Counseling Department Notes
Seniors: College acceptance letters are arriving. Read the instructions that come with these e-mails/letters carefully and keep a file and calendar of deadlines. As you review your acceptances, consider the Financial Aid Award Package, which will be sent in April. Consult the financial aid officer at your college of choice if you have questions or special circumstances regarding your ability to pay. These officials are in a position to consider, verify, and help you with special financial needs.
Be sure to email or bring in a copy of your college acceptance notifications to Mrs. Green when they arrive. They will be announced monthly at the All School Assembly and will be posted on the graduation program. College acceptances cannot be officially acknowledged by St. Francis, unless a document sent by the college confirms the acceptance.
Cabrillo-bound Students: The group appointment for the Cabrillo placement exam was on February 19, 2016. If you missed the scheduled exam, you will need to call and schedule an individual time to take the assessment. Exam results will be given after the test has been completed. Students should make an appointment after the exam with Mrs. Green to begin creating your schedule of classes and mandatory four-year plan.
Students with a documented learning disability are tested on specific dates and times. An appointment is needed and you must take a special form with you to the assessment. Please see Mrs. Green to get the appropriate form.
College Placement Tests: The CSU’s are sending information to CSU students on their dashboard/portals about their English and Math placement tests (ELM/EPT). They will be given on a Saturday in March, April or May. Students must register, as instructed, for any CSU that offers the exams--the scores will be forwarded where they are needed. Our closest CSU is CSU Monterey Bay. Spaces are filling fast and deadlines are coming due, so don’t wait to register. Each exam costs $18.00. Depending on your SAT/ACT scores, you may need to take one or both of the exams.
The UC’s will give the “Subject A” writing exam in May. They will send you further information with your acceptance.
Scholarship information and deadlines are being sent to parents and students via Renweb and announced as they come in during morning announcements. Scholarship information is also being sent via “Sharks” email weekly, so check your school email often. Seniors should be checking-in with Mrs. Green regularly to obtain scholarship forms not available online.
AP Students: AP exam payment is due by March 14th. Checks should be payable to St. Francis and the name of the exam(s) placed on the bottom of the check. College Board has set the price at $92.00 per/exam this year.
Juniors and their parents are strongly encouraged to make an individual appointment with Mrs. Green, if you haven’t already done so, to discuss the college admissions process, summer school considerations, and other pre-college admission issues. If you haven’t begun the college search process, now is the time to begin in earnest. There are many great search engines which offer a variety of ways to begin and pursue your college search, including a personality inventory, career inventory, and a “Major” finder program that will help match colleges to your personalized profile. Use your “Naviance” account to begin. If you are planning a vacation, be sure to check out the colleges in that area and keep a file on your impressions, admissions policies, and other pertinent factors.
Juniors also need to remember that standardized test deadlines are approaching. Go to www.collegeboard.org or www.actstudent.org to register. The SAT is administered at St. Francis on May 7th!
Test date Test Reg. Deadline Late Fee
April 9, 2016 ACT March 4, 2016 March 5-18, 2016
June 11, 2016 ACT May 6, 2016 May 7-20, 2016
*May 7, 2016 SAT April 8, 2016 (offered at St Francis)
June 4, 2016 SAT May 5, 2016