Counselors’ Report NCHS Counseling OfficeMarch 9, 2016
Counselors’ Report NCHS Counseling Office
NCAA Informational Night: The Counseling Office is hosting an informational meeting on athletic eligibility for students who are interested in participating in athletics on a Division I or II level. This meeting is targeted at sophomores, but parents/athletes who are freshmen and juniors are welcome to attend. The meeting will be Thursday, March 10th at 7:00 in the Media Center.
Advanced Placement Exams: With qualifying AP exam scores, students can earn credit, advanced placement, or both at the majority of colleges and universities in the U.S. Unlike dual credit, where college credit is given at a junior college for taking the course at the high school, AP credit can be earned by obtaining a qualifying score on the AP subject test. You can obtain a college’s AP policy by using the AP policy info search at www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy. Although NCHS doesn’t offer AP courses, students may take AP exams. Exams will be given in May to interested students. Students wishing to take an AP Exam must register with Mrs. Maschhoff by March 18, 2016. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Maschhoff at 327-8286 ext 250.
High School Pharmacy Camp: The University of Illinois College of Pharmacy at Rockford program is inviting current high school students interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy to apply for the High School Pharmacy Camp. Students will explore the field of pharmacy though instruction and activities led by current pharmacy students. The camp will last from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM at the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy in Rockford. The cost is $25. Registration is due by March 11, 2016. To register, contact: osa-rockford@ uic.edu
College Representative Visits at NCHS: Students who are interested in visiting with the following college representatives should sign up in the Counseling Office. Currently scheduled college representative visits:
* Southern Illinois University – Carbondale – March 10
* MacMurray College – March 17
College Fairs: As we encourage students to apply early to college, we also encourage parents and students to be educated about their decisions. An excellent avenue to find out about various colleges is a college fair. Listed below are various college fairs in our region.
Illinois Regional College Fair
Lewis and Clark Community College
Tuesday, March 15
6:00-7:30
Illinois Regional College Fair
Southern Illinois University – Carbondale
Thursday, March 17, 2016
10:30-12:00
Scholarship Searches: There are many free scholarship searches available to students online. The following are reputable scholarship searches. Collegeboard.com is the organization in charge of the SAT, but they also have a scholarship database of more than 2,300 scholarships. CollegeNet.com is a very unique scholarship search website. Not only do they offer a scholarship search engine, but they also offer scholarship through a social network where students create topics, participate in discussions and vote for scholarship winners. Each week a student is awarded $3,000-$5,000. Fastweb.com is one of the oldest scholarship searches. One advantage to using Fastweb is that they will email students new scholarship information as it becomes available. Scholarship.com claims to be the largest scholarship search engine with more than 2.7 million scholarships. Each of these scholarship search engines keeps your information private. Your information is only shared if you “opt in” to allow them to share your data with third parties.
Scholarship Scams: According to FastWeb, the following is a list of scholarship scam warning signs: you have to pay a fee, money-back guarantee, requires credit card or bank account information, offers exclusive information. Some common scams seen by FastWeb are: Phony scholarships – promise cash if you pay a fee; Phony scholarship matching service – pay a fee and they guarantee you will win scholarships; Phony educational loan – pay a fee and receive a low interest rate; phony financial aid seminar – a high pressure, poorly concealed sales pitch. If you suspect a scam, contact: the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP, the National Fraud Information Center at 1-800-876-7060 or the Better Business Bureau at 1-703-276-0100
Scholarships: Now is a great time to be looking for scholarships to college. Some scholarships are local and others are nationwide. Many scholarships are given directly from the college/university. Don’t forget to check their websites for information on their scholarship application process. We will continue to publish scholarship information weekly as we receive it. As we receive information on scholarships, they will posted on the Counseling Office webpage at: https://sites.google.com/a/nashville-k12.org/scholarships/ Here is a partial list of upcoming scholarships:
ENERGY BOOST UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARASHIP – Available to high school seniors accepted into SIUC's department of mechanical engineering and energy. Check here for the application: http://acerc.siu.edu/energyboost/scholarships/ undergraduate.html Application is due by March 11, 2016.
ILLINOIS LUMBER & MATERIAL DEALERS ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIPS – . Available to high school seniors pursuing industry related coursework in college. Applications are available in the NCHS counseling office. Applications are due by March 14, 2016.
AGRICULTURE FUTURE OF AMERICA SCHOLARSHIPS – Available to high school seniors pursuing an ag-related degree. Applications are available at: http://www.agfuture.org Applications are due by March 18, 2016.
WASHINGTON COUNTY FARM BUREAU FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP – Available to high school seniors pursuing an ag-related degree. Applicant must be a Farm Bureau member or dependent of a member. Applications are available in the NCHS counseling office. Application is due by March 31, 2016.
FREDRICK “HARRL” BEATTY ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP – This scholarship will be given to one female and one male athlete of Nashville High School. The student must have at least a 3.0 GPA and must have participated in a sport for one full season. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due by March 31, 2016.
JORDAN EMRICK SCHOLARSHIP – KASKASKIA VALLEY A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS – This scholarship is available to NCHS seniors. To apply, write an essay on patriotism. All papers must be MLA style and minimum of 500 words. Do not put your name on the essay. Submit your essay to Mrs. Maschhoff by March 31, 2016.
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS (SAME) ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP – Available to high school students who are interested in pursuing a degree in engineering fields (civil, mechanical, electrical, or architectural). Applications are available in the NCHS counseling office. Mail applications by March 31, 2016.
KASKASKIA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS – A wide variety of KC Foundation scholarships are available for students to apply for. To apply, go to: https://apps.kaskaskia.edu Students will need to use their KC id number to log in. On the right hand side of the screen is the scholarship application button. Deadline for application is April 1, 2016.
MATHIS, MARIFIAN & RICHTER LAW CAREER SCHOLARSHIP – Available to seniors in Washington County planning to pursue a career as an attorney. Applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA, at least a 26 on the ACT or at least 1180 on the SAT, and ranked in the upper 25% of the class. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due to Mathis, Marifian & Richter by April 1, 2016.
WASHINGTON LODGE #55 A.F. & M ($500) – Available to NCHS seniors ranked in the upper 1/4 of the class. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due in the counseling office April 1, 2016.
PERO NURSING SCHOLARSHIP – Available to NCHS seniors ranked in the upper 1/3 of the class and who have been accepted at a school to pursue a nursing degree. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due in the counseling office April 1, 2016.
PEG EDWARDS NURSING SCHOLARSHIP – Available to seniors who are pursuing a nursing degree. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due April 1, 2016.
RYAN FARK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP – Available to NCHS seniors who were a member of the varsity football team. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due in the counseling office April 1, 2016.
MAKENNA LAURENT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP – Available to NCHS seniors who completed two years of art. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due in the counseling office April 1, 2016.
JASON BRINK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP – Available to NCHS seniors ranked in the upper 1/4 of the class. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due in the counseling office April 1, 2016.
REBECCA RENCH SCHOLARSHIP – Available to NCHS seniors ranked in the upper 1/4 of the class and planning a career in education. Applications are available in the counseling office. Applications are due in the counseling office April 1, 2016.
ACT Prep Classes: NCHS teachers are hosting ACT prep workshops at the high school. Subject, dates, and times are listed below. Students are to sign up outside the main office if interested in attending.
Thursday, March 10: Math 5:00-6:00 PM; Science 6:00-7:00 PM
Tuesday, March 15: Science 5:00-6:00 PM; Math 6:00-7:00 PM
Tuesday, March 22: Reading 5:00-6:00 PM; English 6:00-7:00 PM
Thursday, March 31: English 3:30-4:30 PM; Reading 4:30-5:30 PM
Tuesday, April 5: Science 3:30-4:30 PM; Math 4:30-5:30 PM
Thursday, April 7: Reading 5:00-6:00 PM; English 6:00-7:00 PM
Monday, April 11: English 3:30-4:30 PM; Reading 4:30-5:30 PM
Thursday, April 14: Science 3:30-4:30 PM; Math 4:30-5:30 PM
ACT Prep Classes: Listed below are various ACT prep classes being offered in our area to help students prepare for the ACT. Contact Mrs. Luessenheide or Mrs. Maschhoff for more specific information.
* Online ACT or SAT Prep Class – This online ACT or SAT prep class is offered through SIUC’s Division of Extended Campus. The class lasts for approximately 6 weeks and costs $94. Call Dr. Kathy Smith at 618-453-5684 if interested.
* Webster University – One day workshop: March 19 from 8:00 AM-2:30 PM. Cost is $50. Register online at: webster.edu/actworkshop
ACT Testing Dates: The next ACT test is April 9. Late registration is due by March 18. An additional ACT testing date for this year is June 11. Registration is typically due 5 weeks before the testing date. Students may register at www.ACTStudent.org. Our high school code is 143-110.
