Grade Level Resources
Seniors
Seniors
Information for Seniors:
Congratulations! You have made it to your final year of high school. But, the work is not done! Your counselor will meet with you to discuss post high school transition plans, but you can seek your counselor out as often as needed through the year. Also, turn in your Legal Name Form to insure that your name is properly listed on your diploma!
Transcript Request Process:
We use Parchment, a free electronic transcript request fulfillment service. All seniors will be coached on setting up an account and how to request using Parchment. Please note that no teacher recommendations will be sent by school counselors. It will be the student's responsibility to request, collect and send those to colleges. However, most colleges and universities use their own electronic submission process for recommendations.
College Bound Students:
Register for SAT/ACT tests
* It is recommended that seniors take the SAT/ACT at least one time. If you wait until fall of senior year you may put pressure on yourself in meeting deadlines if you choose to re-take it.
Apply to college(s) of your choice
* As you complete each application, notify your counselor so that an official transcript can be sent.
Athletes - Planning to play college sports?
* Review NCAA requirements.
* Please check out this link to the NCAA Eligibility Center to register to see if you qualify for college athletics (requires a fee)
* Be sure to have all official SAT or ACT scores sent to NCAA. You can choose them to receive scores at the time you register for the SAT (www.collegeboard.org).
Scholarships:
* Visit the Scholarship Center in the School Counseling Office regularly, to investigate scholarship offers. Remember that we receive information on a number of scholarships. However, there are many scholarships available that we do not receive. Investigate your parent’s place of employment, church, local agencies, etc.
Financial Aid:
* Schedule an appointment with Mrs. Williams our GRASP (Great Aspirations Scholarship Program) representative who serves as a financial aid counselor. She comes twice a month and provides a wealth of information regarding financial assistance. A sign-up sheet is on the white board in the School Counseling Office. She comes the first and third Tuesday of the month.
* Attend the Financial Aid Workshop – to be held at the high school during the month of October.
* Complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)-this is required and recommended to be submitted by February of your senior year for you to be considered for federal and state grants and loans. This will assist colleges with preparing your financial aid package. All students attending a 2 or 4 year school should complete this application, but many trade and technical schools also may take the FAFSA. You can submit a FAFSA as early as Oct. 1 now! Priority submission deadlines for college are generally around March 1. See the Opportunities Guides for a list of schools and their preferred deadline
Acceptance Information:
* Notify your counselor once you have decided where you will attend college. We must keep a list of the school each student will be attending in order to send out a final transcript.
Other Resources:
Check out the Document Manager tab for resources about Virginia colleges.
Military Bound Students:
* Finalize your decision as to which branch of the military you plan to enlist with.
* Contact and form a relationship with a recruiter.
* You will need to work with your recruiter to complete items such as the ASVAB test (which is given each spring here at NKHS). Recruiters often transition, so come by the office to learn who the recruiter is for the branch you are interested in and when/if the recruiter will be at lunches soon.
Work Bound Students:
Investigate your place of employment.
* Is there room for growth?
* Are you working to move up in the company, save for college or trade school, help support your family, etc?
* Investigate what changes will take place if you continue to live at home, move out on your own, etc.
* Be familiar with all expenses involved.
* Create a resume and cover letter. See your counselor if you need assistance.
Questions?:
Please do not hesitate to contact your counselor should questions arise as you prepare for your post high school plans.
Juniors
Juniors
Information for Juniors
* Get Involved! Join clubs or athletic teams here at the school. Volunteer in the community. Take advantage of the opportunities provided to you; they look great on any type of application you fill out.
* Keep track of all you do in high school and continue to update your resume. The resume is a great tool you can use when seeking letters of recommendation. Teachers often ask for a resume or list of your high school involvement to aid in writing the letter.
* Start self exploration by going to:vawizard.org and vacareerview.org These websites include assessments that allow you to investigate your interests.
College Bound Students
(This includes trade and technical schools – requirements are similar to those of 2 and 4 year colleges.)
Stay focused! Your junior year grades will be the final set of grades that will be listed on your transcript when it is sent to each school you apply to in the fall of your senior year.
Register to Take the PSAT
* Juniors who take the PSAT may qualify for merit based scholarships based on testing results.
Register for SAT/ACT Tests
* It is recommended that juniors take the SAT/ACT one to two times during his/her junior year.
* NKHS is a SAT testing site in October, November, March, and June.
Investigate college(s) of your choice
* This includes 2 and 4 year colleges and universities, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and technical schools.
* Attend open houses.
* Spring Break is a great time to visit schools.
* Become familiar with entrance requirements. Maintaining the rigor in classes, while excelling, is still a huge factor for most colleges and universities in determining admissions.
Athletes - Planning to play college sports?
* Review NCAA requirements.
* Any junior desiring to play college athletics must register at the NCAA Eligibility Center. This does require a fee.
* Be sure to have all official SAT or ACT scores sent to NCAA. Your counselor can upload your transcript, but the counselor cannot submit SAT and ACT official scores.
Scholarships
* Visit the Scholarship Center in the School Counseling Office to investigate scholarship offers.
* The majority of scholarships we receive are for seniors; however, on occasion we will receive scholarships for juniors.
* We will also list this information in the daily bulletin and on the announcements so be sure to read and listen closely.
* Remember - we receive information on a number of scholarships; however, there are many available that we do not receive.
Financial Aid
* We encourage you and your parents to attend the Financial Aid Workshop to be held at the high school during the month of October, to become familiar with the financial aid process.
Summer Before Senior Year
* Check out this list of the Top 10 Things Rising Seniors Can Do This Summer for some helpful information.
Military Bound Students
* Investigate your decision as to which branch of the military you plan to enlist with.
* Contact and form a relationship with a recruiter.
* You will need to work with your recruiter to complete items such as the ASVAB test.
Work Bound Students
Investigate your place of employment.
* Is there room for growth?
* Are you working to move up in the company, save for college or trade school, help support your family?
* Investigate what changes will take place if you continue to live at home, move out on your own, or other options.
* Be familiar with all expenses involved.
Questions?
Please do not hesitate to contact your counselor should questions arise as you prepare for your post high school plans.
Sophomores
Sophomores
Information for Sophomores
* Get Involved! Join clubs or athletic teams here at the school. Volunteer in the community. Take advantage of the opportunities provided to you; they look great on any type of application you fill out.
* Keep track of all you do in high school. Update your resume.
* Continue self exploration by going to: vawizard.org and vacareerview.org These websites include assessments that allow you to investigate your interests.
* Stay focused! Every year you are in high school your grades are recorded on an academic transcript that will be sent to the college(s) you apply to your senior year. It is really important for you to commit yourself to your schoolwork now because it could impact which schools you will be able to get into when it is time to apply your senior year and it could determine the careers available to you after graduation.
Investigate College(s) & Their Entrance Requirements:
* This includes 2 and 4 year colleges and universities, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and technical schools.
* Attend open houses.
* Spring Break is a great time to visit schools. Ask your counselor for questions to ask college representatives.
*Taking on a rigorous program of study and excelling in it are two of the biggest factors in admissions to four-year colleges and universities. Do not choose the easiest options; raise the bar in your best subjects!
When signing up for classes for your junior year, make sure to take challenging courses in your core academic subjects. Also, make sure you are signing up for classes that will help you meet your graduation requirements.
Questions?
Please do not hesitate to contact your counselor should questions arise as you prepare for your post high school plans.
Freshmen
Information for Freshmen
* Meet with your school counselor to discuss your career and college goals, and talk about your four-year high school plan.
* Get Involved! Join clubs or athletic teams here at the school. Volunteer in the community. Take advantage of the opportunities provided to you; they look great on any type of application you fill out.
* Keep track of all you do in high school starting this year. Start a resume that includes: sports, activities, work and volunteer opportunities, leadership roles. The resume is a great tool you can use when seeking letters of recommendation. Teachers often ask for a resume or list of your high school involvement to aid in writing the letter.
* Start self exploration by going to: vawizard.org and vacareerview.org These websites include assessments that allow you to investigate your interests.
* Grades are important! This is your first year at the high school so it is important to keep in mind that your grades from freshman year until the end of your senior year will affect your overall high school grade point average (GPA). Every year you are in high school your grades are recorded on an academic transcript that will be sent to the colleges you apply to your senior year.
Consider Taking the PSAT:
If you are accelerated in math and want to strive to be eligible to take college credit, dual enrollment math in 10th grade, be sure to register to take the PSAT. It is only given one time a year and you can sign up in the School Counseling Office no later than mid-September of each year. The PSAT is a practice SAT and gives you a chance to become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT.
Carefully Plan Your Experiences and Classes to Explore Careers:
Plan to use your summer wisely. Anything that you do extra during the summer months looks good on both job applications and college applications. Investigate different work, volunteer, and summer courses available for you through your school counselor.
Start thinking about several career paths that you are interested in. Also, see how much education is required for each career and begin researching which colleges in the area offer the intended major for your intended career. School counselors meet one-on-one with each freshman to develop an Academic & Careers Plan. Parents may request a meeting at any time to review this plan and/or to simply ask questions.
When signing up for classes for your sophomore year, make sure to take challenging courses in your core academic subjects. Also, make sure you are signing up for classes that will help you meet your graduation requirements.
Questions?
Please do not hesitate to contact your counselor should questions arise as you prepare for your post high school plans. We can answer questions about what classes to take in high school, how to sign up for standardized tests, how to finance your education after high school, and much more.
Rising 9th Grade
Welcome Rising 9th Graders!
We are excited to welcome you as the graduating class of 2027! Below you will find resources that will help with your transition to high school.
Program of Study: This document details all of the classes we offer at the high school. It also gives you more information about the difference between a standard and advanced diploma.
Rising 9th Grade PowerPoint: This PowerPoint gives you a look at what your schedule will be like in high school and the classes you could be taking.