Counselor's Corner

Cindy Welch - Counselor/Academic Adviser

This web page is intended to keep you updated on the many changes in education. You will find SAT and ACT testing information, college websites, scholarships, career guidance information, and more. If you have any questions, please contact me at:
[email protected]

(830) 563 - 2491 ext. 405

REMIND APP

Join my REMIND groups for important updates. If you already have the app search for your class. PARENTS - please join too!!

Seniors = Senior Class of 2023

Juniors = Class of 2024

Sophomores = Class of 2025

Freshman = Class of 2026

8th = Class of 2027

7th = Class of 2028

6th = Class of 2029

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Counseling Services

West Texas Counseling and Guidance

325-944-2561

Based out of San Angelo but have an office in Del Rio

Sul Ross Graduate Program offers free counseling and extended/after hours

College and Community Counseling

830-719-8311

Uvalde Services

Elite Counseling Services

830-591-2250

Uvalde Together Resiliency Center

830-276-1369

VictimConnect is an OVC-funded service that offers confidential assistance to victims of crime. Trained specialists are available to help you locate services in your area, including mental health counseling, legal services, and more. Contact VictimConnect from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time at:

Phone: 855-4-VICTIM (855-484-2846)
Chat: https://chat.victimsofcrime.org/victim-connect
Dial 711 and VictimConnect staff can provide services through an interpreter in more than 200 languages, and to hearing- and speech-impaired individuals.

Disaster Distress Helpline

The Disaster Distress Helpline, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is a national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling.

This 24/7 toll free, multilingual, crisis support service is available to residents in the United States and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters, including incidents of mass violence. Call or text the hotline at 800-985-5990.

Victim Compensation

Texas’ Crime Victims’ Compensation Program, funded in part through the OVC-administered Crime Victims Fund, may help offset a victim’s financial burden related to funeral, mental health, medical, and other expenses. Following is contact information for this program:

Crime Victims’ Compensation Program
Phone: 800-983-9933
Email: www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/crime-victims/crime-victim-services-contact-us

Crisis Hotlines

Family Abuse Center, Inc. 1-800-799-7233

Hill Country Mental Health 1-877-466-0660

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233

National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline 1-800-331-9474

Rape Crisis Center (210) 349-7273

Teen Crisis Hotline 1-800-233-TEEN

Texas Department of Family & Protective Services 1-800-252-5400
Child Protection Services & Adult Protective Services

Texas DFPS Runaway Hotline 1-888-580-4357

Texas Youth Hotline 1-800-989-5777

Turning Point Rape Crisis Center 1-800-886-7273

Suicide Hotlines

LGBT Youth Suicide Hotline 1-866-4U-TREVOR

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-784-2433
1-800-273- (TALK) 8255

or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Suicide Prevention Text Line 1-800-799-4889

Crisis text lifeline Text "HOME" to 741741 for FREE, 24/7 crisis support in the U.S.

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Welch's Calendar of Deadlines, Dates and Events Click Here to view my calendar.

Texas Oncourse Calendar - Step by step college prep guide on what to do when starting 7th grade and continuing through 12th

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SENIORS - Don't forget to share your acceptance letters with me so I can add your picture to the acceptance wall.

Come see me if you need help with your college applications, sending transcripts, FAFSA application and all your other college needs. I am here to help you however I can!!

CONGRATS to the following seniors on their acceptance to the following university/college/technical school, workplace, etc...

Emma - Texas Tech Honors College, ASU, & University of Wyoming

Carlos - SWTJC

Haileigh - SWTJC, University of the Incarnate Word & Tyler Junior College, Texas A&M Kingsville

Refugio - Angelo State University, Tyler Junior College, Houston Christian University, Blinn College, Midland College, Mary Hardin Baylor

Solana - SWTJC, Mary Hardin Baylor, McMurry University

Briana - Angelo State University

Jacy - Texas Tech, UNT, UTSA, & Texas A&M Corpus Christi

Shealee - San Antonio College, Navarro College

Ivan - Tarrant County College

Peyton - ASU, UTSA

Karyme - University of the Incarnate Word, Our Lady of the Lake University

AJ R - Amistad DDS

Aaron - UT, UTSA, ASU

Yvonne - Michelle Munoz DDS

Reagan - Texas Tech University, ASU

Brittany - SWTJC

Jose - Air Force

Ruby - Air Force

Mason - D&D Hardware

Danielle - Air Force

Nick - D&D Hardware

Talia - Marymount Manhattan College, Texas Tech, Mount St. Vincent, Sul Ross, Manhattan College

Alexis - SWTJC, Sul Ross

Max - Navarro College, Wayland Baptist University

Isaac - UTSA

Samantha - University of the Incarnate Word, Schriner, Texas A&M San Antonio, Texas State, ASU

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2022-2023 FAFSA

On October 1, 2021, the 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will become available. Parents of college-bound students and 12th-grade college-bound students, please take a look at the ton of Federal Student Aid resources provided by the United States Department of Education. Follow the link for info:

More FAFSA information can be found at:
www.aie.org

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ONLINE COLLEGE FAIR

Unfortunately we will not be able to attend the Del Rio College Night as we did last year BUT you can attend your very own ONLINE version through the following sites...

Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers - https://falltacrao.swoogo.com/2020Virtual

Free College Exploration website... https://collegefairsonline.com/

Every student that registers is entered to win a $300 scholarship and re-entered every time they ask a question on a virtual booth and/or fill out an information request form, the more you participate the more times you are entered. The winner will be drawn the end of May 2021.

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ONLINE COMPENDIUM

The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation has partnered with the Comptroller’s office to provide this list of Texas colleges and universities, so that students can access information about tuition, admission requirements, application deadlines, financial aid data, and scholarships.

Click on the link below to open up a complete list of schools. Click on any of the school names and it will open up a list of all the information you need to know - application deadlines, tuition, and fees, acceptance requirements, etc.

TEXAS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

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TSI Testing

The Texas Success Initiative Assessment, better known as the TSI test, is a program which determines the appropriate level of college course work for an incoming college students. It is also used to determine is a student is qualified to take dual credit courses. The TSI test consists of three separate exams: Mathematics, Reading, and Writing. Click HERE for study guides and much more.

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Bullying Awareness and Prevention

A Guide to Bullying Awareness and Prevention:
http://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/bullying-awareness-guidebook/

Cyber and physical bullying are undeniable problems, but they're often mistakenly assumed to have dissipated by college. This is particularly true for minority groups, members of the LGTBQ community, and students with disabilities. Like so many misunderstood issues, education and awareness are the best bullying prevention tools we have. A few major points in this guide include bullying prevention techniques, expert interviews that provide a window to others' experiences, and statistics and data about specific types of bullying, including cyberbullying, sexual bullying, physical bullying and more.

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THECB, TWC launch Texas CREWS website enabling students to explore higher education options

Prospective college students exploring higher education options in Texas now have an additional resource to help them choose the right college and program of study. As part of a federal Workforce Data Quality Initiative, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) partnered to create Texas CREWS (Consumer Resource for Education and Workforce Statistics). This user-friendly Web application compares employment, wage and student loan debt data across Texas’ public two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Texas CREWS can be accessed online at txcrews.org.

“Texas CREWS assists students and parents in connecting the value between a college program of study with marketable workplace skills essential to employment prospects and long-term career success,” said TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing the Public Andres Alcantar. “This interactive tool provides students with better information to guide their decisions about post-secondary fields of study.”

With easy-to-use scroll-down menus and color charts, Texas CREWS features actual labor market data for graduates up to 10 years post-college. This online tool also allows for side-by-side comparisons of programs across multiples institutions.

“Texas CREWS provides students and parents with comparative data for the diverse higher education opportunities in Texas,” said THECB Commissioner Raymund Paredes. “This enables students to make informed decisions about their college and career choices.”

Texas CREWS and other online tools offered by THECB and TWC allow students to evaluate their career and college options based not solely on their interests, but also on that program and the ability of the college to provide them with the skills and training needed to secure a good job and prepare them for long-term success in the workforce after graduation.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board provides leadership and coordination for the Texas higher education system. Since being created by the Texas Legislature in 1965, the Board has worked to achieve excellence for the college education of Texas students. The Board meets four times a year. Meetings occur in Austin but are usually also broadcast on the Web.
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/

Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) website offers information about graduation requirements, education laws, curriculum (TEKS), testing information, and so much more. Click Texas Education Agency above for more information.

Texas High School Graduation Requirements

What are Advanced Measures on the Distinguished Achievement Plan?

Texas Virtual School Network

Courses not offered at Brackett High School may be taken online through Tx VSN if courses and space are available when semesters begin at Brackett High School. Click on Texas Virtual School Network above to view course offerings.

CLASS RANK/TOP TEN PERCENT /HIGHEST RANKING STUDENT
For two school years following his or her graduation, a district student who graduates in the top ten percent of his or her class is eligible for automatic admission into four-year public university or college in Texas if the student:

Completes the Recommended or Advanced/Distinguished Achievement Program; or
Satisfies the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks ( 18 English, 21 Reading, 22 Mathematics, and 24 Science) or earns at least a 1500 out of 2400 on the SAT(Critical Reasoning+Math+Writing)

New College Resources

http://www.comparecollegetx.com

http://www.collegecost.ed.gov/

http://www.aie.org

www.march2success.com

College Admissions - New Policy

Uniform Admission Policy

The Uniform Admissions Policy is new legislation that all four-year public universities in Texas must carry out. Per state law, Uniform Admissions Policy requires that all students must meet one of the following college readiness standards to be eligible for consideration for admission at a four-year public institution.

Successfully complete the recommended or advanced high school program or complete the program that was available to them; or
Successfully complete a curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to the recommended or advanced high school program at a high school that is exempt form offering such programs; or
Satisfy the College Readiness Benchmarks on the SAT or ACT assessment: SAT -1500 out of 2400 (Critical Reasoning+Math+Writing); ACT - 18 English, 21 Reading, 22 Math, and 24 Science.

TEXAS A&M University - New December 1st Deadline:

New Deadline - December 1: The deadline for both Admission and Scholarships is now the same - December 1, All required credentials should be received by December 1 in order to be considered for both Admission and Scholarships.

Electronic upload of required documents: Upon receipt of an application for admissions, all other required credentials can now be uploaded electronically via the Applicant Information System (AIS) at applicant.tamu.edu. This will significantly reduce the time to process credentials, and we highly encourage all students to take advantage of this feature. Name and ID should be included at the top of all documents.

Apply and submit credentials early: Many high-demand majors fill up early, often well before the established deadlines. It is important to apply early and make sure all required credentials are turned in as soon as possible in order to maximize opportunities with choices of major. Note: A student can only be considered for an admission decision once their file is complete; schools or districts that have policies that delay issuing transcripts can negatively impact a student in admission process.

Submit a complete and thorough application: All elements of the Admission and Scholarship application are important in determining a student's competitiveness. All students should take the time necessary to provide the university with a complete picture of all accomplishments.

Top 10% Rankings: All Top 10% students should have a numerical rank noted on the transcript, regardless of whether or not the school ranks.

The ApplyTexas application (www.applytexas.org) will open on August 1, and we are eager to work with you and your students this coming year.

Thanks and Gig 'Em,

Scott McDonald

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of Admissions

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TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:

Subject: The University of Texas at Austin Automatic Admission Policy (Senate Bill 175)

Senate Bill 175, passed by the 81st Texas Legislature allows The University of Texas at Austin to limit automatic admission to 75 percent of the university’s enrollment capacity designated for first-time resident undergraduate students.

The University has determined that it will automatically admit all eligible 2014 summer/fall freshman applicants who rank within the top 7% of their high school graduating classes, with remaining spaces to be filled through holistic review. A letter from University President William Powers, Jr. is attached to this correspondence.

This information should be shared with all high school junior-level students and their parents.

If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact Dr. Kedra Ishop, Vice Provost and Director of Admissions at The University of Texas at Austin at (512) 475-7399.

Sincerely,

Michael L. Williams
Commissioner of Education

HOW DO I APPLY TO COLLEGE?

Steps to Follow:

Take a college entrance exam (ACT or SAT) (Fee waivers are available in the counselor's office for free or reduced lunch students)
Take an Interest Inventory (PLAN, ASVAB, Career Cruising)
Research Colleges and Universities, then Apply - www.applytexas.org
Research Scholarships and Apply
Fill out the FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid
A high school transcript (minimum of 6 semesters) must be sent to colleges. Make request in high school office.
Apply for Housing
After high school graduation remember to send final transcript

Things to remember:

Applications to colleges have a fee - fees vary per university (Fee waivers are available in the counselor's office for free or reduced lunch students)

Essays, letters of recommendation, and a resume are required in many college applications.

Financial Aid for College

Top 10 Questions Parents Ask

How can we afford the higher cost of a private college?
• What type of financial aid is available?
• Can we find out how much aid colleges will offer before my student applies to them?
• What’s the best way for my student to find scholarship opportunities?
• What’s the first step in applying for student financial aid?
• How do we begin filing a FAFSA?
• When should we complete and submit the FAFSA?
• Do colleges have deadlines for their best financial aid offers?
• Will the same financial aid my student receives as a freshman be awarded automatically in his/her sophomore, junior and senior years?
• What if our family’s income is too high to qualify for need-based financial aid, or too low for aid to make much difference?
• BONUS QUESTION: Do we have to accept any student loan offers?

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Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

It is recommended that you contact the Financial Aid Office at the institution you wish to attend to find out what is available to you and what documents your should file with that office. You will probably be required to complete the college's financial aid application for and submit information regarding your family's finances. This can usually be accomplished by submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early in January of your senior year as possible. Some institutions have a February/March deadline and most financial aid is allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

www.ed.gov/finaid: administered by the U.S. Department of Education (D.O.E.) and contains information on major student aid programs, including Pell Grants and Stafford Loans.

http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/: official U.S. D.O.E. site featuring information on federal student aid programs, including student Federal Stafford Loans and parent PLUS Loans.

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) takes students line-by-line through the financial aid filing process.

Welcome to Student Aid on the Web, the U.S. Department of Education's site for free information on preparing for and funding education beyond high school.

Whether you're in elementary or high school, parent or counselor, our site offers for all a wealth of information and publications. We are here to help you make informed decisions regarding all phases of a college, technical or trade school education and career choice.2010-2011 Federal School Code List Students will use these codes to apply for financial aid.

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Texas College Links
Research Texas colleges and find one that fits your needs. Look at majors, size of university, location, cost, size of the city, etc.

Apply to Texas colleges with one application!

For private or out of state colleges use the Common Application

If you need a scratch copy of the Apply Texas application, college codes, or other college information go to: College For All Texans web site.

Need more information:
My College Options

Code ID numbers for colleges and universities
or
CEEB codes for colleges and universities

TESTING
When to take college entrance exams!
Most students take the ACT and/or the SAT during the spring of their junior year of high school. Many students choose to take the exams a second time in the fall of their senior year after becoming familiar with the test day experience.

Register for the SAT and access FREE SAT practice tests at www.collegeboard.org.

Brackett High School Code - 440805

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Applying to two colleges instead of one makes it 40% more likely a student will enroll in a four-year college. If you apply to more than two, then your chances of enrolling will be even better.

$21,000 is the average amount per year that a college grad earns over those with only a high school diploma.
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PSAT information: www.collegeboard.org or www.collegeboard.org/quickstart

SAT Skills Insight helps you familiarize yourself with and practice for the SAT.
Skills Insight™: Skills, Scores and Hundreds of Practice Questions
PSAT/NMSQT Skills Insight is available now! Designed for students, parents and educators, this new tool demonstrates the link between PSAT/NMSQT scores and college readiness skills. It is also offers hundreds of skill descriptions and practice questions. See what it's all about at www.collegeboard.com/psatskills.

My SAT Online Score Report shows you the meaning behind your scores. It includes information about percentiles, a copy of your essay and details about your performance on different types of questions.

sat.collegeboard.com/practice - Features practice questions, an official practice test and The Official SAT Question of the Day.

Juniors who have taken the PSAT/NMSQT, sign in to My College QuickStart. There you can review your previous test prerformance and follow a personalized study plan aligned to the lessons in The Official SAT Online Course.

As part of College Readiness, BISD administers, at no cost to students, the PLAN (pre ACT test) to sophomores, and the PSAT/NMSQT (pre SAT test) to Juniors. The test will be given to students on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 here at the high school.

ACT includes sections on English (45 minutes), math (60 minutes), reading (35 minutes) and science (35 minutes). It also includes an optional writing (30 minutes) section. Section scores range from 1 to 36. One being the lowest.

ACT test fee plus writing is $54.50.

Register for the ACT at www.actstudent.org.

Brackett High School Code - 440-805

ACT Test Prep Web Sites and phone numbers:

Preparing for the ACT
ACT Sample Tests-(800) 553-6244, ext. 1429, to order
The Real ACT Prep Guide
Additional resources

This is a site sponsored by the United States Army. It has lots of information and test taking practice and help. Find out more about the ASVAB test here too!

Go to www.march2success.com

Southwest Texas Junior College

Brackett ISD has an articulated agreement with SWTJC to offer our students the opportunity to take college (dual credit) courses and Tech Prep courses.

Dual Credit Requirements

Get a head start on your college education! Dual Credit courses allow high school students to earn college credit and still cover the required high school classes. Dual credit is offered to juniors and seniors at lower rates than college classes, so this is a great way to get ahead of the game! For more information, please contact your counselor. See files listed below for Course Descriptions.

Local Articulation

is a program for high school students that will pursue a college education after high school. The goal of the program is to target and strengthen specific skills for highly competitive jobs. By enrolling in designated locally articulated high school courses, you can benefit by receiving college credit hours good towards a 2-year Associate in Applied Science degree (A.A.S.). Go to www.swtjc.net, click on Programs, and then link to Local Articulation for more information.

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Free Scholarship Search: www.studentaid.ed.gov/scholarship

Scholarships and More!
Be sure and watch those deadlines.
If you need a letter of recommendation, give the writer time to get it done. And don't forget to write a thank you note to the writer and the scholarship donor.

Free e-book

http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/ebook/