1 / 35

Senior Parent Information Session

Senior Parent Information Session. September 18, 2013. So far this year: . Through group advisement, we have given each senior a folder with information about the college application process –if you haven’t seen it yet, please look at it! Especially the FAQ pages!

ailsa
Download Presentation

Senior Parent Information Session

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Senior Parent Information Session September 18, 2013

  2. So far this year: • Through group advisement, we have given each senior a folder with information about the college application process –if you haven’t seen it yet, please look at it! Especially the FAQ pages! • They also gave us an email address that we will use at least once a month with important information. • Through individual advisement, we have started meeting students in their senior conferences, to discuss their after high school plans

  3. Agenda • What does your child need to know to apply to colleges? • What college is right? • Applications • Transcripts • Letters of recommendation • Essays • SAT/ACT Scores • Senior Athletes • What do you need to know about paying for college? • Financial aid • Scholarships

  4. What college is right for your child? • Hopefully, they have visited some college campuses • Do they want close to home or far away? • Do they want small town or big city? • Do they want public or private? • Do they know what major they are planning on? • Have they considered going in as “undecided”? Have they talked to the college about what this means? • Hopefully, they have researched the GPA and SAT/ACT requirements • The “best fit” is a realistic one • We always encourage a “safety school” • www.cfnc.orghas a “matching assistant”

  5. Community College • Community college is a great option for students who want a 2-year degree or want to save money by going there for 1-2 years (complete their basic courses) and then transferring to a 4-year university • Requirement: High School Diploma • $69-72 per credit hour • If they are interested in transferring to a four year University, be sure to talk to the community college about the “transfer program” • RCCC, CPCC, Stanly CC- Medical Assistant, Dental Hygiene, Culinary, Automotive, Heating and Refrigeration, Welding, etc.

  6. What college is right for your child? • The minimum GPA required for a public NC college/university is a 2.5 • After researching and visiting colleges, your child hopefully has an idea of what colleges are realistic for them

  7. Appalachian State University • Clemson University Students can get scholarships ranging from $500 to in-state tuition rates at Clemson. Usually, recipients of academic recruiting scholarships have an SAT score of at least 1370 in R/M (ACT 31) and rank in the top 10 percent of their senior class.

  8. Davidson College Duke University East Carolina University

  9. North Carolina State University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Charlotte

  10. How many college applications? • We recommend applying to 3-5 colleges, if the student can afford the college application fees • If your child is on free/reduced lunch and got a fee waiver for the SAT, they can have 2 college application fee waivers • Just ask your counselor for those

  11. Transcripts • With the conversion to Power School that the state of North Carolina has gone through this year, transcripts are not yet finalized. If you need a transcript right now, you will receive a NCWise transcript that will not reflect everything: • We have not yet re-ranked (so rank could change) • Classes taken over the summer will not show up • Schedule changes made over the summer will not show up We will announce when Power School transcripts are ready

  12. Transcripts • Transcript Request Form (online, in their folder, or in the guidance office) • One filled out per college • If student is under 18, you have to sign; if they are 18 or over, they need to sign the request form • Give Ms. Galloway 48 hours to process • Student will receive a note that says “Your transcripts are ready to be picked up” – you put postage on the envelope and mail it • County Policy: First 3 are FREE and after that $5 each

  13. Electronic Transcripts • Students can send transcripts electronically if they prefer through www.cfnc.org for FREE • If asking for one right now, you will get a NCWise transcript and an updated schedule • Be sure your child checks their “transcript manager” on CFNC to see if the transcript has been received • Common App and SendEdu are also ways some colleges may ask for transcripts to be sent electronically (they count as one of the 3 for free) • We are not able to process these just yet (should be able to in a couple of weeks)

  14. College Applications • Students can apply to colleges online through a variety of ways: • Preferred method by some colleges: the college’s own website (wolfpaw for NCSU, etc.) • www.cfnc.org for any and all colleges in North Carolina – fill out application once and then it self populates for additional colleges • The Common Application-which is the only way to apply this year for Chapel Hill (www.commonapp.org)

  15. Login Screen http://www.commonapp.org

  16. Common Application • It asks the student to send the transcript electronically through common app and we can do this once the PowerSchool transcripts are ready • If transcripts are not available within the next few weeks, we will resort to sending them by mail! • We are hearing that DPI should have them ready by October 1st.

  17. Letters of recommendation • Some colleges require them, some are optional and some do not look at them • Give the teacher or counselor 2 weeks to write a good letter • Fill out the letter of recommendation request form and make copies of it (PDF on student services website or in their folder) • If using cfnc.org or common app, be sure to look at “supplemental forms” for each college • It will be given back in a sealed envelope (student waives their right to see it) • You put postage on it and mail it

  18. Writing a good essay • Some schools have them and some don’t • Most importantly, be sure your student gets someone to PROOFREAD the essays • Writing a good essay includes: • Don’t write a “generic” answer – it should reflect the student! • Tailor the essay to the school’s mission – you need to show that you will fit in at that college • Spell correctly! Don’t count on spell check alone

  19. SAT/ACT Scores • All juniors took the ACT last year at least once • Hopefully, students also took the SAT—they would have signed up through www.collegeboard.org • Our transcripts do not have ACT/SAT scores listed • Students must go to collegeboard.org and/or actstudent.org and tell them what colleges should receive scores -- when registering for the test (4 free – after the test, a fee of approximately $11 per college) • Colleges look at the best score in each category (even if students took it multiple times)

  20. SAT vs. ACT (which one to use?)

  21. Senior Athletes • If your senior wants to play a sport at college, they need to be registered with the NCAA clearinghouse • There are GPA and SAT/ACT requirements for Division I and II schools – know your requirements • NCAA looks at only “core classes” including English, Math, Science, Social Studies and World Languages • This website also contains an informational video about the requirements for Division I and II schools

  22. Summary of “to do list” for seniors • Complete online college applications • Including writing/proofreading essays (if applicable) • Ask teachers/counselor for letters of recommendation • Sometimes schools/scholarships will want a “community recommender” – consider the student’s boss, church youth group leader, etc. • Send ACT or SAT scores to all colleges that you are applying to • Send in transcripts either now or when PowerSchool transcripts are ready • Be registered with NCAA (if trying to play a sport in college)

  23. How are you going to pay for college?

  24. Financial Aid • Financial Aid comes from the Federal Government in the following forms: • Grants: Funds that usually do not have to be repaid. An example would be the Pell Grant • Student Loans: Funds that do have to be repaid. Some of these are subsidized by the Government (they pay the interest while the student is in college) • Work Study: these are government funded jobs on college campus

  25. Financial Aid • Direct Costs: • Tuition • Books • Room/Board • Meals • Required Fees • Indirect Costs: • Transportation to and from home • Personal Computer • Loan Fees

  26. FAFSA • FAFSA –Free Application for Federal Student Aid –www.fafsa.ed.gov • (notice it is not FAFSA.com!) • You can’t fill out the FAFSA until January of your senior year, but you can begin researching the process • www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov – predicts what funds you could be eligible for based on last year’s income • Go ahead and get a PIN number • Issued to an individual and is a “signature” for Federal Student Aid purposes • Faster than using paper signature • PIN is valid for years • Parent’s PIN may be used for multiple children • Each student must have own PIN • Obtain PIN from www.pin.ed.gov Results available online in 48 hours and to the institutions you list on the FAFSA

  27. What is an EFC? • EFC---Expected Family Contribution • EFC is the end result after submitting a FAFSA • It is the determination of the amount per year a student’s family can pay toward their child’s college education • The higher the EFC, the lower the chance a student will have to receive “free” money from the government • Calculating Your Financial Need Cost of Attendance (COA) – Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need

  28. Dependency • Students are independent if: • 24 years old or older • Orphan, foster child/ward of the State • Have children for whom they provide more than 50% support • Have a legal guardian • Married • Veteran or on active duty • Graduate students • Legally emancipated • Homeless or at risk of homelessness Students not meeting one of the above must include parental information for full aid consideration.

  29. Special Circumstances • Significant change in your family… • Unemployment of a parent • Death in the family • Change in parents’ marital status • Medical expenses not covered by insurance • Student cannot obtain parent information Notify the financial aid office at your college of any special circumstances. Be prepared to provide documentation of any change, including the financial impact of the change.

  30. Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans • Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need and they do not accrue interest while the student is in school. • Unsubsidized Loans are available, even without a financial need, and they DO accrue interest while the student is in school.

  31. CSS Profile • Check to see if the school you will be attending requires an additional application. Hundreds of schools require students to complete the CSS PROFILE, an online application that is more extensive than the FAFSA. Your school will let you know if the form is required when you apply for aid. • Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and Davidson are just some colleges that require the PROFILE • Financial Aid Video from CFNC

  32. Additional Information for need based financial aid • College Foundation of North Carolina • www.cfnc.org • Federal Department of Education • http://studentaid.gov/ • Student Financial Aid for North Carolinians • www.cfnc.org/fabook • The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid • www.finaid.org

  33. Scholarships • Merit Based: given primarily based on grades, SAT scores, rank, GPA, etc. • Need Based: scholarships that consider a family’s financial need for money to pay for college • Criteria Based: given based on criteria such as a desire to study Nursing or Accounting (a specific major). They usually have a merit component • We send to the students, via email, a listing of scholarships for that month and the next at the beginning of each month (Senior Notes)

  34. Scholarship Scams • “The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.” No one can guarantee your scholarship before it is awarded. • “Come to our free seminar and we’ll show you how to get more financial aid.” This is a sales pitch. Don’t pay for information that you can get elsewhere for free. • “The scholarship requires a small fee.” Never pay a fee to get a scholarship. • “You are a finalist” for an award you never applied for. If you did not apply, it is not a legitimate offer. • “You can’t get this information anywhere else.” Everyone has access to the same information.

  35. Upcoming Events • September 24, 2013 6 to 8 pm • Cabarrus County Schools is hosting an annual College Fair at the Boys and Girls Club in Concord • Come prepared to speak to college admissions officers • Get on their mailing lists (your address label) • Be sure to stop by the HRHS table and sign in • November 5th at Winkler Middle School (time TBD) • Cabarrus County is hosting a Financial Aid workshop with a speaker from CFNC • November 18-22, 2013 • College Application Week – certain colleges will waive their application fee if you apply during this week • FAFSA DAY: February 22, 2014

More Related