Project Plan Ahead

2014

Options After High School      Work Military Technical School Trades/Apprentice programs College  2 Year (Community Colleges) Cost around $3000 a year, smaller class sizes, able to transition to 4 year school (open enrollment) Assessment tests will be required prior to enrollment  4 Year (Public $14,000-$18,000 a year) (Private $25,000-$30,000 a year)

High School Courses Recommended for College Bound Students      English Mathematics Social Studies Science Foreign Language 4 Years 4 Years 4 Years 4 Years 2 Years

What colleges look for in incoming Freshmen

  Many 4 year colleges base their acceptance on a student’s ACT/SAT scores, the student’s high school curriculum and their Cumulative Grade Point Average. Many schools have a sliding scale that addresses the above mentioned issues. The following is an example scale: ACT H.S. Rank%/GPA Class 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 48 54 62 69 78 86 94 2.7 GPA 2.8 GPA 2.9 GPA 3.2 GPA 3.4 GPA 3.8 GPA 4.1 GPA

Honors and Advanced Placement Courses

     Prepares you for college course work May improve your ACT score Earn college credit in high school  (AP exam score of a 3, 4, 5) May increase your grade point average and class rank Highly regarded by most colleges

 National Testing Most colleges accept either the ACT or the SAT tests as part of their decision making process. These test are indicators on how well a student will do in college. These scores are also used for students applying for merit based scholarships. The ACT is considered a curriculum based test, whereas the SAT is considered more a logic/intelligence based.        2014-2015 ACT test dates: September 13, 2014 October 25, 2014 December 13, 2014 February 7, 2015 April 18, 2015 June 13, 2015

     Choosing the Right School SCC College Fair October 16, 2014 11 - 2 Attend the National SLU College Fair in the Fall, and the SLU College Fair on October 19, 2014 (1-4) to start narrowing educational opportunities down to 3-5 schools by beginning of senior year Take advantage of college visits Meet with college representatives when they visit FHN, dates noted on E-news FHN College Fair (Recommended for Juniors) 

April 14, 2015

Consider College Characteristics

 Majors and Educational Programs  Admission Policy  Location and Size  Cost and Financial Aid  Campus Activities  Support Services

List, Compare, and Visit Colleges  Prepare a college comparison checklist (pg. 20-23)  Weigh advantages and disadvantages  Contact the office of admissions 

Schedule appointments for your campus visits (pg. 17-19)

Finding the Right School

 Help pare down the many college choices by accessing:

www.collegeboard.com

 With the above internet site, you will be able to create a username and password for your student.

Missouri Connections

         www.missouriconnections.org

Free Search Engine for Missouri Students Interest Inventory 4 Year Plan Careers College School Sort Reality Check Projected Job Market for Careers Financial Aid & Scholarship Information

Apply for Admissions and Observe Deadlines

     Narrow your choices Review college admission test requirements Know application fees and deadlines (pgs. 5-7) Know scholarship requirements (pg. 15) Submit application materials (paper/electronic)   Application for admission (pg. 24) Recommendations (When asked for)   Submit Transcript Request Form (TRF) to the guidance office Apply early and check specific school deadlines (Many deadlines are November/December)

Develop a Plan to Finance College

    Determine college costs Investigate ALL possible resources  Parents    Savings Summer earnings Financial aid: scholarships, grants, A+, loans and work study (FAFSA form www.fafsa.ed.gov

) Secure necessary forms and note deadlines Apply for financial aid as early as possible, no sooner than January 1 st Senior Year (register for pin # www.pin.ed.gov)

FAFSA (

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

)

     All colleges require submission of this online form (1/1/15-4/1/15) for any type of financial aid (pgs. 26-31).

Senior Year

Submitting this information is very similar to filing taxes and is based on parents income as well as students.

Parents must be involved in this process Attend Financial Aid Night in January 13, 2015.

FAFSA Frenzy at St. Charles Community College Sunday, Feb. 9, 2015 (2-4)

$$$$ Opportunities (pg. 15)

     www.fhsdschools.org

www.fastweb.com

(Regional Search) (National Search) www.meritaid.com

www.finaid.org

(College Specific Search) (All Purpose Search) SCC Trustees Scholarship (3.00 GPA or 23 ACT = full tuition)

Costs

 Don’t eliminate any college because of costs before receiving financial assistance information! This information generally comes in March through the Student Aid Report (SAR).

 Remember……. Check with college officials for accurate costs

What do I do now?

 After completing this workshop, the counselors are available for appointments if you would like to discuss this further.

       Mrs. Schwarz Mrs. Johnson Mrs. Woodrum Mrs. Kerr-Grant Mrs. Herman Mrs. Faulkner Mrs. Moore A-Com Con-Go Gr-H I-Mc Me-Pa Pe-Sp St-Z 851-5056 851-4978 851-4982 851-5041 851-5924 851-5082 851-4959