Transcript Document 7453053

Post – Secondary
Pathways
A Guide
to Planning Your Future
2008
H-K HS Guidance Department
Maryann Grimaldi, Department Head
Peter Ettlinger, School Counselor
Larry Leone, School Counselor
Kaitlin Sullivan-Freimuth, School Counselor
Christine Smith, Secretary
Elaine Vivero, Secretary
The Route to your Destination
Senior Scheduling
► The
most important piece of your college
application will be your TRANSCRIPT.
► Keep this in mind as you go forward with
scheduling for Senior year. Always do more than
the minimum!
4 academics is the minimum
5 academics is better
6 academics are recommended for most of our
college bound students
Junior Handbook- What is Inside?
Pathways
Choosing the College that
is Right for You
► Types of Post Secondary
Education
► Helpful Hints When
Choosing Colleges
► Testing for College
Admissions
► Application Process
► Financial Aid Information &
Checklist
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Military Service
Employment
Sample Resume
Calendar for Junior &
Senior Year
Glossary
Sampling of College
Requirements for
Admission
The Bottom Line
Worksheet
Writing Your College Essay
Pathways
► Some
postgraduate options: four year college,
two year college, technical training institutes,
military, employment, etc.
► Decision Making
 How do I decide what is the right Pathway for me?
 How do I decide what I want to do for a career or a
major?
► Meet
with your counselor, take a wide variety of
courses, take an interest inventory, try job
shadowing, etc.
Steps Toward Your Future
► Select
at least four or five strong academic
courses for senior schedules
► Register for SAT I Reasoning and/or ACT
► Register for SAT II Subject test if appropriate,
or the ACT with writing
► Start searching for colleges
► Make plans to visit colleges
► Attend the College Fair – April 3rd
► Explore opportunities for career focused events
Steps to Searching for
the Right Pathway
► Make
an appointment with your counselor
► Attend Junior Seminars, learn about various
college search programs and many more helpful
hints
► Review the blue planning book to help navigate
your future
► Read the college guides and career catalogues
available in the Guidance Office
► Search Web sites (collegeboard.com, individual
school web sites, CT Labor Departmentwww.ctdol.state.ct.us etc.)
College Selection Selectivity
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►
Every college can be ranked for selectivity or difficulty of
admission. Ivy league colleges, like Harvard and Brown,
would be among the most selective and colleges with open
admissions like Middlesex Community Technical College
would be among the least selective.
Within the array of college selectivity from most to least
selective, all students should chose colleges within the
following categories:
 REACH: Colleges a student would like to attend and their chances
of admission are slim (20% or less). School is very competitive for
this student
 RANGE: Colleges a student would like to attend and they have a
good chance of being accepted (about 50/50).
 SAFETY: Colleges a student would like to attend and their chance
of being accepted are excellent (80% or better).
Admissions Selectivity
► The
challenge is for
each student to find
appropriate colleges
and post graduate
programs in each
category. Everyone’s
categories are the
same but their
colleges/ programs will
be different.
Admissions Selectivity
► Students
should make appropriate choices
selecting programs within the three categories.
These students should have options at the end of
the process.
Affordability & Selection
► Look
at schools financially, not just academically.
► Can you afford this school?
► We encourage you to have a serious discussion
with your son/daughter to discuss what exactly
you can contribute.
► We recommend having at least one school that
you can afford even without financial aid.
► Talk to us about the options to potentially earn
college credit while still in high school: AP, College
Career Pathways, UConn Early College Experience,
Wesleyan High School Scholars Program, Project
Lead The Way (PLTW).
Other Things To Consider When
Discussing Affordability
► Distance
from home
► Travel expenses
► Books
► Entertainment
► Car expenses
► Potential financial awards from different colleges
Post Graduate Admission Resources
►A
variety of web-based college search
engines
► College Catalogs- many are available in the
Guidance Office and most are on-line.
► Print information- Guidance Office has
handbooks, catalogs, manuals, and view
books
Standardized Testing
► SAT
Reasoning
► SAT
II Subject Tests
► ACT
(with writing)
SAT & SAT II
► SAT
I Reasoning
 Measures Critical Reading, Math and Writing/ Essay
(max score 2400- 800 each)
 CR & M are still the most important part of the SAT
scores.
 Some schools are looking at the writing, but the
majority of schools are still working with just CR & M
(max score of 1600)
► SAT
II – One Hour Subject Specific Tests
 More selective colleges
 Check with each school
 “Recommended” vs. “Required”
(max 800)
ACT
► The
ACT includes tests in English, Math, Reading,
and Science reasoning. They have an optional
writing component. We highly recommend that
you take this.
► Highest composite score- 36
composite scores are the average of students’
scores on these tests.
► Some schools will take the ACT in place of the SAT
II Subject Tests (check with your potential
schools).
SAT & ACT Comparison
SAT (Critical Reading & Math)
ACT Composite Score
1600
36
1580
35
1520
34
1470
33
1420
32
1380
31
1340
30
1300
29
1260
28
1220
27
1180
26
1140
25
1110
24
1070
23
1030
22
990
21
950
20
910
19
Testing Registration
registering PLEASE make sure you have our
school code with you – 070324 – enter this
code on your registration materials!!
► Online Registration
► Before
 SAT- www.collegeboard.com
 ACT- www.act.org
► Telephone
Registration
 SAT- 1-800-728-7267
 ACT- 1-800-525-6926
► Paper
Registration By Mail
 Mail in time to meet the registration deadline!
A little bit of help…
► Use
your PSAT test
book
► Prep Courses
Homework and effort
are a must for these
classes
► Tutoring
Mark Your Calendars
►
Upcoming Testing
 SAT I & II: March 1st , May 3rd ,
June 7th
 ACT: February 9th , April 12th ,
June 14th
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Students who had English or
Math first semester may want to
consider taking the March test
while it is more fresh in mind
than after second semester
SAT II’s should be taken as
close to the completion of the
specific course as possible
FINANCIAL AID
How to Apply
►
FAFSA- MUST be completed by all applicants for federal student aid.
 www.fafsa.edu.gov
 Must be done every year
 Both Parent & Students must get a PIN
 You MUST apply on-line. Worksheets are available here at the
school to help you prepare the necessary information.
 Can be completed any time after January 1st of your student’s
senior year (2009)– you will need the previous year’s tax
information
 Check each individual school for deadlines!
 Get this done early!! $$ is first come first serve
More on Financial Aid
►
CSS/ Financial Aid Profile
 Used by some colleges,
universities and private
scholarship programs to award
their own private institutions and
programs that use it.
 Register via
www.collegeboard.com
 Check with your schools to see if
they require this. Not all schools
do as this is NOT for federal
student aid
 Check each individual school for
deadlines!
 Get this done early!! $$ is first
come first serve
 You may begin registering as of
October 1st of your student’s
senior year (2008).
What will my Aid Package be?
► Financial
Aid Formula:
Cost of Attendance
- minus Expected Family Contribution
- minus Pell Grant (extremely limited- low income)
- minus Aid from other sources local, private & state scholarships
EQUALS = $$ Your Financial Aid Package
► Financial Aid Packages include:
□ LOANS
□ Grants
□ LOANS
□ Work Study
□ LOANS
□ Parent Loans
The “Award Letter” or What Families
Need to Know Next
What’s the full cost of the year at college?
► What’s the expected family contribution?
► How much aid is free (grants &
scholarships)?
► How much aid is loans? Who borrows?
► How will you fill the gap?
►
Loan Statistics
Loans as a percentage of total aid:
 1980: 41%
 1990: 49%
 2004: 56%
► Constant-dollar increase since 1997:
 Loans: 72%
 Grants: 64%
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A needy undergrad could borrow up to $43,000 from federal
programs. (What about grad school?)
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Many parents could borrow $140,000 from the federal parent
loan to pay for four years.
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In 04-05 students and parents borrowed $76,587,000,000 from
federal and non-federal education loan programs.
National Collegiate Athletic
Association Clearinghouse
NCAA documents that high school
athletes meet minimal academic
standards and will be able to
participate in college athletics.
► DI & DII athletes ONLY
► NCAA requires all student’s
transcripts, SAT scores and a
registration. This should be done
early on in one’s senior year.
► Students must request through the
College Board that their SAT scores
be sent directly to the NCAA
Clearinghouse.
►
►See
your counselor and check out the website to complete
this process:
https://www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
Communicate with your Counselor
► For
any additional questions please have
your student stop by and ask or feel free to
email us
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Maryann Grimaldi- [email protected]
Peter Ettlinger- [email protected]
Larry Leone- [email protected]
Kaitlin Sullivan-Freimuth- [email protected]
Happy Searching…
► Visit
schools over vacations
► Senior Parent Night will be held in
September and we will discuss more at that
time.
► Financial Aid Night will be held in December