Something is in the air. Nearly undetectable on the walls, its rise is fast approaching. For juniors and underclassmen this event is known as the PSAT, while seniors refer to it as Senior Transition Day. Both are due to occur on Wednesday.

Many seniors would agree with the ominous tone set in the preceding paragraph. But to College and Career Transition Coordinator Sarah Spradling, Senior Transition Day is a great opportunity to all seniors, whether they have finished their college applications or not.

“It’s not just about the student who is working on their college applications,” Spradling said. “I know students who are done with their college applications, but we still have sessions that are valuable for them to attend.”

Senior Transition Day is a LISD district-wide activity for all high school seniors on the day that other students are scheduled to take the PSAT. The day will start with a general session about issues concerning graduation, such as caps and gowns, while also announcing updates on COOL Week.

The seniors will then split into different breakout sessions, which had been previously chosen by the seniors through a pre-registration survey located on Naviance. Some of these sessions are required for select categories of students, such as TSI-Next Steps for those who are not TSI complete, and ACC Bound for seniors who are due to attend Austin Community College after graduation. Others are tailored to students who are still working on college applications (College Apps are Killing Me!), while those who have completed the application process also have a session (So I’ve Applied, What’s Next?)

“I’m looking forward to Resume Perfection because I think it will be the one that will help me most later on,” senior Rachel Berke said.  

Though some seniors would rather spend the day at home, Spradling notes that the day is a great opportunity to ask questions and access resources that wouldn’t ordinarily be available to students.

“Oftentimes, students who are working on their applications at home are e-mailing me ‘How do I answer this one little question?’” Spradling said. “So I think having the counselors available to say if it’s right or not is incredibly valuable.”

While seniors are attending these sessions, all underclassmen will take the PSAT for free in order to improve scores on their future SAT exam. This year’s test is unique, however, because it reflects the format and content changes made to the 2016 SAT.

“We’ve never seen it before; the scoring will be different, the approach will be different,” Dean of Instruction Christa Thompson-Martin. “We’re very curious to how students will feel about it.”