Dreams Do Come True
Below is a list of some of the colleges the 2010 ETS graduates are now attending.
Northcentral Technical College
Marquette University
Northern Michigan University
University of Wisconsin- Madison
University of Wisconsin- Stout
University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin- River Falls
University of Wisconsin- Green Bay
University of Wisconsin- Marathon County
Globe University
Rasmussen College
Ripon College
St. Olaf College
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Winona State University
Chippewa Valley Technical College
University of Minnesota- Twin Cities
University of Minnesota- Mankato
Minnesota State University Mankato
St. Thomas
Century College
Crown College
The Connection
EDUCATIONAL TALENT SEARCH
is located at the:
University of Wisconsin-Stout – 13 Harvey Hall – Menomonie, WI 54751
(715) 232-1250
www.uwstout.edu/ets
FALL 2010 EDITION
Say It Ain’t So!
Carolyn Mertz, Interim Director
New Staff Member
mertzc@uwstout.edu
Jason Hausler has joined the ETS staff for the 2010-2011 school year to replace Dale Dahlke. Dale retired
at the end of May after four wonderful years with the ETS Program. Jason comes with a wealth of knowledge
related to guidance counseling and working with students in grades 6-12. Jason will be working with
Menomonie High School juniors and seniors. We’re happy to have him on board!
Heather Barke, Advisor
In our experiences working with students over the years, one thing in certain. Alright,
actually two things are certain. One, students involved in the ETS Program are
academically talented and driven. Two, we have found that most students do not
understand that there is a difference between the requirements necessary to graduate
high school and what it takes to get in to and succeed in college. In other words, the two
are not synonymous with each other!
While the majority of students successfully complete high school, earning enough
basic core and elective credits to graduate, college admissions are actually looking for
something more. In our high school curriculum we discuss all of the puzzle pieces in
the college admissions process. Grade point average (GPA), class rank, ACT/SAT score,
leadership, involvement, grade trends, and the rigor of your course load are some of
the major factors. Colleges are now looking at the student as a whole to determine the
likelihood of success at that school based on these pieces of information.
barkeh@uwstout.edu
Karen Smolarek, Advisor
smolarekk@uwstout.edu
Jason Hausler, Advisor
hauslerj@uwstout.edu
Amy Burns, Office Associate
burnsamy@uwstout.edu
UW-Stout’s Educational Talent
Search is a 100% federally funded
TRiO Program serving 700+ students
annually with $296,548 awarded per
budget period
So you may be wondering what more can I do as a student (or parent) to prepare
myself (or child) for college. First, understand what it takes to graduate from high
school... and be sure to graduate. This is the first step in moving towards college. Next,
understand that while only two or three years of math or science may be required of
you to graduate, you will be more prepared and look better in the eyes of an admissions
director if you have four years of both. Extra work on your part? You bet. Worth it?
Absolutely. The bare minimum requirements are not enough to prepare you for life in
the postsecondary world. Third, know that more students than ever are graduating high
school with solid grades and still taking remedial courses upon entering college. (A
remedial course is designed to enable learners to remedy a lack of knowledge or correct
a skill deficiency.) The kicker: these classes are not free and often do not count towards
the credits you need to earn your college degree. The point? Take every advantage
of your high school learning opportunities. Challenge yourself and understand that
earning a ‘B-‘ in Calculus proves that you are willing to challenge yourself with the risk of
possibly not earning an easy ‘A’ in “Easy Math 101”.
Best wishes for an excellent year ahead!
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STOUT
W I S C O N S I N ’ S P O LY T E C H N I C U N I V E R S I T Y
University of Wisconsin-Stout
13 Harvey Hall
Menomonie, WI 54751
Educational Talent Search
1st Class Mail
US Postage Paid
Menomonie, WI
54751
Permit 5
Get your ACT together... and
prepare for the ACT!
Get Connected
You probably spend a portion of your day on your Facebook page, maybe even tweeting on Twitter.
These sites are a great way to stay connected and access information.
Well, if you are a student, teacher or parent of an ETS student,
2010-2011 ACT Dates
Test Date
September 11, 2010
October 23, 2010
December 11, 2010
February 12, 2011
April 9, 2011
June 11, 2011
Registration Deadline
August 6, 2010
September 17, 2010
November 5, 2010
January 7, 2011
March 4, 2011
May 6, 2011
it’s time to get connected to the virtual communication site, OrgSync.
(Late Fee Required)
August 7 – 20, 2010
September 18 – October 1, 2010
November 6 – 19, 2010
January 8 – 21, 2011
March 5 – 18, 2011
May 7 – 20, 2011
In an effort to continue improving communication with students,
district staff and parents,
ETS has signed up with OrgSync
•
Your ACT score will be between 1-36. This score is used by colleges as one piece of the admissions puzzle.
•
The test looks at four areas: English, Math, Reading and Science. There is an optional Writing portion. You should look at the schools you plan to
apply to as a senior to see whether or not the Writing portion of the test is required.
•
The ACT is a measure of college readiness, not how smart you are!
•
There are many easy ways to practice for the ACT. You can log on to www.actstudent.org for practice questions and full tests. A simple Google
search will provide practice tests galore!
Most Juniors will take the April or June test. Many take both, and we advise you to do the same!
Remember that ETS is able to provide an ACT fee waiver (meaning you can take the test up to two times for free), but you must contact your ETS
Advisor before you register to receive the waiver. Please note that we cannot cover costs associated with late registration fees and we cannot reimburse
students.
• You can also view ETS staff profiles and contact information.
through UW-Stout
Some ACT basics:
• Your first step is to register and join the ETS group page. In a few simple
steps you will have access to a calendar with ETS events including
meetings, fieldtrips and activities going on in your district and the
Educational Talent Search office.
to offer an avenue where participants
can access information and stay connected.
As with “all things ETS”,
there is no fee for using this site.
• Necessary ETS forms like fieldtrip permission slips, waiver form
requests, student surveys, etc. are available to print directly from the
OrgSync site.
• Need an occasional reminder regarding a fieldtrip or upcoming
deadline? Through the email messaging system and mass text messaging
capability, ETS advisors can send a reminder email or text message to
your phone should you choose to “opt in”.
Through OrgSync, our goal is to….
•
•
•
Keep parents and teachers “in tune” with ETS activities and the Educational Talent Search program.
Utilize an additional way of communicating with participants, parents and district staff within a controlled community.
Give students a “backup” method for ETS resources (Such as “Oops, I need another fieldtrip permission slip!”)
THIS IS YOUR INVITATION TO JOIN
The Importance of School Attendance
As former teachers, many of us here at ETS understand the connection between student performance and attendance. In fact, it is generally safe to say
that students who show up each day do fairly well in school. But the opposite is true too. Students that frequently miss school for one reason or another
lag behind in class and often can’t learn new material until they have caught up with the old. This holds true with 6th graders as much as it does for 12th
graders and college students.
The more participants we have the more effective this communication tool will be!
Be reassured that the PRIVACY SETTINGS are HIGH and all personal information is CONFIDENTIAL!
What Parents Can Do:
 Let your child know that you expect him/
her to attend school every day. Explain
that, just as you have a job, it’s his or her
job to go to school and learn.
 Set a time for doing homework each
evening and a time for going to bed.
Unfinished homework and too little sleep
are common reasons why parents hear
the words, “I don’t feel good,” on school
mornings.
 Encourage your child to start the day
off on the right foot by eating a healthy
breakfast. This alone gets the body moving
and brain working!
FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED TODAY!
ODAY!
What Students Can Do:
1. Go to www.orgsync.com
 Use your assignment notebook to help plan your evenings. This can help
prevent late night panic-filled moments, especially when it comes to
assignments, tests and projects due the next day.
a. Select REGISTER
 Know that your job is to be a good student. This is priority #1. Understand
that some days we all have things we don’t want to do (and who wouldn’t
want to sleep in every morning?!?), but missing a day of school for no good
reason really makes returning the day after that a little overwhelming. As
you learn to read, write and acquire basic math
skills, it is important that you practice those new
skills daily. Regular attendance promotes new
learning.
c. Complete the profile information and create your account
b. Choose your community (Select WI, then University of Wisconsin-Stout)
2. At your new home page, click “Join an Org”
3. Scroll to and select “ETS”
4. Request to join
Please call us at (715) 232-1253 if you need help getting registered!
More details about how to use the page to come!