Senior Appointments Are In Full Swing

Last Friday I chaperoned the Yearbook Dance.  This was the first dance of the year and gave me the opportunity to watch this year's seniors as they realized this was the 'first of the last' for their Senior year.  There were tears shed and I felt that this was a bit prophetic seeing that Senior family appointments were going to begin on Monday.

So, this week I began my second set of Senior Appointments at McGivney.  This is always a bittersweet time for the Seniors.  They are excited that they are in the final year of high school, yet they realize that this may be the last time they are all together.  This is not only emotional for the Senior students, but for those parents as well.  It is for this reason that I like to meet with each individual family.

Early in the summer I had sent out a spreadsheet template to help guide you in the college selection process.  Some of you have used that template and others have expanded upon it.  I encourage the remainder of you to open and use the template as it will keep your thoughts regarding each institution organized as you navigate through the college selection process.

In addition, I had emailed out a Scholarship Guide which has a number of private scholarship opportunities advertised.  The requirements and deadlines are included within this booklet and I encourage all of you to go through it page by page and cross off those scholarships which do not apply to you or highlight those that do.  There is a great deal of money to be had in private scholarships with a minimal investment in time and if you no longer have the email with this attached, you can click on McGivney College Scholarship Guide found under the Useful Links heading to your right.

How are those college essays coming along?  Do you realize that you can create one basic essay then 'tweak' it to fit all the universities to which you are applying as well as any of those private scholarships?  Work smarter, not harder.

I want you to remember that I too am on this journey with you.  I will be there all along the way to help guide you in your submissions, but the end decision has to be completely up to you.  This will be your home for the four years following graduation so you want to make sure that the college matches you academically, that it is within your family's budget, that it has your major field of study, and most of all that it feels right.

Senior Appointments Are In Full Swing

Last Friday I chaperoned the Yearbook Dance.  This was the first dance of the year and gave me the opportunity to watch this year's seniors as they realized this was the 'first of the last' for their Senior year.  There were tears shed and I felt that this was a bit prophetic seeing that Senior family appointments were going to begin on Monday.

So, this week I began my second set of Senior Appointments at McGivney.  This is always a bittersweet time for the Seniors.  They are excited that they are in the final year of high school, yet they realize that this may be the last time they are all together.  This is not only emotional for the Senior students, but for those parents as well.  It is for this reason that I like to meet with each individual family.

Early in the summer I had sent out a spreadsheet template to help guide you in the college selection process.  Some of you have used that template and others have expanded upon it.  I encourage the remainder of you to open and use the template as it will keep your thoughts regarding each institution organized as you navigate through the college selection process.

In addition, I had emailed out a Scholarship Guide which has a number of private scholarship opportunities advertised.  The requirements and deadlines are included within this booklet and I encourage all of you to go through it page by page and cross off those scholarships which do not apply to you or highlight those that do.  There is a great deal of money to be had in private scholarships with a minimal investment in time and if you no longer have the email with this attached, you can click on McGivney College Scholarship Guide found under the Useful Links heading to your right.

How are those college essays coming along?  Do you realize that you can create one basic essay then 'tweak' it to fit all the universities to which you are applying as well as any of those private scholarships?  Work smarter, not harder.

I want you to remember that I too am on this journey with you.  I will be there all along the way to help guide you in your submissions, but the end decision has to be completely up to you.  This will be your home for the four years following graduation so you want to make sure that the college matches you academically, that it is within your family's budget, that it has your major field of study, and most of all that it feels right.

Week One is Done

To those new subscribers, Welcome to the Griffin Guidance Blog!

It has been a busy week and I do believe the students are getting back in the rhythm of school.  They have become proficient at opening lockers, finding their classes, and acclimating to new teachers.  

There have been some questions on whether we at Father McGivney are going to be giving the SAT or staying with the ACT, so I would like to provide some information on that topic.  

Both the ACT and the SAT are used for entrance into colleges and universities across the country.  Students may take whichever test they prefer depending on the entrance requirements of their desired university.  Most colleges and universities will accept either exam for entrance, but some prefer one over the other which is why you want to be certain of the requirements for the university to which you apply. 

The colleges and universities in our local area will accept both and do not have plans for discontinuing the acceptance of either.  Until we are certain that the ACT will no longer be accepted by colleges and universities, we will continue to give that exam to Junior students on our campus.

Differences lie in the type of assessment as well as the questions asked.  The ACT exam is more curriculum based where the SAT is more of an aptitude and reasoning test.  So, which should your child take? 

• ·         ACT questions are more straightforward and easier to understand on a first read.  On the SAT, you may need time to decipher the question before answering.
• ·         The SAT has a stronger emphasis on vocabulary
• ·         The ACT tests Science where the SAT does not
• ·         The ACT tests more advanced Math concepts
• ·         The SAT writing is mandatory and optional on the ACT
• ·         The SAT is broken up into more sections
• ·         The ACT is a ‘big picture’ exam where if you score well in one section and poorly on another, you can still achieve a high composite score

The ACT is popular across the entire United States where the SAT is more popular on the coasts.  Regardless of the test, colleges and universities use this information as one part of the admissions process and have no strong preference for one over the other.  There are instances where the college or university will have a student take a particular exam based on their preference. 

Students must look at the admission requirements for any colleges and universities to which they apply, as this will help them decide which test to take or if both are needed.  When either test will be accepted, it is up to the student to decide which test he or she has a better chance of attaining a high score.

We do recommend that students take their first ACT between their Sophomore and Junior years.  Information on registering for the ACT can be found on this Blog in the links section.  

Although we do not give the SAT in house, I have information on registering for the SAT in my office.  Any Junior or Senior interested in taking the SAT can stop by and pick up this information.  A great source for SAT prep can be found at Khan Academy as well.

We do give the ACT to those Junior level students who wish to take it on our campus in April.  The cost of this will be published at a later date.

Welcome Back to School

Here we are, starting another school year.  Regardless of how much I like my summer breaks, there is nothing like Back-to-School sales, Post-It Notes, planning for a new school year, and awaiting all the students to return.  This year we welcome over 60 students to the Freshman class as well as other transfer students who decided McGivney was where they really belong, something our current students figured out a few years ago.

Seniors, soon I will be sitting down with you and your parents to map out college application plans or your next steps following graduation.  Links to the Common App, the FAFSA, and the McGivney College Scholarship Guide can be found to the right.  Most college applications are open now and even if you plan on taking another ACT before December, you can still apply as those scores can be sent later.  If you are looking to apply to an East or West Coast school, please see if they accept the ACT or if you need to take the SAT.  I can help you with that application process even though we do not offer that test at McGivney.  A FAFSA workshop will be held at McGivney this coming fall.

Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores, the ACT test dates for this coming year have been set. The ACT link can be found to your right.  The next test date is October 22 with a registration deadline of September 16.  Seniors, the last ACT that colleges will be able to accept for your admittance would be the December 10 test date if you are applying under regular decision.

Juniors and Sophomores, the Illinois Regional College Fair will be held in the Meridian Ballroom of SIUE on Tuesday, October 18 from 6 to 7:30 pm.  Plan on attending as there will be hundreds of college representatives available to you.  Find out when they have Open Houses, how they schedule visits, application requirements and more.
Email me with any suggestions of information you would like to see or opportunities I may have missed.