It’s time to celebrate Senior Year!
What an exciting year you have ahead of you—filled with some of our favorite traditions, a couple of new events, and a whole lot of celebrations. Oh, and of course, college! We know it’s a lot and that it can feel overwhelming at times so we created this page for you to access what you need in the season we’re in—and give you the opportunity to look ahead (because sometimes you just need to see the end).
And speaking of the end: Commencement 2025 is Friday, June 6 at 3:30 p.m.
But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves; we’re just getting started, and we know it’s going to be a DAM good year!
What you should be thinking about in the college process
The College Counseling team sends regular emails throughout the fall so do not worry—we’re fully in this together. Below are a few things to note (all of which Director of College Counseling Cara Hanig shared at the Senior Kick-Off event on September 10).
We expect to host close to 100 on-campus meetings.
- Almost all of these will be at Beaver. A few may be on Zoom, usually during the evening at 6 p.m.
- The schedule is posted in Naviance and on the College Visit calendar.
- These are for STUDENTS only, and students should sign up for these meetings in advance;
- Students with E-Block classes must talk to the teacher and prioritize a small number of visits.
- Check each college website to determine if they are test optional (most still are).
- The NCAA has waived testing requirements permanently.
- Talk with your counselor about whether or not to submit scores. Our general advice is to only send scores that are at the mid-to-high end of the school’s averages.
- On October 15, Beaver will offer a one-time, school-day SAT to meet our families’ needs. Sign up by Friday, September 13 via this form.
The College Counselors have active calendars that students use to sign up for meetings. In these meetings, counselors:
- Go over applications and college list
- Provide essay feedback;
- Help students create an organizational structure for completing their applications
- Counselors will be sending parents/caregivers and students an electronic copy of the transcript to approve and to select honors for the entire year.
- Counselors will collect, upload, and send transcripts and recommendation letters for all students.
- Counselors will meet all of your college deadlines. College portals usually take 10 to 14 days to update.
Fall college checklist
Reach out to College Counseling when you have questions or want to check in; we are happy to set up a meeting with you (in-person or online).
Official test scores are submitted (if necessary) via ACT and/or College Board
Parents/caregivers: You can be a final set of eyes on applications; go ahead and click “submit” with your student!
Set up accounts for CSS profile (October 1) and FAFSA (opening date TBD) if applying for financial aid.
Fall & Winter Senior Events
Get excited; we have a lot planned for the first couple of months of school to celebrate the Class of 2025!
Friday, October 4, 2024, starting @ 2 p.m.
Come cheer on Beaver athletics! There will be multiple games happening on the turf (under the lights!) and in the gym as well as special limited-edition swag, food trucks, and more.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
We know the fall gets so busy, so quickly so we intentionally built in a day with no classes for Seniors to either visit colleges work on their applications, or take the SAT.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
The Beaver Senior Halloween Celebration is one of everyone’s favorite traditions—and this year, we have a few new, exciting things up our sleeves. The day will kick off with a special senior-only breakfast before the morning festivities (in costume).
Thursday, December 5, 2024
We want to celebrate the class of 2024 and honor all the hard work you’ve done! Students will gather in the Front Circle with s’mores and hot chocolate to reflect and celebrate as a class before Thanksgiving break begins.