The senior workshops held on PSAT Day, Oct. 10, were meant to prepare the seniors for applying to colleges. These workshops exposed the seniors to the work they needed to complete in anticipation of the looming deadlines for college and financial aid applications.

Although PSAT Day was planned for the Class of 2019 to enjoy fun activities and a senior breakfast, these plans were cancelled and replaced with sessions in which seniors heard presentations on financial aid and application forms. Senior could choose workshops on topics from: ACT practice, Army scholarships, the Common Application, CSU applications, financial aid, Marine scholarships, personal insight questions, SMC applications, UC applications, the South Central scholarship, West LA College applications, Xavier University applications, and the California Dream Act application.

While the 9-11th graders completed the PSAT, some seniors had the opportunity to a practice version of the ACT, which was provided by Princeton Review. Other seniors participated in four out of the many college-related workshops.

The South Central Scholars workshop involved low-income seniors learning about the various scholarships and colleges that make financial packages available and affordable to students. The seniors wanted free money for college, and this workshop provided valuable information that was of use to the upperclassmen.

“My favorite workshop was the South Central Scholars, because the man was very knowledgeable about schools and had great information to give out,” said senior Shashine Nnachetam.

Students learned how to complete their Common Application and how to link it to Naviance, a tool now needed to complete college applications.

The first and second sessions of the Common Application workshop were presented by a representative from Johnson and Wales University, while the third and fourth session was taught and presented by senior Aiden Yoo.

“The representative talked about his school for the Common Application while Yoo talked about what the students needed in general for other schools for the Common app,” said senior Camryn Butze. “I liked the second session.”

There was also aid for completing the CSU and UC applications.

Students planning to apply to private colleges can complete their college forms through the Common application, and students planning to attend any UC school, must fill out the UC application form. For the workshops that featured the Common and UC applications, students received aid in completing their personal insight questions with the assistance of 826LA.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA)opened on Oct. 1 for students in need of money for school. The Financial Aid workshop consisted of a presentation on the necessary information needed to be known in order to complete the FAFSA.

The seniors took away beneficial information that would lead to them becoming first-year college students in 2019.

“I feel more prepared and I feel overwhelmed because there are too many options and I need more time to find the colleges of my choice,” said Nnachetam.