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Postsecondary Counseling Newsletter
February 8th, 2024
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11th graders and Families,
Date Change!
Spring postsecondary night is now Rising Seniors at FLC.
Please plan to attend Rising Senior night on April 24th at Fort Lewis College. This event is a collaboration between AHS, DHS, and FLC that is designed to prepare you for senior year and the postsecondary process.
Time: 5:30-8:00pm (might change)
Food will be provided
It is very important that Students and Caregivers plan to attend this event.
Agenda:
- Financial aid deep dive: how to pay for postsecondary education, including reading & comparing sample financial aid award letters
- An overview of the college application process including making the college list
- A timeline for May of Junior year through the end of senior year
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What should Juniors be doing in February?
Check out this list from the College Essay Guy:
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Attend Virtual college fairs: There are many opportunities to attend college fairs from home, including sessions that focus on STEM programs and the visual and performing arts. These easy-to-attend virtual events can be a great window into what college is all about. See below for upcoming fairs and links to register.
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Start looking out for fly-in program opportunities: These subsidized travel programs offer overnight campus visits for populations traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
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QuestBridge College Prep Scholars: See if you qualify to apply for this top-notch college admission support program.
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Pre-work for your teacher recommendations: Take a look at this form and imagine how your teacher(s) might fill it out. What are your strengths/areas for improvement? What words will come to their mind when they think of you? You’ll request teacher recs in May, so this is a good time to start thinking about these important pieces of the college application process.
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5 Ways to Spend Your High School Summer: Think about your summer in the context of how your choices can help you to lead a happier life (really!).
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LINK Update - 10 week countdown
The school year is flying by and there are only about 10 weeks of school until LINK internships begin! Many students have completed their pre-internship requirements, congratulations to those who have done so! For students & families who have not yet confirmed an internship, here is a reminder of the requirements
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Completed two informational interviews verified with follow up "Thank You" emails
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Received a confirmation email from their mentor accepting them as an intern
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Sent this confirmation email along with the mentor's contact information and the location of the internship to Elliot, the LINK coordinator.
If a student has not completed their interviews and has not progressed towards finding an internship placement, the time to start working is now. Elliot is available every day to support students in finding an internship that is right for them. Reach out to him at elliot.baglini@animashighschool.com or at
970-247-2474 x2242.
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AHS Application Case Study Workshop
April 13th 9:00am-12:15pm @ AHS
What is an admissions case study? This is a workshop in which students and caregivers can learn about the holistic admissions process through the eyes of admissions officers. Participants are given applications submitted to a ficticious college by ficticious students to review as if they are the admissions officers. This workshop gives participants a better understanding of what holistic admissions means, which things are important in the application, and how to best present themselves and tell their whole story as a whole student through their extracurricular activities, work experience, interships, high school coursework, personal/life circumstances, and teacher/counselor recommendations. Students and their caregivers will also learn about institutional priorities and how they play a role in the admissions process.
This is also an extremely rare opportunity to meet college admissions officers from across the country in person.
Open to all grade levels and caregivers!
Register HERE
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SAT
Juniors will take the SAT on April 17th. I will be working with Juniors in class on February 20th to distribute & review PSAT scores from the Fall as well as discuss the importance of and ways to prepare for the SAT.
This morning, Dartmouth college issued a press release on their admissions testing policy, shifting back to requiring submission of SAT/ACT scores as a part of their application for admission. I anticipate that other highly selective colleges will follow Dartmouth's lead. As a reminder, there are still over 1800 colleges and universities that are test optional for admission. The important thing to remember is that test optional does not mean without consequence. While not submitting test scores won't hurt a student's chances at a test optional school, it also won't help them.
Students should prepare for the SAT with the goal of having it be a plus in their college application file, and the decision to send the scores to colleges will be an individual one that I am happy to advise around if desired. Students can also take the SAT mulitple times: the April test at AHS is free for all, and any subsequent tests have a fee. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch can see me for a fee waiver code.
|  | Students can opt into completing the optional essay portion of the SAT through emailing Libby (libby.cowles@animashighschool.com) by February 14th. If you plan to apply to a highly selective college, opting into the essay is advised. | |
Upcoming College and Career Events
2/6: Western CO University in-person visit 2:00-2:45 - Circulatory space
2/7: 9th Grade career fair
3/11: Grinnell College virtual visit @ lunch - Circulatory space
3/13: Spring Junior Postsecondary night @ AHS 5:30-7:30pm
3/14: Pacific Discovery Gap Year webinar (virtual) 12:00-12:45pm
4/3: 9th Grade Career site visit field trips
4/13: Admissions Case Study @ AHS 9:00am-12:00pm (9th-12th)
4/17: PSAT/SAT testing day (9th-11th)
4/25-5/1: Sophomore Inspire Week (10th only)
5/1-5/21: LINK (Juniors only)
College & Career Events Calendar
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Summer planning
Two weeks ago during Advisory, we discussed how you will spend your summer. We explored the following questions:
- Why is it important to do something in the summer?
- What does it mean to do something enriching?
- Why is it important to do something enriching?
Please take a look at these slides for answers to these questions and links to lots of summer opportunities.
Also see below for several local employment & internship opportunities!!
| Financial Aid, Scholarships & paying for college | |
This podcast episode from the College Essay Guy on the basics of paying for college is an excellent introduction - give it a listen!
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Also check out these other two episodes on colleges that are most generous with financial aid:
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Interested in or curious about a Gap Year?
Attend this virtual session (open to Parents and Caregivers too!) during lunch on March 14th with Amber Latimer about Gap Years and opportunities.Use this link to access the meeting
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You should now be working on your college list in earnest. One low-key way to check out colleges is to watch some episodes of The College Tour!
The wait is over! The much-anticipated Season 9 of The College Tour is now available on Amazon Prime Video. This season celebrates diversity and inclusivity, showcasing students with unique backgrounds and goals.
The viewers will explore majors like Business Administration, Life Science, Civil Engineering, Literature, and more, all while taking campus tours of outstanding colleges and universities across America and hearing students share their authentic stories and the impact that higher education had on them.
Join our host, Alex Boylan, on this exciting journey through the vibrant world of modern college life.
The College Tour
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The office of U.S. Senator Michael Bennet is currently accepting applications for the Summer I & II sessions of the 2024 Senate Page Program, which is open for rising juniors and rising seniors who will be 16 or 17 years old on or before the date of appointment. Students who are 18 years old may not be appointed. The Summer I session is from June 9-June 21 and the Summer II session is from July 21-August 2. The application deadline is Friday, February 9. Please feel free to distribute the below information to students you feel might be interested in this program, or direct them to this page here on our website. Any questions or applications should be sent to the following email: page_program@bennet.senate.gov.
Please find additional relevant information below! I appreciate your time and wish you a terrific rest of the school year.
Requirements:
- Pages must be citizens of the United States or subject to agreements of the Department of State and must have a social security number.
- Page eligibility for the summer sessions is limited to juniors and rising seniors who will be 16 or 17 years old on or before the date of appointment. Students who are 18 years old may not be appointed.
- A general health assessment completed by a licensed physician is required, in addition to a certification of immunization.
- Pages are required to be covered by health insurance; if not covered, they will be required to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Duties:
- Page duties consist primarily of delivery of correspondence and legislative material within the Congressional Complex. Other duties include taking messages for Members, calling them on the phone, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. Pages are paid on the basis of an annual salary of $35,360.
Housing:
- Since space is limited in the Daniel Webster Senate Page Residence, summer pages may live with their parents or a relative in the area; alternate housing arrangements must be submitted in writing by the parents or legal guardian for approval by the executive director or deputy director. The cost of living in the residence hall is $780 per month and includes breakfast and dinner each day. Payment is made through payroll deduction. An initial security deposit of $250 is required before checking in and is refundable when it has been determined that no damage has occurred to the residence.
- United States Capitol Police maintain a 24-hour security desk and a provision that requires all individuals to present identification and all visitors and guests to sign in. Capitol Police patrol the area by car and foot regularly throughout the day and night. Webster Hall is monitored by a security alarm system and all emergency and safety measures required by the District of Columbia for community life structures are present and enforced.
Application Process:
To apply, a candidate must submit the following documents by Friday, February 9 to page_program@bennet.senate.gov:
- A cover letter addressed to Senator Bennet that outlines the candidate’s interest in serving as a Page and confirms that they meet all the Page Program requirements.
- Official transcript
- Resume
- Optional 1-2 letters of recommendation
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Interested in Health Care?
Register for the Colorado AHEC HOPE program! Montly virtual education sessions that culminate in the opportunity to attend a free, week-long summer institute in Colorado Springs or Denver! You only have to attend 3 sessions total to qualify for the summer institute. Register HERE
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SUMMET program - apply now!
The Summer Multicultural Engineering Training (SUMMET) program is an engineering, science and technology program designed for rising juniors and seniors who are from underrepresented populations, including ethnic and racial minorities, women and first-generation prospective college students as well as students with demonstrated financial need.
SUMMET combines non-accredited coursework, hands-on projects, team building activities and social events. SUMMET provides exposure to the lifestyle, opportunities and challenges of college and is designed to help build skills and experiences for a smooth transition from high school to college. SUMMET is a one-week residential program, allowing participants to live on campus for the duration of the program, experience life as a college student and participate in STEM-related curriculum instruction.
This program is available at no cost to participants with the exception of a $50 confirmation fee for students accepted into the program. Transportation to and from the program is not included in the cost and is currently the responsibility of participants. For more information, check out the SUMMET website.
SUMMET Session Dates
June 2- June 7, 2024: Session I
June 9 – June 14, 2024: Session II
June 23 – June 28, 2024: Session III
On the application, please indicate which week you would like to attend.
Three Step Application Process
1. Click the application button below and submit an application by 11:59 P.M. MST on March 1, 2024.
2. Students must meet a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3 and upload your current, unofficial high school transcript.
3. Provide answers to each of the short response questions on their application.
Apply Now
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Interested in playing sports in college?
Last month, the Eligibility Center hosted a series of webinars. Staff provided overviews of NCAA requirements for high school counselors and administrators and initial-eligibility requirements for student-athletes. Click below for the specific webinar you would like to watch or share.
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Animas High School prepares all students for college and postsecondary success by creating critical thinkers and engaged citizens through an innovative, student-centered, project-based curriculum. We accomplish this through:
Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong student-faculty relationships, where students are well known.
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance in their education
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