Information for Seniors that plan to attend COC this Fall

Seniors,

Are you attending College of the Canyons this fall?  Priority registration will be given to students who complete all steps of the mandatory matriculation process by June 30, 2014.   

DON’T WAIT!

Start the process NOW by visiting www.canyons.edu/Offices/admissions/Pages/newstudents.aspx

Checklist for new students:

• Online application for Fall 2014
• Online Orientation
• English and Math Assessment
• Online Virtual Student Advisor (available beginning April 1st)
• Special Assessment Saturday

To better assist students through the matriculation process, the college has established a Special Assessment Saturday at the COC Valencia campus on March 22nd from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm for Canyon High students.   Students who have completed the online application, online orientation and have prepared for assessment are encouraged to sign-up. Please visit www.canyons.edu/Offices/outreach/Pages/Special-Assessment-Saturday's.aspx  for more information and to sign-up.   (Sign-ups will close on March 20th).

Save time, money and frustration by preparing for assessment. 
Download the English and Math Assessment Study Guides at www.canyons.edu/Offices/Assessment/Pages/Study-Links.aspx (also available in your counseling office).
Use the new Accuplacer web-based study app that includes practice tests.  For more information, go to http://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/students. 
Brush-up with a free math review offered M-Th in The Learning Center on the COC Valencia campus.  For current hours and location information, go to www.canyons.edu/Offices/Assessment/Pages/Math-Workshops.aspx.

If it has been over a year since your last math class, attend a Saturday math preparation workshop led by COC math faculty.  For more information, workshop schedule and to sign-up, go to www.canyons.edu/Offices/outreach/Pages/Math-Preparation-Workshops.aspx. 

If all of this seems like a lot of information...it is!  As we mentioned before, COC is changing the way they have done registration in the past.  It is important that you know the steps to register. We will have a COC representative on campus on Wednesday, March 12th  from 7:40 - 8:40 am (late start Wednesday) in the Q Theater.  She will cover all this information again and answer any questions you have.  Students and parents are both welcome to attend.

If you can't attend the meeting, a COC representative is on our campus once a month through May to assist students.  Stop by the counseling office to schedule an appointment.

Movie Listing 2/21/14

HERE are the movie listings for this week.

I have heard that the The Lego Movie will make you very happy.  My sister said she saw the movie and thought of me the whole time.  I think there is a little guy who wants to wants to rule the world.  I'm not sure what that means......

Word on the street is that Mr. Hodge is going to The Lego Movie this weekend.  The first person to snap a pic of him at the movie and bring it to Mrs. Goller on Monday gets a prize.  Don't ask me details on days, times, or theaters, that would take all the fun out of it!

We are still looking for movie reviewers.  Please come see Mrs. Goller in the counseling office if you are interested.  We can't pay you any money, but we will think you are awesome and give you a very enthusiast high five!!

Taking Assesment Tests

Seniors:  Some of you might be getting acceptance letters from schools.  This is an exciting time!  As you are accepted, colleges will begin to tell you the next steps you need to complete in order to enroll in their school for fall.  Please remember that an acceptance letter now can be revoked if your grades don't stay up or if you miss a deadline!  Finish STRONG!

Many colleges will require that you take a math and/or English exam as your next step for admittance.  Make sure you are checking your email, colleges will inform you of the tests that need to be taken.  Deadlines will vary, but generally, these exams must be done before you graduate.  The sooner you get this done, the better.  The test sites locations that are close to Santa Clarita fill up quickly.  If you miss the deadline, most colleges will not be lenient. Below are some sites that can help you prepare for the tests.

For UC schools:

General Information
Sample Questions

For CSU schools:

General Information
Math Test Prep 1
Math Test Prep 2
English Test Prep

For College of the Canyons and schools using Accuplacer:

COC uses a program called Accuplacer to do their English and math placement.  It is a computer program.  You can download the Accuplacer app and it will help you with sample questions and teach you about the test.  Go HERE for information.

For out of state schools:

Please contact the admittance office of your desired schools for test prep information.
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Good luck seniors!  If you need help, please come visit us.  As you hear from schools, we would love to hear from you!  Once you decide on a school, please let us know.  We want to celebrate with you!!

March 2nd is the deadline for the FAFSA and CAL GRANT applications!!!!

Seniors:  The deadline to complete the FAFSA is March 2nd.   Please make sure to meet this very important deadline.  If  you have questions about specific items on the FAFSA, please call the free assistance line at 1-800-433-3243.

Part of the FAFSA is the Cal Grant Application.  The FAFSA awards you free money from the government based on your income.  The Cal Grant awards you free money based on your Grade Point Average and income.  When you fill out the FAFSA, you will see a page that discusses the Cal Grant.  It may ask you to print out a form to have your school counselor verify your GPA.  This is not necessary.  Please read below:

Cal Grant GPA Verification

There’s no need for Canyon Seniors to fill out a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form because:    Cal Grant GPA’s were electronically uploaded by Canyon’s Counseling Department.

WebGrants for Students

Are you wondering if your Cal Grant GPA has been received by the Commission?  If you have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you can go online and check the status of your Cal Grant application by logging on to the WebGrants for Students (http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=1305) and creating an account.  This secure site will let you view the status of your Cal Grant application, update your address, view payment history or tell us you’re changing your school.

You can also check by calling 888-CA-GRANT (888-224-7268)

Or email them at studentsupport@csac.ca.gov

Other helpful sites:

FAFSA+VERIFIED GPA = A CAL GRANT:  http://www.calgrants.org/index.cfm?navId=22

What is a Cal Grant?  http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=20

Cal Grant GPA Requirement:  http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=1177

CALLING ALL MOVIE LOVERS!

We are going to add a new feature to our blog!

On Fridays (or Thursdays if it is a short week) we will post the movie listings for the weekend.  To make it even more fun, we are going to try post movie reviews by our Canyon Staff....AND STUDENTS!  If you would like to be a movie reviewer for our blog, please stop by and see Mrs. Goller in the counseling office. 

Please click HERE for the movie listing this weekend.  Happy Viewing and Happy Valentines Day!

Scholarships are becoming available every week. Are you checking?

The Daily Bulletin will list all of the scholarships that are currently available in the counseling office.  You should be reading it daily on the school website.  We had many seniors that missed out on the $5000, $4000 and $3500 scholarships that were available to ONLY Canyon students by missing the application deadline this week. Don't miss out on free money.  Take the time to read the bulletin!

Here are the scholarships that are going into the bulletin next week:


The Jacob Zamora Memorial Foundation is offering a scholarship for a senior with a GPA from 2.5 to 3.4.  If you meet this criteria, please pick up an application in the counseling office.  The applications are due to Mrs. Goller by 3 pm on March 11th.



The Backer SCV Education Foundation Scholarship is for students that are interested in becoming teachers.  If you plan to be an educator, please come up to the counseling office and pick up a scholarship application.  Applications must be mailed by March 14th.


The State Council Cabrillo Civic Club of California is offering a $500 scholarship for a senior of Portugese descent with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.  If you meet this criteria, please pick up an application in the counseling office.  The applications must be mailed in by March 15th.