SENIOR ORIENTATION
Guidance Office Phone Number (Mrs. Dirr) - 419-739-5201

	A - G	Mrs. Mears 	419-739-5213	mearla@wapak.org
	H-N	Mrs. Epperly	419-739-5315	eppede@wapak.org
	O-Z	Mrs. Metz 	419-739-5212	metzki@wapak.org
		
ACT/SAT Testing Dates
If you plan to go to college, you will need to take the ACT for most state schools, or the SAT for out of state /Ivy League colleges.  It is most common that students register online at act.org for the ACT and www.collegeboard.com for the SAT.  There are study guide materials and additional information for both of these college entrance exams available in the guidance office and in our school library.  Mrs. Salsbury and Mr. Short are on staff with an ACT Prep course here as well.  If you would like to take this course, see your counselor.  (Wapakoneta High School is a test site for the ACT; our ACT site number is 227-210.)

Senior Announcements
Several times during the school year there will be a set of senior announcements available to you that has important information.  They are available in the guidance office and via your English class.  It is your responsibility to listen to Redskin Resource announcements to learn when they are published, particularly if you are not currently taking an English 12 class with a staff member at WHS.  They are printed on different colored paper each time to help you know that a new set has been printed.  These announcements can also be found on the high school website: www.wapak.org, high school, guidance, announcements.

College Application Procedure
The guidance office has few, if any, applications available for universities and colleges because most schools prefer that you apply online.  See your counselor if you need a paper application.  The Common Application allows you to use one application for multiple schools (essays may vary).     

If you use a paper application or correspond with a college in any way, do not use pencil.  When you have completed your college application, your high school guidance counselor will then fill out any official school information requested (often a pdf that you print from the college’s website)  and add a copy of your transcript (which you must request because it requires a signature) with it.  Mrs. Dirr will then make note that she has mailed it for you.  She will also send the college/university a confirmation postcard, which verifies that the information has been received.  If you provide your counselor’s email address to the Common Application or college, requesting admission or a recommendation, this will be your electronic confirmation signature that you want your transcript sent.   

It is a good idea to get your applications sent out EARLY because many schools have application filing dates and deadlines for scholarships.   Some schools’ deadlines are November 1 (Ex: OSU) and December 1 (Ex: UC).  Check out your college choices online and take notes about deadlines.  When referencing your counselor’s or teachers’ emails, remember that each school address is setup with the first four letters of the last name and the first two letters of the first name, followed by wapak.org  
(Ex.  eppede@wapak.org--mearla@wapak.org--metzki@wapak.org)

If you are thinking about participating in a sport at a Division I or Division II college or university, be certain that you have applied online at the NCAA eligibility center.  You will enter the portal as a student and begin the process of applying with the NCAA.  This is in addition to applying to colleges.  When you take your ACT, make sure that you add the NCAA as a recipient of your scores when filling out the ACT registration so that your scores are sent directly to the NCAA institution.  If you have not done this and wish to give them your scores, you can call the ACT office and have this done later for a fee.  If you plan to play Division I or II sports, you HAVE to have taken and be taking a college prep curriculum.  If you play sports, you must be taking and passing a minimum of five classes each semester.

College Credit Transfer
If you are enrolled in a CCP class, you will likely be earning college credit.  Often when you work on these credits, you may not know for certain where you want to attend for your post-secondary education.  Try this website to see how well your credits transfer from one college to another:  transferology.com   It will take some time to complete, but it will give you an enormous amount of information.

Ohio Means Jobs K-12 website
If you are drawing a blank about what to do with your future, please go to www.OhioMeansJobs.com (click on the cardinal wearing a graduation cap).   This is an outstanding site for career and college exploration, and you will find many resources under the “Explore It” menu such as the Career Inventory and Career Profile.  All occupations, degrees and fields of study are available, along with any college or technical school you can imagine.  

Financial Aid
~The guidance department plans to host a financial aid/college night in November during parent teacher conferences.  (The specific dates for these meetings will be made available at a later date.)  

~On October 1, your parents can begin the process of filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  You complete this process online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  This application process is used to determine what type of aid may be available to you based on your family’s financial situation and the colleges you have applied to.  Therefore, it is important that you have applied to your chosen college(s) before filling out the FAFSA.  After completing your FAFSA form, print a copy of it.  It is also important for your parents to be in contact with the financial aid office of the school you plan to attend.  Some other sources of financial aid would be co-op programs, military programs such as ROTC and local scholarships, which mainly become available in January and February.  

Scholarship Information
•	All scholarship information that we receive is announced through the guidance announcements.  The scholarship forms are kept in wall trays in the guidance office on the wall to your left as you walk in the door.  If a tray is empty, please see Mrs. Dirr so that she can make more copies.
•	Be certain that you apply for everything for which you are eligible.  Keep in mind that we have many available here at school but thousands are available through personal research.
•	Have your parent/s check their place/s of employment and club memberships (Eagle’s, credit unions, etc.) for scholarships that may be available.
•	If you need a teacher or counselor recommendation, ask well in advance, since he/she is doing you a favor.  Also, give your recommenders a copy of your resume’ so that we know all of the activities, volunteer roles and community organizations that you are involved in.
•	WATCH FOR DEADLINES- most scholarships have strict due dates that you must meet.

Scholarship search ideas:
www.fastweb.com 							http://www.finaid.org
http://www.ed.gov							scholarships.com

Selective Service
If you are an 18-year-old male student, you must sign up for the Selective Service.  Apply online at www.sss.gov  It only takes about 5-10 minutes.  If you are interested in the military, contact a recruiter personally or talk with a recruiter during a lunch visit.

College Nights and College Visits
There will be a few college nights available in our area.  In the past, Rhodes State College, Memorial High School, Fort Loramie High School and Coldwater High School have hosted extensive college fairs.  These fairs will be mentioned on school announcements as well as in the senior announcements.  Please plan to attend at least one event.  Also, you should have visited a few universities by this time and be planning to attend one or two more this autumn as you narrow down your choices.  If your visit is during the school day, come to the guidance office for the peach-colored college visit form.   

SENIOR ORIENTATION CHECKLIST FOR COLLEGE PREPARATION

Senior Year Autumn

1.  ____	Finalize visiting colleges and meeting with reps (senior announcements).
		-cap and gown ordering in September from Herff Jones
		-sign up in the binder to visit with a college rep—PLEASE put the date in your agenda book 			and come to the Guidance Office to meet with the rep—your teachers should allow you to come, 			providing you are not testing and have not been absent recently.

2.  ____	Begin the college application process by applying to the college/s of your choice.  
		-consider applying to two or more schools 
		-ask for your letter/s of recommendation at least ten days in advance
		-NOTIFY ANY RECOMMENDERS THAT YOU NEED A LETTER FROM THEM WHETHER IT’S 			ONLINE OR A PERSONAL LETTER DIRECTLY FROM THEM
		-be sure to fill out a transcript release form for each college; if you provide your counselor’s email 			address to the Common Application, this is considered an electronic signature and is acceptable
		-apply online, or be sure to use a PEN for your mailed-in applications

3.  ____	November 1 and December 1 are often early decision deadlines; try to have your applications sent 			by this time.  The Ohio State University’s new deadline is November 1 for scholarships.  The 			University of Cincinnati and Miami in Oxford both have deadlines in December.

4.  ____	If you are planning to play college athletics at the Division I or II level, you must register 				with the NCAA Eligibility Center online.
		-fill in 9999 when you take the ACT so that your scores are sent to the NCAA; otherwise, you will 			have an additional fee to pay

Senior Year Winter

5.  ____	Beginning on October 1, your parents may complete the FAFSA (Free Application for 				Federal 	Student Aid) using their prior year’s taxes.  This will be done each year and 				provide you with information about grants and student loans.  The college you choose will 			use this information to establish scholarships for you as well.  
		-only a handful of local scholarships are available at this time

Senior Year Spring

6.  ____	Most local scholarships become available in January and February.  Pay attention to our 				school announcements to learn about scholarships that are right for you.  Announcements, 			generally, become available every six to eight weeks.  During scholarship season, they may 			be done more frequently, or there may simply be updates.  Most will be in the paper senior 			announcements, though a few will only be on the verbal announcements during RR.
		-be sure to send thank you notes to any person or business whom awards you a scholarship
		-keep in mind websites like www.fastweb.com (see previous sheet for more information) 				for national scholarship ideas
		-ask for your recommendation letters at least ten days in advance;  good letters come from 			people who know you well and can tell YOUR story:  employers, coaches, ministers, 				teachers, etc.

7.   ____	In the spring, you should receive a letter from your college about financial aid and housing; 			deposits are due at this time as well.  Start packing for college in your mind and have a 				great summer!

Senior Year:  May 

8.  ____	You did it…GRADUATION!!!