Welcome to T.C. Williams High School
Tonight s program 1 2 3 4 2
At the end of the evening We ll collect evaluations for tonight s event Even better, we ll hold a scholarship drawing! We ll select three $500 scholarship winners (you must be present to win) Raffle off some great prizes! Take a copy of Opportunities home with you 3
How college can change your life
How college can change your life Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela Source: Durando, Jessica. 15 of Nelson Mandela s best quotes. USA Today. December 6, 2013. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2013/12/05/nelson-mandela-quotes/3775255/ 5
Michael Diggins T.C. Williams Graduate Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Award Recipient 2001 Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Portrait of Success Dean of Students at Hammond Middle School
Why is college important? Unemployment rates are directly tied to your level of education Studies consistently show that attending college adds to your lifelong earnings Difference between a high school graduate and a college graduate between $800,000 and $1 million
Importance of a college degree 8
College is important People who have attended some college: Report higher levels of job satisfaction Typically live healthier lifestyles Enjoy benefits such as insurance, paid vacation, a retirement plan, etc. Are more involved in their communities through higher levels of volunteering and voting It s true college is important! 9
Jessica Salvador Born and raised in El Salvador Moved to the United States in 2006 Completed her Associates Degree at NOVA in 2011 Transferred to George Mason University and graduated in 2014 Heritage Spanish teacher at George Washington Middle School
Choosing the right college
How do you choose? There are more than 6,000 colleges to choose from in the United States With this many choices, where and how do you start to look for the college that is right for you? Before you start searching, think about your goals
What are your goals? Some students already know they want to: Learn a trade or enter a specific profession Obtain a degree, maybe in a specific field Not sure about your goals? Take a career assessment in Naviance Stop by the Scholarship Fund Office or the College and Career Center to talk about the education you need to achieve your goals 13
Choosing a college Narrow down your list of potential colleges by identifying the characteristics important to you Factors to consider Program or major you are considering College size & class size Location or distance from home Support programs & extracurricular activities Campus culture & religious or cultural affiliations Net price 14
Choosing a college Cost matters! Talk to your parents about how much college costs and if they can help you pay for it. Sticker Price=What a college costs before financial aid Net Price=How much college will cost for you Use the Net Price Calculator at: collegecost.ed.gov/netpricecenter.aspx
Opportunities page 5 16
Researching college choices Visit the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria and the College and Career Center Parents and school counselors can help too Use Naviance to get a sense for whether the college is an academic match for you
University of Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
Howard University
Old Dominion University
Researching college choices There are many college search websites https://niche.com www.collegeboard.org www.princetonreview.com www.nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator New College Scorecard site for researching colleges https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ 22
What do colleges look for in an applicant?
Challenging courses The #1 most important factor in your college application is that you push yourself to take the most challenging courses available to you AP, Dual Enrollment, and Honors courses 4 years of Science, English, Math, and Social Studies 3 years of 1 consecutive language or 2 years each of 2 different languages Make sure to keep this in mind as you plan your courses for next year!
Grades #2 most important factor is the grades you receive in those courses 4-year colleges want to see all As and Bs on your transcript Did you know? Colleges would rather see a B in a AP or DE class than an A in a standard level class Get help if you are having a hard time! Colleges want to see strong effort and an upward trend
Understand your GPA GPA=Grade Point Average Each course is assigned a number of points based on your letter grade then the points you have in all your courses 9 th -11 th grades are averaged Middle school foreign languages, Algebra, and Geometry grades count on your high school transcript Colleges will see the letter grades you re receiving in your senior year courses, but the GPA they judge you on will just be from 9 th -11 th grade
Understand your GPA
College entrance exams #3 most important factor is SAT or ACT score It s best to take both in the spring of your junior year Then figure out which test is right for you, study a lot, and retake the test in the fall of your senior year All 4 year colleges will take either test Free and Reduced Lunch students can take both tests for free twice! The TC College and Career Center offers free prep books and reduced-cost courses
College entrance exams SAT: Critical reasoning, math, and writing ACT: English, math, reading, science and writing PSAT or PLAN: Practice tests for the SAT/ACT Disability accommodations and fee waivers available 29
Extracurriculars #4 most important factor is involvement Schools like to see well-rounded and involved students Join clubs, play sports, volunteer, work, etc. It is best to commit to 1 or 2 activities and stick with them all four years of high school Try to take on a leadership position within one of your activities Such as Vice President, Team Captain
Letters of recommendation Colleges require letters of recommendation from your teachers and counselor Get to know your counselor and your teachers Stand out, so they can write a stand out letter! Get good grades in your classes, and show your work ethic, kindness, and leadership ability
Essays Very personal essays allow colleges to get to know you Think about: What are you passionate about? What experiences have shaped who you are? What are your career goals? Current essay question: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
Résumé You can use it to apply for jobs, scholarships, and colleges It will be easier to add to your résumé over the next few years than to start from scratch during the fall of Senior year See Ms. Feldman or Ms. Karp in the Scholarship Fund to get a résumé template
Your college applications Each college has its own requirements and deadlines for completing the application process Check each college s website for: Application and financial aid deadlines Essay questions Application form Application fees Standardized test requirements 34
Paying for college
Your college costs Cost of Attendance (COA) includes: Tuition and fees Housing Food Books Computer Transportation to and from the college Personal expenses
What is financial aid? Financial resources intended to help pay for college expenses Scholarships/Grants = Free money Work-Study = Must work to earn funds Loans = Must pay back Where can you get financial aid? Your College (Institutional Aid) Federal & State Governments (FAFSA) Scholarships Grants Work Study Loans Private Scholarships (e.g. Scholarship Fund of Alexandria)
What is financial aid? Financial resources intended to help pay for college expenses Scholarships/Grants = Free money Work-Study = Must work to earn funds Loans = Must pay back Where can you get financial aid? Your College (Institutional Aid) Federal & State Governments (FAFSA) Scholarships Grants Work Study Loans Private Scholarships (e.g. Scholarship Fund of Alexandria)
Net Price Calculator Find out how much each school will cost before you apply! Go to: collegecost.ed.gov/netpricecenter.aspx 39
Sticker Price vs. Net Price Example: Family of 3 with $30,000 annual income College Sticker Price Net Price University of Richmond $61,370 $2,195 University of Virginia $28,856 $4,050 Old Dominion University $23,635 $12,105 University of Maryland $42,919 $33,324 Good grades = Money! 40
Sticker Price vs. Net Price Sticker Price = Total Cost of Attendance for a school, not including any grants or scholarships Net Price = Personalized Cost of Attendance for a school, taking financial aid into account 41
What if it s not enough? Research private scholarships Check into college tuition payment plans Think about starting with community college it saves $15,000 per year on average The #1 reason why people go to community colleges (such as NOVA) is because it makes financial sense! Borrow Federal Student Loans Private student loans are NEVER a good idea!
Sources of college funds 2015 How the Typical Family Pays for College Average percent of total cost paid from each source Slide title 30% Scholarships & grants 5% Relatives & friends 16% Student borrowing 6% Parent borrowing 32% Parent income & savings 11% Student income & savings Source: How America Pays for College. Sallie Mae. 2015. https://www.salliemae.com/plan-for-college/how-america-pays-for-college/ 43
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
No excuses for not filing FAFSA FAFSA looks purely at your family s financial information, not your grades! Pell Grant = Almost $6,000 of free money per year FAFSA takes less than 30 minutes to complete! FAFSA is FREE to fill out! The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria is here to help with free FAFSA Completion Workshops! Don t leave money on the table just fill out the form to see what you ll qualify for!
Tips for FAFSA success Fill it out during senior year of high school, and every year of college Meet all financial aid deadlines Can vary from college to college Meeting priority deadline results in best financial aid package 46
What happens after you submit FAFSA? Your FAFSA information goes to each college on your list The college will then send you an official financial aid award offer if you are accepted Then you can compare your financial aid offers and choose a school See the Scholarship Fund staff for help in interpreting your financial aid award offers!
Who is eligible for federal aid? U.S. Citizen Permanent resident (Green Card holders) Refugee Asylee
Who is NOT eligible for federal aid? Undocumented or DACA student Student Visa Exchange Visitor Visa Diplomat Visa G Series Visa (pertaining to International Organizations)
If you are not eligible for federal aid You can still go to college! There are specific colleges that will meet all of your financial need make sure you apply to the right ones There are also private scholarships that are available just for you See the Scholarship Fund as soon as possible for a list of colleges that would be a good fit for you All conversations about your status will be completely confidential
Scholarship searches
Scholarships A form of gift aid money given to students that doesn t have to be repaid There are lots of different types of scholarships and can be based on: Achievements Grades Sports Nationality Diligence and perseverance are great tools when applying for scholarships 52
Scholarships It s important to keep in mind that scholarship awards rarely cover the entire cost of college What is most important is applying to a college that will be affordable for you! Be sure to use that Net Price Calculator!
Scholarships According to a recent Sallie Mae survey: An estimated 46% of college students receive scholarship funds At T.C. Williams, 50% of our Scholarship Fund of Alexandria applicants receive a scholarship Source: How America Pays for College 2015 http://news.salliemae.com/files/doc_library/file/howamericapaysforcollege2015fnl.pdf
Scholarship Fund of Alexandria The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria is a nonprofit organization housed in Room A-121 of T.C. Williams Raises money and gives need-based scholarships just to T.C. graduates Last year average award was $2,700 renewable for all four years of college! Gave over $940,000 to T.C. graduates in 2015 Every senior should apply!
Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Helps students to find free money for college through many other local and national scholarships Offers college and financial aid advising to all ACPS students and families Middle & High School: Classroom presentations, individual meetings with students and families, large group events George Washington: Aspire Higher after school club Hammond: Thursday morning advisory lessons Stop by Room A-121 on the King Street Campus, or visit www.alexscholarshipfund.org to learn more!
College Advising Team: Margaret Feldman and Samantha Karp Available from 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday to meet with students and families We would be happy to help you with: Taking the right steps in middle school to be college-ready Finding a college or career that fits you Brainstorming and editing college essays Developing a resume Filling out financial aid applications Preparing for the SAT/ACT
Searching for scholarships Sign up for Ms. Feldman s monthly scholarship email Sign up here: Ow.ly/LL1yJ Follow Ms. Feldman on Twitter: @TC2College Selected legitimate sites Scholarship List on Blackboard: Under College Knowledge tab College Board: www.collegeboard.com U.S. Department of Labor: www.careerinfonet.org/scholarshipsearch 58
Successful scholarship candidates Apply for many different scholarships Start applications early, allowing plenty of time to complete application requirements Turn in error-free applications Follow all application directions Watch out for the fine print Keep copies of completed applications Be thankful and gracious 59
Helpful tips Check the deadlines Postmark or received by that date May need to provide: Proof you have filed the FAFSA Essay/personal statement Letters of recommendation Examples of work in specific study area/portfolio SAT/ACT scores Transcripts Interview in-person or phone 60
Watch for scams Scam mailings often sound and look official If it sounds too good to be true, it is! Some hooks: You re guaranteed to win or your money back You can t get this information anywhere else Give us your credit card number to get started The scholarship will cost some money You are a finalist (for a scholarship you didn t apply for) We ll do all the work for you 61
We re almost there! Questions? Collect evaluations for tonight s event Select our three $500 scholarship winners 62
Thank you!