Services at Pius
Individual college counseling is available to all students. Follow the links for information on other college planning services.

• Pre-College Summer Programs are offered at various Wisconsin colleges and universities. Many are overnight programs that allow students to explore career and academic interests while living in a college dorm.
• College Planning Night is for juniors and their parents. It provides a comprehensive orientation to the college admissions process. This is offered at Pius in March.
• Guidance Senior Handbooks are distributed and discussed in Senior Orientation at the beginning of the year.  These handbooks include everything a senior needs to know about college planning and application procedures.
• WISCAREERS is a computer-assisted college search program which provides information on any college or university in the nation. The computer is equipped to help students select a college based on specific majors, size, location, level of competition, cost and other factors important to the student.
• Scholarship Bulletins announce every scholarship offer that passes through the Counseling Center. The Scholarship Bulletin is distributed to every TAC room monthly and is available on-line. They are also available in the Counseling Center. The Scholarship Bulletin highlights the sponsor, the type of scholarship offered, the requirements for eligibility and the application deadlines.
• College Representatives visit from over 90 colleges or universities. They are available in the Counseling Center from September through April. Announcements are made over the PA on the day of the visit and noted on a monthly calendar outside the Counseling Center.
• College Fairs are announced each fall in the Senior Handbook, on the calendar, and over the PA.

College Planning Timeline
Students should start planning for college as early as possible. This link offers an overview of some steps they should be taking. Also visit www.nacac.com/p&s.html and click on "prep for college calendar."

College Entrance Exams
Students wishing to attend college must take either the ACT or SAT test. Most colleges now accept either test. It is recommended that students take at least one of these exams at the end of their junior year, and they may retest in the fall of their senior year. Please follow this link if you would like to learn more about these tests.

Finding the "Right" Colleges
It is important to understand that there is more than one college which is "right" for each student. This is a vital decision which should be based on numerous factors, including size of the school, location, majors offered, cost, public or private, etc. Some useful Internet resources can be found by following this link.

Financial Aid Planning
There are two general categories of financial aid: merit-based and need-based. The former does not consider a family's financial situation, but rather awards money based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, leadership, and other factors. Need-based aid is awarded to families who cannot afford to pay for all of the college related expenses. More information and Internet resources are provided through this link.