The College Preparation Process. Hirschi High School. Ms. Evelyn Jaramillo & Mrs. Shonna Norton. Tonight s Topics. Post-secondary Options

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1 The College Preparation Process Hirschi High School Ms. Evelyn Jaramillo & Mrs. Shonna Norton Tonight s Topics Post-secondary Options The Application Process Summer Opportunities Services and Resources Upcoming Events 1

2 Post Secondary Options Which path to success are you on? Four-year college/university To graduate with a Bachelor s degree Two-year college To earn an Associate s degree or professional certificate Vocational/technical schools and programs To receive additional training and/or certification Armed forces Workforce 2

3 The Résumé No matter which path you take after high school, you need to build a solid résumé! Seniors will send résumés with: college applications teacher recommendation requests scholarships applications job inquiries audition paperwork Junior Résumé Workshop Afterschool in April All Hirschi juniors are invited to attend Create your résumé Start thinking about the college application essay 3

4 The College Application Components & Types 1. The Online Form Main Components 2. Application Fee or Fee Waiver Request 3. The Transcript 4. Standardized Test Scores 5. Essay(s) 6. Supplemental Materials (recommendations, interview, etc.) 4

5 The ApplyTexas Standard application for all public4-year universities and 2-year colleges in Texas Also includes many private Texas schools Accessible at A few ApplyTexasmembers: MSU, UT Austin, Texas A&M, Tarleton State, Vernon College, and many more. The Common Application Comprehensive application system for over 500 four-year colleges and universities Use to apply to public & private schools across all 50 states and internationally Accessible at A few CommonAppschools: TCU, Rice, SMU, OU, Harvard, Stanford, Bowdoin, Pepperdine, and many more! 5

6 College-specific applications Some schools are not members of any app system, so they create their own online applications. These are often harder to use because the formatting is low-budget; however,some schools offer fee waivers to students who use their own application by a certain deadline. A few independent app schools: OSU, University of California system, Georgetown, MIT, Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma Baptist, Wayland Baptist, and tons more! Application Fees Depending on the school, application fees can run $25 to $80 per school. Students who qualify for the 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. 6

7 The Transcript Lists all courses you took and gradesyou earned for high school credit Yes, even the failures and credit recovery classes Identifies Pre-IB and IB Shows your most recent GPA and Rank. Used by colleges to determine: If you meet minimum requirements for admission If your high school coursework has prepared you for the rigor of curriculum at that specific school Test Scores SAT or ACT test w/writing Required for admission to most 4-yr schools Students want to achieve the College Readiness Benchmarks determined by testing agencies. A score of 500+ on each section of the SAT should place a student in the college-ready category. ACT testers who score at or above the following benchmarks are considered college-ready: English 18, Reading 22, Math 22, Science 23 7

8 Redesigned SAT Beginning March 5, 2016 Back to 1600 scale Reading & writing subsections combined for one set of scores ( ) Math calculator and non-calculator subsections are combined for second set of scores ( ) PSAT scores indicate student performance on SAT For more information and practice, visit sat.org/new Upcoming SAT Test Dates March 5 th Register by February 5 th! May 7 th Register by April 8 th! June 4 th Register by May 5th! 8

Upcoming ACT Test Dates April 9 th Register by March 4 th. June 11 th Register by May 6 th. Register at www.actstudent.

9 Upcoming ACT Test Dates April 9 th Register by March 4 th. June 11 th Register by May 6 th. Register at SAT II Subject Tests Hour-long tests Often required by top universities Also required by prestigious engineering programs or departments of certain schools If not required, they are strongly suggested Examples of schools are Rice, Wellesley, Ivy Leagues, NYU, MIT, Duke and several more! Literature Math Level 1 Math Level 2 French German Spanish Modern Hebrew U.S. History World History Biology Chemistry Physics Italian Latin Chinese Japanese Korean 9

10 Test Prep Resources sat.org/practice actstudent.org/testprep Number2.com sparknotes.com/testprep KhanAcademy.org Exclusive partnership with College Board Can link CB account and PSAT information for personalized test prep WFISD Summer PSAT/SAT Camp The Essay Gives colleges a look at your English writing level and word processing skills Your chance to tell the schools something about you that is important, but not stated elsewhere on the application Should be between 400 and 650 words, depending on specific requirements Cannot be written in one night! Needs to be formulated over several weeks. 10

Other Stuff CommonApp Supplements Could require additional essays or short answers Teacher /Counselor Recommendations Admissions Interview Only required by a few schools, but highly recommended for

11 Other Stuff CommonApp Supplements Could require additional essays or short answers Teacher /Counselor Recommendations Admissions Interview Only required by a few schools, but highly recommended for competitive applicants Demonstrated Interest Schools make note of all one-on-one interactions made with prospective students. 11 th Grade To-Dos Before next year Take the SAT and/or ACT at least once Know your GPA & class rank Consider your interests and strengths in order to determine your best postsecondary options Research colleges and universities. Be mindful of admissions deadlines and requirements. Plan worthwhile activities for the summer. 11

help determine what financial aid the student can qualify for Visit colleges Allowed 2 excused college visits days junior AND senior years

12 College Options Search for college options based on interests bigfuture.collegeboard.org Research those schools for scholarship and financial aid information Net price calculators: available on every college website and can help determine what financial aid the student can qualify for Visit colleges Allowed 2 excused college visits days junior AND senior years Financial Aid NEW! For award year, FAFSA will use prior-prior tax information. What does this mean? Students will use parent tax information from 2015 FAFSA becomes available Oct. 1 st 12

13 Summer Pre-College Programs & Camps Opportunity to take courses for college credit or just to experience the college environment. Summer programs across the nation University of North Texas Summer Mathematics Institute opens Feb. 1 tams.unt.edu/academics/summer-mathematics-institute MSU Young Engineer Summer (YES) Camp 1 week in June mwsu.edu/academics/scienceandmath/engineering/yes camp/ Summer PSAT/SAT Camp One-week camp at start of summer Fee may be associated with camp but scholarships will be available for those who qualify. Information will be sent to students and parents when details have been finalized. 13

Fall Fly-In Programs Fly-In Programs are generally offered by private schools that are looking to increase diversity within their student body.

14 Fall Fly-In Programs Fly-In Programs are generally offered by private schools that are looking to increase diversity within their student body. Some are all-expenses paid Students interested will need to apply in early fall (usually in September) Will need a set of test scores to apply We can help! 14

15 Services for Huskies and their parents? Identify colleges that match a student s academic profile and interests Create college application materials (essays, résumés, etc.) Request and obtain teacher recommendations Submit online college applications Correspond with college admission and financial aid officers Submit scholarship applications Register and study for the SAT and ACT exams Complete financial aid forms Understand college acceptance letters and financial aid offerings Discover a best fit college for the student 15

16 Parent Meeting for Seniors Usually scheduled for September Will discuss: Priority deadlines Application process Financial aid updates 16

Points of Contact Evelyn Jaramillo College Advisor ejaramillo@wfisd.net Ext. 30037 Gina Strong 11 th & 12 th Counselor gstrong@wfisd.

17 Points of Contact Evelyn Jaramillo College Advisor Ext Gina Strong 11 th & 12 th Counselor Ext Shonna Norton College/Career Counselor Ext Linda Fain IBDP Coordinator Ext

Roadmap to College: Highly Selective Schools

Roadmap to College: Highly Selective Schools COLLEGE Presented by: Loren Newsom Understanding Selectivity First - What is selectivity? When a college is selective, that means it uses an application process