Beth Anderson, College & Career Advisor and Tutoring Coordinator
Be sure to watch for announcements with reminders about the various opportunities and deadlines mentioned below — and please stop by my office to say hello and get answers to all your post-high school planning questions.
Office Hours:
- Monday 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Tuesday 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Wednesday 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Friday as needed – contact me at (509) 996-2215, x4175 to schedule a Friday appointment
Upcoming Career/College Events
Every Tuesday from February 4 – March 31 • SAT/ACT Prep Class for All Juniors during Advisory
All juniors should plan to attend these test prep sessions, which will be held in Room 115 during Advisory each Tuesday throughout February and March. We’ll discuss the differences between the ACT and the SAT, practice test-taking strategies, and hear helpful subject-specific tips from various guest speakers (see schedule below for details).
Tuesday, March 10 • Field Trip to Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake
Now is the time to sign up if you’re interested in exploring BBCC’s Unmanned Systems and Aviation Technology programs! You can find out more about this and other trips to Washington’s Centers of Excellence below and by talking with Ms. Anderson.
Ongoing • Complete the FAFSA
Seniors and their families: Remember to finish your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and stay on top of any institutional financial aid and scholarship deadlines that come your way. Local scholarship applications will be available soon – Mrs. Spellman and Ms. Anderson will be talking with seniors about those opportunities later this month.
Planning Ahead: Spring Test Dates at Liberty Bell
Saturday, April 4, 2020 • ACT Regular Registration open until February 28, 2020
Saturday, May 2, 2020 • SAT Regular Registration open until April 3, 2020
In addition to the upcoming test prep series during Advisory, students are encouraged to take advantage of the wide variety of SAT and ACT prep resources available online and in the library:
- Khan Academy offers free online SAT prep and practice tests: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat.
- You can find online ACT prep resources at:
https://academy.act.org. - If you receive free or reduced lunch, see Ms. Anderson or Mrs. Spellman for a fee waiver.
- A growing number of colleges & universities have adopted test-optional or test-flexible policies. See FairTest: The National Center for Fair and Open Testing for a list of test-optional schools.
Spring Centers of Excellence Trips
March 10, 2020 — We’ll be taking a group of students to visit the Unmanned Systems program at Big Bend Community College. If you are interested in drones or any aspect of aviation technology, this is the trip for you! We will have the opportunity to learn about the drone program as well as mechatronics, and the tour will include time for our students to try out the unmanned systems simulators that Big Bend’s students use for practice and training. The simulators will allow us to learn how drones operate, and we’ll hear about some of the practical applications for drone technology. In addition to all-things-drone, we’ll explore the aviation maintenance technology program, where students will have a chance to see and sit inside various aircraft and learn how they’re made.
May 2020 (TBD) — We are planning to visit the Agriculture & Natural Resource Center at Walla Walla Community College Check out their brief video about the wide range of career opportunities available in Ag & Natural Resources: https://youtu.be/De9QeV7TbPs. And meet one of the Center’s recent graduates: https://youtu.be/2KlvREr_yRE. The Ag Center offers one of the nation’s only John Deere Technology training programs, an institute for the study of enology and viticulture with its own teaching vineyard and winery, and degrees in wildlife ecology and animal science.
February 2020 Newsletter
Hello Students and Families,
New semester = new challenges and new opportunities.
In early January I had a fabulous time working with the 9th graders on career research. We used the Naviance Career Key survey to spark ideas about how our personalities relate to potential careers. Students are often surprised to discover the wide range of career options that involve tasks they actually enjoy doing!
Over the next few months, there will be a number of chances for students to do hands-on career exploration. Students interested in drones or aviation technology should plan to join our March 10 trip to visit Big Bend Community College’s Unmanned Aerial Systems program.
And on April 1, 2020, Liberty Bell will host its semi-annual Career Fair – businesses and organizations from the Valley and beyond will share about their work with all 7th -12th graders, and our seniors will be able to participate in mock interviews. Stay tuned for more details about the Fair, and contact espellman@methow.org or banderson@methow.org if you’d like to be involved as a presenter or interviewer!
Happy Mid-Winter,
Beth
The goal of our College and Career Counseling program is to provide students and their families with the information and resources necessary for them to make well-informed choices about their post-secondary education. Liberty Bell recognizes the diversity in our families and understands that what might be right for one student may not be a good fit for another.
Therefore, we work individually with students and their families to help them successfully develop and achieve their post-graduation goals – whether that is applying to a 4-year, 2-year or technical college, designing a productive Gap Year plan or entering the military or workforce. Some of the specific services that we offer include:
- Educating students and parents about the post-secondary educational choices available to them.
- Meeting individually with juniors, seniors and parents to help them with their college lists, the application process, college essays and financial aid needs, including the FAFSA, the Profile and College Bound Scholarship, as well as with SAT/ACT prep and registration.
- Holding college information evenings for students and parents to make sure that they have all the resources and support they need to reach their goals.
- Working with the guidance counselor to ensure that 9th and 10th graders take the necessary classes to be eligible for college admissions.
Applying to college should be a fun and exciting process; but at times it can be a bit overwhelming. If you find yourself feeling stuck, or if you have questions about any part of the application process, contact our office at (509) 996-2215.
We would like to thank the Public School Funding Alliance for their generous support of this program.
Helpful Resources
General Information
The College Board website provides you with all the information you need for applying to college. It allows you to compare colleges. It provides you with GPA and SAT information to how you compare with other students. It provides financial information about the cost of schools and how they distribute their financial aid. This website also has a Expected Family Contribution and a Net Price Calculator available. www.CollegeBoard.org
FairTest lists all of the colleges that do not use SAT/ACT scores for admitting students.
www.FairTest.org
List of all schools in the Western Undergraduate Exchange. Students who are residents of WUE states are eligible to apply for a reduced tuition rate of 150% of resident tuition at participating schools.
WICHE.edu/wue
Common Application
Start your Common Application.
FAFSA Info
This is the official site for the FAFSA.
Scholarship Info
WashBoard
“Looking for scholarships? We connect Washington students of all types with Washington scholarship providers….for FREE.”
www.WashBoard.org
Fastweb
“Leading online resource for finding scholarships to help you pay for school.”
www.Fastweb.org
Unigo/Scholarship Experts
“Sign up to get matched to scholarships that are perfect for you.”
www.ScholarshipExperts.com
Books
Fiske Guide to Colleges
Best guide to colleges and universities.
The College Solution – Guide for Finding the Right School at the Right Price
Lynn O’Shaughnessy
Great book on the financial aspects of college. Her website is also extremely helpful. www.thecollegesolution.com