FAFSA!

Don't forget to file your FAFSA!

www.fafsa.gov

Check your college's deadline to make sure you turn things in on time!

College Crack: Blog Question of the Week

Happy Trivia Tuesday!

Here is your College Crack question of the week. Remember to e-mail Miss Loh (amanda.loh@tus.k12.pa.us) by Thursday before school ends to receive your four points.


Let's try an SAT prep question for those of you gearing up for the test!

 Both ____ and _____, Wilson seldom spoke and never spent money.

u  A: Vociferous…generous

u  B: Garrulous…Stingy

u  C: Effusive..Frugal

u  D: Taciturn…miserly

u  E: Reticient…munificent

Send Miss Loh the multiple choice answer that you think is correct, but ALSO provide the definitions of two of the other vocabulary words from another answer choice (What an easy way to learn some new vocabulary before the exam!)

Meet Our Ambassadors: Kaylee Kriner

Meet Kaylee Kriner, one of our nine college ambassadors! Kaylee is interested in majoring in Biology and enjoys her AP Biology class here at JBHS. Kaylee is involved in all aspects of JB, including Drama Club, Messa Voce, Tri-M Music Honor Society, NHS, volleyball, and track. Something you may not know about Kaylee is that she plays the piano. As a College Ambassador, Kaylee is most looking forward to planning Decision Day this year.

College Crack: Blog Question of the Week

The time is here! College Crack is starting in FULL FORCE at JBHS.

Remember...the students with the highest number of points at the end of the semester will win gift cards. Who doesn't love free money??

Here is today's question. Please e-mail your answer to Miss Loh (amanda.loh@tus.k12.pa.us) by 3pm on Thursday to receive points. ALL students who answer correctly will receive points.

4 year universities and colleges sometimes do not require students to submit SAT or ACT scores for admissions applications. These schools are labeled as having "SAT-optional test policies." Identify FIVE schools in Pennsylvania that offer SAT/ACT-optional admissions policies. 

JBHS Goes to....McDaniel and Gettysburg Colleges

Fun Fact: Mr. Dickey attended McDaniel College

On Tuesday, twenty-three juniors and seniors attended a trip to McDaniel College and Gettysburg College. This trip included tours of both campuses as well as opportunities to talk to admissions counselors and current students about any concerns we had regarding college. This was a fantastic opportunity to see a college campus without taking time out of our already-swamped schedules as students.

Our first stop on the trip was McDaniel College; a private, liberal arts school in Westminster, Maryland. This school is about an hour and half away from Mercersburg. As I attend more and more college visits, I have began to realize that many colleges begin to offer the same things and the same speeches are given by admissions counselors. But McDaniel was different. There are so many unique opportunities offered at this campus!

McDaniel has a sister college in Budapest, Hungary. Students who attend McDaniel can attend the school in Budapest for a semester and all financial aid and credits are guaranteed to transfer. Imagine if there was a James Buchanan not only in Mercersburg, but in Italy!

Something else that struck my attention was the fact that McDaniel offers a class where the students read a science fiction novel during the first half of the semester, and then during the second half of the semester they perform the same science lab from the book in class. This was a way to bring in interdisciplinary learning to the same subject.

McDaniel is known for tailgating at sports games. In fact, they are number six in the country for tailgating. The bleachers are rarely used. Students bring chairs, couches, even RV’s to outdoor sports games and enjoy food and fellowship as they show their school spirit.

After the introductory presentation from our McDaniel regional admissions counselor Rebecca Rother, we were split up into groups and take tours of the beautiful campus. Each group was led by a current student of the college. McDaniel’s campus was smaller than most other campuses I have been to, but as a result it was much less overwhelming.

Since we were on a strict schedule, all twenty-three of us boarded the bus around 11:45 A.M. in order to make it to Gettysburg college on time for lunch.

Our group enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the dining hall of Gettysburg College. This really made us feel like actual college students. Although the lunch lines are much more confusing than in high school! A man even approached my friend, Violet and I and directed us to where each type of food was because we looked so lost! Even though we felt like college students, I am sure we did not look like them.

One of the unique things about the Gettysburg tour is that the student tour guides actually came up to each table of JB students and ate lunch with us, allowing us to personally ask questions and learn more about the campus. The guide who came to my table assured us that it is very possible to still be involved and have a social life along with doing well in classes. This was relieving!

Gettysburg College or Hogwarts?

Gettysburg College is in a beautiful location. This private, liberal arts college is full of history. There is even a building on campus that was used as a hospital during the Civil War!

With the class sizes averaging at eighteen students, Gettysburg is the perfect place if you want to get a more personal education. Each student is also automatically considered for four scholarships along with acceptance - which means less applications to fill out!

Us students were all able to sit in on a presentation by Mary Smith, one of the admissions counselors from the college. This presentation was unlike any other that I have ever been to. Instead of just giving us a speech on the monotonous facts about the college you can easily find on the website, Mary Smith left the presentation entirely up to us and what we actually wanted to know about the school. The presentation was very interactive and definitely kept my attention and helped me to remember the information.

Going on this trip was such a benefit to all of the students in attendance. There is not one student in the entire group who will say they regretted going on this trip. If anyone is interested in participating in this wonderful experience, our next trip will be to Lebanon Valley College and Harrisburg Area Community College in March. See the counseling office for more details!

Have any questions regarding the college process? Comment below and we will make sure to answer!  

Snow got you stuck indoors?

If the snow and crazy winter weather has prevented you from taking college field trips, why not use these great websites to learn more about schools?

The following websites have virtual tours and information of some pretty great colleges. These are solid resources if you don't have the means to travel to a school yourself.

www.campustours.com

www.youvisit.com

www.mytonomy.com

Check them out, explore, and maybe you'll discover some new colleges that you haven't yet considered!