Portland St. Patrick Catholic School

In today’s world, a high school education is no longer sufficient.  Few would argue that point, and yet many students go through high school without a good solid plan for college.  College planning can be overwhelming, as families grapple with the realities of academic requirements and costs.

In addition, many families wait too long to begin planning.  Few eighth graders have college on their minds when they sign up for their first high school classes, and yet, that is exactly when the process begins.

On the evening of January 19, Dr. Frank Bernier will be at Portland St. Patrick School to conduct a seminar entitled College Planning 101.  Dr. Bernier has 30 years of experience as a high school college planning advisor and as a college and medical school director of admissions and financial aid.  He received MSU’s prestigious Crystal Apple Award for his “innovative and outstanding contributions to the field of education.”  The topics covered at the seminar are:

•    High School Preparation

•    Finding a “Good Fit” College

•    Scholarship Searches and the Financial Aid Process

•    Designing Your College Plan

•    High School to College Transition

This workshop is designed to help families understand and manage the college planning process.  The outcome is for students to find, be admitted to, and afford one or more “good fit” colleges.  Dr. Bernier conducted a similar seminar recently at both Pewamo - Westphalia and Portland High School.  If you missed those meetings, this is another chance to attend.  The seminar will be held in the St. Patrick Parish Hall at 6:30 p.m. and is open to everyone.  All families with seventh grade students or older are encouraged to attend.  Admission is free.

You can register by calling the St. Patrick School office (517) 647-7551, e-mail randyhodge@portlandstpats.org or register online by going to www.portlandstpats.com and clicking on the College Planning 101 link near the top of the homepage.

Pre-registration is not required, however it is strongly recommended.  We want to make sure that we have enough handouts for everyone.  Unregistered guests will not be guaranteed to get one.

I’d like to personally invite you and your student to attend this seminar, so you can begin preparing for this important phase of life.  Please take advantage of this terrific opportunity, you’ll be glad you did.