Senior / Parent Night Information

1. Senior / Parent Night Information 2019- 2020

2. Our AGENDA THE SENIOR YEAR BEGINS… • College Application Process • College Admissions Testing • Scholarship/Financial Aid Process

3. THOUGHT OF THE DAY “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” Vince Lombardi

4. Steps to College Applications • College shopping – try them on first (size,cost, majors, distance from home) • Narrow choices to 3-5 colleges (dream school, middle of the road, sure acceptance) • Attend Open Houses/Take virtual tours Recommended Resource: CFNC.org • Campus Visits –College Days/Senior year

5. The 5 P’s of Admission • Program: Course difficulty and course selection • Performance: Overall grades,grade trends, class rank (course selection makes the difference) • Participation: Extra-curriculars and leadership • Personality: Essays &letters of recommendation • Potential: Standardized test scores (SAT or ACT)

6. Application Process Online Applications –Available at CFNC, the Common Application, the Coalition Application, and individual college web sites College Application Fee Waivers available to eligible students-Check your College Board account for these waivers College Application Week – October 21st-25th, 2019 List is on CFNC website-https://nccountdowntocollege.org College Fair- September 26 - during the day - more details to follow

7. Sending Transcripts Seniors may send transcripts several ways: • ALL NC Colleges/Universities/Community Colleges can receive transcripts through CFNC.org. Students must login to their CFNC account and send the transcript through the Application Hub. • COMMON APPLICATION-If students apply through the Common App, they must put their counselor’s email on their application. The Common App then will send an email to your counselor to upload the transcript and school report. Many NC colleges use Common App. • SENDEdu/Other Online Services-Some colleges in our area use SENDEdu (ex.WCU, LRU, Wingate) or their own online program to request transcripts. Make sure you put your counselor’s email address. • MAIL-For out of state colleges that are not on the Common App or do not have another online option, transcripts can be mailed. See Student Services to request transcript to be sent. • GASTON TRANSCRIPT-If students are taking CCP classes, an official transcript must be sent from Gaston directly. May send through Webadvisor or Gaston Registrar’s office.

8. NC Residency Determination Service To determine if a student is a NC resident, all students applying to a NC college or university must complete the RDS process via CFNC.org to determine NC residency. Student will be assigned a RDS number to put in applications. This includes Community College students. Website: https://ncresidency.cfnc.org/residencyInfo/

9. Applying –A Parent’s Role • Get organized. Materials, folders, deadlines, checklists, timelines… Help your student priortize deadlines • Brainstorm together. Activities, awards, strengths, choices, feedback, support… • Gather key information. SS #’s, school CEEB code 342329, Student ID #, etc. • DO NOT complete your child’s applications for them!

10. Community College Vs Four Year University Community College is a great option for many students for a variety of reasons: • Cost - Community Colleges cost significantly less than a 4 year university-Students can complete general education requirements at community college to transfer to 4 year university • Location - Close to home, so students can live at home • Majors Offered - Many majors do not require a 4 year degree-A 2 year degree or certificate may be sufficient for career interest Are your students taking advantage of CCP classes this year?

11. Letters of Recommendation • Provide recommender a resume, pertinent information, deadline…How is it to be submitted-Online or Paper? Provide stamped/addressed envelope if need to mailed • Present to recommender at least 2 weeks before due date-Many teachers are asked by multiple students, so don’t wait until last minute to ask • Recommenders can be teachers, counselors, employers, community leaders, pastors, etc. • Application may indicate who can be a recommender “Choose wisely.”

12. Resume’ or “Brag Sheet” • Biographical Information • Awards/Honors • Activities/Organizations/Sports/Clubs • Religious, Civic, Community Service Activities • Employment • Goals/Objectives-What sets you apart?

13. SAT – ACT • Colleges accept both ACT and SAT equally. Many colleges “super score,” taking the best score from different testing sessions • Do not wait to get test scores back before applying to college. Request scores to be sent directly to your college • Junior year ACT test scores must be linked to your student’s account by providing the ACT ID from the ACT score report • Fee Waivers for ACT and SAT are available for eligible students

14. SAT – ACT • Recommend to take both ACT and SAT • Repeat the one you did better on in Senior year-Must take by Dec of Senior Year to use for Fall 2020 admissions • Most colleges like to see Junior year and Senior year scores. (Optimum 3 scores) • Colleges require test scores to be sent directly from testing site, not from the high school

15. Scholarships • Check with the college website for their specific scholarships. Some colleges use the admissions application as a scholarship application or to offer opportunity to apply. Check deadlines carefully. • Online Search Websites: www.fastweb.com, www.cappex.com, www.collegeboard.org, www.scholarships.com • Scholarships in the Counseling Office Fall: National and Specific College Spring: Local Scholarships/Rotary Loan

16. Scholarships • REMIND APP: Can be added to your phone or email • NLHS Student Services Website • Check with Counselors Regularly Do not pay to find scholarships!

17. REMIND APPLICATION

18. FAFSA The FAFSA application for 2019 opens October 1, 2019. Based on your 2017 Taxes Website: https://fafsa.gov/ DO NOT PAY TO COMPLETE YOUR FAFSA-This is a free service. FINANCIAL AID NIGHT- October 3/6:30pm- Presenter from CFNC County Office Board Room-Lincolnton

19. NCAA Eligibility If you want to play NCAA sports at a Division I or II school, you need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at eligibilitycenter.org. You should plan to register during your sophomore year of high school. If you have questions about your eligibility or the registration process, this guide will help you. You also can search frequently asked questions at ncaa.org/studentfaq. Ms Pamela Black will help with sending your transcript electronically to NCAA.

20. COUNSELORS CONTACT INFORMATION Pamela Black(A-F) pblack@lincoln.k12.nc.us 704-736-1969 x61036 Lori Maxwell(G-O) lmaxwell@lincoln.k12.nc.us 704-736-1969 x61038 Laura Thornhill (P-Z) lthornhill@lincoln.k12.nc.us 704-736-1969 x61035 Please contact the counselor assigned to your student