Air Academy High School College Night Presentation

Transcription

1 Air Academy High School College Night Presentation for Juniors and their Parents Dr. Eric Beers, College/Career Counselor Ms. Janie Olsen, College/Career Assistant

2 Agenda Words of Wisdom general statistics Preparing for a College Search-researching colleges Paying for college Scholarships and financial aid Parent Tips Next Steps for Juniors

3 Words of Wisdom Relax You/your student will get in to the right school. More than 70% of colleges accept an average of 70+% of their applicants.

4 Words of Wisdom You can, but don t need to, go far away. 88% of high school students go to college in their home state. If you are ready to go outof-state, go for it!

5 Words of Wisdom If you don t have a major, it s OK. Many colleges do not allow you to declare a major until your sophomore year. More than half of new college students say a very important reason for going to college is to find my purpose/direction in life.

6 Preparing for a College Search

7 Know Yourself What are you looking for? Values Ambitions Achievements Academic Strengths Interests Your Standout Talents (Naviance and collegeincolorado.org has inventories for all of these)

8 Types of Colleges Type Description Sticker price Tuition and fees Two year Degrees offered: Associates of Arts, or Associates of Science, Certificate program Typically around $4,000/year Admission Requirements Open-door admission policy Provides: A way to ease into college / take general college classes for credit. Typically have agreements with four year colleges to transfer credits.

9 Types of Colleges Type Description Sticker price Tuition and fees Four year Degrees offered: Bachelors (and beyond) Provides: A well-rounded college experience that includes an intensive academic area of study. In-State: Typically under $12,000/year Out of State: Typically 2-3 X s in-state tuition Private: Typically $24,000/year or more Admission Requirements SAT or ACT GPA Class rank Essay Extracurricular activities Letters of recommendation Transcripts

10 College Application Suggestions Apply to colleges in a variety of selectivity Have an in-state and/or safety school no matter how badly you want to go out-of-state Have a reach school (and/or a private school) no matter how much you don t think you can afford it Have 1 or 2 middle-of-the-road schools, one s you look like an average (or slightly above average) student. Never judge a college based on the sticker price alone. Net-Price Calculator is a good place to start

11 Choosing Your College Priorities What is important to you? Academics/majors Location Clubs/activities Size Campus Appeal Social Life Total Cost Including aid

12 What information do college admission officers review? Grades / Overall GPA Strength of high school course selections College Admission Test Scores (For many colleges (especially public) this is all they need!) Additional pieces: Essays Teacher and counselor recommendations (be thinking of teachers now, and ask early) Student s demonstrated interest Personal accomplishments Personality characteristics Courses in progress Senior year

13 About College Admission Tests ACT Consists of four tests: English, Math, Reading, Science, and optional Writing section Writing component is optional (some colleges are requiring it) Top composite score is 36 to sign up (need to do nothing for the April 19th-State test at Air Academy) SAT Consists of three tests: Verbal, Math, optional Writing section Each test is scored on a scale of to sign up

14 CCHE Admission Index

15 Collecting College Information Where to go Naviance go to log-ins on AAHS website or directly to connection.naviance.com/airacad All kinds of Career inventories and Career information Sign up for college Rep. visits to Air Academy Super Match College Search -search for any criteria you are looking for in a college Information (standardized format) for 4,600+ colleges Scholarship lists Resume builder and more!

16 Collecting College Information Where else to go collegeincolorado.org-search both in- and out-of state colleges, interest inventories, major sorter, scholarship searches, and register for COF money-- $75/credit hour good for Colorado colleges/universities. collegeboard.com college searches, tips on interviews, and essays, timelines for students. cappex.com - College search made simple. Your first stop to kick-start your college and scholarship search nacacnet.org and coloradocouncil.org associations for College Admission Counseling. Offers national college fair information and articles about the

17 Air Academy s Website Click on Student Services on the dial-pad All the information on the right-hand side is college/career. ACT/SAT dates --Upcoming College Events Colleges visiting AAHS FAFSA information Scholarships (links and deadlines) College visit and interview tips

18 Gathering College information The best source is directly from the source: College websites are a good place to start but don t just judge a college based on their website! Visit college campuses! Be a student for the day! Ask to sit in classes, and talk to students and professors Visit when 100 colleges come to Air Academy! Talk to family, friends, teachers, people in the field Guide books, rankings, publications (RUGG s)

19 Collecting College Information Testing Where to go--continued actstudent.org - Information about the ACT test, registration, sample questions, dates collegeboard.com-- Information about the SAT test, registration, sample questions, dates SAT-II s (subject tests) are required by the most selective schools (no ACT equivalent). Air Academy s School Code is The NCAA requires that test scores be sent directly from ACT/SAT

20 Scholarships and money for college

21 Merit Scholarship Tips Merit scholarships are where the money is. There is more than $11 billion in merit scholarships available to students from colleges Not just for straight A students (Certainly the better grades, the better you scholarship offer can be) Many awards emphasize leadership or school involvement Nearly all colleges offer merit aid scholarships **check their websites The average merit scholarship is $5,000 Often many different levels of merit scholarships Many awards can be renewed year after year

22 Scholarship Resources fastweb.com or scholarships.com - Private scholarships fafsa.ed.gov - Free Application for Federal Student Aid studentaid.ed.gov - The federal government s website about paying for college MeritAid.com - $11 billion in merit scholarships cappex.com - Scholarship matching Specific Colleges financial aid/scholarship websites finaid.org - Free student resource for learning about all types of financial aid

23 Other Scholarship Sources Many Local and Air Academy-only Scholarships listed on Air Academy s website. Employers, clubs and fraternities, associations, churches, youth groups, utilities companies. ROTC (comes with a military commitment) PeaceCorps/AmeriCorps/Teach Grants to help repay student loans.

24 Financial Aid Work Study Grants--Government-based grants (for all colleges) or Institutional Grants (for private colleges) Student Loans may not students loans but much rather qualify for government backed student loans The only way to qualify for these is to fill out the FAFSA in October or November of Senior year.

25 Are you a very active Parent?

26 10 Tips for active Parents 1. Help your student understand the college search process, be their taxi again helping them visit colleges 2. Be realistic and non-judgmental 3. Be in the "back seat" - and not the driver - of the college search process. Encourage student to become the driver. 4. Be open to dialogue and responsive to questions 5. Help student be aware of deadlines and when fees are due 6. Know that things have changed since your college days 7. Don t overemphasize your own alma mater(s) 8. Don t compare your student with other children or friends 9. Don t dwell on disappointments, like a rejection letter 10. Celebrate successes!

27 Next Steps for juniors

28 Next Steps for Juniors In School Stay focused on academics Do not lighten your academic load for senior year Meet with your school counselor Be Thinking of who is writing your recommendation(s) Ask them! Stay involved or get involved in school and community activities Standardized Testing Prepare for and register for ACT / SAT tests (you will take the ACT on April 19th; you don t need to register for that one) Complete AP tests as appropriate College Exploration Explore colleges on the Web your college list can be quite long right now! Visit colleges if you can Meet with college representatives Attend college fairs

29 Our High School s Timeline Senior Year: Apply early for college (late-october/early-november) Applications open August 1 st Apply to 3 to 7 colleges/universities in a range from Safety to Foundational to Reach schools Shift gears by Thanksgiving break (if not earlier) to searching and applying for Scholarships and Financial Aid As soon as possible after October 1, complete FAFSA using 2015 tax information (Complete the CSS/Profile--if needed--on College Board s website)