Litchfield Guidance Counselor Corner
NAME: Cherie Kluender
SCHOOL: Litchfield Public Schools
CLASS: K-12 School Counselor
SCHOOL PHONE: (308)-446-2244 Ext. 423
Email: [email protected]
Scholarship Opportunity
There is a scholarship opportunity for students taking dual-enrollment college courses. Students participating in dual-enrollment college courses
or early admit programs, are encouraged to apply or the Access College Early (ACE) Scholarship if they show financial need. This state and
federally-funded scholarship will pay tuition and mandatory fees at participating Nebraska colleges. Applications will be reviewed by
Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE). If you have questions, contact myself or Ritchie Morrow, Financial
Aid Coordinator, CCPE, [email protected] or 402.471.0032.
Seniors…it’s time to start the admissions process!
Admission deadlines will start hitting this fall. Follow these steps to stay on track:
Complete your college visits and narrow your choices to 3-4 schools.
Contact your top colleges NOW and ask about deadlines and the process for applying for admission, college-based scholarships and financial
aid.
Apply to your top 3-4 colleges before the deadline. Along with your application, the colleges will require your high school transcript, class
rank, GPA and ACT/SAT score. They may also request a list of your extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, an essay, and an
interview.
Update your Activities Resume. Since extracurricular activities are an important part of the admissions application, keep them up-to-date by
using the Activities Resume at EducationQuest.org.
Contact your admissions representative periodically to stay informed about deadlines and campus activities.
Winning the scholarship game
Follow these tips to increase your chances of earning scholarships:
Place scholarship applications in deadline order. Local awards and college-specific applications deserve top priority because you're more
likely to earn them.
Update your activities, honors, community service or paid jobs on your resume.
Use quality references such as a teacher, coach or counselor. Encourage them to write specific examples of your leadership skills. Give them
advance notice and a specific deadline.
Tailor your essay to the scholarship. Ask an English teacher to read your essay and offer advice on making a big impact. Your essay will
need to stand out from other applications.
Pay close attention to grammar, spelling and neatness. Ask at least two people to proofread your entire application.
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• The vast majority of higher education institutions accept both the SAT and the ACT for college admission and regard them as equally valid.
Most Nebraska colleges require the ACT.
• When students should take (or re-take) the ACT or SAT or both, depends on the students’ goals, whether it be individual college requirements,
college placement, and/or futures scholarship eligibility. It is best for students to allow enough time to re-take a test if necessary.
• Students can register through the ACT web sites or mail in the registration.
• Fee waivers are available for students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Students may request fee waivers in the guidance counselor’s
office.
• The 6-digit high school code for Litchfield Public Schools is 281340
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Earn the best possible ACT scores by taking the exam in the spring of your junior year and again in the fall of your senior year.
College Admission Testing Standardized tests (SAT & ACT) provide colleges with a common measure to help them make admission decisions.
Additionally, they are one indicator of a student’s readiness to do college-level work. Test scores may also be used as a criterion for awarding
merit based financial aid