Senior Photo Information

It’s that time of year – senior photo time! Here are some highlights about submitting your pics. Photos are due no later than December 19th (the day before winter break).

1. You can submit a baby, toddler, and senior photo. All must be done electronically. You can email them to ivy.soener@dcgschools.com.

2. Do not submit screenshots or pictures of pictures. They need to be the original or scanned JPEGs if the only copy you possess is a physical copy.

3. Try to submit vertical photos only. 

4. You can purchase a grad ad to surprise your senior! 

5. Yearbooks are at their lowest price until September 13th. Order your copy now.

From Jostens

If your senior missed the Jostens presentation, please have them complete the form linked on our high school website under the “Senior Information” section, or access it directly using this link:  Jostens Senior Info.  It’s very important that the form is completed using your student’s legal name, as this information is used for official graduation materials. Thank you for your attention to this important step in preparing for graduation! Jostens Senior Info | Senior Slide Show

From the DCG Counselors

Individual Senior Meetings 

You will meet once with your counselor this fall for your individual senior meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to conduct a credit check to make sure you are on track for graduation, to discuss your plans after high school, and to answer any questions you may have. Meetings will start Monday, September 16th. Please click on the link provided for your counselor and schedule your appointment. We ask you to choose a time you will be missing the least amount of instruction.

Mr. Gross (A-G)

Ms. Rinehart (H-N)

Mrs. Clancy (O-Z)

Transcript Requests

To request a transcript be sent to a school you are applying to, please fill out this Google Form. Please allow 48 hours for the request to be processed. Contact your counselor if you need assistance. This link is also available on our school website.

Teacher Recommendations

If you need a recommendation letter written by a teacher, contact them directly. Fill out the All About Me form prior to making the request. Teachers will refer to the information submitted to write your letter. Remember that good letters take time so give your recommender several weeks before the letter must be submitted.

ACT/SAT

College admission test scores are not on your transcript and not sent by DCG. You will need to send this to colleges via your myACT account or College Board. If you plan on taking the ACT/SAT and you haven’t done so already, it is highly recommended to take it before December so you have it in time for applications and scholarships. You can register at https://www.act.org/

College Representatives

College representative visits are a great way to ask questions you have about schools you are interested in and to start getting connected to the school community. Most college reps will be visiting during AO. Look for who is coming in the weekly Advisory slideshow and sign up via FlexiSched.

College Visits

Getting onto a school’s campus for an official college visit allows you to get a better understanding of the school and what it would be like to go there. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Check out the college’s website and you will be able to register for a visit. This is considered a planned absence from school. Have your parents call you in ahead of the visit and communicate with all of your teachers before you attend a college visit.

Scholarships

There are several ways to search for scholarships.

• DCG Student Hub- general scholarships known by DCG
• Check with your college representative/advisor what scholarships are available to you and how to apply. Some schools have one general application system to apply to all school scholarships.
• A meeting will be held in late-February to discuss local scholarships through the DCG Education Foundation. Applications will begin in March.

RAI

The Regent Admission Index (RAI) score is part of the admission requirements for Iowa high school students applying to Regent Universities. (University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa, and Iowa State University).

Iowa high school graduates must achieve a RAI score of at least 245 and take the minimum number of required high school courses to qualify for automatic admission as freshmen to Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa. Students who achieve a score less than 245 will be considered for admission on an individual basis.

	(3 x ACT composite score)
+	(30 x Cumulative GPA)
+	(5 x Number of years of RAI-approved high school courses completed in the core subject areas)
=	RAI Score

Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI are all test-optional admissions. The RAI score will only be used for admissions if you choose to apply with an ACT. If not, your application will be reviewed on an individual basis.

Class Rank

DCG does not use class rank. Using class rank often does not benefit students as you are competing against how well your classmates are performing. The majority of colleges and scholarships have adjusted and do not need a class rank or are able to use other data in its place such as quartile. There are a select few scholarships that still need it and can be provided on an individual basis. The rank provided is unofficial and unverified.

NCAA/NAIA

If you plan on participating in college level athletics you need to create an account with the NCAA or NAIA. Once your account is created, please notify Katelyn Cain in the Athletic Office.

Honors Diploma

Students who are pursuing the honors diploma will need to complete an Application (Google Form). Counselors will do a transcript review for students who have completed this application to verify that all requirements have been satisfied to earn this honor at graduation.

To qualify for the Honors Diploma, Students must have

• Minimum GPA of 3.5.
• Minimum of 54 total credits:
  • 8 Language Arts credits (including 1 credit of AP English)
  • 8 Science credits (including 2 credits advanced or AP sciences)
  • 8 Math credits (including 2 credits advanced or AP math courses)
  • 8 Social studies credits (including 2 credits of AP courses)
  • 3 consecutive years of a World Language
  • 1 credit Fine Arts (art or music)

Silver Cord

Transeo changed names to Vector Pathways. This is the program to keep track of Silver Cord hours.  All of your hours logged into Transeo should get rolled over to this new system. Ms. Rinehart sent an email at the beginning of the year sharing how to get into your account and log these hours moving forward.  Mr. Gross will be the contact for Silver Cord. You will need to accumulate 120 hours to earn a silver cord (or a prorated amount if you started later).  Meetings will occur in the fall and spring to discuss finalizing your silver cord. Contact Mr. Gross if you have any questions.

DMACC

Many of you have accumulated (or will accumulate) DMACC credits over the course of your high school career.  Others plan to attend DMACC next year.  We are blessed to have a DMACC representative assigned to our school to assist you with access to your DMACC account, inquiries about your DMACC transcript (information on how to request given at the end of the year), or life at DMACC next year.  Her name is Aly Cappaert and you can email her at amcappaert@dmacc.edu. Her calendly link for scheduling is also available on the student hub.

Early Graduation

If you are considering graduating early, you need to have a conversation with your counselor. You will need to meet graduation requirements and there is paperwork to complete. You will not be able to participate in any DCG sports or activities once you have completed your DCG courses. You will still be able to participate in Prom and Graduation activities. Please talk to your counselor if you are interested in this early graduation option.