HS Guidance Office Notes

Honor roll students

The following names were missed on the second quarter Honor Roll that was included with last month’s Report newsletter.

• Tenth Grade: Erica Engle, Kevin Martin
 
• Eleventh Grade: Eric Augsburger, Micah Berthold, Julie Heinly, Mary Keeny, Sun Jin Kim, Rebecca Kraybill, Michael Peachey, Benjamin Sprunger, Heidi Weaver, Korinne Wenger
 
• Twelfth Grade: Victoria Heisey, Jung Gu (Liam) Kim, Michael Nathan, Margaret Weaver

Free booklet on funding higher education
Students or parents may request a copy of the free booklet, “Funding Education Beyond High School,” at the guidance office.

FAFSA and SAR
In a recent Advisory Group meeting seniors were given several papers interpreting terms used on the FAFSA and the Student Aid Report (SAR) and a list of local area scholarships along with a worksheet for comparing financial offers from several different colleges.

Tips for College-bound Seniors

           
• Any FAFSAs not yet completed and sent should be done ASAP. When the SAR (Student Aid Report) is received, it should be reviewed by student and parents for accuracy. Any necessary corrections should be processed immediately. If additional information is requested, or if selected for verification, the requested information should be sent immediately. If no changes are needed, the SAR should be kept while the student awaits responses from colleges.
• Upon receiving financial aid award letters from college(s), the student and parents should review and compare them to understand the types of aid offered and the comparative costs between schools. Contact the financial assistance offices of respective colleges if clarification is needed.
• For privately sponsored scholarships, students should carefully note application deadlines.
• Note that the guidance office keeps files of scholarships from Lancaster area businesses and other organizations. Students are encouraged to explore these files for possible matches with their interests and eligibility. Many of these deadlines will come within the next month to six weeks.
• The website EducationPlanner.org is highly recommended for a variety of college planning functions. It has an award analyzer feature that allows students to compare their award letters from several different colleges. Also, its scholarship database includes 1.2 million different scholarships which represent $7 billion worth of scholarship funds.

Summer Programs
The guidance office receives information on high school summer programs held on various college campuses across the country. See Mr. Hess for details.

Grief retreat
Coping Kids, a children’s program of Hospice of Lancaster County, will offer a Soul Mates Teen Grief Workshop on May 3 for students who have experienced a loss due to death. Anyone interested in registering for this workshop should contact the PATHways Center at (717) 391-2413.

Dates for upcoming ACT and SAT tests

	Test Date	Registration Deadline
SAT	May 3	April 1
SAT	June 7	May 6
ACT	June 14	May 9

Juniors planning ahead for college are encouraged to take the SAT or ACT in the spring of grade 11 and again in the fall of grade 12. The guidance office has information regarding SAT preparation classes that are available in the community. Students may register for these classes as individuals or in small groups for a somewhat lower rate.

AP exams
During March, students taking AP courses will have opportunity to sign up to take the AP exams in May. Each exam costs $84, payable at the time of the exam.

HACC Open House
HACC will hold an open house for high school students and parents Saturday, March 29, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at HACC’s Lancaster campus.