December 2006 Bulletin
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STUDENT SERVICES NEWS

DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION

The Department of Student Services is organized to provide services effectively to all families in our school community by four professional school counselors. Counselor responsibilities are as follows:

PSAT RESULTS
PSAT results will be distributed through English classes before the Winter break. Professional school counselors worked with all testers to help them understand what the results mean and how to use them meaningfully in academic, college and career planning. Students will receive their test booklets and an interpretation guide to help you and them make sense of the scores. If you would like to meet with the appropriate counselor about PSAT results, please call us at 410 887-5243.

REGISTRATION FOR 2007/2008 CLASSES
In January counselors will visit English classes to begin the registration process. If you would like to meet with a counselor to discuss your student's classes for next year, please call your student’s counselor.

PARALLEL ENROLLMENT AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY CCBC (PEP)
The Parallel Enrollment Program is an excellent opportunity for Overlea seniors to earn college credit while attending high school. CCBC offers a 50% discount on tuition to high school seniors. What a great way to transition to college and save on tuition at the same time. Current juniors will receive information about this program during the registration process for the school year 2007 –2008.

CCBC-ESSEX OPEN HOUSE AT OVERLEA
CCBC-Essex will visit Overlea during the regular school day in March to distribute information about their programs. Faculty, financial aid and admissions staff will be in the library each day so our students can explore the various exciting transfer and occupational training programs available at the Community College of Baltimore County. Students will visit the open house through their English classes. Call Ms. Wing for more information.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES OF BALTIMORE COUNTY INSTANT ADMISSIONS DAY
Counselors from CCBC will be here in early April to take care of all admissions procedures for interested graduating seniors. To complete the Instant Admissions process, you will need a copy of your transcript, a completed CCBC application, and $15 for the application fee. Applications may be picked up in the student services office. Students must see Ms. Wing to register for instant admissions.

COLLEGE PLANNING FOR JUNIORS
During the month of March, counselors will be sharing with juniors a collection of information about college selection and planning. Each student will receive the Junior Packet in English classes. The packet includes information about college exploration, visits, scholarships, the application process and an activity record. Each student who requests a college recommendation from a counselor must complete an activity record. This packet will be helpful to you and your college-bound junior.
COLLEGE FAIR AT CCBC-ESSEX
The college fair in the CCBC- Dundalk Field House will take place on March 6, 2007 from 6 to 9 p.m. Over 130 colleges and universities will attend. It is a great opportunity in our own back yard. Mark your calendar.

SAT DATES AND DEADLINES ACT DATES AND DEADLINES
Test Date Registration Deadline Test Date Registration Deadline
January 27 December 20 February 10 January 5
March 10 February 2 April 14 March 9
May 5 March 29 June 9 May 4
June 2 April 27
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FEE WAIVERS AVAILABLE FOR SAT, ACT AND COLLEGE APPLICATIONS
Students who qualify for the free lunch are entitled to fee waivers for the college admissions tests and many college application fees. See your counselor for more details.

THOUGHTS ON THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TESTS
If a student has successfully completed Geometry and is currently enrolled in Algebra II, the SAT is recommended. Otherwise, we recommend the ACT. Students who take the SAT should do so in May or June of junior year and October or November of senior year. If a higher score is desired, it can also be taken as late as January of senior year. The January date is the last one that is considered by most colleges for fall admissions. Research has indicated that the highest possible combination of scores is attained in three test administrations. And please note that only students applying to four-year schools will need the SAT or ACT. Students planning to attend two-year schools take a placement test at the school. The ACT and SAT cost around $42 and the placement tests are free. If you miss deadlines, late registrations are accepted, as are walk-in registrations, but they will cost you. And fee waivers do not cover late fees. Refer to the registration materials for more information about late registration issues.

THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) NOW AVAILABLE AT OHS
The FAFSA is the financial aid form that is required by every college in the country. Please stop by to get yours. This form is your only vehicle to access more than $70 billion in federal college aid. Federal aid accounts for about 95% of all college aid available. We also have an ample supply of Funding Your Education, the U.S. Department of Education's guide to financial aid and other guides to financial aid and loans. Good stuff and it's all free.

FINANCIAL AID NIGHT WORKSHOP
A workshop to help parents understand and complete the financial aid process for college will be offered on January 09, 2007 at 6:45 in the Overlea school library. This workshop will take parents through the steps of completing the FAFSA. This application must be completed before financial aid can be granted. Barbara Miller, the Director of Financial Aid at the University of Baltimore and an expert on college financial aid will present this information. Place this important event on your calendar now and plan to attend.

GUARANTEED ACCESS GRANT
Applications are here. If you qualify for a free lunch and have a 2.5 GPA in the college prep curriculum or a career/tech prep program, the state of MD will give you $10,000 per year to go to school in the state of MD through the Guaranteed Access Grant. Stop in for applications. You must submit these applications and the FAFSA by March 1, 2007.

SCHOLARSHIP AND COLLEGE SEARCH WEB RESOURCES
There are several useful guidance sites on the web. www.collegeboard.com, www.fastweb.com and www.collegenet.com are web sites that are extremely helpful to students and parents engaged in college selection and scholarship searches. A site that will allow you to complete and file the FAFSA online is
www.fafsa.gov. Another one contains valuable and important financial aid information www.ed.gov/studentaid. All OHS counselors have Internet access from their desktops, and the OHS library has a computer lab. Also, your public libraries have Internet access computer stations for public use.

ARE YOU ATTENDING CCBC NEXT YEAR?
See your counselor in the guidance office to learn about instant admissions. Our next instant admissions day will take place in April. It is the easiest way to get all of your admissions tasks complete for the Community College of Baltimore County. See Ms. Wing for more details.
For more information about any of the programs and services described above, please call the Student Services Office at 410-887-5243.