What can you do to help your child prepare for his/her college education?

Transcription

1 What can you do to help your child prepare for his/her college education?

2 Your child needs help with: Setting expectations Knowing what classes to take in high school Preparing for standardized tests (ACT) Aiming toward a career Researching colleges Applying to colleges Applying for financial aid

3 Help your child set academic goals. Set GPA goal, targeting a minimum of a 3.0 Voice your expectations to your child When you go to college That could be a good field for you to pursue. Help your child maintain academic records containing report cards, records of standardized tests, honors and awards received, and extracurricular activities.

4 It is NOT better to take easy classes in high school to get better grades. Taking hard classes in high school not only looks good on a transcript, it helps better prepare students for college. Colleges don t look only at GPA, they look at which classes students earned credit. Meeting high school requirements alone will not prepare students for college.

5 Help your child develop good study skills Outlines, notes, focus on BOLD print (experiment to see which process works best for your child) Monitor your child s academic progress and encourage your child to enroll in challenging courses Challenging courses have prerequisites. These prerequisite courses must be completed and passed prior to moving on to more challenging courses.

6 Holgate High School/State of Ohio Graduation Requirements English Health 4 units ½ unit Mathematics 4 units (must include Algebra II) Phys. Ed. ½ unit Social Studies 3 units (American/World History & American Government) Science 3 units (Physical, Biology, and 1 unit of advanced study) Fine Art 1 unit (class of 2018 and beyond) Electives 6 units (from Foreign Language, Business, and/or Fine Arts)

7 Freshman year English 9, Physical Science, American History, Phys. Ed., Health, Algebra I, Spanish I, Fine Art, 1 additional elective/unit Sophomore year English 10, Biology, World History, Geometry, Spanish II, Fine Art, 2 additional electives/units Junior year Junior English, Advanced Science unit, American Government/Macroeconomics, Algebra II, Spanish III, Fine Art, 2 additional electives /units Senior year Senior English, Advanced Science unit, Advanced Math unit, Spanish IV, Fine Art, 3 additional electives/units

8 Many students take college classes for high school and college credit. Must meet program requirements Must be accepted into a college There are many credits that will transfer to any state college/university in the state of Ohio (TAG courses) Saves money There are also some risks of participation Find out more at the CCP meeting

9 Help your child register and prepare for taking standardized tests PSAT (pretest for SAT is optional at a cost for 11 th graders). PSAT is also the qualifying test for National Merit Scholarships. ACT SAT (Not as widely used college admission test)

10 ACT practice tests are available online and in the Preparing for the ACT booklet actstudent.org Other ACT preps include: Ohio Means Jobs InfOhio Sylvan Learning Center College lead preparation classes (will post in my window as I get word of them) Visit collegeaccess.org/accessprogramdirectory to search for free prep classes

11 ACT (American College Test) Most widely used college admission test Recommended to take in the fall of Junior year for the first time. If enrolled in advanced math classes can take at the end of Sophomore year. Most students take this test at least 2 times but can test up to 12 times. Recommended that students take writing at least once. It is required by some colleges for English placement. If the college a student is planning to attend requires a writing score that college will take the students highest ACT score in which writing is included

12 Help your child recognize skills and interests that may lead to a career One thing your child will be doing in school to help is taking the ASVAB as a Junior. All students have access to Infohio which can help them look into careers and interests. Job Shadow Students will be excused from school one day in their senior year to job shadow forms available in the guidance office

13 Help your child decide on what type of college he/she might want to attend 4 yr. Or 2 yr. Public Or Private Large campus Or Small campus In-State Or Out-of-State

14 2-Year Colleges (Community or Technical) Can begin taking classes at a lower cost Can obtain an Associates degree or Certificate Can use credits to transfer to a four-year college if desired 4-Year Colleges/Universities Offer a wide variety of courses in a variety of fields Can obtain a Bachelor s degree Can continue for a Master s or Doctorate degree if desired

15 Attend college visits at your high school as scheduled (Juniors/Seniors) Posted on the Guidance Office windows and the high school online calendar Attend college fairs (Defiance College in the fall and NSCC in the spring) (Juniors/Seniors) Sign up in the Guidance Office Visit colleges (Seniors and Juniors have two visits) Many colleges offer campus visit days and open houses I post these in my window as I get them and you can see the college websites for more information See Guidance for college visit form

16 Help your child gather applications in the summer before his/her senior year Applications can be found online Most colleges recommend applying online and some will waive the application fee if completed online Several schools use the Common Application (You can complete one application and use it for several colleges just check with the college to see if they have additional forms to complete) Help your child begin writing college essays Edit, edit, edit!

17 Your child should start gathering letters of recommendation in the fall of his/her senior year Ask in advance Provide list of activities and accomplishments Worksheet at mygreatlakes.org/letterofrecommendation Transcripts must accompany applications. Students MUST request a transcript be sent from the Guidance Office If applying online there are often additional forms that need to be completed and mailed in, including a form for the guidance counselor.

18 Help your child check for college admission deadlines Early Decision / Early Action Binding! You are 100% sure this is your 1 st choice college. You make a commitment when you submit that you will attend this school if you are admitted. If you would like to compare financial aid packages this is not the best option for you. Some colleges only consider your GPA and test scores during this admission process. Rolling You can apply anytime but still have deadlines for scholarships, grants, and financial aid. Don t wait until the last minute!

19 Attend a Financial Aid Night (usually in December) Apply for scholarships There is a list of scholarships on the school website. The scholarships designated see guidance counselor are available in the guidance office as they are received. Submit the FAFSA after January of senior year Try to get your taxes done as early as possible the year submitting the FAFSA. FAFSA is based on current year taxes. Can register for your FSA ID earlier. This will be used as your signature.

20 Scholarships Merit based on special talent typically not need based Athletics offered by the college based on athletic performance Need based on student s/parents financial need many also consider academic records, extra-curriculars, special talents, and/or field of study Ethnicity Based on race, religion, or national origin Institutional awarded by individual colleges General academic achievement and promise, special talents or commitment to public service Easier to qualify but smaller in amount

21 In addition to the guidance office, scholarships can be found via: The internet Watch for Scams! Some search engines are listed on the scholarship list that is posted on the guidance page of the school website Local community organizations Churches and groups Employers

22 Grants Complete the FAFSA to apply for federal grants such as: Pell (financial need) SEOG (Pell eligible who demonstrate the most financial need) ACG (1 st and 2 nd year Pell eligible students who graduate from a rigorous high school curriculum) (2 nd year maintain 3.0 cum.) SMART (3 rd and 4 th year Pell eligible in physical, life, or computer science; math; technology; engineering. Maintain 3.0) TEACH ( intend to teach in school that serves low income families) Check nassgap.org for agencies in the state of Ohio which offer grants Check with the colleges in which your child is applying

23 studentaid.ed.gov Find out if your state provides grants Learn more about TEACH grant eligibility requirements *** Most grants are awarded to those with need who apply first (FAFSA)

24 Loans Consider loans carefully because they need to be paid back (usually with interest) Federal student loans: * Stafford most popular Subsidized financial need, government pays interest while in college at least half time Unsubsidized responsible for interest accrued while in college, can choose to pay while in or when repayment begins * Perkins (exceptional financial need, government pays the interest while student is in college) Federal loans for parents: PLUS parent s subject to credit check Private loans *Learn more about this at the Financial Aid Meeting

25 Determine how much aid is needed Review costs Tuition Room and board Books Transportation Set up a budget your child can live with Consider other ways to pay for college Work-Study, Part-time job, Paid internship, Savings

26 Federal Work Study does not need to be repaid. Provides funds that students earn through part-time employment to assist them in financing the cost of college. Typically on campus or at a private organization off campus.

27 Don t wait until the last minute! Stay positive! Relax! Ask if you have questions!