Transcript College Application Night - Avon Grove School District

College Application Night
Avon Grove High School
Guidance Department
September 30th
Mr. Duane Carroll
Jennifer Lubins
Jason Winkler
Overview of the College
Identification Process
1.
Research schools
and Occupations
1. Narrow choices
2. Apply to schools
3. Waaaaiiiiiitttt
4. Make final selection
www.collegeboard..org
www.onet.org
High School visits or fairs
Go to websites for individual colleges!
Applying to College
Strategy
(one) Reach School
(two to three) Target Schools
(one) Safety School
Don’t put all your eggs in one
basket!
How Likely Is Your Student to be
Admitted to Penn State?
• The graph on the next page is
intended for use as a counseling tool
to assist students interested in
attending Penn State. Admission to
Penn State is competitive, and
admission to the University Park
campus is particularly competitive..
SAT Scores for PSU Main Campus
Acceptance to…
• West Chester University
– 2012/13 school year- 113 applied, 58 accepted, 55 denied, 21
enrolled. 24 were initially waitlisted.
– Average Avon Grove student accepted. GPA- 3.6, SAT: Verbal493 Math- 584 (subject to change based on dept. requirements)
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania
100% of AG students accepted
• Kutztown University also
100%
The Process of Applying
• Online Application
– Preferred/Typical
• Paper Application
•
– Accepted at over 500
schools
– Supplement section is
college specific
– www.commonapp.org
Admission Tests
SAT
ACT
Test dates
Deadlines
• November 2nd Late registration
October 18th
•
December 3rd Regular- Nov. 8th
Late registration
November 22nd
•
www.collegeboard.org to sign up.
* There
applied*
Test dates
• October 26th
Deadlines
Late Registration
October 11th
Regular- Nov. 8th
Late- Nov. 22nd
•
December 14th
•
www.actstudent.org to sign up.
are late registration dates, but a late fee will be
Types of Admissions
(Keep deadlines in mind!)
• Early Action
– Non-Binding Commitment
– You will receive the admission decision earlier.
• Early Decision
– Binding Commitment
• Rolling Admissions
– The earlier you apply, the more likely that you will
be accepted. For example, Indiana University of
PA (IUP) receives approx. 12,000 applications per
year. Between Sept. - Dec. they receive 2,000 and
between Jan. – March they receive 10,000. The
longer you wait, the more competition!
– Typically due by May 1
• Regular Admissions
– The deadline varies from school to school
Guidance Procedures
• Complete the Transcript Request
Form $5.00/per request
– One for each school
– The request will be sent out
within 10 working days
• Paperclip it to the application or
to the counselor section of the
on-line application
Transcript Request
Your Audience:
Admissions Officers Reflect
on Application Essays
“It is crucial that applicants allow themselves to be as personal
and self-reflective as possible when writing their essays.
Avoid writing about something on a superficial level or
resorting to a topic that does not reveal anything special
about you.”
~ Richard Shaw, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial
Aid, Yale University
“Students should write about what they think is important, not
what they think we want to hear”
~ Lee Stetson, Dean of Admissions, University of Pennsylvania
Getting Started
• Think about your audience and your
objectives
• Think about what you want to say
• Develop and organize your material
• Outline your ideas
• Review basic writing and grammar rules
• Hey (insert family member), can you
look over my essay?
- “Over edited essays lose all their personality. Applicants shouldn’t
have a lot of different people – ESPECIALLY PARENTS – give their
input. This can really ruin an essay.” ~Karl Furstenberg, Dean of
Admissions and Financial Aid, Dartmouth College
- Find someone to read and edit your work, such as an English
teacher.
Reusing your Essays
• The good news is …
• The bad news…
Don’t just substitute the new
school’s name!
Whoops!
Typical Questions
• Don’t give typical answers!
• What academic areas or
extracurricular activities interest
you the most?
• Why do you want to attend this
college?
Letters of
Recommendation
• In situations where all else is equal, such as GPA, SAT
score, and essays, the recommendation can be THE
distinguishing factor in being accepted!
• The more specific a student is when they fill out
their recommendation form (Brag Sheet), the more
detailed and thorough their letter of recommendation
will be!
• UPDATE: Some schools don’t ask for letters of
recommendation so make sure to know which schools
want them and which schools don’t!
For example: PSU, West Chester University
Letters of
Recommendation
From Teachers
From Counselors
From Coaches/Employers/Advisors
Letters from Teachers
Ask at least 2 teachers
• It helps if the teacher:
– Knows you for excelling in class
– Knows you for more than 1 year
– Be careful with the common application
Please give teachers at least 2 weeks
to write letters of recommendation
When You Ask…
What to have ready when approaching a teacher for a
letter of recommendation
- Activity Resume
- GPA – see your counselor
- Student Recommendation Form
“Brag Sheet”
- Envelope
- Addressed to the college of your choice
(Remember a stamp)
- Addressed to the Guidance Office (No stamp)
Keep an eye on admissions deadlines
Tips to Keep in Mind
1. Select a teacher who can highlight your
strengths.
2. Select a teacher who is enthusiastic about
writing this recommendation for you.
3. Select a teacher who supports the program you
are entering or who is an alumni.
Letters from Counselors
• Does the University/College require
them?
• Some institutions need a counselor
form completed
• Fill out the Student Recommendation
Form
“Brag Sheet”
Letters from
Coaches/Employers/Advisors
Only ask for these if you are:
- Currently working in a field related to
your intended major
- Planning to play sports in college
- Taking leadership roles in activities
NCAA Clearing House
• For Division 1 and Division 2
participation as a freshmen
• Must register with
www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
Financial Aid
• Once you get accepted…..then it’s
time to figure out how the bills get
paid!
Financial Aid Night
Avon Grove High School
To Be Determined…
Early January 2014
FAFSA (Free Application
for Federal Student Aid)
1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
Paper Application
On-Line Application
• www.pin.ed.gov (2 PINs neededStudent and Parent)
• www.fafsa.ed.gov
– File after January 1, 2014
– Deadline: June 30, 2014
Selective Service
• Males age 18-25 must register to be
eligible for Federal/State Financial
Aid
• 1-888-655-1825
• www.sss.gov
• Can register on the FAFSA
form
PHEAA (Pennsylvania
Higher Education
Assistance Agency)
1-800-692-7392
www.pheaa.org
www.pasfaa.org
File FAFSA before May 1, 2014 to
qualify
CSS/Financial Aid
PROFILE
Required by some schools to award Non-Federal
Aid
1-305-829-9793 or 1-800-778-6888
http://profileonline.collegeboard.com
• There is a general registration fee
• Plus a fee for each school report sent
• The list of schools requiring the PROFILE can be
found on the form, on-line, or by contacting the
individual school’s Financial Aid Office
Institutional Applications
Check with each school’s Financial Aid
Office to inquire if they have their
own financial aid forms.
Financial Aid Falls
into 2 Categories
• Need-based
– Depends on the cost of college and your
family’s ability to pay these costs
• Merit-based
– Usually awarded in recognition of special
skills or academic ability
4 Types of Financial Aid
1. Scholarships
2. Grants
3. Work Study
4. Loans (from the federal
5. .)
Scholarships
• Definition
• Sources
– Private
– Colleges themselves
– Public/government
Award Factors
•
•
•
•
•
•
Academic achievement
Athletic ability
Artistic ability
Choice of major
Financial need
Ethnicity, gender, or other group
membership
Locating Scholarships
• Colleges of interest and their
financial aid office
• Guidance web page
• Internet search sites:
• www.finaid.org
• Employers
• Local organizations
Scholarships (continued)
• Scam
– “This scholarship is guaranteed or your money
back.”
– “You can’t get this information anywhere else.”
– “May I have your credit card or bank account
number to hold this scholarship.”
– Remember if it sounds too good to be true it
probably is!
Questions?
And Survey