SENIOR COLLEGE AND Scholarship INFORMATION

1. Lyon County High School 209 Fairview Avenue Eddyville, KY 42038 (270) 388-9715 BELIEVE ACHIEVE SUCCEED Principal Robin Hurst Guidance Counselor Deanna Doom Guidance Assistant Jessica Dalbey SENIOR COLLEGE AND Scholarship INFORMATION

2. Apply for college now!! Colleges and universities require seniors to apply online for admission whether you want to go to: • University • College • Trade school Most universities charge admission fees between $40-$100* (*2014-15) Community college (WKCTC) does NOT charge an admission fee. Do you qualify for free or reduced lunch? Ask your guidance counselor for a fee waiver for college applications and also two ACT tests.

3. Take the act • The ACT is a curriculum and standards-based educational and career planning tool that assesses students academic readiness for college. • How do I sign up for the ACT? Online registration is the fastest method • Reminder: you need to register by mail only if you are younger than 13 or cannot pay by debit/credit card. Mail in packets are available in the Guidance office. • ACT test fees *2014-15 • ACT no writing= $38* • ACT plus writing= $54.50* Check to see if the college you are considering require or recommend the ACT writing test. • If you are a Junior or Senior and qualify for free or reduced lunch you are eligible for an ACT fee waiver. Contact the guidance office for an ACT fee waiver form before registering for the ACT.

4. how will I do on a retest? RETAKE THE TEST You can take the ACT up to 12 times total. Many students take the test twice, once as a junior and again as a senior Of the students who took the ACT more than once: • 57% increased their composite score • 21% had no change in their composite score • 22% decreased their composite score

5. benefits of taking the ACT • Acceptance for college admissions and course placement at all 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and in the NCAA. • Exposes students to the full range of postsecondary options • Encourages students to take rigorous college-prep coursework • Measures the knowledge and skills critical to college and career success • Promote exploration of careers and college majors that match students interests • ACT bonus $$$ for higher ACT score!!

6. KEES The Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship program (KEES) provides scholarship to students who earn at least a 2.5 GPA each year they attend a certified Kentucky high school. The better they do in high school, the more they earn toward college. They may also earn awards for the ACT scores and (AP) test scores. DO THE MATH amount Freshman GPA Sophomore GPA Junior GPA Senior GPA Highest ACT score +Advanced Placement Bonus =Total Award for Each Year of College Advanced Placement Exam Score Supplemental Amount $ 3 $200 4 $300 5 $400 For Each year of college

7. $$ GPA Amounts $$ GPAAMOUNT 2.50 $125 2.60 $150 2.70 $175 2.75 $187 2.80 $200 2.90 $225 3.00 $250 3.10 $275 3.20 $300 3.25 $312 3.30 $325 3.40 $350 3.50 $375 3.60 $400 3.70 $425 3.75 $437 3.80 $450 3.90 $475 4.00 $500

8. $$ ACT BONUS Amounts $$ ACT SCOREAMOUNT OF MONEY 15 $36 16 $71 17 $107 18 $143 19 $179 20 $214 21 $250 22 $286 23 $321 24 $357 25 $393 26 $428 27 $464 28+ $500

9. ACT benchmarks Benchmarks are scores on the ACT subject-area tests that represent the level of achievement required for students to have 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college courses. 2014 ACT College National Benchmarks English 18 College Alg 22 Reading 21 Science 24 Lyon County High School strives to meet the – 2014 State Mandated College & Career Readiness Benchmarks English 18 Mathematics 19 Reading 20

10. Fafsa (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the first step in the financial aid process. Use it to apply for federal student financial aid, such as the Pell Grant, student loans, and college work-study. In addition most states and schools use the FAFSA information to award their financial aid. Apply for your Free Application for Federal Student Aid @ www.FAFSA.ED.GOV Time Saving Suggestions Gather the documents you need • Social Security Number • Driver’s license • Income tax returns-Possibly use last year’s tax return if similar to this year’s tax return • Bank statements • Investments record PIN Information: If you or your parents do not already have a PIN, we encourage you to apply for one. You and your parents will be signing your FAFSA electronically with a PIN. You can apply for a PIN while completing a FAFSA on the Web application, or you can speed up the process and go to the Federal Student Aid PIN Web site @ www.pin.ed.govto apply right now.

11. fafsa • Apply Early! Online applications begin January 1 • State and college deadlines will vary and tend to be early. Check with the college of your choice to find out the exact deadline dates. • Watch your local news for the College Goal Sunday. Usually held late January or early February – college representatives meet at various locations and help you file the FAFSA. • Also watch for the FAFSA Workshop at LCHS – the Guidance office will try to schedule this early as possible (January or February)

12. Transcript request forms Transcript Request Student’s Name: ___________________________________________________ Please mail copy of my transcript to:________________ Name of College/University/Company: Date requested: ____________________________ Turn in to the Guidance Office You must fill out a transcript request form for all college and scholarship applications. Copies of the transcript request forms are available in the guidance office. No cost for transcript until after graduation.

13. Parchment.com

14. RESUME RESUME - CONTACT INFORMATION • SCHOOL ACTIVITIES • CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS • LEADERSHIP POSITIONS • HONORS AND AWARDS • COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES • EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITIES • EMPLOYMENT AND THE NUMBER OF HOURS PER WEEK • OTHER WORK ACTIVITIES – FAMILY FARM, FAMILY BUSINESS

15. Letter to the reviewer Write a letter to the reviewer. State your career plans and financial need. Career plans: What has led you to this decision?..... • Interest • Past memorable experiences, who has influenced you • Skills/Talents • LCHS coursework preparation • Community service in that area • Employment in that field • College plans/ Career plans Financial need: Your family's financial background…. • Parents education and occupations • Disability or illness in family, extenuating circumstances • Single parent household • Other sibling(s) in college • Cost of college tuition • How you will finance your education: • Money saved for college • Family contributions • Your part-time employment

16. Guide to letters of recommendation The purpose of the letter of recommendation is to provide the scholarship committees with documentation of your skills, abilities, attributes, etc. They want to read the opinion of someone who is familiar with your background and knows you well. SEEK GOOD LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION • Ask people that know you well. You should pick people who cannot only write well, but write well about you. If they seem uncomfortable with the idea of writing a letter of recommendation for you, please consider another individual. People who can comment on your personal attributes such as honest, integrity, initiative, etc. are the best individuals to ask. • Choose people who are relevant. For example, ask a science teacher to write a letter of recommendation for a science scholarship, not your English teacher. • Family members should not be used.

17. Letters of recommendation PROVIDE DIFFERENT ASPECTS • Academic Performance: choose teachers who have known you the longest and are more impressed with your qualifications • Work Ethic: choose an employer or coach that you have a good relationship with and values your work performance. • Community involvement: select advisors and leaders from organizations that you have been directly involved in and that know you well. GOOD LETTERS TAKE TIME • Provide the name and information about the scholarship • Allow at least 1 week. Provide the writer plenty of time to create your letter. Gently reminding them a few days before the deadline. • Provide a resume. Give a list of your accomplishments to help with the process. Even people who have known you for a long time may not be familiar with all of your accomplishments. This can jog their memory to put more detail in your letter of recommendation. • Always ask the writers permission to use the letter of recommendation more than once. Send a thank you note. Show your gratitude for the writer’s time invested on your behalf.

18. SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS Scholarships are made available to the students on the Lyon County school web@: lyon.kyschools.us • Schools • High School • Guidance • News- essay contest and program announcements • Calendar – ACT dates and Other Events • Scholarship Handbook • College Scholarships • Automatic scholarships are awarded for academic achievement – submit transcripts and ACT scores to Undergraduate Admissions Office by deadline date • Competitive Scholarships – submit scholarship applications by deadline date

19. Scholarship Applications • ONLINE: • National Scholarships are available online • Example: Wendy's High School Heisman • MAIL IN APPLICATIONS: • Many applications require students to mail scholarship application directly to a specific location • Deadline dates are when applications must be postmarked, or received by committee members • Example: All ‘A’ Classic • LOCAL APPLICATIONS • All local applications should be returned to guidance office unless specifically asked to do otherwise • APPLICATIONS WITH INTERVIEWS: • MSU/ Laura and Ben Smith Memorial Scholarship – online and turn in to the guidance office! • Lyon County Scholarship Foundation • Lee S Jones Memorial Scholarship The guidance Office will fill out any information needed to complete their part of the application and will include a transcript for each application. Once you are awarded a scholarship you must accept or decline READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY

20. COLLEGE AND PACKAGE COMPARISON TUITION AND FEES BOOKS AND SUPPLIES ROOM AND BOARD TRANSPORTATION PERSONAL EXPENCES TOTAL COST=FINANCIAL NEED FEDERAL GRANT KEES COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS SAVINGS LOANS TOTAL FINANCIAL AID COLLEGE A COLLEGE B

21. THANK YOU! We hope that you have found this presentation helpful and that you will refer back to it often to assist your journey to a higher education.