• Wow, you're are a Senior!? How is that possible!?

    That means it's crunch time! Don't panic, see my Career Center Quick Guide (attached Word Document) for a roadmap that will familiarize you with certain terms, websites and resources that will guide you in the right direction. 

    My advice is Think Backwards, What are your Top 5 College options? Are they Local or are they out of State? Do you want to be close to home/family? What do you want to Study? Does that institution offer that Degree? How much will it cost? It's time to Apply to the institutions that you researched last year as a Junior and start narrowing down your options to a few schools.

    2024 College Fair flyer 

    Paying for College, FAFSA: Apply to the FAFSA usually in October, this year it will open in December, 2023. Now that you are a Senior in HS, know what the Fafsa is and what it offers, and see if you qualify for Federal Student Aid. Know the Deadlines and Apply your Senior year.  https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. DRHS is offering two FAFSA Workshop nights @ Damonte on . It's also time to apply for every scholarship you qualify for. 

    Apply to the Damonte Ranch IN-House Scholarship via this link:

    https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SfWsPDZezEGj3olFnhId7xLfOqtZRyBAqyyE7mkHZmtUM0dHSDQ4Nk5aRks1TFVaUTBMUDNGVkc2VC4u

     Opens October 29th, 2023 @ 8am. Essays with resume must be turned in to Mr. Cabada in the Career Center in person before the Deadline on January 19th @ 3pm.  https://www.washoeschools.net/Page/9640

    Take or retake the ACT or SAT, see my Princeton Review and College Board.com QR's on the Quick guide for dates and times and to see if you need to retake. My advice is take the SAT test at least twice for your SUPERSCORE if the institution offers it(see Princeton Review QR to Varify).

    Sending Transcripts? Everything is done online now through Scriborder(See Quick Guide Above)

    Wue- Tuition Savings: We'd rather have you stay local, but If you are planning to go out of State, be sure to check out the WUE(Western Undergraduate Exchange) for a discounted out of State Tuition. Think, west coast states that neighbor Nevada. https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/

    My last words of advice for your Senior year is to reach out and set up an appointment to talk to an Advisor/recruiter from the College/institution you'd like to attend to ask them specific questions on what have they have to offer there, you can find these on their webpage after you google/search the institution on the Web.

    If you'd like assistance, students, please come and see me in the Career Center or shoot me an email at gcabada@washoeschools.net. Parents, you can also search and add the 2022/2023 Damonte Ranch Parents group on Facebook to stay up to date on things you should know that are going on in the school. See you around! 

    TO DO LIST:

    • Meet with your school counselor to review your current academic standing. Finalize your last classes and make sure you are on track for graduation.  You don’t want any surprises in May. (Feel free to bring a chocolate bribe. You may leave it in the Career Center. I’ll make sure they get it. Eventually. Maybe. They will definitely get the wrappers…)
    • Retake the SAT/ACT, if needed. Remember, some colleges are making these tests optional, but some are still using these tests for scholarship awards.
    • Life is about to get busy! Study hard and have fun.
    • Participate in Senior only activities, like Senior Sunrise and Senior nights for sports and clubs.
    • Take lots of pictures!
    • If you are thinking about applying to TMCC, submit the Promise Scholarship application before the deadline in October.
    • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in October
    • Fill out the Wooster Scholarship Application.  This is one application that has multiple scholarship opportunities attached. No letters of recommendation are required.
    • Narrow your college list down to the top five and find their application forms, deadlines, and enrollment requirements. Apply to those schools.
    • Fill out a “brag sheet” and ask for letters of recommendation. 
    • Write college application essays. 
    • Attend college fairs that come to campus and visit with the military. Ask lots of questions. What about cosmetology? Consider CTE/trades. Often, these great programs will pay you while you are learning. Not interested in a four-year (or more!) degree program? Look into certificates and two-year programs. There are lots of opportunities out there that you may not have considered. It is not too late. Come visit the Career Center. We want to help!
    • Remember that list, the activity resume you’ve been working on for 3 years? You are set to finalize and submit it to colleges. It can also be used to fill out your “brag sheet” for letter of recommendation requests.
    • Find and apply for local and national scholarships. We have a great list on our scholarships page. Deadlines for those come fast and furious in the spring!
    • Order transcripts
    • Order cap and gown
    • Order graduation announcements!
    • Graduate!