Class of 2019 Rising Senior Night MAY 29 TH 2018

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Class of 2019 Rising Senior Night MAY 29 TH 2018"

Prudence Houston
5 years ago
Views:

1 Class of 2019 Rising Senior Night MAY 29 TH 2018

2 Agenda Overview of post-secondary options Creating a great college application Dominion High School process Timeline for senior year

3 Post-Secondary Options Overview 4-year college and universities Community colleges Junior colleges Military NOVA Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program Guaranteed Admissions Agreements Academies (be aware of earlier timeline) ASVAB Gap-Year programs Accredited specialized career institutes & colleges

4 Creating a Great College Application

5 NACAC Important Factors in College Admission Decisions

6 Strength of Curriculum Students are always advised to take the strongest curriculum that they can reasonably handle while pursuing academic and extracurricular opportunities for which they have a passion. Jerome Lucido, Vice Provost University of Southern California

7 SATs & ACTs Required for most 4-year colleges & universities Encouraged to take the SAT and/or ACT twice Consider Early Action/Early Decision deadlines Check CollegeBoard.org for update on when to expect fall scores Register online at: Fee waiver if student receives free/reduced lunch

SAT Sections include Evidenced-based Reading & Writing and Mathematics Score range is 400-1600 Math Section: 60% Heart of Algebra (Algebra 1 & 2) 30% Quantitative literacy

8 SAT Sections include Evidenced-based Reading & Writing and Mathematics Score range is Math Section: 60% Heart of Algebra (Algebra 1 & 2) 30% Quantitative literacy (ratios, percentages, & statistics) 10% Geometry Optional Essay (15 min.) includes reading passage with prompt focused on analysis of author s writing No penalty for incorrect answers

9 ACT 4 sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science Tests math up through Trigonometry 30-min writing section optional on test day, but most colleges require it Score given as composite out of 36 Colleges and universities accept both the SAT and ACT

10 SAT Subject Tests Subject-specific tests Literature, Math 1 & 2, US History, World History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Foreign Languages Check with the college admissions office regarding whether it s required or recommended Register at

11 DHS Partnership with Kaplan Test Prep REGISTER ONLINE AT:

12 The Subjective Components Essay and personal statements Activities Letters of recommendation

13 The College Essay Allows the college admissions committee to: Assess student s ability to communicate effectively in writing clarity of thought, organization and creativity Learn about student as a person Attitudes, values, opinions Personal story and background Approach to life and challenges Goals and aspirations Common Application Essay prompts are available now good summer project!

14 Activities & Community Service Provides a glimpse into student s interests, passions, and leadership How & why is more important than what Students need to attach meaning to their involvement What was most important to you, and why? What defined your high school experience, and why?

15 Letters of Recommendation Provides additional details regarding student character and school engagement Start thinking now about which teacher you might ask Complete resume in Naviance, helpful for teachers

16 Completing the College Application Apply Online!!! Visit each college s website for specific instructions on how to access the application Remember log-in information keep it in a safe place for future reference Ensure address is appropriate Encouraged to develop a for all college/scholarship info Complete supplemental information for each college (see application requirements) Common Application

17 Completing the College Application Follow Instructions and Proofread Complete all required sections Carefully follow all instructions Proofread before submission Application Fee Must be paid before the deadline or it s considered incomplete Students should see school counselor if they need an application fee waiver

18 Completing the College Application Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines! Best to check individual college admission websites for the deadline Must submit college applications before the deadline Highly recommended to submit applications early, so that you have time to verify that the college has received all components of the application

Colleges request a large amount of information from applicants, and they simplify the process by collecting

19 The Common App One major application that nearly 700 colleges use Some colleges require a student to use Common App, some make it optional, and others have their own personal application Why CommonApp? Colleges request a large amount of information from applicants, and they simplify the process by collecting much of that information all in one place. Students can use the CommonApp app on their smart phone to add info on the go

20 The Coalition App The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success is a diverse group of more than 130 distinguished colleges and universities across the U.S. that is committed to making college a reality for all high school students through its set of free, online college planning tools that helps them learn about, prepare for, and apply to college. The Coalition was founded by a group of dedicated college administrators in 2015 with the goal to improve the college application process for all students, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups. All Coalition member schools graduate students with low-to-no debt, while either meeting students full demonstrated financial need, offering low-cost in-state tuition, or providing responsible financial aid packages.

21 To Do Items for Senior Year

22 Develop a College List Students should narrow down the list of colleges to which they intend to apply to 5-7 schools: GPA/test Safety Schools (1-2): typically accept students with lower scores than yours GPA/test Target Schools (2): typically accept students with similar scores to yours GPA/test Reach Schools (1-2): typically accept students with higher scores than yours Encouraged to develop this list in Naviance by end of junior year

23 Considerations in finding a good college fit Location Size Career goals Academic majors Financial aid H.S. course requirements and recommendations Academic profile of admitted students Student life Diversity of student body Appearance of facilities Athletic programs Extracurricular interests Study abroad programs ROTC Dorms/residence halls Available support services The feel of campus Cost (don t rule out private or out-of-state colleges)

24 Visit College Campuses Finding the right fit is very important can only do this if student has actually stepped onto the campus May require advance scheduling to make the most of each visit Arrive early for scheduled visits & make arrangements for parking ahead of time Try to visit nearby schools or develop a route that allows you to visit many colleges on one trip Visiting is a way to show interest, which can be a factor in admissions decisions

25 Traditional College Application Deadlines Early Action: November 1 st or 15 th, non-binding Early Decision: typically November 1 st or 15 th, binding Regular: most common deadlines are December 15 th, January 1 st, January 15 th, February 1 st Rolling: as soon as possible, applications are reviewed as they are received Priority Filing Dates: some colleges set this deadline for students who wish to be considered for scholarships and financial aid

26 Important FAFSA Info FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (see handout) Students will be able to file the FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2018 using income information from the previous tax year.

27 Responsibilities Students will: Complete application (on college website) Sending Test Scores: SAT and/or ACT tests Requesting Letters of Recommendation & Transcripts Submitting Supplemental Information to Colleges School counselors will: Send transcript within 3 weeks of request Complete/Send Secondary School Report Complete /Send Counselor Letter of Recommendation Complete/Send Midyear Reports and Final Transcript

28 Standardized Tests You must send your official score reports to each colleges directly from College Board or ACT Counselor cannot send for you Select score report recipients when you register online (4 free) Must pay a fee per score report if you request to send to college after you take the test Send to NCAA (9999) if you want to play NCAA sports in college

29 Teachers Submit Recommendations Online First, check if a letter is required/accepted by the school, then have a face to face conversation with your teacher. In September, students will receive instructions on how to formally request teacher letters through Naviance (required 3 weeks prior to deadline) Teachers are responsible for uploading and sending students letters of recommendation directly to colleges/universities Thank you notes

30 Counselor Letter of Recommendation The Insight Sheet is an opportunity for students and parents to highlight students strengths, awards, achievements, and obstacles overcame Student Insight Sheet required for all counselor letters of recommendation requests Optional parent insight sheet

31 Academic Transcript The School Counseling office sends student s official transcript to each college: Within 3 weeks of receiving transcript request form Mid-year transcripts automatically sent to all colleges once initial transcript request is submitted (no need to submit another request) At the end of the year final transcript is automatically sent to the college you plan to attend

32 PINK Transcript Request Form Students should pick up in school counseling office Print legibly Be specific! (no abbreviations, no ASAP for deadline date) Indicate any additional documents you would like us to include (e.g. counselor letter of recommendation or supplemental forms) Student & parent must sign each request form Must be submitted at least 3 weeks before college admission deadline

33 PINK Transcript Request Form Deadlines COLLEGE DEADLINE REQUEST FOR TRANSCRIPT & COUNSELOR LETTER DUE TO THE SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE November 1 October 11 November 15 October 25 December 1 November 8 (to account for Thanksgiving Break) December 15 November 19 (to account for Thanksgiving Break) January 1 December 1 (to account for Winter Break) January 15 December 15 (to account for Winter Break) February 1 January 11 February 15 January 25 March 1 February 8 March 15 February 22

34 Students should update address so that they receive important college & scholarship info Create a resume Sign up for college or military visits during Titan Time (print out confirmation as your pass) Check status of transcript requests

35 Titans, check your Why? frequently! Updates on colleges visiting DHS Information on scholarships, honors, recognitions, special programs (some with short notice) A great way to communicate with your school counselor about applications after earning early release from Titan Time COLLEGES USE AS THEIR PRIMARY FORM OF COMMUNICATION WITH YOU RE: YOUR APPLICATION!

36 Senior Year Timeline BE ORGANIZED, WORK IN ADVANCE

37 Now through end of Summer Register for and take SAT/ACT a final time, if necessary For the first time ever, there is an SAT in August College exploration and research Campus visits Narrow down list of schools Brainstorm ideas for college essays Refine resume Gain valuable, meaningful experiences volunteer, work, internships, travel, academic study and research programs Make informal request to teachers for letters of recommendation

38 Late Summer & Early Fall Create organized way to track deadlines and progress Write essays for college admission Make official request for letters of recommendation from teachers Begin college applications

39 Fall & Winter Complete FAFSA (opens October 1 st ) Continue to monitor deadlines and progress Submit college applications Request transcripts from School Counseling Track receipt of supplemental materials

40 Winter & Spring Apply for scholarships (mostly January April) Attend admitted student days & campus visits Review financial aid packages Review college decisions (typically by April 15 th if regular decision application) Decide where to attend by May 1 st

41 Questions?

Juniors Spring Presentation

Juniors Spring Presentation First of all. Congratulations on all your hard work junior year! Now everyone take a deep breath And get ready for what s next: 1. Finish strong over these last 5 weeks 2. Make