College 101

Jill Brown-Goetzmann, Counselor PTSA Meeting 10/14/08

Discussion Points

• College Process/Timeline• College Selection• Shorecrest Admission Facts• Rankings, Lists and More!• Family Role• Student’s role

College Process and Timeline

• Freshman Year/Sophomore Year• Encourage students to take rigorous courses

• Encourage student to get involved in sports, clubs or activities

• Start talking to your student about post-secondary goals

• Get to know your Counselor/Teachers!

College Process and Timeline

Junior -- Fall• Encourage students to take rigorous courses (AP/Honors Courses)

• Encourage student to take leadership roles in sports, clubs, activities

• Take PSAT - Fall• Attend College Fairs and College Rep visits in Career Center

• Start Touring Campuses and talking to Alumni

College Process and Timeline

Junior -- Spring• Take SAT/ACT• Meet with Counselor to discuss college

options• Find out if schools require SAT II (Subject

Tests)• Attend “Junior Weekends”• Register for a rigorous Senior Schedule• Have your “list” of colleges picked out• Work on a personal statement - over summer• Download Common Application

(www.commonapp.org)

College Process and Timeline

Senior Year• Take SAT again or for the first time

• Fall - Application DeadlinesUW - December 1st deadline (Scholarship)

• FAFSA Form - January 1st • Wait, Wait, Wait• May 1st - universal decision day

Picking the “right” college

• Majors & Educational Programs• Location and Size• Costs & Financial Aid (WUE)• College Religious Affiliation• Accreditation• Campus Activities/Student Life• Support Services• Admissions Policy, Retention, Graduation Rates

The Final List(open to modification!)

• College List5 colleges1 “dream” school2-3 “mid-range” schools1 “safety” school

Introspection helps to find the “fit”

• Who you are and what characteristics are you looking for?

• Do you like being an observer or a participant?

• Are you religious? • Do you want to stay close to home or go somewhere new?

• Do you see yourself at a liberal arts college, or do you prefer the comparative anonymity of a major research university?

Introspection means finding the “fit”

• Do student-teacher ratios matter?

• Do you plan to join a fraternity or sorority?

• Apply to all schools regardless of budget (then determine if it fits the budget)

• Urban, rural, do you need a car?

Private vs. Public

Washington Public SchoolsUW, CWU, EW, WSU, WWU, TESC

Washington Private SchoolsSU, SPU, UPS, PLU, GU, Whitman - to name a few

Public vs. Private

Differences• Cost

(Private schools may offer more financial aid)

• Class size• Application procedures• Professors vs. Grad Students

Where are Shorecrest students going?

• In State Public - 91Private - 21Specialty-7Community College - 53

• Out of StatePrivate - 16Public - 26

• Undecided42 students

• State School BreakdownUW - 45 (2-Bothell), (2-

Honors)WSU - 11WWU- 22CWU - 7EWU - 2Evergreen - 4Gonzaga - 2SU-7, SPU - 2Shoreline Community

College - 35

Washington State Colleges

College Average GPA Average SAT CR

Average SAT M

UW - Seattle 3.58-3.92 550-680 580-690

WSU 3.20-3.77 490-600 520-630

CWU 3.26 500 510

SU 3.4-3.8 530-630 530-630

UPS 3.35-3.86 580-700 575-675

Some Good News

Shorecrest Graduates56% - 4- year college22% - 2 year college

SAT Performance Trends, Verbal / Critical Reading, 1995 - 2008

Values are Mean SAT Scale Scores which range from 200 to 800

470

480

490

500

510

520

530

540

550

560

570

United States 504 504 505 505 505 505 506 504 507 508 508 503 502 502

Washington 519 519 523 524 525 526 527 525 530 528 532 527 526 526

Shoreline SD 541 536 543 543 538 557 548 553 559 554 560 557 548 552

Shorecrest HS 554 548 549 546 539 557 542 550 557 553 562 551 552 554

Shorewood HS 532 527 537 540 538 558 553 556 562 555 557 562 545 550

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

SAT Performance Trends, Mathematics, 1995 - 2008

460

480

500

520

540

560

580

United States 506 508 511 512 511 514 514 516 519 518 520 518 515 515

Washington 517 519 523 526 526 528 527 529 532 531 534 532 531 533

Shoreline SD 559 551 549 550 544 554 546 556 562 557 568 559 548 561

Shorecrest HS 569 552 549 554 534 547 541 545 544 550 561 553 543 557

Shorewood HS 552 550 548 546 551 561 550 567 574 563 574 564 552 564

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

SAT Performance Trends, Writing, 2006 - 2008

Values are Mean SAT Scale Scores which range from 200 to 800

460

470

480

490

500

510

520

530

540

550

United States 497 494 494

Washington 511 510 509

Shoreline SD 537 532 534

Shorecrest HS 528 531 537

Shorewood HS 545 534 532

2006 2007 2008

More Good News

• There are 2,533 Four Year Schools• College acceptance rate is above 70%

• More selective institutions don’t guarantee a more satisfying college experience

• Students gain more through a solid student/teacher relationship and involvement in activities

Western Undergraduate Exchange

• 150 percent of the host institution’s regular resident tuition. Certain majors only

• Applies to State College only– States that participate

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

How can you support your student?

• Encourage them to take a rigorous curriculum

• Supportive environment• Listen to fears, hopes, goals• Discuss openly the family goals/expectations regarding college

• Encourage college visits or College Fairs

• Occasional reality checks• Timelines

Be informed and realistic

• Major/minor offered• In ball park on GPA , SAT/ACT scores

• Location• Size of student body• Activities/clubs/sports offered• Cost for four years

Rankings, Lists, and more

• Rankings - USNWR, NCCE• Comparing with others - “your kid is going where?”

• Stress, money and awaiting aid• You are the consumer -make the choice that is best for you and your family

What students should be doing?

• Discuss college plans with counselor• Attend college fairs/attend college representative meetings/tour campuses

• Ask questions• Get a standardized testing plan• Study hard - take challenging courses• Get involved at school or community• Participate in summer enrichment activities, leadership camps, volunteer!

Upcoming EventsShorecrest/Shorewood College FairOctober 29th 5-8pm Shoreline Center

College Application WorkshopsNovember 12th and 19th 6:30-8:30pmShorecrest Career Center

Financial Aid NightDecember 2nd 7-8:30pmShorecrest Theater

Helpful Websites

www.collegeboard.comwww.act.org www.wois.orgwww.wiche.eduwww.fasafa.ed.govwww.ncaa.orghttp://nsse.iub.edu/faq/pfaq.cfm

Questions?