Presentation Transcript

1. Think College Quiz(Using the clues below name the College or University) Clues: Toilets + Bunny Move + Relatives = Buster’s color = Iowa crop + Bell sound = 10 pins on a lawn = The Hunchback’s residence = Nobleman = Place of worship OR a part of your head = Toothpaste = A brand of Men’s cologne = Opposite of sit + American auto maker = A king’s son + 2,000 lbs. =
2. Think College Quiz Answers(Using the clues below name the College or University) Clues: Toilets + Bunny Move + Relatives = Johns Hopkins Buster’s color = Brown Iowa crop + Bell sound = Cornell 10 pins on a lawn = Bowling Green The Hunchback’s residence = Notre Dame Nobleman = Duke Place of worship OR a part of your head = Temple Toothpaste = Colgate A brand of Men’s cologne = Stetson Opposite of sit + American auto maker = Stanford A king’s son + 2,000 lbs. = Princeton
3. The College & Scholarship Application Process

   College Advising 101

   Presented by Gaston County Schools Department of School CounselingShelley Collins, Ami Parker, and Grant Sparks November 4, 2011 Handouts from this presentation are available at http://tinyurl.com/CollegeAdvising101
4. Shelley Collins
5. Today’s Program Creating a college-going culture Getting Ready: What students should be doing now! Evaluating Their Options Testing: SAT, ACT, SAT II, AP The Application Process Choosing The Right College For Them A Sample Process Paying for College Sports In College Counselor Responsibilities
6. Creating a College-Going Culture Creating this culture is important. It creates expectation for success. One of the reasons for this presentation is to help start the process of creating this culture. If your students and parents don’t have this knowledge, they won’t be as successful in the process. Many students are first generation college students and have no idea where to start.
7. School Counseling Web Sites The college process is so digital now that even parents with experience have lots to learn. (Stating this at a presentation for parents & students helps put families whose parent did not attend college at ease.) Your school counseling web site is an important source of information for your students, parents, and community. A good web site will provide information and allow for self-service! Visit http://tinyurl.com/HighlandCounseling
8. Getting Ready for the Process Create an Activity Sheet or Résumé. Students should include everything they have been involved in from 9th - 12th grade.  Examples include - Community service, volunteer experience, work experience, honors and awards, clubs, sports, church involvement, boy/girl scouts, special programs attended, skills from pathway courses, software or equipment used in pathway courses, certifications, leadership positions, etc... Make sure they give a copy to their counselor!
9. Getting Ready for the Process Collect contact information from your students using electronic forms. Google Forms are easy to use. Doing so will make your life easier. You can easily get information like e-mail addresses and cell phone #s in a spreadsheet format.
10. Getting Ready for the Process Have students/parents complete the “Parent Brag Sheet,” “Senior Activity Sheet,” and “Addition to Student Résumé” when they ask for a recommendation from a teacher or counselor. Gives the recommender more information to write a “personal” recommendation.
11. Getting Ready for the Process Students need to investigate colleges they are interested in. The Internet is the most valuable tool! Every college has a website with most of the information they need - including online campus tours.
12. Getting Ready for the Process For colleges in NC – be sure to have students use www.cfnc.org It is a fantastic resource. Includes every college in NC! The new counselor module of CFNC is a great tool. Counselors can now see where their students have applied to college! See https://procenter.cfnc.org/
13. Getting Ready for the Process The professional center gives access to work with individuals and groups of students, and it provides reports for site usage, assessment results, and planning outcomes. It provides lesson plans, and provides communication with your students and manage events that appear on their calendars. For colleges outside of NC - use sites such as www.collegeboard.com , www.xap.com, www.princetonreview.com, and others.
14. Evaluate Options Colleges look at a number of things when making an admission decision. Difficulty of classes (Honors/AP), community service, work experience, extracurricular activities, diversity, leadership, class rank, GPA, test scores. Although all things are considered, colleges rely heavily on GPA and test scores.
15. Know What MattersRank from 1-12 the importance of the following components of a college application Admissions Test Scores Grades in College Prep Grades in all Courses Demonstrated Interest Counselor Recommendation AP Test Scores Essay Extracurricular Activities Teacher Recommendation Interview Class Rank Strength of Curriculum
16. NACAC Research FindingsConsiderable Importance 1. Grades in College Curriculum 2. Strength of Curriculum 3. Admissions Test Scores 4. Grades in all Courses 5. Essay 6. Teacher Recommendation 7. Demonstrated Interest 8. Counselor Recommendation 9. Class Rank 10. Interview 11. AP Scores 12. Activities
17. Evaluate Options Use school profiles to help determine students chances of being admitted. Many schools provide this on their website. UNC Institutional Profiles: available on the web and provides admission information for all 16 public universities. Visit www.CollegePortraits.org and http://www.northcarolina.edu/campus_profiles/index.php
18. CollegePortrait.org
19. College Portrait.org (continued)
20. Evaluate Options(continued)
21. Evaluate Options The Community College Option – Not all students attend a four year college right after high school. Some students choose to attend a community college for one or two years and then transfer to a four year university. Financially, starting at a community college will save students thousands of dollars. Tuition and fees for one semester are less than $1000! All of the UNC System Universities have an agreement with the NC Community College System to accept transfer credits without penalty. There are also many NC private colleges that have the same agreement. For all the details, visit http://www.northcarolina.edu/aa/articulation/index.htm
22. Testing / SAT & ACT Students have to take one or both of these tests for admission to a 4-year college. They both have a writing section. Students have the option not to take the writing portion of the ACT, however most colleges require a writing score. They are long! (7:45 am to 12:30 – 1pm) They cost a lot! (ACT $49.50), (SAT $49) Visit www.actstudent.org for all the details about the ACT and to register online. Visit www.collegeboard.com for all the details about the SAT and to register online. Reporting Scores – be careful!
23. Testing / SAT & ACT Which one should you take? Probably both. You can take a practice test to determine which one is right for you. What’s the main difference? The ACT has less math & has science. All schools accept the ACT. It doesn’t penalize you for guessing. How many times should you take them? 2 to 3 times is the average number of times most students take the SAT or ACT. All tests should be taken by November of Senior year! Most colleges take the highest score from each section of all tests taken to form a student’s final score.
24. Testing / SAT & ACT
25. Testing / SAT II’s & AP Some colleges require students to take SAT II subject tests for admission and placement purposes. Check the college website to see if they are required. (e.g. Duke) Go to www.collegeboard.com to register. Advanced Placement (AP) exams are the first two weeks in May. You must pay in the school counseling office. In Gaston County, a student who makes a score of 3 or higher gets their registration fee reimbursed. To see what AP scores colleges accept visit each college website.
26. Applying to College Students need to visit the website at each school they are interested in to find out about their application process, their scholarship process, and DEADLINES! (post-marked or received by?) Should they apply online? YES! YES! YES! It is safe and preferred by colleges. For most NC schools they can apply using www.cfnc.org
27. Applying to College How does applying online work? Simply visit the school’s website or www.cfnc.org and create an account. Most will require students to have an e-mail address. They can use their personal email address but must use email address from cfnc.org to be able to check their e-mail at school. After applying online they will have to send their transcript and application fee. (Pay online with Credit Card & send electronic transcripts through www.cfnc.org)
28. Applying to College Most schools will still allow students to apply with a paper application (if they insist) – not recommended! Consider the drawbacks: it’s hard to be neat, they can’t use spell check, data must be entered at the college and may be less accurate, it takes longer to be received, and it could get lost in the mail. Remind students to have a “professional”email address and to be careful of what they post on facebook and other sites. Colleges are checking!
29. Applying to College Most students apply to 3 or 4 schools. They can apply to as many schools as they want just be aware that college applications fees can be expensive. Most application fees are around $40 – $60 with some costing as much as $80. When applying to colleges, make sure they have one college that they are sure they will be admitted to and one they can afford. (freshmen profiles)
30. Applying to College Applications need to be completed early! Most schools have an early application deadline of November 1st! Some schools now have October deadlines. Encourage your students to find out the deadlines for their colleges of choice and tell them, “Do not wait till the last minute! “ While it is a little later than we would like to see, students should be encouraged to apply to college during in CFNC’s College Application Week if they have not already applied. A benefit of applying during this week is some colleges waiving their application fees. Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State, and some private colleges will waive their application fees. This week is the only time NC A&T accepts fee waivers.
31. College Application Week November 14 -18, 2011
32. Applying to College Students should be able to get help from you if needed. Some applications require the counselor to complete a form. If so, ask students to turn it into you at least a week in advance of when they need it (anything less may result in a RUSH job) Some colleges require essays. Students may want to include a personal essay even if not required. Make sure someone reads over their essay!
33. Choosing the Right College Students should compare colleges by visiting in person and by their websites. Look for things that are most important to them. The best time to visit a college is when the student body is there. They should take an official tour and then take their own tour. Visit dorms to see what the rooms are like, and eat in the cafeteria. Many schools have VIP/Open House days. Teacher workdays and during breaks are great times to visit. Above all, encourage them to VISIT!
34. Paying for College There are three ways to pay for college: Scholarships Financial Aid Savings
35. Paying For College / Scholarships Gaston County ‘s Class of 2011 received over 42 million dollars in scholarship money! Counselors should create and print a copy of a Scholarship Newsletter for every Senior and also put it on the school’s website. The Scholarship Newsletter contains every scholarship that counselors are aware of. Updates are announced at school and online.
36. Paying For College / Scholarships Gaston County has a scholarship website. This is where most of our scholarship information comes from. You can search by school, by deadline, and by subject. Visit www.gastoncountyscholarships.com Students should also use online scholarship searches. They can create a profile and do a search just for them! www.fastweb.com is one of the best!
37. Paying For College / Scholarships Students need to Apply, Apply, Apply! The biggest mistake is not applying! They need to visit the scholarship and financial aid pages at each college to know about separate applications and deadlines. (e.g. ASU) They need to write great application essays. Help with mock interviews before the real thing. Common mistakes include: not applying for scholarships you’re eligible for, waiting too late to do a good job & missing deadlines.
38. Paying For College / Scholarships Tell students to be aware of scholarship scams. They should never pay for scholarship information! They should also beware of FREE seminars that offer scholarship and financial aid information. They should never give your bank account number or credit card number to verify, qualify, etc. for a scholarship.
39. Paying For College / Financial Aid All students planning on going to college should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is how they qualify for grants, loans, & need based scholarships from colleges. It can’t be completed until January 1st each year. They can apply for a pin# before Jan. 1st . Both student and one parent must have a pin# to complete the form online. www.pin.ed.gov It is best to complete it online. It’s Faster!
40. FAFSA Day – February 18, 2012
41. Paying For College / Financial Aid Some schools require students to complete the CSS/PROFILE. Schools requiring CSS/PROFILE – Duke, Davidson, Elon, UNC Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest. Complete the CSS/PROFILE online at www.collegeboard.com Cost: A $25.00 fee & $16.00 for each additional college.
42. Paying For College / Savings If students have to pay for everything themselves, their options are savings, loans from federal government, alternative loans, attending community college with transfer to 4 year, military, and winning the lottery! Loans are okay. Some are better than others with interest starting after college & low rates, while others start the interest immediately. Attending community college and transferring after 2 years is a less expensive way to get their degree. The Military and ROTC offer scholarships and money to those who join.
43. Sports in College If students are planning on playing sports in college they must complete the NCAA Clearinghouse form. This determines if they are eligible to play in college. Based on their core (academic) GPA and SAT/ACT scores. They can apply online at www.eligibilitycenter.org Cost: $65.00
44. Sports in College They should not wait for schools to recruit them. Students can send a cover letter and a Sports Activity Sheet/résuméto any college coach they would like to play for. Some schools have Recruitment forms online. Make sure they have realistic goals. They should talk to their coach to determine their level of play.
45. Preparing Students for College Preparation for college starts in the ninth grade, so it is important to have contact with your students before they begin their senior year. Classroom Guidance: (ex.) 9th grade – CFNC Accounts 10th grade – Career Advising 11th grade – College Board Accounts
46. Preparing Students for College Parent/Student Communication: Email groups per grade level Email info on volunteer opportunities, academic pointers, special programming Parent Meetings: Cover importance of course selection, grades, resume, extra-curricular activities, summer programs, testing (PSAT, SAT, etc)
47. Preparing Students for College Meet with seniors as a group Meet with seniors individually Give all seniors a copy of their transcript Assist with organization – deadlines, College Planning Box Host “Applying to College” parent night in early fall and “Financial Aid” Parent Night in January. The spring is a good time to host a “How to Win Scholarships” parent night.
48. Course Selection Colleges expect students to take the most challenging courses they can handle On-line course options – NCVPS, Learn and Earn Community College Courses – College & Career Readiness AP Courses
49. Letters of Recommendation Needed for most colleges and scholarships from both a teacher and a counselor Easier to write if a student gives you a copy of their parent brag sheet and résumé Instruct students to give two weeks notice and to use request form How to Write Letters of recommendation
50. College Entrance Exams Fee Waivers: for ACT/SAT (2)and College Applications (4) for students with free/reduced lunch Students with Disabilities: On-line application for accommodations “Stop-the clock,” extended time, extra breaks Phone number for counselor use only: 1-888-SAT-HELP (728-4357)
51. School Profile Every high school needs a school profile to accompany transcripts and post on your school website so that colleges have a better idea of how your school is unique Includes demographics, course offerings, average SAT/ACT scores, college acceptances, and contact information College Board has an easy template to use at: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/counseling/profile/sample
52. Scholarships www.GastonCountyScholarships.com is the BEST place to direct students when looking for scholarships Ask students to inform you when they earn scholarships…make copies of their scholarship award letters and keep them in a folder Be sure to inform your principal, central office, and School Board of the scholarships earned by your students. This great PR for your students, school, and your program.
53. Scholarship Committee Purpose is to select school nominees for particular scholarships (e.g Morehead, Park) Composed of faculty members from different departments (e.g. English, Math) Confidentiality is extremely important Selection process involves looking at test scores, resumes, grades, etc to select the student that best characterizes what the scholarship is looking for. Selection philosophies: “Share the Wealth” - some committees choose not to select the same students for every scholarship.
54. Questions?