Monthly Memo: April 2008
Seniors:
Congratulations on doing such an amazing job with your college admissions! We are very proud and excited for all of you. Although you have been nothing but classy, we want to remind you to continue to be respectful and considerate of your fellow seniors at this time of year. While many of you have heard outstanding news, some of your friends have had to deal with disappointment in their college applications. We appreciate your thoughtfulness in handling this situation with maturity.
It is very important that everyone do three things this month: 1) make your decision and notify the school that you plan to attend by May 1, 2) write a polite e-mail to the schools that you have decided not to attend thanking them for admission but declining their offer, and 3) update our Green Notebook in College Counseling and make certain that Joanie has accurate college admissions results for our records. This information helps us to continue to provide the best college counseling guidance possible to HPA students. If you need help comparing financial aid packages, making final decisions on your schools, or corresponding with your schools, just stop by College Counseling and we are at your service.
Most seniors have heard from all of their colleges by the end of the first week of April. They must choose their college by May 1 (the universal reply date). We ask that our seniors notify the college that they choose to attend and also the colleges that they have chosen not to attend as soon as possible. The letters declining the offers of admission demonstrate that you have good manners and appreciate what people have done on your behalf. These e-mails also present a positive impression of a student from HPA that will help our future applicants. When you are declining an offer of admission, please send the following e-mail to the college’s admission office:
| Dear __________ Admission Office (or name of specific counselor), Thank you very much for admitting me to __________ (college name). After discussion with my family, I am sorry to have to inform you that I have chosen to attend another school. I appreciated your assistance and thoughtfulness during the admission process and wish you all the best in the coming year. Sincerely, (Your name and birth date) |
Juniors:
Now that you have completed your first homework assignments, you are busy having individual meetings with your college counselors. The assignments for the last three months of school include completing the college counseling assessment forms (see “Download Forms,” refining their college lists to 10-15 schools, carefully choosing senior classes, working with “Family Connection,” and planning a productive summer. Remember, doing something of value during your junior summer will be crucial on your college applications.
| Test Registration Deadlines |
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| April 1 | Registration for the May 3 SAT |
| May 6 | Registration for the June 7 SAT |
April 26: The Hilo National College Fair. We will be chaperoning a group of 30 juniors and sophomores to Hilo to attend the National College Fair on April 26. This is the first year that the national college fair will be held in Hilo. The fair runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at UH-Hilo. For more details click on this link: Hilo College Fair.
April 28: College Review Day. Juniors have a choice of attending one of three presentations:
1) The University of Washington and the University of Oregon
2) Lehigh University and Eugene Lang College
3) Calarts—for students interested in visual and performing arts colleges
This month it is important for juniors to take the time to carefully choose their senior classes. It is essential that each of you present a rigorous and appropriate senior year curriculum. Our registrar, Ms. Petteys, works closely with College Counseling and is very knowledgeable about the connections between class selection and success in college admissions. You can always ask for advice from Ms. Petteys or from College Counseling. While you should not overextend yourself, you should consider continuing in upper level math and foreign language classes. You also should weigh the benefits and liabilities of choosing AP classes over regular senior year electives. If you are looking at less selective universities or colleges, your GPA might be more important than the overall rigor of your program of study. However, if you are hoping to attend a selective college or university you will need to combine a strong GPA with a rigorous course schedule. Selective colleges do not like to see students taking an easy academic schedule in their final year of high school. In their estimation, entering college freshmen have more in common with high school seniors than they do with high school juniors; the attitude you show towards your senior year academics will probably be similar to the attitude you will have when you begin college. Send your desired schools the right message. In the end, students should always choose their classes because they are interested in the course material, they want to gain the academic skills that are taught in a particular course of study, and they are aiming for an appropriate level of intellectual challenge.
Juniors also should plan their activities for this coming summer. This is the most critical summer in terms of college preparation and applications. As you learned in your “Mock College Application,” colleges care about how you spend your time away from school, especially the summer after your junior year. By all means, go to the beach and enjoy yourselves, but you also should have a productive and meaningful summer. We recommend pursuing internships, gaining work experience (especially in your academic or career path), volunteering for community service opportunities, seeking out academic enrichment (especially at mainland colleges), and working on your college essays and test prep. If you are looking for specific ideas, stop by the College Counseling Center to talk with us and use our summer program resource library.