Quarterly Newsletter

The quarterly newsletter is designed to keep Hoban parents and students informed about the activities and goals of the student services office. We hope this newsletter will be an accessible and useful source for all your counseling and guidance needs. It’s one of our ways to help you stay connected.

THE WIRE September 2019

Important Events:

Monday, Sept.16: Senior Parent College Meeting; Moreau Ministry Hall 7 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 30: College Financial Aid Meeting; Moreau Ministry Hall 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 1: College Fair; St. Vincent-St. Mary Commons; 6-7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 3: Freshman & Transfer Student Orientation Part II, Career Day Sessions
Saturday, Oct. 5: SAT, various sites; registration by Sept.6, late registration by Sept. 24
Monday, Oct. 14: FAFSA Help Sessions in Student Services (by appointment) 
Wednesday, Oct.16 PSAT/NMSQT; administered at Hoban from 7:55 a.m.-Noon (early dismissal day)
Wednesday, Oct. 16 No Classes for Seniors - College visitation day
Thursday, Oct. 24: Parent-teacher conferences; 2:30-5:45 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26: ACT; various sites, registration by Sept. 20, late registration by Oct. 4  
Saturday, Nov. 2: SAT; various sites; registration by Nov. 8, late registration by Oct. 22
Saturday, Dec. 7: SAT; various sites; registration by Nov. 8, late registration by Nov. 26
Saturday, Dec. 14: ACT; various sites; registration by Nov. 8, late registration by Nov. 22

CLASS OF 2020
  • The time is now! Seniors will apply to colleges during this semester, the first semester of their senior year.
  • The college counselors met with all seniors on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in their English classes. Here are the five necessary college application steps we discussed:
  1.  For the colleges they are applying to we examined whether they will need to complete the Common Application or the school’s application through their website
  2.  How to decide the number of teacher recommendation letters they need and how to request them
  3.  Using Naviance to determine the application deadlines for each of their schools
  4. How to complete the Common Application
  5. The importance of filling out a yellow transcript transmittal form for each of the colleges to which they have applied. These forms are available in the student services office. The transmittal forms must be returned to the student's college counselor. The forms allow us to track applications and to meet important deadlines. Once we receive a transcript transmittal form, we will send the necessary documents to each college.
  • Our Senior Parent College Meeting Night is Monday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. We will have college admissions representatives from Ohio State and the University of Dayton to answer your questions about the college application process. The meeting will be held in Moreau Ministry Hall.
  • A college timeline for seniors, a chronological list of essential college-related tasks is available on the Hoban website under Academics/Student Services/College Counseling. Check the timeline to see if you are on track for college admission!
  • Our Financial Aid Night is Monday, Sept. 30. Inez Laurano, Director of Financial Aid at John Carroll University, will present an overview of (1) how colleges determine merit-based and need-based financial aid offers, and (2) how the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to determine family need. To apply for federal student aid, the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school tuition and fees; each family should complete the FAFSA. Many states and colleges also use FAFSA data to calculate a student's eligibility for state and institutional aid, and some private financial aid providers use the FAFSA information to determine whether a student qualifies for private aid. Plan to attend this helpful meeting.
  • The Student Services Office will host FAFSA Help Sessions at Hoban on Monday, Oct. 14. To prepare for these sessions, we urge parents of seniors to complete the FAFSA after Oct. 1, 2019, the date the FAFSA becomes available online. After completing and saving the FAFSA, a parent and his or her senior may meet with a financial aid counselor from John Carroll University on Monday, Sept. 30 to help them with questions and concerns before submitting the final FAFSA application form. To schedule a FAFSA Help Session call Mrs. Gallo in the student services office (330.773.6897) or email her at gallojo@hoban.org. 
  • Seniors are encouraged to visit colleges/universities on the following days when school is not in session: Oct. 16 and Oct. 25.

CLASS OF 2021
  • The two-purpose PSAT/NMSQT that juniors take on Wednesday, Oct. 16 (7:55 a.m.-noon), is an important step in preparation for college admission. The PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test) provides students with an SAT practice test under the same testing conditions as the "real" SAT. The score report the student and parents receive after the test outlines the areas of academic strength and weakness of each test taker. Students may use this information to guide preparation for the official ACT that juniors will soon be taking here at Hoban in February, 2020.
  • The NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) program uses the October PSAT test results to identify gifted students. High-scoring students are offered scholarships in both the National Merit Scholarship Program and the National Achievement Scholarship Program (for African-American students).
  • The college timeline for juniors, a chronological list of essential tasks to be completed during 11th grade, is posted on the Student Services website under Academics/Student Services/College Counseling. Check the timeline to see if you are on track in your college planning.
  • Students who may be interested in applying to a military academy (West Point, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy or Coast Guard Academy) we have a resource for you. Rosanne Burns is the mother of a Hoban alumnus and recent Naval Academy graduate. She is a member of the Northeast Ohio parent group for military academy parents. She would be happy to talk with you and provide information about the application process to the academies or any other general questions. Her email is rctburns@gmail.com.
CLASS OF 2022
  • Hoban peer mentors will lead two sets of classroom discussions with sophomores during the first quarter. The first is “Stress Management” and the second is “Mental Health”. Peer mentors visit sophomore religion classes throughout the school year to address key issues and allow students to discuss and process them.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 16, is PSAT Day. The school day will be shortened (7:55 a.m.-noon). All sophomores take this test in preparation for the SAT or ACT. Students take the PSAT again as juniors to practice for the SAT or ACT and, with high scores, to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship competition and/or the National Achievement Scholarship competition.
  • Students who may be interested in applying to a military academy (West Point, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy or Coast Guard Academy) we have a resource for you. Rosanne Burns is the parent of a Hoban alumnus and recent Naval Academy graduate. Rosanne is a member of the Northeast Ohio parent group for military academy parents. She would be happy to talk with you and provide information about the application process to the academies or any other general questions. Her email is rctburns@gmail.com.
CLASS OF 2023
  • School counselors will be meeting individually with all freshmen in “get to know you” sessions throughout the first quarter.
  • School counselors and Peer Mentors will be visiting freshman religion classes this quarter to discuss the topics of “Developing a Growth Mindset” and “Being your best."
  • On Thursday, Oct. 3, all freshman will take part in Freshman Orientation Part II. Their day will include:                         
  • A session on healthy relationships
  • A session on making high school count
  • An activity fair focused on ways to get involved at Hoban
  • A class Mass  
  • The PSAT will be administered on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The school day will be shortened (7:-55-noon). Freshmen in Honors English or Honors Geometry/Advanced Algebra will be invited to take this test. All other freshmen have the day off.