SHS wraps successful College Application Month

Each October, the Guidance Office at Seneca High School encourages seniors to apply to at least one college. This year’s College Application Month went so well at Seneca High School that additional days had to be added, explains Guidance Director Karen Trammell. “We had College Application Month; it actually started the last week in Sept. and ran through the second week in Nov., so it was a little more than a month this year. It was a tremendous success; we were very excited about some of the things that happened. Every senior did complete at least one college application. We had over 350 applications completed just in Oct. and that is pretty phenomenal because we only have 199 in our senior class.” During College Application Month, students heard from several colleges, explains Trammell. “We had 16 different schools come on our campus and visit and meet with our kids and do workshops. We had a partnership with Tri-County Technical College where they came and did a couple of extended workshops with our kids. We had a wrap up event sponsored by the National Guard where we were able to give away tons of prizes. The kids loved it because every time they did a college application or every event they attended they got an entry into the drawing. They could win as many prizes as their names were drawn for, so we had some multiple winners and it was just a fun time.” Trammell continues to see students take positive steps toward their futures each year during College Application Month. “We have definitely seen kids apply to college that never really thought they could go to college, but when they do that application it kind of spurs them on and in conjunction with College Application Month, a lot of area schools waive the application fee, which provided even more access for more students. Any time you get a kid believing that they can go to college that really is the first step, so it definitely is an access for them.” At the end of the school year when students graduate and go on to pursue post-secondary degrees is the most exciting part, says Trammell. She says many times that starts during College Application Month.