Project Plan Ahead

2014

Options After High School Work Military Technical School Trades/Apprentice programs College

2 Year (Community Colleges) Cost around $3000 a year, smaller class sizes, able to transition to 4 year school (open enrollment) Assessment tests will be required prior to enrollment

4 Year (Public $14,000-$18,000 a year) (Private $25,000-$30,000 a year)

High School Courses Recommended for College Bound Students

English 4 Years Mathematics 4 Years Social Studies 4 Years Science 4 Years Foreign Language 2 Years

What colleges look for in incomingFreshmen

Many 4 year colleges base their acceptance on a student’s ACT/SAT scores, the student’s high school curriculum and their Cumulative Grade Point Average. Many schools have a sliding scale that addresses the above mentioned issues. The following is an example scale:

ACT H.S. Rank%/GPA Class 23 48 2.7 GPA

22 54 2.8 GPA21 62 2.9 GPA20 69 3.2 GPA19 78 3.4 GPA18 86 3.8 GPA17 94 4.1 GPA

Honors and Advanced Placement Courses Prepares you for college course work May improve your ACT score Earn college credit in high school

(AP exam score of a 3, 4, 5) May increase your grade point

average and class rank Highly regarded by most colleges

National Testing Most colleges accept either the ACT or the

SAT tests as part of their decision making process. These test are indicators on how well a student will do in college. These scores are also used for students applying for merit based scholarships. The ACT is considered a curriculum based test, whereas the SAT is considered more a logic/intelligence based.

2014-2015 ACT test dates: September 13, 2014 October 25, 2014 December 13, 2014 February 7, 2015 April 18, 2015 June 13, 2015

Choosing the Right School SCC College Fair October 16, 2014 11 - 2 Attend the National SLU College Fair in

the Fall, and the SLU College Fair on October 19, 2014 (1-4) to start narrowing educational opportunities down to 3-5 schools by beginning of senior year

Take advantage of college visits Meet with college representatives when

they visit FHN, dates noted on E-news FHN College Fair (Recommended for

Juniors) April 14, 2015

Consider College CharacteristicsMajors and Educational ProgramsAdmission PolicyLocation and SizeCost and Financial AidCampus ActivitiesSupport Services

List, Compare, and Visit Colleges

Prepare a college comparison checklist (pg. 20-23)

Weigh advantages and disadvantages

Contact the office of admissionsSchedule appointments for your campus visits (pg. 17-19)

Finding the Right SchoolHelp pare down the many college choices by accessing:

www.collegeboard.comWith the above internet site, you will be able to create a username and password for your student.

Missouri Connections www.missouriconnections.org

Free Search Engine for Missouri Students

Interest Inventory 4 Year Plan Careers College School Sort Reality Check Projected Job Market for Careers Financial Aid & Scholarship Information

Apply for Admissions and Observe Deadlines Narrow your choices Review college admission test requirements Know application fees and deadlines (pgs. 5-7) Know scholarship requirements (pg. 15) Submit application materials (paper/electronic)

Application for admission (pg. 24) Recommendations (When asked for) Submit Transcript Request Form (TRF) to the

guidance office Apply early and check specific school

deadlines (Many deadlines are November/December)

Develop a Plan to Finance College Determine college costs Investigate ALL possible resources

Parents Savings Summer earnings Financial aid: scholarships, grants, A+,

loans and work study (FAFSA form www.fafsa.ed.gov)

Secure necessary forms and note deadlines

Apply for financial aid as early as possible, no sooner than January 1st Senior Year (register for pin # www.pin.ed.gov)

FAFSA(Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

All colleges require submission of this online form (1/1/15-4/1/15) for any type of financial aid (pgs. 26-31). Senior Year

Submitting this information is very similar to filing taxes and is based on parents income as well as students.

Parents must be involved in this process Attend Financial Aid Night in January 13,

2015. FAFSA Frenzy at St. Charles Community

College Sunday, Feb. 9, 2015 (2-4)

$$$$ Opportunities(pg. 15) www.fhsdschools.org (Regional Search) www.fastweb.com (National Search) www.meritaid.com (College Specific

Search) www.finaid.org (All Purpose Search) SCC Trustees Scholarship (3.00 GPA or 23

ACT = full tuition)

Costs

Don’t eliminate any college because of costs before receiving financial assistance information! This information generally comes in March through the Student Aid Report (SAR).

Remember……. Check with college officials for accurate costs

What do I do now?

After completing this workshop, the counselors are available for appointments if you would like to discuss this further.

Mrs. Schwarz A-Com 851-5056 Mrs. Johnson Con-Go 851-4978 Mrs. Woodrum Gr-H 851-4982 Mrs. Kerr-Grant I-Mc 851-

5041 Mrs. Herman Me-Pa 851-

5924 Mrs. Faulkner Pe-Sp

851-5082 Mrs. Moore St-Z 851-

4959