september 30, 2014. mrs. pam vickers college & career counselor...
TRANSCRIPT
Thompson High SchoolSenior Parent Night
September 30, 2014
Counselors’ Contact Information• Mrs. Pam Vickers
College & Career [email protected]
Counselors by Grade Level• Ms. Debbie Nichols, Seniors• Mrs. Heather Myles, Juniors• Mrs. Traci McGee, Sophomores• Mrs. Brookie Harbison, Freshmen
Connecting to Counselors
• Students• Before/after school• Lunch• Seventh period (Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays)• Make an appointment• Utilize email
• Parents• Email (preferred method)• Phone• Counseling newsletters and school website
Graduation Requirements• 24 credits required for graduation• Must pass all core subjects (4x4) and required
electives• Community Service – At least five hours
• Multiple Valedictorians will be recognized among students with grade point averages of 4.0 and higher (pursuing advanced diploma)
• Multiple Salutatorians will be recognized among students with grade point averages of 3.8 - 3.9 (pursuing advanced diploma)
Important Senior Dates and Upcoming Events
Important Senior Dates• October 1 – Baby picture due for yearbook
• Mrs. Dennis will also need baby pictures for videos (watch for deadlines on THS website and through school announcements)
• October 1 – Deadline for yearbook ads• November 3 – Senior meeting to receive cap/gown information• November 12 – Cap & Gown/Announcement orders due
• Fee ($100) includes cap, gown, tassel, stole, diploma• May not borrow regalia from a former graduate
• April 11 – Prom (Hyatt Regency)• May 14 – Senior Awards Night (6:30pm)• May 18 – Senior Day/Senior Breakfast/Graduation Rehearsal• May 19 – Graduation, 6:00pm (Bartow Arena)
• All guests must have a ticket (Seniors will be issued 10 tickets)• Additional tickets available by request in early MayFor more information, contact Ms. Debbie Nichols, Senior Sponsor
Additional Costs (optional)• Graduation t-shirt (approximately $15)• Senior video ($15 if ordered by April; $20
thereafter)• Graduation video ($15 if ordered by April;
$20 thereafter)
• Honor Society stole/cords• National Honor Society ($35)• Quill & Scroll Cord ($15)• French/Spanish Honor Society Cords ($15 each)• Thespian Cord ($15)• Mu Alpha Theta Cord ($18)
Senior Grad Bash• April 22-26, 2015• Charter bus transportation to and from Orlando• Park tickets to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood
Studios & Universal Studios• Three nights’ accommodations at Cabana Bay Beach
Resort• Meal allotments/vouchers for many meals• Fully chaperoned by THS teachers/administrators
• Cost is $775.00 per person ($150.00 deposit is due immediately to Worldwide Educational Tours with convenient payment plan for remaining balance)
• For more information, contact Mrs. Vickers as soon as possible
Important Forms Available in Student Services
• Official transcript request form•Must submit to counselors’ office at least one day in advance• $3.00 each, or $10.00 for unlimited transcripts
• College visit form•Must follow proper procedures• Form available under Guidance section of THS website
• Senior Questionnaire• Received through English classes in late August
Where to go from here
Colleges and Universities
Qualities to Consider
• Size• Location• Academic Environment• Degree programs offered• Extracurricular Offerings• Cost (have a frank discussion about
this!)• Best fit for student
Developing the College List• Consider these options• Public universities (The University of Alabama;
University of Montevallo; Auburn University)• Private colleges/universities (Samford University,
Birmingham-Southern)• Community colleges (Jefferson State Community
College)• Vocational/Technical (ITT, Herzing, Virginia College)
• Apply broadly• 2-3 “Reach” schools• 4-6 “Target” schools• 2-3 “Safety” schools
College Applications• Create and regularly check a professional
email address• i.e., [email protected]
• Send applications NOW to colleges and universities
• Many application deadlines are December 1 or earlier!
• Know the deadlines for the schools you are most likely to attend
• Most application deadlines are “received by”; not “postmarked by”
• Online applications will expedite the admissions process and will sometimes save money
Common Application• Common Application enables students to
apply to multiple schools using one application form.
• A listing of the schools that will accept the Common Application may be found at www.commonapp.org.
• Deadline for applications is November 1.• Requires essays and multiple
recommendation letters.
Admission Factors• Grades/GPA/Class rank• Standardized test scores (ACT or SAT)• Extracurricular activities and leadership
positions• College essays• Recommendation letters
College Entrance Examinations• ACT – Administered at Thompson High School• Math, critical reading, writing, science reasoning• ACT plus writing (includes essay)• Highest score is 36• No penalty for guessing• Register online at www.actstudent.org
• Cost is $54.50 for ACT Plus Writing (includes four score reports)• Next opportunity to test is October 25 (with late fee of $22)• December test may be too late for some scholarships!
• ACT fee waivers available for students receiving free/reduced lunch• Inquire in Student Services
ACT Prep Classes• All Pencils Down• www.allpencilsdown.com• Courses available online or onsite in Hoover• $200 - $400, depending on course
• ZAPS ACT Test Prep Seminar• Sunday, October 5 from 12:30 until 6:00pm• Held in the THS Library• Cost is $79.99, payable online or at the session• Register at www.zaps.com (pre-registration is
required)
College Entrance Examinations• SAT
• Includes math, critical reading, writing (includes essay)• Highest possible score is 2400• Penalty for guessing• Subject area tests (two in different subjects required by many
private schools)• Options include English, History, Math, Science and World
Languages)
• Register online at http://sat.collegeboard.org• Cost is $50.00 for SAT and $23.00 for subject tests• Next opportunity to test is October 11 (deadline is 11:59pm
Eastern, TONIGHT!)• December test may be too late for some scholarships!
• Fee waivers available for students receiving free/reduced lunch• Inquire in Student Services
College Essays & Teacher Recommendations• Essay topics vary by college or university• Do not procrastinate on this portion of the
application• Ask teachers or administrators about
recommendation letters now!• Check the requirements at the schools of
your choice• Sophomore, junior and senior year teachers
are preferred• Be sensitive to the time provided for this
part of the application
Meeting College Reps and College Visits
College Recruiters
Fall Visits to Thompson High School
Auburn UniversityAuburn University - MontgomeryBirmingham Southern CollegeFaulkner State Community College
Huntington College
Jacksonville State UniversityJefferson State Community College
Judson College
Miles College
Millsaps College
Mississippi State UniversityMississippi University for Women
Samford UniversityShelton State Community College
Spring Hill College
Stillman College
Troy University
University of Alabama
UABUniversity of Alabama-Huntsville
University of Mississippi
University of Mobile
University of Montevallo
University of North Alabama
University of South AlabamaUniversity of Southern Mississippi
University of West Florida
Vanderbilt University
Procedures for Recruiter Visits• Announcements are made prior to each visit• Students are to sign up in advance in
Student Services• Be open-minded• Students will be provided a pass for 25
minutes of time in which to meet with the recruiter
• Come to the meeting with questions in mind• Get a business card from the recruiter• Recruiters will remember those students
who made an effort!
We visited The University of Alabama on September 26
TENTATIVE:• University of South Alabama – November
10• Auburn University – November 22
• 50 students (first-come basis)• Chartered bus service• Opportunity to tour campus, hear from
admissions representatives, learn more about Honors College, and enjoy lunch
• Must have 19+ on ACT, 3.0 GPA, “C” average in core classes, good attendance and clean discipline record
• Register in Student Services (listen to announcements for details)
• Excused field trip (not a college visit)
Small group visits to colleges anduniversities
College Visits On Your Own• Students are allowed two excused absences
per year• Students must complete the college visit
form in its entirety and in proper sequence BEFORE the visit• Form is available in Student Services or in the
Guidance section of the THS website
• Bring back something from the college/university to show you attended the visit (letter, business card, etc.)
• Mrs. Vickers can help schedule college visits• Ask to sit in on a class and take a campus
tour• Speak with current students and faculty
members
Resume Information• Name• Diploma Type/GPA• Work Experience• Volunteer Experience• Awards/Certificates• Extracurricular Activities• Hobbies/Skills/Abilities
A Word About Social Media• Utilize websites, Facebook and Twitter to
research potential colleges• “Like” or “Follow” those schools that
interest you• Many college recruiters will ask you to
“Follow” them for more information about events and the admissions process
• Research suggests that 80% of potential colleges and employers check your Facebook, Twitter & Instagram accounts before offering admission or employment• Keep your accounts clean, refrain from posting
inappropriate content or photographs
NCAA Eligibility/Clearinghouse• If your child plans to play a sport in college,
make sure he/she is registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse.
• Web application at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
• $65 fee, payable online• Submit two high school transcripts• One transcript as soon as web form is complete• Second transcript at final graduation
• Fee waivers are available• See Mrs. Vickers or your child’s coach for
details
Military• We will have recruiters from all branches of
the Armed Forces on campus this fall.• Interested students must take the ASVAB
(November 12).• ROTC programs and National Guard offer
scholarships for college.• After graduation, 4-6 years of military
service may be required.• Contact Mrs. Vickers if you wish to speak
with a recruiter.• Involve family in this process.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Scholarships• Scholarship information is posted on the
Guidance portion of the THS website (under “News”).
• Announcements are made about scholarship applications on morning announcements and THS-TV.
• Many local scholarships are awarded in the spring.
• Pay attention to deadlines.• Contact Mrs. Vickers for specific
information.
Financial Aid PresentationFenae Pope, The University of Alabama
University of Alabama (Christy Hudgens)
College Recruiters
Next steps:Financial Aid Seminar planned for early spring
This presentation will be uploaded to the THS website under “Guidance”