With the closure of all on site classes through the year it is paramount that graduating seniors continue to work from home. ACP is committed to provide flexibility in delivering education to all of our students. Stay in constant touch with your teachers and complete the assignments as required. We are utilizing Google Classroom and have written packets as well. We will all get through this together. Be safe. Graduation is at ACP May 22 at 8:30 AM.
Gary Williamson, ACP President
It’s Your Senior Year!
And unfortunately it will be one of the busiest school years for you graduates. This web page is full of important information for preparing to graduate and what happens after graduation. This is your source for important college and scholarship information and deadlines, so be sure to check in often as we will keep you up-to-date throughout the year!
Parents and students may call or email bramos@acpathope.org at the school for financial aid information, help filling out applications and forms, or any other questions you might have about preparing for college.Schedules/Deadlines Paying For College Scholarships Colleges ACT/SAT Tests
Check with ACP for the 2021 graduation ceremony dates and times
Senior Schedules & Important Deadlines
NOW! Graduating seniors should be applying for scholarship money to pay for college throughout the school year. Don’t wait until the end of the year because every scholarship has their own deadline and many of the deadlines are early in the school year. NOW! Graduating seniors should be thinking about their career choice and researching colleges throughout the year as well. You need to have a career/college plan even if that plan changes as you get closer to graduation. January 2020 Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) can be filled out after January 1, 2016. You will need both your tax return forms and your parents tax return forms. This form should be filled out as soon as possible to have the best opportunity to receive free grant money. Many scholarship applications require you to file a FAFSA form as well. Paying for college doesn’t have to be as scary as you think. There are millions of free dollars out there, all you have to do is look for them. Think of it as a scavenger hunt for free money!! (Each of these financial aid options must be applied for every year you attend college.) Grants: Free money that does not have to be repaid! Grant money is given out based on student’s financial need. To receive grant money for college you must fill out the Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA). Grant money is basically first come, first serve for students who need financial help to attend college. Your financial need is based on both your income and your parents income as reported on your yearly income tax forms. Click here to go to the FAFSA web site for more information. Scholarships: Free money that does not have to be repaid! Scholarships are given to students who apply for them. There are millions of scholarships being offered each year. Scholarship award amounts vary depending on the amount of money the scholarship fund is offering. Scholarships are awarded to student based on each scholarships selected criteria. Scholarships may require an essay, portfolio, or some creative work. Scholarship selection can also be based on financial need, GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and much more. Each scholarship organization chooses their own selection criteria. Each scholarship application will list these criteria. Scholarships can be applied for throughout your senior year. Each scholarship has it’s own deadline so make sure you get your application in on time! Mrs. Steciow has set up a scholarship board across from room 208 containing scholarship applications for many different scholarships and it is updated monthly with new applications. This is a great resource for finding scholarship, but there are also hundreds of web sites and books listing scholarship opportunities. A short list of web sites is provided below and your local library has scholarship books. And of course Mrs. Steciow has a few books you can also use to research scholarships!Click on the links below to check out these scholarship web sites.
Makiling- Angst and the Margaret Williamson Scholarships offered through ACP. There are 2 scholarships each for $500 and only offered to ACP graduating seniors! Pick up an application in the office or from the scholarship board. Student Loans: Money offered from the federal government that DOES have to be repaid once you graduate from college. To receive a federal government loan you must fill out the FAFSA form. The award letter will be mailed to you telling you which financial aid options are available to you (grants, loans) and how much of each you are eligible for. You do not have to take the loan if you choose not to. Loans are usually the last resort option of paying for college, but may be necessary for you to reach your career goals. Selecting a College: Selecting a college is not always an easy decision to make. College choice should depend on your career choice, preferred location, class size, transportation, and much more. ACP has several college guide books that list Arizona colleges, the majors/programs they offer, and tuition rates. Simply see the office or Mrs. Steciow to see these guide books. Applying for College: Once you have selected a college or two (you can apply to more than one college if you’re not sure which you want to attend), you need to visit the college’s web site to find out what that college’s application process is. Each college has their own process for applying. Then you can start the application process. If you don’t have a computer at home, you are welcome to use a school computer. Do not wait until after you have graduated to apply. You should apply and register for classes before your high school graduation day!ACT vs. SAT: What’s the difference between the ACT and the SAT?
Both the ACT and the SAT are nationally administered standardized tests that help colleges evaluate candidates. Most colleges and universities accept either test. So as you begin to think about college and creating the best application package possible, your admissions plan should begin with the question, “Which test should I take?” When weighing your options, keep in mind that there are differences in test structure and the type of content assessed. Use the chart below to see which test makes the most of your strengths to help you determine which test might be best for you.
|
ACT |
SAT |
|
| Length | 3 hours, 25 minutes (including 30 minute optional writing test) | 3 hours, 45 minutes |
| Sections | 4 test sections (5 with optional essay, known as the writing test) | 10 sections |
| Areas Tested | English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (optional) | Critical reading, math, writing (included essay) |
| Reading (ACT)/Critical Reading (SAT) | 4 reading comprehension passages, 10 questions per passage | Mix of reading comprehension and sentence completion questions that require vocabulary expertise |
| Science | Science reasoning (analysis, interpretation, evaluation, problem solving) covered | Science not included |
| Math | Math account for 1/4 of overall score Topics Covered: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry (4 questions) | Math accounts for 1/3 of overall score Topics Covered: Basic Geometry & Algebra II |
| Essay | Last thing you do (optional); 30 minutes Not included in composite score | First thing you do; 25 minutes Factored into overall score |
| Scoring | Total composite score of 1 – 36 (based on average of 4 tests) 4 scores of 1 – 36 for each test Score of 0 – 12 for optional essay | Total score out of 2400 3 scores of 200-800 per section 2 sub-scores of 20 – 80 for writing multiple choice and 0 -12 for the essay |
| Wrong Answer Penalty | No wrong answer penalty | Yes, 1/4 point per wrong answer |
| Sending Score History | You decide which score is sent | Your entire score history will be sent automatically |
2017 ACT Testing Dates
For more information, to register, and to find testing centers in the Mesa area go to http://www.actstudent.org
Fees: $38 ACT No Writing / ACT Plus Writing $54.50 $21 Late Fee
|
Test Date |
Registration Deadline |
Scores posted Online |
| February 11, 2017 | January 13, 2017 | February – April 2017 |
| April 8, 2017 | March 3, 2017 | April – June 2017 |
| June 10, 2017 | May 5, 2017 | June – August 2017 |
| September 9, 2017 | TBD | TBD |
| October 28, 2017 | TBD | TBD |
| December 9, 2017 | TBD | TBD |
2017-2018 SAT Testing Dates
For more information, to register, and to find testing centers in the Mesa area go to http://www.collegeboard.com
Fees: $45 Registration Fee $23 Late Fee
|
Test Date |
Registration Deadline |
Scores posted online |
| March 11, 2017 | February 10, 2017 | April 13, 2017 |
| May 6, 2017 | April 7, 2017 | June 8, 2017 |
| June 3, 2017 | May 16, 2017 | July 12, 2017 |
| August 26, 2017 | TBD | TBD |
| March 10, 2018 | TBD | TBD |
| May 5, 2018 | TBD | TBD |
| June 2, 2018 | TBD | TBD |