WHS Senior Handbook

We created the Senior Handbook to help guide you through your senior year, specifically the college application process. Check it out!

Class of 2026 Senior Handbook can be accessed HERE or down below.

Utilize the Table of Contents to access different areas of the handbook.

Upcoming College Visits

Class of 2026 Junior Presentation - Jan 2025

How to Request Letters of Recommendation (LOR)

Listing Schools in Naviance (Common App Matching & Add College to List)

If applying to any colleges through Common App, you must link your Common Application and SchooLinks accounts (Note: This cannot be done before August 1st)
- Create a Common Application Account
  - Enter High School Information
  - Add at least 1 college
  - Complete the FERPA Release Authorization
- Login to SchooLinks
  - Log into Clever (my.nsd.org) and click on the SchooLinks icon under “Northshore Tools”
Click on "Colleges" on the bottom of the yellow bar on the left side
Click on “College Applications”
- Click the blue "Connect" button in the box to the left that says "Common App"
  - There will be step by step instructions the come up to help you complete the connection process.
The schools you’ve already added in the Common App should now be on your “College Applications” list in SchooLinks.
Add any non-Common App schools to your college list in Schoolinks (including schools you are applying to through Coalition)
- In the “College Application" section, click the “+ Add Applications”
- Start typing the name of the college into the Search box or scroll through the drop-down list until you find the college
- Choose the correct option for the statues of your application, click add application on the bottom right
- Select the application method and type you will be using
  - depending on the school, there may be other options to select
- Click add application on the bottom right
- Once you’ve added colleges, they will show on your board and be organized by where you are in the process of submitting your application.

Requesting Counselor LORs

Request your counselor letter of recommendation either in person or via email at least 3-4 weeks prior to your earliest deadline. You do not need to list your counselor in Naviance as a recommender since they are already assigned to you.
- Make sure to check that your college does require a letter of recommendation. Counselors will only write a letter if the college requires it.
- It may be helpful to schedule a meeting with your counselor to discuss your college list, essays/supplements, resume, or any questions you may have about the college process.
Complete the Counselor LOR form and send it to your counselor ASAP. Your counselor will submit your letter on/before your earliest deadline. You do not have to wait for your letters of recommendation (teacher or counselor) in order to submit your college application.

Requesting Teacher LORs

Personally speak with your teacher to request a letter of recommendation.
Please give your teachers AT LEAST 3-4 weeks to complete the letter. Plan for winter break in your timeline – do not expect that your teachers will write letters during winter break!
After you have confirmed with your teacher, list them as a recommender in Schoolinks
Teachers may ask for a copy of your WHS LOR form, have you complete their own questionnaire, want a copy of your transcript, etc. – provide them with any materials they request from you in a timely manner!

College Timeline

11th Grade Junior Year

11th Grade Checklist Military Academy Checklist

	WHAT
Fall	Set your goals: Work on specific goals to help you stay motivated and forced for the upcoming year. Remember, "Your Junior Transcript gets you accepted into a college."
Fall	Scholarships: Continue to search for scholarships! Click here for more scholarship information!
Fall	College and Career Fair: We will host a school-wide "College and Career Fair" so "EVERY STUDENT" has an opportunity to connect with college representatives, apprenticeship programs, military branches and employers! Click here for a list of colleges and programs that will be attending! *(Due to COVID restrictions this in-person event will not occur in 2021)*
Fall	College and Career Night: We will host a "College and Career Night" with 20 break-out sessions! Click here for break-out topics! (Due to COVID restrictions this in-person event will not occur in 2021)
Fall	College Supermatch: Go to your Naviance account to search for schools you're "Thinking of applying to" and click the "heart." When a college visits our school (and you've clicked the "heart") you will be notified.
Fall	PSAT/NMSQT: Take the PSAT test (Oct), which will help prepare you for the SAT and then review your results (Dec). Your CollegeBoard scores can be linked with a Khan Academy account to personalize a test prep program for the SAT.
Winter	Senior Classes: Think about what classes you will need for graduation, career pathways and college admissions requirements. Counselors will be meeting one-on-one with EVERY student!
Spring	College Visits: If you can, visit a college during mid-winter break or spring break. Many colleges and universities have virtual tours. Virtual Tours
Spring	Letter of Recommendation: Ask your teachers and counselor if they will write a letter of recommendation for you. Check your college admissions' website to confirm a letter is required. Fill out the Letter of Recommendation form (Brag Sheet) if a letter is required and send it to your counselor/teacher. LOR sheet can be found in Naviance in the "Documents Library".

College Visits

Visiting a College?
How to Sign Up and Attend a College Visit at WHS

Visiting a College?

Here are some questions you might want to ask when you visit a college.

Academics

—How much time do students typically spend on homework?

—How much writing and reading are expected?

—What is the average class size of introductory classes?

—How widely used are teaching assistants on your campus?

—What is the average class size of upper-division courses?

Academic Perks

—What opportunities are there for undergraduate research?

—How many students participate in undergraduate research?

—Is there a culminating senior year experience?

—Do you have an honors college?

—Do you have a learning community or other freshman experience?

Financial Aid

—What is your average financial aid package?

—What is the typical breakdown of loans versus grants?

—What percentage of financial need does the school typically meet?

—What is the average merit award?

—What percentage of students receive college grants?

—What is the average college debt that students leave with?

—What work-study opportunities are there?

Graduation Track Record

—What is your four-year graduation rate? For my major?

—What is your five-year graduation rate?

—What does it take to graduate in four years?

—What percentage of freshmen return for sophomore year?

Academic Support

—What type of tutoring program do you have?

—How do you provide academic advice to students?

—Do you have a writing center and how do I access it?

—What kind of learning disability resources do you have?

Outside Opportunities

—How many students at the college get internships?

—What percentage of students study abroad?

—What type of career services do you have?

Student Life

—What kind of dorm choices are there?

—What percentage of student live on campus?

—How long are dorm accommodations guaranteed?

—How many students live on campus?

—Do most students go home on the weekend?

—What percentage of the study body belongs to a sorority or fraternity?

—What activities are offered to students?

—What clubs do you have on campus?

How to Sign Up and Attend a College Visit at WHS

STEP ONE: Please log in to your Clever account, you will see the SchooLinks icon/button under Northshore Tools. When you click on the SchooLinks icon/button you will go directly into your SchooLinks account.

STEP TWO: Once you are signed in to SchooLinks -

You will find a EVENTS tab to the right of the TO DO LIST tab on your home page.
Look through the UNREGISTERED EVENTS list
Click on the College Visit you would like to attend.
Click the blue REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT button on the panel to comes up to the right of your screen.
Select YES and then hit SUBMIT
Add the visit to your planner
On the day of the visit, log-in to SchooLinks and show your registration to your teacher as you pass to the visit.

How do I find money for college?

FAFSA

College Bound Scholarships

Scholarships

EVERYONE!

ALL Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen should be applying to scholarships NOW!

Here are some scholarship databases that you can use to find scholarships:

Fastweb - Create a profile

Scholarships - Create a profile and start looking!

The Big Futures - This site is through College Board or SAT site.

The Washboard - This is for all students who are from Washington State who would like to apply to in/out of state schools.

StudentScholarships.org

Scholarship Foundation of Northshore

Opens: November 2025

Due: March 2026

Scholarships for Northshore School District students ONLY. Students complete one application and can be considered for multiple scholarships. Each student will receive only one scholarship.

Scholarship Foundation of Northshore

Woodinville PTSA Scholarship

Opens Date to be announced

Due: Dates to be announced

The WHS PTSA scholarship application is now open. Three (3) scholarships of $2,000 are available for seniors who will be attending a 2- or 4- year program after graduation. The application must be completed online at https://forms.gle/AjKmiGVikijVKZhaA by March 30th, 2025.

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