2017-2018 Evening Presentations By the White Plains High School Guidance Department Presentations in English will be in the WPHS Media Center Presentations will be offered simultaneously in Spanish in B-1 How to Navigate the High School Thursday, September 7 at 7:00 p.m. This presentation is designed for parents/guardians of freshmen and other students new to the high school. We will discuss the policies and procedures of the high school that differ from the middle school, give you an overview of the facilities and opportunities that exist with regard to clubs, sports and activities, and tell you who to go to when questions and concerns arise depending upon the issue to be addressed. Our goal is to make this a successful transition for your child and to answer all the questions that you have about the high school. College Application Toolkit Thursday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. This presentation is designed for seniors and their parents/guardians. You will be given an overview of the college application process in Naviance and a checklist of things that must be done in order for you to put together outstanding applications in time to meet your deadlines. We will also discuss the types of applications, methods of applying, and all of the different elements that the student is responsible for in completing each application. College Bound with an IEP or 504 Plan Wednesday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m. This presentation is primarily for junior and senior parents/guardians, but all are welcome. The Guidance and Special Education Departments are collaborating to present a College Evening specifically designed for parents/guardians of students with IEP or 504 Plans who are two or four-year college-bound. We will be joined by admissions and special program representatives from colleges known for their effective support of students with disabilities. They will speak with you about the kinds of supports that are available at the college level and how you can access them. They will also speak with you about the admissions process for their schools. This session will be open to all, because many students will need to access support when they are in college , but we will be concentrating on supports that are critical for students with disabilities at that level. Financial Aid Night Tuesday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 12 at 7:00 p.m. at El Centro Hispano (in Spanish) This presentation is designed for seniors and their parents/guardians, although all grade levels are welcome. We are fortunate to welcome Michael Fraher for this presentation. He is the Director of Financial Aid, Emeritus, of Vassar College. He is knowledgeable and a great presenter. He makes sense of information that can be very dense and somewhat intimidating, and can answer any and all questions you might have related to financial aid.
Need Help Applying for Financial Aid? FAFSA Night Thursday, October 26 at 6:30 p.m. This workshop is specifically for parents of seniors who must complete this application this year. Whether or not you think you will qualify for financial aid, you should fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid). This workshop will feature financial aid officers from area colleges who will be on hand to help you fill out your actual FAFSA form (online financial aid form needed to apply for financial aid for college). Material will be presented in both English and Spanish . Your Future Career & Technical Exploration Monday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. This program is designed for junior and senior students and their parents/guardians. Some students need post- secondary alternatives to a direct progression to a two or four-year college or university program. A variety of presenters will be on hand to talk to you about technical and trade schools and gap year programs. Every student who graduates from high school needs a plan, and that plan should leave as many options open as possible and lead to a satisfying and rewarding career. Please join us for some excellent alternatives to immediately going to college. First Generation College Bound Thursday, November 30 at 7:00 p.m. This program is designed for junior and senior students and their parents/guardians for whom college will be a new experience. During this evening we will assume absolutely no knowledge on the part of the audience. We will walk you through all the basics: how to choose the colleges to which you will apply, the different types of applications, what is included in an application, how and when to apply for financial aid, how to choose among the colleges that accept you, what you can expect when you get there: college schedules, residential life vs. a commuter program, the big differences between high school and college for both you and your child. And we plan on answering questions – lots of them! We know we will miss something that concerns you, and we don’t want you to leave without every one of those concerns being addressed. College Planning Starts Now Tuesday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. Every year of high school counts – including freshman year! At this workshop we will explain what a student needs to do right now – as a freshman, sophomore or junior – to be a viable candidate for whatever college/university he/she would like to attend. Waiting until senior year to find out that a little more hard work would have gotten you to an acceptable GPA or that the school you are interested requires four years of math when you only took three is devastating. Also, learning to advocate for yourself and succeed in the face of academic adversity is a skill every college student must possess. These topics will be the focus of this meeting.
Applying for Scholarships and Awards Thursday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m. This presentation is for senior students and their parents/guardians. Each year, hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of scholarships are awarded to students at White Plains High School. Some of these are local scholarships given by White Plains-based organizations such as the Rotary, College and Women’s Club that are available only to White Plains students. Others are regional. Then there are national scholarships and awards. Contrary to popular opinion, they are not just available to students with the highest GPAs . In fact, there are many scholarships that target students who serve the community or have a particular passion or overcame challenges to achieve whatever level of success that they currently enjoy. We will show you how to find and appl y for these scholarships and awards. If you are a senior or a senior parent, please don’t miss this event! Standardized Testing Thursday, February 1 at 7:00 p.m. This program is designed for 9 th , 10 th and 11 th grade students and parents/guardians. This evening is all about college entrance exams: the SAT, the ACT, the SAT IIs (subject tests). What are they? When should you take them? How many times/how many tests should you take? How are these used by colleges in their admissions process? These are the questions that we will answer over the course of this evening. Some students begin taking subject tests as early as their sophomore year, so we encourage all freshmen, sophomore and junior parents and students to take advantage of this presentation. College Planning Night Thursday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m. at El Centro Hispano (in Spanish) This presentation is for junior students and their parents/guardians. Representatives from the admissions offices of public and private colleges (past presenters have come to us from SUNY Binghamton, Vassar, Cooper Union, Penn State and Union College) will present information on all aspects of the college application process, from choosing the correct school for you to the relative importance of standardized test scores, college essays, recommendations and the other elements of your application package, to the types of applications available. This is an excellent opportunity for parents of juniors, but freshmen and sophomore parents can benefit from this as well. Financial Aid Packages Wednesday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. This presentation is for seniors and their parents/guardians. Financial aid representatives will explain how to read financial aid packages so that when you compare offers from different schools you will know how to make an informed decision on which is best for your family.
You Got In. Now What? Thursday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. This program will take you through the many things you have to decide and communicate to the college in the next few months prior to attending your orientation during the summer and entering the next phase of your education in the fall. Both students and parents are encouraged to attend. Student Athletes: What You Need to Know About the NCAA Thursday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m. (Spanish interpretation available) Learn what you need to know about eligibility, recruiting, divisions, scholarships and the NCAA from our panel of high school and college experts. Naviance Night for Juniors Thursday, May 17 at 7:00 p.m. This program will introduce juniors and their parents/guardians to the college exploration and application process using Naviance. All aspects of the program will be demonstrated, and a timeline will be provided to ensure that you are on track for submitting your applications in your senior year. This is an important evening for all juniors, but it is essential for students who intend to apply Early Decision or Early Action in the fall.
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