Transcript Welcome to College Information Night

Welcome to College
Information Night
September 21, 2010
6:30 p.m.
Julie Maugherman, Director of Guidance and
Counseling
Choosing a college
What is important to you?
Know Yourself and Your Reasons for
Attending College
Ask Yourself:
What kind of student am I?
What are my interests and strengths?
What types of activities will I participate in?
Consider organizations, sports, cultural groups,clubs
What kind of career plans do I hold for the future?
Interest and career aptitude inventories are
helpful and are available from many sources
How will I pay for college and what can I afford?
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Consider College Characteristics
•Four-year, two-year, community colleges, vocational schools
•Public, Private, or Proprietary
•Location
•Size, type of campus
•Student body composition
•Reputation, prestige of school
•Admission requirements, percent admitted
•Cost of tuition, availability of scholarships and grants
•Activities, organizations, sports
List, Compare, and Visit Schools
Be organized in your search
•University and college web pages
•Books, catalogs, and files in the Counseling Center
•College fairs
•Internet sources
Internet sources of interest:
www.collegecosts.com
www.triptocollege.org
www.learnmoreindiana.org
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges
www.nacacnet.org
College representative visits to Burris
•Schedule of visits is posted, in Senior Bulletin &
on NIAF
•Sign up in the CC at least 1 day in advance
•Ask your teacher for permission to attend
•Come prepared to ask questions
•Small group in which to ask specific questions
about things that are important to you
This is an opportunity to make an impression
Admissions reps will remember you when your
application comes across their desks…
Another opportunity to make an impression:
•Student visits to college campuses
Burris allows three excused absences for
college/career exploration and research
* Places to visit when on a college campus visit:
Admissions Office
Departments of interest
Financial Aid Office
Attend a class
Tour of campus, if arranged
* Choose to visit on a Friday or Monday, so you can
spend a weekend exploring the campus
*Talk to current students or alumni
Delaware County College Fair
October 4, 2010
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Muncie Central High School
Large Commons
Sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College
(Formerly held at BSU)
Applying to College
Where to begin, when to
begin, how to begin
Applying for Admission
•Aim to apply to 3-5 schools
•Different types of admission -- these will determine
when you apply
•What do schools look for in applications?
*Transcript
--Courses taken, grades earned, test scores
*Extracurricular activities
*Essays
*Recommendations
Applying On Line
•Encouraged by many college admissions directors
•Easy to access
•Quick transmission to colleges
•You may check your work, print out a copy for your
own files
When applying to college online, please remember:
**Let your counselor know!
You MUST request that I send a transcript--there is always
a form to print out and give to me
Your application will not be complete without a transcript!
**Recommendations also must be sent separately, if required
**In general, application fees must be put on a credit card
eTranscript
•The link is found on the Burris webpage
www.bsu.edu/burris
Provides students with the ability to request transcripts through
Indiana eTranscript. Transcripts requested online are sent securely
to the destinations that you select.
No cost to sent transcripts, both in and out of state
Students are not required to use eTranscript. They may still simply
request a transcript be sent by visiting the Counseling Center and
asking
eTranscript
Benefits of using eTranscript:
You may track your request online
You will receive an email notification when Burris approves your
transcript request
And again when your transcript is delivered electronically (or mailed
to certain destinations outside of Indiana).
The Common Application
www.commonapp.org
Recommended form of 414 selective colleges in 44
states and the District of Columbia
Complete ONE application form
Send copies to any participating college--doing
the app electronically is recommended
Some colleges have supplemental applications
Submit application electronically or in hardcopy
Be aware of deadlines
Review the Counseling Center Application procedure
Complete your part of the application and
bring in the completed application with
addressed, stamped envelope and
application
fee checks at least 2 weeks in advance
Or, if your application was done online, give counselor
part to Mrs. Maugherman with an envelope, stamps, and
any support materials, at least 2 weeks in advance
Give references plenty of advance notice
Make requests 4 weeks ahead of time, request
letters of recommendation be
returned to you or
turned in to the
Counseling Center at least 5 days
prior to the deadline
Senior Profile
Allows your guidance counselor to write the best and
most complete letter about you
Used by the Scholarship Nomination Committee to
identify specific criteria for a scholarship or award
Some teachers may ask to see a copy if you request
a recommendation from them--You may make
copies in the CC
Due to Mrs. Maugherman by Oct. 29, 2010, or
earlier if you are requesting a letter of
recommendation before then
Athletic Eligibility
Register with NCAA Eligibility Center if you are
considering college athletics---by end of Junior
year or beginning of Senior year
Go to https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/
to register and for answers to specific questions
Instructions for registering online are in the CC
For NAIA schools, check www.naia.org
Paying for College
It’s not as impossible as it sounds
Develop a Plan to Finance your Education
Don’t let cost be a determining factor in what schools you
will apply to -- Nearly $60 billion in financial aid is awarded
nationally every year*
Finding financial aid can be intimidating--but don’t let that
stop you
Know what financial aid and scholarships are
available
*ICPAC
Types of Financial Aid
•Grants and Scholarships
*These do not need to be paid back, often called
gift or merit aid
* May be need-based or merit-based
•Loans
*Borrowed money, will be paid back with interest
•Work Study
*Students work for money as part of their financial
aid, usually on-campus jobs
Finding scholarships
•Senior Bulletin
•Internet sources
•Individual College--check with financial aid offices
•Local organizations and businesses
•Beware of scholarship search services
You shouldn’t have to pay money to get a scholarship
Apply for Financial Aid
•FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by
March 10th
•Institutional Aid forms
Some colleges require their own forms, also have
own deadlines
•Supplemental Application forms
ex. College Scholarship Service Financial Aid
Profile (CSS Profile)
The major source of student financial aid is the U.S.
Department of Education. Nearly 70% of the
student aid that is awarded each year comes from
the U.S. Department of Education's programs (over
$70 billion). The Department's aid includes grants,
loans, and work study.*
•Most federal student aid is awarded based on
financial need, not scholastic achievement
•Financial need does NOT have to be shown
to receive certain federal student loans
*collegecircle.com
FAFSA on the web
Due March 10, 2011 (just as paper copy is)
www.fafsa.ed.gov
PIN number for FAFSA
Your PIN serves as your electronic signature
Your PIN will be emailed to you within 5 days
www.pin.ed.gov
Surfing the Net for Dollars
www.fastweb.com
www.collegeanswer.com/index.jsp
www.finaid.org
www.collegeboard.com
www.act.org
www.ed.gov/finaid.html
www.princetonreview.com
www.petersons.com
www.schoolsoup.com
Review and Finalize Plans
Whew! You’re almost there...
•Talk things over as a family
•Meet individually with guidance counselor
•Wait for financial aid packages to come
sometime in April or May
•Be aware of what makes you more likely to be
successful once you are in school
Choices
Choices
Choices
RESPONSIBILITY
Deadlines
Choices
Researching Colleges
Searching for Scholarships
Choices
Deadlines
Thank you for attending
College Information Night