CELEBRATE! Over half of the senior class has now applied to at least 1 college. ICI has already processed 125 transcript requests from seniors to colleges all over the country! It’s not too late to apply, so keep up the good work
Seniors:
As admissions decisions start to be released this semester, don’t forget to share the news with those who have supported you along the way! We’d love to celebrate seniors on social media, with your permission.
We will be sharing seniors’ college and career plans weekly on social media, as well as every Wednesday during the morning announcements.
Don’t forget “College Wear Wednesdays” - wear your favorite college gear every Wednesday!
Financial Aid Updates:
FAFSA was made available as a soft launch on December 31st. During the soft launch, it will be down sporadically for maintenance, which has been causing frustration among students trying to complete it. Many colleges have pushed their FAFSA due dates back to accommodate this, so please check each college’s website to make sure you get your FAFSA filed on time!
Need help completing the FAFSA? Check out these upcoming events!
NC Statewide FAFSA Day is on January 27th. To register for free assistance at a local college, click here
*UNCA’s FAFSA Day assistance taking place from 9:00 am to noon in Whitesides Hall.
FAFSA Workshop on February 1st at 6:00 pm - Franklin School of Innovation!
More Financial Aid information:
Don’t forget to complete the NC Residency Determination form (if you plan to attend college in NC, this is REQUIRED!)
If you plan to complete the FAFSA, you need to create your FSA ID in advance of completing the application! Create your FSA ID - you will need this ID to complete the FAFSA and it takes a few days to receive this ID once you request it. (Make a note of your FSA ID! You will need it each year that you complete the FAFSA in college!)
*At least 1 parent must also create a FSA ID. (Step 8) The only reason why both parents would need an FSA ID is if they are married and filing taxes separately.
**Don’t have a Social Security Number? Here’s how you create your FSA ID
Complete the FAFSA - now open as a soft launch that has been experiencing unexpected maintenance issues. They are expecting most of these issues to be resolved by the end of January 2024 but certain colleges may want your completed FAFSA before then, so check each school!
Within your FAFSA, you can list up to 20 colleges. List all colleges you plan to apply to, even those you may not. It’s easier to add colleges on the front end than after you submit your FAFSA.
Seniors who still need to apply to college:
Don’t forget to request your official transcript and letter(s) of recommendation once you’ve applied! These are located outside of Ms. Vernau’s office!
If you are submitting test scores to colleges (ACT or SAT), it is your responsibility to send those to colleges by logging into your online account (CollegeBoard or ACT.org)
Once you’ve applied, check each college’s financial aid website to see if they have a separate scholarship application!
Once your applications are submitted, check your email regularly to make sure if the college needs any additional information, you can get that to them promptly.
If they need an AB Tech transcript (if you’ve taken AB Tech classes in high school, you will request that transcript directly from AB Tech.
Seniors planning to apply to AB Tech - Please attend the workshop in Ms. Ski’s room on January 18th at 8:45 am.
Senior Scholarship Opportunities
2024 Matthew Matthew C. Graziadei Achievement Scholarship - ALL North Carolina students with disabilities are eligible for nomination. Including students enrolled in the Occupation Course of Study, students who will be receiving a Graduate Certificate, and students enrolled in the Future Ready Course of Study.
NC Assist Scholarship - Any NC senior planning to attend college next year who is 18 years old or older. No essay required!
UNCF Fidelity Scholarship Program - Please see their eligibility requirements on their website - DUE January 11, 2024!
Local Scholarship Searches here
NC SECU Scholarship is now open - DUE March 5, 2024!
Juniors:
This is the time of year that juniors should seriously begin the post-graduate planning process. As the 11th grade counselor, I would like to make you aware of the programs that IC Imagine has in place to assist you and your student in this process.
Juniors will begin receiving information about post-graduate planning this week. This will include a review of graduation requirements, and the tasks necessary to jump-start the post-graduate planning process. Attached is a “College Timeline for Juniors” that you can post in a visible spot to keep you on track. I would also encourage parents to check out our Post-Secondary Counseling website for more information.
“ICI 301” is how we refer to the college and career counseling that juniors will receive this year. There are several ICI 301 tasks for juniors and their families to complete this year:
Students attended an ICI 301 counseling presentation on November 1st, 2023 during American History/US History
Students should complete the “Junior Conference Survey” and a college/career search in their SCOIR account BEFORE their scheduled junior conference with Ms. Vernau
Students should schedule AND attend their Junior Conference
Students should work with parents/guardians to find a time for their conference
Students should use my Google Calendar to reserve their conference date/time (or use the QR code →)
If parents/guardians would prefer to join virtually, please indicate that on the Google Calendar form, and I will provide a virtual meeting link
If parents/guardians are unable to attend, I will provide a follow-up email with an overview of the conference (and resources) after I meet with the student
Junior Conferences will begin next week and may be scheduled through March 2024.
Finally, ICI provides your student with access to SCOIR, an amazing resource for postsecondary planning. Students can access SCOIR at this URL and sign in with Clever via their ICI Google account. https://app.scoir.com/signin
Upcoming college visits on ICI’s campus:
Western Carolina University Admissions Representative will be available during lunch on Friday, January 19th to meet with interested students!
More college visits coming soon!
Don’t forget to check out the ICI Postsecondary Counseling website!
Sophomores:
As part of a comprehensive college and career readiness curriculum, upper school students at ICI receive grade-specific information each year regarding the post-graduate planning process. Here are the programs that IC Imagine has in place to assist you and your student in this process.
Sophomores will begin receiving information about post-graduate planning this week. This will include a review of graduation requirements, information about post-secondary options, and the tasks necessary to jump-start the post-graduate planning process. Attached is a college & career readiness checklist called “Sophomores! Things To Know!” that you can post in a visible spot to keep you on track. We encourage parents to check out our Post-Secondary Counseling website for more information.
“ICI 201” is how we refer to the college and career counseling that sophomores will receive this year. There are several ICI 201 tasks for sophomores and their families to complete this year:
Students will attend the ICI 201 counseling presentation on January 11th or 12th during World History.
Students should expect an email this week with account information for SCOIR, a post-graduate planning tool all students use at ICI. Students will need to access their SCOIR account and complete the following tasks (time will be provided during the counseling presentation)
Profile: Personal Details, College Preferences, and Careers
PrinciplesYou Assessment
Students should schedule and attend a 20-minute one-on-one meeting with their counselor. Students can reserve their conference date/time using Mr. Frank's Google Calendar
Should you have any questions about ICI 201, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr. Frank.
Best wishes for a successful college or career planning process!
11th & 12th Grade Counselor
College & Career Counselor
Jason Frank
9th & 10th Grade Counselor