Planning for College In this session we will look at Goals of the Senior Success Initiative Staying on track with ENGRADE The various tests required for college admission Understanding the importance of preparing for college testing The college application process Scholarships Community Service / Career Research Time to tidy things up!
Goals NDHS Senior Success Initiative course to ensure that: 100% of seniors graduate 100% of seniors take the SAT and/or ACT 100% of seniors apply to a minimum of 5 colleges, 3 in-state of their choice 100% of seniors apply for a minimum of 10 scholarships (does not include Bright Futures)
Goals cont d NDHS Senior Success Initiative course to ensure that: 100% of students complete the FAFSA application for scholarship purposes 100% of seniors will write an autobiographical essay Utilize weekly lab time to apply to colleges and complete applications Use planner to track scholarship and college admissions deadlines
ENGRADE Parents can help students stay on track through the use of ENGRADE. Please see the handout for signon instruction.
ENGRADE
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements
The Tests SAT: The Scholastic Assessment Test Test of verbal and mathematical ability. Two testing vouchers are available at no cost to Juniors and Seniors who receive free or reduced lunch. ACT: American College Testing Assess abilities in areas like math and reading comprehension. Two testing vouchers are available at no cost to Juniors and Seniors who receive free or reduced lunch. Other tests PERT: Postsecondary Education Readiness Test. Taken by students who want to do Dual Enrollment with Valencia College. Can also be used as a Gold Seal test qualifier. ASVAB: Armed Service Vocational Battery. Used by recruiters to asses your qualifications and job aptitude.
How Can You Prepare? Practice, practice, practice! http://www.floridastudents.org/ http://www.test-guide.com/act-test Work on your vocabulary Establish a regular study period after school Get lots of rest and eat a good meal before taking any test Remember, you can take a test as many times as you have to -- if you don't do well the first time, take it again (Most colleges will accept highest scores Super Scoring) Most important -- believe in yourself!
Applying to College We will look at The importance of planning in the application process. Understanding the importance of timely applications Developing an awareness of the resources available to help with the application process
Planning and Organization Entrance requirements differ for every college Pay close attention to the application forms to make sure you provide everything they need Jot down each college s admission deadlines on a calendar or in a date book -- and consult it often
State University System Standard Admission Requirements Coursework 4 English 4 Math (Algebra 1 or higher) 3 Social Science 3 Natural Science (2 with lab experience) 2 same World Language 2 Electives Test Minimums Critical Reading SAT 460 or ACT 19 Mathematics ACT 19 or SAT 460 English with Writing Combined ACT Plus Writing 18 or SAT 440 Minimum HS GPA 2.5 Universities may establish higher admission standards than those listed above.
What Do University Freshmen in Florida Look Like in Fall 2015? University Middle Math SAT Average Middle Range SAT Reading Average Middle Range ACT Composite Middle Range GPA FAMU 470 470 19 3.0-3.48 FAU 490-590 490-580 21-26 3.52-4.25 FGCU 490-580 500-580 22-26 3.32-4.06 FIU 520-620 530-620 23-28 3.4-4.0 FLPOLY 670 640 N/A(27-31) 4.08 FSU 590-670 660-630 24-28 3.9-4.4 NCF 580-670 600-730 27-31 3.78-4.39 UCF 600 600 25-29 3.7-4.3 UF 600-700 580-690 27-32 4.2-4.5 UNF 560-640 570-640 21-23 3.9 USF 617 601 23-26 3.81-3.84 UWF 522 530 23 3.59
College Opportunities The Florida College System has an open-door admissions policy Standard high school diploma or GED No minimum grade point averages No college placement test scores required for admission. Florida s 28 colleges Open to everyone Offer associate and bachelor s degree programs Guarantees transfer to one of Florida s 12 state universities or a Florida college offering fouryear programs. www.floridacollegesystem.com
The Pieces of an Application The Application Form Transcripts
The Pieces of an Application SAT/ACT Test Scores Recommendations
The Pieces of an Application The Essay The Interview
Submitting and Getting a Reply Print and keep a copy of all applications While you wait, keep working hard at school Keep the college updated on any new events If you are accepted by your first-choice school GREAT! If you get accepted to more than one college be sure to follow up with the ones you aren t attending If you aren t accepted by any, find out why and fix it! Common Application - https://appsupport.commonapp.org
Deadlines College Application Deadline (Recommended) November 30, 2015 Bright Futures Application (FFAA) December 1, 2015 August 31, 2016 Financial Aid Application Opens (FAFSA) January 1, 2016 Graduation June 2, 2016
Florida Virtual CAMPUS www.floridashines.org
Bright Futures Scholarships GPA ACT / SAT Specific Course Requirements Free and Reduced Lunch Application FFAA - Apply December 1, 2015 FAFSA (2015 Income Tax Information) Volunteer Hours by May 1, 2016
Bright Futures Scholarships
Bright Futures Scholarships
Bright Futures Scholarships To access Florida Virtual CAMPUS Username/password: Student ID # preceded by 490 Example: 4900123456 OR Social Security number + X 123001234X
Bright Futures Scholarships Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/ua/sa wstua_uaform.asp Academic Scholarship SAT -1290 / ACT 29 100 Community Service Hrs Merit Scholarship SAT -1170 / ACT 26 75 Community Service Hrs Gold Seal Scholarship SAT R-440/M-440 ACT E-17/R-19/M-19 PERT R-106/W-103/M-114 30 Community Service Hrs
Scholarships
Scholarships
Five Types of Scholarships Need-based Scholarships: Based on the financial need of the student s family. Require applicants fill out a FAFSA to qualify May include expected family contribution and cost of attendance in their calculation of total need. Merit-based Scholarships Based on demonstration of academic, artistic, or other ability and may include community service involvement and other extracurricular activities. Most commonly give these types of awards for exceptional standardized test scores and academic achievement.
Types of Scholarships Student-specific Scholarships: Must initially qualify based on gender, race, religion, family and medical history, or endless other potential factors. Check out the Unusual Suspects section of ScholarUp at http://www.scholarup.net, for some wild examples of these types of programs. Career-specific Scholarships: Awards given to students pursuing a specific field of study. Nursing students are in high demand, and many schools will give future nurses full scholarships to enter the field, especially if the student intends to work in a high-need community.
Types of Scholarships Local scholarships: Typically available in every community. Check the NDHS Scholarship web page Conduct online research for local organizations and clubs. Generally, local awards are less competitive since only applicants that live in the community are eligible.
Doing Community Service Community service is technically not a requirement for acceptance into college. But, most colleges agree on the importance of volunteering and community service. Do community service in areas of interest!
Community Service Approximately 66% of scholarships require some type of community service activities Bright Futures requires 100 hours of community service for the Academic Scholars Award. The amount of community service hours that is considered by most colleges to be average is 300 hours.
Doing Community Service Where can students find Community Service opportunities? NDHS Interact Club www.volunteerorlando.org Humane Society http://www.humanesociety.org The Orlando Sentinel/Osceola News Gazette Contact local religious affiliates, non-profit organizations, local, and state government agencies. Contact places such as Give Kids The World, Ronald McDonald House, the ASPCA, etc.
Sex, Drugs, & Typos The bad news is that your social-media presence can cause a reviewing committee to scratch you off their list of candidates. More than half 55% of the recruiters surveyed said they reconsidered a candidate based on their social profile, up from 42% who said that a year ago. References to illegal drugs and posts that are sexual topped the list, but profanity and spelling mistakes also posed a big problem. Market Watch - Oct 24, 2014
Questions? Start your college search process up close and personal. Visit with representatives from colleges and universities located across the country. Gather local and federal information regarding grants & scholarships.
Next Parent Night... PARENT NIGHT #2 Students Taking AP DECEMBER 15, 2015 5:30 6:00 pm Winter Concert 6:00-7:30PM PARENT NIGHT #3 Financial Aid Gerri McCormick January 5, 2016 6:00 7:30 pm