About

Hello, my name is Tom Woodford and I am the College Counselor for Hilliard City Schools. I will host many college based meetings throughout the year, all students and parents are welcome to attend. One of the highlights of my job is that I get to meet with students and families to discuss the college process.
Feel free to reach out to me at any time to discuss your child’s college path.
My email is Tom_Woodford@hboe.org.
Scholarship websites
PODCAST
COLLEGE NEWS
with Tom Woodford
This podcast will focus on the different aspects of college admissions.
This is targeted for students/parents in grades 9-12.
12th Grade Meeting 2023
CCP Meeting 2023
Financial Aid Presentation
*All presentations from the 2023-2024 school year
Linking” Common App to SchooLinks Video
12th Grade College Planning – 2023
College Credit Plus “Rules” meeting
Senior Profile video
Essay Prompts
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Early Decision:
requires you to commit to a college or university at the time of application that, if admitted, you will enroll. You should apply under an Early Decision plan only if you know that you can make a well-reasoned, first-choice decision. Upon admission the institution will require a nonrefundable deposit well before May 1. You may apply to other colleges but may have only one Early Decision application pending at any time. Colleges will respond to requests for financial aid at or near the time admission is offered. If admitted, you must enroll unless the financial aid award is inadequate.
Early Action
permits you to apply to a college or university of your choice and receive a decision early in the senior year, well in advance of the normal spring response dates. Though you will hear early regarding your admission, you are not committed to attend and you may apply to other colleges. If you are applying for financial aid you will follow the aid application deadlines set by the institution. You are not required to make a commitment before May 1, but you are encouraged to do so as soon as a final choice is made.
Regular Decision
is a plan in which institutions review most of their applications before notifying the majority of candidates of their admission. In this process, colleges set a deadline for completing applications and will respond to completed applications by a specified date. If you are applying for financial aid you will follow aid application deadlines set by the school. You may apply to other colleges. You will not be required to make a decision regarding enrolling before May 1.
Rolling Admission
is a term used to describe the application process in which an institution reviews applications as they are received and offers decisions to students soon after they are made. If you are applying for financial aid you will follow aid application deadlines set by the school. You may apply to other colleges and you will not be required to make a decision regarding enrolling before May 1.
Wait List
is a term used by institutions to describe a process in which they may initially delay offering or deny you admission, but rather extends to you the possibility of admission in the future. Colleges offer admission to wait list candidates if insufficient numbers of regularly admitted candidates accept their offers of admission.
We will also retain the optional COVID-19 question within the Additional Information section.

ACT or SAT
How are they different?
– ACT
The ACT is considered a more “curriculum-based” test since it tests a student’s academic preparedness for college in the areas of English, Math, Reading, and Science by calling on information students have learned in their high school coursework.
– SAT
The SAT is traditionally thought of as a test that measures a student’s critical thinking skills, testing a student’s ability to analyze and solve problems in Math and Reading.
SAT Overview
Beginning in January 2024:
- Administrated on a digital device
- 2 hours and 14 minutes in length
- Reading, Writing, and Math
- Both sections will have two modules will correspond to one exam question
- SAT Reading will have shorter passages that more direct and concise
- SAT Reading and Match sections will be more direct and concise
- Students can use a graphing calculator
ACT Overview
- 3 hr. examination
- Heavy in grammar and reading
- Tested on Alg., Geom., & Trig.
- Math = 25% of score
- School curriculum based
- No penalty for wrong answers
- Science reasoning section
- English grammar section
- Math formulas not provided
- No penalty for wrong answers
- Optional Writing section
TEST PREP INFORMATION
In addition to free test agency preparation (www.actstudent.org and www.sat.collegeboard.org) a
sampling of commercial test-prep agencies are listed for students and parents.
- Kaplan: www.kaptest.com or 800-KAP-TEST
- The ACT Review: www.actreview.com or 614-834-8886
- Princeton Review: www.princetonreview.com or 800-2REVIEW
- Tutoring Club: www.tutoringclub.com or 614-664-9474 (Hilliard)
- College Smiths: www.CollegeSmiths.com
- BWS Educational Consulting: www.bwseducationconsulting.com
- Contact Brian Stewart at brian@bwseducationalconsulting.com or 614-353-4725.
- Next Level Prep: https://nlpohio.com
- Contact Dave Dobos at dave@nlpohio.com or 614-580-7380.
- Tutor Doctor of Dublin Ohio: www.tutordoctor.com/dublin-oh or 614-363-3363
- Offering at-home subject and ACT/SAT tutoring

Hilliard City School District does not endorse any test prep service but offers information and opportunities as a service to students and their parents.
SAT/ACT Dates
Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Closes | Standby Deadline Photo Upload Deadline |
---|---|---|---|
September 9, 2023 | August 4, 2023 | August 18, 2023 | September 1, 2023 |
October 22, 2023 | September 22, 2023 | October 6, 2023 | October 20, 2023 |
December 9, 2023 | November 3, 2023 | November 17, 2023 | December 1, 2023 |
February 10, 2024 | January 5, 2024 | January 19, 2024 | February 2, 2024 |
April 13, 2024 | March 8, 2024 | March 22, 2024 | April 5, 2024 |
June 8, 2024 | May 3, 2024 | May 17, 2024 | May 31, 2024 |
July 13, 2024 | June 7, 2024 | June 21, 2024 | July 5, 2024 |
Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Closes |
---|---|---|
August 26, 2023 | July 28, 2023 | August 15, 2022 |
October 7, 2023 | September 7, 2023 | September 26, 2022 |
November 4, 2023 | October 5, 2023 | October 24, 2022 |
December 2, 2023 | November 2, 2023 | November 21, 2022 |
March 9, 2024 | February 23, 2024 | February 27, 2024 |
May 4, 2024 | April 19, 2024 | April 23, 2024 |
June 1, 2024 | May 17, 2024 | May 21, 2024 |
October 24th, 2024 | Register on MyPaymentsPlus |
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NCAA INFORMATION

NCAA
Athletics
Students who want to participate as an athlete in college must register with the NCAA and/or NAIA.
NCAA – www.eligibilitycenter.org
NAIA – PlayNAIA.org
- The NCAA code is: 9999
- The NAIA code is: 9876
NCAA
INFORMATION
What is a contact?
A contact occurs any time a college coach says more than hello during a face-to-face contact with a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents off the college’s campus.
What is a contact period?
During a contact period a college coach may have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, watch student-athletes compete and visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents.
What is an evaluation period?
During an evaluation period a college coach may watch college-bound student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college’s campus during an evaluation period.
What is a quiet period?
During a quiet period, a college coach may only have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents on the college’s campus. A coach may not watch student-athletes compete (unless a competition occurs on the college’s campus) or visit their high schools. Coaches may write or telephone college-bound student-athletes or their parents during this time.
What is a dead period?
During a dead period, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write and telephone student-athletes or their parents during a dead period.
What is the difference between an official visit and an unofficial visit?
Any visit to a college campus by a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents paid for by the college is an official visit. Visits paid for by college-bound student-athletes or their parents are unofficial visits.
During an official visit the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for the prospect, lodging and three meals per day for both the prospect and the parent or guardian, as well as reasonable entertainment expenses including three tickets to a home sports event.
The only expenses a college-bound student-athlete may receive from a college during an unofficial visit are three tickets to a home sports event.
What is a National Letter of Intent?
A National Letter of Intent is signed by a college-bound student-athlete when the student-athlete agrees to attend a Division I or II college or university for one academic year. Participating institutions agree to provide financial aid for one academic year to the student-athlete as long as the student-athlete is admitted to the school and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. Other forms of financial aid do not guarantee the student-athlete financial aid.
The National Letter of Intent is voluntary and not required for a student-athlete to receive financial aid or participate in sports.
Signing an National Letter of Intent ends the recruiting process since participating schools are prohibited from recruiting student-athletes who have already signed letters with other participating schools.
A student-athlete who has signed a National Letter of Intent may request a release from his or her contract with the school. If a student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent with one school but attends a different school, he or she will lose one full year of eligibility and must complete a full academic year at their new school before being eligible to compete.
What are recruiting calendars?
Recruiting calendars help promote the well-being prospective student-athletes and coaches and ensure competitive equity by defining certain time periods in which recruiting may or may not occur in a particular sport.
College Event Dates
Date |
Event |
Time |
Location |
---|---|---|---|
August 10 | 12th Grade College Planning | 6:30pm | Darby |
August 24 | CCP participation meeting | 6:30pm | Bradley |
Sept 5 | College Essay Seminar | 6:30pm | DVD |
Sept 7 | Ohio University Free Application Event | 4:00 – 6:30pm | Hub |
Sept 11 | Bowling Green Free Application Event | 3:00 – 5:00 | Hub |
Sept 14 | Free College Application Event (10 colleges) | 5:00-7:00 | Hub |
Sept 18/25 | PSAT bootcamp | 6:30pm | Darby |
Sept 19 | College of Nursing College Fair | 6:30pm | Darby |
Sept 27 | FAFSA (Financial Aid) meeting | 6:30pm | Bradley |
Oct 3 | 11th Grade College Planning Event | 6:30pm | Bradley |
Oct 8 | Suburban College Fair | 1-3:30 | Otterbein |
Oct 10 | College of Engineering Fair | 6:30pm | Bradley |
Oct 17 | College of Business Fair | 6:30pm | DVD |
Nov 7 | 10th Grade College Planning event | 6:30pm | DVD |
Date |
Event |
Time |
Location |
---|---|---|---|
Nov. 9 | Military Information Fair | 9-11:30 am | DVD Gym |
Nov. 14 | Understanding College Loans | 6:30 pm | Darby |
Nov. 27 | College Credit Plus Informational Meeting | 6:30 pm | Darby |
Dec. 5 | 9th Grade College Planning Meeting | 6:30 pm | Bradley |
Jan. 23 | College Savings Plans – K-6 parents | 6:30 pm | DVD |
Feb | NACAC College Fair | 6:30 pm | Con. Center |
Apr. 11 | 11th Grade College Application Process | 6:30 pm | Darby |
Apr. 16 | Middle School College Planning event | 6:30pm | Bradley |
Apr. 29 | College Jump Start Orientation | 6:30pm | DVD |
Seniors only!
All camps will be held in Room 202 at Davidson.
Date |
Time |
---|---|
August 7 | 9:00 – 10:30 & 1:00 – 2:30 |
August 8 | 9:00-10:30 |
August10 | 9:00 – 10:30 |
August 11 | 9:00 – 10:30 |
August 14 | 9:00 – 10:30 |
August 15 | 9:00 – 10:30 |
August 17 | 2:00 – 10:30 |
August 24 | 3:00 – 3:30 |
August 31 | 3:00 – 4:30 |