Organizing a portfolio can be challenging. It can be difficult to choose the right images to include. Illustration by Alexis Holland, William Byrd High School

By Alexis Holland, William Byrd High School

Applying to colleges can be a stressful time in a high school career. A lot of work has to be done to guarantee that your application is going to stand out amongst your peers.

For visual art students, sometimes completing a portfolio can be more difficult than completing a standard college application.

Generally speaking, a portfolio is usually a collection of 10-20 pieces of the artist’s best work.

What is portrayed in your actual portfolio depends on your medium of choice.

Don’t stress about the time left to put together a portfolio. It’s important to focus on picking out the absolute best pieces. Look through all of your artwork, and pick out what you like and do not like about all of your pieces.

The arrangement of the work is an important factor; the order needs to flow. A portfolio places emphasis on creativity, originality, skill and variety of medium. Despite those factors, confidence is crucial. If you are confident that your work provides emphasis on these four elements, the portfolio will be a success.

It is essential for the portfolio to be professional. If your pieces are put in a sensible order and and executed well, the judges will take your portfolio seriously. They are most likely searching for potential. They want to see dedication. If you show potential, you will show that you have the ability to succeed.

Creating a portfolio can be frightening because it can affect your future. But it is vital to keep in mind that there are more opportunities to come, and the idea of a portfolio is one full of opinions.

Sailing is Hidden Valley senior Morgan Firing’s favorite sport. Illustration by Alexis Holland, William Byrd High School

Morgan Firing

By Lauren Maddox, Hidden Valley High School

Morgan Firing places her sails and gear into the car. She goes to her room and slips into bed early, knowing she has a long day ahead of her.

Morgan and her dad, Darrin, make the hour long drive in the morning. When they arrive at Smith Mountain Lake, she unloads her boat and pieces it together. She then attends a skippers meeting. After the meeting, they go over strategies and pray, and Morgan heads out to participate in her favorite sport: sailing.

The Hidden Valley senior has been competitive in the world of sailing since she was eight. Her father and grandfather were both competitive sailors, and they inspired her.

“My grandfather placed in worlds competition for a boat type called a “Flying Dutchman,” and I wanted to be as successful as him,” Firing said.

Read more »

By Drew Luther, Hidden Valley High School

As students pile on Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment classes, one has to wonder whether it will do them any good in the end.

These classes are set up in a way that students can get college credit for classes they take during high school. This can help defray the cost of college, since some classes required to get a college degree are able be taken while a student is still attending high school.

According to Elizabeth Wilmer, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Virginia Western Community College (VWCC), each school chooses its own cost for Dual Enrollment classes, but a majority of fees are less than what it would cost to take the class at Virginia Western as a college student.

In fact, according to a letter given to all Hidden Valley High students in March, Dual Enrollment classes for the 2013-2014 school year will be offered free of charge. This letter was signed by Ken Nicely, the Director of Secondary Instruction and Technology for Roanoke County Public Schools.

Dual enrollment courses are often run through community colleges. For example, the dual enrollment courses offered at Roanoke County Schools are run by Virginia Western. The classes are taught by the college’s approved teachers and have the same class objectives as the courses at VWCC.

These courses give college credit for passing with a grade of a ‘C,’ which can help students who may not score highly on the AP exam. But Wilmer says to be cautious.

“A student should only take a Dual Enrollment course if he or she feels academically prepared for it,” Wilmer said.

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are run through College Board, a non-profit membership organization.

These classes are considered more rigorous and students are required to take an exam at the end of the year. These AP Exams include information taught during the entire school year, and the scores of these exams decide whether or not the student will receive college credit for the course.

However, a problem can occur when a college counts separate AP classes as one. This differs between colleges. Advanced placement U.S. history and world history classes are offered at Roanoke Schools.

But according to the University of Virginia’s AP exam credit site, the school counts the credits from both classes as satisfying the same course requirement.

On the other hand, according to Virginia Tech’s AP credit equivalency chart on their website, the school accepts these credits as satisfying two class requirements: U.S. history and world history, respectively.

For the high school classes, credits for AP English 11 and English 12, count for two different class requirements in high school, but as the same class requirement in college credit at Virginia Tech.

The differences between college credit equivalency occur because separate departments choose which credits count for which classes.

Linda Bailey, assistant registrar at Virginia Tech said each department head looks at the AP exam for different courses to see what the tests cover. Then they decide which classes will match up with their own requirements. These decisions can also change from year to year.

All in all college credit during high school can save college-minded teenagers money and time, but it should only be done if students are ready for a rigorous course load.

By Scott Bledsoe, Hidden Valley High School

Each day it draws closer; the day of reckoning: April 1.

This is the day where most colleges seem to release their admissions decisions to millions of high school seniors across the nation.

I think it’s humorous that millions of stressed out, anxiety ridden teenagers will find out their future paths on April Fool’s Day.

I’ve thought about it often: Wouldn’t it be cruel if a college sent a letter that started out with a “Congratulations on your acceptance to..” and ended with “April Fools, you were actually rejected.”

Of course that would never happen; at least I don’t think it would. But it’s still funny to think about.

The waiting is tortuous and there are some things that will clue a student into their decision before they know for sure. This may not make sense, but there is truth to it.

If a college sends a decision by e-mail, the subject line will most likely have a distinctively positive word choice, hinting at what’s to come when the email is opened.

And everyone knows about the package size: small and thin means a denial or wait-list; big and fat, an acceptance!

But some friends of mine have received acceptance letters in regular-sized, thin envelopes.

Who knows? The college admissions process seems to be full of mixed signals, emotional strife and (hopefully) happiness in the end…hopefully.

Illustration by Marta Kodin, Hidden Valley High School

By Amber Montgomery, Glenvar High School

It was love at first sight as I walked through the JMU campus in mid-October. I instantly felt at home on the sprawling campus: old buildings mixed with newer industrial buildings, the traditional college feel, not to mention the Quad, where the iconic Wilson Hall, named after President Woodrow Wilson, stands in its glory.

Looking at different art facilities has been a major priority for me during my search for colleges. After being admitted to James Madison on early decision, I decided to go back for a one-on-one portfolio review with department faculty members.

The portfolio review is something anyone going into art will have to complete during their college career. For this particular review, it was optional. Not only does it provide great feedback, but depending on the college, it could serve as a recommendation for the school or scholarships.

In mid-January, for my second visit, I found myself in an older area of town. The galleries and classrooms were in older, warehouse-like buildings. For the review, we went into the interior design building. Industrial and spacious, it looked like a professional studio.

As we were greeted, we became aware of the renovations taking place at Duke Hall, the official art building, which lacked proper lighting, ventilation and working spaces. A completely new building will replace it, creating modern and more efficient facilities for the program. Renovations are expected to be complete by next spring, and the building will likely be ready for student use by the fall of 2014. Read more »

By Scott Bledsoe, Hidden Valley High School

As the new year begins, resolutions are being made to reflect healthier lifestyles. My resolution, which I believe will be the same for many high school seniors, is to finish my college applications.

I have one left to complete, and I’m eager to be done.

The madness of filling out online applications has to be one of the most tedious and daunting tasks of senior year. There are pages upon pages demanding specific information that ranges from your best test scores and the dates they were earned to when a parents’ driver’s license was last renewed.

Then there are the essays. And the prompts don’t give room to be creative. Often, prompts ask (in more eloquent terms), “What makes you so freaking special?” I’ve found a good way to tackle these prompts is to tell a story of a significant happening in my life that brought out a unique quality in myself.

After it is all said and done, there are still scholarship applications to fill out, which means more essays and more time taken up by filling out forms.

Aside from all of the stress that is brought on by this process, mostly from the waiting for acceptance, or not, it will all be worth it when I walk across the stage in June knowing that I’m about to matriculate to a great college, hopefully.

By Alexandra Rouse, Salem High School

Someone call a doctor because there is a widespread pandemic on high school campuses: the notorious senioritis bug.

This “disorder” has caused many seniors to give up on the final months of their public schooling because they have either been accepted into college or simply can’t wait to get out into the real world.

Common side effects include sleeping more than usual, lack of motivation, decrease in work production, slipping grades, and skipping school — all of which are easily avoidable if seniors keep focused on finishing high school strong.

It’s important that seniors protect themselves from this ailment because some colleges check midterms or final grades and could ultimately appeal an admittance because of grades slipping. Many teens believe that once they get into college they’re immune and don’t need to worry about anything else. But they still need to graduate to get into their choice college.

So make sure to take an extra dose of motivation each morning to fight off one of the most dreaded “illnesses” of senior year.

By Mitchell Alexander, Northside High School

In a world of increasingly higher expectations of students, the traditional four years of high school are not so typical anymore.

A growing number of students are graduating in only three years, effectively combining their junior and senior years into one.

Since A/B block scheduling was implemented in Roanoke County schools last year, students now have the room in their schedules to take eight courses, as opposed to the previous seven.

This small amount of extra space in a schedule can make all the difference, and students who are willing to take advantage of it can find themselves with a diploma at the end of their junior year.

“I want to be a doctor, so I’ll have a lot of school ahead of me,” said senior Quinn Vaughn, who’s in her third year of high school. “This is a way for me to get a head start, and I’ll still graduate with an advanced diploma.”

Additionally, many students on a three-year plan have already taken some high school classes before they started ninth-grade.

In Roanoke County, students can take algebra I, a freshman-level math course, as early as seventh-grade. And geometry, a sophomore-level math course, can be taken as early as eighth-grade. This essentially means that by the time a student is a sophomore in high school, their math graduation requirements could already be fully met. This is key for students who want to pursue the three-year plan, as it gives them another space in their schedule for an additional course.

Roanoke County Public Schools also offer certain courses during the summer, for a fee, and students can take virtual classes online. Some of these virtual classes are courses that are not offered regularly at all schools, such as AP Psychology. However, the majority of them are courses also offered in a traditional classroom setting. Beginning with the graduating class of 2016,  an online course will be a requirement for a diploma.

“It takes a resilient student to succeed on the three year plan,” said Northside guidance counselor Tiffany Williams. “In addition to taking on the challenging courses, students still have to find the time to make themselves well-rounded.”

While some students may relish the fact that graduation could come early, Williams said some may not be ready for college yet.

“Graduating at 17 or sometimes 16, and attending a school in which you’re surrounded by many 20 and 21-year-olds, many students face a social problem in the age difference,” she said. “Maturity comes into play here, and it’s a very important factor.”

By: Amber Montgomery, Glenvar High School        

“Wow,” I said as I left the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. 

I now understood why so many students in Southwest Virginia have fallen in love with the campus in the state’s capital. The university offers an urban setting with rural touches, an ideal combination for many teens around the valley.

VCU, traditionally known for its pharmacy and medical courses, has now become known for its dedication and distinguished programs in the arts. For decades, the university has been the go-to school for an affordable and distinguished education. Tuition is $9,885 for  in-state students, and $23,300 for out-of-state students, and according to the university’s website, both fees are much cheaper than those of other nationally ranked arts programs. U.S. News & World Report calls VCU arts “the #1 public university and design program in the country,” and, in my opinion, they are correct.  Read more »

By Lauren Maddox and Julia Rogan

We asked teens around the Roanoke Valley to tell us whether they prefer taking the SAT or the ACT. Here are some of their answers:

“ACTs because it’s shorter.” — Harry Preas, juior, Hidden Valley High School

“SATs because I’m use to the format.” — Lauren Puckett, senior, Hidden Valley High School

“ACT” — Amber Beidler, senior, Patrick Henry High School

“ACT” — Nigel Banks, senior, Patrick Henry High School