Class of 2020 Updates + Summer Programs

Happy Holidays from the WA Guidance Department!

The Coolidge Scholarship Program
A full-ride presidential scholarship
Find the application and more information at coolidgescholars.org

Champlain College Winter Open House
Saturday February 16, 2019
Register today at champlain.edu/winteropenhouse19 or by calling 800.570.5858

Summer Programs
Yale Summer Program in Astrophysicsyspa.yale.eduOpen to high school juniors entering their senior yearApply by March 10, 2019

2019 Summer Term High School Programs at Boston Universitybu.edu/summer/highschoolNext year, we are offering five pre-college programs for your students to choose from. All five provide rigorous and collaborative college life experiences that will enable students to gain a strong sense of their personal and academic potential. Here is a brief overview of our programs:
High School Honors is a six-week residential, commuter, or online program in which students take Boston University undergraduate courses and earn up to eight transferable college credits. Students must be entering their junior or senior year of high school in Fall 2019
RISE Internship/Practicum is a six-week, non-credit residential or commuter program in which students conduct scientific research in a university lab under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students must be entering their senior year of high school in Fall 2019
Academic Immersion (AIM) is a three-week, non-credit residential program for students to focus intensively on a single academic topic while enjoying and experiencing life on a college campus. This summer we are offering three AIM tracks: Introduction to Experimental Psychology, Introduction to Medicine, and Creative Writing. Each track combines classroom work in the subject area with experiential learning activities. Students must be entering their junior or senior year of high school in Fall 2019
Summer Challenge is a two-week residential program in which students take two non-credit seminars of their choice and experience life on a college campus. Students must be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school in Fall 2019.
Summer Preview is a one-week, non-credit commuter or residential program in which students explore one subject of interest while previewing the college experience. Students must be entering their freshman or sophomore year of high school in Fall 2019.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at summerhs@bu.edu. 

Study in Oxford in Summer 2019
Oxford Royale Academy
Learn more at www.oxford-royale.co.uk

Article - College Engagement

We know stress can be high during the college admissions process. For research-backed reasons on why HOW you go to college may be more important than WHERE you go, check out the Challenge Success white paper: A Fit Over Rankings: Why College Engagement Matters More Than Selectivity. We hope these findings will help students (and parents) take a deep breath and relax!
Read the article here: http://bit.ly/2A0ztMq

McGill Summer Academy 2019

McGill Summer Academy 2019

From July 7-20 and July 21-August 3, students in grades 10 and 11 from across the world will have the opportunity to participate in classes, workshops, and social activities introducing them to university life, McGill, and Montréal - all while being hosted in a McGill Residence!

Students are invited to submit their applications online as of January 17, 2019. Applications must be submitted by February 7, 2019.

Those interested in learning more about the McGill Summer Academy can refer to our website and join our mailing list to receive updates on the 2019 program.

2019 Gap Year Fairs

USA Gap Year Fairs: Look Beyond the Classroom

Local Dates:
January 12: Nobel and Greenough School

January 13: Andover High School

January 14: Brookline High School

Pre-register today at usagapyearfairs.org/fairs

Summer Writing Workshop at Denison University

Reynolds Young Writers Workshop - The workshop is an eight-day residential program that incorporates small creative writing workshops, group sessions with Denison creative writing faculty and notable visiting writers, and much more.

Only 48 students get the chance to come to the Hill to participate each June. That means students experience small, intimate writing workshops and one-on-one interactions with people who have made writing their career. It's a great way to connect with a close-knit community of writing teachers, mentors, and peers from around the world.

This is your chance to work with award-winning authors whose work has appeared in publications like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and SB Nation; who have published books; who care deeply about storytelling; and who love to teach.

The program runs from June 16–23, 2019. Financial assistance is available to families who need it, and information about the program is online at reynolds.denison.edu. The online application portal will open on Monday, January 7, 2019. Applications must be submitted no later than Sunday, March 3, 2019, at 11:59 p.m.

If you have any questions, you can reach us at reynoldswriting@denison.edu or at 740-587-6207.

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR

Article excerpt - HANDLING THAT MOMENT

http://pwp.gatech.edu/admission-blog/2018/12/05/handling-that-moment/

The truth(s) about being denied…

Note: We are going to move into some statistics and broader forces now, so if you are still in scream-mode, just come back when you are ready.

Truth #1: It’s not fair. All metaphors eventually break down, and we’ve come to that point. When my girlfriend broke up with me, it was personal. She couldn’t say, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Nope. It was me. But for colleges it is about them. Let’s use Georgia Tech as an example. As a public school, we have an obligation to serve our state. Therefore, 60% of our undergraduate students are from Georgia. Ultimately, we anticipate Georgia applicants will only make up about 16% of our overall applicant pool, and their admit rate will be well over double that of students from out of state, and triple that of students from abroad. Translation: it is easier to “get in” from Georgia.

In other words, you may get denied by a school based on where you are from or what you want to study or because they are trying to grow this or that and you happen to be that and this.

Another comment I got after last week’s blog was from my friend Pam A., a college counselor here in Atlanta: “the way admission decisions FEEL is so different from how they are MADE.” Bam. That is spot on. It is fine to feel disappointed or mad or upset. Just be sure you understand a decision is not a prediction of your future success or potential. An admission decision is not an indictment of your character or a criticism of your ability.

Truth #2: Appealing is highly doubtful. Yes, you are entitled to appeal an admission decision. The truth is almost none of these are successful. If you appeal, be sure to read the conditions of a “reasonable appeal.” You can use Tech’s as an example. Typically valid reasons include not having your correct transcript or receiving inaccurate or incomplete grading information. Major medical situations or severe life circumstances you neglected to include in your application may also be reviewed as valid. “Really wanting to go” or because that was the only place you applied or because everyone in your family has gone there… not valid.

One of my colleagues puts it this way, “If you decide to appeal, you need to be prepared to be denied again.” That sounds cold. But the truth is like that sometimes. Actually, the truth is like that a lot.

Truth #3: You need to be realistic and move on. This may sound familiar but the bottom line is that, if you have not already, you need to submit a few more applications to schools with higher admit rates and lower academic profiles than the one that denied you. Get back to school. Finish this semester well because schools you apply to in Regular Decision will be looking extremely close at final fall semester grades.

Get back to your team, your job, your clubs, and your family. Take some time to look around at practice or over the holiday break at the relationships you have built. Be reminded of the community you created and the bond, closeness, and sense of belonging you feel. They want you with them. They love having you as part of it all. Being denied sucks. I feel your pain (still do, when I really look back on it).

“Preparing yourself for no” means looking at a deny not as a hard stop, but rather as a pivot. People think they are looking for the perfect college. You need to be looking for the perfect mentality.

ASVAB Test - January 2019

If you are interested in taking the Assessment Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), please contact Mr. Doherty in Guidance.  The date of the Assessment will be Friday, January 11th at 7:30 AM in Room 144/Lecture Hall.