CCHS Counseling

Frequently Asked Questions

Question:  How do I apply for financial aid?

Answer:  That's a great question and one that is not easy to answer in a short amount of space.  During your senior year, your counselors will conduct a number of classroom guidance lessons on the topic of financial aid.  The financial aid application process is different for each type of aid you are seeking.  Your counselors will provide a number of handouts about the process throughout the year, but you can find this year's handouts to the left under the "Student Handouts" tab.  In general, you apply for federal financial aid by completing the FAFSA at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/, and you apply for WV financial aid at http://www.wvapply.org/.  You can search for scholarships on a number of scholarship search engines such as http://www.fastweb.com/ and by completing the scholarship applications found in the Counseling Department at CCHS for local scholarships. 

(The picture above is of a student receiving assistance with her FAFSA in the Counseling Department.)

Qusestion:  What are the eligibility requirements for the Promise Scholarship?

Answer:  Promise Eligibility Requirements

Question:  How do I apply for the Promise Scholarship?

Answer:  Promise Application Process

Question:  Does West Virginia have other kinds of financial aid?

Answer:  Yes.  Here is a link to other sources of WV Financial Aid. 

More to follow...

A transcript is an academic record of all of the classes you have taken since you were in high school.  When seniors apply to college they are generally required to have a transcript sent to the college(s) so their academic progress can be evaluated.  Also, students sometimes request transcripts to be submitted with scholarship applications.  Students request a transcript by completing a transcript request form, available in the Counseling Department. 

You may also print the following form, complete it, and bring it to the Counseling Department.

Transcript Request Form 

Question:  When should I take the ACT test?

Answer:  In most cases, we would recommend that students take the ACT test for the first time during the spring semester of their junior year.  By that time, students will likely have been exposed to most of the academic content neccessary to be successful on the ACT.  It is specifically recommended that students take Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry before taking the ACT.

Question:  What is the difference between the ACT and the SAT?

Answer: 

The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities.

The ACT has up to 5 components: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. The SAT has only 3 components: Critical Reasoning, Mathematics, and a required Writing Test.

The College Board introduced a new version of the SAT in 2005, with a mandatory writing test. ACT continues to offer its well-established test, plus an optional writing test. You take the ACT Writing Test only if required by the college(s) you're applying to.

The SAT has a correction for guessing. That is, they take off for wrong answers. The ACT is scored based on the number of correct answers with no penalty for guessing.

The ACT has an Interest Inventory that allows students to evaluate their interests in various career options.

 Referrence:  http://www.actstudent.org/faq/answers/actsat.html