Whether you plan to further your education, or enter the military or the working world after high school graduation, this bulletin will assist you. When you have specific questions, make an appointment with your counselor. At the beginning of this year, you will sign up for your personal conference with your counselor during the “Senior Workshop” on Tuesday, Sept. 11 during Support Period in the G-Building. Keep this senior bulletin and your senior calendar all year and refer to it often.

Daily Bulletins/ Video Announcements

It is extremely important to listen to the daily bulletin or watch the video announcements. We use them to give important information to you regarding visits by college representatives and career speakers, changes in college entrance requirements and information about the college applications and scholarships, college representatives visiting Agoura, CSF announcements, application workshops, SAT and ACT deadlines. You should also check Agoura’s website www.ahschargers.com for updates.

Graduation Ceremonies

The Board of Education will enforce the policy regarding participation in the graduation ceremonies. Students must pass all graduation requirements and minimum proficiency tests by the day of graduation of their senior year in order to take part in the ceremonies. Go online to wwww.ahschargers.com to read the Course Catalog and Educational Planning Guide for exceptions.

Social Security Card

Go to the Social Security office in Thousand Oaks to apply for a Social Security Card if you do not have one. Bring your birth certificate, school I.D. or driver’s license. Most colleges, scholarship programs and employers require a Social Security number.

E-Mail

Most colleges nowadays communicate with you through e-mail so be sure to check your email frequently because you may receive questions and/or updates regarding your college applications. Be sure your email address is professional-sounding, not “cutsie.”

Transcripts

A transcript is a copy of your high school record (courses, semester grades, GPA, class rank). Agoura’s Registrar Mrs. Gase is in charge of mailing transcripts to the college/colleges indicated on the transcript request form available in the Counseling Office. Each transcript costs $3 and takes at least 48 hours to process. Be sure to distinguish whether you want an official or unofficial transcript. You will be receiving an unofficial transcript for your own use during your senior year. Do not send transcripts to colleges unless requested. A final transcript showing date of graduation should be ordered for the college you plan to attend.

COLLEGE CATALOGS

Some catalogs are available to check out from the College & Career Center. However, you may want to request (and pay for) your own college catalogs from each college’s Office of Admissions in which you are interested. The addresses of all colleges and universities are available in the College & Career Center. You may also use the College & Career Center’s computers to research college information online.

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

In all cases, complete your applications online. Most colleges nowadays prefer online applications. Be sure to print out a copy of each application for your own records even when you submit it online. If you do send an application by mail, buy a Certificate of Mailing from the post office. Almost 400 colleges will accept the Common Application at www.commonapp.org but check whether supplemental forms are required from each college to which you are planning to apply.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

If you are planning to apply to a UC, you are strongly urged to attend the UC Application Workshop during Support Period Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, in Room A-1. We will take attendance. Filing period is Nov. 1 – Nov. 30, 2007. We recommend that you submit your UC application online at www.universityofcalifornia.edu /apply as early as possible in November to avoid any possible technical problems at the end of the month. You may apply to all nine (9) UC campuses with one application. The basic fee entitles you to be considered for one campus. You pay an extra fee for each campus.

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITIES

If you are planning to apply to a Cal State campus, you are strongly urged to attend the Cal State Application Workshop during Support Period on Friday, Sept. 28, 2007, in Room A-1. We will take attendance. Filing period is Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2007. You may go online to www.csumentor.edu, click the plan tab and the high school planner to begin filling out the classes that you have already taken and the grades you received in those classes. That information will transfer to your application. We recommend that you submit your Cal State applications online at www.csumentor.edu as early as possible to avoid any possible technical problems. You may apply online to as many campuses as you wish, but you must submit separate applications and fees to each campus. The basic fee entitles you to be considered for one campus. You pay an extra fee for each campus.
Check the Cal State website (www.csumentor.edu) to find out when Priority Admission Days are scheduled for specific campuses. When you make an Admission Day appointment, take your completed application, official test scores and transcript, along with the application fee. You will meet with admissions representatives who have the ability to admit you that day!

Private California and Out-of-State Colleges/Universities

It is your responsibility to obtain each college’s application by writing, emailing, calling each office of admissions, downloading or completing the application online. Addresses, websites and phone numbers are available in the College & Career Center. Information about private California colleges can be found on www.californiacolleges.edu. Be sure to meet deadlines!

Community Colleges

Most community college applications are now available online. Website information is available in the College & Career Center. If you apply to a community college, you may also have to take placement tests in math and English. Information about that is available in the College & Career Center or from each separate community college. Be sure to meet with the community college representatives when they visit Agoura High School.

Technical, Trade, and Business Schools

Write or email the Office of Admissions for each school. You are responsible for following their deadline dates and for returning applications and financial aid requests.

College Classes Online—Something New

The state of California is promoting the CVC, the California Virtual Campus (online at www.cvc.edu) where there is a catalog of online classes and programs offered by accredited public and private universities within California. The catalog can be used by Agoura students interested in taking a college level class prior to completing high school. If you find a class, please check with your counselor. Do your best in the class as it will start your college GPA!

Financial Aid/Scholarships

You must apply for financial aid at each separate college at the same time you apply for admission. You may also have to fill out the CSS Profile for financial aid. This form is available online at www.collegeboard.com or in the College & Career Center. You may submit it in the fall. Financial aid refers to scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs. There is usually a section in each college application to indicate whether you need financial aid. You will be sent the appropriate forms. If there is a problem, contact the financial aid office at each school to which you have applied.

Most colleges require that the family submit a financial statement through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov). As mentioned above, you may also be required to fill out the CSS Profile. Be sure to meet the deadlines!
The district-wide Financial Aid Workshop will be from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007, at Agoura High School. Additional financial aid information is available in the College & Career Center. A scholarship bulletin will be made available to Agoura students early 2008.

College Entrance Exams

Most colleges and/or universities require that you submit scores from either the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). It is your responsibility to check each college website to determine which test(s) the college or university requires. Registration forms for the SATs or ACTs are available in the Counseling office, the College & Career Center or by going online to either www.collegeboard.com for the SATs or www.actstudent.org for the ACT. Applicants to the UCs or to the Cal State systems should take their entrance exams (SATs and/or ACT) no later than December 2007. Some Cal States require testing to be finished by October. College entrance exams are not required for admission to community colleges. Be sure that you have taken all the entrance exams that are required by the colleges to which you plan to apply. Some admissions decisions have been delayed because students forget they must order their scores be sent to the colleges to which they apply. Contact www.collegeboard.com to order SAT scores and www.actstudent to order ACT scores be sent to each college needing to see those scores.

The UCs require either the ACT Plus Writing OR the SAT Reasoning Test AND two SAT Subject Tests of your choice (if you choose the math, the UCs will only accept the Math Level 2 subject test). The Cal States require either the ACT or the SAT Reasoning Test. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo “prefers” the ACT to be completed by October of your senior year. San Diego State, Sonoma State, Long Beach State require that the SAT Reasoning or ACT be completed by October 2007.

AP Testing

AP Testing is scheduled for May 5 – May 14, 2008. Registration will be held Feb. 11 –
Feb. 22, 2008; Late AP Test signups will be from March 17 – 20, 2008 in the Activities and Athletic Center. AP Test Pre-administration is scheduled from April 21-24; in A-1.

College Visits

Representatives from the UCs, Cal States and other colleges will be visiting AHS this fall. It is very important that you attend these meetings in the College & Career Center because these representatives often read your applications!

NCAA Applications

If you intend to compete in athletics at a Division I or II college, you must submit an application online at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Clearinghouse to verify your academic eligibility as soon as possible! You also must order a transcript from Mrs. Gase, Agoura’s registrar, in the Counseling Office.

Regional Occupational Program (ROP)

If you would like to build entry level job skills or investigate new career options, consider taking an ROP class, offered after school, in the evening or on Saturdays. See ROP counselor Mrs. Jadowski in C-1 for more information.

Important Dates

• District-wide COLLEGE FAIR: 7 – 9 p.m. Sept. 19, 2007, at Calabasas High School (Agoura, Oak Park and Calabasas high school students and families are invited.)
• SENIOR PARENT MEETING: 6 – 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007; G-Building; Back-to-School Night = 7 p.m.
• WORKSHOP FOR COLLEGE-BOUND ATHLETES: 7–9 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007
• Deadline is Nov. 1, 2007, to request letters of recommendation from counselors for private colleges (UCs and Cal States do NOT accept letters of recommendation).
• MILITARY INFORMATION DAY: lunchtime, in the Quad on Friday, Nov. 9, 2007
• Panel for Students Considering Art as a Career and/or College Major; lunchtime, room A-1, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007.
• District-wide FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP: 7 – 9 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2007, G-Building (Agoura, Oak Park, Calabasas high school students and families are invited.)
• OPERATION SHADOW: As part of National Ground Hog Job Shadowing Day, most appointments for Agoura students will be scheduled on Friday, Feb. 8, 2008 (Deadline to sign up was 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, in the College & Career Center.)
• March 2, 2008, is deadline to submit your FAFSA form online (www.fafsa.ed.gov)

Military Service

If you are considering entering the military service after graduation, local recruiters’ names and information are available in the College & Career Center. When males reach their 18th birthday they must register with the Selective Service. Forms are available in the College & Career Center or the post office or online at www.sss.gov.

Full Time Jobs

If you intend to work full-time after graduation, spend some time in the College & Career Center. Information is available about job qualifications, how to look for a job, how to prepare for the job interview, and how to write a resume. Vocation/trade school information is also on hand. Work permits are available in the Counseling office.

Comments

Make the most of this year. . . make use of the resources available to you at Agoura (your teachers, counselors, the College & Career Center, Library, tutoring resources). You can make an appointment to meet with your counselor or drop in any day during Support Period, Nutrition or Lunch. RELY ON YOURSELF to get all the information you might need. Be sure to check the accuracy of information obtained from friends, relatives, etc. with your counselor or the college & career adviser! FOLLOW THROUGH on all of the things that need to be done in order to have your plans be successful after graduation.

We are here to help but it is up to you! Good luck!

Mrs. Sherry Bronow (Assistant Principal)
Mrs. Betty Barnett (Secretary)
Mrs. Marie Gase (Registrar)
Mr. Joel Barr (Head Counselor)
Mrs. Dana Wortham (Counseling Secretary)
Mrs. Pat Brooks (Counselor)
Ms. Julie Heeney (Counselor)
Mrs. Jean Gilbert Hawkins (College & Career Advisor)
Ms. Linda Ordin (Counselor)
Mrs. Marlene Jadowski (ROP Counselor)
Mrs. Shelley Diament (ROP Secretary)
Ms. Judy Aggerwald (ROP Counselor)

AHS School Code = 050 003
AHS WebSITE = www.ahschargers.com