FIRST THINGS FIRST PARENTS: If you have *NOT* already joined our - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

FIRST THING’S FIRST PARENTS: If you have *NOT* already joined our Senior Parent group on Remind… Enter this number: 81010 Text this message: @h677h7

Major Clarity https://platform.majorclarity.com/ Click on CONTINUE WITH GOOGLE Sign in using 1770 account email and password

COLLEGE ESSAYS ● Not all college applications require an essay. When a college offers an opportunity to write an essay, DO IT! ● STUDENTS SHOULD PROOFREAD THEIR ESSAY! ● Students may make an appointment with their English teacher if they need assistance with their essay. ● Save a copy of the essay. Often times these can be used for other applications or even scholarships with minor changes.

LETTERS OF ● Not all colleges require letters RECOMMENDATION of recommendation. ● Some colleges have strict requirements on how many and how they are received. ● Give teachers & community members at least TWO WEEKS to write your recommendation. ● All individuals writing letters should be given a copy of a resume beforehand.

SAT ● Register at CollegeBoard.org ● Plan to take the SAT at least TWICE ● Cost of test: $49.50, w/Essay: $64.50 ● If payment is a concern please see School Counselors for more info. *SATs given at LBHS TEST DATE DEADLINE November 2 October 3 December 7* November 8 March 14* February 14 May 2 April 3 June 6* May 8

SAT SUBJECT TESTING ● 20 subject tests in 5 areas: English, history, languages, mathematics and science ● One hour multiple choice test ● Can take up to 3 tests on any test date ● Register online at CollegeBoard.org ● Check with each college you are interested in to see whether or not they require or accept these tests. ● Some colleges use it for admission criteria or placement purposes.

ACT ● 4 Multiple Choice Sections: English ○ Math ○ Reading ○ Science ○ • The above 4 produce a COMPOSITE score Optional Writing Test ○ TEST DATE DEADLINE December 14 November 8 February 8 January 10 April 4 February 28 June 13 May 8 July 18 June 19

ACT ● Test fee: ○ $52 ○ $68 with Writing ● ACT scores are accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the United States. ● Register for one of the testing dates at: ○ www.actstudent.org

PARCHMENT - TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS ● Students will request all of their transcripts through their Parchment account. ● Go to www.parchment.com to login. ● Give the School Counselors TWO WEEKS to process transcript requests. ● If you have any problems with Parchment, please email the School Counselors.

ADDITIONAL SCORES & TRANSCRIPTS ● Community College Transcripts o Request through your college student account online ● Test Scores on Transcripts o SAT: Included on transcript but some colleges will only take the official score report from College Board o ACT: Included on transcript but some colleges will only take the official score report from ACT o AP: Not included on transcript – must be sent from College Board. o Most colleges superscore test results

Winter Break Transcript Request Deadline: Thursday, December 19th

ADMISSIONS TERMS ● Early Decision: ○ This is BINDING. You must sign a commitment to attend this school if accepted. ○ Only allowed to apply to one Early Decision college and then you MUST attend that college if accepted. ● Early Action/Priority: ○ Allows you to receive a decision prior to normal deadline response date. ○ This is NOT binding. ○ Check application deadlines on the college website

ADMISSION TERMS ● Rolling Admission: Applications are read throughout the year and decisions are made immediately upon receiving the completed application. ● Regular Decision: Colleges accept applications from prospective students and delay decisions until the admissions deadline is reached. ● Open Enrollment: Any student that meets the admission standard is admitted. Most commonly used by community colleges.

● Admissions Counselors COLLEGE VISITS from colleges and universities come to speak with students for a short informational session. ● Students may sign up on the bulletin board outside our office. ● Dates are sent by Remind. ● If students cannot make a college visit, they may request extra materials be left for them.

VIRGINIA WESTERN CCAP ● CCAP: Community College Access Program ○ A program that makes college available tuition-free to 2020 graduates of public high schools in this area. ○ Application opens October 1st! ○ Covers the cost of tuition for up to 3 years at Virginia Western ○ BOTETOURT COUNTY = 2.5 GPA ○ Proof of residency = living in Botetourt for at least 2 years while attending LBHS. ○ Contact ccap@virginiawestern.edu for more information!

CCAP Remind Enter this number: 31996 Text this message: CCAP2020

NCAA ELIGIBILITY www.eligibilitycenter.org ○ When registering for SAT/ACT, use the code “9999” as a score recipient to send official scores directly to the Eligibility Center. ○ Be sure to request a transcript from every school you have attended. ○ After graduation, request your final transcript be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

SCHOLARSHIP INFO ● All scholarships that LBHS receives are posted on the LBHS School Counseling website and will be sent through Remind. ● Continue to check the website for additions throughout the school year. The majority of scholarships are added during the Spring semester. ● Scholarship opportunities available through MajorClarity, CollegeBoard, work, bank, schools attended, etc.

FAFSA Presentation Thank you to Mr. Chad Sartini from Virginia Tech’s Financial Aid Department for coming to present the FAFSA 2020-2021 information. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa

Introduction to Financial Aid Presented by: Virginia Tech, University Scholarships and Financial Aid

What is Financial Aid? ▪ Financial aid is monetary assistance provided to students to help pay for educational expenses ▪ Financial aid can pay for tuition, fees, room, food, books, and other expenses needed to attend school ▪ Consists of: scholarships, grants, loans, work study

What is Cost of Attendance (COA)? ▪ Direct costs (tuition, fees, food, room = the bill) ▪ Indirect costs (transportation, personal = other costs the student may need, not on bill) ▪ Direct costs + indirect costs = estimated cost of attendance for one year ▪ Amount of financial aid for one year cannot exceed the cost of attendance ▪ Varies widely from college to college, ex.19-20: Harvard - $73,800 Virginia Tech - $27,730 VA Community College - $15,478

What is the Expected Family Contribution Number (EFC)? ▪ A number that is calculated using data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ▪ Amount family can reasonably be expected to contribute ▪ Stays the same regardless of college attending ▪ School will use EFC to determine the financial aid package

What is Financial Need? Cost of Attendance (COA) – Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need (the number used to award need-based financial aid)

What is Financial Need? $27,730 (Cost of Attendance) – $9,000 (Expected Family Contribution) = $18,730 (Financial Need)

Sources of Financial Aid ▪ Federal government ▪ Largest source ▪ Primarily based on financial need ▪ Must file Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year ▪ States ▪ Most states use FAFSA ▪ Colleges and universities ▪ Private sources ▪ Civic organizations and churches ▪ Employers

Federal Programs for Student Aid ▪ Federal Work-Study ▪ Federal Pell Grant (FWS) ▪ Iraq and Afghanistan ▪ Subsidized and Service Grant (IASG) Unsubsidized Federal ▪ Federal Supplemental Direct Student Loans Educational Opportunity (Direct Loans) Grant (FSEOG) ▪ PLUS Loans for Parents or Graduate Students

Types of Financial Aid ▪ Scholarships Gift Aid ▪ Grants ▪ Loans (Yes, loans are financial aid!) Self-Help Aid ▪ Employment (Work-study) This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Gift Aid Scholarships: ▪ Money that does not have to be paid back ▪ Awarded on the basis of merit, skill, or unique criteria ▪ Usually some form of application is required Grants: ▪ Money that does not have to be paid back ▪ Usually awarded on the basis of financial need

How to find Scholarships! ▪ Use search tools such as Fastweb or ScholarshipMonkey.com ▪ Ask at church, within your community, parent’s employers, or civic groups ▪ Check college websites. ▪ VT has a General Scholarship Application for internal/departmental scholarships– application is open now for 2019-20 academic year ▪ Deadline January 22, 2010 ▪ Must submit admissions application for access ▪ FAFSA required ▪ Ask your guidance counselor! ▪ Never pay to apply for a scholarship!