January 2020
January 2020
ACT TEST DATES
You will need to register for the ACT at www.act.org. Be sure to pick up an ACT practice packet in the Guidance Office. Testing dates are as follows:
TEST Deadline to Register Late Fee Required
February 8, 2020 January 10, 2020 January 11-17, 2020
April 4, 2020 February 29, 2020 March 1-16, 2020
June 13, 2020 May 8, 2020 May 9-25, 2020
July 18, 2020 June 19, 2020 June 20-29, 2020
Do NOT wait until the last minute to register as it takes about two hours to complete the first time! It is recommended that juniors who are planning to go to college take the test for the first time no later than the December administration. Seniors who are taking it for the first time should take it as soon as possible! The ACT is the test score that colleges in this area want to see.
When you are completing the ACT Registration Form, you will need to list the colleges that you want your score sent to. Make sure you are including your most likely choices in this list. Larger colleges like Ohio State, Univ. of Miami, and Univ. of Cincinnati require that they receive your scores directly from the ACT company as well as from your high school.
- You should take the Writing portion of the ACT at least one time. Most colleges in Ohio prefer to see that you have taken this portion at least one time. If you have questions about a specific college, see Mrs. Meyer.
SAT TEST DATES
If you wish to take the SAT, register at www.collegeboard.org. Testing dates are as follows:
TEST Deadline to Register Late Registration Closes
March 14, 2020 February 14, 2020 February 28, 2020
May 2, 2020 April 3, 2020 April 22, 2020
June 6, 2020 May 8, 2020 May 30, 2020
ACT PREP WEBSITES AVAILABLE!
www.March2Success.com (free)
This site is sponsored by the U.S. Army (if you do not want to be
contacted by a recruiter, just check “no” when registering—no obligations for
just using the site). Several students who needed to raise their scores for scholarships purposes have found it helpful in the past.
www.actstudent.org/academy (free)
Visit the official ACT student website and view video lessons, interactive practice questions, full-length practice tests, educational games, and other materials targeted to a student’s academic/testing needs. ACT Academy provides learners with a personalized study plan based on pervious scores from the ACT test, Pre-ACT, and official ACT practice tests.
www.number2.com/exams/act (free)
You can register at this site to take free Practice Tests and get other test- taking tips!
www.infohio.org (free)
Go to the Learning Express Library. Register as a student, and here you will find free on-line prep courses and free down-loadable prep books to help study for the ACT!
- There are also various resources available at a cost. Copies of some of these preparation books can also be found at local libraries or can be found on-line.
*** The Guidance Office has 2 new ACT Prep Guide Books and 2 CDs to loan out for your preparation! See Mrs. Meyer or Ms. Tennant if you are interested!
ACT PREP WORKSHOP AVAILABLE!
Fort Loramie High School is offering an ACT Prep class on Sundays starting on February 2, 2020 and finishing on February 23, 2020. Time for the classes will be 4:00 – 7:00 pm. In the event of inclement weather, students will be notified by email no later than 2:00 p.m. on cancellation notification. Registration deadline is January 22, 2020. The cost for the workshops will be $30 per session or $100 for all four sessions. Class is on a first-come-first-serve basis, with a minimum of 20 students needed per class.
Registration forms and information are available in the Guidance office.
COLLEGE/SCHOLARSHIP SEARCHES & FINANCIAL AID HELP
For good info about college searches and scholarship notification, you will definitely want to check out the following websites:
www.EducationPlanner.com www.CollegeAnswer.com, www.KnowHow2GoOhio.org www.meritaid.com
www.admissions.com www.studentedge.com
www.CollegeBoard.com. www.anycollege.com
www.nitrocollege.com
www.salliemae.com (free Education Investment Calculator)
www.bgsu.edu/offices/sfa (BG website offers short videos on financial aid topics)
www.christianconnector.com (request information & automatically be entered in $2,500.00 scholarship drawing)
Free Scholarship Searches! Register at www.Scholarships.com and www.fastweb.com.
Take On-line Campus Tours! Go to www.eCampusTours.com
The “Need A Lift” book sponsored by the American Legion is available in the Guidance Office. It contains extensive information on scholarships for veteran’s dependents.
PLAYING ATHLETICS IN COLLEGE?
Juniors and Seniors: If you are interested in playing athletics in college, you must register with the governing body of the athletic league to which the college you are playing in belongs. It is preferable to do this at the end of your Junior year in high school. If you are looking into playing at a Division I or II school, you must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter).
When taking your ACT or SAT, designate the NCAA as one of your “College Choices” by entering the code “9999”. The NCAA must receive your score directly from the company; they will not take it off of your transcript from the high school.
If you are looking into playing at an NAIA school, you must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center (www.playnaia.org). If you register with either one of these centers, please let Mrs. Meyer know so that she can forward more information to the sites when asked for it. Complete lists of schools and their affiliations can be found at each website. You are urged to keep in close contact with college coaches you may be working with to ensure a smooth transition from the high school to college arena.
LIMA MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE CAREER EXPLORATION DAY
This Exploration day is designed to provide meaningful real-world career experiences and leadership development opportunities for high school students in a chosen field(s) of interest. As a participant, the student will be able to make informed decisions about future careers and determine if a particular healthcare career is right for them. The following are the dates for specific healthcare areas:
January 29, 2020 – Laboratory Services
February 26, 2020 – Orthopedic Surgery
March 11, 2020 – Respiratory Therapy & Nursing
April 29, 2020 – Pharmacy & Radiology
To register go to www.limamemorial.org/community-relations and click on Youth Resources. Students must register to attend any or all of the sessions.
PIONEER ELECTRIC YOUTH TOUR
This program is open to sophomores and juniors whose parents are customers of Pioneer Electric. This week-long, all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., is for one or two high school sophomores or juniors to use leadership skills in addition to meeting with their congressional leaders at the U.S. Capitol, and learning more about the cooperative business model while making new friends. The trip will take place June 19-25, 2020. For more information and to apply go to https://www.pioneerec.com/its-back-youth-tour-returns-pioneer-electric.
COLLEGE FAIR
Columbus National College Fair – This free event will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center located at 400 N. High St, Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, February 9, 2020 from 1-4 p.m. For more information email info@nacacnet.org, call 703-299-6851, or to register free go to www.gotomyncf.com.
APPRENTICESHIPS, INTERNSHIPS and OTHER JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Sollman Electric – There are growing careers in the Electrical Field, and Sollman Electric has hired on average 2-3 students per year from the programs at Upper Valley Career Center and/or the Miami Valley Career Technology Center. If you are interested in pursuing a career in electrical construction field or questions regarding these programs, please contact Jeff Bertke or Tony Trapp at the Upper Valley Career Center at
937-778-1980 or Robert Ewry at the Miami Valley CTC at 937-854-6237 or speak with Mrs. Meyer in the Guidance office about the programs offered.
Edison State and Honda Student Internships – Learn about the Honda Student Internship Program Thursday, December 5, 2019 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at Edison State Community College in the Emerson Center, Room 504-505, on the Piqua Campus. Students must have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA and unlimited work authorization in the United States. Start planning now! Apply to Edison State Community College in one of two Engineering Technology degree programs: Electro-Mechanical or Automation and Robotics degrees. Then apply to Honda at https://www.honda.com/careers/find-a-job-internships-and-coops. This meeting is for students and parents with pizza and drinks being served. Please RSVP to Veronica French by email, vfrench@edisonohio.edu or by calling 937-778-7865 to leave a message.
Lowe’s Track to the Trades – Track to the Trades Program is designed to help employees of Lowe’s to launch a career in the trades of carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and appliance repair. In this program, Lowe’s pays for 100% of the employee’s tuition upfront. The only requirement is that the employee be with the company for at least 6 months. To apply for a job position at Lowe’s go to www.jobs.lowes.com and for more information on this program, you may contact Derrik Cupps at derrik.cupps@lowes.com or by calling
937-553-8995.
Integrity Tree Services – Integrity Tree Services is offering career opportunities to those seniors that are not planning on attending college in the field of forestry. They offer competitive pay, 100% employer-paid health, life, and disability insurance, retirement saving match, bonuses, paid holidays and vacations, full training, as well as other incentives. For more information go on their website at www.INTEGRITYTREE.CAREERS. Also, check out the flyer posted on the Guidance and cafeteria bulletin boards.
COLLEGE OPEN HOUSE DAYS
Colleges set aside days to feature or “spotlight” certain majors—kind of like an “open house”. To schedule college visits, go to the college’s website for information and registration. Listed below are some colleges that we have received special announcements about. Check college websites to find out about others.
Bowling Green State University – The 2019-2020 President’s Day Preview Day Open House will be on February 18, 2019. For more information call 419-372-0107 or visit the website at www.bgsu.edu to register.
The Ohio State University, Lima – The Buckeye Open House for The Ohio State University, Lima will be held on Friday, January 31 and Monday, February 17, 2020. To schedule a visit, go to the website at www.go.OSU.edu/visitlima or call the Office of Admissions at 567-242-7500. For students that have received admission to The Ohio State University, Lima, the Student Reception will be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2020.
Additional College Information
For descriptions of Private Colleges in Ohio, go to www.OhioPrivateColleges.com to download info
*Visit www.CIAmerica.org for information on the Court Reporting Institute of America.
*There are over 300 colleges who will accept “The Common Application” to apply to their university. See the map in the Guidance Office to find out which colleges accept this.
University of Dayton - If you are applying, they encourage that you attach a separate page listing your extra-curricular and service activities. Their admissions process is becoming more competitive, so providing information about yourself beyond the regular application may help your chances of begin accepted.
Bowling Green State University – BGSU has begun the Falcon Tuition Guarantee program. This is a program that will lock in the same price for tuition for four years and will give students the opportunity to know just how much a 4-year education will cost. BGSU also has joined the Common Application. Students may complete the BGSU application or the Common Application. Students may apply for admission online at http://choose.bgsu.edu/apply/online. Freshman scholarships, automatic and renewable, may be viewed by going to the Scholarship Calculator at http://choose.bgsu.edu/aid/scholarships. Application and credential deadline for freshmen scholarship consideration as well as FAFSA priority deadline will be January 15, 2020.
The Ohio State University Lima – FAFSA and admission/scholarship application deadline is
February 1, 2020.
The Ohio State ATI – Priority deadline for the FAFSA submission is February 1, 2020 and priority deadline for scholarship application, https://ati.osu.edu/money-matters/scholarships, will be February 15, 2020. To schedule a visit to campus, go to https://ati.osu.edu/futurestudents/visit/register-goup-visit.
RAEBURN E. BARNES TRUST LOAN PROGRAM
The Barnes Trust is a low-interest college loan program open to any student living in a Shelby County school district. Students are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible, as their funds do run out.
The last possible date to apply is March 31, 2020. Please stop in the Guidance Office for an information packet.
Hauss – Helms Foundation
The Hauss-Helms Foundation was established to aid worthy students that live in the Auglaize/Allen Counties of Ohio area to continue their education past high school. The application and rules are now available on the website at www.hauss-helmsfoundation.org. Applications must be received no later than March 16, 2020.
2019 RIGHT TO LIFE ORATORY CONTEST
All high school juniors and seniors who are residents of Shelby County or attend a Shelby County high school are eligible to participate in the Shelby County Right to Life Oratory Contest. Prizes for 1st through 3rd places are $300, $150, and $100 respectively. The winner will continue to the state contest in Columbus with the date to be announced, and with the chance of winning a trip to the national competition on June 27, 2020 in Herndon, Virginia. The local Shelby County contest will be held on Monday, February 17, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sidney. To register or for more information contact Anne Schmiesing at 937-492-5584 or email director@shelbycountyyrtl.org. Contest rules can be found at http://shelbycountyrtl.org/oratorycontest/oratorycontestmain.html. Deadline to register is February 13, 2020.
SCHOLARSHIPS
**Bowling Green State University - Freshman scholarship levels may be viewed by going to the Scholarship Calculator at http://choose.bgsu.edu/aid/scholarships. Application and credential deadline for top scholarships is December 4, 2019, and application and credential deadline for freshmen scholarship consideration as well as FAFSA Priority deadline will be January 15, 2020.
**Wright State University, Lake Campus – The Western Ohio Educational Foundation (WOEF) has been committed to the success of the Wright State University Lake Campus and its students for over 50 years and offer a vast offering of scholarships annually. These scholarships are available for undergraduate direct from high school, new, current returning and transfer students. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is February 1, 2020. For more information and application process go to www.lake.wright.edu/scholarships.
B. Davis Scholarship - The creators of “Student Award Search Aid” are offering this $1,000 scholarship. Application and information are available at the website, www.studentawardsearch.com/scholarships.htm. Applications must be submitted online, and the deadline for this scholarship is May 22, 2020.
VFW Auxiliary Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest – This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 and includes home-schooled students. In addition to local and state prizes, students ware competing for a $10,000 National Scholarship. For official application, rules and information, go to www.vfwauxiliary.org. Deadline is March 31, 2020.
Ohio Living Dorothy Love VolunTeen Scholarship – This $500 scholarship will be awarded to a Shelby County graduating senior that plans on enrolling in a 2 or 4-year college, and that volunteers at Dorothy Love and completes a minimum of 32 volunteer hours. Deadline to apply is March 31, 2020. For more information contact Betsy Naseman at (937) 497-6529.
Megawatt Scholarship Program – This $5,000 scholarship is open to those seniors that plan on pursuing a STEM-focused major. Students may apply online at www.megawattscholarships.org or pick-up an application in the Guidance office. The deadline to apply is March 6, 2020.
Ray Ford Nurses Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to those graduating seniors who have a minimum of a 3.00 GPA or better and are pursuing a degree in the field of Nursing. This scholarship is renewable, but not guaranteed. The application needs to be submitted prior to the March 15, 2020 deadline. Applications are available in the Guidance office.
The Shelby County Ohio State Alumni Scholarship – This scholarship is open to students that will be attending The Ohio State University in the fall of 2020. The application must be completed on-line and the deadline to apply is February 1, 2020. To apply, go to their website at http://shelbyco.alumni.osu.edu.
Charles L. Warren Memorial Heritage Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded by the Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling and is a one-time $1,500 award. Students must have a 3.00 cumulative GPA and be attending an Ohio college or university. Applications must be submitted online, and the deadline to apply is January 20, 2020. See the Guidance office for the website connection if interested in applying.
BigSun Scholarship – The BigSun Organization is offering their annual scholarship to help young athletes succeed in their academic pursuits. All student athletes are eligible for this award, regardless of which sport they participate. Their participation maybe in any capacity, whether as a player, coach, or official. Please visit their website at http://www.bigsunathletics.com to learn how to apply. This year’s deadline to apply is
June 19, 2020.
Shelby County Community Foundation Scholarship Opportunities – Approximately 175 scholarships totaling more than $200,000 will be awarded by the Foundation for 2020. The application will become available on December 13, 2019 and is to be completed online at www.commfound.com. The deadline to apply will be February 13, 2020. Scholarships are available for Botkins Local high school seniors, with some being county-wide or multiple school scholarships. Directions are available online.
Midmark Technical Scholarship – Midmark Corporation is offering the Midmark Technical Scholarship in the amount of $20,000 to students that will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the field of Engineering. Students need to commit to work at Midmark Corporation after college graduation, as well as commitment to summer employment while completing degree. The application and further directions are available in the Guidance office. The deadline to apply is February 21, 2020.
Pioneer Electric Cooperative Scholarship – This year’s scholarship will be awarded in four different increments to eight chosen students; one $2,000, one $1,500, one $1,000, and five $500 scholarships. Applicants must have a current GPA of 3.80 or better, will be attending a 2 or 4-year college/university, and whose parents are Pioneer Electric customers. Rules and applications are available online at www.pioneerec.com, and can be downloaded, completed, and printed from the website. The application forms must be submitted to Pioneer Electric by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2020. Any applications received after this date and time, will not be accepted. After the deadline, applicants will be notified through their schools of their interview time.
Midwest Electric, Inc. Scholarships –
Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship – Midwest Electric will award $2,000 to one high school senior for the Touchstone Scholarship. The minimum Cumulative GPA is 2.75. Students are judged on their essay, how well their activities reflect the Touchstone Energy core values of accountability, integrity, innovation and commitment to community, as well as their drive and dedication to achieving a college education despite personal obstacles or special challenges they’ve faced. The top applicants for the Touchstone Energy Scholarship will be interviewed at Midwest Electric office in St. Mary’s office on February 13, 2020.
General Scholarship – Midwest Electric will award $9,000 in scholarships to high school seniors whose parents are customers of the cooperative. The top eligible students, with a minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.50, will receive an interview at the Midwest Electric office on February 13, 2020. The judging teams will select six finalists – three male and three females. The top first place student will represent Midwest Electric and compete against high school seniors from around the state at the Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives scholarship competition April 15, 2020 in Columbus, for a an additional $45,000 in scholarships.
NOTE: Applications, recommendation forms, and rules are available online at www.midwestrec.com. Completed scholarship applications, transcripts, and an essay must be returned to the Midwest Electric office by January 15, 2020. Judging is conducted by Midwest Electric and personnel of Wright State University. The awards banquet will be held on February 27, 2020 to announce the winners. All applicants must be able to make both the interview on February 13, and the awards banquet on the February 27, to be eligible. If you have any questions, or need additional materials, please call Midwest Electric at 419-394-4110 or
800-962-3830.
Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarships – DAR will be awarding multiple scholarship to students showing dedication to the pursuit of higher education in diverse areas of study including history, economics, law, political science, medicine, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, elementary and secondary education, chemistry, math, science and English. To check eligibility and for the online application go to www.dar.org/national-society/scholarships. Application deadline is February 15, 2020.
Wapakoneta Area Community Foundation Albert Egbert and Larry Sanders Scholarships – This year all applications must be done by going online at the website www.wapakacf.org, clicking on scholarship applications. Students will need to register and complete an initial application once there. Once that is completed, the site will direct the student to any specific scholarships they may be eligible to receive. If initial on-line application indicates the student may be eligible for the Wapakoneta AmVets Post #333, Niki Schaub
4-H, or Wapakoneta FOE Aerie 691 Scholarships, they will need to pick up a hard copy application at the sites indicated and return it those sites. The online application process will begin January 2, 2020 and applications must be received by March 31, 2020.
Glen R. Kershner Memorial Scholarship – Students whose parent(s) are a member of the Universal 1 Credit Union and are planning to attend an accredited college or university, may apply for this $1,000 scholarship. Applications are available online at www.ulcu.org or in the Guidance office. Deadline to apply is March 9, 2020.
Auglaize Soil and Water Conservation District Agriculture and Natural Resources Scholarship – Students that wish to apply for this $500 scholarship must be pursuing a two or four-year degree in a natural resource or agricultural related program and must have a minimum of a 2.5 Cumulative Grade Point Average. Applications are available in the Guidance office and applications must be received in the Auglaize SWCD office by
4:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 27, 2020.
Mercy Health St Rita’s Medical Center Scholarship – This scholarship is for those students interested in a career in the medical field. Ten $1,500 scholarships will be awarded. Application and directions are available in the Guidance office and the deadline to apply is February 21, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.
HRAWO Scholarship – Human Resources Association of Western Ohio will be giving one scholarship to be used towards an associate’s or bachelor’s degree to a student pursuing a degree in Human Resources or a related field. At the end of the freshman year, the recipient will be considered for a second scholarship, providing they have carried a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester and has maintained a 3.00 GPA. High school students applying for this scholarship must have a GPA of 3.00 and be a graduate of a high school in Auglaize, Darke, Mercer, Miami or Shelby County. Applications, requirements, and rules are available in the Guidance office. The deadline to submit an application is April 10, 2020, and it must be emailed to hrwesternohio@gmail.com.
Access Engineering Solutions, LLC Scholarship – This is a $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded to a high school senior that will be pursuing an undergraduate degree in the field of Civil Engineering, Surveying, or a related field of study. The application can be emailed to nkt@accessengllc.com or mailed to Access Engineering Solutions 1200 Irmscher Blvd., Suite B, Celina, Ohio 45822. Applications are available in the Guidance office. The deadline to apply is March 27, 2020.
Shelby County Community Foundation Scholarship Opportunities – Approximately 175 scholarships totaling more than $200,000 will be awarded by the Foundation for 2020. The application is now available and is to be completed online at www.commfound.com. The deadline to apply will be February 13, 2020. Scholarships are available for Botkins Local high school seniors, with some being county-wide or multiple school scholarships. Find the link to the online scholarship application in the Scholarship section of the website.
Community Foundation of Shelby County Skills Scholarship – The application for this scholarship is completely online and is found at www.commfoun.com. Students may also find requirements for this scholarship on the website. Deadline to apply is March 12, 2020.
William D. Squires Educational Foundation – This $4,000 renewable scholarship is offered to graduating seniors who may have financial need, already know their career goal, are highly motivated, of good character, and have a minimum GPA of 3.20. There will be 15 scholarships awarded. A copy of the scholarship application and detailed information are available at www.wmdsquiresfoundation.org. Applications will be accepted from February 15th through April 5th.
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES
Raise the Roof for the Arts Youth Volunteer Program – This new program is created to encourage the youth in our community to be engaged with the Historic Sidney Theatre and volunteer in their community. One Saturday a month, youth will gather at the Historic Sidney Theatre from 9-11 a.m. and jobs will range from programming preparation, cleaning, small renovations, and more. Donuts will be provided and hours spent engaging with this program can go towards needed volunteer hours for National Honor Society or other clubs.
The Youth Volunteer Program will take place on December 15, 2019. If interested in participating email office@sidneytheatre.com, or call or text (937) 710-5195.
Dorothy Love VolunTeen opportunities are now available for those interested in a career in nursing, social work, dietary, or marketing, this is an excellent way to discover interests. Volunteers will do things like walk, read, play games and visit with residents, to just name a few. Dorothy Love Retirement Community is located at 3003 W. Cisco Road, near Sidney. For further information, please pick-up a brochure and application in the Guidance office, call Betsy Naseman at 937-497-6529 or email her at bnaseman@dorothylover.oprs.org.
Heartland Hospice Care – Heartland to Shelby County is in need of volunteers to offer support, companionship and practical, compassionate help. Some will interact directly with patients and families, while others prefer to work behind the scenes in the office setting. As a volunteer, you help determine which tasks you’re best suited to perform and scheduling is flexible. For more information call Dusty Hawkins, LPN, Heartland Hospice Volunteer Coordination at 937-299-6980 or at Duisty.hawkins@hcr-manorcare.com. You may also see the Guidance office for more information.