Week 7's SEAD Shoutout goes to Juan Pablo!

Juan Pablo recently got a job shoveling snow around Boston: a necessity considering we have had over 100 inches of snow this winter! He has done an awesome job balancing this with his school work. He always makes sure to dedicate time to his homework and studying. I admire his determination to do well in school. This term we have also been working on communication and he has been amazing at this. I know I can always count on him to be responsive to any messages from SEAD now! Great job Juan Pablo!

This Week in SEAD (2/23-2/27)

Now: Schedule a meeting with me before Thursday!

Tues: Available after school until 2:30pm for any homework/college search help.

Wednesday: please send me your current grades (with percentages) for each class; I know some of you do not have new grades for the term. Just send me what you have. You can screenshot them from Aspen or show them to me in my office.

Alex has her drama play at 3:30pm after school. Let me know if you want to join me and support her!

Thursday: Available after school until 4:30pm for any homework/college search help.

Roberto the intern from Raymond will be visiting this day!

Friday: Available after school until 3:30pm for any homework/college search help.

Looking ahead: Bowling next Friday (March 6) in East Boston. Let me know by next Wednesday if you are coming.

ACT practice test next Saturday (March 7). This is mandatory. Everyone must go. It will be held at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center from 11:30am-5pm.

UMass Boston Visit 2/23

• Trip Details:
• Leaving right after school, returning around 6pm
• SEAD will pay for transportation and a snack
• Location: Boston, MA
• About an hour from East Boston via the blue, orange, red lines.
• Commuter campus
• Size: 12,336 undergraduates
• Type of School: 4-year, mid sized, public university.
• Most Popular Undergraduate Majors: Business/Marketing, Health Professions, Psychology, Social Sciences, Biology, Security & Protective Services, Parks & Recreation
• Admissions Statistics:
• Acceptance Rate: 70%
• Transfer Acceptance Rate: 79%
• SAT Mid Range Test Scores:
• SAT Critical Reading: 460-570
• SAT Math: 490-590
• GPA Requirements: 3.0 required, but if under 3.0 can still be admitted depending on SAT scores (41% of admitted students have below a 3.0)
• Cost:
• “Need blind” admissions
• Total Cost of Attendance:
• At home: $18,106
• Off Campus: $26, 206

Notes: No on campus housing currently offered. Building new dorm, should be ready by Fall 2016.

Salem State University Recap!

         Ronaldo and I were the only ones able to brave the weather on Tuesday to make it to Salem State University, but we had a great time! Our travels getting there were far from smooth due to train breakdowns, bus troubles, and snow. It was all worth it, though, once we got to campus. This is the first Massachusetts public university I have seen. It is set in a suburban area of Salem, but is not too secluded. It seems like a good place to focus on school and have the classic 4-year campus experience. Many students do end up living there for all four years. We had the chance to check out a freshman dorm room and it was pretty spacious and definitely had the college feel. Salem State also has more apartment/suite style living options for juniors and seniors. The building on campus are very new and modern. They are in the process of completing construction on a brand new freshman dorm! Their library was built a couple of years ago and has great lighting and open spaces, it seems like a lovely place to study while it's snowing outside. There are also free shuttle busses available to students to take them to the different parts of campus or into downtown Salem. I thought this was an awesome option for students, especially in the winter! Before we started our tour, we attended a short information session on Salem State, where we learned about their admissions process and a few specific programs. One is the honors program: for students who did very well in high school and got good SAT scores, they are eligible to apply for the honors program which supports students by having a living learning community for them, extra scholarships, and extra academic support. The other program we learned about is one called Summer Bridge. In this program, students are accepted to Salem State on a conditional basis. They must attend a 5 week Summer Bridge program (completely paid for by the school) that will help them develop the skills necessary for a smooth transition into a 4-year university. Both sounded like great programs! After our info sessions and tour, Ronaldo and I decided to head to downtown Salem for lunch. We discovered that not many people are out and about in Salem during the winter. It was kind of spooky to walk down the cobbled streets by ourselves, but it was cool experience!

Salem State University Info Session

The glass building to the right is the new library!

The walkway from North Campus to South campus!

Salem State University's Career Center

Downtown Salem

It felt like a ghost town!

We found Olaf (the ice version) in front of local toy store!

                                                       Week 6's SEAD Shoutout goes to Ronaldo!
         During reunion weekend, Ronaldo talked with members of the SEAD leadership team about his plans for the future. They came up with a couple of action steps for Ronaldo to complete in order to accomplish his long term goals. He has been working very hard to follow through with the plan and has shown a renewed dedication to school. I love seeing him focus on school and take time to recognize his own needs, like getting enough sleep! Great job Ronaldo!

ACT Practice Test March 7th

This test is mandatory. I will update you with more information on the exact time and what you can expect. Be prepared to have a clear schedule on Saturday, March 7th. The test will take about 5 hours to complete. There will be pizza afterwards.

Salem State University Visit 2/17

• Trip Details:
• Leaving East Boston at 9am, returning at 3:30/4pm
• SEAD will pay for lunch and transportation
• Location: Salem, MA
• About an hour outside of Boston, accessible via the commuter rail or by MBTA bus.
• Primarily a commuter campus located in a large town in an urban setting.
• Size:
• 7,664 undergraduates
• Type of School: 4-year, mid sized, public university. Primarily a commuter campus located in a large town in an urban setting.
• Most Popular Undergraduate Majors: Business/Marketing, Health Professions, Education, Security & Protective Services, Psychology, Communications/Journalism, Biology, Social Sciences, and Visual & Performing Arts
• Admissions Statistics:
• Acceptance Rate: 71%
• SAT Mid Range Test Scores:
• SAT Critical Reading: 440-540
• SAT Math: 450-540
• SAT Writing: 430-540
• GPA Requirements: 3.0 required, but if under 3.0 can still be admitted depending on SAT scores (41% of admitted students have below a 3.0)
• Cost:
• “Need blind” admissions
• In-state tuition & fees: $8,130