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Welcome parents

Cornerstone Charter Academy-High School Planning Meeting Tuesday, Sept.26th, 2017 6:00PM HOW TO PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE IN HIGH SCHOOL & BEYOND. Welcome parents. I am Leigh Bell, school counselor for the high school

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Welcome parents

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  1. Cornerstone Charter Academy-High School Planning MeetingTuesday, Sept.26th, 2017 6:00PMHOW TO PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE IN HIGH SCHOOL & BEYOND

  2. Welcome parents • I am Leigh Bell, school counselor for the high school • I help all students navigate high school curriculum, enrichment opportunities, volunteer opportunities, college admissions, financial aid, and scholarships • I have been the school counselor for 17 years now and been in education for 21 years total. I started back in 1996 by teaching high school Biology for 4 years.

  3. TONIGHT’S TOPICS • Extracurricular Activities & Community Service through high school • Academic course selection & grades and how that impacts college admissions • Leadership & Volunteer service initiative at CCA • ACT/SAT tests and preparation • College Visits • Financial Aid • General Q&A

  4. Extracurricular Activities & Community Service • Both play a big role in competitive college admissions & competitive scholarship success • Students can keep track of their volunteer work & extracurricular activities beginning in 9th grade on their own student data sheet. See Jane Doe sample data sheet in your folder. Always give your data sheet to a recommender and include with scholarship applications • Be specific about “what” you did within your community service, hours devoted, leadership positions held • Colleges and scholarship programs want to see long-term service to fewer activities rather than the chronic “joiner” who is in too many activities/clubs and has very little tangible leadership or service hours within each activity

  5. How to COMPETE FOR THOSE BIGscholarships • A student who can demonstrate initiation of a community service project or event shows a level of commitment, leadership, maturity, and achievement much higher than merely participating in a project initiated by someone else. • Try to start earlier than the senior year if possible to garner BIG scholarship considerationsince the senior year is so hectic. • Example: A graduate in my former county initiated, planned, and carried out a 5K race in their town to benefit a children’s summer camp that she had worked at as a camp counselor. She worked with town officials to conduct planning, got t-shirts donated, etc.

  6. Scholarship listings- SHOW ME THE $$$$ • I have included a listing of national, state, and local scholarships in your packet tonight. • Scholarships are also included on the CCA website under the “Student Life” tab. • I have researched these from various sources, but if you know of additional scholarships, please let me know and I can add them to the scholarship list.

  7. Enrichment programs for CCA students • Information about many different enrichment programs available during the school year and during the summer are included in your packet tonight. Great ways for your child to stretch themselves! • Examples: North Carolina Governor’s School, Duke & UNC-CH Splash, Martha Guy Institute, C-CATS at Clemson, NCSU Summer Engineering Camps, Youth Leadership Greensboro, and MUCH MORE!

  8. Course Selection & Grades • Have students select a curriculum that is right for their ability and work ethic • Students NEED a challenging curriculum if they are college bound • Students need to shoot for A’s and B’s in the majority of their classes whether those courses are AP, Honors, or Standard courses to be competitive for admissions. • If a student is in standard level classes, try integrating one or two Honors courses first; then if there’s success there, try an AP class or two. • Admission to the most competitive colleges requires a few to several AP courses (3-7); also depends on how many AP courses are offered through the high school’s curriculum.

  9. The ACT Aspire test- 9th graders Will be given to all 9th graders in around the dates of April 17 & 18, 2018 Free practice test that mimics the ACT test Students will receive back score reports in fall of their 10th grade year and will receive feedback on how they would be predicted to score on the ACT test Students will be tested in the areas of English, Reading, Writing, Math and Science.

  10. The PreACT test-10th graders 1) 10th graders will take the PreACT test for free on Tuesday, Nov. 7th, 2017. 2) Will mirror the ACT Aspire test and test in the following areas: English, Reading, Math, and Science. 3) Will also give a prediction of their ACT composite score 4) Both the ACT Aspire and the PreACT tests can help qualify students for academic educational programs such as NC Governor’s School

  11. ACT test- 2 or 4 year colleges for 11th graders • Curriculum based test- English, Reading, Writing, Math and Science sections • Score range is 1-36 for each section • All 11th graders will take the ACT test for free on Tuesday, Feb. 27th, 2018. These scores can be used towards college admissions. • Students who want to take the ACT again later will need to pay to take the test on a Saturday at a local test center. Register online at: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act.html • Fee waivers applicable for free or reduced lunch status on Saturday test dates.

  12. PSAT TEST-a preliminary version of the SAT • Good practice for students in prep for a future SAT test should they want to take it for college admissions • Taking the PSAT as an 11th grader can qualify students with a high enough score for the National Merit Scholarship competition • An optional test administration for the PSAT will be offered at CCA on Wed., Oct. 25th. • Learn more about the PSAT at: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10

  13. SAT test- 2 or 4 year colleges • Aptitude based test- Evidence Based Critical Reading/Writing & Math sections • Score range 200-800 for each section; Total Score ranges from 400 to 1600. • Cost is $46 without essay or $60 with essay per test administration • Fee waivers applicable for free or reduced lunch students • Students might consider taking the SAT at the of junior year- May or June • If a student wants to compete for Early Action admissions deadlines in fall of their senior year AND/OR apply for competitive scholarships that have early deadlines, I would highly suggest they take the SAT in May or June of their junior year!

  14. CCA Testing dates for 2017/2018 • 9th graders: ACT Aspire (April 17 & 18, 2018) • 10th graders: PreACT test (Tuesday, November 7th) for FREE • 10th & 11th graders (optional): PSAT on Wed., October 25th • 11th graders: ACT test (Tuesday, Feb. 27th) for FREE- high stakes test that counts towards college admissions. • SAT or ACT tests taken on a Saturday morning must be registered & paid for by the student. Advised to have finished through Math III. CCA is not a SAT or ACT test site.

  15. Where do your ACT Aspire, PreACT and/or PSAT scores fall? • It all depends on which colleges you are interested in applying to! • (Avg. score ranges based on current 2016 admitted freshman) • Duke University- 1440-1580 ( SAT)/ 31-34 (ACT) • Wake Forest is test optional (applicants must have personal interview) • UNC-Chapel Hill- 1280-1460/ 27-32 • NC State- 1220-1400/ 27-31 • UNC Wilmington- 1180-1330/ 23-27 • ASU-1130-1300/ 23-28 • UNCC- 1130-1280/ 22-27 • ECU- 1030-1180/ 20-24 • High Point- NOW TEST OPTIONAL! • NC A&T State- 1023 total average/ 17-21 • Winston-Salem State- 880-1010/ 17-19

  16. Great website to find out info. on colleges • Big Future by CollegeBoard: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ • Look up college stats: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges • Check out information on: Cost, SAT/ACT score requirements, AP scores, application requirements), Campus Life, and much more! • Example: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-university-search/appalachian-state-university

  17. Minimum admissions standards to UNC system institutions Appalachian StateEast Carolina • Elizabeth City State Fayetteville State • North Carolina A&T State North Carolina Central • NC School of the Arts North Carolina State • UNC-Asheville UNC-Chapel Hill • UNC-Charlotte UNC-Greensboro • UNC-Pembroke UNC-Wilmington • Western Carolina Winston-Salem State THEN…. YOU MUST MEET THESE MINIMUM ADMISSIONS STANDARDS: 1) 2.5 WEIGHTED CUMULATIVE GPA AND… 2A) 880 SAT SCORE OR 2B) 17 ACT COMPOSITE SCORE

  18. Fixed Tuition Program at UNC system colleges & Universities- NEW! • Effective immediately, the University of North Carolina is implementing the Fixed Tuition Program. Thanks to bold legislation passed by the 2016 General Assembly, in-state undergraduates at our public universities will have the opportunity to complete a degree quickly and affordably. • Beginning with the fall 2016 semester, tuition rates at all UNC institutions will be fixed for eight consecutive semesters for all resident bachelor’s degree-seeking freshmen. • Read more here: https://www.northcarolina.edu/prospective-students/fixed-tuition-program

  19. NC PROMISE TUITION PLAN- also NEW! • The NC Promise Tuition Plan will reduce in-state tuition cost to $500 per semester beginning in Fall 2018. This applies to all students, including those who began their college career before Fall 2018. Student fees along with room and board cost will not be impacted. • The 3 UNC system colleges that this program is applicable for at this time are: Western Carolina University, UNC-Pembroke, and Elizabeth City State University. • Go here for more information: https://ncpromise.com/

  20. Going to College • Highly recommend students creating an account and regularly using www.cfnc.org • Their motto is “Plan, Apply, and Pay for College” • Plan: materials on their website allow students to align their high school curriculum to their college & career goals • Apply: students can apply online to most any 2-year/4-year NC college using CFNC & send their HS transcript • Pay: students can search for NC based scholarships only available through CFNC; parents can set up 529 savings accounts for their children through CFNC and also get parent/student loans through CFNC.

  21. Planning for College Applications • Final Grades earned in June from 9th grade are reflected in a student’s cumulative GPA when they apply to college • If you plan to apply to one of these colleges, taking AP classes is highly encouraged: • Davidson, Duke, NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Forest • Other colleges that it would be helpful to take AP to improve your file: ASU, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Wilmington (these are getting more competitive) • Talk to individual colleges to see what kind of high shool curriculum they expect to see • Take a curriculum for which you can earn A’s & B’s within

  22. Thinking about colleges…. • Research which colleges meet your needs! • Take into consideration: Majors offered, cost, location, size of college, student demographics, extracurricular opportunities, financial assistance available, student’s maturity level, etc. • Visit colleges in the 10th & 11th grade years and/or attending college fairs to see if you “click” with that college. Many people change their mind after a college visit. • Students can also start out at the community college first and then transfer to a four-year college

  23. College Visits • Students and their parents can easily set up a college campus tour using each college’s individual website. • If visiting during a CCA school day: Bring back documentation from that college to the 1st floor front office documenting your college visit in order to have your visit entered as an Excused absence • Can’t afford to miss school?: Go on a visit during Fall Break, teacher workdays, other CCA scheduled breaks, or on Early Release Days to reduce amt. of time missed • Information about Open House dates in your folder

  24. GCS College Night- Tuesday, Oct. 3rd from 5-8pm • Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center • 2 year colleges • 4 year colleges • Community & Technical Colleges • Military Branches • Over 100 post-secondary educational institutions as well as financial aid sessions offered during the event • Least crowded time is the last hour of College Night

  25. Paying for College • If there are no college savings in place, then here are other options: • Financial Aid-FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Based on family’s finances. Application available beginning in Octoberof student’s senior year. Must re-apply each year in college. Completing the FAFSA is necessary for consideration for ALL grants & federally managed loans. • Scholarships- Merit based, leadership, diversity, and/or athletically based. Students must show talent for academics or athletics. Typically, academically based scholarships require grades at minimum GPA of 3.0 or better and essays/interviews are likely required in application process. Another good website to look for scholarships is through www.fastweb.com • Work Study-Students can be placed on campus to work for limited hours and earn money either to help pay for college costs or earn spending money. Apply for work study through FAFSA form • BEWARE of scams- if the company is asking for money, it’s a scam! • SAVINGS- If each family of a 9th grader starts saving $100 a month beginning in the month of January 2018, they will have saved $4,300 by July 2021, prior to entry in college. That’s a sizable scholarship!

  26. Financial Aid meeting in the spring • CFNC’s financial aid expert for the 336 area code region will be on hand in the spring here at CCA for another evening meeting (TBA) to go over financial aid basics with any interested HS parents. • You can apply for financial aid beginning Oct. 1st of the senior year, so this meeting will help prepare parents for how that works.

  27. Say Yes Guilford: CCA students • From Donnie Turlington, Interim Executive Director at Say Yes: “The Say Yes Guilford operating committee has approved a pathway that charter schools can take to apply for entry into the Say Yes Guilford program. Ultimately, each respective charter school will have to make its own choice to follow that pathway. The first step will be for each charter school to signify its interest/intention in proceeding for inclusion as a Say Yes school. At this point, we have not requested notification from the charter schools yet, but that is a process that is coming in the near future. For now, current charter school seniors are not able to participate in the Say Yes Guilford program.”

  28. Current Say Yes financial guidelines

  29. Expenses of college- Check these out… • The most expensive NC college, Duke University, costs $70,092 a year to attend and live on campus. • NC State University costs $23,039 a year to live on campus. • UNC-Chapel Hill costs $25,876 a year to live on campus. • Appalachian State costs $13,438 a year to live on campus. • UNC-Greensboro costs $15,773 a year to live on campus. • The NC Community College system charges $76 per credit hour up to 16 credit hours with a max of $1,216 in total tuition. A typical course is worth 3 credit hours which would then cost $228 in tuition. If you take an average course load of 15 hours (5 classes), your total tuition cost for that semester is $1,140.

  30. How Career & College Promise (CCP) can help college costs • Current juniors (rising seniors) can take Career Technical related college courses OR College Transfer courses through their local NC community college that will transfer to all UNC system colleges. These courses are offered all year & in summer school. • Tuition is free but students are responsible for purchasing books and any other extra fees. • Stay tuned 11th graders for details on registration for Summer School 2018 for CCP!

  31. Leading through Volunteerism Initiative • As soon as a student is promoted to 9th grade in June, they can begin logging volunteer hours (unpaid service) that will count towards a Community Service Certificate AND/OR Community Service Cord for graduation • Certificate- 100+ hours • Cord- 250+ hours • Hours need to be documented using the Documentation log (in your folder). More copies available at Mrs. Bell’s website

  32. Leading through Volunteerism Initiative continued • The Foundations of Leadership class taught by Ms. Lowman requires 25 community service hours to be completed DURING the school year only. • Those hours earned during Leadership class CAN count towards the Certificate AND/OR Cord for graduation, but hours earned prior to the Leadership course (ex.: summer after promotion to 9th grade) do not count towards the Leadership class.

  33. Q&A???? • Time for questions • Look over your folders and all the inserts • Please complete your survey tonight so that I can know how to best serve HS families. Drop them in the box(es) as you leave. • Additional questions you still have? Email Mrs. Bell at lbell@cornerstonek12.org • School questions for Mr. Pugh? Email him at mpugh@cornerstonek12.org

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