Park View High SchoolCollege Night Presentation

for Juniors and their Parents

Agenda

• Words of Wisdom

• Preparing for a College Search

• Scholarships

• Parent Tips

• Next Steps for Juniors

Words of Wisdom

You don’t need to go far away.

88% of high school students go to college in their home state.

Words of Wisdom

If you don’t have a major, it’s OK.

More than half of new college students say a very important reason for going to college is “to find my purpose in life.”

Preparing for a College Search

Know Yourself

• Values

• Ambitions

• Achievements

• Academic Strengths

• Interests

• Your Standout Talents

Return on Investment

• Cost of College

• Salaries in field of study

• Student Loans

Types of Colleges

Type Description Tuition AdmissionRequirements

Four year Degrees offered:Bachelors and beyond

Provides: A well-rounded college experience that includes an academic area of study.

State: Typicallyunder $20,000/year

Private: Typically more than $29,000/year

• SAT or ACT• GPA• Class rank• Essay• Extracurricular

activities• Letters of

recommendation• Transcripts

Types of Colleges

Type Description Tuition AdmissionRequirements

Two year Degrees offered: Associates

Provides: A way to ease into college / take general college classes for credit.Typically have agreements with four year colleges to transfer credits.

Typically around $4,000/year

Open-dooradmission policy

The Pathways program is a free opportunity to seniors during 2nd semester.

Application is required and must be completed in November.

• Register for and select classes with NOVA School Counselor

• Complete the FAFSA form and complete scholarship/financial aid forms

• Placement testing at PVHS

• 1st priority for scheduling + transfer transitioning to 4 year school

Choosing Your College Priorities

What is important to you?

• Location

• Academics

• Size

• Campus Appeal

• Social Life

• Total Cost – Including aid

About College Admission Tests

• ACT– Consists of four tests: English, Math, Reading, Science,

and Writing

– Writing component is optional

– Top composite score is 36

• SAT– Consists of three tests: Verbal, Math, Writing

– Each test is scored on a scale of 200-800, totaling 600-2400

– FREE SAT prep resources available at both http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/ and http://khanacademy.org/sat

SAT/ACT Test Prep Resources

• C2 Education

• Catalyst Prep

• Revolution Prep

• www.collegeboard.org

• www.actstudent.org

What information do college admission officers review?

•Grades / Overall GPA•Strength of high school course selections

•Admission Test Score

•Essay

•Teacher and counselor recommendations

•Class rank

•Student’s demonstrated interest

•Personal accomplishments•Personality characteristics•Courses in progress Junior and Senior year

Collecting College Information –Where to go

• Family Connections by Naviance on PVHS Website – college and career planning resources

• nacacnet.org - National Association for College

Admission Counseling. Offers national college fair information and articles about the college process

• collegeboard.org - Information about the SAT

• actstudent.org - Information about the ACT test

• NCAAeligibilitycenter.org – eligibility information

about playing sports in college

ScholarshipsLook for PVHS $$ info sessions in December.

Look for the LCPS Financial Aid Handbook to be distributed in February.

Merit Scholarship Tips

Merit scholarships are where the money is.

• 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

• Nearly all colleges offer merit aid scholarships

• The average merit scholarship is $5,000

• Many awards can be renewed year after year

• Deadline driven … may require Early Action application

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

Scholarship Resources

Continued …

• QuestBridge.org

• Gates Millenium Scholarship

Tips for Parents

1. Help your student navigate the college search process.

2. Be realistic and non-judgmental.

3. Be in the "back seat" - and not the driver - of the college search process.

4. Be aware of deadlines and fees due.

5. Plan to attend the senior parent meeting in the fall, and information sessions on scholarships and FAFSA forms.

6. Fill out the parent brag sheet to assist you child’s counselor in writing letters of recommendation.

7. Don’t compare your student with others.

8. Don’t dwell on disappointments, like a rejection letter.

9. Celebrate successes!

Next Steps

SPRING/SUMMER Steps for Juniors

In School

Stay focused on academics

Do not lighten your academic load for senior year

Stay involved in school activities

Standardized Testing – Spring and repeat in Fall if needed. (SAT or ACT)

Prepare for and register for ACT / SAT tests – See Ms. Hatcher for ACT & SAT fee waiver forms.

SPRING/SUMMER Steps for Juniors

Continued …

College Exploration

Explore colleges (Family Connections by Naviance)

Make a list of colleges you plan to apply to and research application deadlines so you don’t miss any important dates

Visit colleges if you can

Meet with college representatives

LCPS College Fair in fall – date to be determined

FALL Timeline for Seniors 1. Make decisions! Pick which colleges you will be applying to!

KNOW THE DEADLINES -Early action/decision deadlines start in November and majority of college deadlines are by Jan 1.

2. Register, if needed for the SAT and SAT II (if required by the college you are applying) or the ACT.

3. Begin asking for letters of recommendation if required by the college you are applying to.

4. Write college essays (check college websites for requirements).

5. Submit Secondary School Report from your college application(s) and Transcript Release forms to the counseling department for each college you are applying to. Forms are due 2 weeks before your application deadline.

WINTER Timeline for Seniors

• Financial aid forms: Federal Application Free Student Aid (FAFSA) is required by all colleges (available in Dec) if you want to be eligible for financial aid.

• Midyear grades will automatically sent to all colleges and universities students have applied to.

• Search for and complete scholarship applications.

We Are Here for You!

• Please don’t hesitate to contact the counseling office with any questions or concerns.

• Visit the Career Center in the counseling office for assistance with SAT/ACT registration and test preparation, college reference materials, financial aid and scholarship reference materials and offerings, information on military and local student job opportunities.