Career and College Advisor Notes for October 2024

Happy Homecoming Week, Mountain Lions! October is a long month full of all kinds of opportunities and obligations. Please reach out anytime you have questions or just need a moment to sit and breathe – there are many resources available to support you.

Upcoming Field Trips!

Last week we had a fantastic overnight college tour to the UW, UW Bothell, and Skagit Valley College (see attached pic!). 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. 23 - Okanogan County Career Expo (during the school day, 8:30am-1:00pm, all AVID CLIMBS students in grades 9, 10, and 12 will attend).

Wednesday, 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.

Campus Tour Opportunities (on your own)

This is the season when colleges in our region host preview days that are designed for students and families to learn more about their campus communities. Check out the links below for more information!

Friday, Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 - Western Washington University Fall Preview Days

Friday, Oct. 11 and Monday, Nov. 11 - Gonzaga University Preview Days

Saturday, Oct. 12 - Eastern Washington University Preview Day

Saturday, Oct. 19 - Fall for Whitman Day

Saturday, Oct. 26 - Washington State University Preview Day

Saturday, Nov. 2 - Seattle University Preview Day

Two Important Scholarship Opportunities (also posted on Scholarships 2025 Google Classroom)

Leadership 1000 - Application Due November 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! 

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.

PSAT for Juniors on Wednesday, October 23

The PSAT is given free of charge to all juniors. The PSAT will be administered using the Bluebook app, which means students will need to bring their fully charged Chromebooks on test day. Students may wish to use resources on Bluebook to practice for the PSAT. Erika Spellman will send  more details in advance of the test; talk with Erika or Beth if you have any questions. 

School Day SAT on Thursday, October 24

Interested seniors have already signed up – feel free to check in with either Erika Spellman or Beth Anderson if you have any questions about what to expect or how to prepare. The SAT will also be administered through the Bluebook app, and students will need to have their Chromebook fully charged and ready to go on test day.

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

Ask Ms. Anderson for printed copies  of full-length practice SATs and take advantage of these excellent online SAT and ACT prep resources:

Online College Application Support

A number of schools now have webinars or podcasts on a range of admissions topics, which students can access anytime they have questions. Two good options are: the Inside the Yale Admissions Office podcast and the Macalester College Workshop Wednesdays series. The information will be useful no matter whether you’re planning to apply to these particular schools or any other selective colleges/universities!

FAFSA – December 1

As I mentioned last month, the release of the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be delayed until December 1. In the meantime, there are a couple new resources that may be helpful to families: a new Federal Student Aid Estimator tool and a Who's my FAFSA Parent? wizard to determine which parent(s) will need to contribute financial information to the FAFSA.

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

Office Hours: Available at LBHS or ILC during the school day on M/Tu/Th/F

Available remotely on Wednesdays

About the College and Career Counseling Program

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.