October Senior Newsletter
Good Afternoon, Seniors!
October is jam packed with events and information. There is a National Virtual Trades Expo, fair break is around the corner, several college information sessions, the OMJ Job Fair and the Fairfield County College Fair will be taking place. Let’s dive straight into the information!
College Fair
The Fairfield County College Fair is in two days! On Wednesday, October 4th from 6-8 pm the college fair will be held at Ohio University Lancaster.
High school students and their parents are invited to visit approximately 100 different colleges as well as attend a financial aid presentation at 6:00 or 6:30 in the auditorium.
Registration is required. Students can register through www.StriveFair.com. When registering, make sure to check the "Text me my Barcode" box.
With the received barcode, during the college fair, students can have colleges they are interested in scan their barcode. The day after the fair, students will receive a report with information on the colleges that were scanned.
NACAC Virtual College Fair
The National Association for College Admission Counseling sets up free virtual college fairs that students can attend. “The next NACAC Virtual College Fair is Sunday, October 15th, from 1-6 p.m. ET!” You can learn more information and register at NACAC’s website by clicking here.
College Application Types
Quick review and reminder, application types generally include: early action, early decision, regular decision, and rolling admission. Keep in mind that early decision is binding, meaning if that college accepts your early decision, you are obligated to go to that college. To read about the details of each application type, click here.
FYI - Many early action deadlines are in November: e.g. Ohio State University’s early action deadline is November 1st, and Ohio University’s early action deadline is November 15th.
College Applications | Planning & Quick Tips
Some of the steps to completing an application include: performing your own research & asking questions, requesting a copy of your own transcript, getting letters of recommendation, inviting Mr. Kelley to the Common App, filling the application out, etc. Each step takes time. Attempting to crank all of this out in a time period of a couple days, let alone a couple of weeks, may result in your application not being completed in time.
Tip: Know when your application needs to be completed and expect it to take a lot longer than what you may think (a month is a good timeline for everything).
More on this topic in November’s Newsletter.
Requesting Transcripts
If you need a transcript for personal records or to be sent to a college, you can do that electronically by visiting Bloom-Carroll's website and clicking on "Forms" (or click here). Then, under "High School" you will see "Transcript Request-Current Students Only." You will need to complete the transcript request every time you want a transcript sent to a college. BCHS processes transcripts in one to two business days.
Note: You will most likely need a copy of your transcript in front of you when applying to college as many of the questions relate back to records that you will find on your transcript (GPA,Class Rank, etc).
Common App Transcript Request Exception: As long as you invite Mr. Kelley to your CA, then you do NOT need to complete a transcript request (for any school listed within your CA). However, it is still recommended that you complete a transcript request for CA because if something goes wrong (email address is spelled wrong within CA, etc), then the invite will end up lost electronically and the counseling office will not know about it. In short, completing the transcript request form AND sending an invite through CA ensures your CA is completed appropriately.
College/Future Search
There are a ton of college and technical schools in the United States. You have preferences as to what you are looking for in a technical school: e.g. major, price, on-campus housing, etc. Trying to match all of your preferences to a college may feel daunting. Using college-matching websites can help ease the overwhelming feeling by making the computer do a lot of the work for you. Bigfuture is one college matching website. Give it a try: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org
Similar to the college search, Roadtrip Nation can help match your interests with careers. Additionally, Roadtrip Nation maps a plan to obtain that career. Check it out: https://roadtripnation.com/
FAFSA Intro
The odds of a student going to college goes up drastically when FAFSA is completed. What is FAFSA? FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Essentially, it is a form completed by students/families in order to receive financial aid from the government to help pay for college.
“Each year, over 13 million students who file the FAFSA get more than $120 billion in grants, work-study, and low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Education”.
FAFSA December, Not October
Federal Student Aid changed when FAFSA opens up. Previously FAFSA would open October 1st, but now it will open up on December 1st. Among the changes, Federal Student Aid states that there will be “a more streamlined application process” this year; for those that have utilized FAFSA before, this would be a welcomed change.
There will be more FAFSA resources coming in the succeeding monthly senior newsletter.
Explore Ohio: Destination Lancaster
Ohio University Lancaster is hosting an “in-person visit program designed for prospective first-year students.” They will have prizes, and food will be served. The event is called “Explore OHIO: Destination Lancaster. This event is designed to help seniors make college decisions and showcase programs offered at our regional campus and pathways for programs to the Athens campus. The event is October 6th from 9:00-12:00.”
Registration is required and students can Register for Explore OHIO: Destination Lancaster by clicking this link. If you plan to attend, please make sure you complete the college visit form in advance so you would be excused from school for Explore Ohio.
Columbus State Information Sessions
Columbus State University will be hosting a series of information sessions for both students and parents. These sessions will provide valuable insights into the university's programs, admissions process, and financial aid opportunities. There are many information sessions scheduled, and they are broken down by general college information, campus location and program.
Due to the number and variety of sessions, it should make finding a time to visit more convenient to your schedule. Attending these sessions can greatly assist your student in making informed decisions about their future education. Families can see all information session dates by visiting the Columbus State's Webpage here.
Universal Technical Institute Tech Trade Expo
If you are thinking about pursuing a career in the trades, consider attending Universal Technical Institute’s Virtual National TechTrade Expo on October 21st. “At this event, students can…Uncover the reasons why top brands hire our graduates, Explore training paths in innovative fields, Virtually tour our campus & meet instructors and staff committed to student success, See how we’re helping to make training affordable (scholarships and grants available).”
To learn more about the Expo and to RSVP, click here.
Caps and Gowns
If you have not already ordered your cap and gown, you can do so online at Jostens website. This link will take you to the BCHS portion of Jostens website. If you are a student at the career center, a Jostens representative will present the cap and gown information to you directly in the near future.
Ohio Means Jobs Career Fair
There will be an Ohio Means Jobs Career Fair taking place on October 19th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Fairfield County Workforce Center in Carroll. All students are welcome to attend the event. To learn more information, click here.