Preparing for a college search

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2 Preparing for a college search KNOW YOURSELF: Take some time to evaluate your *Values *Ambitions *Achievements *Academic Strengths *Interests *Standout Talents Utilize resources -under CAREERS tab, complete all career interest assessments -View ROAD TRIP NATION for career videos

3 Preparing for a college search Choosing Your College Priorities: What is most important to you? *Location *Academics *Size *Campus Appeal *Social Life *Total Cost Including financial aid

4 How do you define College? I. Community College 2 year Associates Degree or fulfill some of your Bachelor s degree requirement make sure to meet with counselors at the college about transferable credits Average cost: $2000/year (tuition only) Ex: SAC, ACC, Blinn, Lone Star (Houston area)

5 How do you define College? II. Public College/University Bachelor s, Master s, Doctorate degree Broad range of curriculum offered Average cost: $23,000+/year Ex: UT, Texas A&M, Auburn, OU III. Private College or University Smaller class sizes, more professor attention Earn Bachelor s, Master s, or doctorate degrees Average cost- $46,000+/year Ex: TCU, Wellesley, Stanford, Oberlin

6 How do you define College? IV. Vocational/Technical School Industry based- from culinary to cosmetology, automotive to medical assisting You will get hands on training Programs are typically 18 months, where you can earn certificate or Associates Degree price varies greatly Exs: Alamo Community Colleges, Texas State Technical Institute, Culinary Institute of America, Everest Institute, Paul Mitchell School

7 How do you define College? IV. Reserve Officer s Training Corp (ROTC) Take ROTC in college, learn about military values, history, and leadership Graduate from an ROTC program and be commissioned as an officer EX: UTSA, Colorado School of Mines, Tulane

8 College Applications What goes in the College Application? Transcript GPA Rank Pre-AP, AP, DC coursework Standardized Testing SAT and/or ACT scores SAT subject scores (if applicable) Extracurricular Activities Athletics, School Clubs Volunteer Work Leadership Positions Recommendations Teacher/Counselor Essays Handout:

9 College admission selection factors Courses taken Grades received Class rank Standardized test scores Personal statements and essays Recommendations Extracurricular activities Interviews VIDEO HANDOUT:

10 College Applications: Naviance 1. Update your personal student and parent 2. Update Colleges I m thinking about list 3. Update your resume 4. Complete your Game Plan 5. Download the Naviance student mobile app for your smart phone

11 Step 4. Request recommendations as needed (2-3) Counselors, Teachers, Employers, Club sponsors, Coaches (In person requests until August 1 st ) Through Naviance account for AHISD employees (after August 1 st ) College Applications cont. How to apply? Step 1. Apply online & pay application fees OPENS AUGUST 1 st, 2015 Step 2. Submit an official transcript request Through Naviance account Step 3. Request official scores from SAT/ACT to be sent to colleges

12 Admission terms to know... Regular Admissions The regular application deadline specified by colleges is typically in January or February Rolling Admissions No deadline date, applications are processed as received. Early Action Non-binding, deadline usually in Oct/Nov Early Decision (ED) Binding agreement and should only be used when applying to your top choice college. Deadline usually in Oct/Nov *HANDOUT: Restrictive Early Action (EA) Non binding, deadline usually Oct/Nov Restricted from applying to other schools EA & ED

13 Admissions information Top 10 % rule applies for all public TX schools except **University of Texas at Austin will automatically admit all eligible 2016 summer/fall freshman applicants who rank in the top 8% of their high school class, with remaining spaces to be filled through holistic review

14 Examples of Assured admission criteria Other Assured Academic Admits examples (SAT: CR & MATH only) TX A&M (College Station), top 25% & 1300 SAT (at least 600 on CR/Math) or 30 on ACT (at least 27 subscore) TX Tech, top 25% & 1140 SAT or 25 ACT, top 50% & 1230 SAT or 28 ACT, top 75% & 1270 SAT or 29 ACT Texas State, top 25% & 920 SAT or 20 ACT, top 50% 1010 SAT or 22 ACT, top 75% 1180 SAT or 26 UTSA, top 25% no minimum, top 50% 1100 SAT or 24 ACT University of Houston (before Dec 1), top 10% & no min scores, top 11-25% & 1000 SAT or 21 ACT, top 26-50% & 1100 SAT or 24 ACT University of North TX top 15% & 950 SAT or 20 ACT, top 50% & 1050 SAT or 23 ACT, top 75% & 1180 SAT or 26 ACT Stephen F. Austin University Top 11-25% & 850 SAT or 17 ACT, top 50% & 950 SAT or 20 ACT, top 75% & 1100 SAT or 24 ACT Angelo State University top 50% & 820 SAT or 17 ACT, Tarleton University top 50% & no minimum scores, top 75% & 950 SAT or 20 ACT Check college websites for other admission automatic admits requirements

15 How do you decide?? Things to Consider When Selecting a College Type of school 2 year 4 year Vocational/Technical School Admission Requirements Geographical Location Public or Private Size Living Facilities Cost - $$$$ Majors offered Clubs/Sports/Activities HANDOUT:

16 How do you decide?? Visit college campuses Consult for feedback relatives, alumni, teachers, counselors Don t rule out a college if you have never heard of it Take advantage of available resources College Admission visits College Fairs/Virtual fairs ( College/Career Center ( Follow the Golden Rule of the college admission process: Never apply to a college that you would not gladly attend if offered the choice.

17 Words of wisdom Utilize Naviance My Planner to record all pertinent deadlines, contacts, interviews, etc. Read all information sent by colleges, both and letter. Confirm with admissions office that you are officially on college alert list Make copies of every application for admission and financial aid before sending!

18 Keep college information in separate folders. Keep notes about likes and dislikes, contacts, visits in the file with the information. Set up a checklist for all college applications including: Deadlines (both application and financial aid) Test scores Essays Words of wisdom Recommendations VIDEO

19 College admission myths Myth #1: Only Top Tier Schools Prepare People for Success Part of the genius of America is that you can make your destiny by what you do, not where you go to college. Myth #2: A College Brochure in the Mailbox Means Something The college only wants the application. The more applications a college receives, the more it can reject. The more it rejects, the higher its ranking goes up. Myth #3: Applying to More Schools Increases One's Chances You increase your odds when you apply to more schools where your GPA and test scores (ACT or SAT) fall into the median range.

20 College admission myths Myth #4: Once you send in the application, you're done. Don't fall prey to the myth that "send" means you're done. It is your responsibility to follow up with college visits, s, calls Myth #5: Large universities offer more opportunities than small liberal arts colleges. It's important to look beyond the advertised opportunities and ask how many students actually use them.

21 Financial Aid Types of Financial Aid A) Need-based 1. Loans 2. Grants B) Merit-based 1. Academic 2. Talent 3. Athletic VIDEO Handout

22 Scholarships 1. Continue searching a) Naviance scholarship search g) b) h) c) d) e) f) 2. Get personal To stand out, tell your personal story through your essays 3.Disregard the $$ amount Every little bit helps! 4. Keep up your grades For a more competitive GPA 5. Proofread Correctly fill out and check for errors; ask for help 6. Don t give up

23 scholarships 7. Beware of scholarship scams Applying for financial aid is FREE and help is available at any college/university visit for more information on scams 8. Students must stay organized - All academic activities, extracurricular activities, community service, work etc., matter on many scholarship applications

24 scholarships 9. Start preparing by using FAFSA4CASTER Enables students & parents to learn about financial aid process - Provides estimates on financial aid packages

25 College Days Don t forget to visit campuses! Submit college visit verification to AHHS attendance office Send Thank You notes! Senior SPRING exam exemption policyhttp://goo.gl/d1snzu

26 College reps Don t miss all the college reps and fairs that come to AHHS Stay in the know through checking Naviance and the college and career website for upcoming events and college rep visits ( Passes can be printed from Naviance (with teacher approval for class being missed)

27 Summer To Do List Attend free Café College workshops Read your college mail and send reply cards to schools of interest Visit the campuses of your top-five college choices. Send Thank You notes Prepare for and take the ACT/SAT in (if needed) Continue researching your list of colleges & scholarship opportunities Practice filling out college applications

28 Summer To Do List Volunteer in your community Prepare college resume- input information in Naviance Accomplishments/Honors Activity list Work experience Compose rough drafts of your college essays Service Academy- continue applying for nominations ( NCAA/NAIA athletes- register with Eligibility Center (if not already done so) NCAA NAIA

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30 **Make senior year count Senior Year Senior year is an opportunity to strengthen skills and broaden experiences, in school and out Colleges pay particular attention to the senior schedule and performance

31 Senior Year SCARY STAT 21% of Colleges Revoked Admission Offers *Breakdown of reason as to why offers were revoked *Final Grades 65% *Disciplinary Action 35% *Falsification of Application 29% **CAUTION: Be wary of what you post online, colleges and future employers will google you and/or check out your Facebook/Instagram etc

32 Parent/Guardians Roles Help your student understand the college search process Be realistic and non-judgmental Be in the "back seat" - and not the driver - of the college search process Be open to dialogue and responsive to questions Be aware of deadlines and fees due Know that things have changed since your college days Don t overemphasize your own alma maters Don t compare your student with others Don t dwell on disappointments, like a rejection letter Celebrate successes!

33 THANK YOU! We hope this information has been helpful! HAPPY SUMMER BREAK! The AHHS Guidance and College Center Departments