Seminar to Give High School Seniors a Head Start on College Apps

High school staff say a new weekend seminar will help give incoming seniors a head start on their college applications.

The first Londonderry High School College Saturday will be held on Sept. 15, a partnership between the high school and the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation.

The half-day program replaces the parent information class high school Guidance Director Michael Dolphin has conducted in years past.

"It was getting a little stagnant and the class was running long," Dolphin told the Londonderry School Board at its meeting last week. He said planning for a new program began last spring.

This year's incoming seniors and their parents or guardians will attend four workshops, including a discussion panel with area universities and colleges, Dolphin said. The other workshops will touch on standardized testing, financial aid and college essays.

Londonderry School Board Chairman John Laferriere applauded the new program.

"A lot of times we don't prepare our kids or we start too late with it, so anything we can do to get them acclimated to the whole process is key," he said.

The College Saturday event will run from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Sept. 15 at  Londonderry High School. No registration is required.