Junior Planning Night Information for Students & Families Lacey Township High School January 2018
● Junior Planning Meetings ● Postsecondary Planning ● College Search ● College Admissions ● NJ STARS ● Naviance ● Fee Waivers ● What’s Next
Junior Planning Meetings - Make your appointment! Individual review of graduation status: ➔ Are you on track for 135 credits needed for graduation? ➔ Do you have your standardized test score needed for NJ high school graduation? ➔ Have you met the requirements for: Financial Literacy? ◆ Visual/Performing Arts? ◆ Career/technical ◆ There will be a sign up sheet at end of night to receive a call to schedule your appointment. Meetings will be held during the school day from January through April.
Course selection for senior year … . Senior year: Just as important as every other year. Start strong & finish strong! Course selection: Rigor matters but grades do as well. Choose appropriately. Decisions to be made: Make decisions LTHS-OCC classes vs AP classes ➔ that are OCC on campus ➔ best for YOU. SLE/Workplace Readiness ➔ Early Release, Late Arrival ➔
Postsecondary options … there is an option for everyone! ➔ College 2 year - Associate’s Degree ◆ 4 year - Bachelor’s Degree ◆ ➔ Trade/Technical school ➔ Military ➔ Workforce ➔ Gap Year
What matters most in college search? Best overall fit for YOU The Essentials: Academic Fit ❏ Financial Fit ❏ Career Services Fit ❏ Campus Culture Fit ❏
Factors to consider when choosing a college: Cost Financial Aid Offered Distance Majors offered Classroom experience Class size Student/faculty ratio Professor/Adjunct ratio Student Outcomes Retention rate Transfer rate 4-6 year graduation rates Job placement/Employment rate Student Life Activities, clubs, sports, special programs Greek Life Dorm Life, Food/Meal Plan Options Campus Surroundings, Safety Statistics Diversity of campus
Head to campus - VISIT ● Visit with College Representatives at Lacey Township High School - Fall 2018 ● College fairs - Spring 2018 ○ 4th Annual Spring College Fair, April 11, 2018, Pine Belt Arena, High School North, Toms River, NJ, 6PM – 8 PM ● Campus visits - Spring, Summer and/or Fall ○ Take a tour and attend an information session ○ Talk to other students other than your tour guide ○ Eat a meal on campus ○ Visit academic departments that interest you ○ Check out Career Services
5 Things You Need to Know About College Admission (click link above to CollegeBoard) What matters most to colleges? ● Courses taken - rigor ● Grades received ● Class rank ● Standardized test scores ● Personal statements and essays ● Letters of Recommendation ● Extracurricular activities ● Honors and Awards ● Demonstrated interest ● Social Media Presence Test-Optional Admissions list Tops 900 Colleges and Universities List of schools that do NOT require the SAT or ACT: http://www.fairtest.org/
Applying to College: FAQs 1. When do you start? Summer before senior year - relieves stress when school starts. Common App opens for everyone August 1st - start then! 2. Who should be completing the applications? Students, not parents. 3. How do I begin? Finalize College List ➔ ❏ Safety, Target, and Reach schools ❏ Get deadlines and decide which is for you - Early Action (EA), Early Decision (ED), Regular Decision (RD), Rolling Admission ❏ Are schools part of Common App, School Specific App or Coalition? ❏ Any common essays? ❏ Ask 2 academic teachers for letters of recommendation (end of Junior year) - ask IN PERSON before adding to Naviance Links: CollegeBoard FAQ about Applying to College Application Checklist per college
Early Action vs Early Decision Early Action ● Apply early. ● Receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle (usually in January or February). ● Consider acceptance offer; do not have to commit upon receipt. ● Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans. ● Give the college a decision no later than the May 1 national response date. Early Decision ● Apply early (usually in November) to first-choice college. ● Receive an admission decision from the college well in advance of the usual notification date (usually by December). ● Agree to attend the college if accepted and offered a financial aid package that is considered adequate by the family. ● Apply to only one college early decision. ● Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans. ● Withdraw all other applications if accepted by ED. ● Send a nonrefundable deposit well in advance of May 1. Benefits & Drawbacks of ED/EA: https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/applications/early
Which Application to Use? 1. The Common Application 1975 - Pilot Project with 15 schools ⦿ 1998 - went online ⦿ Over 700 members ⦿ Integrates with Naviance which has the career and college planning tools ⦿ to send letters of recommendations and transcripts 2. The Coalition went live in 2016 with 49 schools - now has 95 schools ⦿ NOT integrated with the tools to send letters of recommendations and ⦿ transcripts like Naviance 3. The Universal College Application Accepted by 23 colleges ⦿ (these colleges also accept other applications) 4. School Specific Application
Contents of a Completed Application Counselor responsibilities to send: Transcript once requested by student ❏ Teacher Letter(s) of Recommendation ❏ Counselor Recommendation Form & School Report ❏ Counselor Letter of Recommendation ❏ School Profile ❏ Student responsibilities: Application ❏ Sending Standardized Test Scores (SAT and/or ❏ ACT) Requesting transcripts through Naviance ❏ Deadlines ❏
NJ Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (Funding is dependent upon annual state appropriations) ● Students ranked in top 15% of their high school class at the end of either junior or senior year may be eligible. ● Students must take at least 12 college credits per semester and will be allowed to take up to 18 credits each semester if they are able to handle the course load and wish to accelerate ● Students have five (5) semesters of eligibility for NJ STARS. ● Covers the cost of tuition only for up to 5 semesters at community college ● Students must take placement test to determine college readiness ● NJ STARS does NOT cover remedial courses & all remedial classes must be completed before NJ STARS tuition will be paid (1 year to complete remedial work). ● Those students who have earned an associate degree with a 3.25 grade point average or better while enrolled in high school will be eligible to apply directly to a senior New Jersey public college or university for inclusion in NJ STARS II.
Testing and College Application Fee Waivers ❖ The registration fee for up to two SAT or ACT tests, with or without the Essay. ❖ Four limited-time score reports plus four to use at any time. ❖ Four college application fee waivers - SAT. Unlimited for ACT, however, schools not obligated to accept https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/fees/fee-waivers https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/FeeWaiver.pdf Practice FREE online through the Khan Academy - import your PSAT ❖ scores and there will be a tailored practice plan just for you! https://www.khanacademy.org/sat ❖ See you Guidance Counselor for a fee waiver. If you are not already approved for the free and reduced lunch program, please see Guidance for more information re: qualifications and an application.
SAT vs ACT - which is best for you? Features SAT ACT Widely Accepted ALL U.S. colleges ALL U.S. colleges Measures ● What students learn in high school ● What students learn in ● What they need to succeed in college high school Essay is optional Yes Yes Penalty for guessing No No Testing Time 3 hrs + 50-minute essay (optional) 2 hrs 55 minutes + 40-minute essay (optional) Structure 3 tests + optional essay 4 tests + optional writing test Reading, Writing/Language, Math Tests Reading, English, Math, Science tests Score Range Composite 400-1600 Composite 1-36
SAT/ACT Prep through Khan Academy The Results Are In: Official SAT Practice Pays Off A study of 250,000 students from the class of 2017 showed that a little practice goes a long way—regardless of gender, race, income, or high school GPA. Features Interactive problems ● Video lessons ● Full-length practice tests ● Personalized study plan ● Instant SAT Essay feedback ●
Guidance and how we can help ... Sign up and make appointment for your family meeting with your School Counselor. Guidance will send your supporting documents through Naviance. Those documents are: Transcripts - once requested by the student ● Letters of recommendations from counselor and teachers ● School Profile ● School Report ● We are here to support and guide you. Do not hesitate to call and reach out!! Your Guidance Counselor's Role in all of this (click link above for more information about your Counselor’s role)
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