Career and College Advisor Notes for January 2026

Hello Students and Families,

First semester is nearly finished, friends! Finalize your plan to make the most of the second half of the school year and beyond–you’ve got this!

Summer Programs at Colleges & Universities

Now is the time to start thinking about plans for the summer! Here are a few interesting summer programs that offer funding to cover the costs of attendance. Other opportunities will be posted in future months as applications for 2026 become available. You can also check out this list from the Coalition for College: Affordable Summer Programs.

Carnegie Mellon Summer STEM Programs, Applications Due February 1

Carnegie Mellon offers several fully-funded summer learning opportunities in STEM: CS Scholars, AI Scholars, and the Summer Academy for Math & Science. (There are scholarships available for their other summer program offerings.) Students must be 16 years of age by June 20, 2026 to participate in Pre-College Programs. The Pre-College residential experience allows students the opportunity to build life skills for success in college and beyond. Students are housed in residence halls typically used for Carnegie Mellon first-year undergraduate students.

Small Town and Rural Teen University Prep Innovation Intensive (START-UP) at Northwestern, Applications Due March 10

Northwestern University is offering a summer fly-in program for rising high school seniors. It's 100% funded - all travel, housing, and food will be completely covered by Northwestern. The START-UP fly-in program will showcase the distinct resources and support available at Northwestern for young innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and more. From July 9 to July 11, START-UP participants will explore cutting-edge technologies and strategies for building a business or product in The Garage's state-of-the-art facilities. During breaks, they'll explore Northwestern's local communities in Evanston and Chicago for food and further learning. Lastly, students will be guided through in-depth sessions on the college application and financial aid processes at Northwestern.

UChicago Summer Enrichment Programs, Applications Due March 12

The University of Chicago's summer enrichment programs offer pre-college students (currently in grades 9-11) the opportunity to explore different areas of study and learn about different disciplines, especially those that make the UChicago a distinct destination for higher education. UChicago is committed to making higher education affordable and accessible to students from all walks of life.  Enrichment programs are non-credit, typically one week in length, and provide substantial funding to cover most costs for admitted participants.

Scholarships

Seniors, keep checking the Scholarships 2026 Google Classroom page for new scholarship opportunities and updates to deadlines, etc. There are already a number of local, statewide, and regional listings posted, and you are especially encouraged to create a profile and use the eligibility quiz tool for the Community Foundation of North Central Washington application to see which of CFNCW’s 130+ scholarships you are eligible to apply for (deadline is Sunday, March 1, 2026).

The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship is another great funding opportunity for seniors who are planning to major in healthcare or STEM fields at a 2- or 4-year college or university in Washington. Income limits are quite high—a student from a family of 4 with an income of $174,500 or less would qualify for the award. See Ms. Anderson with questions about whether your chosen program qualifies for this funding. Applications are due Thursday, February 26, 2026.

Remember – scholarships are available for ANY post-high school education or training you’re planning to do, including apprenticeships, 2- or 4-year colleges and universities, and technical programs (both college-based and industry-sponsored training).

Upcoming Events

Friday, March 6, 8:00am-3:30pm — Scrubs Camp in Omak

This annual event is an amazing opportunity to explore careers in healthcare! Scrubs Camp offers hands-on experience of a wide variety of healthcare options – students will rotate through stations where they’ll learn about ultrasound technology, medical assisting, pharmacy technology, emergency medicine and other high-demand healthcare fields. Talk with Beth to sign up!

Tuesday, March 24, 5:45am-5:30pm — College Planning Day at Eastern Washington University

College Planning Day is a chance for high school students to learn about many of the 4-year colleges & universities in WA (and a few 2-year schools) in a college fair-like atmosphere. We'll eat lunch in the main EWU dining hall and do a walking tour of the EWU campus. Interested juniors and seniors should talk to Beth to sign up!

Ongoing — Complete the 2026-27 FAFSA or WASFA

Seniors & families: there’s still plenty of time to complete your 2026-27 FAFSA or WASFA application in order to receive scholarships and financial aid at post-secondary institutions for the fall of 2026. See me for help in filling out either financial aid application: I’m available to meet with students and families individually to answer questions and provide real-time support.

Be well,

Beth/Ms. Anderson

Beth Anderson

College and Career Advisor

Methow Valley School District

banderson@methow.org

509.996.2215, x4175

Career & College Advisor webpage

Career and College Advisor Notes for December 2025

Hello Students & Families:

It’s the last month of 2025! Let’s finish December strong and go into the new year feeling confident and prepared for what lies ahead in 2026 and beyond. Remember: the end of first semester is January 16, just two weeks after we return from winter break.

HSBP, Financial Aid, and FAFSA/WASFA

This month (Dec. 8) the High School and Beyond Plan lessons in Advisory will be related to financial aid – most of this year’s seniors have already been hard at work on their FAFSA/WASFA applications, and now their colleagues in grades 7-11 will be getting an overview/preview of the financial aid process.

For this year’s seniors, the 2026-27 FAFSA (or WASFA) is the key to accessing most federal and state grant and scholarship funding, so please let me know if your family could use some assistance completing the application. In Washington state, the FAFSA/WASFA is used to determine eligibility for the Washington College Grant and the College Bound Scholarship – all you need to do is fill out the FAFSA or WASFA, and all Washington colleges/universities/training programs will process your data and let you know how much you’re qualified to receive from state and federal grant & scholarship programs.

Our district’s seniors are making good progress on FAFSA completion overall – check out our stats on the WA FAFSA Completion Dashboard. But we still have a little more to do. Our goal is for all seniors to complete a financial aid application so every member of the Class of 2026 has the ability to receive the financial support they need to pursue post-high school education or training. It’s all about keeping your options open!

Scholarships

Seniors, please start checking the Scholarships 2026 Google Classroom regularly for new scholarship opportunities and updates to deadlines, etc. There are only a couple listings posted so far, but many more will be coming in the new year. (Note: students must access Google Classroom with their methow.org credentials in order to see the full scholarship descriptions and applications; guardians are not able to log in to the Classroom site but will receive a weekly email summary of scholarship listings.)

Remember – scholarships are available for ANY post-high school education or training you’re planning to do, including apprenticeships, 2- or 4-year colleges and universities, and technical programs (both college-based and industry-sponsored training).

A Few Important Scholarship Opportunities

Leadership 1000 Scholarship - Application Due January 30

Seniors, if you're considering attending a 2- or 4-year college or university in Washington state and meet the income eligibility guidelines, apply for the Leadership 1000 scholarship. The award is $5,000 per year and it's renewable for 4 years ($20,000 total). The application does include several short essays, but all students who meet the income criteria are encouraged to apply—it's worth your effort!

Montana State University Presidential & WUE Scholarships - Applications Due December 5 & January 8

The Presidential Scholarship is offered through MSU’s Honors College, and is the highest value award at Montana State University, including a full tuition waiver and a generous housing stipend. The Presidential Scholarship application is open, and is due on December 5, 2025 for the 2026-2027 academic year.

MSU will be offering a very limited number of Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) scholarships to new freshmen enrolling in the fall of 2026. The WUE application is open, and instructions to apply can be found on MSU’s Nonresident Scholarships page. The deadline for WUE scholarship consideration is January 8, 2026. Due to the high value of WUE and the volume of applications, the scholarship is limited and extremely competitive. Students are encouraged to apply early and to complete the application carefully. Students will be notified in mid-February if they have been awarded WUE.

For information about accessing WUE scholarships at other colleges and universities in Western states, check out the WUE Savings Finder. A list of all participating WUE schools is attached to this message.

That’s all for now. See me with questions or if you’d like to set up a time to talk about what’s next after high school – and please let me know if you could use support in filling out the FAFSA or other applications!

With gratitude,

Beth/Ms. Anderson

College and Career Advisor

Methow Valley School District

banderson@methow.org

509.996.2215, x4175

College and Career Advisor webpage

Career and College Advisor Notes for November 2025

Click link for the FINANCIAL AID NIGHT RECORDING!

We accomplished a lot in October! Whew…that was a long month. There were three great field trips to explore post-high school options: Western Washington University Preview Day, Okanogan Career & College Expo, and Construction Career Day; two important tests: the SAT for seniors and PSAT for juniors; one Financial Aid Night for all students and families; and many application essays written by our seniors.

November offers some time to reflect and take stock of where we are – conferences start next Wednesday, Nov. 12, and those meetings are great opportunities for students and families to check in with teachers about academic progress. This month is also an important time to practice gratitude - what are you most grateful for in your life right now? How about at school? When we take the time to focus on the positive first, we are more able to deal with challenges.

One more note: High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) lessons are happening once per month during Advisory time at Liberty Bell. So far this fall, students in grades 6-12 have identified goals they will try to accomplish over the course of the school year, and they’ll be sharing their progress on those goals – as well as samples of their academic work – in their spring conferences.

University of Washington Application Deadline: Saturday, Nov. 15

Many of our seniors have already been hard at work on college applications this fall, some for early deadlines and others for due dates later in the school year. All applications for the Seattle campus of the University of Washington are due on Saturday, November 15. This is the UW’s regular deadline, and the only time they accept applications. Seniors, please keep reaching out if you need any help completing your applications in the coming week.

Financial Aid Information for Families

In early October, we had our annual presentation from financial advisor David Aramaki on how to navigate paying for post-high school education expenses. The recording of David’s presentation is available here.  And if you’re looking for another overview of the financial aid process that you can access anytime, I’d recommend this resource from the  Washington Student Achievement Council: Financial Aid Basics.

For this year’s seniors, the 2026-27 FAFSA (or WASFA) is the key to accessing most  grant and scholarship funding, so be sure to fill it out as the foundation of your financial aid journey. In Washington state, the FAFSA/WASFA is used to determine eligibility for the Washington College Grant and the College Bound Scholarship – all you need to do is fill out the FAFSA or WASFA, and all Washington colleges/universities/training programs will process your data and let you know how much you’re qualified to receive from state and federal grant & scholarship programs.

Fastweb Scholarship Database

Any student interested in pursuing national or regional scholarship opportunities should check out the Fastweb database. (There are a number of similar options out there, but Fastweb seems to be the most comprehensive.) Interested students can create a profile on the site, and Fastweb will  filter out scholarship opportunities that fit their profile, allowing students to more easily sift through the many many options out there.

A Few Important Scholarship Opportunities

Hagan Scholarship - Application Due December 1

The Hagan Scholarship is a nationwide need-based merit scholarship, providing recipients with the opportunity to graduate from college debt-free. The scholarship is worth up to $7,500 each semester. See the full eligibility and application details on their website: this is a nationwide scholarship program, but students from rural and relatively small school districts are preferred. If you meet the criteria, talk to Ms. Anderson about how to apply.

Leadership 1000 Scholarship - Application Opens December 1, Due January 30

Seniors, if you're considering attending a 2- or 4-year college or university in Washington state and meet the income eligibility guidelines, apply for the Leadership 1000 scholarship. The award is $5,000 per year and it's renewable for 4 years ($20,000 total). The application does include several short essays, but all students who meet the income criteria are encouraged to apply—it's worth your effort! The application doesn’t open until Dec. 1 this year, but you can take a look at the criteria and start planning ahead.

Montana State University Presidential & WUE Scholarships - Applications Due December 5 & January 8

The Presidential Scholarship is offered through MSU’s Honors College, and is the highest value award at Montana State University, including a full tuition waiver and a generous housing stipend. The Presidential Scholarship application is open, and is due on December 5, 2025 for the 2026-2027 academic year.

MSU will be offering a very limited number of Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) scholarships to new freshmen enrolling in the fall of 2026. The WUE application is open, and instructions to apply can be found on MSU’s Nonresident Scholarships page. The deadline for WUE scholarship consideration is January 8, 2026. Due to the high value of WUE and the volume of applications, the scholarship is limited and extremely competitive. Students are encouraged to apply early and to complete the application carefully. Students will be notified in mid-February if they have been awarded WUE.

For information about accessing WUE scholarships at other colleges and universities in Western states, check out the WUE Savings Finder. A list of all participating WUE schools is attached to this message.

One last scholarship note for the Class of 2026 – be on the lookout for emails from the colleges you’ve applied to about their specific scholarship opportunities! It can be hard to wade through all the communication to find the important stuff, but try to keep an eye out.

That’s all for now. See me with questions or if you’d like to set up a time to talk about what’s next after high school – and please let me know if you could use support in filling out the FAFSA or other applications!

With gratitude,

Beth/Ms. Anderson

College and Career Advisor

Methow Valley School District

banderson@methow.org

509.996.2215, x4175

College and Career Advising Notes for October 2025

Zoom recording: Paying for Post-High School Education with David Aramaki, October 2025

October is a long month full of all kinds of opportunities and obligations. One of the main focuses of this month will be financial aid (the FAFSA is open!) and learning about how to pay for post-high school educational expenses. Please reach out anytime you have questions – there are many resources available to support you.

Upcoming Field Trips

Tomorrow a group of 9-12 graders will be off to Western Washington University for one of their Fall Preview Day events! Below are the dates and descriptions of the remaining fall field trip opportunities. For all trips, see Ms. Anderson to sign up and pick up permission forms:

Wednesday, Oct. 15 - Okanogan County Career Expo (during the school day, 8:24am-12:00pm, all AVID CLIMBS students in grades 9, 10 will attend).

Thursday, Oct. 30 - Construction Career Day at the Spokane Fairgrounds (long day trip: 6:30am-6:30pm, any students in grades 9-12 are welcome to sign up). The day will include: Welcome & Orientation (30 min), Heavy Equipment (1 hour 15 min), Hands-on Demos & Info (1 hour), plus a free lunch.

Paying for Post-High School Education (aka Financial Aid) Night, Monday, Oct. 6 

This coming Monday, October 6, from 6:30-7:30pm, join me  in the LBHS Library or on Zoom – the  link will be shared via Skyward message on the day of the event.

We will have the opportunity to learn from David Aramaki, a financial advisor and paying-for-college expert, about the financial aid system and paying for post-secondary educational expenses. David has joined us on a number of occasions to share his knowledge, and he’ll be with us virtually via Zoom. All families and students in grades 7-12 are welcome – there will be a lot of useful information for parents of younger students who are planning for the future. Bring all your burning questions about financial aid and saving for college!

School Day SAT for Seniors on Tuesday, October 21

We’ll be offering the SAT at Liberty Bell during the school day on Tuesday, October 21. Testing will begin at 8:24am and finish by lunchtime.

Students may still choose to register for Saturday SAT/ACT dates at any of the testing sites in our region. See Ms. Anderson to obtain a fee waiver for outside tests (all students who receive free/reduced lunch qualify for free testing!).

There are some excellent *free* online SAT and ACT prep resources:

PSAT for Juniors on Tuesday, October 28

On Tuesday, October 28 all juniors at Liberty Bell will be taking the PSAT exam. Testing will begin at 8:24am and will last until about 11:10am.

What content is covered on the PSAT? See: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/whats-on-the-test

Students and families are also encouraged to review the PSAT Student Guide (also available in a Spanish-language version). Additional reminders about PSAT testing will be sent to juniors and their families in the coming weeks.

FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES:

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid - seniors will submit the 2026-27 FAFSA form)

WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid; only for non-FAFSA filers - use the WASFA Questionnaire to determine your appropriate financial aid application)

CSS Profile (additional financial aid application required by some colleges/universities)

Washington College Grant/WA Grant (free money available to WA residents attending WA colleges/tech schools/universities/apprenticeships; eligibility based on FAFSA/WASFA)

College Bound program (additional free money for WA graduates to attend college, eligibility based on family income & FAFSA/WASFA)

Federal Student Aid Estimator (for families of younger students)

Please reach out with any questions or concerns!

Many thanks,

Beth/Ms. Anderson

College and Career Advisor

Methow Valley School District

banderson@methow.org

509.996.2215, x4175

Career and College Advisor Notes for September 2025

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year, students and families!

Great opportunities for teaching and learning are already happening, both in and outside the classroom, and I look forward to all the ways we will continue to learn and grow together this year. As always, please let me know what ideas you have about how we can explore ALL possibilities for high school and beyond.

Dear Class of 2026…

I know your senior year just started, but now is the time to take stock of your post-high school plans and build a list of tasks/deadlines that will allow you to get wherever you want to go after graduation. Here’s a rough outline, which will be especially helpful for those of you who are thinking about applying to trade & technical schools, community colleges, formal apprenticeship programs, or 4-year colleges & universities:

  • Make time to chat with Beth Anderson and new LBHS counselor Tara Madsen about your future plans. (We’re very excited to talk with every single one of you!)
  • Create a list of potential post-secondary schools or training programs or career paths that appeal to you and feel free to add and subtract as you learn more about each option. Use a spreadsheet or Google doc to track your application progress and Google calendar to remember important deadlines.
  • Work on your personal essay. In October all seniors will begin an in-class personal essay unit during their Senior Seminar or ILC Advisory class. You’ll generate topics and draft personal essays during this unit, and you can continue to edit and refine your work through the fall.  Essays are an important component of many scholarship and admission applications.
  • Talk with teachers who know you well to ask if they would be willing to write letters of recommendation for you. Plan to give them at least 3 weeks of lead time and provide each teacher with background information about your academic strengths and best personal qualities so they’re able to write a compelling letter on your behalf! Beth needs a paper copy of this LOR packet (again, 3 weeks in advance!) in order to complete her counselor recommendations for you.
  • Get a strong start on your fall semester coursework. Some colleges will ask you to submit mid-year transcripts as part of your application, and you want to let them know you’re putting in your best effort.
  • Start searching for scholarships and gathering information related to financial aid (2024 tax documents, information about assets, etc.). The 2026-2027 FAFSA application (the correct version for the Class of 2026) is scheduled to open on October 1. I’ll update you as the date gets closer!
  • Attend Paying for Post-HS Education Night in the LBHS Library on Monday, October 6, 6:30pm

Upcoming Field Trip Opportunities (see Beth Anderson to sign up!)

Friday, October 3:Western Washington University Preview Day

Wednesday, October 15: 2025 NCW Career Expo at Okanogan Agri-Plex

Thursday, October 30: Construction Career Day at Spokane Fairgrounds

Other College/Career Events

Monday, October 6: Paying for Post-HS Education Night, 6:30-7:30pm, in LB Library & on Zoom

Tuesday, October 21: SAT for registered seniors (testing will begin at 8:24am in LB Library)

Tuesday, October 28: PSAT for all juniors (testing will begin at 8:24am, location details to follow)

So Your Student is a High School Senior: A Conversation for Parents on Thursday, Sept. 11, 5-6pm  (online)

Are you a parent of a senior who may be applying to selective colleges? Consider tuning in this Thurs., Sept. 11 for a general overview of the admissions process with an admissions officer from Bowdoin College. Topics will include researching schools, essay writing, application timelines, financial aid, and ways to support your student throughout the process.

Paying for Post-HS Education (aka Financial Aid) Night 

Monday, October 6, from 6:30-7:30pm in the LBHS Library (or on Zoom – link will be shared the day of the event)

We will have the opportunity to learn from David Aramaki, a financial advisor and paying-for-college guru, about the financial aid system and paying for post-secondary educational expenses. David has joined us on a number of occasions to share his expertise, and he’ll be with us virtually via Zoom. All families and students in grades 7-12 are welcome – there will be a lot of useful information for parents of younger students who are planning for the future. Bring all your burning questions about financial aid and saving for college!

Naviance for Career Exploration 

Again during the 2025-2026 school year, students will be using Naviance during classes like AVID, Senior Seminar, and Advisory as a tool to support career exploration and post-high school planning. Students are also welcome to log in to Naviance on their own time to browse careers and educational pathways – just go to https://student.naviance.com/lbjsh, select “Student,” and then “Continue with Single Sign On” to log in through your methow.org Google account.

School Day SAT for Seniors on Tuesday, October 21

We’ll be offering the SAT at Liberty Bell during the school day on Tuesday, October 21. Seniors can register by signing up with Beth Anderson. Testing will begin at 8:24am and finish by lunchtime.

Students may still choose to register for Saturday SAT/ACT dates at any of the testing sites in our region. See Ms. Anderson to obtain a fee waiver for outside tests (all students who receive free/reduced lunch qualify for free testing!).

There are some excellent *free* online SAT and ACT prep resources:

PSAT for Juniors on Tuesday, October 28

Each year we offer the PSAT free of charge to all juniors. Check out the link for test prep resources, and Ms. Anderson will send more details about the PSAT as the date approaches.

Does Test-Optional Really Mean Optional?

Many colleges & universities have officially made  standardized testing optional, and a few have chosen a test-free policy, meaning that no test scores will be reviewed during the admissions process. Have questions about whether to test? Check out FAQs and a current list of test-optional schools at the newly redesigned FairTest: The National Center for Fair and Open Testing.

That’s all for now! You are welcome to contact me anytime by email (banderson@methow.org) or by leaving a voicemail at 509.996.2215, x4175.

Looking forward to a fantastic fall and beyond!

Beth/Ms. Anderson

College and Career Advisor

Methow Valley School District