September 29, 2014

1. Junior Parent Information Night September 29, 2014

2. Tonight’s Agenda • Senior year courses • Overview of college admissions • ACT and SAT testing • Test Preparation • Career Planning • Options after high school • College Admissions • NCAA Eligibility Center • Resources • College visits and representatives • Financial Aid • Family Connection/Naviance • Summary

3. General Timeline • Strong Interest Inventory • Optional PSAT – October 15th • December-March: Junior Parent Conferences • December - June: College Entrance Exam testing • Ongoing: Research and visit institutions • September 2015: Senior meetings to outline college application process • September to Thanksgiving Break 2015: Applications due in the Counseling Department

4. Senior Year Courses • Online course registration (2nd semester) • Two credits English • American Govt. • Strong emphasis on academic units and interests

5. Overview of College Admissions • Steady Growth of Students/Changing Demographics • Economic Factors – More Adult Students Returning to College • Early Decision/Early Action Programs • Common Application/Online Applications/Increase in Applications

6. Lottery Effect US News and World Report Rankings Marketing and Business Approach Use of Social Media Institutions Becoming More Competitive

7. Increased Uncertainty and Stress for Parents and Students Regarding College Planning

8. The Search for the Right Fit“Getting into a college that is good for me”

9. Factors Determining College Admission • Rigor of the Curriculum • Grade Point Average • Test Scores • Student Essay • Extra-curricular Activities • Letters of Recommendation

10. ACT & SAT Testing 2014 - 2015 ACT Testing Dates • Writing optional • Dec 13 • Feb 7 • March 3 – State ACT required at Bay on a school day • April 18 • June 13 SAT and SAT Subject Testing Dates • Writing required • January 24 • March 14 (SAT Subject tests not offered on this date) • May 2 • June 6

11. 2015 Advanced Placement Exams • May 4 – May 14 • Bay Shore Lutheran Church

12. Test Preparation • High school curriculum • Preparation materials in Counseling Department such as sample tests & questions • View Counseling Department website for various resources (under college entrance test preparation tab) • Classes • ACT & College Board websites

13. Career Components EXPLORE – Freshman year PLAN – Sophomore year Career Interest Inventory (Naviance), ACT – Junior year

14. Career Fest • November 5th from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the Concordia University R. John Buuck Fieldhouse • This annual event is sponsored by several southeastern high school counseling departments, including WFB. • Over 100 careers will be represented and all students, regardless of grade level, and parents are invited to attend. Come when you wish; leave when you wish. • Here is an opportunity to investigate careers, employment outlook, salary, training and education requirements.

15. Options After High School • Four and Two Year Colleges and Universities • Technical Training • Specialty Schools • “Gap” Year • Military

16. College Admissions • Rolling Admissions • Early Decision (binding) • Early Action (non binding) • Date Specific Admissions

17. Eligibility Center • Division I Schools • Division II Schools web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/

18. Resources • College reference books • College/Career fairs • College rep visits to the Counseling Dept. • Evening college visits at nearby hotels • Counseling Dept. website • Counseling Dept. computer terminals • Students and alumni • Naviance/Family Connection

19. College Visits & College Representatives

20. Why should a student visit with a college representative? To learn more about: • various academic programs • scholarships • study abroad opportunities • campus organizations • clubs • campus life • tuition, financial aid, academic requirements • other extracurricular activities

21. Students are being notified of college visits in a number of ways: • Daily morning announcements • Message board posted on Family Access • Messages through Naviance/Family Connection

22. How to Meet with College Reps Students should obtain a pass from the Counseling Department a day before the college representative visit and obtain teacher permission from the class(es) they might miss.

23. Good times to visit schools Students are encouraged to visit colleges during: • End of October break • Spring break • Summer • Campus preview days (varies by college)

24. College Essays & Interviews

25. Types of Financial Aid • Grants • Work Study • Loans • Scholarships

26. Scholarships • Institutional • Generic • Whitefish Bay Helpful websites: *Check Naviance/Family Connection (senior year) *www.finaid.com *www.fastweb.com *www.scholarships.com

27. Net Price Calculator All post-secondary institutions now have a net price calculator on their websites to help families estimate the cost of attendance.

28. North Shore Financial Aid Night • Monday, December 8 – Homestead High School • Presentation begins at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium • Open to both students and parents • Presenter will be a financial aid representative from the Milwaukee area • Great opportunity to learn more about financial aid

29. Counselor’s Role • Assist with the exploration of postsecondary options • Clarification of college admission requirements • Monitor and process application information • Letters of Recommendation • Communicate with College Admissions Offices • Members of the Wisconsin Association of College Admission Counseling and the National Association of College Admission Counseling

30. Introduction to Naviance/Family Connection • What is Family Connection? • What can I do with it? • How does it help with post-secondary and career planning? • How do I access it? • Family Connection Tips

32. What is Family Connection? • Web-based resource that supports post-secondary and career planning. • Linked with Naviance Succeed, a service that the counseling office uses. • Specific to WFB students.

33. How does it help? • On-line tool for communication among students, teachers, counselors, and parents. • Updated GPA & test scores from WFB graduates. • Assessments of your chances of admission at colleges where prior graduates have applied.

34. What can I do with it? • Explore careers & majors. • Complete career and personality surveys. • Search & compare colleges. • Produce scattergrams of past WFB acceptances… denials…waitlists. • Show WFB college visits. …..and much more!!

35. How do I access it? • Last year, students were given instructions and registration codes to create their own accounts, including registration codes for their parents. • If a student lost their code or forgot their password, please have them see their counselor. • Students must use their own account because it has additional features/utilities that parent accounts do not have.

36. Student/Parent Brag Sheet • They help teachers and counselors write thorough recommendations on behalf of the student. • The brag sheet can be found under the “About Me” tab in the student’s Family Connection account. • Students must complete a brag sheet for a staff member to write a letter of recommendation. • Students should take time to start filling out the brag sheet this year.

37. Naviance/Family Connection Tips • Visit the website often! • Explore on your own and with your child. • Always keep a current email address. *We hope you will find this resource helpful and if you have any questions, please contact the counseling office.

38. So, what should you (students & parents) be doing this year? To sum it all up, here’s what we encourage students and parents to do this year: • Familiarize yourself with Naviance • Visit colleges/meet with reps • Meet with your counselor for the junior conference—an invitation will be sent (December thru March). • Sign up for the ACT and/or SAT • Keep track of dates and deadlines • Research and consider all options • Keep working hard at school

39. Thank you for attending Junior Parent Information Night!