Navigating the College Process
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Transcript Navigating the College Process
Navigating the
College Process
Junior Planning Night
February 11, 2015
6:30 – 7:30
Meet the School Counseling Team
Julie Robertson – Director of Guidance –
[email protected]
David Gleba – A-Ca – [email protected]
Elizabeth Viens – Ce-E - [email protected]
Carley
Vesneski - Full Year Substitute [email protected]
Ana Napolitano – F-H – [email protected]
Geoffrey Davis – I-Mas - [email protected]
Jessica Wallace – Mat-Pl – [email protected]
Sherry Russman – Po-Ss – [email protected]
Lee Ann Miller – St-Z - [email protected]
Agenda
Importance of Junior Year - Handout
Preparing for Life After High School
College Entrance Exams - Handout
College Representatives at SHS, College Fairs, and College
Visits
Summer and Senior Year
Applying to College at SHS - Handout
Paying for College
Programs Held by School Counseling Department
Where do SHS Students Attend?
Questions
Importance of Junior Year
Fall – Tasks Completed
Taken
the PSAT and received scores
Practice
questions in My College QuickStart
Check
number of credits completed towards
graduation
Get
to know your teachers and school counselors
You
Have
will be asking for letters of recommendation
an honest conversation with your parents
about cost of college and realistic expectations and
goals
Importance of Junior Year
Spring – Tasks to Complete
Review
senior year courses with your counselor
Use
Naviance to build a list of colleges in which
you are interested
Make
sure you are using an appropriate email
address
Continue
improving your grades
Take
ACT and/or SAT
Visit
college campuses
Start
to think about who you would want to write
your letter(s) of recommendation
Preparing for Life After High School
What do I know About Myself?
Learning
style (Naviance)
Personality
Career
(“Do What You Are” in Naviance)
Interest Inventory (Naviance)
Course
background (quality/rigor of academic
courses)
Extra-curricular
activities to support major
interest
Financial
resources
Preparing for Life After High School
College Options
4
Year colleges
2
Year colleges
Post-graduate Options
Certificate
Gap
programs
year
Military
options
Technical
school
Apprenticeships
Employment
Preparing for Life After High School
What to Look for in Colleges
Majors
Size
offered/academic programs
of school
Location/distance
from school
Admissibility
Cost
and potential debt
Campus
life/housing
Retention
and graduation rate
Preparing for Life After High School
What Are Colleges Looking For?
Academic Record/Transcript
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Testing – SAT, ACT, AP
Essays
Letters of Recommendation
Interviews
Demonstrated Interest in College/University
Extra-curricular Activities
consistency
Quality
and leadership
vs. Quantity of the experience
Honors and Awards
Preparing for Life After High School
What If I’m not a “Typical” Student?
Arts: Portfolios, Supplements, Auditions
Key
Partner: Your teacher/instructor in that area
Resource:
Athletics: NCAA Eligibility Center
Key
Partner: Your Coach
Resource:
www.portfoliotoday.net
www.NCAA.org/eligibilitycenter
Specialized Services and Instruction
Key
Partner: Your Case Manager
Resource:
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.ht
ml
College Entrance Exams
SAT – Scholastic Assessment Test
Designed
Cost:
to assess skills and application of knowledge
$52.50
SAT Subject Tests
One
hour content based tests
Cost:
Basic
Registration fee: $26
Language
All
with listening Test: $26
other subjects: $16
www.collegeboard.org
College Entrance Exams
ACT – American College Testing
Curriculum
based test with optional writing
section
Cost:
No
Writing: $38
With
Writing: $54.50
www.ACTstudent.org/start
College Entrance Exams
Test Preparation
www.collegeboard.org
My
College QuickStart
www.kahnacademy.com
Kaplan
Review Books
Princeton
Barron’s
Best
Review Books
27th edition
preparation is to continue to do well in
school and READ
College Representatives at SHS,
College Fairs, and College Visits
College Representatives at SHS
During
the Fall Semester, admissions officers from
many schools will be visiting SHS, organized by the
School Counseling Office
Announcements
are made daily and sent to
students via email
Student
MUST sign up through Naviance in advance
to attend
College Representatives at SHS,
College Fairs, and College Visits
College Fairs
In
September, SHS hosts a college fair with over
120 college representatives in attendance
Have
some questions ready for the representatives
and know what schools you would like to speak
with prior to attending
Fill
out information cards for the schools in which
you are interested
College Representatives at SHS,
College Fairs, and College Visits
College Visits
Visits
are the best way to get a feel for the
university
Try
to visit when classes are in session
To
set up a visit, check the college/university’s
website
Take
photos so you’ll remember your trip and what
you liked/disliked
Visit
the Financial Aid office if you have any
financial concerns
Summer and Senior Year
The College Essay
Most
colleges will ask students to write an essay or
“personal statement”
The
essay should be a clear indication of your ability to
think analytically and creatively, communicate your
thoughts and serve as a reflection of who you are
Make
sure to review the essay and share drafts with a
trusted teacher, advisor or family member
SHS
offers a College Essay Writing Workshop in the
Spring for Juniors, sponsored by a local university
admissions staff
Summer and Senior Year
Prepare Before Applying
Know the deadlines for application requirements
Know
the different types of admission options
Early
Decision – Binding
Early
Action – Not Binding
Regular
Rolling
Open
Admission
Admission
Admission
Review scholarship and financial aid requirements
Continue to work on your college essay!
Applying to College at SHS
Naviance
Every
student will use Naviance during the College
Application process
Develop
a Resume for College
Naviance
Make
has a simple resume building tool
sure you include part-time jobs,
internships, volunteer hours and
organizations, clubs, sports, community
and/or religious involvement
Applying to College at SHS
Naviance and the College Process
Naviance also allows students to search for colleges and use
scattergrams/graphs to see how they compare with former
SHS students who applied
To
use this tool:
Go
to College tab and Click on Colleges I’m applying
to
www.connection.naviance.com/southington
The College Planning Guide completely outlines the process
of requesting teacher and counselor letters of
recommendation and transcripts through Naviance
Applying to College at SHS
You
(the student) are responsible for:
Completing
the college applications online via
the Common Application or the College
Website(s)
Sending your test scores to each college (SAT,
ACT)
Requesting letters of recommendation from
teacher(s) and your counselor at least 3 weeks in
advance of deadline
Completing one transcript request form per
college 3 weeks in advance of deadline
Applying to College at SHS
We (the School Counseling Department) are
responsible for:
Sending
your official transcript (Q1 and Q2
grades), schedule of classes, school profile, and
letters of recommendation AFTER you (the
student) submits your transcript request
form(s)
Paying For College
Net Price Calculators on each College Website
Net price calculators were mandated by the U.S. government in 2011
to provide families with a “good faith” estimate of what the Cost of
Attendance would be for students
Free Application For Student Aid - FAFSA.ed.gov (NOT “.com”)
Know priority deadlines – e.g., Connecticut is February 15
CSS Profile – www.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile
Student Loans
Student loan debt should be weighted with the same importance as
other “fit” factors when selecting a college
Scholarships
Local and Community Scholarships in Naviance
www.scholarships.com
www.fastweb.com
Programs Held by the School
Counseling Department
College
Application Process for Seniors – September
College
Fair - September
Financial
College
Junior
Essay
Aid Workshop – October
Basics 101 – January
Planning Night – February
Writing Workshop – May 19, 2015
What Colleges do SHS Students Attend?
In State – 66%
Out of State – 34%
Community College – 31.7%
Massachusetts – 27.9%
UCONN – 18.3%
Rhode Island – 16.3%
CCSU – 15.8%
New York – 13.6%
ECSU – 6.5%
Pennsylvania – 6.1%
SCSU – 4.3%
WCSU – 3.0%
Florida – 5.4%
Private Colleges – 16.9%
South Carolina – 4.8%
Class of 2014
Parent Do’s
Support your child by diminishing stress
Keep test scores and GPAs private
Utilize Naviance
Meet with your child’s counselor between March 1st and
the end of junior year
Visit colleges with your child
Help register for SAT/ACT
Help your child stay organized
Check out FAFSA4caster for initial financial aid
information
www.fafsaf4caster.ed.gov
Parent Don’ts
Do not let the college process
overtake your life
Do not discuss college issues
everyday
Do not believe everything you
hear from others regarding
college admission
Do not forget that your child is
just a teenager