Mrs. Nixon and students discussing college information

College Counseling

College For All

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Frequently Asked Questions

College Fairs: when are they, do you have any tips?

College Fairs are events where students of any grade can get acquainted with the multiple colleges at the fair in one evening or afternoon. BCHS posts College Fair information we receive during the school year.

Due to covid concerns, many college fairs have switched to a virtual format.
View a list of college fairs through the National Association of College Admission Counselors.

The Indiana Association of College Admission Counselors is hosting a Virtual College Exploration Program with sessions running from October 5-22. Registration will open around September 8; the link will be available soon.

We recommend this article from the University of Colorado for tips and top questions to ask at a college fair.

View College Fair Tips

View Episode #10 in our Trojan College Counseling Video.

How can I start thinking about which college to attend?

Here is one suggestion from Ruth P., from Louisville U.:

I made 4 lists that were the backbone of my search. The first contained my extracurricular activities, skills/abilities, leadership roles, community service, honors/talents and awards. The second held potential effective recommenders. The third consisted of scholarships that I qualified to apply for, based on my ACT score and GPA. And, finally, the fourth, a list of colleges that fit my intended major.

I turned the first list into a resume, the second into actual recommendations, the third into applications that I filled and submitted, and the fourth into colleges that I applied to, based on my intended program/major.

After getting accepted into my college choices, I then made the decisions considering “location, tuition, advantage of my intended program/major, involvement opportunities.”

Taylor Keasey, BCHS Class of 2016, offers her advice:

  1. Take the SAT/ACT early, beginning in your junior year, and often, to get the best score.
  2. Make sure you let your parents help you. This is a new beginning for them too. They are there to help and are more than willing.
  3. Take a deep breath and take it one thing at a time.

Why should I attend a College Rep Session?

  1. Many colleges track students’ demonstrated interest. (If a student shows up at the high school meeting, it goes into the application record and can help chances of admission or scholarship. It is a reality of the admissions process these days.)
  2. This is a great chance for you to find out whether schools are a good fit for your academic statistics (GPA and test scores) and desired majors.
  3. These meetings help to make you aware of deadlines, special scholarships, and important information regarding your applications to your top choice schools.
  4. You will be able to expand your horizons to hear about some schools that you may not have previously considered.

    5. View the College Rep Calendar

What are some college visit tips?

Best Time to Make a Visit

If you can, visit when campus in in full swing during the academic year. But if that’s not possible, a Saturday or in the summer will still give you the campus flavor.

Official tour or hang out?

Do both. An organized tour will allow you to understand process, logistics, dates and deadlines and all the nitty gritty. Hanging out helps you get a feel for the environment.

On the tour and beyond

Ask questions that aren’t about facts and figures you can find on their website. And don’t judge a university by just one tour guide or the weather on the day. After your visit is over, everybody should compare notes. Mom may have noticed something that perhaps the student didn’t. Remember, you can always visit again.
These insights are from Mitch Warren, Purdue Director of Admission, 2016

Bishop Chatard and College Visits

Visit the BCHS Senior Page . On that page, go to the ‘College’ tab to find out what you need to do if the visit is during school hours.

What is FAFSA?

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is nationwide application that calculates the EFC (Expected Family Contribution), that is used to determine federal, state and institutional financial aid and sometimes scholarships for a college student.

Application generally opens around October 1 with early submission recommended by December 1. Students must submit the FAFSA application in order to be eligible for both Indiana and Federal Student Aid.

Do I need to send my AP scores to colleges when I apply?

You do not need to send AP scores during the application process. Colleges typically use AP scores for placing you in classes and awarding credit, not for admissions. When you take your senior year AP tests, you can enter the code for the school you will attend and they will automatically send them all of your scores, so you won’t have to order them. Another option is to order them to one school only after you decide where you will enroll. You do need to send your SAT and ACT scores directly from the testing service in order for your application to be considered complete, however. It takes approximately 3 weeks for scores to be received.

Can I get a waiver for SAT/ACT testing or college application fees?

Students who qualify for free/reduced school meals are encouraged to contact BCHS College Counselor Pam Nixon (pnixon@bishopchatard.org) for information about SAT/ACT test fee waivers and possible college application waivers.

How do I know my household size on the FAFSA or scholarship application?

Your household size is the number of people living in your home who are dependent on the primary unit for 51% or more of their finances. For example, if your grandparent lives with you but does not have an income, he or she would count in the household size. If your brother is employed and moves home while he is building his first house, he does not count in your household size. If your parents are not involved in financially supporting you and you live with another family member who does not have legal guardianship, but who does support you financially, you will want to complete a dependency verification form. If your parents/guardians cover your living costs but cannot contribute to financially supporting the costs of your tuition and living expenses, you are not an independent student. Their income must be counted on the FAFSA; your EFC should reflect your financial need. If the parents are separated, but live together, they must select “Married or Remarried” when filing the FAFSA. If the student’s legal parents are divorced or separated, and do not live together, the parent with whom the student primarily lives (often called the custodial parent) should complete the FAFSA. Additional information is available at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/dependency. The best resources for these questions are fafsa.ed.gov, INvestEd, and the financial aid offices at the colleges and universities to which you are applying. They are experts and are very willing to help.

How do I begin to think about a major in college?

College Board has a wonderful article they call the Ultimate Guide on Choosing a College Major. It is a good place to start. They suggest

  1. Think about what you like
  2. Consider your career goals
  3. Talk to advisors and professionals

Read the CollegeBoard article

What can I do to get a good start at college?

John Michael Mason, BCHS Class of 2016, offers this advice:

  1. Get into the habit of checking your emails, during the summer.
  2. Try to get the earliest orientation date possible so that you can get the best choice of classes before they fill up.
  3. When you arrive on campus, be careful, especially before school starts, with going to parties, and manage your time properly.
  4. Spend a few hours each day studying to retain the information learned in class. College is not like high school. You apply what you learn to real life situations through problem solving and critical thinking. The critical thinking aspect is something to look forward to because thinking grades matter will take away the motivation to learn.
  5. Get involved in a few clubs, but do not get too involved because studying is the number 1 priority.
  6. If you go to office hours for your struggling classes every week, you will be more likely to succeed than those who do not.
  7. If you want a job or internship, go to career fairs.
  8. Build connections, make friends, and have fun because with being your own boss, there is a lot to enjoy and learn from the experience.

Sami Katra, BCHS Class of 2016, offers her experience:

  1. Do what is best for you! Give yourself a balanced schedule and take care of yourself and you will be fine. Be healthy, sleep when you can, take a break when need to, and take advantage of the small amounts of free time. Meet new people, love your friends, and let God do the rest.
  2. Don’t be afraid to keep in touch with your high school friends and don’t be afraid to come home. Your parents will miss you and love to see you home, but make sure you get the college experience, you won’t regret it.
  3. So, do your best and be thankful for the life you have and those around you. Live the 4th and Go Trojans!

I’m struggling in school now. Where can I find help?

First: Congratulations on looking here to see how to find out how you can get help!

Listed are some of the options at the school that are available to all:

  1. School Counselors and the BCHS Social Worker Becky Wilde are there to help you in whatever needs you have. Stop by the BCHS Counseling Office or see their contact information at the bottom of this page.
  2. Tutoring Opportunities: Visit the main website to see the current opportunities for tutoring or other help.

Stressed?
It’s inevitable that we all experience stress in our daily lives. Some stress is actually good for us but too much stress can be harmful. Check out the special edition School Counseling Newsletter specifically addressing stress and how to effectively manage it.

Inside you will learn about…

•Tips for staying healthy
•How to create a stress plan
•Who you can talk to if you are stressed
•Apps to help you identify and manage your stress/anxiety
•Deep breathing exercises
•And more!

Read the Newsletter

How can I get quick information about college items?

A really good way to view upcoming and new items is to follow Mrs. Nixon’s and the College Counseling twitter, @BCHSCollege. Mrs. Nixon tweets on many topics, some not found on this website. Of course, checking this website will help you find college, career and scholarship topics too, many not found in her tweets.

How do I send my dual credit transcripts to colleges?

If you have taken dual credit classes, we aren’t able to send dual credit transcripts to colleges because they are issued directly through the credit-granting institution. You will need to request that the college sends your transcript. For Indiana University Advance College Project (ACP) courses (Public Speaking, W131, Finite), you can request your transcript at transcript.indiana.edu/nocas/fax_welcome.cfm. If you have any trouble with that, their phone number is (812) 855-4500. For Vincennes University courses (Accounting), you can request your transcript at www.vinu.edu/transcript-requests. For questions, please contact them by phone at 812.888.4220 or email at records@vinu.edu.