There will be updated information on our Counseling website in between senior notes. Stay informed by checking out our website each week.
Senior Conferences:
Your counselor will be calling you out of class soon. Please come prepared to talk about your future plans. This is your opportunity to ask questions and make sure you are on the right track to graduate and apply for the colleges you are considering.
Parents who would like to talk with their child’s counselor should call to make an appointment at 704-454-7300. Senior Packets were distributed during the Senior Assembly on August 25. There is a lot of important information in that packet.
Make up Pictures:
Senior make up pictures are September 1 in the Auxilary Gym. Mrs. Becker will have sign- up sheet on the storage doors across from room 232 (the yearbook room). Seniors who have not had his or her picture taken need to sign up and have their picture taken for the yearbook. There is no charge if you just have the picture taken for the yearbook and they do not plan to order pictures.
Cap and Gown Orders:
Senior announcement and cap/gown orders will be taken on Monday and Tuesday, September 21 and 22 outside the cafeteria. The Jostens representatives will be at school during all lunches. Bring your deposit! Keep in mind, every senior must turn in their cap/gown order to participate in the graduation exercises.
Now is the time to prepare for your graduation!
Graduation:
Hickory Ridge High School will hold its 8 th Commencement on Saturday, June 11 th at 4:00pm at the Cabarrus Arena & Events
Center. Graduation practice time and date be announced later. Attendance at graduation practice is mandatory to walk at graduation.
Early Decision and Early Action:
If you find a college that you know is right for you, consider applying early. But you should be aware of what you are committing to by checking out the following website: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/the-application/104.html
Open House/Senior Parent Night:
Be sure to tell your parents they can meet your teachers on September 16 at 6 pm. Immediately following that, we will talk to the parents about the college application process, financial aid and scholarships at approximately 7 pm in the auditorium.
County Wide College Fair (hosted by Concord High School):
Tuesday, September 30, from 6 to 8 pm at Cabarrus Arena & Events Center: Students and parents are invited to speak with admissions representatives of public and private colleges and universities in North Carolina. This is a great opportunity to get more information about a school in which you are interested. Please sign in at the Hickory Ridge table when you arrive.
Transcript Information: To apply to colleges, you will need to send your transcript.
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Once transcripts are ready, complete a transcript request form from the guidance office or the website.
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Don’t forget to give Mrs. Ryan 48 hours to get your transcript prepared. Once it is prepared, you will be given the sealed envelope to mail. The first three transcripts are free, after that they cost $5.00 for each additional transcript.
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Once you are a former student of ours, transcripts are $10.
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You can also send transcripts through CFNC.org for free. Go to the “transcript manager”.
Open House:
UNC Greensboro is excited to announce UNCG’s traveling information session. First Look, which will be held on Tuesday,
September 22 at the Renaissance Charlotte Southpark Hotel. Check-in begins at 6:45pm, with the program starting promptly at
7pm. First Look is an exciting opportunity for prospective students and their families to learn more about UNCG’s challenging academic programs and upcoming campus recruitment events. For more information or to register, students can call 336-334-
5243 or visit admissions.uncg.edu/firstlook

UNC Asheville is hosting a Latino open house on Saturday, September 12. Check in begins at 9am on the top floor of Highsmith
Union. You will be able to take a tour and explore the campus, learn valuable information about college admissions and how financial aid makes college affordable, and talk with local businesses about employment and educational opportunities. To
RSVP, email Brittany Privott at bprivott@unca.edu.
Letters of Recommendation:
Many colleges and universities require letters of recommendation along with your application for admission. These letters are an important way for admissions officials to gain insight into your personal strengths, weaknesses, and accomplishments.
When asking for a letter of recommendation, consider the following tips:
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Ask for letters at least 2 weeks before the application deadline.
 Be sure to use a “letter of recommendation request form,” which gives valuable information to the writer (you should have received one in your senior packet).
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Be courteous and polite when requesting letters of recommendation. Remember that you are asking the person to do something extra on top of their usual workload.
 Only ask adults you know can write a strong letter for you. If someone doesn’t know you well enough to advocate for your admission, you should find someone else who can write a strong letter on your behalf.
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Provide all necessary information, forms, addresses, and envelopes to complete and submit the letter of recommendation. And, make sure you follow the directions on how to send them in and when.
Counselors see students based on last name :
Ms. Osborne Last Name A-D
Ms. Lord Last Name E-K
Ms. Habjanic Last Name L-Ri
Ms. Navel Last Name Ro-Z
Mr. Zimmerman Graduation Coach

AES Engineers Scholarship Discipline: General, Character Award: $500 Requirements: Character; essay; future leaders; NOT required to be engineering student; apply online Deadline: October 6 Contact: visit online at http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm
Appointment to a Military Academy Discipline: General; military obligation follows college graduation Award: Full tuition and most expenses Requirements: Must be a US citizen, not married, between 17 and 22 years of age with academic excellence, physical aptitude and medical fitness, extracurricular involvement, excellent SAT/ACT scores and recommendations Deadline: October Contact: See your school ROTC personnel or visit online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/vice-president-biden/academy-nominations
Ayn Rand Essay Contest - Atlas Shrugged Discipline: General Award: $50 to $10,000 Requirements: Several essay contests: High school seniors, college and graduate students: complete an essay on "Atlas Shrugged". Demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic and psychological meaning of the novel, answering one of several specific questions. See website for specific questions, rules and other contests available. Deadline: October 24 Contact: visit online at http://essaycontest.aynrandnovels.com/AtlasShrugged.aspx?theme=blue
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Discipline: General-4 year programs Award: $10,000 - $20,000, annually for 4-yr college Requirements: Open to graduating high school seniors. Must have at least 3.0 GPA and demonstrate community service, leadership, academic achievement, planning to pursue a degree at an accredited US postsecondary institution. Deadline: October 31 for 4-yr Contact: visit online at http://www.cocacolascholarsfoundation.org/applicants/#programs
Davidson College - Bryan Scholars Program Discipline: Athletics Award: Up to comprehensive funding (tuition, fees, room and board-)($30,000/yr) plus two summer stipends Requirements: The Bryan Scholars Program offers two scholarships, one each to a female and male scholar athlete in each entering class. Have you: Earned an exceptional academic record? Exhibited outstanding leadership abilities? Been recognized as capable of playing at the Division I level? Deadline: September 21 school nominations due; Oct 15 Davidson application due Contact: Pease see Mrs.
Habjanic if you are interested.
Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Discipline: Homeless, formerly homeless or at risk students Award: $5,000-
$20,000 Requirements: Critical financial need, co-curricular and community activities, character, 2.0 GPA minimum,
US Citizen. Deadline: October 25 Contact: visit online at https://www.horatioalger.org/scholarships/apply.cfm
Levine Scholarship (Levine Scholars Program) Discipline: UNC Charlotte, merit-based Award: Fullride Requirements: Service, academic excellence, leadership, students must be nominated by their schools Deadline:
October September 15 Contact: Please see Mrs. Habjanic in Student Services .
Morehead-Cain Scholarship Discipline: UNC Chapel Hill, merit-based Award: Full-ride scholarship Requirements:
Character, scholarship, physical vigor, leadership Deadline: September 15 Contact: See Mrs. Habjanic if interested.
To self- nominate go to http://www.moreheadcain.org/take-morehead-cain-scholar/
National Foundation for Advancements of Arts Young Arts Scholarship Discipline: Cinematic arts, dance, jazz, music, photography, theater, visual arts, voice, writing Award: $10,000 Gold Awards, $5,000 Silver awards, plus expenses for Arts Week in January, $100 to $3,000 without Arts Week Requirements: You must be a high school senior in the current school year. Proof of age will be required. You must be a citizen or permanent resident of the US. A copy of your permanent resident card is required. The cost for registering to the YoungArts program is $35 per category. There is a $10 discount for registering early. Requirements vary for each category; review the specific requirements carefully.
Each year, 20 of the YoungArts Finalists are named U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts. At the request of The
Commission on Presidential Scholars, which is appointed by the President of the United States, National Foundation for
Advancement in the Arts, through its YoungArts program serves as the exclusive nominating agency for U.S.
Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Scholarships can be used at any college or university. Deadline: October 17 Contact: visit online at http://www.youngarts.org/apply
Navy Scholarships Discipline: General; military obligation follows graduation, Civil engineering, Nursing,
Nuclear Award: Varies; covers tuition, academic fees and most books.
Requirements: For US citizens. Selections are

based on SAT or ACT scores or be in the top 10% of your class, recommendations, extracurricular activities, leadership, interview, physical condition. Take SAT or ACT no later than October of senior year, preferably in June of junior year.. Deadline: October 31 Contact: visit online at http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/scholarships.aspx
NC State University - various scholarships available Discipline: General; agriculture, life sciences, design, education, engineering, humanities, social science, management, natural resources, physical science, mathematics, textiles Award:
Up to full tuition Requirements: Varies; Selection is based on academic achievement, GPA, SAT scores. The Office of
Scholarships and Financial Aid offers a limited number of competitive scholarships for entering freshmen in an effort to recognize and encourage exceptional academic ability and talent. To be considered, students must apply for admission by
November 1. Some academic scholarships also require that students demonstrate financial need. All students who apply for admission by November 1 and apply for financial aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) by March 1 will automatically be considered for need-based academic scholarships. In addition college/departmental, employer-sponsored, endowed and minority scholarships available. See website for details and deadlines for these awards. Deadline: Oct 1 Contact: visit online at http://financialaid.ncsu.edu/
Prudential Spirit of Community Award Discipline: Community Service Award: $1,000 - $5,000 and/or an allexpense-paid trip to Washington, DC Requirements: Be a student in grades 5-12, who has engaged in a volunteer or self-initiated community service activity performed at least partly during the last 12 months; submit completed application (available online) to participating school principal or the head of one of the officially designated local organizations. Deadline: November Contact: visit online at http://spirit.prudential.com/view/page/soc
QuestBridge National College Match Program Discipline: Low-income students, merit-based, first generation, various competitive colleges Award: $55,000 per year Requirements: Top 5% or 10% of their class, strong grades in challenging classes and high standardized test scores, household income is less than $60,000 a year, and often less than
$50,000 a year, often the first generation in their family to go to college may have experienced long-term economic hardship. Deadline: September 26 Contact: visit online at http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/ncm-apply
Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (MAES) Scholarship Discipline: science, technology, engineering, or mathematics Award: $200 to $4,000 Requirements: Membership: Must be a current MAES Student
Member Attendance: Attendance is not required to be awarded a General Scholarship; attendance for the top awards is required Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen or permanent resident for most scholarships; limited awards available for international students. Age: Must be 18 years of age or older by postmark deadline. GPA: Must have a minimum GPA of 2.0/4.0. Major: Must be pursuing a STEM degree at an accredited U.S. university or community college; medical sciences, nursing and social sciences are not considered a STEM degree. Enrollment: Must be enrolled as a full time student for the fall semester. Undergraduate student must be enrolled in twelve (12) credit hours. Students at community college must be enrolled in transferable majors to a four-year institution offering a Baccalaureate
Degree. Deadline: September 19 Contact: visit online at http://mymaes.org/program-item/maes-scholarships/
The Thomas Wolfe Scholarship Program - UNC at Chapel Hill Discipline: English, creative writing, poetry, fiction, plays, literary non-fiction (personal narratives, memoir, travel and nature essays, literary journalism, belleslettres Award: full 4-year financial support Requirements: The Creative Writing Program and the Department of English of UNC-at Chapel Hill are pleased to announce the Thomas Wolfe Scholarship, which offers full four-year financial support to one incoming freshman per year. The Thomas Wolfe Scholarship's level of support will be equal to that of the
University's well-known Morehead Scholarships. The Thomas Wolfe Scholarship seeks to identify and reward students with exceptionally focused literary ability and promise. Applicants must apply simultaneously to the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill for EARLY admission and complete a separate application for this scholarship. These are two distinct application processes and require different forms and separate mailings. Applicants must meet all academic requirements for EARLY admission. Deadline: October 15 Contact: visit online at http://englishcomplit.unc.edu/creative/scholarship/tws
Wendy's High School Heisman Discipline: Athletics Award: National recognition, up to $500 for student; up to $10,000 for the high school Requirements: The application is open to any high school senior who meets the following eligibility criteria. A high school senior for the current academic year, graduating with your class, who maintains at least a B (3.0) G.P.A. during your three years in high school, and participates in at least one of the 27 school-sponsored sports officially sanctioned by the National Federation of
State High Schools. We want to hear from all student-athletes who work hard, are dedicated, and have become role models for your school's underclassmen. Students are judged based on their academic achievements, community service involvement, and athletic accomplishments. Application opens in February of junior year and due October of senior year. Deadline: October 3 Contact: visit online at www.wendyshighschoolheisman.com
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