Career and College Advisor 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

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.