Current Students

Stay-in-School Scholarships

Community Club students in the ninth through twelfth grades are eligible for stipends in our stay-in-school scholarship program. These scholarships were started in 1969 to encourage students to stay in school until graduation (45% of District students don't graduate) and offer them an alternative to jobs, which often hurt academic progress. Scholarship amounts are scaled to students' class levels.

Stay-in-School Scholarship Rules

To get into the Stay-in-School Scholarship program, students must:

  1. Be enrolled in a D.C. public or charter school, grades 9-12.
  2. Have participated in Community Club for two full advisory periods.
  3. Maintain a grade point average (GPA)of at least 2.5 for two consecutive advisories.
  4. Take at least 4 full-credit courses each advisory period.
  5. Attend Study Hall regularly, come on time, work on homework each week, give advance notice to their tutor and class leader of absences, and follow all Community Club policies.
  6. Turn in their report cards promptly.

To stay in the Scholarship program, students must:

  1. Maintain a GPA of at least 2.5.
  2. Take at least four academic courses per semester.
  3. If your GPA falls below 2.5 for ONE advisory, you remain on scholarship. BUT:
  4. If your GPA falls below 2.5 for TWO consecutive advisories, you will be taken off scholarship.
  5. You must then improve to at least a 2.5 for TWO consecutive advisories to get back on scholarship.
  6. Continue to attend Community Club regularly, come on time, work on homework each week, give advance notice to their tutor and class leader of absences, and follow all Study Hall policies.
  7. Turn in their report card promptly.

Scholarship Calculation:

Scholarships checks are issued monthly, based on the weeks a student has attended Study Hall on time that month, in the following amounts:

9th Grade - $12.50 per week

10th Grade - $15.00 per week

11th Grade - $18.75 per week

12th Grade - $25.00 per week

SAT Deadlines

Seniors: Registration deadlines for taking the SATs, or SAT Subject Tests, this fall are fast approaching. Check the test date schedule.

Juniors and Sophomores: Find out when your school will give the test, and the registration deadline.

For more information, or to register for these tests, go to the College Board’s home page.

College and Career Planning Program

Helping to prepare our students for life after high school is an important goal for Community Club. Our program offers educational programs, individual consultation, test preparation tips and strategies, college application assistance and information about scholarships, grants and other financial aid material. Learn more about college and career planning.

Timetable for College Preparation

Freshman Year

  • Get to know your school counselor.
  • Get involved in school activities: do what you enjoy.
  • Get involved in community activities and service.
  • Earn the best grades possible.
  • Take the most challenging (but appropriate) courses.
  • Read on a regular basis, even if you have no school assignments.
  • Depending on your courses, you might decide to take an SAT II Subject Tests at the end of the year; talk with your counselor.
  • If your family passes near a college campus during spring or summer vacation, stop and take the tour.
  • In addition to enjoying your time off, plan to do something constructive with your summer vacation.

Sophomore Year

  • Stay in touch with your school counselor.
  • If your school offers them, take the PSAT or PLAN in the fall.
  • Remain involved in school and community activities: follow your passions!
  • Earn the best grades you can.
  • Continue to take the most challenging courses you can.
  • Depending on the courses you take this year, it is even more likely that you would consider an SAT II Subject Test at the end of the sophomore year; talk with your counselor.
  • In the spring, look at the list of senior college acceptances: who do you know and where are they going? Talk to them about their choices.
  • Continue to take advantage of college visits if your family is near a college to get a feel for different types of colleges.
  • Use your free time in the summer productively, while also enjoying your time off.

Junior Year

  • This is the most important year academically: do your best and challenge yourself appropriately. Continue to remain involved in activities; try to move into positions of responsibility or leadership.
  • Take the PSAT and/or PLAN in the fall.
  • Follow your school's guidelines for meeting with your counselor to start the college process; in many schools, the process begins in the late fall or after the holiday break.
  • In the winter, think of how you will prepare for your first SAT and/or ACT.
  • Review the typical junior year standardized testing schedule from your college coordinator or guidance counselor.
  • When you select your courses for senior year, get advice and choose wisely.
  • With your tutor and counselor, develop an initial list of colleges during the spring.
  • Try to make some preliminary visits to colleges during spring break.
  • Take advantage of college representative visits to your school, college fairs and evening programs in your community.
  • Research colleges; collect information.
  • Use your summer vacation time productively; visit colleges during the summer.

Senior Year

  • Don't forget how important your grades continue to be: the first semester/trimester is critical.
  • Remain in close contact with your counselor.
  • Stay involved in activities that you enjoy; assume leadership positions and more responsibility.
  • Continue to add or subtract colleges from your list as you learn about schools, make visits, etc.
  • Pay attention to in-school deadlines and procedures established by your guidance or college counseling office.
  • If you are applying early, be aware that application deadlines are just a few weeks
    after school begins.
  • Make arrangements with teachers, tutors and others for recommendations; follow
    your school's procedures.
  • By Thanksgiving, your list of colleges should be final: six to eight schools is a good number for most students looking at selective colleges; get advice from your
    counselor.
  • Before the holiday break, meet early deadlines and/or preferred or recommended
    application deadlines for state universities, honors programs, rolling admission schools and scholarship programs. Give yourself plenty of time to work on applications, especially essays.
  • Know what financial aid forms are required, and submit them on time.
  • Take advantage of interviews when given the opportunity.
  • After completing your applications, continue to work hard: senior slump can have
    disastrous consequences.
  • As you receive decisions, inform the counselor, teachers, parents, tutors and class
    leaders who helped you; thank them.
  • In April, consider participating in the open house/accepted student programs hosted by colleges.
  • Have your one deposit at the school you will attend by May 1.
  • If you are on a waiting list, get advice from your counselor or tutor.

DCPS Graduation Requirements

To Graduate, every DCPS Student must complete 23.5 Carnegie Units successfully, regardless of the program in which the student is enrolled. One Carnegie Unit equals two semesters of study in a particular subject. The distribution of course requirements is as follows:

COURSE CARNEGIE UNITS
Art 0.5
Career / Vocational Education 1.0
D.C. Government and History 0.5
English 4.0
Foreign Language 2.0
Health and Physical Education 1.5
Mathematics (including one year of Algebra or its equivalent) 3.0
Music 0.5
Science (including one year of laboratory science) 3.0
U.S. Government 0.5
U.S. History 1.0
World Geography 0.5
World History 1.0
Electives 4.5
100 Hours of Community Service 0.0
TOTAL 23.5

The health and physical education requirement (1.5 Carnegie units) is waived for students receiving an evening high school diploma. For career/technical education certificate, additional courses are required.

 
           
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