Guidance is a communication designed to keep parents informed of upcoming academic events, scholarship opportunities, and important dates regarding post-secondary search and application.You can also find helpful Guidance Department information in the Academics section of www.scecina.org.

In an effort to help better prepare the students here in Marion county,  IU's local admissions representative is  hosting a special event called Reach IU on Saturday, October 25 from 9 AM to 2 PM. This FREE event will be held at the 37th Place Community Center, in partnership with the Edna Martin Christian Center on 2605 East 25th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46218.

Lunch will be provided for students and their guests. IU campus partners and local community agencies will also be present to provide students with information about 21st Century Scholars, scholarships, college preparation and more!

This event is only for 9-10th grade students of diverse racial backgrounds in or immediately around Marion county. Students should also have a serious interest in attending college after high school; preference is for students interested in IU Bloomington. Students must register for the event. The link to register is located here: Reach IU Registration.

Registration will end on October 22nd and space is limited to a 100 total students and guests. Questions about the event can be directed to Khala Granville at kgranvil@indiana.edu or Marni Blair at mbassich@indiana.edu.

For 10-12th grade students interested in improving their leadership skills, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs (DEMA) is hosting their annual Diversity Leadership Conference on Saturday, November 1st from 8 AM to 4 PM. This FREE conference will take place at the IU Bloomington Auditorium. Lunch will be provided.

Preference is for students from diverse backgrounds who have a 3.0 GPA or higher with an interest in social justice and leadership issues. Marc Lamont Hill is the keynote speaker for the event. Attached is the postcard for interested students. Registration is required and can be completed by clicking here: Diversity Leadership Conference Registration.

Additional information about this program can be found here, including who to contact for questions:http://www.iub.edu/~dleaders/index.html.

Seniors

• College Applications! Please pay close attention to deadlines for college applications and scholarship deadlines.   Many schools have a November 1st deadline for early action decisions as well as consideration for merit scholarships.  The Guidance Department visited the Senior Catholic Theology Classes this week to remind students about how to request transcripts and letters of recommendation.  All requests for recommendations for November 1st deadlines MUST be to the guidance office no later than October 17th!

• All transcript requests are processed through www.parchment.com.  Please set up an account with Parchment to request transcripts to be sent with college applications.

• All 21st Century Scholars must check in with Mrs. Joyce to make sure you are on Scecina's 21st Century Scholar roster and to get information about Senior Affirmations.

• College Visit Days- Seniors are allowed two (2) excused absences for college visit days.  A college visit request form MUST be filled out at least two days prior to the planned visit.  Please see the main office for a request form.

• SAT PREP!   Get some extra practice for the SAT with the question of the day.  Three Different Ways for Question of the Day.  The Official SAT Question of the Day(TM) is a great way for you to practice a little every day.  There are three exciting ways to get Question of the Day:

• Bookmark the SAT Question of the Day page (now with 30 days of questions!)

http://noreply.collegeboard.org/176326b2blayfousuam6oxyqaaaaaaa2kskrqr4hg4ayaaaaa 

 

• Follow @SATQuestion on Twitter

  http://noreply.collegeboard.org/195265f7flayfousuam6oxyyaaaaaaa2kskrqr4hg4ayaaaaa 

 

• Download the official app from iTunes

  http://noreply.collegeboard.org/1307cb4d7layfousuam6oxzaaaaaaaa2kskrqr4hg4ayaaaaa

 

Juniors 

• All juniors will take the PSAT on Wednesday October 15.The PSAT results provide an indication of what students would score if they were taking the actual SAT, an exam commonly used to aid colleges in making admissions decisions.Results will be given to students at the end of the semester.

Freshman and Sophomores  

• All sophomores will take the PSAT on Wednesday, October 15th. The PSAT results provide an indication of what students would score if they were taking the actual SAT; an exam commonly used to aid colleges in making admissions decisions. Results will be given to students at the end of the semester.

• Attention all 21st Century Scholars!  On November 18th at 10:00 am, DiAnna Washington, 21st Century Scholars Outreach Coordinator, will be at Scecina to meet with all 9th and 10th grade 21st Century Scholars. The 21st Century Scholars Program has implemented new Student Success Program (SSP) requirements for current high school sophomores and freshmen.  Scholar Success Program helps students plan, prepare, and pay for college.  There are 12 required activities Scholars must complete during high school to receive their 21st Century Scholarship.  Scholars who do not complete the 12 required activities risk losing their 21st Century Scholarship.  If you are a Scholar, please sign up in the main office to attend the meeting and to make sure you are on Scecina's 21st Century Scholar roster.

College Visits to SMHS  

This fall we will have a number of colleges and universities visit us here at Scecina. College Admission representatives may come for a lunch visit or may present to a small group of students during the school day.  Upcoming visits:

• 10/27   Lourdes University

• 11/7     Eastern Illinois University

• 11/13    Ivy Tech

Seniors can sign up to attend an informational session with Mrs. Joyce or through sign-up sheets in Mrs. Fulford's classroom.

• The University of Southern Indiana will be hosting its Southern Hospitality Days on October 18 and November 8.  Email enroll@usi.edu for more information.

• The Purdue University Women in Engineering Program invites all high school seniors to attend its Seniors Exploring Engineering at Purdue event on Monday October 20th.  For more information contact the Women in Engineering Program at wiep@purdue.edu.

Scholarship Opportunities 

• Scecina Memorial can nominate up to two students for the Indiana University Wells Scholarship. The Wells Scholarship, awarded on the basis of merit, provides tuition, academic fees and living expenses for up to four years at IU. Please see Mrs.Joyce for additional information on the nomination process.

• The Central Indiana Community Foundation's Scholarship Program 2015 Guidebook is now available at www.cicf.org. The Guidebook outlines the scholarships available to graduating seniors interested in pursuing a college degree.

•  The Richard G. Lugar Minority Scholarship program is accepting applications for its scholarship programs. To be eligible students must meet the following criteria: Be a minority high school senior, intend to enroll in an Indiana college or university, have a combined critical reading and math score on the SAT of 1000 or ACT composite of 22, and have a 3.0 gpa. Interested students who meet the qualifications please see Mrs. Joyce about applying.

• The Horatio Alger Scholarship is accepting applications through the October 25th deadline.Applicants must meet the following criteria: 1. Be enrolled full-time as a high school senior in the United States, progressing normally toward graduation in spring/summer of 2015 with plans to enter a college in the United States no later than the fall following graduation 2. Exhibit a strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor's degree at an accredited non-profit public or private institution in the United States (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution). Visit https://www.horatioalger.org for details.

• Applications for the Fireside Essay Scholarship are now available. Scecina can nominate one student for this $1000 award requiring a 750 word essay on how your religious education is influencing your life. Please see Mrs. Joyce for additional details. Deadline to apply is December 1st.