Summer is a time where Beacon students can get involved in a range of different activities including: getting a job, doing volunteer work, taking college courses, travelling, exploring personal or academic interests, etc. You should make the most out of the time you have. As information for summer opportunities arrives in the college office, I will keep an ongoing list of summary information. Click here to download the current list of SUMMER PROGRAMS for summer 2004. Please note that this is a work in progress. This list will be updated weekly so you should check back frequently. Please also note that dates and times are tentative and you should contact the original source for specific information. Happy browsing!
At long last - with the help of Valerie, our fabulous college office volunteer - The College Office Bulletin has been updated. There are two separate versions, one for Seniors and one for Juniors. The bulletins includes pertinent reminders, and announcements of events, services, scholarships, summer programs, etc. You can download the Senior Bulletin here and the Junior Bulletin here.
PLEASE NOTE: All DATES AND TIMES INCLUDED ON THESE BULLETINS ARE TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE USE THE CONTACT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ENSURE THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION.
Attention juniors and parents of Juniors: On Tuesday, March 30th at 6pm there will be a College Night at Beacon (hosted by the Parents Association). Guest Speaker, Rosemarie Mazzone, the Region 10 Supervisor of College Advisement will speak about what you can expect and how you can get ahead in the college admission process. PLEASE NOTE: This event is for Juniors and their families. There will be another College Night later in the Spring specifically for freshman and sophomores and their families.
I am excited to report that since my last post (which was TOO long ago) I have had the pleasure of meeting with the majority of the class of 2005. From mid-February through early March, I visited junior advisories to introduce myself and formally begin my work with Beacon's current juniors. It is so very exciting to get to know my third class of students at Beacon. Since March 1st I have received over 60 completed junior packets and have had junior meetings with approximately 20 students. This is a fantastic class and I am really excited to get to know everyone better as we move forward.
Here are a list of the best things Beacon Juniors can be doing now to make sure they are on track in the college admissions process:
1. If you have not already - COMPLETE YOUR JUNIOR PACKET AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MS. BINDER.
2. Focus on your academics. Junior grades are critically important. Continue to challenge yourself with the most rigorous courses that Beacon offers that you could be successful at.
3. Look into summer opportunities (job, internship, pre-college program, volunteer work, etc). I will be posting a list of summer programs in the next week or two.
4. You should be continuing your involvements in extracurricular activities which may be a part of Beacon or outside of school. Remember, colleges are looking for quality of activities not quantity. There is no perfect combination of activities that will look "best" to colleges. A college would rather see you follow through with two to three activities for several years than join 10 clubs in your senior year. They are looking to see that students show dedication and growth within their extracurricular interests. If you feel you don't have enough activities, because you have a job, or you are committed to taking care of siblings or other family responsibilities, that is FINE all of those things are taken into consideration.
5. Make sure you are planning ahead for your standardized tests. Juniors should plan to take the SAT I exam either May 1st (Deadline for registering is March 25th) or June 5th (Deadline for registering - April 29th). See www.collegeboard.com for more details. Students who are planning to take SAT II exams should plan on beginning those this Spring as well. You should consult your academic teachers to figure out what three subjects to take. Please note: MOST SCHOOLS do not use the SAT II in their decision making process. For more information on what type of information is on each subject test, you can pick up a practice material packet in the college office.
6. Research, research, research ... consider the college process and elective. You should be spending time each week dedicated to the exploration of colleges. Websites are a great place to start. The College Board Website (www.collegeboard.com) and the Princeton Review website (www.review.com) are great places to get started.
7. Make sure to check out this website for updates. I will try my best to update it at least once a week. And don't forget to go to the "college" tab when you log onto the Beacon portal and create your college database profile.
If you are feeling totally lost and anxious about this process, you most likely have not had a junior meeting - so finish that packed and come see me. I can help you make a plan of attack for this daunting task called college admissions.
DON'T FORGET - Have some FUN with this!! I am here to help. The best way you can reach me is at sbinder@beaconschool.org
Ms. Binder