Southern Illinois Regional ICE Fair
The juniors are going on a field trip! We are taking a bus to Carbondale on March 1st to check out the college & universities at the ICE fair.
SIU Carbondale is hosting its third annual Southern Illinois Regional ICE (Illinois Collegiate Exposition) Fair on campus. The ICE Fair will provide high school and transfer students from throughout the area with an opportunity to visit with 75 to 100 public and private universities, community colleges, military, and technical schools from all parts of the United States. This event is one in a series of regional college fairs held throughout the state of Illinois to inform students and their families about educational options after high school.
For more information, click here
ACT Prep
Rend Lake College is offering a ACT Prep Course at the Murphy Wall Campus. The Course will be held on Mondays, starting 3/12 and ending 4/16 (with no class Monday, April 9), and meet from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. Andrea Banach will be instructing the course. The cost is $37 which includes the book. This course is designed to teach reading, English, science, and math skills you will need to do well on your ACT test. Test-taking skills will be emphasized. Students will use Barron’s ACT 16th Edition text. For further information contact 618-437-5321 ext 1716 or ext 1267.
Gathering FAFSA documents
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now posted online. It’s important to complete the form and submit it as soon as possible, as some financial aid is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Here are some of the items you will need:
- Your Social Security number and your parents’ Social Security numbers if you are a dependent.
- Your driver’s license number, if you have one.
- 2011 federal tax information for you and your parents if you are providing parent information. If you have not filed your taxes, you can still submit your FAFSA by estimating family income.
- Records of untaxed income, such as Social Security benefits, welfare benefits, and veteran’s benefits for you and your parents.
- To get started, visit fafsa.ed.gov. Don’t miss out!
College Visits
Representatives from the following Colleges/Universities will be conducting informational meetings on our campus:
If you are interested in attending any of these visits, you must sign up in the Counseling office prior to the visit and pick up a pass the morning of the visit in order to be released from class.
Senior College Day Procedure
Per the PCHS Student Handbook:
College, occupational visitations, or interview days. (Maximum of two days
during high school during senior year.) These must be requested and
approved TWO days in advance. A form can be obtained from the guidance
office. These days do not count as an absent from school, and do not apply
towards total days missed for taking semester exams. There will be no
college visits during the last two weeks (10 regular class days) of class prior
to the first day of exams.
PAY ATTENTION to early college application deadlines! You will miss out on college/university specific scholarships if you don’t apply by their deadlines (often in late fall)
Links to a few colleges/universities:
Federal law says all men living in the U.S. must register
within a month of their 18th birthday. Registering keeps you
eligible for college loans, job training, government jobs
and driver’s license renewal in most states.
Interested in Health Care Careers? This is a great interactive health careers website designed to explain the array of health professions and provide easy access to students seeking information about health careers. ExploreHealthCareers.org
A recent report by www.naceweb.org noted that 12 of the top 15 most lucrative majors are in engineering and engineering– making up 5 of the top 10 most in demand majors! To learn more about engineering visit www.jets.org.
All athletes looking for athletic scholarships need to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Make sure you print off the transcript release and bring it to guidance. To receive any athletic scholarship money, you MUST be registered. PCHS NCAA Clearinghouse code is 9999. There is a $50 fee. Register as soon as possible.
Do you like math? Are in interested in an up & coming career with an average starting salary of $45-60,000; and an average salary of $55-90,000 after five years? Consider becoming an actuary. What is an actuary? Learn more about it at www.beanactuary.org & Illinois State’s Actuary Program. While still in high school, you should take as many math & computer courses as possible. More info in the counselor’s office as well.
Official ACT Student Website: Register for ACT online, take practice tests, other helpful info. JUNIORS- make sure you get your username/password for the FREE online practice site for ACT from your PSAE teacher, or ask Mrs. Hickam. You can click here to go directly to the ACT online prep site.
PARENTS- Subscribe to the ACT Newsletter– ACT provides this free newsletter to parents to help you guide your kids through middle school and high school toward college and a career.
Request A Copy of Your Test Questions & Answers!
If you order and pay for Test Information Release (TIR) and test at a national test center on a national test date that offers this service, you will receive a list of your answers, a copy of the multiple-choice test questions used to determine your score, the answer key, and scoring instructions. The TIR fee for the 2011–2012 test dates is $18.00. This is an excellent way to prepare for the next time you take the ACT.
*IF you qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch or meet other guidelines (info available in our office) you may qualify for an ACT fee waiver. Please see Mrs. Hickam or Ms. Wilkin
PCHS School Code: 143-480
ACT Dates & Deadlines:
| Date | Deadline | Late Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/22/11 | 9/16/11 | 9/30/11 | |
| 12/10/11 | 11/4/11 | 11/18/11 | |
| 2/11/12 | 1/13/12 | 1/20/12 | |
| 4/14/12 | 3/9/11 | 3/23/12 | |
| 6/9/12 | 5/4/12 | 5/18/12 |
FAFSA: Official government site for FREE Application for Federal Student Aid. USE THIS SITE ONLY!!! DO NOT pay a website to process your FAFSA!
WhatsNextIllinois.org: Great website for Illinois students and parents. Find everything you need to plan, apply, and go to the college of your choice. Lots of excellent information.
Parents: Check out this website, designed for parents of teenagers. A great information resource! ParentingTeensOnline
STUDENTS– TAKE BETTER NOTES! Check out this website for the Cornell Notes method. It is an easy way to take notes in class!
Harvard University Announcement
No tuition and no student loans
Harvard University recently announced that undergraduate students from low-income families will pay no tuition. In making the announcement, Harvard’s president Lawrence H. Summers said, “When only ten percent of the students in elite higher education come from families in the lower half of the income distribution, we are not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite higher education to the lower half of the income distribution.”
If you know of a family earning less than $60,000 a year with an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard University wants to pay the tuition. The prestigious university recently announced that from now on undergraduate students from low-income, families can go to Harvard for free... no tuition and no student loans! The zero-contribution threshold was raised to $60,000 in 2006, and will be increased to $65,000 in the fall of 2012. Parent contributions for families with incomes up to $80,000 have also been reduced.
To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for families
making less than $60,000 a year, visit Harvard’s financial aid website at: http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/ or call the school’s financial aid office at (617) 495-1581.
