The Charter School of Wilmington

Guidance Information from Newsletter

April Newsletter

SATs/ACTs/SAT IIs

Students may register online for the SAT at www.collegeboard.com. Please remember to code in

Charter’s high school code number 080164 when registering. The CSW Guidance office needs an official

copy of the score report. For the October, January, and May test dates, students can order the Question and Answer Service

which allows them to receive their test back, their reported answers and the answer key. Registration for the SAT II: Subject Tests,

which some colleges require for admission, is also available. These are one-hour tests, so students can take up to three in one day.

Students may also register for the ACT, an achievement test used for college admissions, preferably the one with essay.

Registration is available online at www.act.org. Many reputable colleges have decided to make standardized testing for admissions

purposes optional.  This list can be found on www.fairtest.org. 

Students who qualify for 504 testing accommodations and have not seen their counselor should do so. College Board requires that

accomodations be in place at the high school for as long as three to five months prior to testing.  Additional paperwork is required for

requesting non standard testing for any College Board program.

SAT PREP CLASSES/TUTORING

Many groups and/or former Charter graduates have offered their services for SAT tutoring for a fee. If interested, contact Ms. Maslar

in Guidance.

NCAA

Any seniors who may be interested in playing sports at a Division I or II college should register online with

www.NCAAclearinghouse.net so their academic eligibility can be determined. Students need to download the

high school form from the web and bring it to the guidance office. An official transcript will need to be sent. Final

transcripts will automatically be sent to the NCAA for all registered seniors. Students should also have their SAT

scores officially sent from College Board. Juniors may request that their current transcripts be sent, preferably after

final grades are issued.

ACADEMIC COMMON MARKET

The state of Delaware has an agreement with fifteen southern states wherein Delaware residents accepted into a major not offered

at a Delaware institution can receive instate tuition to that southern state school.  More information can be found at

www.doe.state.de.us/high-ed.   Please note that the state of DE often has grants available through financial aid as well for use at colleges

outside the state.  Qualifications may differ per state. 

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES

Copies of all acceptance letters should be given to the guidance office by May 19.  This includes any college to which a student

has been accepted, not just their final choice school.  If a student receives scholarship offers from colleges which have already

accepted him or her, please bring a copy of that letter to Mrs. Fiscella in Guidance.  This also includes copies of scholarship

offers from organizations,  companies, or the state of Delaware.  Any documentation of gift aid based on financial need should also

be brought into the office.  For graduation purposes as well as the principal's final report to the Board, our office documents the type

of gift aid (scholarships, grants, awards) which is offered to Charter students.

COLLEGE SEARCH

Ms. Maslar has met with the juniors in English classes during the third quarter to talk about the college search and application process as well

as course sign up for next year.  Parents and students are also encouraged to meet with Ms. Maslar on an individual basis prior to June regarding

the process.  There are no summer hours for these appointments! Any students who could not attend Junior Parent Night on March 10 received

their family information packet in homeroom that week from their guidance counselor.  Guidance counselors have met with juniors as well during

third quarter to give them the Self-Directed Search, a personality/career assessment tool which matches students to appropriate careers and college

majors.  Juniors were introduced to our college search computer program CHOICES.

Any juniors interested in the following colleges should let Ms. Maslar know something this spring: University of Rochester, Rennselaer Polytechnic

Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Williams College, Dartmouth College, University of Virginia, or St. Lawrence University.

College Tours

Amtrak is offering a "Buy one, get one free" deal when parents and students purchase tickets in order to visit colleges.  Tickets must be

purchased seven days in advance.  Additional children may travel at a 50% discount.  This offer is through the calendar year with a few

black out dates.  For more information, go on-line or call 1-800-USA-RAIL.

College Fairs

National and regional college fairs are held throughout the year.  The following websites are useful in searching for these: www.nacac.org,

www.pacac.org, and www.etel.com.  On April 29, at Villanova, the Main Line College Fair will be open from 6:30-9:00 p.m.  Also, on

May 19, the Colleges That Change Lives tour will be at the Crowne Plaza Valley Forge beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Upward Bound Program

Students in grades nine through eleven may qualify for a federal TRIO program. Upward Bound has a math and science focus

which is geared for students from low-income families and students whose parents did not earn a four-year college degree.

The program includes six weeks of intensive math, science, and English course work.  There are also cultural and social

opportunities.  For more information, contact your child's guidance counselor.

SEED Scholarship Program

The SEED program provides tuition for full time students enrolled in an Associate’s degree program at either

Del Tech or the U of DE. Students must be accepted to either program and have completed the FAFSA regardless

of need. With a 2.5 GPA or an 80% numerical average, students will then be eligible for full tuition costs after any

federal, state, or institutional grants have been allotted. For U of DE applicants, no separate SEED application is

needed. Del Tech applicants must complete a separate scholarship form available on their website and make sure

that a final transcript is sent to their financial aid office.

Selective Service Registration

Senior boys are reminded that they must register with the Selective Service when they turn eighteen or they may

preregister now if they like. Without this registration, no boys will be eligible for federal funding for college including the

Pell Grant or federally subsidized student loans. Students may register on the web at www.sss.gov or through the

Summer College Programs

Charter has a file for all summer-program opportunities as the information is received. In some cases, these opportunities are tuition free

and may indeed cover the cost of transportation.  More colleges are using their website only for marketing/admissions procedures and no

longer mail out any materials.  If interested, check a college's website or stop by and browse through our files.  Look for this update on our

website as well.  The Summer Institute for the Gifted also offers programs for students.  Check out www.giftedstudy.com. 

The University of Delaware holds summer college for highly motivated juniors and sophomores each year for five weeks.  Students

live on campus and earn up to seven credits by taking freshmen level courses.  The Summer College experience usually coincides

with the regular second summer session offered on campus (July 12- August 16).  This will allow for a broader selection of courses

for students enrolled in the program.  An information session will be held in February during the school day.  The exact date will be

announced later in school.  For more information, visit the website at www.udel.edu/summercollege.edu

The National Youth Science Camp allows two seniors in each state to attend a residential summer science honors program in West Virginia fully paid.  If interested in being considered as a Charter nomination, please see Ms. Maslar in Guidance.

UD Research Opportunity

The University of Delaware is looking for studnets willing to work this summer for five weeks as a corn breeding research assistant

in the Department of Plants and Soil Services.  For an application, see Mrs. Fiscella in Guidance or call 651-2727, ext, 204.

Delaware's 2008 Governor's School of Excellence

The Governor's School consists of Delaware's most gifted minds together for a special program in academic,

artistic and leadership devlopment.  Sophomores interested in applying should see their guidance counselors.

All applications must be returned by April 18.  Charter can select two sophomores to spend a week at the University

of Delaware's Newark campus participating in educational programs, field trips and recreational activities.

Trooper Youth Week

Students interested in a career in law enforcement can consider enrolling in the free week long program at the DE State Police Training

Academy held in June.  There is no charge for room and board.  As applications are due in May, see Guidance in the future for more

information or contact your local state police headquarters for more information.