Guidance Department

Mission Statement

The mission of the counseling program is to assist all of the students in learning skills  and setting goals to reach their potential in academic and career areas and to improve their knowledge of self and others in order to be prepared for the challenges and opportunities they will meet throughout life.

GLIMPSES FROM GUIDANCE

Test Dates and Deadlines

SENIORS
Are you planning on re-taking the ACT? Please note that if you re-take the ACT, you must pay for the test.

Day 1
Date of ACT: Saturday, October 22
Time: 8:00 a.m. (Arrive NO LATER than 7:30 a.m.)
Place: Millikin University (Leighty Tabor Science Building)

Day 2 of Prairie State Exam: Seniors who are re-taking the ACT test in October are no longer required to take Day 2 PSAE exam.

Contact: Mr. Calendo for registration materials if you haven’t already done so!

JUNIORS
Why should Juniors take the PSAT?
* It’s practice for the SAT.
* It enters juniors into the National Merit Scholarship Competition.
* You get specific suggestions on how to improve your score.

Date: Wednesday, October 12
Place: Warrensburg-Latham High School Library
Cost: $14, paid by October 7 directly to WLHS
Registration Deadline: October 7
Contact: Mr. Calendo

SOPHOMORES PLAN EXAM
The PLAN test gives an indication of how a student might score on the ACT Assessment admissions test.  The PLAN provides individualized educational and vocational information for all 10th grade students who are planning to go on to college or other post-secondary institution.  Like the ACT Assessment, the PLAN includes four sections:  English, Math, Reading, and Science Reasoning.  It is a curriculum-based test that covers the skills and knowledge that are commonly taught in the nation's schools.  A special section includes an interest inventory, needs assessment, and educational/occupational plan to help the student discover possible post-high school strategies/career interests.

The PLAN Exam will be on Wednesday, October 12th. There is no cost to take the PLAN exam.

FRESHMEN
The EXPLORE® program is designed to help 9th graders explore a broad range of options for their future. EXPLORE prepares students not only for their high school coursework, but for their post-high school choices as well. It marks an important beginning for a student's future academic and career success. All 9th graders will take the EXPLORE exam.

The EXPLORE exam will be held on Wednesday, October 12th. There is no cost to take the EXPLORE exam.

High School Success 101
During the second week of August, I presented High School Success 101, a program that encourages freshmen to make the most out of their high school years. Highlights of the program included tips for being a good student and showing how the choices you make in high school affect the choices you have for your future. All the freshmen students set academic, career, and personal goals for themselves that they would like to achieve in high school. A special thanks to Mrs. Janvrin for her cooperation and support of the program!

College and Career Fair Day
College and Career Day Partners in Education will be hosting a College and Career Day at the DISC (Decatur Indoor Sports Complex) on Tuesday, October 4th. This year they are expecting more than 70 colleges and universities to be at the fair. Only juniors who have completed a returned and signed permission slip will be allowed to attend. Permission slips are available in the guidance office. A group of juniors will be leaving around 8:45 a.m. and return around 10:15 a.m. All permission slips are due back to Mr. Calendo by Friday, September 30th.

Applying to College
This year, junior and senior students can access our school website and print off college visitation sheets and other resources that they can take with them on their college visit. Please click on the Guidance link from the High School page on the district website and select College Visitation. Please keep in mind that I will attempt to meet with all seniors and juniors during the school year to help them in their career plans. This is an exciting time for current juniors and seniors as they investigate and plan for their continuing education. Applying to multiple colleges can quickly become a daunting task. Please keep the following in mind as deadlines approach. Those students who meet the priority filing dates at the schools they are applying to have a greater chance of being accepted. In addition, those students are also encouraged to contact the schools that they are applying to find out when the scholarship application deadlines are.

Don’t forget to….
Fill out an application at www.commonapp.org. It allows you to submit your application to over 450 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. All applicants must also write a 500 word essay and get letters of recommendations from one or two teachers.

Official Transcript Release Forms
Seniors who want to have their ACT& PSAE scores placed permanently on their official transcripts need to sign a release form if they are under the age of eighteen. We have to have your legal consent to put your scores on your transcript with an official signature from you and a parent or legal guardian. Seniors who are already eighteen can sign for themselves. Colleges and universities need to see your ACT & PSAE scores as part of the admissions requirements and to see if you are qualified for any merit based scholarships. All official transcript release forms are due into me by October 28th. If you fail to turn in your release form by the due date, you will have to call ACT and pay to have your score report sent to the schools that you are applying to. If you want me to send your official transcript, just stop by my office and let me know!

Upcoming College Visits
This year all college representatives and military recruiters will be in Room 8 during Advisory Period from 11:00–11:25. All junior and senior students should take advantage of this great opportunity to check out some schools and ask questions. I will provide a list of questions for students to ask the admissions counselors. Listen for daily announcements for the upcoming visits.

N.C.A.A. Clearinghouse
Any senior going to college, who plans to participate in a sport, needs to complete an N.C.A.A. Clearinghouse eligibility form which can be obtained via www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

Scholarship Opportunities
SENIORS who exhibit excellence in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in their communities are eligible for the Wendy’s High School Heisman scholarship. To be eligible to apply, you must be a high school senior for 2011-2012 academic year, graduating with the class of 2012, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 and participate in a school sponsored sport.. The online applications must be completed no later than 5:00 p.m., central time on October 3rd. Seniors should go on-line at www.wendysheisman.com to fill out the application. The application must be reviewed and confirmed by Mr. Calendo by the October 6th deadline. One male and one female will be named “School Winners” for WLHS in early October. State finalists will be announced in October and state winners in early November.

JUNIORS who will be entering college in the fall of 2013 are eligible for a PPG Industries Foundation Community Scholarship. Juniors who take the October 2011 PSAT/NMSQT are entered. You do not need to fill out any entry forms. If you are selected you will be contacted in the fall of your senior year. Here’s just another reason to take the PSAT in October!

Scholarship websites to check out:
www.411dollarsforscholars.com
www.kaarme.com
www.college-scholarships.com
www.fastweb.com
www.schoolsoup.com
www.scholarships.com
www.cappex.com/scholarships
www.meritaid.com
www.kaarme.com