S

In addition to the updates the PTSA newsletter brings you regarding all of Huntsville High

School’s fantastic activities, sports, and organizations, this first, on-line edition of the

newsletter is dedicated to relaying information to students and parents concerning college

preparedness.

In this Issue>>>

President’s Letter

Leslie Esenault 2

From the President’s Desk 3

Student Activities 4

H’ville Council of PTA’s 4

Nominating Committee 4

Summer Workshops 4

Protecting our Youth 4

HHS Technology Committee 5

Reflections 5

Miss HHS 5

FCA 5

National Honor Society 6

Spanish Club 6

FCCLA 6

FBLA 7

Anchor Club 7

English Dept. 7

Spectrum 7

Academic Team 8

Mu Alpha Theta 8

Art Dept. 8

Senior Class News 9

AFJROTC 10

HHS Choir 11

HHS Band 12,13

HHS Baseball 14

HHS Cheer 14

HHS Soccer 14

HHS Swim and Dive 15

HHS Indoor Track 16

HHS Theater Dept. 17

Exam Exemption Procedures 18

AlchoholEdu 19,20

College Edition: 21

Ms. Wolfe 23

Check List by Year 24-26

Test Prep. 27

Factors in Choosing 28

Applying to College 29

Top 10 Application Mistakes 30

Paying for College/Financial Aid 31

Alabama Colleges and Univ. 32,33

Winter

2012

Many of us enter the high school experience in a blur of

decisions, wondering if we helped our students make the right

course selections, are lined up correctly to benefit our child

come graduation day, and anxious for what each year may bring

in the competitive world of college preparation and acceptance.

In the following pages, you will find resources applicable to

every level of college preparation, from Freshmen to Seniors.

These resources cover everything from identifying high school

goals and opening academic avenues, to pre-testing and testing,

to comparing college characteristics, and choosing the correct

college fit . You will also find resources related to common

college application mistakes and the road to financial aid. The

PTSA hopes that you find this information helpful as each day

brings our children closer to high school graduation and what

lies beyond.

Page 21 of the newsletter begins the College Edition section.

From Principal Leslie Esneault

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Happy 2012 to everyone!! I wish you and your family a most prosperous and healthy new year. It’s always a great feeling to

have a fresh start and a renewed sense of purpose. The faculty and staff and Huntsville High School along with our feeder

middle schools enjoyed an incredible day of in-service on January 4. Renowned educational leader Todd Whitaker addressed

the faculties with his highly energetic presentation, “What Great Teachers Do Differently.” The teachers spent the afternoon in

group break- out sessions with trained facilitators discussing indicators, causes and preventions of bullying. We were provided

with excellent anti-bullying resources and materials and will begin earning the “No Place for Hate” certification.

In an attempt to improve student attendance, achievement and discipline, I was granted permission to pilot an exam exemption

procedure for spring 2012. Provided the student meets the requirements set forth in the procedure (printed in this newsletter),

s/he may earn the privilege to exempt two end of the year exams in May. A committee will review the data to determine if this

privilege had a positive impact on student attendance, grades and behavior.

With the financial help of the PTSA and HHS Student Council, we are excited to provide an alcohol prevention program designed

for our high school students called AlcoholEdu. It is our hope that upon completion of the program, students would strengthen

the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions regarding alcohol use and its dangers. The program is provided

at no cost for parents and students. Additional information will be coming home with students. PTSA can provide the parent

information. We encourage your participation in this alcohol prevention program and appreciate the support of the PTSA and

Student Council.

This is a very busy time for our students, especially our seniors!! As the end of the semester draws near, seniors are making

final plans for life after high school. Many will be continuing their education at a college or university; others may be entering

the world of work or the military. It is the goal of the high school to prepare these students for their future endeavors by

providing rigorous and challenging instructional programs. University statistics show that Advanced Placement students

continue to outperform students who take a less challenging curriculum and are more likely to complete a degree earning a

college diploma. If you are interested in learning more about the Advanced Placement program, you may read about it at

www.collegeboard.org I would encourage you to speak to your student about the incredible learning opportunities that AP

courses can offer.

I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Leigh Brown was selected as the Huntsville High School Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Frieda

Sadler was named the Huntsville High School Support Person of the Year. Both entries will be submitted to the Huntsville

Council of PTA’s for consideration for annual awards. Congratulations to both of them!!

Spring registration will be upon us very soon. Please begin talking to your students about course selections for next fall. We

want students to be challenged and to excel academically, but we also want students to consider all of the extra activities they

are involved in to avoid overloading their schedules. Please work with your students to reach a healthy balance between

academics and extra-curricular activities. Your entire household will benefit from this conscious effort.

I am thankful for the continued support of our parents, students, businesses, and community members who donated money

and classroom supplies to our faculty and staff this year. Your donations have made a financially difficult year much better. I

know I speak for the entire faculty when I say, “thank you for your incredible support.”

I am excited about the spring semester for our students and teachers. Great things are happening at HHS every day!! Please

make it a goal each night to ask your student to share at least one thing that s/he learned that day. If I can help you in any way,

please know that I am a phone call or an email away. Wishing you all the very best in 2012!!!

2

From the President’s Desk

Lisa Miller

Welcome to 2012, to our first ‘electronic-only’ newsletter and to our first college-focused edition! I believe that you will find this information

to be interesting and important to you! I hope each of you enjoyed many holiday blessings and are experiencing a wonderful new year. Our

Huntsville High School family and community continue to be blessed with outstanding faculty, administration and staff, along with wonderful

PTSA volunteers and parents. Thanks to you all!

You and your PTSA volunteers are the greatest!. Here is a partial list of recent activities:

The Newsletter Committee (Carmen Thompson and Kris Valentine, Co-Chairs), and Susan King, working with our community and

college sponsors, have expertly moved us from a mostly paper format to a mostly electronic format. There will still be a few printed

copies, but it is our intention to use technology and be good stewards of all of our resources. I hope you like our new format. You can

find the current and archived copies of the newsletter at hhsnewsletter.com.

The Hospitality Committee (Talitha Yokley and Holly Butler, Co-Chairs) continued their outstanding support of the teachers and staff

with a Holiday Cookie and Hot Chocolate event in December and their famous Crock Pot Chili Luncheon on the first day back to

school from winter break!

The Gift Wrap Committee (Cathy Hicks, Chair) wrapped gifts for our teachers to help them during one of their busiest times—the

holidays and final exams!

Our First VP, Programs, Kari Smith, planned two of our most popular events: our Lunch and Learn with Mrs. Esneault, and our Club

Fair and Rising Freshman Orientation. The Lunch and Learn was fabulous! Special thanks to Mrs. Esneault for always being willing to

answer our questions.

HHS and PTSA served as host for a Huntsville Council of PTA’s citywide event on Protecting our Neighborhoods and Our Youth.

Information was provided by Officer Bob Cornelison from the Huntsville Police Department and Attorney Mary Ena J. Heath from the

law firm of L. Thompson McMurtrie, LLC, Attorneys at Law.

Volunteer Chair Susanne Bagwell continues to be able to mobilize all of us when volunteers are needed. HHS was the first site for

parent portal training for iNow. We were grateful during those evenings to have some of our feeder schools provide volunteers, so

thanks again to a strong and large HHS family!

The Technology Committee (Susan and Steve Solomon, Co-Chairs) is helping ensure that existing equipment is in working order. We

are all excited about the available technology and wireless access coming to HHS as our city schools enhances technology for all

schools and students.

The Student Activities Committee (Karen Kimbrough, Chair) is working on several exciting ideas with students.

As Mrs. Esneault stated, HHS PTSA, our Health and Safety Committee (Annette Birchfield, Chair) and Student Council have worked together

this year to offer an online alcohol prevention program for students and parents. AlcoholEdu for High School is an evidence-based and

completely confidential online alcohol prevention course. The college-level version of this course is a requirement for incoming freshmen at

many colleges and universities across the nation. Research statistics are presented in this newsletter in another article. Also, in this newsletter

is our HHS Parent user id for accessing this FREE parent course. Please review this course yourself and share this valuable information with

other adults in our community.

We have been able to fulfill many teacher requests due to your generosity. More requests are being received this semester. We still need

members to join HHS PTSA so that each of our students is represented by at least one adult member. Please join family members and

grandparents at this time as well. Individual memberships are $8 and you can find the membership form on the HHS website/PTSA tab -

www.hsv.k12.al.us/schools/high/hhs/PTSA.htm . Membership Co-Chairs, Laura McCown and Shelley Delay are working to bring us to our goal

of 100% PTSA membership.

Thank you again to all dedicated PTSA volunteers and parents—we simply could not do this without each one of you.

Warmest regards,

Lisa Miller, PTSA President

lmillerhsv@comcast.net 3

Nominating Committee

The HHS PTSA is looking for a few good men or

women!!!

If you are a current committee chairman, committee

member or interested in serving on a PTSA

committee next year, please contact the Nominating

Committee. We would like to know if you are

graduating out of HHS, would like to remain in your

current postion or are interested in a new area of

service.

Please respond by email or phone by Feb. 15th.

Julie Stephens, Chairman

hstep@knology.net

(256) 539-1515

Student Activities

The HHS PTSA Student Activities Committee is working to bring

back the Inter Club Council. In the past this organization of

representatives from all HHS clubs and groups was an active

force in shaping the culture of HHS. The Inter-Club Council (ICC)

helps approved Huntsville High clubs gain access to event

planning information and influence future events. We hope the

return of the Inter-Club Council will be a great investment of

time in student-led initiatives each semester. We have contacted

all club sponsors on the HHS website. If you are in an approved

HHS club and your group has not been contacted please email

karenkimbrough@gmail.com to add your group's name to the list

of clubs to be represented Soon we will hold our first meeting.

Stay tuned!

Huntsville Council of PTAs

On January 7, the HHS PTSA assisted the Huntsville Council of

PTAs with the first Principal’s Academy by providing both

breakfast and lunch for the participants. The Principal's Academy

is a new program instituted by Dr. Wardynski to provide

additional training (free) to teachers and administrators of the

Huntsville City School System. The individuals who are part of

this program were nominated, then completed an application to

be accepted. These sessions allow attendees to strengthen their

role as Principals or gives extra instruction for those who aspire

to become a Principal. The Academy meets one Saturday every

month.

Informative Community Discussion Held at HHS

________________________________________________________________________ The Huntsville Council of PTAs sponsored a very informative event called “Protecting our Neighborhoods and Youth” on

Thursday, Jan. 26. Huntsville High School was the host school for the meeting. The speakers were Officer Bob Cornelison with the

Huntsville Police Department and attorney Mary Ena Heath with L. Thompson McMurtrie, LLC, Attorneys at Law.

Officer Cornelison shared some important advice on neighborhood safety. He discussed practical ways to protect our

families, homes and community given the recent rash of burglaries in the city. He also talked about how to be pro-active and

work smartly to ensure safety. He emphasized being aware of what is going on in your neighborhood and to call the non-

emergency police number if you see an unusual situation in your community. The Huntsville Police non-emergency number is

256-722-7100.

Mrs. Heath, a former HHS PTSA president, talked about social hosting and underage drinking. Those attending learned

what risks and responsibilities we have as parents and as a community regarding social hosting and underage drinking. She also

presented specific information about Alabama laws and discussed how certain social hosting and underage drinking cases have

been interpreted by the courts in our state. 4

Summer Workshops

Look for information regarding Summer

Workshops offered at Huntsville High School

during the summer months in the Spring Edition

and in Panther Postings.

In addition to our very popular classes in English,

Math, Historical Writing, Study Strategies, and

Mastering the ACT/SAT...Look for the new "How

to Survive an Audition" workshop taught by

Mike Chappell.

For more information, contact:

Beth Moore 256-533-2640

Reflections

____________________________________ The National PTA Reflections Program is one of the largest

student arts recognition programs in the country. Please see

http://www.ptareflections.org/ for more info.

We are proud that four Huntsville High students have been selected as

winners in the “Diversity means…” competition at the city level! The

award ceremony will be at AAA on Thursday, Jan 26, at 6:30pm. The

winners are:

Sarah Barr (senior) - visual arts - “Diversity Is … Unity”

Jacqueline Heard (senior) – literature – “The Great Autumn Tree”

Tiffany Hnetynka (freshman) – photography – “Dogversity”

Kristina McGroary (senior) – visual arts – “Waterborne”

Congratulations to our students and “Go, Panthers!” We know you will

represent us well. HHS, be on the lookout in upcoming Panther Postings

for next year’s theme to get started early!

HHS Technology Committee

The Huntsville High School PTSA

Technology committee was created in

2009 and worked very hard to bring

Huntsville High School classrooms to a

21st Century state. By fall of 2011, LCD

projectors were installed in all the

classrooms and document

cameras/ActivBoards were installed to

add enhanced teaching capabilities.

With money in short supply this year,

the committee has been helping

Huntsville High School to maintain and

repair its current technology equipment.

Mr. Bean will be distributing a survey to

teachers, so that we can become more

aware of classroom needs and desires.

The committee is looking forward as the

Huntsville city school system unveils its

new technology plan and brings our

classrooms to a new level. As Huntsville

city 5th graders received their Dell

Netbooks by Christmas, many of us were

surprised to see how quickly the new

technology is making its way to the

schools. We look forward to seeing

Huntsville High School equipped with a

wireless network and a portable

computer in the hands of every student.

Helping Huntsville High transition into

this new information age will be a

priority for the Technology Committee.

Currently, the committee is helping

Mrs. Britton (Business/Marketing

Department) to purchase Adobe’s

Photoshop Certification software.

Students will be able to take a

certification test after learning

Photoshop CS5. This industry standard

certification will give students an

advantage in the multimedia and graphic

design environment and will definitely be

an asset in their career development.

Mrs. Britton is still seeking funds to help

with this project and can be contacted at

kbritton@hsv.k12.al.us.

Miss HHS Fundraiser, benefitting the American Heart

Association

The annual Miss HHS fundraiser sponsored by Delta Tri Sigma will be

held on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012 in the HHS auditorium. Please

encourage your daughter to sign up ($10.00 entry fee) and support

Delta Tri Sigma and the American Heart Association. Heart disease is

the number one killer of women in the US today and February is

National Heart Association month. The money raised from the Miss

HHS fundraiser will be given to the Heart Association.

Any girl at HHS can enter.

$10.00 entry fee.

Be at HHS at 5:00 on the day of the event.

Practice on Monday from 3:15 - 4:30.

$5.00 admission at the door.

FCA

Huntsville High Fellowship of Christian Athletes continue to meet on

Wednesday morning at 7:00 in the lecture hall. All students, faculty, and

parents are invited to attend. We will have many interesting guest

speakers for the second semester. A large group of students continue to

meet together each week. Please join us and get involved in a wonderful

time of fellowship and Bible study. Breakfast is provided for all who

attend. If there are any questions please contact Lorri Doss in room 219.

5

National Honor Society News

The next NHS meeting is Thursday, February 9th at 7:15 a.m. in the lecture hall.

The NHS-sponsored “Save our Schools” project to has been very successful. The money obtained from the collection of box tops

will be delivered to elementary and middle schools in the Huntsville area. So far, NHS has collected over 7500 box tops!!

The homeroom competition resulted in 5063 box tops collected for education! Congratulations to Mrs. McKnelly’s homeroom for

collecting over 600 box tops, and to Mrs. Brown’s homeroom for collecting 371!! All students in these homerooms received free

smoothies from Smoothie King. Thank you to Lisa Cole for her generosity!!

NHS continues to hold weekly tutoring sessions for all HHS students in all academic subjects. Tutoring times are Tuesdays at 7:15

a.m. (Mrs. Schultz’s room – 169) and Thursdays at 3:15 p.m. (Blocker’s room – 250).

NHS will sponsor an HHS Five Guys night on Monday, Febuary 13. All students and parents are encouraged to eat dinner that

evening and tell the cash register that you are from Huntsville High School. Five Guys will give 10% of all sales to NHS for senior

scholarships.

Congratulations to the

newly selected members of

National Honor Society:

Spanish Club

The Spanish Club enjoyed an eat-out at La Alameda in November. Co-vispresidenta

Jaquelina Farber helped Maestro Robinson deliver around 40 shoe box Christmas-

wrapped gifts from HHS Spanish Club members to the office of Friends of the Children

at the Habitat for Humanity Warehouse from where they are being shipped to

orphans in and near Guatemala City. The Club also delivered 90+ student-made

Spanish Christmas cards to the residents of Big Spring Specialty Care on December 16.

The Club is starting preparations for the annual Spanish Club Convention at the

University of Alabama. The convention will be on April 13. This year’s theme

countries are Venezuela, Colombia, El Ecuador, and Peru. –Maestro J. Robinson

FCCLA

FCCLA is sponsoring the upcoming Fashion Design Field Trip to New York City on

February 9th – 12th. We are partnering with two other schools, Grissom and Bob

Jones and are taking a total of 35 students and parents. This is HHS 4th Fashion Field

Trip to New York. We will be concentrating on fashion sites such as Fashion Institute

of America, Mood Fabrics, Costume Exhibits at Metropolitan Museum of Art, Macy’s

Behind the Scenes Tour and the Garment Tenement Museum. We will be touring a

jewelry design factory and will experience a Sample Sale, as well as be able to shop in

Soho, Chinatown, and Fifth Avenue stores. We are currently locating a designer

showroom and will be in NYC during Fashion Week. Students will have the

opportunity to see other classic New York sites such as the Empire State Building,

Times Square, Ground Zero and Ellis Island.

6

HUNTSVILLE FB

Recently, members of Huntsville High School’s chapter of Future

Business Leaders of America supported the Kids to Love

Foundation. Kids to Love is a Huntsville-based organization that

sponsors foster children and their families. Members donated

over $130 to help purchase Christmas gifts for the organization.

On December 11th, members met at Target to purchase the gifts

for the families. This is the second year the Huntsville High FBLA

chapter has supported the Kids to Love organization.

FBLA

Huntsville FBLA members

support Kids To Love

Foundation

We are pleased to announce the theme for Spectrum 2012,

which will be “Curio.” A curio is something valued for its

unusual nature. Spectrum Curio will highlight the most original,

the most beautiful, and the most unusual pieces of literature

(poetry, prose) along with artwork and photography from our

own Huntsville High students. Students must submit original

items by Friday, March 2, to Room 223. Spectrum 2011 was

awarded a Gold ranking (the highest award) by the Columbia

Scholastic Press Association. We aim to earn this highest honor

again for Huntsville High in 2012. Submit to Spectrum!!

You can purchase “Spectrum Curio” for $8 in the lunchroom or

in Room 223 beginning May 2.

7

Anchor Club

Anchor Club is a service

organization for girls in

grades 10-12. We meet in

Mrs. Williams’ room (226)

every Thursday afternoon

from 3:15 to 3:45. We are

an enthusiastic group that

enjoys getting to know each

other and volunteering in

the community. If you’re

interested in joining us, we’d

love to see you this

Thursday!

Julie Williams

The Huntsville High

English Department is

extremely pleased to have Susan

Guthrie, a Shakespearean actor and

director, as our Artist in Residence

from January 23rd until March

9th. This project has been made

possible by grants from the Alabama

State Council of the Arts and the

National Endowment for the Arts as

well as HHS PTSA, Academic Booster

Club, the Huntsville Literary

Association and the Lowe

Foundation. We are so excited to

have her working with us. Susan will

spend several days in our English

classes during our study of

Shakespeare and is sure to be

entertaining.

Academic Team

We have enjoyed a wonderful season this

year in Academic Team. We are currently

undefeated in city round robin play. The

city championship will be decided on

February 9 at Butler High School. The

following day, February 10 a group of six

team members will travel

to Snead State Community College to

compete in the Alabama Scholastic

Competition Association District meet. The

traveling team members are Ben Brewer,

Bailey Brotherton, Sara Campbell, Cody

Fee, Max Moseley, and Jared

Wasilefsky. Our appreciation is extended

to the Academic Booster Club for their long

standing support financially for this

program.

Ron Bean and MaryAnn Moon (Coaches)

Mu Alpha Theta

The following students were inducted into Mu Alpha Theta, an

international honor society that recognizes excellence in the study of

mathematics, on December 13, 2011.

Caroline Adams Brandon Honeywell

Auburn Bastin Austin Howard

Mason Baumann Aryanna Hyde

Kai Bawcom J’Nala LaPointe

Adam Beasley Sydney Larsen

Marie Beverly Taylor Larsen

Samantha Blair Anna Lee Lawson

Jimmy Bridges Ben Letson

Matthew Brown Maddy Lewis

McCarley Buchanan Celia Masucci

Beth Byers Katherine McCown

Mark Chlarson Ashley Medina

Addison Cimino Reed Miller

Brett Cleary Max Moseley

Peyton Cook Amanda Nagle

Emily Cragon Will Nunn

Smyly Crawford Bahman Patel

Chelsie Crossen Kenya Payne

Amy Cutter Thomas Pigott

Leigh Ann Daniel Kyle Reasons

Abby DeBusk Chris Roberts

Alexander Dombrowsky Sarah Sizemore

Anna Gant Karter Smith

Abby Ginn Sarah Solomon

Joseph Hicks Lauren Tepool

Grant Hinton Coleman Wlodarski

Dylan Holder

ART Department

We are pleased to announce that we have

an amazing new teacher in the Art

Department, Jessica Patmon is now

teaching fundamentals of art and drawing.

She is a graduate of UAB with her Masters

in Art Education; her concentrations

include drawing, painting and ceramics.

Each art teacher will have students

representing Huntsville High School at the

Huntsville Museum of Arts annual Youth

Art Month ( VAA)/( CAC) exhibit. The

opening reception is March 11th from 1:00

to 5:00 and admission is free to the public.

Please join us in supporting visual arts and

celebrating the amazing talent of local art

students. The exhibit will be open during

regular museum hours until March 18th

(admission fees apply after March 11th)

Donations Needed: The art department is in need of the following

materials, if you are doing early spring cleaning, we would greatly appreciate

anything you can contribute.

Baby food jars

Yogurt or other plastic containers

Old magazines

Old worn out sheets for ceramics class

Lotion

Paper towels

Thank you in advance for your continued generosity. 8

SENIOR CLASS NEWS ITEMS:

February TBA – Order senior cap and gown

April 6 Last Day to pay for mandatory graduation fee – Early Bird Price --$85.00 (It is included in

quota). After today graduation fee is $100.00.

April Delivery of senior supplies-After spring break

April 28 Prom-North Hall 1

May 14 6th and 7th period final exams

May 15 4th and 5th period final exams

May 16 2nd and 3rd period final exams

May 17 1st period final exams

May 18 Cap and Gown Pickup and MANDATORY rehearsal for graduation and awards day*-10:00 a.m.-

Auditorium

May 20 Baccalaureate – 2:00 p.m. Line up at 1:30 p.m.

Dress: Ladies: White dress and shoes (white or black)

Men: Dark pants, white shirt, tie, (no tennis shoes)

May 21 Class day (Seniors Only) 10:00 a.m.

Attire- Casual

May 22 Awards Day 9:00 a.m.

Attire – Same as Baccalaureate

May 23 Senior Picnic – Location to be determined – Seniors Only Attire- Casual

May 25 Mandatory Graduation Practice –10:00 – VBC

Arena Attire - Casual

4:30 line up for Graduation at 5:30

Attire- Same as Baccalaureate

ALL DEBTS TO HUNTSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL MUST BE PAID BEFORE CAP AND GOWN CAN BE ISSUED. CHECK ON YOUR DEBTS FOR

LOST BOOKS, CLASS FEES, ETC. AND MAKE SURE THE DEBTS ARE CLEARED. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Graduation fee includes the fees for cap and gown rental and the diploma. Please make all checks payable to Huntsville High

School.

Additional Optional Activities with Cost: Senior Picnic, Senior Film, Senior Class T Shirt, Graduation DVD

9

AFJROTC

10

Cadets are busy planning for the annual military ball to be

held 17 March, at the Redstone Officers and Civilian Club.

Festivities include recognition of the HHS Teacher of the Year,

crowning of the 2012 Corps Sweetheart, Senior Sillies, formal

dinner, and the dance. Guests include alumni,

administrators, parents, and cadets from other schools.

The HHS JROTC cadet staff hosted a visit by Dr. Wardynski

on 25 January, where they briefed him on the JROTC

program and the accomplishments of their unit. Cadets

also performed a drill demonstration and were inspected

on their uniforms by the superintendent. The HHS ROTC

program has earned the highest ratings possible on their

last three annual inspections.

The HHS JROTC CYBER PATRIOT computer security

team recently competed against over 600 JROTC,

Civil Air Patrol, and high school teams in the 4th

annual CYBER PATRIOT Competition. The team

finished 2nd place worldwide during the 2nd round

and was the only local team to advance to the semi-

final round. Team members are Nick Hawk, Rachel

Stough, Xavier Shouten, Nathaniel Trudeau, Jackie

Faber, and Sarah Stough. The team is coached by

John Stough and Jeff Baker.

CHOIR HONORS!!!!!

Amanda Anderson won the District V Female Outstanding Choral Student Award along with the Huntsville All-City

Female Outstanding Choral Student Award! She will compete for the Alabama Female Outstanding Choral Student

Award at the All-State Choral Festival in March at Samford University. She also represented District V in the AMEA

Music Education Scholarship interviews held in Montgomery January 18-21, 2012, while also participating with 6

other students in the AMEA Honor Choir Festival. The other students who won spots in the 2012 AMEA Honor Choir

were: Nick Patton, Bradley Via, Stephen Karigan, Hunter Hladky, Halea Dardin and Kelsey Cooper.

Mrs. Smith & Amanda Anderson AMEA Honor Choir John Colem an, Darious Dailey,

Decorian Cobb

We also had three students win places in the 2012 Alabama All-State Show Choir that took place in Montgomery

January 18-21, 2012. 255 students auditioned statewide for 60 places! These students were: John Coleman,

Decorian Cobb and Darious Dailey.

We have several students who will be participating in the State Solo and Ensemble Festival in February.

Our Crimson Beat, APPLAUSE!, and Total Sound show choirs will travel to Nashville February 24 and 25 to compete in

the Belmont Music City Show Shoppe Show Choir Competition.

HHS will have 23 students participate in the All-State Choral Music Festival in March. They are:

Jenna Marshall, Mary Grace Railey, Antonia Apfelbeck, Emily Glass, Andrea Walker, Adrienne Fletcher, Jennifer Starck,

Leah Munroe, John Collin Powell, Kyle Haulenbeck, Amanda Anderson, Decorian Cobb, Darious Dailey, Paige Davis,

Lauren Glass, Hunter Hladky, Kabrina Isabelle, Jasmine King, Jordan King, Abby Parris, Rebecca Savas, Sarah Sizemore

and Natalie Struthers.

Please congratulate Sarah Sizemore for being selected nationwide to participate in the Carnegie Hall Honors Choir in

New York also in February!

Congratulations to all the students for working hard for these honors! 11

HUNTSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL BAND

Congratulations to our senior marching band and color guard members who were recognized at halftime on Senior

Night, October 27, 2011: Madalyn Atherton, Michael Athey, Jake Brouwer, Erin Conway, Smyly Crawford, Tyler

D’Arienzo, Savannah Dewberry, Alex Dombrowsky, Hunter Echols, Cody Fee, Mark Foreman, Nathalie Guerrero,

Ashley Head, Katie Jackson, AJ Lindner, Lindsay MacMillan, Dante’ McDowell, Joshua Midds, Michael Payne, Aly

Plasterer, Allen Porter, Stephanie Ray, Kyle Reasons, Sarah Russell, Maggie Smallwood, Karltaris Smith, Rachel Stone,

Jared Wasilefsky, Hailey Webber, Chris Wolfe, and Joshua Yarbrough.

The HHS Band invites you to commemorate your favorite student, graduating senior, teacher, or alumnus with

thepurchase of an engraved brick, which will be placed in the courtyard around the American flag. Bricks may be

purchased through any band member. For your convenience, there is an order form attached to this newsletter.

Order forms are also available in the band room. An engraved brick makes a great Birthday or Graduation gift!

In November, nine advanced band students performed with the UAHuntsville Invitational High School Honor Wind

Ensemble. The students spent two days in master classes and practices, culminating in an evening performance on

November 19, 2011. Participating students were: Maggie Smallwood, Clay Brown, Lily Brooks, Lydia Nance, Reed

Miller, Scott Zook, Kyle Reasons, Gus Arnold, and Daniel Daugherty. Congratulations to these accomplished

musicians!

The annual Holiday Concert featuring the HHS Symphonic Band was presented on December 12 in the Huntsville

High School auditorium. This free event was a great way to begin the holiday season! Concert-goers had the

opportunity to do some holiday shopping at the Holiday Marketplace, held in conjunction with the concert. A variety

of local businesses with an array of holiday gifts for purchase supported the marketplace. Also, there was a Silent

Auction benefitting the band, featuring items donated by local businesses. A reception for all band members and

their families followed the concert. Thank you to all who made this event enjoyable and successful!

On Saturday, January 28, thirty students participated in tryouts for the District One Honor Band and the All-State

Band. Tryouts were held at Brewer High School. Congratulations to the hard-working and dedicated students who

participated.

On February 23 and 24, the HHS Band will once again host the Music Performance Assessment (MPA) at Huntsville

High School. Over 40 area middle school and high school bands will perform. Contact Steve Wasilefsky at

wazrs@yahoo.com to volunteer to help during the MPA. 12

The HHS Band performed in the Huntsville

Veteran's Day Parade in downtown Huntsville

on November 11. They joined the community

in thanking current and former members of

the Armed Forces for their service and

sacrifice. The band also performed in the

Huntsville Christmas Parade on December 3.

This year during spring break, the band is traveling to Spain! The trip will be from March 23 to April 2, 2012. Students

will travel to Madrid, Valencia, Segovia, Avila, Toledo, and Barcelona to explore the sights, taste local culture, and

participate in several concerts with local musicians. Highlights of the trip will include Segovia’s Roman aqueduct and

Alcazar fortress, the medieval walled city of Avila, Toledo’s magnificent cathedral, and Barcelona’s Picasso Museum.

Five concerts will be performed during the trip, featuring the HHS band performing with Spanish youth bands. Please

continue your generous support of band fundraisers to help the students raise money to participate in this trip of a

lifetime!

The HHS Band would like to thank everyone who participated in the Cookie Dough and Pork Butt fundraisers. Your

support helped the band raise funds to support all aspects of our music program, to include trip fees, music

competition fees, instrument purchases and maintenance, as well as fee scholarships and support for students with

financial hardships. Watch for another Pork Butt sale this spring, featuring delicious pork butts and sauce prepared by

Ed Cain!

The HHS Band invites you to commemorate your favorite student, graduating senior, teacher, or alumnus with the

purchase of an engraved brick, which will be placed in the courtyard around the American flag. Bricks may be

purchased through any band member. For your convenience, there is an order form attached to this newsletter. Order

forms are also available in the band room. An engraved brick makes a great Birthday or Graduation gift!

IMPORTANT DATES:

February 23-24 - Music Performance Assessment at HHS

March 23-April 2 - International Trip to Spain

April 12-14 - Alabama All-State in Mobile

April 21 - Solo and Ensemble Competition

May (TBA) - Advanced Band Tryouts

May 7-18 - Flag Corps Tryouts

May 8 - Spring Concert at HHS

May 25 - Graduation

May 29-31 - Freshman Band Camp (full band)

June 1 - Freshman Band Camp (percussion only)

July 23-26 - Band Camp (1/2 days)

July 30-August 2 - Band Camp (full days)

Huntsville High School

Commemorative Bricks

Engrave your name in the History

of Huntsville High:

http://www.huntsvillehighband.co

m/forms/HHS-Comm.pdf

HHS SPORTS>>>> FCA

Huntsville High Fellowship of Christian

Athletes continue to meet on

Wednesday morning at 7:00 in the

lecture hall. All students, faculty, and

parents are invited to attend. We will

have many interesting guest speakers

for the second semester. A large group

of students continue to meet together

each week. Please join us and get

involved in a wonderful time of

fellowship and Bible study. Breakfast is

provided for all who attend. If there

are any questions please contact Lorri

Doss in room 219.

HHS Baseball Silent Auction

The Ledges

February 10, 2012

7:00-10:30 pm

Sunday Casual Attire

$100.00 for 2 people

to purchase tickets.....www.HHS-Baseball.com

Italian Style Dinner Buffet

DJ, www.metropolitandiscjockey.com

HHS Cheer Try-Outs

Try-outs for the 2012/2013 cheer squads will be Mar 10, and Mar 12-15, 2012. For more information,

along with forms to print and bring to the mandatory parent meeting for cheer candidates, visit the

HHS cheer website at http://hsvcheer.squarespace.com/

Congratulations to

Coach Mark Mincher

2011 Alabama State Baseball

Coach

of the Year

L. Esneault

Congratulations to Coach

Melanie Donahoo and the

HHS Panther Volleyball

Team

6A State Champs

-L. Esneault

Huntsville High Soccer Sends Two to NCAA!!!

Panther Soccer’s Alicia Hereford

(Auburn) and Rachel Ames (Yale)

make it official!!

Huntsville High Soccer sends its

CONGRATULATIONS and

BEST WISHES to Rachel and Alicia!

Come out and support HHS Soccer!

Varsity and junior varsity schedules posted @ www.hhspanthersoccer.org

HHS Swim & Dive Team

Swimmers: Parker Baldwin, Matthew Brown, Amanda Clark, Kelley Cooper, Jackson Herring, Dylan Holder, Ellery

Jones, Ethan Jones, Ann Ledyard, Elise Maurel, Sean McCarthy, Carter McDonald, Liz Olson, Cade Overbeek, Devon

Parsons, Jennifer Stark, Ella Sullins, John Smith, Karter Smith, Stone Strankman, Jared Sutphin, and Trey Wintzinger

Divers: Jordan Bagwell, Emily Caramanian, Shelby Christian, Ryann Holden, Anna Katherine Kimbrough, Savannah

Ledbetter, Lindsey Nalley, and Ryan Petroff

At the State Meet the boys placed 5th and the girls placed 11th. Congratulations to the following divers who placed in

the top 16 for this meet: Jordan Bagwell (6th) and Ryann Holden (10th) for the boys and Lindsey Nalley (10th) and

Savannah Ledbetter (12th) for the girls. The boys Medley Relay took 5th and included Carter McDonald, Matthew

Brown, Sean McCarthy, and Jared Sutphin. The girls Medley Relay took 6th and included Elise Maurel, Jennifer Starck,

Devon Parsons, and Liz Olson. Liz Olson took 7th in the 200 Free for the girls and Jared Sutphin took 14th for the boys.

Jennifer Starck took 13th in the 200 Individual Medley. John Smith took 5th in both the 50 Free and 100 Fly. Karter

Smith took 12th in the 50 Free. Sean McCarthy took 16th in the 100 Fly. In the 100 Free Elise Maurel took 15th. Liz Olson

took 7th in the 500 Free for the girls while Jared Sutphin took 13th for the boys. The Boys 200 Free Relay took 2nd and

included Sean McCarthy, Carter McDonald, Karter Smith, and John Smith. The Girls 200 Free Relay took 15th and

included Kelley Cooper, Ella Sullins, Amanda Clark, and Devon Parsons. Carter McDonald took 15th in the 100 Back.

Jennifer Starck took 6th in the 100 Breast. The boys placed 3rd in the 400 Free Relay and included Sean McCarthy,

Carter McDonald, Jared Sutphin, and John Smith. Both Liz Olsen and John Smith were selected for the Huntsville Times

Elite 1st Team while Honorable Mention members were Jordan Bagwell, Ryan Holden, Lindsey Nalley, and Savannah

Ledbetter for diving and Carter McDonald, Matthew Brown, Sean McCarthy, Karter Smith, Jared Sutphin, Jennifer

Starck, Devon Parsons, and Elise Maurel for swimming. HHS swimmers and divers that made the 2011 North Alabama

Champion Team were Elise Maurel, Liz Olsen, Jordan Bagwell, and John Smith.

Congratulations and Good Luck to the HHS Swim and Dive Team Seniors!

Harrison Hudson, Sean McCarthy, Lindsey Nalley, Keith Napolitano, Devon Parsons, Ryan Petroff, Taylor Ware, and

Annabeth Weakley

Many thanks go to the following: our faculty representatives Greg Taylor and Tina Jones, our swim coaches Paige

Brown and Travis Pinnix, and our dive coaches Steve Hall and Donald Overbeek. We would also like to thank booster

members Meg McCarthy - President, Holly Holder - Vice President, Diane Smith - Treasurer, and Sandra Parsons -

Secretary for their many hours of service. Great job swimmers and divers on a wonderful season! 15

The HHS Swim and Dive Team completed their

season at the Alabama High School State

Meet on December 2nd & 3rd at Auburn

University. Over the course of the season,

swimmers and divers were determined to

make the qualifying times and scores needed

to attend. HHS was well represented at the

AHSSA State Meet with thirty swimmers and

divers:

HHS Indoor Track

For the first time in six years, HHS now offers an indoor track program. The

Birmingham Crossplex, a newly constructed, world class facility, is host to the 4 regular season indoor

track meets, as well as the AHSAA Indoor State Meet held February 3 – 4. There are several

differences between indoor track and outdoor track. The indoor track is 200 meters instead of 400

meters. The indoor track is banked, but has a hydraulic system that allows the track to be lowered

when the athletes are running the 60 meter dash, which takes place in the middle of the track. In

indoor track, there is only a 60 meter hurdle race, with no 100, 110, or 300 meter hurdle events.

There are no javelin or discus events for obvious reasons. The 60 meter dash replaces the 100 meter

dash associated with outdoor track, because there is not room for the 100 straight dash. There is a

4x200 relay in indoor track, but not in outdoor.

This year, 45 athletes from HHS participate on the indoor track team, superbly coached by

Coach Terrance Young. Stephen Baker is the coach for the long distance events (800 meters and

longer), Brad Hill is the throwers coach, and Derrick Johnson is the sprinters coach. So far, HHS indoor

track athletes have participated in the Magic City Invitational on December 10, the Holiday Invitational

on December 17, and the Icebreaker Invitational on January 7. At the end of January, they will

participate in the Last Chance Invitational, prior to preparing for the AHSAA Indoor State Meet held in

February.

During the three earlier indoor track meets, Berta Ameliniate and brothers Brian and Grant Hill

performed well in shot put, with Grant holding a new school record. Nathan Vardaman placed in the

60 meter dash and the long jump. Cameron Rice, Rachel Wiggins, and Alexis Gaines placed in the 400

meter dash. In long distance events, Madeline Sharp placed in both the 1600 meter and 3200 meter

runs, with Matthew Little placing in the 1600 meter run. For boys short distance relays, Dominique

Bone, Nathan Vardaman, Deonta Moore, and Cameron Rice placed in the 4x200 meter relay. Nathan,

Deonta, and Cameron, along with Dylan Bishop also placed in the 4x400 meter relay. For long

distance relays, Matthew Little, Brett Cleary, Zachary Marsh, and Mark Chlarson placed in the boys

4x800 meter relay, with Madeline Sharp, Laurel Sharp, Stacy Solomon, and Alyssa Staubach placing in

the girls 4x800 meter relay.

Congratulations to all HHS indoor track athletes and good luck with your performance at the AHSAA

Indoor State Meet in February!

16

Huntsville High Theater Department

Oklahoma!

April 12-14 & 19-21 at 7:30 pm

April 15 & 21 at 2:00 pm

Huntsville High Theater presents the Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical favorite

"Oklahoma!". Bring the whole family and join Curly, Laurey, and the gang as they sing and dance to

some of your favorite show tunes such as "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'", "The Surrey With The

Fringe On Top", "People Will Say We're In Love", "Can't Say No" and of course, "Oklahoma!".

17

Huntsville High School

Exam Exemption Procedures

Pilot for Second Semester, 2012

The earned privilege of exam exemption is designed to reward students for academic performance, prompt and

regular attendance, and good behavior.

1. Students will NOT be eligible for exam exemption if they have been suspended out of school or placed in an

alternative school setting for that semester.

2. Students will NOT be eligible for exam exemption if they participate in, organize, or publicize a “senior prank” or

“senior skip” day.

3. Students will qualify for two exam exemptions if they have earned an overall 85% average, have a minimum of

85% in the class exam exempted, and have five or fewer absences including tardies (3 tardies = 1 absence).

4. Students may not exempt the same course exam twice during the calendar school year.

5. Students may NOT exempt Advanced Placement semester exams or end-of year AP National exams.

School sponsored field trips do not count as class absences. Prior permission from teachers must be obtained before

going on any field trip. These dates should be recorded as “field trip” in gradebook.

6. All absences – medical, parent note, prior permission, ISS, family trips, etc. – count against exam exemption.

The classroom/homeroom teacher record is final. Medical notes and parent notes must be on file within the

time period specified in the HCS Official Student-Parent Handbook and will not be accepted late in order to

exempt exams.

7. Exam exemptions must be used at the scheduled time of the exam. Teachers may not accept early exam

exemptions.

Prior to exams, the list of students who currently have an 85% or higher will be distributed to teachers. The teachers

will strike any student who exceeds five absences. Administrators will consult the list for discipline. A master list of

qualifying students will be compiled. Students who have met the requirements for exam exemptions will receive a

numbered exemption slip in homeroom. Students must acquire the teachers’ signatures for approval of those

exemptions. The signed exemption slips are returned to the homeroom teacher as a record. Students will NOT be

issued a second exemption slip if the original one becomes lost or damaged. Any student who abuses this exemption

policy will lose any future exemption privileges. 18

AlcoholEdu for High School Research Statistics (data provided by outsidetheclassroom.com)

What is meant by the term, ‘evidence-based’ program?

In general, this means there is good research behind these programs. You can compare outcomes in groups of

students who have taken the programs to groups who have not and there are statistically significant differences.

AlcoholEdu for High School is included on SAMSHA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) and

proven to increase knowledge, change student attitudes, behaviors and most importantly reduce

the negative consequences associated with underage drinking.

Our Data Shows that AlcoholEdu for High School:

•Engages teens: Over 90% of students said they paid attention to the course and over 80% of students recommend

the course to their peers. Research shows that teens prefer to receive alcohol prevention via the Internet.*

•Increases alcohol-related knowledge: The percentage of students passing the knowledge test increased by 32%

from pretest to posttest (p < .01), with 93% of students passing the test after completing the course. The average

score on the test increased from 66% to 84%.

•Undermines acceptance of underage drinking: The percentage of students reporting that drinking alcohol is never

acceptable for people under the age of 21 increased significantly from 37.8% at baseline to 47.5% after completing

the course (p < .001).

•Reduces Underage Drinking: The percentage of students who reported not drinking was significantly higher among

students completing the course than among the control group (76.7% vs. 73.9%, p < .001). In addition, the

percentage of students who reported that they drink and see no need to change their alcohol use was significantly

lower among students completing the course than among the control group (13.1% vs. 14.7%, p < .001).

•Reduces riding with an intoxicated driver: The percentage of students reporting they had ridden with a driver who

had been drinking decreased significantly from 27.1% at baseline to 23.5% after completing the course (p < .001).

Huntsville High School PTSA and Student Council present:

Free Alcohol Prevention Course for Parents

Help your teen make safer and healthier decisions!

AlcoholEdu for Parents uses videos, interactive exercises,

and only takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. 19

Access is Free and Easy:

1. Visit:

http://highschoolparents.alcoholedu.com/

2. Under New User type: 11PH00422PARENT

3. Click “Sign Up”

What does the course do?

Helps parents understand Social Host Liability

Dispels common misperceptions about underage

drinking

Assists with strategies and techniques for monitoring

and setting rules

Gives guidance on what to do if your teen is

experimenting

Gives expert advice for dealing with common

situations.

20

This section of the HHS PTSA Newsletter-College Edition is brought to you by

your Huntsville High School Counselors, the PTSA , and our HHS PTSA

Newsletter sponsors:

And…

College Prep for Freshmen and Sophomores – Ms. Wolfe

What you can do Freshman year to prepare for college:

1. Research colleges and find the ones that will fit your needs to be successful academically and hopefully socially and spiritually,

in my mind the more well-rounded you are in those three qualities the better prepared you will be to face life as an adult. Find

out everything you need to be accepted and then work back from there on your timeline.

2. Once you have your timeline in place, start planning with your parents, teachers and counselor your class schedule not only

for your freshman year but through your senior year, with the caveat that situations may change, it's important to have a

structure in place.

3. Enroll in challenging classes that will prepare you for the specific colleges you're looking it, making sure you cover all the core

subjects such as English, history, math, science and foreign languages.

4. Pick areas of interest in activities outside of school and participate in them, be it a sport, club, a drama or music group,

volunteering and work experience. Colleges are looking for more than great academic achievement; they want well-rounded

students who have passion for what they love. Your outside activities will reveal to the college a lot about your character and

what makes you tick.

(Information from http://www.youniversitytv.com/ )

What you can do Sophomore year to prepare for college:

1) I have a great brochure, short and to the point, titled “Planning Your Future for Sophomores.”

Please come by my office to pick one up. It provides several tips for what you should be doing right now to plan for life beyond

high school.

2) Keep volunteering! Volunteering is a great way to not only give back to the community, but also looks great on a college

and/or work application. I have volunteer hour sheets in my office on which you can keep track of where you volunteer, when

you volunteer, and the dates and times. Be sure to get someone from the volunteer organization to sign off on all volunteer

hours.

3) You should be working on the following things:

a) Develop an action plan for the rest of high school;

b) Continue to dedicate time to extracurricular activities;

c) Research careers and colleges; and

d) Begin financial planning.

(Information from www.Scholarships.com)

4) Please make it a point to schedule a time to see me to go over your plan for classes over the next few years, career

interests, and post-secondary education plans.

****All sophomores will take the Alabama High School Graduation Exam the week of March 19-23. Each day is a different

untimed test. The tests cover Language, Social Studies, Biology, Math, and Reading. If you have passed either Biology or Math

(or both) in the fall, then you do not have to retake those tests.*****

23

Online Resources for College Preparation

The information below has been taken from College Preparation websites (linked below) for your easy-access

convenience. You are able to access the highlighted links directly from this newsletter. They have been grouped in the

following order:

Preparation suggestions by grade

Test preparation (ACT, PACT, SAT, PACT)

Factors for Choosing a College

Application

Top 10 Application mistakes

Financial Aid

Alabama Colleges and Universities

Please take the time to access the following links for more great information about college prep:

http://www.actstudent.org

http://www.collegeboard.org/

Check list by Year http://www.actstudent.org/college/checklist.html

Freshman Year

Find out how to make the most of high school

Plan challenging high school courses

Find out why you should go to college

Become familiar with college entrance requirements

Take EXPLORE®—a set of four tests that measure academic achievement; EXPLORE results can be a

benchmark before taking PLAN® and the ACT® test

Review EXPLORE results with your parents and school counselor

Start thinking about reasons for attending college

Join/continue extracurricular activities

Attend summer camp at a college to experience a college-like atmosphere

Research college costs

Continue/start saving for college

Meet with your college/career counselor at least once a year

Explore careers on the Internet by using DISCOVER®

Sophomore Year

Continue to take and plan challenging high school courses

Continue to meet with your college/career counselor at least once a year

Keep exploring careers on the Internet by using DISCOVER® 24

Think about what kind of education/training different careers require

Take PLAN®

Review PLAN results with your parents and school counselor; compare these to your EXPLORE® results to

measure growth

Start collecting college information

Visit colleges and talk with college students

Be ready with a list of questions to ask on your campus visit

Use this list of college characteristics to decide how to evaluate different colleges

Begin filling out the college comparison worksheet (PDF; 1 page, 64KB); for assistance with PDF files, see

these tips

Continue/start saving for college

Consider your reasons for going to college and how they relate to your career interests

Join/continue extracurricular activities

Junior Year

Keep meeting with your college/career counselor at least once a year

Continue to take and plan challenging courses

Keep your grades up

Join an academic club

Register for the ACT. You should be academically ready to take it by spring. If not, take it early in your senior

year.

Read our key information about the ACT test

Talk with your parents and high school counselor about colleges that interest you

Prepare a list of questions to ask on campus visits

Continue to visit colleges and talk with college students

List, compare, and visit colleges

Start or update an academic resume

Consider putting together a portfolio that highlights your special skills and talents

Keep filling out the college comparison worksheet (PDF; 1 page, 64KB); for assistance with PDF files, see

these tips

Investigate scholarship opportunities

Volunteer for activities and clubs related to career interests

Get a part-time job, apprenticeship, or internship; or job shadow in a profession that interests you

Senior Year

Senior year is finally here, and it's full of things to do to get ready for college. Use this senior year checklist to keep

track of your progress and upcoming deadlines for testing, admissions and financial aid.

August

Sign up for the ACT (if you didn't take it as a junior, or if you aren't satisfied with your score, or if you've

learned a lot since you first took it.)

Review ACT test results and retest if necessary

25

August – December

Visit with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission

requirements

Consider taking courses at a local university or community college

Keep working hard all year; second semester grades can affect scholarship eligibility

Ask for personal references from teachers, school counselors, or employers early in the year or at least two

weeks before application deadlines. Follow your school's procedure for requesting recommendations.

Visit with admissions counselors who come to your high school

Attend a college fair

Begin your college essay(s)

Apply for admission at the colleges you've chosen

Avoid common college application mistakes

Find out if you qualify for scholarships at each college you have applied to

Start the financial aid application process

See your school counselor for help finding financial aid and scholarships

January – May

If you need it, get help completing the FAFSA

Ask your guidance office in January to send first semester transcripts to schools where you applied. In May,

they will need to send final transcripts to the college you will attend.

Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll

Decide which college to attend, and notify the school of your decision

Keep track of and observe deadlines for sending in all required fees and paperwork

Notify schools you will not attend of your decision

Continue to look for scholarship opportunities

Keep track of important financial aid and scholarship deadlines

Watch the mail for your Student Aid Report (SAR)—it should arrive four weeks after the FAFSA is filed

Compare financial aid packages from different schools

Sign and send in a promissory note if you are borrowing money

Notify your college about any outside scholarships you receive

26

Test Prep http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html

Preparing for the ACT (PDF; 80 pages, 1,075KB) or Preparación para el examen de ACT (PDF; 86 pages,

1.18MB) –FREE

A free student preparation booklet available from most high schools and colleges—includes test information,

complete practice tests with scoring keys, and a writing prompt with sample essays.

Practice test questions–FREE

Alternate Format Practice Tests Order Form (PDF; 1 page, 45KB)–FREE

Test tips–FREE

Test descriptions–FREE

College Board Tests provided by collegeboard.com

Follow the links below to register online for the SAT, view and send your SAT scores, and find all the information you

need — including exam dates and fees — for the SAT, SAT Subject Tests™, PSAT/NMSQT, AP, and CLEP.

SAT & Subject Tests PSAT/NMSQT AP CLEP

About About About About

Registration Registration Registration Registration

Calendar Calendar Calendar

SAT Practice Preparing Preparing Preparing

SAT Subject Tests Practice My College QuickStart™ Grades Scores & Transcripts

Scores Scores & Review Contact Contact

Contact Contact AP Subjects CLEP Exams

Getting Credit

Test taking Tips:

http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/tips/index.html http://www.satexamprep.com/index.html

27

Identify Important Factors in Choosing a College http://www.actstudent.org/college/factors.html

In choosing a college, the first things you'll probably consider will be the type of academic program and the availability of the major—or majors—you are most interested in.

Here are some other things to think about as you compare colleges. How you rank these other factors will depend largely on your personal preferences and needs.

Number your top five factors by importance below.

Location

distance from home

Environment

type of school (2-year or 4-year)

school setting (urban, rural)

location and size of nearest city

co-ed, male, female

religious affiliation

Size

enrollment

physical size of campus

Admission requirements

deadline(s)

test(s) required

average test scores, GPA, rank

special requirements

Academics

majors offered

special requirements

accreditation—recognized by regional or national accrediting bodies as meeting its objectives

student-faculty ratio

typical class size

College expenses

tuition, room and board

estimated total budget

application fee, deposits

Financial aid

deadline(s)

required forms

% of student population receiving aid

scholarships

part-time employment opportunities

Housing

residence hall requirements

availability

types and sizes

food plans

Facilities

academic

recreational

other

Activities

clubs, organizations

sororities/fraternities

athletics, intramurals

other

Campus visits

when to visit

special opportunities

28

Applying to Colleges http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/index.html

Applying to college takes thought, effort, and organization. Our tools and expert advice can help you keep track of applications, apply to college online, and write solid admission essays.

Articles

The Application

College Application Calendar

College Application FAQs

Preparing for Admission Tests

Your Counselor and the Application Process

Is Part of Your College Application Really Missing? NEW!

Avoid Sending Too Many Applications

See all Articles

Essay Skills

Sample College Essay Questions

Recipe for a Draft

Three Steps to a Great College Essay

See all Articles

The Letters Are In...

No Acceptance Letters: Now What?

College Decision-Making Guide

What to Do if You're Wait-Listed

See all Articles

Advice from ACT about what you need to do when you're applying to colleges. http://www.actstudent.org/college/applying.html

Become familiar with college entrance requirements

You should know about admissions requirements before you start applying to colleges. While particular

requirements vary, every college sets some standard for evaluating prospective students. Most

colleges look at your high school performance, course selections, and test scores to decide which

courses you will be allowed to take.

Register for and take college admissions tests

Most colleges want students to take a college entrance exam. Here is some helpful information about

registering and preparing for the ACT test.

Should you test again?

Sometimes it's hard to know if you should retake the ACT test. This article offers some things to think

about when you're considering whether you want to take the ACT test again. 29

Apply to "choice" colleges

The application process at each school is unique. Some things remain consistent though, and we have

advice to help you through the application process.

Top 10 college application mistakes

Know common college application blunders to avoid. Counselors and admissions staff share the most

common mistakes students make on college applications.

Top 10 College Application Mistakes http://www.actstudent.org/college/mistakes.html

Senior year is hectic, but don't let that affect the quality of your college applications. Take your time, pay attention to detail and plan

ahead so you can meet the deadlines.

Following are some of the top responses from counselors and admissions staff who shared the most common mistakes on college

applications.

1. Misspellings and grammatical errors—This is a big pet peeve of admissions people. Misspellings on something as important

as the application shows that either you don't care or you aren't good at spelling. Some students even misspell their

intended major. But don't stop with a spell check. Proofread for grammatical errors, too.

2. Applying online, but the application isn't actually submitted—If you apply online, you should receive confirmation that the

college or university received it. Confirmation could be an email message, a Web page response or a credit card receipt.

Follow through and make sure that your application has been received.

3. Forgotten signatures—Make sure you sign and date the form. Often students overlook that part of the form if it's on the

back. Check that all spaces are completed.

4. Not reading carefully—For example, if the form asks what County you live in, don't misread it as Country and write United

States.

5. Listing extracurricular activities that aren't—Those that make the list include sports, the arts, formal organizations and

volunteer work. Talking on the phone and hanging out with friends don't make the cut. Make sure your activity information

is accurate. Colleges may check with your high school.

6. Not telling your school counselor where you've applied—Let your counselor know which colleges you're applying to, and

ask him or her to review your high school transcript before sending it to colleges. Sometimes transcripts have errors.

7. Writing illegibly—First impressions count, so take your time and use your best handwriting. It will make a better

impression.

8. Using an email address that friends might laugh about, but colleges won't—Select a professional email address. Keep your

fun address for friends, but select an address using your name for college admissions.

9. Not checking your email regularly—If you've given an email address, the college will use it. You don't want to miss out on

anything because you didn't read your email.

10. Letting Mom or Dad help you fill out your application—Admissions people know if your parents help, whether you have

two different styles of handwriting or your admissions essay sounds more like a 45-year-old than a 17-year-old. It's fine to

get advice, but do the work yourself.

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Paying for College and Financial Aid http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/index.html

Understand all of your options when it comes to paying for college. We can help you get the latest information about college costs, scholarships, financial aid applications, education loans, and college financing. Use college costs and financial aid tools:

Scholarship Search

Financial Aid EasyPlanner

Articles

Add It Up

What It Costs to Go to College

Net Price Calculator

Financial Aid FAQs

See all Articles Scholarships & Aid

Where the College Scholarships Are

Financial Aid Calendar Apply Early and Follow All the Rules

See all Articles Ways to Pay

Reducing College Costs

College Tuition Tax Credits

Paying for College Is a Shared Responsibility

See all Articles Loan Center

The Borrowing Process and How It Works

See all Articles

Types of Financial Aid http://www.actstudent.org/finaid/types.html

Financial assistance to attend college comes in many forms.

Federal Aid Programs—Federal programs are based on financial need. They are the largest single source of financial aid

for college.

State Aid Programs—Most states support various aid programs (both need-based and merit). Generally, eligibility for

state need-based programs follows the federal guidelines.

Grants and Scholarships —Awards based on merit or merit plus need. They don't have to be repaid.

Loans—Funds loaned through a lending institution or college. Interest rates vary by program. For federal loans,

qualifying students—based on need—will not have to pay interest while in school. Loan programs also are available to

eligible parents to help with college expenses of their qualifying children.

Military programs—The military offers several options to help you pay for college. 31

Work-study programs—Jobs that allow students to earn money toward their education while they are enrolled in

school. Students can sometimes get jobs related to their program of study.

Working and Savings—As the cost of a college education rises, more students and parents will need to put money aside.

Lots of college students have part-time jobs to help make ends meet.

Most people use a combination of these forms of aid to pay for college.

Thinking about an in-state school? The following list represents a variety of

colleges and universities in Alabama. You can learn a lot by visiting a school’s

website – things like average ACT score requirements, application deadlines,

campus tour dates, and courses of study.

Alabama Colleges and Universities

Public Universities

Alabama A&M University - Normal, AL

Alabama State University - Montgomery, AL

Athens State University - Athens, AL

Auburn University - Auburn, AL

Auburn University at Montgomery - Montgomery, AL

Jacksonville State University - Jacksonville, AL

Troy University - Troy, AL

The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa, AL

University of Alabama at Birmingham - Birmingham, AL

University of Alabama in Huntsville - Huntsville, AL

University of Montevallo - Montevallo, AL

University of North Alabama - Florence, AL

University of South Alabama - Mobile, AL

University of West Alabama - Livingston, AL

University of Alabama System - Tuscaloosa, AL

Armed Forces

Army – www.army.com

Navy – www.navy.com

Air Force – www.airforce.com

Marines – www.marines.com

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Non-Profit Independent Institutions

Amridge University - Montgomery, AL

Birmingham-Southern College - Birmingham, AL

Concordia College - Selma, AL

Faulkner University - Montgomery, AL

Huntingdon College - Montgomery, AL

Judson College - Marion, AL

Miles College - Birmingham, AL

Oakwood University - Huntsville, AL

Samford University - Birmingham, AL

Spring Hill College - Mobile, AL

Stillman College - Tuscaloosa, AL

Talladega College - Talladega, AL

Tuskegee University - Tuskegee, AL

United States Sports Academy - Daphne, AL

University of Mobile - Mobile, AL

Public Two-Year Colleges

Alabama Southern Community College -Monroeville, AL

Bevill State Community College - Sumiton, AL

Bishop State Community College - Mobile, AL

Calhoun Community College - Decatur, AL

Central Alabama Community College - Alexander City, AL

Chattahoochee Valley Community College - Phenix City, AL

Drake State Technical College - Huntsville, AL

Enterprise State Community College - Enterprise, AL

Faulkner State Community College - Bay Minette, AL

Gadsden State Community College - Gadsden, AL

Ingram State Technical College - Deatsville, AL

Jefferson Davis Community Collegev - Brewton, AL

Jefferson State Community College - Birmingham, AL

Lawson State Community College - Birmingham, AL

Lurleen B. Wallace Community College - Andalusia, AL

Marion Military Institute - Marion, AL

Northeast Alabama Community College - Rainsville, AL

Northwest-Shoals Community College - Muscle Shoals, AL

Reid State Technical College - Evergreen, AL

Shelton State Community College - Tuscaloosa, AL

Snead State Community College - Boaz, AL

Southern Union State Community College - Wadley, AL

Trenholm State Technical College - Montgomery, AL

Wallace State Community College (Dothan) - Dothan, AL

Wallace State Community College (Hanceville) - Hanceville, AL

Wallace Community College (Selma) - Selma, AL 33