College Connection

College Connection- 9.11.2023

Good Afternoon, Students! 

This week is not quite as packed as last week, but we still have some college visits on the horizon. St. Edward's will be here tomorrow at noon, then next Thursday we have LSU and California Baptist University stopping by. All great colleges that you should consider coming to talk with. Sophomores, remember that you should sign up for 2 college visits this year to begin to understand how they present and what questions you want to ask. 

Class advising begins this week with our seniors on Friday, September 15th. Students, be sure to check your homework for your Leadership classes to see if you have a graded assignment for advising, and read more below in the “Events Happening at Veritas” to confirm where you need to be on your advising day. 

This week's quote is from William Butler Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” I pray that each of you recognizes the beautiful opportunity you have to be surrounded with torch-bearers this week, and that you are encouraged to do the same. 

Blessings, 

Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Stewart, and Mrs. Elequin

To register for office hours with Mrs. Williams:  https://calendly.com/kim-williams-23/advising

Veritas Advising News: 

In the past couple of years, there has been some misconception about which colleges our students get admitted to. Many families think that our seniors do not gain admission to Texas A&M or UT, when in fact, our students actually beat the overall percentage of admissions for both of these schools. I attended the Texas Together conference today, and here are some numbers for you: For the incoming freshman class of 2023, Texas A&M received 59,781 applications and offered admission to 31,637 students, for a percentage of admissions of 52%. (They did not report how many students accepted their offer). University of Texas received 66,109 applications and offered admission to 19,129 which gave them a 28% admission rate. 

Veritas students? For the same graduating class, Veritas had 22 students apply to A&M, with 15 accepted, for a percentage of 68%…16% higher than the overall average. And, the numbers for UT are even stronger, with 11 students applying and 10 earning admission, a whopping 91% admissions rate, besting UT by 63%. (These numbers do NOT reflect our students who gained A&M admission through the Blinn program, nor the students who accepted admission to UT Dallas. The numbers for UT DO include students who were admitted through the UT CAP program.) 

Now, you may be thinking, “But I only saw a couple of kids with UT shirts on last year during Cake and Commitment,” and you would be correct. This is due to the fact that most of our students end up getting much better financial offers from other colleges and universities which makes it more appealing and affordable for them to choose another school. I am proud of our students and the way that they have learned to present themselves, and the fact that colleges see that as well. 

For a full look at our Class of 2023 list of college offers, just click here. Go Defenders! 

In the News:

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3 Smart Steps to Creating a College Application Strategy

Upcoming Leadership Advising Meetings

This week I start having grade-level advising meetings during your Leadership classes. Be sure to check your Leadership homework in SCOIR, because there are some classes that will have an advising assignment to complete and it counts for a grade. Here is the schedule and an overview of what we will be discussing as well as your class meeting location:  

September 15th--Seniors--Meet in the Lyceum  We will be discussing the college application process, reviewing FAFSA and CSS profiles, and talk about college visits at Veritas as well as any upcoming campus visits you may be scheduling. 

September 20--Freshmen--Meet in the Auditorium Introduction to SCOIR, how to send your parents an invitation, graduation documents, community service hours, and more. ***PARENTS*** I will be hosting a Zoom meeting that evening starting at 7 p.m. to talk with you about how we use SCOIR throughout SR and answer any questions you may have. A link will be sent out a couple of days prior to the meeting. There will be an two assignments given, one with a due date of October 6th and the second due on December 6th.

September 22--Juniors--Meet in the Lyceum  We will talk about researching colleges, following colleges in SCOIR, and student & parent college questionnaires. There will be an assignment given with a due date of December 1st. 

October 4--Sophomores--Meet in the Lyceum  We will review the Career Exploration Survey in SCOIR, talk about following colleges, and making sure your activities and achievements as well as community service hours are updated. ***PARENTS*** I will be hosting a Zoom meeting that evening starting at 7 p.m. to talk with you about the Career Exploration Survey and how you can support your student in their research. A link will be sent to you a couple of days prior to the meeting. There will be an assignment given with a due date of January 24. 

PSAT Information

Terri Logan has put a letter for our 10th- and 11th-grade families about the PSAT testing in October. She also has a fact sheet talking about the College Board switch to digital format, which you can see here.

NACCAP College Fair at Hill Country Christian School

Hill Country Christian School of Austin will be hosting a Christian College Fair on Tuesday, September 26th from 9:30-11:30. There are currently 24 colleges that will be attending. This is a great way to visit multiple colleges and get information about their programs, costs, and what life on campus is like. Juniors and seniors choosing to attend will need to have their parents submit an online absence notification form, and put that it is for a college visit. Students who have classes that afternoon will be expected to return to campus for those classes. To see the full list of colleges and register, just click here.

College Visits at Veritas

College visits are continuing this week and through October. You can see a full list of our colleges on the right of College Connection. Juniors and seniors should sign up to attend a visit through SCOIR. Sophomores, you should plan on coming to at least 2 visits this fall. If there is a school you really want to come talk to but it is during a class, we will print a pass for you to turn in to your teacher. Please do communicate with your teacher PRIOR to the class that you will be missing. Passes will only be given to you when you come to the meeting. 

Take the time to come talk to these representatives and learn more about what their school can offer you. 

SENIORS---Coca-Cola Scholarship Program

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students in their final year of high school. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. With the 35th class in 2023, the Foundation has provided over 6,750 Coca-Cola Scholars with more than $81 million in educational support. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship. The 2024 application is now open here for students who will graduate during the 2023-2024 academic year. The deadline to apply is Monday, October 2, 2023, by 5 pm Eastern.

Be sure to also check out the list of scholarships that is listed under the “Resources” section of their webpage by scrolling down. There are a lot of opportunities available for students who are willing to apply. Good luck to all of our seniors! 

SAT Testing Dates Released

The College Board has released the upcoming 2023 SAT dates. Remember you need to register for the SAT through The College Board website. Here are the dates, registration deadlines, and late registration deadlines:

October 7, 2023-- Register by September 7 (Late Registration Deadline is September 26)

November 4, 2023-- Register by October 5 (Late Registration Deadline is October 24)

December 2, 2023-- Register by November 2 (Late Registration Deadline is November 21)
 

Please know that these three exams will be the last paper and pencil SAT exams that College Board will be giving, as they are converting to fully digital exams starting in 2024. 

Abilene Christian University (in-person/virtual)

ACU Visits

Austin College (in-person/virtual)

  Austin College Visits   

Baylor University (in-person/virtual)

Baylor Visits

Dallas Baptist University (in-person/virtual)

Dallas Baptist Visits

Houston Baptist University (in-person/virtual)

Visit HBU

Rice University (in-person/virtual)

Rice University Visits

SFA State University (in-person/virtual)

SFA Visits

Southwestern University (in-person/virtual)

Southwestern Visits

St. Edward's University (in-person/virtual)

St. Edward's Visits

Texas Christian University (in-person/virtual)

TCU Visits

Texas State University (in-person/virtual)

Texas State Visits

Texas Tech University (virtual/private)

Texas Tech Visits

Trinity University (in-person/virtual)

Trinity University Visits

University of Houston (in-person/virtual)

U of H Visits

University of Texas at Austin (in-person/virtual)

University of Texas at Dallas (in-person/virtual)

UT Dallas Visits

University of Texas at San Antonio (in-person/virtual)

UTSA Visits