Transcript An Overview of the College Application Process from the

An Overview of the
College Application
Process
from the Inside-Out
duPont Manual
High School
Thursday, September 8, 2011
6:00-7:00pm
Ms. Christy Teague, Counselor
College-Prep Graduation Requirements
Credits
4
Course
Specific Courses
English
English 1, 2, 3, & 4
4
Math
Including Algebra 1,
Geometry, & Algebra 2
3
Science
Including Integrated
Science, Biology, &
Chemistry or Physics
Social Studies
9th grade SS,
World/Euro, & US
0.5/0.5
Health/PE
0.5 in Health & 0.5 in
PE
1
Humanities
History Arts
2-3
World Lang
Same World Lang
3
Course
Magnet Requirements
Electives
Completed Writing Portfolio
Updated ILP
Total Credits: 23
The Last Days of the
COMMONWEALTH DIPLOMA
• Last year offered
• Highest diploma offered by Kentucky
• Requirements:
AP English
AP Math or Science
AP World Language
AP Elective
Pass at least 3 AP exams
See your counselor immediately if you are
working towards this diploma, but did not
add your name to the list in your senior
meeting.
NCAA
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16 Core Credits
4 Years of English
4 Years of Math – Algebra 1 or higher
2 Years of Physical/Natural Science
1 Year of Social Science
1 Additional Math, English, or Natural/Physical Science
4 Years of any of the above or Foreign Language
Make sure you have taken the ACT or SAT and reported your
scores to the Clearinghouse
Register online at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
The fee is $50.00
Apply at the end of your junior year – Mrs. Johnston will
send your transcript
Mrs. Marti Johnston is our contact for NCAA
Academic Status Report
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Student’s name, counselor, grade level
Magnet Program
Required Credits
Credits Earned
Credits Needed
GPA (weighted/un-weighted)
Copy of Unofficial Transcript
Your Transcript at a Glance…
• Form that shows every semester of high school that you
have completed with the courses you have taken/credits
earned
• The level of rigor of each class is included on the transcript
– Advanced Placement (AP)
– Advanced (Adv)
– Honors (Hnr)
• Cumulative weighted and un-weighted GPA
• Attendance record
• Grades, including all pluses and minuses, A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s,
and U’s!!!
• Your name, address, phone, birth date, and student ID
numbers are also on the transcript, as well as the
name and address of Manual High School
Top Occupations in the U.S.A. Based on Growth Rate to 2014
Home Health Aides
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Network Systems & Data Communications
Analysts
Occupational Therapist Assistants
Medical Assistants
Physician Assistants
Computer Software Engineers/Applications
Physical Therapist Assistants
Dental Hygienists
Dental Assistants
Personal and Home Care Aides
Medical Scientists
Occupational Therapists
Preschool Teachers
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
Postsecondary Teachers
Hydrologists
Computer Systems Analysts
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Biomedical Engineers
Database Administrators
Employment Recruitment and Placement
Physical Therapists
Specialists
Forensic Science Technicians
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
College Application Criteria by Importance
1. Academic Rigor (AP courses),
Talent, and/or Mastery of Skills
2. Cumulative GPA
3. Grades in Advanced Placement
(AP) Courses
4. Grades in College Prep Courses
5. Grades in All Subjects
6. ACT & SAT Test Scores
7. Essay or Writing Samples
8. Honors, Awards, etc.
9. Counselor/Teacher
Recommendations
10. Interviews (if required)
11. Leadership
12. Community Service
13. Work and Extra Curricular
Activities
ACT v. SAT
ACT
• Content based – core
curriculum knowledge
• Includes science reasoning
• Math includes
trigonometry
• No guessing penalty
• Tests grammar
• Scored on a scale of 1-36
• 1 composite score and 4
subject scores, plus 7
subscores
SAT
 Tests critical thinking and
problem solving
 Tests vocabulary much more
 Not entirely multiple choice
 Includes a guessing penalty
 Does not test grammar
 Scored on a scale of 200-800
and has 7 sections—3 math,
3 verbal, plus an experimental
section
Which test do I take???
• Depends on the college
• Most colleges in the US accept the ACT
• More competitive, prestigious colleges may
require the SAT I and SAT II
• Take one test a minimum of twice to improve
your score
How do I register for the ACT and/or SAT?
• To Register for the ACT or to send your score
reports to a college go to: www.actstudent.org
• To register for the SAT or to send your score
reports to a college go to:
www.sat.collegeboard.com
SAT I
SAT II (subject exam)
• Manual’s School Code: 181-525
2011-2012 College Application Deadlines
College Deadline
October 1, 2011
October 15, 2011
November 1, 2011
November 15, 2011
December 1, 2011
December 15, 2011
January 1, 2012
January 15, 2012
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Deadline to your Counselor
Friday, September 16, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday, October 28, 21011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
You meeting these deadlines with your counselor
is critical in guaranteeing that college/scholarship
deadline are met and your application is NOT late.
Red Folder (Counselor)
• Use the same Red Folder all year to request transcripts,
forms to be completed by the counselor, and letters of
recommendation from your counselor
• Red Folder must be submitted to the Guidance Office at
least 10 days prior to the deadline – the earlier, the better
• Send your actual application and fees separately (online or
mail). Do NOT submit money or checks to the Guidance
Office.
Red Folder COVER
• Complete all information on the cover page
• Only list the applications that are inside your Red Folder that are
ready to be processed—not future applications
• List applications from earliest deadline to latest
Postmark Due
Deadline Date
College/
Scholarship
Transcript
*Letter of
Rec
X
10/15
10/15 Yale
X
11/1
11/1
Murray
X
1/1
1/1
Princeton
X
2/1
2/1
WKU
X
X
Date
Mailed
Red Folder—INSIDE
LEFT Side
Resume
Letter to your Counselor
RIGHT Side
Counselor’s Form to complete:
Secondary School Report (SSD) for
Common Application OR
College Form—not using Common
Application
REGULAR-Sized Envelope if only
transcript is needed with 1-2 stamps
adhered to envelope OR
LEGAL-Sized Envelope if more than
transcript is needed with at least 4
stamps adhered to envelope
(Counselor’s Form and/or Letter of
Recommendation)
Put all materials on the Right
Side of Folder in order of
Due Date
Red Folder—RESUME
Name
Indentifying Information
Magnet
# of AP Courses Taken
Career Goal
Academic Achievements
Extracurricular Activities
Leadership
Community Service
Red Folder—Letter to your Counselor
• Recaps your resume
• Make it descriptive, yet concise
• What makes you stand out from your peers? Make
you special?
• Hardships?
• How would the college benefit from accepting you as
a student?
• What are you passionate about and why?
• Counselor’s letter – 1 page
Red Folder—Common Application
• Using Common Application for several schools—
only need one copy of the Common Application
• Make sure you indicate which colleges need the
Common Application
• You may complete your portion of the Common
Application online.
• Counselors’ do NOT process any online Common
Applications—print out the Secondary School
Report (SSR)
Stamps, Official Transcripts, School Profile
• Make sure all of your envelopes have enough STAMPS adhered onto
them
• Regular-Sized Envelope needs 1-2 stamps (transcripts only)
• Legal-Sized Envelope needs at least 4 stamps (more than a
transcript)
• All transcripts sent from the school are OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS
• Students do not touch
• Embossed with school seal
• Principal’s signature
• With all legal-sized envelopes, we also send a SCHOOL PROFILE
that highlights the school’s grading scale and important stats
about our academic curriculum, test scores, and student body.
Mid-Year Reports & Final Transcripts
• Some colleges (and all that use Common Application) require a Mid-Year
Report.
• All colleges required a Final Transcript.
• Mid-Year Reports are not sent automatically—you must turn in your
Mid-Report form to your counselor in January.
• You only do the Mid-Year Report if your college requires this.
• Final Transcripts will be automatically sent two weeks after school is out
for the summer. You will tell the counselors the college you will be
attending your one of the graduation practices.
• Do NOT include Mid-Year Report forms in your Red Folder when you
apply to colleges in the fall. You give the Mid-Year Report form attached
to a Legal-Sized Envelope (3-4 stamps) to your counselor in January, or
they will not be sent.
• Do NOT include Final Report forms in your Red Folder until May.
If there is a form, you will print the form and attach it to a LegalSized Envelope (3-4 stamps).
Teacher Recommendations
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Most applications only request one teacher recommendation
Ask teachers early—by October 1st
Some teachers limit the number of recommendations they do
Make sure you choose a teacher who will say great things about
you—you will not be able to read the letter before it is mailed
(confidential)
Make a folder for your teacher—exactly like your Counselor’s Red
Folder
Teachers will mail their recommendations separately from the
Counselors’ Recommendation—do not give to Counselor to mail
Remember to give teachers at least 10 school days notice when
you need a letter of recommendation
Write a thank you note to teacher who wrote you a
recommendation
First Impressions MATTER!
The appearance of your college application is VERY important.
Completing online?
Make sure all the blanks are filled in and your application is complete.
Hard Copy?
Type the application or print it VERY NEATLY in black ink.
Make sure all of the components of the application are in the correct order.
Mailing the application?
Make sure the envelope is addressed in a professional way.
Typed address labels look great.
Get It In Early
• Keep on top of deadlines—there will be different deadlines for
each college and for each part of the application process
• Some deadlines are as early as October 1st
• Applying early shows the college that you are very interested
and stronger applicants tend to apply earlier
Manual’s Recommended Deadlines:
October 1, 2011
November 22, 2011
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Ask for a Teacher Recommendations
All college applications complete
and submitted to your counselor
Early Decision v. Early Action
• Both require students to apply by an early
deadline—usually between October 15 and
December 1
• Decisions are usually rendered between
December 15 and February 1
• Borderline students are usually deferred and
considered with the regular applicant pool
at a later date
Early DECISION
• BINDING DECISION
• You must enroll if you are accepted—without you knowing
the financial package they may or may not be offering to you
• You may only apply to ONE COLLEGE for Early Decision—if
accepted, you must withdraw your applications to all other
schools
• Early Decision offers a slight advantage of acceptance—
colleges usually accept a higher percentage of applicants
than those that apply for regular decision—colleges desire
students that really want to attend their school
• Early Decision is a good choice for borderline with LOW
financial need who have a clear first choice school—
others should be very CAUTIOUS!!!
Early ACTION
• No commitment to enroll and offers little advantage
for admission
• However, Early Action students are often first in line
for merit scholarships and housing
• Some Early Action colleges now ask that students
apply early only to their institution, however, you
may still apply regular decision to any other
institution
Interviews
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Relax
Professional Dress
Be ON TIME
Be prepared to discuss 2-3 topics at length (your school,
favorite subject, extracurricular activities, current events,
favorite book, etc.)
• Do not misrepresent yourself—don’t tell them you like
current events and then go blank when they ask you about
the Supreme Court’s latest decision
• Keep your cool and be yourself
Probing Questions
• What books have you read lately?
• Why do you want to enroll here?
• What are your most important activities and
why are they valuable?
• What would you add to the campus life at
this college?
• What other colleges are you considering?
Good Questions for YOU to Ask
• What is distinctive about your school?
• What sets students apart from those at
similar schools?
• What percentage of entering students
graduate within 5 years?
• What are the most common career paths for
your graduates?
• What is the average time a student gains
employment after graduation?
Sobering Facts about College Expenses
• Cost of attending the most prestigious private
colleges is about $200,000 over four years
• Tuition at public universities has risen more than
50% over the past 10 years
• Grant programs have withered, while student debt
has ballooned—make sure your chosen profession
allows you the financial resources to repay loans
• Unless your name is Gates or Rockefeller, money
should ultimately influence your college choice
decision
How much will college cost?
• Tuition
• Fees—registration, parking, health care,
laboratory, many others
• Books and materials—computer, required
texts and supplies
• Housing
• Food—meals plans, eating out, groceries
• Transportation—trips home, gas expense, parking, insurance,
car payment
• Personal—clothes, laundry, recreation, medical/dental,
insurance
• Miscellaneous—catchall for anything that doesn’t fit
in another category—about 10% of the total amount above
Types of Financial Aid
Merit-Based Aid
 Awarded solely based on academic record or outstanding ability in many
areas (such as the arts)
 Around 3.8 GPA / ACT scores around 28
 Could be solely based on talent (visual arts, music, dance, etc)
 Each college is different—search the scholarship section of the college’s
website
 There may be a separate application to apply for Merit-Based Aid—check
with your college to see if this is the case.
Need-Based Aid
 Need is based on the difference between what it costs to attend a
college and what you and your family are expected to pay, based on your
family’s income.
 To qualify for Need-Based Aid, you must do the FAFSA.
FAFSA
December 1, 2011
FAFSA Workshop
7pm
Manual’s Auditorium
All seniors need to attend this
session!!!
FAFSA
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Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Based on your family’s income for 2011
Colleges use FAFSA to determine eligibility for financial aid
State and Federal government use FAFSA to determine
eligibility for grants
Cannot do the FAFSA until January 1, 2012
You must have your family’s tax information from 2011
before completing the FAFSA
Apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov
Learn more about FAFSA on December 1, 2011
from the experts
FAFSA Process
• Colleges set their own deadlines to complete the FAFSA, but
in general Kentucky’s deadline is February 15, 2012.
• You do the FAFSA online
• This information goes to the colleges you choose and to the
state/federal government.
• Each college will determine your Financial Aid Package based
on the FAFSA.
• Each college’s financial aid packages could be greatly
different from one another.
• Letter will be mailed to you that describes your financial aid
package that particular college is offering you.
Financial Aid Packages
• State Grants (if attending in Kentucky)
• Federal Grants
• Work-Study Programs
• Loans—subsidized & unsubsidized (must be repaid with
interest)
• Scholarships and/or tuition remission vouchers
Scholarships
• 95% of all scholarship money is available through the colleges
themselves—search their financial aid site
• Alumni Groups, National Corporations, Associations, local
businesses, community service organizations, fraternities/sororities,
banks, and churches
• Manual lets seniors know about scholarships by sending you an
email announcing the scholarship criteria and how to apply
• www.dupontmanual.com  click on the COUNSELORS’ tab 
click on the SCHOLARSHIPS tab
• Manual’s College/Career Room
Scholarship Scams
Warning Signs:
 Application Fees
 Other Fees
 Guaranteed Winnings
 Mail Drop Box Number or Residence for
a return address
Scholarship/Financial Aid Websites
FastWed: http://www.monster.com
Loan Repayment Estimator: http://www.studentloans.com/Repay.html
Sallie Mae: http://www.salliemae.org
Nellie Mae: http://www.nelliemae.org
Some Thoughts for Parents
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Communicate
Set Financial Parameters
Be Realistic
Let the Student Take Center Stage
Don’t Live Through Your Child
Be Supportive
Contact Information:
Amy Medley
[email protected]
National Merit Finalists
Christy Teague
Governor’s Scholars
[email protected]
Graduation
Advanced Placement (AP)
PSAT
ACT-PLAN
Marti Johnston
[email protected]
ILP
Dennis Robinson
NCAA
Master Schedule [email protected]
Scholarships
Junior/Senior Awards
YPAS Senior Night
Questions???
Thank you for attending. I hope this session was helpful.