College Entrance Testing

9th/10th Grades:

All freshmen take the PSAT 8/9, which is a precursor to the SAT and provides excellent practice for subsequent standardized tests as well as valuable test preparation feedback and tools. All sophomores take the PSAT 10, another precursor to the SAT. In both cases there is no fee charged to students, and they will register through school to take the tests during the school day. These tests will happen on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

11th Grade:

Juniors who are interested will take the PSAT/NMSQT, which is the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as well as a precursor to the SAT. They will need to register and pay through school to take the test during the school day. The PSAT/NMSQT will be on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.

All juniors will take the SAT during the school day on March 22, 2023. They will register through school and there is no charge to the student.
Juniors should also consider taking the ACT or SAT beginning in December, February, or June.

12th Grade:

Seniors who intend to go to college should take the ACT and/or the SAT and should register and view the scheduled testing dates and locations directly on the ACT website and the SAT website.

Preparing for the ACT and SAT:

Individual copies of the ACT and SAT test prep booklets are available for all students for free in the counseling office.

• Sylvan Learning Center offers ACT and SAT preparation classes at their Grandville location. Please call the Sylvan office at 616.552.8160 for more information or to register.
• ACT Official Online Test Preparation Guide
• The College Board and Khan Academy have partnered to provide a free Official SAT practice
• The Ultimate Student Starter Kit to the SAT.
• Community College Placement Exam Workshops/Seniors: Students who plan to attend a community college after graduation and do not meet the minimum ACT or SAT score requirements, will need to take the ACCUPLACER or COMPASS assessment/placement tests. If the results of the assessment determine that further college preparation is needed, preparatory training is available at the Careerline Tech Center or Thompson M-TEC. Dates and locations will be announced.

All AP Exams are offered in May through Holland Christian. Registration and payment need to be completed by November 12, 2024 at 8am. Be sure to complete both of the following steps to register:

1. Pay for the test through the Total Registration website. The cost of each AP exam is $105 paid online via Total Registration.
2. Join your teacher’s AP Classroom and indicate you are interested in taking the AP test.

If you have questions email Alison in the HCHS office.

• Scholarships.com has a helpful College Application Checklist from to help you get organized in applying for college.
• Current students who are applying to college must request their transcript be sent via Parchment. All HCHS seniors will have the opportunity to create a Parchment account and submit transcript requests free of charge while they are current HCHS seniors. Students can also request transcripts be sent to NCAA via Parchment. NAIA does not use Parchment so students will need to request that the counseling office upload transcripts to NAIA eligibility center website.
• Seniors using the Common Application for colleges that participate in the program will also request transcripts via Parchment by selecting Common Application as the destination. Then transcripts will be sent to the colleges once the Common Application is completed by the student. Make sure you put your counselor’s name and email address in the place provided in the Common Application. If you are using the Common Application and find that you have a problem requesting a recommendation, please notify the Counseling Office.

Things To Know:

1. Create your account and fill out your profile.
2. The Common App section includes: Profile, Family, Education, Testing, Activities & Writing.
3. Go to the Education section and fill out your High School info. This must be done to add a college and a recommender to your account.
4. Go to “My Colleges” tab > Recommenders/FERPA > FERPA > Waive your rights. (Waiving your rights allow admissions officers to view your recommendations as genuine. Completing this step allows you to add counselor information and add your recommenders.)

ADDITIONAL HELPFUL INFO:

• Class Rank – None
• GPA is Weighted (4 point scale)
• Counselor’s Phone number: 616-820-2905
• Counselor email, name and title: BE SURE things are spelled correctly here.
• Cumulative GPA – GPA through the end of junior year, NOT your current semester GPA
• Dual Enrollment Classes
  • Enter these under High School classes (Education section), not colleges you’ve attended.
  • When listing courses in the Education section, there is an option to select dual enrollment for specific classes.
• Early Action vs. Early Decision vs. Rolling Admissions vs. Regular
  • Early Action means you get notified quicker if you are accepted.
  • Early Decision means if you get accepted early you COMMIT to attending that school regardless of cost, and you cancel your apps at all other schools.
  • Rolling Admission means they review applications when they come in, and they continue reviewing them until the final deadline (usually late spring/early summer).
  • Regular Decision – You will be notified based on regular decision timelines (usually listed in the My Colleges section for each school). accepted early.
• ACT/SAT Test dates – Look these up yourself on the ACT or CollegeBoard websites.
• HC does not include test scores on your transcript or send them for you.
  • To send scores, you must use your free score sends (enter these when you register for ACT or SAT or within a week of getting results) or request scores to be sent (this costs money) from either SAT or ACT.
• Transcripts must be requested through Parchment
  • Select where you would like your transcript sent to: individual schools, NCAA, Common App, etc.
  • “Common Application – first year applicants” should be listed as the recipient for any schools you applied to through the Common Application (instead of sending your transcript directly to the individual schools – Common App sends it to all schools that you apply to through the Common App).

We have published a recording of College Meeting for Juniors for you to reference.

College Search

Visit the What Will They Learn website, a free, online college guide that includes college ratings and ranks and college entrance criteria. The site also provides unique information on whether colleges make sure their students learn the things they need to know; what colleges expect their graduates to study outside their majors; tuition; the number of students who graduate; and what the colleges believe about the education they offer. There are more than 125 institutions currently covered and more will be added.

College Preparation Checklist

The College Preparation Checklist brochure, distributed by the Federal Student Aid Information Center contains college preparation timelines and tips, and a listing of additional publications and websites useful for each year of high school, beginning the freshman year.

FAFSA4CASTER

FAFSA4caster is a federal aid estimator that you can use before officially applying for aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA4caster will provide you with an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is an index that colleges use to determine what types of student aid you may receive. Using your EFC, FAFSA4caster will determine what types of federal grants, loans, and work-study you might qualify for and will provide you an estimated award amount for each. Any student, regardless of age or year in school, may use FAFSA4caster. The website will provide information on next steps in the financial aid process. Also, in winter of your senior year of high school, you will receive a reminder to complete the FAFSA.

Government Financial Aid & Private Scholarships

When a senior applies to a college, the college will consider that student for all institution-based aid and all state and federal aid based upon information obtained through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The only scholarships your son/daughter must apply for are those sponsored by private organizations. We are making a concerted effort to inform seniors of all available scholarships. Scholarship information is posted on the counseling bulletin board in the hall and on the “Scholarships” drop down menu below. Our website is updated as new and annual scholarship announcements are received by the counseling department.

FAFSA Workshop

Holland Christian High School hosts a workshop for parents at HCHS, this year on September 26, 2022 at 6 pm. A representative from Calvin University’s financial aid office will walk parents through the application process. The workshop is for parents of juniors and seniors and is not limited to students who are applying to Calvin. The workshop will be virtual this year and parents will be sent a link to join the meeting.

FAFSA Deadlines

The HCHS counseling department recommends that applications be completed no later than February 15 to ensure timely receipt.The FAFSA must be completed to qualify a senior for college financial aid consideration. Here are the FAFSA applications on the Federal Student Aid website. The application should be completed by February 15, 2023 in order to insure timely receipt. The application process for 2022-23 becomes available on October 1, 2022 and applications should be completed as soon as possible. The federal deadline is June 30 and the state deadline is March 1.

College Athletics

Seniors who are considering attending a Division I or II University and hope to compete on an athletic team must complete an NCAA application eligibility form. Students can apply to the NCAA on the NCAA website. Seniors who are considering attending an NAIA member school must complete the NAIA application. For a complete listing of NAIA schools and an application, go to the NAIA website. When a student completes an NCAA or NAIA application they must request transcripts be sent to NCAA or NAIA.  Students should request transcripts be sent to NCAA via Parchment. NAIA does not use Parchment so students will need to request that the counseling office upload transcripts to NAIA eligibility center website. It is the student’s responsibility to check requirements on the Holland Christian High School NCAA eligibility guide to make sure their senior courses insure eligibility.

Selective Service Registration

Men must register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. For more information go to www.sss.gov.

FINANCIAL AID LINKS

• Colleges & Universities
  • US News College Search
  • Peterson’s Education Center
• Financial Aid & Scholarship Searches
  • Midwest multi-state tuition reciprocity program
  • Fast Web
  • National Association of Student Aid Administrators
  • Michigan Student Financial Aid Association
  • SallieMae
  • Fast Web FAFSA Checklist
• Government Sites
  • Michigan Merit Award Program
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • FAFSA Student Aid

LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Internal Holland Christian Scholarships

These are scholarships that are available to full-time HC seniors only (this includes Tech Center seniors), and you will find the information and applications for them on Google Classroom. Seniors have been emailed an invitation to the Google classroom for HCHS Internal Scholarships. These scholarships are all due by March 28 at 8am.

Holland/Zeeland Community Foundation

You will apply for these on the Community Foundation’s website. All applications must be submitted online. Please read carefully the section “Information You Will Need” before you begin the application process. These scholarships close at 5:00 pm on March 1. You can sign up for email reminders on the Community Foundation website about due dates and the scholarship process.

Local, Regional, & National Scholarships

The Counseling department maintains a Google Doc listing of outside scholarships that we are notified of.

Christian College Scholarship Drawing

The Christian Connector has provided free Christian college information to more than 1,000,000 students in their 25 years of service. Additionally, they have awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to students attending Christian colleges and universities. By completing the free Christian College request form, students are automatically entered in their $5,000 Christian College Scholarship drawing.

GRCC Foundation Scholarships

Students who have completed the GRCC admissions process are welcome to apply at on the GRCC website. One application will put you in consideration for over 200 award opportunities.

The American College Foundation

Multiple scholarships for high school freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Go to American College Foundation website to find out more.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Several different scholarship programs for academically successful students who demonstrate financial need. Go to Jack Kent Cooke Foundation website for more information.

Outside Scholarships

Another comprehensive listing of outside scholarships is the Scholarship and Grants website. Another helpful place to research scholarships and other valuable financial aid information is Scholarships.com.

Tuition Funding Sources

TFS, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, is a private website designed to help students find scholarships, college and career information. TFS offers students the largest scholarship database in the world with over $33 billion in scholarship awards along with a career personality test and detailed college and career information. For more information visit the Tuition Funding Sources website

“Need a Lift?”

The American Legion offers an online catalog with scholarships, financial aid and other student opportunities.

Scams

In the midst of searching for scholarships there is potential risk in dealing with scholarship scams. Learn more on FinAid’s Scholarship Scams page.

We provide certified copies of student academic transcripts. In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, it is the policy of Holland Christian Schools not to release a transcript to any individual, agency, or organization without the written consent of the student. To be official, a transcript must display the school seal and be mailed directly to your college. Faxed copies are not accepted. So that we may process your transcript request in a timely manner please complete the necessary forms described below in their entirety.

Current Holland Christian High School students should request transcripts be sent to colleges via their Parchment accounts. If students are applying to colleges via the Common Application, they need to request transcripts be sent to Common Application as a destination on Parchment.

If you are a graduate of Holland Christian from 2017 or later, you need to request transcripts to be sent via your Parchment account (there will now be a fee charged).

If you are a graduate or former student of Holland Christian from class of 2016 or earlier, fill out the Graduate Transcript Request Form and return along with the $5 payment (cash or check only) to request a transcript. If you have questions or need assistance, please email Alison or call 616.820.2905.

Representatives from colleges, universities, and recruiters regularly visit the high school during lunch to meet with students and provide information on their schools and opportunities. Check out this list of upcoming visits by college representatives.

COLLEGE FAIRS / OPEN HOUSES

NACAC

National College Fairs have been offered for nearly 50 years as a program of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. They are bringing one to West Michigan on April 16, 2020 at the DeVos Place Conference Center in Grand Rapids. For more information and to register, go to the NACAC website.

GRCC Open House Events

GRCC has many virtual opportunities to explore GRCC.

Opportunities from the US Congress

Students who wish to attend a Service Academy should apply directly to the admissions office of the appropriate academy. An Application for Nomination must also be submitted to Congressman Bill Huizenga. Nominations are required by the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland; U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado; and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York.

Interested students should contact their counselors in the spring of their junior year for more information. The Nominations Timeline for Congressman Huizenga, Academy Information Checklist and application can be found on Congressman Bill Huizenga’s website.

Gap Year Opportunities

For students who are looking for unique summer employment or gap year opportunities that will prepare them for college or a career while living on mission – A Christian Ministry in the National Parks provides individuals with the opportunity to live, work and lead ministry efforts in the context of park communities. Here they will have the chance to lead worship services and engage in relational ministry at the work place, all while earning an income.

Leadership Opportunities

Lakeshore Youth Leadership: LYL’s mission is to embrace and value the area’s youth by empowering them to strengthen our community through meaningful participation. You can read more on this Lakeshore Youth Leadership PDF which has a list of member organizations that you can participate in.

Summer Opportunities

• Cornerstone University Creative Writing Camp July 6-8, 2021.
• Ferris State University Summer day camps in Digital Animation & Game Design, Digital Media Software Academy, and Molecular Diagnostics. Located at Ferris-Grand Rapids on the campus of GRCC, corner of Fountain and Ransom.
• Hillsdale College High School Summer Study is an opportunity for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to earn three college credits from Hillsdale College while traveling to cultural and historic destinations domestic and abroad.
• Michigan Tech Summer Youth Programs
• Interlochen Center for the Arts Camp are summer programs for every young artist. Grades 3 – 12, beginner to advanced. Scholarships available!
• Saint Mary’s College is hosting the Embody Institute, a one-week program that combines rigorous theological reflection with interactive sessions that enable students to immediately connect what they are learning to their lives. They will explore themes of beauty, justice and faith and leave feeling empowered to put these into action.
• Johns Hopkins University Summer Pre-College Programs allow you to get a head start on college and earn academic credit with every class.
• Case Western Reserve University Pre-College Summer Programs are for ambitious high school students to get fully immersed in a college curriculum, conversations and activities.
• Student Statesmanship Institute offers the Summer Leadership Experience through their LEAD program. LEAD is a week-long, true-to-life leadership simulation that plays out in the State Capitol, courtrooms, news rooms and more in the greater Lansing area. Under the direction of experienced professionals from a wide variety of fields, students are given the unique opportunity to see what a Christian leader faces in the real world.
• Washington University Sports Business Boot Camp is A real-time Zoom-based educational experience for students who want to learn about the Business of Sports and careers in sports.