Transcript Slide 1

Junior
College/Career
Presentation
Spring, 2014
First Things First…
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Really consider your thoughts
on the future:
Do you know what you want to
do?
 Where you want to go?
 Interest in particular programs?
 What kind of college you are
interested in?
 None of the above and you want
to have a melt down right now?
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RESOURCES:
•Google/Search Engine
•CFNC
•THS Website
•Student Services Website
•Smart Phones
It’s all OKAY!!!
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There is no right way to pick a
college
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But there are ways to determine
what is best for you
Start thinking about it now, there
may be more options available
to you than you realize
In a Perfect World…
Things to Consider
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Two Important questions
Let’s forget about money and
acceptance rates for a minute
Where do you want to go
 What do you want to do
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Where do you want to go?
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What kind of school do you see
yourself at?
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Are you more comfortable at a large
school or a small school?
Do you want to be in a large city or rural
area?
Instate or out?
Beach or mountains/hot or
cold/Wilmington or Raleigh
These are important questions that only
you can answer!
What do you want to do?
Is college right for you?
 Do you know what you are going to
major in?
 Does what you want to do require a
4 year degree?
 Do you need to think about graduate
school?
 If you think you know what you want
to do, you can look for schools with
that program
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Resources for Exploring Colleges
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College Day
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www.CFNC.org
Plan, Apply, and Pay for College
Getting in College
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How do schools decide who gets
in?
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There are many things considered:
GPA
 Class Rank
 Level of difficulty in classes
 Classes your school offers
 ACT/SAT scores
 Extracurricular Activities
 Recommendations
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Breaking that down
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Schools look at many things
because students are different
and schools want a variety of
students
They want to be sure that they
are not denying someone based
on one aspect of their high
school career
So that means…
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If your class rank and GPA aren’t
where you want them to be, there
are other areas where you can excel
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Always have a back-up plan
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What about classes that you are
interested in, but you’re afraid it will
adversely effect your chances of
getting into college?
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Let’s go slower…
Don’t take electives because
you know your class rank won’t
be as high
Do…take electives you are
interested in, but take them with
academic classes that will keep
you competitive
Let’s talk classes
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If you want to go to a competitive
college, you need to take classes
that are advanced
Take the most advanced classes that
you can succeed in
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A B (sometimes C) in an AP class
shows you are willing to work and know
how to study
Take classes in different
departments
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It shows you are a well rounded student
And what about next year?
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Colleges want to see students
who are consistent
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Your schedule should look similar
to your schedule this year
You should take a full academic
load next year
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Colleges like 5 academic classes
Extracurricular Activities
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This is anything you do after
school
Sports
 Music
 Clubs
 Youth Groups
 Jobs
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Do things that interest you and
do them well!
Extracurricular Activities
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How many do you need?
Think quality over quantity
 Colleges know that many times
students try to get as many things
on their resume so they can
appear very involved.
 Get involved in things that you
believe in and get VERY involved
in that.
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SAT and ACT
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It is for students who will begin at a
4-year college or university
This is a predictor test for college
performance
It is important so that colleges have
a way to look at all students the
same
It is required for college admission,
not for high school graduation!
SAT and ACT
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ACT tests knowledge gained in classes
taken in high school (more English &
reading)
ACT – DO NOT LEAVE ANY QUESTION
UNANSWERED- GUESS.
SAT tests aptitude (more math)
SAT – DO NOT GUESS. You are scored
on the number of questions answered
correctly minus a fraction of the number
that you answered incorrectly. If you can
not narrow the answer choices down to
two, then leave the answer blank.
How do I sign up?
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For the SAT:
www.collegeboard.com
For the ACT: www.act.org
If you have trouble, see your
counselor.
THS code is 341700
Test Prep
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There are free ACT & SAT prep
packages available in Student
Services
Sign up for SAT/ACT question of the
day at www.collegeboard.com or
act.org or visit our website.
CFNC.org has a free test prep too!
Smartphones have free ACT/SAT
apps
Costs
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The SAT is $51.00 as long as
you register by the deadline.
Late fee is $27.50 and stand-by
fee is $45.00.
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The ACT is $52.50 as long as
you register by the deadline.
Late fee is $23.00 and stand-by
registration is $45.00.
Fee Waivers
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Fee Waivers are available to
students for the SAT and ACT. You
should qualify if you are on free or
reduced lunch. If you have
questions about this please see your
counselor. Fee Waivers also apply
to NCAA, AP fees, and application
fees for up to four colleges.
Clearinghouse
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If you are planning to play a sport in
college, you MUST register with the NCAA.
You should do this online (search NCAA
Online) and you must pay with a
credit/debit card or waiver.
Cost: $70.00
This happens at the END of your Junior
Year!
Paying for College
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Colleges determine what you are
responsible for paying based on your
EFC
Your EFC (estimated family
contribution) is based on information
provided to the government on the
FAFSA
Your FAFSA is completed between
January and March your senior year
More Paying for College
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If your EFC is lower than the cost of
attending the college or university
that determines your financial need
It is met by:
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Scholarships
Grants
Work study
Parent Loans
Student Loans
What to Expect
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Private Colleges are more
expensive, but typically they
offer bigger financial aid
packages
Public schools are cheaper, but
do not have as much free
money to give away
Scholarships
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There will be scholarship
opportunities your senior year
We provide scholarship bulletins
throughout the year to keep you
updated on any scholarship we
are aware of
You can get the monthly
scholarship newsletter sent to
your email.
Scholarships you’ve heard of
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Park/Morehead-Cain
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Prestigious scholarships to State and
UNC. Merit-based. Service and
leadership is important
Forgivable Loans – formerly called
Prospective Teacher
Nursing Fellows
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These are scholarship/loan programs
where you pay back your loan by
working in NC as a teacher or nurse
Start Searching now!
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You can search of scholarships
on your own:
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www.cfnc.org,
www.fastweb.com,
www.scholarship.com,
www.gocollege.com,
www.collegeview.com
www.cappex.com
Too Good to be True??
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Rule of thumb:
Scholarships are free money, if
you have to pay to get it, or find
out about it, it’s probably a scam
 If you have any questions ask a
counselor
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If interested in 4 year college:
Taken the PLAN/PSAT
 Taken the ACT, March 2014
 Taken any SAT Subject Tests
related to HS courses if required
by your colleges (e.g. Math Level
IIC after Pre-calculus)
 Finalized a spring/fall 2014-15
testing plan: test type, test date,
registration deadline, preparation
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Getting It Done
What Juniors Should Already Have Done
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If interested in 2- or 4-year
college:
Attended “College Night”
 Begun identifying 5-10 schools
that match student interests
 Begun career/major exploration
 Finalized a 2014-15 college visit
plan: who? when?
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QUESTIONS
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