YAY! What are your options Senior checklist Applying to college - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

YAY!

 What are your options  Senior checklist  Applying to college  Senior responsibilities

Our goal is for EVERY senior to have a plan for when they graduate. We promise to do everything we can to help you find your plan and be successful when you leave here!

 Find colleges/career options that are a good fit for you  Create essays, resumes, request recommendations  Submit college applications  Submit scholarship applications  Register and study for the SAT and ACT exams  Complete financial aid forms  Understand college acceptance letters and financial aid packages  Correspond with college admission and financial aid officers

 4-year Bachelor Degree programs  Require Recommended or Distinguished Graduation Plan  Require SAT or ACT test scores  The majority want a student with above a 3.0 GPA — The most selective schools generally want to see above a 4.0 GPA  Public Texas colleges & universities require you to pass all STAAR EOCs

 Offer 2-year Associate Degree & professional certificate programs  May be the best fit for a student with below average SAT/ACT scores, a GPA of 2.9 or below, inability to be a full-time student, or minimum graduation plan  Do not require SAT or ACT scores — At most 2-yr schools, a placement test (TSI- Texas Success Initiative) is administered prior to class registration.  A great stepping stone for students who want to transfer to a 4- yr college, but do not meet admissions requirements straight out of high school

 ITT Tech, Art Institute, Cordon Bleu, DeVry, FullSail, University of Phoenix, WyoTech, Tulsa Welding School  Run by companies/investors instead of public/state funds or educational endowments  Average tuition is higher than public and private colleges  Associate’s degrees can cost $20,000 more than same degree from a public university  Credits may not transfer, limited financial aid Many of these same programs are offered at Texas State Technical College and Vernon College!

Certificate programs including:  Automotive repair and collision  Cosmetology  Vocational nursing  Machining  Welding  Electronics  Medical assistance

Students who want to serve after high school have two options: — Enlist directly after high school and receive training/college credit as a part-time student over the course of your service. — Obtain a degree from a 4-year or 2-year college as a full-time student, then join-- possibly as an officer. We offer free ASVAB testing for students interested in exploring their military options

 Register — $75.00 or free if registered for tests with a fee waiver  Send ACT/SAT scores  Send High School Transcripts  COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR COACHES!

 Apply for Free/Reduced lunch if you qualify  Take the SAT and/or ACT  Know your GPA & class rank  Come up with a list of at least 3 potential schools  Research admissions deadlines and requirements  Research scholarship deadlines  Create your résumé  Get your applications in!

 Every senior needs one  We can help with academic, employment, or specialized résumés  Seniors will need a résumé for: — college applications — teacher recommendation requests — scholarship apps — job inquiries — audition paperwork

 Required for admission to most 4-yr schools  Most schools will accept scores from either test, but some programs/majors may request one specifically  Essay section is “optional” but most schools require it College readiness/TSI clear benchmarks: — OLD SAT : 500 Math, 500 Critical Reading, 1070 Composite — NEW SAT: 480 Reading/Writing, 530 Math — ACT : 19 English, 19 Math, 23 Composite

 Admission to college*  Acceptance in major  TSI Clear/College Ready  Scholarships  NCAA/NAIA Eligibility *Essay scores don’t factor in, but anyone you send scores to can read/consider your essay content

 Admitted vs. Registered  Grants vs. Scholarships vs. Loans  Early Action vs. Early Decision  Major vs. Minor  Course vs. Credit hours  Full-time vs. Part-time student  Graduate vs. Undergraduate  Associate vs. Bachelor

 Students in the Top 10% will be automatically admitted to any public school in Texas if the student meets the following conditions: — Recommended or Distinguished Graduation Plan — Submits transcripts, test scores, and any required essays — Submits the application on time UT-Austin is the only exception in which the above applies but only to the top 7% of the graduating class.  Just because a student has automatic admission to the college doesn’t mean they have automatic admission to their program of choice (ex: engineering, business, etc.)

 Application forms (and application fees)  High School Transcript  Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT)  Essays (if required or for scholarships)

 Standard application for ALL public 4-year universities and 2-year colleges in Texas  Also includes some private Texas schools: Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist, TCU  MSU, UT Austin, Texas A&M, Tarleton State, Vernon College  www.applytexas.org

 Comprehensive application system for over 500 four-year colleges and universities nationwide  Use to apply to public & private schools across all 50 states and internationally  TCU, Rice, SMU, OU, Ivy Leagues  www.commonapp.org

 Some schools are not members of any app system, so they create their own online applications  Some schools will offer fee waivers to students who complete applications by a certain deadline  OSU, University of California system, MIT, Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma Baptist, Mary Hardin Baylor, Wayland Baptist

 Depending on the school, application fees can run $25 to $80  Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch program are eligible to receive fee waivers — This also applies to students in foster care, wards of the court, and students who receive public assistance Students who do not meet the above criteria may be able to request application fee exemptions if there is a special financial circumstance

 Lists all courses and grades you earned for high school credit — Includes failures and credit recovery classes — Identifies Honors and AP  Shows your most recent GPA and Rank  Does NOT include SAT/ACT scores! Scores must be requested directly through Collegeboard/ACT websites  Official transcripts MUST go through Counselor’s Cove  Used by colleges to determine: — If your high school coursework has prepared you for the major/programs you are applying for — If you meet minimum requirements for admission

 Required for some applications, optional (highly recommended) for others  Required for school scholarships  Chance to tell admissions officers something important, but not stated elsewhere on the application  Should be between 450 and 650 words, depending on specific requirements  Cannot be written in one night!

 Teacher/Counselor Recommendations- request at least 2 weeks in advance  Admissions Interview — Only required by a few schools, but highly recommended for competitive applicants  Demonstrated Interest — Schools make note of all interactions made with prospective students – college visits, e-mail inquiries with admissions reps, etc.

It is YOUR responsibility to: — Produce original application materials — Ask for help with applications — Communicate with parents — Request transcripts and teacher recommendations well in advance — Carefully review applications before submitting them — Keep up with application and scholarship deadlines

 FAFSA opens Oct. 1  Financial Aid Night – Thursday Oct. 6 from 1pm- 6pm  Based on 2015 tax returns of your parents + you if you filed  Colleges will not process your FAFSA until the rest of your application is complete  If you/your parents do not have a Social Security number, see us for help with your financial aid

 Financial Aid Form requested by Ivy League and many private schools  Much more in-depth than FAFSA  Fee per school, varies based on your family income  Most schools that require CSS have EARLY deadlines, makes sure you check!  Rice, TCU, SMU

School deadlines: OSU — Nov. 1 UT/A&M/Tech — Dec. 1 OU/Texas State — Dec. 15 Cameron — Feb. 1 Tarleton — Feb. 15 UTA — admitted by Feb. 17 Vernon — March 1 UNT/TWU — March 15 MSU — April 1  Sign up for scholarship email list with Ms. Ortega!

 College Visit Process  Khanacademy.org  BigFuture.org