Hello Rising Seniors-

You have negotiated a school year with a tremendous amount of upheaval both in terms of COVID 19, the George Floyd, Breonna Taylor (and countless others) protests and soul searching around Black Lives Matter, and negotiating physical distancing and, sometimes, social isolation. None of which would have been easy alone. We are all entering summer and looking towards the school year with a tremendous amount of uncertainty. I am thinking about you. Take care of yourselves and hang in there.

A Bit of Advice – Control What You Can

This New York Times Article is written specifically for juniors (now seniors). Control what you can!

Control what you can…

“Students can’t do anything this year about canceled tests, or how their high school is treating grades, or a missed track season,” said Hannah Wolff, the college and career-center specialist at Langley High School in Northern Virginia. “But they can get started on writing essays or compiling information for their applications. Students should concentrate on what they can still do.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/well/family/college-search-class-of-2021-coronavirus.html

Track Changes in Admissions Requirements

Those seniors (yes, seniors) applying to four year colleges should bookmark the admissions pages of the colleges on their list. This is the best way to learn of changes in each school’s admissions requirements. Make sure you complete the interest forms online as well (this way you’ll be on each school’s email list).

Fair Test is tracking the growing list of test optional schools – https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional. Here’s a great podcast on test optional schools – https://www.collegeessayguy.com/podcast-stream/test-optional-admissions-101-what-why-where-who.

Try To Do Summer This Summer

First decompress from the school year. Just stare into space for a while…

Do something interesting this summer – get a job, write a blog or make a podcast, read, volunteer, tele-interview people in your choosen career, take a summer community college class 2nd summer semester, get to know an elder virtually and check in all summer, rebuild your back porch steps, have a ” mini-summer camp” for kids in the neighborhood, find an internship (virtual is fine) with a local professor, professional, or non-profit organization. Here’s a link to MOOCs – a huge list of college classes – FREE OF CHARGE – check it out – https://www.mooc.org/.

Common Application COVID 19 Question

Common Application is going to have a short question related to your experience with COVID 19. Take notes or write about it, so you are ready to write about it in the fall. Doesn’t have to bare your soul, write as much as you feel comfortable.

SAT & ACT

Sign up for a fall SAT or ACT – it is still unclear if ARHS is going to offer the SAT in the building. Sign up for a nearby school, if ARHS is not listed. If you are eligible for a fee waiver, email Ms. Garrity now.

SAT – College Board – https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

ACT – https://www.act.org/

Study – https://www.khanacademy.org/sat

Military Enlistment

If you are considering the military, reach out to recruiters with your parents/guardians now.

Research Community Colleges

Due to COVID 19 and the uncertainty of even the fall of 2021, I am going to strongly encourage seniors to apply to one of the local community colleges. Here’s the list, do your research:

Greenfield Community College https://www.gcc.mass.edu/admissions/

Holyoke Community College https://www.hcc.edu/admission

Springfield Technical Community College stcc.edu/apply/

Class of 2021 College Planning Summer Camp – July 21st-23rd

Deidre Cuffee-Gray