Some colleges may also request it as a part of your admission application. 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. Here is their information:

How do I request my Saint Mary's transcript?
Current students and alumni may request transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse, a secure and confidential website. Transcripts can be sent directly to you or a third party by US mail or electronically. Each transcript is $5.00, payable by credit or debit card. Additional features of online ordering include order tracking, updates, and transcript request history.

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 2024:

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 and many colleges will be offering more in person opportunities as time goes on.) 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 September 10 . The deadline to register is August 5. Register as soon as you are able as 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 (Methodize 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.

Keep reading the Daily Bulletin for college and career speaker events that are happening virtually at school and through college campuses. Take advantage of these informational sessions; the college visits are definitely for juniors too!

Sophomores, Class of 2025:

This year we will be working on completing a careers assessment, called Strengths Explorer. You will complete this in February during a long homeroom session. We will also have a meeting in March to discuss the results and how to access more information in Naviance. This assessment will give you ideas on your strengths, how to improve your strengths and what careers may be of interest to you based on your strengths. The system 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. This spring, we also invited you to attend our Sophomore Student and Parent College Planning Meeting on March 28 and our annual college fair on April 17. This year the college fair will be hosted at St. Thomas Academy.

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

We encourage you to watch for career and college speakers throughout the year in the College and Career Center. You can sign up for any career or college speaker of interest in the CCC with your college counselor or with the parent volunteer. Career and College speakers are open to sophomores. Always feel free to see you college counselor with any questions.

Freshmen, Class of 2026:

Ms. Kjorstad and Mrs. Proctor are 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 and College speakers are open to freshmen. Always feel free to see you college counselor with any questions.