First Quarter 2017

We hope you had a fun and relaxing summer vacation! It is our hope that this school year will be full of successful experiences for all students. This newsletter is published quarterly and is brought to you by the PHS School Counseling Office and College Advising Office. Please feel free to contact Lindsay Czech or Dawn Burks with any feedback or suggestions.

Saturday, September 9 - ACT test
Wednesday, September 13 - Optional Open Lab for seniors during Enrichment, 8:30-10:00 a.m. in Media Center
Wednesday, September 20 - Deadline for juniors to register for PSAT
Thursday, September 21 - Parent/Teacher Conferences 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Friday, September 22 - Regular registration deadline for October ACT
Wednesday, September 27 - Sophomore Meeting during Enrichment, 8:30 a.m. in Auditorium
Wednesday, September 27 - Financial Aid Night for parents of seniors, 6:30 p.m. in Auditorium
Thursday, October 5 - Northern Wood County College Fair 6:30-8:00 p.m. in PHS Commons
Wednesday, October 11 - PSAT test for all sophomores and interested juniors
Friday, October 13 - End of 1st quarter

Naval - Military - Air Force - Merchant Marines
Senator Sherrod Brown - due Sept. 22
Senator Robert Portman - due Sept. 22

Seniors can apply to either Senator for any of the academies. For more information on this process, please click on the senator names to visit their websites.

Beginning last year, there were many changes to the college Financial Aid process. Now, seniors and their parents/guardians are able to start filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on October 1 (in the past the form was not available until January 1). Also, the FAFSA will now use Prior-Prior Year tax information instead of Prior Year. This means you do not have to wait for your taxes to be complete before filling out the FAFSA. PHS will be hosting a FAFSA/Financial Aid Info Night for the parents/guardians of seniors on Wednesday, September 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the PHS Auditorium. Please plan to attend to learn more about these important updates.

Representatives from many colleges will be visiting PHS throughout the fall. These visits are wonderful opportunities for students to learn more about colleges they might be interested in attending and to gain valuable information about applying, scholarships and financial aid. To see a complete list of colleges that will be visiting and to sign up (sign ups are required), please visit the Colleges tab in Naviance. You do not have to be a senior to attend!

For those of you who are new to PHS and as a refresher to returning students and parents/guardians, Naviance is college planning software that PHS offers to all students at no charge. As a freshman, every PHS student is given a Naviance account. Parents/Guardians may also request a code to create their own account. Through this site, students and their families can research colleges and start building a list of colleges they are interested in. Senior year, we use Naviance to send transcripts and letters of recommendation to colleges electronically. Check out Naviance at www.naviance.com (click Sign In at the top - Students & Families Sign In). If you ever forget your login information, please see Mrs. Czech or your school counselor.

New Face in the Counseling Office

Please welcome Mrs. Nicole Bihn, the newest counselor within our office. She received her Bachelors Degree in Education from Bowling Green State University, her Masters Degree in School Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University and her Masters Degree in School Administration from Concordia University Chicago. Mrs. Bihn will be working with students with last names beginning with the letters A-D and will serve as the Dual Enrollment Coordinator and the CCP Coordinator with Bowling Green State University. She is also a member of The Jacket Way Team. As an alumna, she will be a great resource to the students, parents, guardians and community. Please feel free to contact her with any questions or concerns throughout the school year.

All sophomores will be taking the PSAT beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 11. Interested juniors are also encouraged to take the test, as it is the qualifying test for National Merit Scholarship consideration. If you are a junior interested in taking the PSAT, please bring a check made out to Perrysburg High School for $16 to the cashier’s office (across from the Media Center) no later than Wednesday, September 20. Sophomores will be automatically registered.

This program is designed to provide a smoother transition for freshmen students and transfers to the high school to allow them to have a more positive experience and good first impression. This yearlong orientation and transition program helps gear the students up for high school success and creates a positive whole school culture and climate. This program is relevant for both academic and social/emotional development of our students. Link Leaders are trained to work with the incoming 9th grade class and other new students who are entering our school. Throughout the school year, Link Leaders will meet with student groups to discuss problems, share academic advice, and plan social and academic activities.

Students who are looking to attend college have many decisions to make. What better way to help in that decision-making process than by visiting the university and determining if that school is the “best fit” for you? The good news is that there are several universities that offer FREE fly-in programs, travel assistance scholarships, overnight programs and diversity programs that come at little to no cost. If you are interested in this and would like to see if a university you are interested offers this option, please contact Mrs. Czech.

Here is what each grade should be doing this quarter to prepare for college:
Freshmen

• Meet your school counselor
• Get involved in extracurricular activities
• Take the right mix of classes - check with your counselor to be sure!

Sophomores

• Take the PSAT (October 11th)
• Continue to do well in classes and participate in extracurricular activities
• Explore different colleges through Naviance

Juniors

• Attend college rep visits to PHS (sign up on Naviance)
• Take the PSAT (October 11th)
• Organize a testing plan - SAT in the spring, when will you take the ACT?
• Stay on track with classes, grades and extracurricular activities

Seniors

• Apply, apply, apply! Aim to have all applications complete by Halloween
• Begin filling out the FAFSA on October 1st
• Attend college rep visits to PHS and continue visiting colleges
• Start searching for scholarships
• See Mrs. Czech with any questions or concerns

As the college application timeline continues to get pushed further up into the junior year, students can no longer wait to begin the college and career process as a senior. It is important that our students begin early and receive information that will help them make more informed decisions and feel prepared. This fall we have an exciting opportunity for juniors, called Lunch and Learn: College and Career 101, which will provide students information and help lessen the stress of their senior year. Students will be able to attend the information sessions during their lunch period in the Media Center and learn more about Exploring Careers/College Majors, Searching for Colleges, Factors in Admissions, Understanding the College Application Process and Financial Aid and Scholarships. These sessions begin in October.



Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is three miles from downtown Pittsburgh and has seven colleges and independent schools, ranking 24th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report rankings.

Academics

• Seven colleges include: College of Engineering, College of Fine Arts, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Information Systems, Mellon College of Science, School of Computer Science and Tepper School of Business.
• Offers 90 programs and majors
• The middle 50% range of ACT composite score is 31-34
• Student to faculty ratio, 13:1

Student Life

• 6,100 students from across the country and 65+ different countries
• Over 280+ clubs and organizations available 
• 65% of students live on campus

Financial Aid

• 76% of financial aid applicants received need-based financial aid
• Carnegie Mellon offers the Presidential Scholarship and Carnegie Scholarship to candidates with strong academic and artistic performance along with demonstrated leadership, service and community involvement. Students do not need to complete a separate application process to be considered for a Presidential or Carnegie Scholarship.

Admissions

• Three decision plans: Early Decision (deadline Nov. 1), Regular Decision (deadline Jan. 1) and Early Admission (deadline Jan. 1) 
• Information used to make a decision includes: high school performance, standardized test scores (including the SAT or ACT test, recommended SAT Subject tests if applicable), a pre-screen, audition or portfolio review (if applicable), non-academic activities, secondary school counselor and teacher recommendations, an admission essay, a personal statement and demonstrated fit. 

www.actstudent.org (ACT registration)
www.sat.collegeboard.org (SAT registration)
www.naviance.com (Naviance - college planning software)
www.pentacareercenter.org (Penta Career Center)
Follow PHS College Advising on Twitter - @PHSCollegeAdvis

Nicole Bihn, A-D, [email protected], ext. 5184
Dawn Burks, E-K, [email protected], ext. 5183
Steve Pierce, L-R, [email protected], ext. 5185
Rick Rettig, S-Z, [email protected], ext. 5186
Lindsay Czech, College Advisor, [email protected], ext. 5182
Megan Lazor, Secretary, [email protected], ext. 5188
Mary Neely, Secretary, [email protected], ext. 5001
Melissa Notestine, Prevention Specialist, [email protected], ext. 5195