College Knowledge An Information Session Prep Juniors
Responsibilities of the College Counselor Educate parent and student about college admission process Maintain open communication with parent and student Be available for counsel Serve as student s advocate in application process Present the student s academic history (transcript) and official school statement (recommendation).
Responsibilities of the Student Engage in honest reflection of personal strengths, interests, & goals Research & explore a variety of acceptable colleges Complete applications & essays on time Be responsible for all deadlines and calendar events Communicate with parents and college counselor as interests and priorities change
Check e-mail daily Stay Informed! Check the website frequently www.jacksonprep.net Check the daily bulletin for scholarship announcements, college visits, etc. Attend informational meetings
Naviance/Family Connection Naviance Used by college counseling office for tracking prospective schools & applications, compiling student outcomes, communicating with students and parents, etc. edocs Sends on-line transcripts and common app supplementary documents Family Connection College planning website for parents and students that includes college searches and information, college match info, submission of common application documents, etc. Juniors will register for Family Connection Feb. 1-5 Be sure to bring your registration codes, available from your homeroom teacher.
Words of Wisdom Relax You will get in. 70% of colleges accept an average of 70% of their applicants.
Family Connection Sign UP Mon., Feb. 1 Tues., Feb. 2 Wed., Feb. 3 Thurs., Feb. 4 Campos, Barlow Heath, May Nicholas, McGraw Flint, Ezaz, P.Smith Ray, Lindell, Hughes Fri., Feb. 5 Make-Up Session Bring your registration code to the computer lab at the designated time during homeroom.
What Should Juniors Be Doing Now?
Next Steps Academics Stay focused on academics Do not lighten your academic load for senior year GPA Calculated at end of junior year Activities Stay involved in school activities & community service Show depth of commitment Standardized Testing Prepare for and take ACT / SAT tests Register for AP tests, if appropriate College Exploration Explore colleges on the web & on Family Connection Visit college campuses Meet with college representatives Attend college fair
Standardized Testing ACT & SAT Reasoning Tests Students encouraged to take both Can use best scores for all applications and most scholarships Test Dates on p. 36 of handbook SAT has essay; ACT has optional essay SAT Subject Tests Best to take immediately after completion of course. June test date is good time Required by the most selective schools
Preparing for a College Search
Know Yourself Values Ambitions Achievements Academic Strengths Interests Your Standout Talents
Personality Profile for Career Assessment February 9 th All juniors will take Myers-Briggs personality inventory administered by ESF (large group) March 1 st 3 rd will discuss Do What You Are profiles in homerooms (small groups) Words of Wisdom: It s okay if you don t know your major! More than half of new college students say an important reason for going to college is to find their purpose in life.
Choosing Your Priorities What is important to you? Location Academics Size Campus Appeal Social Life Total Cost
Explore Your Options. How? Begin researching and gathering information about schools Check Websites Use Family Connection Read college view books & publications Visit with ccllege reps visiting Prep Attend the Prep College Fair Attend special preview days at colleges Develop preliminary list of colleges to consider
Collecting Information Cappex.com - College search made simple. Your first stop to kick-start your college and scholarship search nacacnet.org - National Association for College Admission Counseling. Offers national college fair information and articles about the college process collegeboard.com - Information about the SAT, colleges, scholarships act.org - Information about the ACT test Family Connection www.whattheywilllearn.com assesses quality of curriculum at colleges and universitiies www.unigo.com student reviews
Visit with College Counselor Call for a 30 minute conference with College Counselor Best if student already has an ACT/SAT score Student should do some R & R (Research & Reflection) - Answer questions on p. 69-70 of handbook Helpful to have had college discussions at home
Visit College Campuses Call ahead to set up visit Go when school is in session Begin visits this spring, if possible Attend class, if possible Tour campus, talk to students, eat in cafeteria Use resources in handbook to compare schools
Plan for productive use of summer time Summer workshops, camps Special programs on college campuses Summer school Community service Employment Travel opportunities
THIS SUMMER!!! Complete profile sheet, student brag sheet, and parent questionnaire & return by deadline This year these will probably be sent by email Are invaluable to us in writing recommendations for you
THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING!!!!!... Continue with a strong academic record!!
Admission Requirements Mississippi Public Universities 18 or higher ACT 2.0 GPA on Core Courses (unweighted) 4 units of English 3 units of Math 3 units of Social Studies 2 units of Advanced Electives (foreign language, world geography, science, math) ½ unit of computer applications
Admission to Selective Schools ( Or What Are Colleges Looking For Anyway?) Good grades in the strongest curriculum possible Standardized Test Scores Extracurricular Activities Community Service Employment Creative achievement Strong personal statement (essay) Strong recommendations Interview Alumni relatives or connections
The College Athlete Register online with the NCAA Clearinghouse after the junior year grades are on the transcript. Request school to send transcript Prepare athletic resume & cover letter to send to schools www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
Looking ahead to next year! Attend College Fair Visit recruiters on our campus Visit colleges Continue with standardized testing Complete Applications Institutional vs. Common App* Paper vs. online* *Preferred
Types of Admission Early Admission - apply by Nov 1 or 15 and find out before Christmas Early Decision (binding agreement) Early Action Early Action Single Choice Regular admission apply by regular deadline and find out by April 1 Rolling Admission find out 3-4 weeks after receiving application
Seek Scholarships and Financial Aid Scholarships (merit-based) Institutional are best from the colleges themselves Organizational Scholarship searches on the web Financial Aid (need-based) Complete FAFSA Loans, Grants, Work-study (Don t pay money for any scholarship search)
Merit Scholarship Tips There is more than $11 billion in merit scholarships available to students from colleges Not just for A students Many awards emphasize leadership or school involvement The average merit scholarship is $5,000 Many awards can be renewed year after year
$ Scholarship Resources $ Fastweb.com - Private scholarships fafsa.ed.gov - Free Application for Federal Student Aid Studentaid.ed.gov - The federal government s website about paying for college MeritAid.com - $11 billion in merit scholarships Cappex.com - Scholarship matching finaid.org - Free student resource for learning about all types of financial aid
Plan Ahead Don t Let This Be You!