january 2014. mhs guidance department ms. apel ext [email protected] mr. glock ext...
TRANSCRIPT
January 2014
MHS Guidance Department
• Ms. Apel ext 6168 [email protected]• Mr. Glock ext 6164 [email protected]
• Ms. Hampton ext 6165 [email protected]• Ms. Musial ext 6166 [email protected]• Mrs. Pino ext 6167 [email protected]• Mrs. Ritson ext 6172 [email protected]• Ms. Watson ext 6163 [email protected]
Make an appointment through email, or speaking with a secretary.
BEGINNING THE COLLEGE SEARCH PROCESS
The Goal:Find thecolleges that are the
right fits for you!
DECISION FACTORS• Size• Location• Campus personality• Entrance
Requirements• Majors available• The school’s
commitment to a particular major
• Diversity• Athletics/Activities• Reputation • Cost…
CONSIDERING THE COST OF COLLEGE
• How much can your family afford? (including tuition, books, travel, spending money,
etc)• Compare lower tuition at a public school with the possibility that a private school may have more financial resources and be able to offer more aid• Don’t let the initial cost of college dissuade you
from applying• Consider applying for scholarships:
Going to college should Going to college should NEVER break the piggybank!NEVER break the piggybank!
Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Federal Student Aid: http://studentaid.ed.gov• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):
www.fafsa.gov• FAFSA4caster: www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov• CSS/PROFILE: https://profileonline.collegeboard.com• The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid:
www.finaid.org• MHS Guidance Website• FastWeb: www.fastweb.com• FindTuition: www.findtuition.com• Sallie Mae: www.salliemae.com
TYPES OF COLLEGES• 4-Year Colleges and
UniversitiesLiberal Arts SchoolsIvy League SchoolsPrivate CollegesPublic CollegesTechnical Universities
Specialized Institutions
Music conservatoriesArt schoolsCulinary schoolsHealth sciences
Two -Year Colleges
Two-year private schoolsCommunity collegesGuaranteed transfer programs
Getting Started
• Begin in the winter of your Junior year
• Talk to older friends/family about their experiences
• Identify possibilities• Know your resources• Research and visit
YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE:
College visits!• Best to go when
school is in session• Take a campus tour• Attend an open house• Overnight stays with a sibling or
friend• Visit actual classes
while in session• Interview?
Helpful Websites for the College Search
• CSO College Center: www.CSOCollegeCenter.org
• The College Board: www.collegeboard.com• KnowHow2Go: www.knowhow2go.org• Hobson’s CollegeView: www.collegeview.com• Peterson’s: www.petersons.com• The Common Application Online:
www.commonapp.org• Colleges That Change Lives: www.ctcl.org• College Visits: www.college-visits.com
JUNIOR PLANNING MEETINGS
• Counselors present to juniors in small groups
• Counselors meet with each student individually
• Counselors will meet with students and parents upon request
• Parents and students can use Naviance at home
What are colleges looking for?
• Grades in core academic classes – strength of program
• SAT/ACT tests• Overall GPA• Essay or writing sample• Teacher/Counselor
recommendations• Interview/Visits• Activities/Special talents
TAKING OWNERSHIP• The college admissions process calls for trust and a new kind of teamwork “directing” needs to give way to
“guiding”
• Getting into college, despite your inexperience and busy schedule, is something you must do for yourself
• College admissions officers are eager tohear about the student from the student
• It’s time to be your own advocate!
New Trends …
• Admission policies like Restricted Early Action
• Test optional schools:
www.fairtest.com• ACT – much more
popular
Standardized Testing
Know what the colleges on your list are looking for…
SAT ?SAT II?ACT?
REGISTER FOR THE TEST• Register online:
www.collegeboard.org for the SAT and www.act.org for the ACT
• Websites also have useful resources such as practice tests, questions of the day, study and test-taking tips, college searches, etc…Take advantage of them
• Question of the Day SAT App!
SAT & ACT
SAT
• Scholastic Aptitude Test• Aptitude oriented• 3 3/4 hours in length• Score Range 200 – 800
(2400 total)• Critical Reading, Math,
Writing• Essay (scored out of 12) • You choose which
scores will be sent to colleges.
ACT
• American College Test• Achievement oriented• 3 1/2 hours in length • Score Range 1-36• English, Math,
Reading & Scientific Reasoning
• Essay optional• You choose which
scores will be sent to colleges
Which test is right for you?
SAT II – Subject Tests
• Selective colleges require subject tests for admission
• 1 hour in length (take up to three tests on one test date)
• Score Range 200 – 800 • All tests are not offered on all dates – be sure to plan ahead
SAT TESTING – Dates to SAT TESTING – Dates to RememberRemember
DATE TEST/S REGISTER BY
March 8 SATFebruary 7
May 3 SAT/Subject Tests April 4
June 7 SAT/Subject Tests May 9
ACT TESTING – Dates to RememberACT TESTING – Dates to RememberFebruary 8 January 10
April 12March 7
June 14May 9
Test Prep/Coaching Programs
• PSAT Score Report Plus and test booklet were recently returned and are agreat way to identify specific strengths and areas of need• CollegeBoard and ACT offer free test preparation on their websites. Students can familiarize themselveswith the tests and the directions for different sections• Many different individual, small and large classes, handbooks and computer programs on the market
– Effectiveness of books and classes is a hotly debated topic– Can be costly and time-consuming– Results vary– Princeton Review and Revolution Prep programs offered at MHS
TESTING – Helpful Hints
• Become familiar with the test
• Know how you learn best and invest time into that strategy
• Take timed practice tests
• People who read well – score well
• READ, READ, READ!
YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH STARTS WITH:
Registering and logging in to
What is it?
• Web-based• Supports high school career and college planning• Specific to MHS• Available only to registered users(student, parent, and counselors)• Easy registration,
easy to use
How does it help?• Shared resource linking home to school
• Organized and efficient “container” to compile a student’s data, experiences, documents, etc., relevant to college admission with consideration for student information confidentiality
Greater opportunity for parent Greater opportunity for parent participation in college planningparticipation in college planning
Accurate, complete records about Accurate, complete records about student outcomes and admission student outcomes and admission decisions from our schooldecisions from our school
Realistic assessments of your Realistic assessments of your chances of admission to colleges chances of admission to colleges where prior graduates have appliedwhere prior graduates have applied
Family Connection Login Page
Do a College Search
Scattergrams
See When College Reps are Visiting MHS
• Registered users sign up to attend meetings online
• Meeting reminders e-mailed a day before college visit
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE COLLEGE SEARCH
• From all of your research, make a list of ten to twelve schoolsthat are potential fits• Do more extensive research on those schools• Trim that list to eight to ten by September of your senior year and begin applying
This is an exciting time! • Remember to have
fun visiting campuses and learning about what makes each one unique
• Remember that there is more than one college out there for you
• Try to minimize stress by keeping all lines of communication open and seeing your counselor oftenGood luck!