Seniors plan for busy season, deadlines

As the busy season of spring approaches, seniors juggle assignments, campus activities, and college deadlines. Seniors who are interested in a community college or Fresno State should be aware of the two important events and dates in March.

Fresno Christian will be hosting its final community college workshop on Monday, March 5th. Students should attend the workshop if they plan to attend community college as a fallback or a primary education choice.

During the workshop, seniors will take a placement test. Following the exam, community college advisors will hold a advising session with students who attend. The workshop will be located in the Jackie Johnson Room and begins at 8:50 a.m.

As students start wrapping up the application process, it’s important that they take advantage of the resources and workshops provided on the campus. David Navarro, college relations specialist at Clovis Community College, provides insight for students who plan on attending the event.

“The importance of this event is to have high school seniors work with the community college counselors to develop a Student Education Plan (SEP),” Navarro said. “The Student Education Plan will highlight two semesters of classes based on the student’s education goal (transfer, associate degree, or short-term training certificate). This SEP will be used at registration to assist the student in selecting the days and times students will choose classes.”

This step is an advantage for seniors to layout a plan for their first year of college with the assistance of a college counselor. The opportunity to discuss the student’s academic goals will aid seniors with an idea regarding what the next two years of their academic experience will consist of.

During the advising sessions, I highly recommend students to ask as many questions regarding the campus, programs, and their academic plan. The advisors and counselors are always willing to provide clarification and feedback for seniors to be informed of every step of the application process.

“The next step in the process will be the Priority Registration dates scheduled for April 25-27,” Navarro said. “On those dates, students will be able to access their student portal, called WebAdvisor, and be able to register for their Fall 2018 classes.  Their priority registration date is assigned based on how soon they completed the online orientation release date of December 1, 2017. The closer the online orientation was completed to that date the sooner the priority registration. For example, if a student completed the online orientation on or right after December 1st, then more than likely the student will have April 25th (Day 1) as their date.”

Fresno State promotes their upcoming Preview Day in the Tweet below.

Have you registered for Preview Day? Students who have applied for Fall 18 can attend and experience a glimpse of @Fresno_State! Maybe a dance off with President @JosephICastro and VP @LamasVPSA? #bebold #beabulldog #dancingprez pic.twitter.com/jfawEyUyKM

— FS Admissions and Recruitment (@FSGoDogs) February 22, 2018

Priority registration dates will be emailed to the student on April 19th to their community college email account (Microsoft 365).

Preview Day is an event hosted by Fresno State inviting all accepted students to come tour the campus through workshops, tours, activities, and much more. The event will be on Saturday, March 17th and students will need to RSVP at their earliest convenience.

When asked about the benefits of attending, Fresno State’s recruiting counselor, Paige Getty, shared a few highlights. 

“The benefits of attending include the opportunity to explore your major and other majors with faculty members and department chairs from the various programs,” Getty said. “We also offer a variety of useful workshops with valuable information, covering topics such as financial aid, Army ROTC, student housing, and first-time freshmen and transfer requirements.”

Students who were accepted should have received an email with event details and RSVP information.

For more articles, read College Corner: FAFSA workshop benefits or A spotlight on Fresno area student journalism.

If any seniors have questions regarding either of these events they are highly encouraged to contact the Academic Counselor, Evangelina Tello.