Senior Class of 2025 

Senior Counselor- Amanda Byrd 

E-mail: asbyrd@caddoschools.org 

Office phone: 318-364-5469 

 

Welcome to senior year!! I am so excited about the year ahead and look forward to helping you make plans for your future. Below, you will find answers to some of your questions and see some steps you can take right now, while we are getting ready to assist you in the Counseling Office. 

 

Senior Information August/September 2024 

• Review your transcript on Student Progress Center. This may not be updated until August 8. Check for errors. Errors could delay TOPS eligibility and affect your overall ranking. Let your counselor know as soon as you notice an error. • Still don’t know what you want to do next? Visit mynextmove.org and complete the free career interest profiler and browse careers. 
• Create a list of possible post-secondary options. Make note of early acceptance deadlines and Fall preview dates. Unlockmyfuture.org is a great website to use when looking for college and scholarship information. By clicking “My Keys” you can access a number of different websites that may help you. Petersons.com is particularly useful in determining which colleges offer specific degree programs.  
• Visit college websites for information on admission requirements and scholarships
• Register for the ACT (if necessary) and practice using websites such as march2success.com. • Begin to look for money for college. Fastweb.com, mylosfa.la.gov, asklela.org, and bigfuture.collegeboard.org are all FREE scholarship search websites. (If it asks for a credit card, it’s NOT the right site!!) 
• Keep your grades up. Do not get behind. Keep up with your grades using the Student Progress Center. Requesting Information

 

From the Counselor 

Students should only request a schedule change if there is an error in the schedule. We cannot accommodate  requests because you do not want the elective listed.  

Before I am able to send ANY transcripts, or provide you with gpa or class rank, I have to go through and verify that all are  accurate. One error in a student’s transcript can affect ranking of all other students. I cannot begin this process until all schedule changes are completed. They will probably be ready at the end of August. I will post an announcement when you  can begin requesting records for colleges. While you’re waiting, go ahead and start working on your student activity resume.  This is simply a list of clubs/organizations in which you have been involved, awards and honors you have received, and any  work experience you have. When you request letters of recommendation, recommenders will need this information. 

You must complete a request form in order to send the following information: ACT scores, transcripts, letters of  recommendation, or secondary school reports (student questionnaire and activity resume also required for letter of  recommendation/secondary school report). These will be available in the counseling office once transcripts are ready. Most  colleges want OFFICIAL test scores. This means from ACT. Go to my.act.org to request to have your scores sent to your  college. I will go over all of this with you! Do not panic if you don’t know what these are, or do not know what you may need.  

I will give you a transcript during orientation. Keep up with it and do not mail it out. You can make copies of your transcript  and I will put the seal on it. Cost to mail transcripts to colleges is $5 paid on locallevelevents.com.  

Requests for test scores and transcripts must be made at least one week BEFORE the deadline. 

Requests for letters of recommendation/secondary school reports must be made at least TWO weeks BEFORE the  deadline. If you wait until the day of the deadline, you may not receive information requested. 

 

From Teachers 

You should ask teachers who have known you in an academic class if they would be willing to write letters for you and if  they could recommend you strongly (“Would you be able to write me a strong letter of recommendation for college?”). 

• Be sure to check each college’s application. Some may specify which teachers to ask.
• You should make sure these teachers have everything they need (give them your activity resume) at least three weeks before the application is due.
• You do not have to pick a teacher from senior year- choose a person that knows you best. • Letters often take an hour to write….so say please and WRITE a thank you note!

 

The Student Athlete 

Students who are looking forward to participating in sports at Division I and Division II schools need to see their coach for  information about the NCAA Clearinghouse/Eligibility Center. ncaa.org 

• ACT scores must be sent directly from ACT (code 9999)- they will not accept them from the high school. • Students who are on free/reduced lunch are eligible for a fee waiver.  

 

ACT Testing- www.act.org 

The deadline for the September ACT administration is August 9. The deadline for the October ACT administration is  September 20. You must register online. If you are eligible for a fee waiver (free/reduced lunch), see Mrs. Byrd in the  counseling office. I will announce when we have received fee waivers for this school year. Check the website for testing  dates/registration deadlines. 

Make sure when you register, you use Byrd High Code 192680 and TOPS Code 1595. Also, make sure your current grade level is correct. U 

Update the colleges that will receive your scores. You can select up to four colleges that will receive your scores for no  additional cost. If you are applying to state schools, it is better to send them ahead of time rather than have to pay to send  them later (It is $19-30 to send them afterwards) 

Superscores- Keep in mind, you can NOT use a superscore to determine TOPS eligibility, but you can use them for many  college admissions requirements and/or scholarships. Check with the college you plan to attend for their specific  requirements. 

 

College Representatives/Military Recruiters 

College and military recruiters will be available during lunch to speak with prospective students. When scheduled, I will post  an announcement and send to the Byrd Blast. If you are not already subscribed to the Byrd Blast, I strongly encourage you  to do this. You can subscribe on cebyrd.com.  

 

How To Make Arrangements For a Campus Visit 

Students should check the school’s website or call the admissions office of the college in which they are interested two or  three weeks in advance, and make arrangements for a personal interview and a tour of campus facilities. Check the  college website for special preview days. Many colleges schedule orientation activities for prospective students. This  year, many schools will be hosting virtual events, so check websites for updated information. 

Once you decide on a campus visit, complete a college visit form (available in the counseling office or on Canvas). Please  do this several days in advance of your You will need to take this form with you and have it signed by a college/university  representative. When you return to school, bring the form to the Counseling Office. I will sign the approval and give it to the  attendance office. I can approve 2 college visit days each semester. Mrs. Panos must approve additional days.  

 

Financial Aid 

I will announce scholarships as I receive them. I will post on Canvas as well as the Byrd Blast.  

All families interested in receiving financial aid should fill out the 2025-2026 FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal  Student Aid. The FAFSA is the TOPS application as well as application for pell grants and other types of aid. Completion of  a financial aid step is also a requirement for graduation. 

Completion of the FAFSA requires a two-step process-registering for an ID/pin number and competing the application. The  application cannot be filed until October, or possibly December, but you and your parent can begin working on the login  credentials.  

Now is the time to obtain a FSAID number. A parent and the student will each get their own FSAID. This is the equivalent  of an electronic signature. Do not try to do this at the last minute. FSAID’s are available at studentaid.gov 

What is the FSAID? 

The FSAID serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education  systems. It’s like the Personal Identification Number that you get from your bank that enables you to access your account.  Because your FSAID serves as your electronic signature, you should not give it to anyone.

The FAFSA clearinghouse will send families a Student Aid Report based on the information received. The “SAR” is what  indicates the Expected Family Contribution or EFC. Colleges, universities, and scholarship programs will also receive this  information if you have indicated their code numbers on the FAFSA at the time of its filing. The financial aid package is  based on the EFC. Most colleges will not meet all the need a family has, and loans are here to stay so cost of college  attendance should be looked at very closely.  

 

CSS Profile- CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal student  aid. Not all colleges require this. You can find a list of these colleges at profile.collegeboard.org.