Eastlake High School

Grades: Work hard in your classes. Continue to use good work habits and time management skills for homework. Use Wolf Time, teacher office hours, and other EHS resources if you need support.

Activities: Get involved in activities inside and outside of school that are meaningful to you. Attend the EHS Club and Community Service Fair (it’s virtual this year!) and consult the Eastlake College and Career Microsoft Classroom Team for enrichment ideas.

Stay in the know: Find information about college and career events, post high school options, college, financial aid, scholarships, career exploration, contests, jobs, internships, volunteer and more on the College and Career Microsoft Classroom Team, Instagram (@ehscollegeandcareercenter and @ehs_counselors_wsps), and the Wolves Weekly.

Visit Opportunities, Area Events and Fairs: Eastlake’s college, military, and speaker visits will be virtual this fall. Find the schedule in our Classroom Team and check the Area Events calendar for additional opportunities. The NACAC College Fairs are free and virtual. Dive in and explore.

High School and Beyond Plan: The  HSBP is a Washington state graduation requirement that supports students in exploring their career interests, planning high school coursework aligned to interests, researching schools, keeping track of activities and more throughout their 4-years at Eastlake. The Plan is designed to enable students to successfully pursue education or training after graduation. LWSD uses Xello to house HSBP tools and assignments. You will participate in grade level activities.

PSAT: All LWSD Sophomores typically take a (free) PSAT as practice for the "real" Junior year PSAT (which is also a practice). Remember that the 10th grade PSAT is just a "practice for a practice" which means ZERO stress. The PSAT is typically offered in October but will be delayed until winter. Stay tuned for details.

Eastlake's December 2021 Sophomore Presentation included an overview of:

• Counseling Resources
• Social/Emotional Support Resources
• Drug/Alcohol Support Resources
• Grad Requirements
• Transcripts
• How to Calculate GPA
• PSAT Results
• SAT/ACT planning
• High School and Beyond Plan

SAT/ACT Planning: Start thinking about the SAT/ACT. Many schools are test optional but prepping can maximize options later. The PSAT can serve as a practice SAT, but it's nice to take a practice ACT so you know which test works best for you. Colleges will accept either. Attend Mrs. McGuigan's SAT/ACT Planning Wolf Time and consider taking advantage of the winter SAT and ACT practice tests offered by the EHS PTSA.

Register for the upcoming School Year: Register for courses for the next school year. Participate in EHS Registration Week activities, AP/UW in the High School Information Night, Electives Fair, and Wolf Time Information Sessions to help make your choices. Junior year courses and grades will be important so make thoughtful selections.

Activities: Keep track of activities, work experience, etc. in your Xello portfolio. Trust us, you’ll appreciate good record keeping during Senior Year.

Summer Plans: Start thinking about summer. Volunteer? A summer job? Career exploration program on a college campus? See our Classroom Team for ideas.

Athletes: Get familiar with NCAA Eligibility requirements if you want to play sports in college.

CTE Dual Credit: Career and Technical Education (CTE) Dual Credit provides career pathways for high school students and the chance to earn dual high school and college credit for eligible Eastlake CTE classes. Register and pay for credit by June 15th

Summer Activity or Work: Plan to relax and participate in a meaningful summer activity or work as time permits.

Visits: Start visiting colleges and other post high school options to get a sense of what you like and don’t.

SAT and ACT: Consider doing the bulk of your SAT/ACT prep this summer. You can always fine tune throughout Junior year, but it will be good to have the heavy lifting behind you. Link your 10th grade PSAT results to Khan Academy for free summer practice tools. You'll roll into the 11th grade PSAT/NMSQT with confidence.

Options: There are so many options and we're here to help. We've loaded the College and Career Microsoft Classroom Team with resources on the 4-year college, community/technical college, apprenticeships, military, gap year and direct-to-work pathways.

Stay in the know: Find information about college and career events, post high school options, college, financial aid, scholarships, career exploration, contests, jobs, internships, volunteer and more on the College and Career Microsoft Classroom Team. Check out the Wolves Weekly and the (@ehscollegeandcareercenter and @ehs_counselors_wsps) Instagram pages.

Senior Seminar: Counselors will visit senior English classrooms this fall to review post secondary planning and answer questions. Stay tuned for details!

Visit Opportunities, Area Events and Fairs: Eastlake’s college, military, and speaker visits will be virtual this fall. Find the schedule in our Classroom Team and check the Area Events calendar for additional opportunities. The NACAC College Fairs are free and virtual.
Finalize College List: Make sure your list includes a mix of comfort (safety), match, and reach schools. Take note of requirements and due dates. Use an application tracker or spreadsheet to keep yourself organized. 

Applications: Get started or continue working on applications. Plan to meet all deadlines. If you need a fee waiver, contact your counselor. App portals vary by school and include the Common Application, Coalition application, state-wide systems and individual school portals. If you need help, check Teams for resources and/or drop into one of our fall application support sessions during Live Wednesday, Wolf Time, and other times.

Grades: With test scores optional at many schools this year, grades and other application elements become more important. Work hard and access EHS support through Wolf Time and teacher office hours as needed.

SAT/ACT: If a college requires scores and/or you wish to include them as part of your app, send them directly from College Board or ACT to your intended colleges. Most schools are test optional for the Class of 2022.

College Essays: You will do a practice college or scholarship essay in your senior Eastlake English course. Essay prompts are unique to each application. Check if supplemental essays are also required.

Transcripts: Carefully check requirements. Common Application: Your counselor will automatically upload a transcript. Coalition Application: Make the transcript request to your counselor within the college-specific portion of the portal. Some large schools, including UW, do not require transcripts as part of the application. If you need a copy of your transcript (it’s nice to have one handy when you’re filling out applications) or one uploaded to Washington State University, Read more about EHS transcript requests.

Letters of Recommendation: Some schools and scholarships require reference letters. If needed, ask 1 or 2 teachers and/or counselor, fill out the EHS Letter of Recommendation form(s). Counselor letter forms are now online. Provide at least 4 weeks notice, and say thank you.

Decision Plans: Many Early Action and Early Decision deadlines happen in late October to early November. Early Decision is binding so run a Net Price Calculator to estimate costs and check in with your parent and EHS counselor on ED plans.

Financial Aid Night: Check out LWSD’s 9/8 virtual Financial Aid Night for important tips on paying for college or career school.

FSA ID: Apply for a FSA ID and keep your login information in a safe place. You will refer to it often.

FAFSA or WASFA: Work w/ your parents to gather financial documents to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA opens on October 1st. After applying, check your Student Aid Report (SAR) for errors and make any necessary corrections. If you’re not eligible for federal financial aid, use the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA)

CSS Profile: Some schools require an additional financial aid form called the CSS/Financial Aid Profile. Determine if a school of interest requires one by searching the financial aid tab of their website or check the list.

Scholarships: For college-specific scholarships, check individual websites for dates and requirements. For outside scholarships, check the EHS Scholarship Bulletin on Teams and consider registering with Washboard to be matched to scholarships offered to students in the state of Washington.

Nomination Scholarships: Eastlake is occasionally asked to nominate one or two students for specific scholarships. If you wish to be considered for these opportunities, complete the EHS Scholarship Nomination Form found on Teams.

Athletes: Info on eligibility to play sports at Division I, II, or III is available on the NCAA Eligibility website. You need to be certified by the Eligibility Center to make official visits, sign a national letter of intent and compete at a DI and DII school. You may create a Profile Page if you plan to compete at a DIII school or are not yet sure where you want to compete.
 

Deadline Alert: College applications with early January deadlines that require Counseling office support (transcripts, Letters of Recommendation) must be submitted to the Counseling Center by early December to guarantee processing before the holiday break.

Early Decisions: Check your mail, email, and application portals—offers of early admission may start arriving. Celebrate and/or keep motivated with final applications. If you were accepted Early Decision, check the deadline for acceptance and meet that deadline.
Missing Items: Sometimes your application file is missing an item. Respond promptly to email requests and/or application portal flags.

Senior Seminar: While Eastlake underclassman register for 2022-23 classes, seniors attend a seminar with tips on moving towards a decision, budgeting, FAFSA, and advice from an EHS alumni panel.

2nd Semester Schedule Changes: Senior year course schedules are key parts of an admission decision. Avoid adjustments. Notify admission offices if you need to make a change.
 

Decisions: Continue to check your mail, email and portals for admission decisions.
Admitted Student Events: Some colleges host open houses for admitted students. These are great opportunities to get information about registering for housing, campus life and how to prepare for the fall. Research residential housing deadlines and deposits.

Other Options: Apply to community college, technical school, apprenticeship, service and gap year programs. Contact your EHS counselor or the College and Career Center if you need extra support.

Scholarships: Continue to look for scholarships using the EHS Scholarship Bulletin. This is a popular time for scholarships offered through the PTSA, local organizations, etc. Keep track of requirements and deadlines.

Destination Day Plans: As you start to make decisions, let us know what's next for you. We'll publish our Destination Day collection procedures after mid-winter break and then celebrate decisions in May.

Compare Schools: Think about which school offers  the best academic, social and financial fit. Compare financial aid packages.

Wait List: If you're on a wait list, investigate the process, express interest if appropriate but move ahead with other plans and deposits.

No Thanks: Notify any colleges that you’ve decided against as a courtesy to other applicants.

Money Matters: Carefully review financial aid package offers, noting any differences in scholarships/grants versus loans versus work study.

High School and Beyond Plan: Make sure your HSBP is up to date. It’s a grad requirement.

Prepare for AP Tests: Your preparation could translate into credit at your new college.

Decision Day: Formally accept your offer of admission as instructed by your school. Submit your housing application if you plan to live on campus in the fall. Formally accept offers of financial aid.

EHS Destination Day: College, tech school, military, apprenticeship, service, work, something else? Let us know where you are heading.  \We can’t wait to celebrate you!

Take AP Tests: Take AP exams and request that scores be sent to the college you will be attending.

Check your College Email: You’re an incoming freshman, get used to (and use!) that new email address.

Scholarship and Military Plans for Grad Program: Report college or outside scholarships and/or plans to serve in the military. See Teams for the forms.

Grades: Remember, that your college acceptance is provisional until your official final transcript is received by the Admissions Office. Grades matter!

CTE Dual Credit: Last chance to pay for CTE Dual Credit classes to earn college credit for eligible Eastlake CTE classes.

Senior Survey: You must complete the online Eastlake Senior Survey/Check-out Form and request your final transcript be sent to your final destination via Xello. Instructions are available in June.

College Transcripts: If you’ve earned college credit through Running Start, College in the High School, CTE Dual Credit or a separate course, request your transcript be sent to your future college so credit can be evaluated before course selection begins.

Make plans for orientation: Sometimes orientation is held in the summer, sometimes right before school starts. Reserve your spot!

Say Thanks: Send thank you notes to anyone who helped you in your application process.  We love to hear where you have decided to do in the fall.

Graduate: You made it! Savor your accomplishments and celebrate with your family, EHS classmates and staff.  WSPS, we are so proud of you!