The social/personal component of East High's student body is the concern and focus of our award-winning Counseling Department. In addition to their standard duties such as scheduling and helping with student career plans, our counselors advocate on behalf of their clients in discussions among parents, teachers, and administrators.

Cooperation and tolerance among the diverse population at East High require constant communication. Our counseling staff is the body primarily responsible for maintaining the lines of communication among the populations at East.

Each of the people in this list contributes substantially to the harmony so evident at East. Talk to them soon.

Currently, Alaska requires all graduating students to pass the state High School Graduation Qualifying Exam. We have provided direct links to the State of Alaska Department of Education web site. You may select from on-line exam practice or printable practice tests. Contact your counselor for further information.

Ex-East High counselor Susan Haines (now retired) created an excellent guide to finding financial aide. Find her guide at this link.

The Counseling Department has prepared this list of websites that will be useful for finding information on scholarhips and colleges.

Following is a brief schedule of activities which senior students and their parents should understand.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

1. Check the "School Visits" information board in the CRR. Arrange a visit or set up an interview with the representative from the school of your choice. Attend the COLLEGE FAIR.

2. Finalize post-high school education choice (Technical School, College, University, On-The Job Training, Military, etc.).

3.Register for appropriate testing (some schools require or recommend a particular test or group of tests): SAT, SAT II, ACT etc.. Check the requirements of your selected schools.

Go to the ACT Web site! ACT--Information for Life, or C3APPLY

4.Select teachers, counselors, and/or employers for letters of recommendation. Select people who know you best. Give a minimum of two weeks for the completion of the letters of recommendation.

5.Check College/Scholarship application deadlines. Fill out the applications and review for errors or omissions. Mail your application early.

6.Make a final transcript check for the completion of graduation requirements.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

1.Pick up financial aid information in the CRR (FAFSA, Student Loans, Incentive Grants etc..)

2.If competing for scholarships, attend a scholarship folder workshop. Check the CAR for dates and times.

3.Request to have your 7th semester transcript sent to your prospective schools.

4.Sign up for the appropriate SAT II tests if they are required by your chosen school.

JANUARY

1.Send in the Financial Aid applications after January 1. Aid is given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Colleges have given out most of their allocated funds by Mid-March.

2.Establish an acceptance and rejection file for any awards that you might receive.

FEBRUARY

1.Update your application and financial aid files.

2.Turn in your scholarship folder. Continue to seek out and apply for scholarships, including those at the school of your choice.

3.Send thank you notes for completed letters of recommendation.

MARCH

1.Sign up for AP tests.

2.Request that an 8th semester transcript be sent to your selected school.

3.If you plan to attend a junior or community college, then check on alternative housing as many do not have dorms.

APRIL-MAY-JUNE

1.Send a letter of acceptance to the school that you have chosen to attend.

2.Send a letter of rejection to schools or colleges that you plan to decline.

3.If you are going away to college, send your request for housing and the deposit check. (Limited housing means first-come, first-served.)

4.If you are just now deciding to apply for school in the Fall, look for a school with a "rolling admissions" policy.

5.Pick up scholarship folders in the CRR.

6.Keep track of your Alaska Student Loan. Pick it up after registration in the financial aid office at the school of your choice.

The East High counselors have gathered information to help students and their families wind through the maze of the college application process. The pages at these links are provided as a service and are not affiliated with or endorsed by East High School or the Anchorage School District.

http://www.1stopaid.com/ is a website that provides information on preparing for college and financial aid. College bound juniors and seniors will find the information quite useful.

NCES Classroom, a new website for students, was announced by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Features include:

• College Search, which allows students to find tuition, degrees, programs, & other information on every college and university in the U.S. (It includes links to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook homepage and to the Department's Student Financial Aid homepage.)
• Find Your School, where students can locate their schools on a map, find out how many teachers and students therare, and discover other information about their schools.
• Games and Activities, which offers a word search, a quiz, a coloring page, and other games, all with an educational twist.
• Fun Facts, which lets students read surprising facts about America's education institutions

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