“Bee”

Proactive

Don’t delay with applications

and recommendations.

Counselor Notes G

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Volume 13, Issue 2

November

Hey Seniors!! The school year is a third over. It “snuck up” on you, did-

n’t it? Here are a few reminders to help you on the rest of your journey

this year:

If you want to go to a four year university, you should have your application in

before Christmas. Even though the university may have a later application dead-

line, scholarship deadlines are often far ahead of the application deadline. Stay on

top of deadlines. Many deadlines are during the Christmas holiday, so make sure

that you have everything you need before school lets out on break.

Get recommendations from your teachers and counselor, if needed. Make sure that

you ask at least two weeks before you need the recommendation. Providing a

resume will help in writing the recommendation.

You should be looking for scholarships on an ongoing basis. Parents, check with

your Senior frequently or come in and pick up the applications yourself, if you

wish. Contact Danita Peterman (Danita.peterman@gpisd.org or 972-809-5880) in

the College and Career Center for more information on scholarships.

Be mindful of your grades. It is common for Seniors, especially after Christmas, to

think that grades no longer matter. Remember, colleges have the right to revoke

your admission if your final transcript reflects that you let your coursework slide.

Focus on the FAFSA. Even though you can’t file until after January 1st, you can

get your paperwork ready. Remember, financial aid is first-come, first-served.

Because so many cutbacks have occurred in federal and state funding, early sub-

mission is vital. Get on-line and register for a PIN number NOW.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING

EVENTS

Dec. 7 — SAT test (if registered by

Nov. 8)

Dec. 14 — ACT test (if registered by

Nov. 98

Jan. 1 — Begin applying for

FAFSA — get on-line

and get PIN number

NOW.

Jan. 25 — SAT test (if registered by

Dec. 27)

VisitCollege.com is an innovative

system that makes searching and ap-

plying for colleges easy, enjoyable,

and free! With just a few clicks, the

VisitCollege.com site uniquely sup-

plies prospective students of higher

education with comprehensive col-

lege data, comparisons of colleges,

college website links, useful local

community information, and the abil-

ity to apply to multiple colleges of

your choice — all from home!

Check out the many options for

scholarships, job/internships, hous-

ing, and financing.

Don’t just go to visit a college. Go to

VisitCollege.com and visit multiple

colleges all at once!

Page 2 GPHS CCC NEW SLET TE R

Dental Hygienists

Funeral Directors

Registered Nurses

Engineering Technicians

Court Reporters

Radiological Technicians

Respiratory Therapists

Science Technicians

Heavy Equipment Mechanics

Automotive Body Repairers

Paralegals

Cardiovascular Technologists

Sales Worker Supervisors

Machinists

Surgical Technologists

HIGHEST PAYING JOBS

REQUIRING A

TWO-YEAR DEGREE

Airline Pilots

General Managers

Managers (Marketing, Advertising, PR)

Engineers

Actuaries

Physician Assistants

Surveyors/Mapping Scientists

Securities/Financial Sales

Computer Systems Analyst

Secondary School Teachers

Teacher, in general

Police, Supervisors/Detectives

Purchasing Agents

Editors and Reporters

Librarians

Insurance Underwriters

Architects

Computer Programmers

Occupational Therapists

Accountants/Auditors

HIGHEST PAYING JOBS

REQUIRING A

FOUR-YEAR DEGREE

ACT or SAT ACT

An achievement test, measuring what the

student has learned in school

Tests four components — English, math,

reading and science (writing is optional) (has four sections)

Math counts for 1/4 of the overall score

and covers algebra, geometry and trigo-nometry

3 hours, 25 minutes

Total composite score of 1-36 (based on

average of 4 tests), 4 scores of 1-36 for each test, and score 0-12 for the optional essay

No wrong answer penalty

Cost is $34 w/o writing, $49.50 w/writing;

if taken multiple times the student decides which score is sent to colleges; additional fees may apply.

On-line registration

Both the ACT and the SAT are nationally ad-ministered standardized tests that help colleges evaluate candidates. Most colleges and uni-versities accept either test. When weighing your options, keep in mind that there are dif-ferences in test structure and the type of content assessed.

SAT An aptitude test, testing reasoning and

verbal abilities

Tests three components — critical read-

ing, math, and writing (has 10 sections)

Math counts 1/3 of the overall score and

covers basic geometry and algebra 2

3 hours, 45 minutes

Total score out of 2400, 3 scores of 200-

800 for each section, and score 0-12 for the essay

1/4 point subtracted per wrong answer

Cost is $47; entire score history is sent

automatically to the colleges of his or her choice; additional fees may apply.

On-line registration

Auto Mechanics

Carpenters

Welders

Electricians

Firefighters

Food Service Managers

Plumbers and Pipe Fitters

Telecommunications Equipment

Installers/Repairers

Postal Service Workers

Truck Drivers

Police Officers

Power Plant Operators

Carpet and Tile Setters

Line Repairers and Installers

Rail Transportation Workers

Real Estate Agents

Brick Masons and Stonemasons

Drywall Installers

Executive Secretaries/

Administrative Assistants

HIGHEST PAYING JOBS THAT

DO NOT REQUIRE A

COLLEGE DEGREE

HIGHEST PAYING

JOBS THAT REQUIRE

A GRADUATE

DEGREE

Physicians Financial Managers Speech Therapists

Dentists Chiropractors Mgmt. Analysts

Professors Chemists Medical Asst.

Lawyers Pharmacists Urban Planners

Optometrists Geologists Physical Therapists

Judges Economists

Physicists/Astronomers Psychologists

V OLU ME 1 3, ISS UE 2 Page 3

Student Athletes

Time to Register with NCAA

If you are a senior who is planning to participate in Division I or II sports as a college

freshman, now is the time to register and be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center

(http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp). You must do this in order to

qualify for college athletics. Check out the Guide for the College-Bound Student Ath-

lete at http://www.ncsasports.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/CBSA1.pdf. The

website provides important information on eligibility standards, financial aid, recruiting

and the national letter of intent, in addition to other topics of interest to student athletes.

Senior Calendar: Things you should be doing. . .

GPHS CCC Newsletter GPHS Counseling

December

Complete and mail applications that have a December

deadline.

Be sure housing accommodations are taken care of if you

are to be living on campus.

Register for ACT, THEA or SAT if you have not already

done so. Remember that deadlines are far in advance of the testing dates.

Assemble records needed for financial aid forms

Get financial aid form (www.fafsa.ed.gov)

Continue to search for scholarships or other financial aid.

Apply immediately for scholarships despite their deadlines, and turn in early.

Get teacher recommendations. Be sure to provide your

vita/resume to assist in writing the letter. Please ask your teacher several weeks in advance of the due date of the letter to you.

Search for scholarships

January

Complete and mail financial aid applications

Finish any applications for colleges or scholar-

ships (priority deadlines for selective schools)

Continue making good grades

Take SAT or ACT

RESPONSIBLE!!

Cyber Safety

In this day and age, one cannot be too careful

when navigating through cyberspace. With the

popularity of blog sites such as My Space and

Facebook it is imperative that parents, and stu-

dents, follow several safety tips to protect yourself

while on-line:

Set page to “private”

Don’t include personal info (that includes last

name, town, school, sports teams, where you

hang out, etc.) — this gives access to preda-

tors and makes it easy to find you

Don’t include photos — again, this makes

you an easy target

Only let people be friends if you already

know them

Avoid “in-person” meetings with people you

don’t already know

Check comments regularly and delete inap-

propriate ones instead of responding to them.

Don’t post something that could embarrass

you later — once something is posted it is in

cyberspace forever.

Be skeptical

Report inappropriate behavior

What should a parent do?

Ask to see your child’s profile — better

yet, create your own account so that you

can monitor what is on your child’s page

and those of their friends.

Read the profile, with links to friends and

photos, with your child at your side.

If you’re skeptical, read it on your own

and explore deeper

Monitor the profile on a regular basis and

look for new ones!

Keep the kids’computer in a public place

(i.e., NOT in their bedroom!)

Always (try to) stay a step ahead of your

kid

And praise them when they do the right

thing!

Here are several links for parents and students

to view with more information on safety on

the web:

http://www.staysafeonline.info

http://www.isafe.org

http://social-networking-

tagging.suite101.com — information

on bullying, which these sites make it

easy to target other students

http://www.cyber-safety.com/

parents.html

http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/

publications/parent-guide

http://www.internetsafety.com/internet

-safety-tips-for-parents.php

http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/

social-networking-websites — The

Top 15 Social Networking Sites

Keep in mind — Facebook isn’t the

only networking site around. Others

include (but are not limited to):

Xanga, Friendster, MySpace, Blogger,

Alldumb.com, Rotten.com, FaceParty

and Livejournal.com. Often, the kids

from one school will tend to concen-

trate on one or two sites.