Erskine Fellows Program

Erskine College is now accepting nominations for the Erskine Fellows Program. Erskine Fellows recognizes high school juniors who excel academically, exhibit good character and overall conduct, and thrive outside of the classroom.

Erskine Fellows are talented juniors with demonstrated qualities of leadership as indicated by their participation in extracurricular and community activities. They have earned a minimum of 1100 (critical reading and math) on the SAT, 24 (composite) on the ACT, or 110 (critical reading and math) on the PSAT and maintain a 3.5 weighted GPA.

In addition to the honor of being named an Erskine Fellow, qualifying students will be awarded a scholarship of $5,000 per academic year, $20,000 over four years, provided they meet our admissions standards and enroll at Erskine in Fall 2019. They will also be invited to attend a special day this Fall on Erskine’s campus where they will be given an opportunity to earn additional scholarships, as well as receive a tour, meet current students, get to know faculty and experience our beautiful campus. Invitations with details will be sent to qualifying nominees.

Interested students should contact Jill O'Kane.

Prom Dress Giveaway

Established in 2005, Operation PROM is a national 501 c 3 nonprofit organization that helps low-income students attend their Proms by providing free Prom dresses and tuxedos. Operation PROM provides resources, opportunity and mentoring to at-risk teens,those who are homeless, sick, or disabled.

To date, Operation PROM has helped thousands of students across the U.S. attend their Prom at little or no cost. To request a free Prom dress or tuxedo, students must be recommended by their guidance counselor and meet the requirements such as a financial need, and the student should be passing all of their classes.

100% of Operation PROM’s staff is made up volunteers. No one at Operation PROM takes a salary.

Operation PROM is partnered with several community organizations, including departments of Social Services, churches, and hospitals.

See below for more information:

Operation Prom

Rising Freshmen Parent Information Session

Thank you for attending the Parent Information Session for rising VAHS freshmen. We hope that you enjoyed the presentation, and that we were able to answer all of your questions. We truly value our families and look forward to a smooth transition for all of our freshmen. As promised, the link to tonight's ppt presentation is included below.

Go Vikings!


Rising freshmen Parent PPT    

Gov. Cooper Encourages NC High School Girls to Join Innovative Cybersecurity Competition

Girls Go CyberStart provides opportunities to explore careers in cybersecurity

RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper today announced an innovative opportunity for high school girls to explore the field of cybersecurity through a competitive online game called Girls Go CyberStart. North Carolina girls in grades 9-12 can sign up to compete with girls from 16 other states and territories for a chance to win prizes—and potentially discover their future career.

NORTH CAROLINA YMCA YOUTH & GOVERNMENT

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Whether you are an educator or a teen advocate, YMCA NC Youth & Government has programs that can engage 6th-12th grade students in your community. Middle School United Nations (MSUN) is a program that affords students the chance to simulate international government, while the High School Youth Legislature provides students the opportunity to participate in mock state government. Either way, students are guaranteed to learn and grow as leaders in their communities and beyond.

As an advisor these are just a few of the benefits:

• Spend time with students and create an environment of learning.
• Build healthy, positive relationships with students.
• Work closely with a small group creating an opportunity to educate and nurture potential. Clubs must adhere to a 1:12 advisor to student ratio for all functions, including club meetings
   

MSUN Conference                      Youth Legislature Conference

E.M. Roberts Scholarship

Residents of Lebanon and Mangum townships may apply for the E.M. Roberts Scholarship.
This scholarship is open to any candidate for enrollment in any accredited institution of higher learning. The award will be based on church affiliation, scholastic standing, financial need, goals and objectives to be achieved, and participation in extra curricular activities. The final decision will be made by the scholarship committee.

Applications are available in the counseling office, and must be postmarked by April 6, 2018.   

Summer Institute Appalachian State

The Martha Guy Summer Institute for future business leaders was created to give high achieving high school students interested in pursuing a college degree in business a premier summer experience exploring the different disciplines within business, exposing them to regional business leaders and developing leadership and professional behavior skills needed to be successful in the business realm.

Former participants call the Martha Guy Summer Institute for Future Business Leaders (MGSI) the best summer opportunity available to high school juniors. Since 2004, the institute has provided a select group of students an unparalleled opportunity to learn about business and develop leadership skills in a fun and friendly environment.

The program brings students to Appalachian’s campus to learn about business, and to develop leadership and professional skills. Included in the three weeks is travel to various businesses and cultural activities. The entire experience is described by all as "amazing!"

The online application is now available. Please review the admission requirements before submitting your application.

Application Deadline is Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

Scholarship Information

If your teen has a hobby, chances are it can help lead to cash for college. There are scholarships for students interested in debate, animal welfare, comedy and more.

When searching and applying for scholarships online, teens can follow these tips to avoid scams and safeguard their privacy. On a less ominous note, parents can also pass along this advice about how to avoid common scholarship application mistakes. For example, students shouldn’t reuse the same essay for each award they apply to because judges can usually tell.

Best of luck to your teens with their applications!

UNC Charlotte Admissions Deadline Feb 1

It's Crunch Time For College Applications

Families with seniors may have extra stress this holiday season as their teens work to finish college applications before many are due on Jan. 1.

While it’s not ideal for teens to finish applications on New Year’s Eve, experts know it happens and advise these students to shorten their college application list, consider colleges with rolling admissions and follow these other tips to make the deadline.

Parents still searching for a gift for their college-bound teen can consider these suggestions, like cooking and self-defense classes, that will help students prepare for life away from home.

Happy holidays!

The U.S. News Education newsletter team: Alexandra @alipannoni and Briana @B_Boyington.

10 Important Things To Know About Student Transcripts

1. They’re a starting point. Transcripts have to be recorded before they’re evaluated. Most schools enter the data in what’s known as a Student Information System. Eastern Kentucky University uses a system called Banner to help decode and process the “nearly 12,000 transcripts” that EKU has received over the past year.
2. Digital transcripts lead to faster decisions. Morris says that getting digital transcripts enables better and more efficient workflow, which can be a relief for anxious students waiting on a decision. “As a Parchment member, we import [digital transcripts received] directly into Banner, which speeds up our ability to get a student an admissions decision right away — usually within 48 hours of receiving their transcripts a letter will go out in the mail.”
3. GPA is a very important factor when it comes to admissions. While it probably sounds obvious, no single stat on a student’s high school transcript resonates as deeply as grade-point average. 
4. But test scores are a close second. Morris says that many high school transcripts may also include standardized test scores. Learning to be a good test taker years before students sit down for the ACT or SAT can help them get into the college of their choice or earn merit scholarship awards.
5. Rank and schedule difficulty also matter. People often think of high school transcripts as merely a reflection of grades earned. Not so, Morris says. EKU also looks to transcripts for contextual data that speaks to students’ ability to compete. “[At Eastern Kentucky University], we also look at class ranking and academic course rigor for determining selection to our nationally recognized Honors Program.”
6. Patterns speak louder than outcomes. A great semester of math isn’t as important as a consistent record of solid — if unspectacular — performance in the same subject over the course of a high school career. Similarly, “a significant drop in a student’s term GPA” could be a red flag, Morris says, in that it could indicate a student isn’t delivering their best work on a regular basis.
7. Every year counts!. Administrators want to see a pattern of predictable effort and consistent success. “Students need to understand that high school grades count from day one,” Morris says. “Too many student [records] show they didn’t take grades seriously as a freshman, then they spend the next 2-3 years trying to resurrect their GPA.” Scholarship-granting organizations tend to disqualify applicants who “wake up” late in their school career, Morris says.
8. Administrators use past performance to predict the future, and then judge accordingly. If it sounds harsh to penalize a student for a mediocre GPA or inconsistent classroom performance, Morris says it isn’t without cause. Students tend to bring the habits they exhibit in high school with them to college. “A student with a high GPA has demonstrated not only [classroom] mastery but also a willingness to complete outside assignments to a high standard and get them turned in on time. Much of college success comes from being a serious and disciplined student.”
9. The admissions process doesn’t end with the first transcript submitted. While most students will apply for and be accepted to a university before getting a final high school transcript, the process doesn’t end there. Those qualifying for federal financial aid such as Pell Grants will need to provide final documents before funds can be disbursed. “As soon as a student graduates high school, they should log in to Parchment and get that last transcript sent so that nothing holds up their financial assistance.”
10. College credit must be properly documented. Today more students are taking college courses while in high school, such as Dual Credit or Advanced Placement (AP).  “Students need to have official transcripts from the college granting the credits or from AP as soon as they’re available.  This can minimize problems when it comes time to register for fall classes.”

While there’s always more to a student than what is reflected on their high school transcripts, no single document has a greater impact on a student’s ability to get into the school of their choice or earn merit scholarships. Counselors can use these tips to help students understand the importance of the transcript as it relates to the story it tells admissions personal about the student.  Make it count!  

UNC Chapel Hill: Project Uplift

Project Uplift and NCR 2018

Accepting Applications until January 15

There's still time for students to apply for these signature summer programs hosted by UNC's Office for Diversity and Inclusion. Project Uplift enables high-achieving rising seniors to experience college life on the Carolina campus over two days in May or June.  Uplift PLUS is a rigorous 5-week program for high–achieving, in-state, Project Uplift participants. Students participate in a three-credit English course, engage in research, and much more while staying on campus. Students may express interest in Uplift PLUS by writing a supplemental essay within their Project Uplift application. There is no separate application. The North Carolina Renaissance (NCR) program invites rising juniors from rural North Carolina communities for an educational four-day enrichment program in July. Nomination cards and application forms are available: Project Uplift 2018 North Carolina Renaissance 2018 Students have until  11:59 pm on January 15, 2018 to submit their applications.

Duke Summer Sessions For High School Students

Good news from Duke Summer Session!  We are happy to announce that we are now accepting applications for our life-changing summer programs at Duke University.  Whichever program you choose, over the course of the summer, you will find that Duke Summer Session is committed not only to building lifelong memories and friendships from around the world, but to laying the foundation for a future of collegiate success.  It is for this reason that students regularly report that our programs strengthened their college application and paved the way for academic excellence at top universities.  Follow the links below to apply to one of our transformative summer programs:

Summer College Application – A four-week, credit-bearing program for US students currently in 10^th or 11^th grade and international students currently in 10^th – 12^th grade in which they take undergraduate-level courses.

Summer Academy Application – A three-week program for students currently in 9^th – 12^th grade in which they take a certificate course.

Intensive STEM Academy Application – A one-week, STEM-based program for students currently in 9^th – 12^th grade that consists of a variety of laboratory tours, faculty lectures, and workshops.

We strongly encourage you to apply online today, as spaces fill quickly!

Environmental Science Summer Program at Duke (FREE for High School students!)

Summer 2018 Apply Here!

OPEN TO ALL TRIANGLE AREA STUDENTS

in Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties!

Are you a rising or current Triangle area 10th, 11th, or 12th grader? Interested in Environmental Science? Want to experience Duke University’s state-of-the-art facilities and the Duke Forest? Want to build a professional resume with Duke’s career development experts?

If so, apply here for the Environmental Science Summer Program at Duke. Best part yet: It’s FREE to all students and, if you’re a DPS student, transportation is provided! Apply today! Admission is rolling, but we recommend applying by the 15th of February.

2018 Program Dates (2 week program):  July 28 to August 10, 2018.

This program is generously supported by a private donor and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Questions? Email Dr. Nicolette Cagle, nicolette.cagle (at) duke.edu