College Planning for the Class of 2015

1. College Planning for the Class of 2015 Presented by: Ms. Van Buren (Letters A-E) Mrs. Arzonico (Letters F-K) Ms. Hagaman (Letters L-Q) Mrs. Gambill (Letters R-Z)

2. Your Requirements to Graduate

3. Going to College in Five Easy Steps • 1. Research colleges- check academic programs, tuition, admission requirements, etc. • 2. Select schools that “fit” your abilities and needs • 3. Complete your applications- SAT/ACT, Transcripts, Recommendations, Essays • 4. Apply for scholarships and financial aid • 5. Receive your offers of admission and make your final decision

4. Research Colleges • www.cappex.com • https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ • http://collegeapps.about.com/ • www.cfnc.org • http://www.northcarolina.edu/campus_profiles/index.php • www.petersons.com • www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/

5. College Fair 2014 • September 24th—4th block • Juniors and Seniors will get a chance to meet college admissions representatives from regional universities, community colleges, and vocational schools • Bring questions for your schools of choice!

6. College Info Sessions at South • UNC Charlotte—9/16 @ 10:00 a.m. • Sweet Briar College—9/17 @ 8:15 a.m. • Queens University—9/19 @11:40 a.m. • Univ. of South Carolina—9/23 @ 11:00 a.m. Held in the Student Center--to attend any of these sessions, you must sign up in advance in the Student Center!

7. Find your fit: College Visits • Seniors are allowed 3 excused college visit days. Process for College Visit Day Approval: • Arrange a visit through the college/ university you are interested in touring. Print a confirmation page that details the date/time of your scheduled visit and bring it to the Student Center. • Fill out a college visit approval form (located in the student center or on website), which requires both counselor and teacher signatures prior to your visit. • Have a college official sign the form during your visit. • After your visit, return your signed paperwork to Ms. Bass in the G-Building lobby along with a typed, one page reflection detailing your experiences.

8. Minimum Requirements for UNC Schools Admission • Minimum GPA of 2.5 • Minimum SAT score of 800 (verbal & math combined) and/or Minimum ACT score of 17 • Each University has specific requirements that usually go above and beyond the minimum requirements listed above

9. Snapshot of Several UNC School Profiles (based on 2013-2014 incoming freshmen)

10. Private Colleges & Universities • Private colleges & universities have varying admission requirements. The best resource for understanding these schools’ minimum requirements is through exploring their websites or speaking directly with an admissions counselor • Examples of private colleges/universities include: Belmont Abbey, Gardner-Webb, Davidson, Lenoir-Rhyne, Catawba, etc.

11. Applying to College • Apply directly through college’s website • Apply through www.CFNC.org • Use this website to submit multiple applications to community colleges and various NC universities/colleges • Send transcripts for free through Transcript Manager (even if you don’t use CFNC to apply to college) • Thoroughly research your schools of interest using college/university websites • Research scholarship and grant opportunities

12. Applying to College • Common Application—www.commonapp.org • Use this website to submit multiple applications to competitive colleges and universities • Wake Forest, UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, UNC Wilmington, UNC Asheville, Duke & Davidson • Only certain schools are consortium members so check the website

13. College Application Week • November 10th-14th • Labs/times set aside in media center to work on completing college applications online through CFNC • Some private schools waive the application fee during this week only!

14. SAT/ACT Information • The SAT/ACT is required to attend a 4-year college/university • The SAT registration deadlines and test dates are posted online at sat.collegeboard.com/register • Next test date is October 11th(register by 9/12, late reg. through 9/26) or November 8th(register by 10/9) • The ACT registration deadlines and test dates are posted online at www.actstudent.org • Next test date is September 13th(Standby only) or October 25th(register by 9/19)

15. SAT Test Prep Session • Improve SAT scores for only $79! • ZAPS test prep session—SIHS Media Center, September 13th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. • On average, students who take this test prep improve SAT scores by 50-150 points • Register today at www.zaps.com, click register, search on zip code 28677 to find SIHS

16. Community Colleges • Do not require SAT/ACT scores, but may require you to take placement test • If you have an unweighted GPA of 2.6 or higher and you completed AFM, Discrete Math, Pre-Cal or AP Stats as your 4th math, you will not have to take Math admission test • Any required placement test is usually taken in the spring semester prior to fall enrollment and is arranged through the community college. • Test results help to determine whether you will be allowed to begin college level coursework or be required to take remedial coursework first

17. Transcripts & Recommendations • Request official high school transcripts through Student Center • First 3 transcripts are free, $3 each thereafter • Fill out Transcript Release form (in Student Center or on website) • Use CFNC to send free transcripts • Review your transcript with your counselor if necessary • Ask teachers/counselors/coaches for letters of recommendation—give 2-3 weeks notice

18. Financial Aid & Scholarships • Apply for merit-based scholarships through your college of choice • Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in January • Local scholarships begin in Jan/Feb through May (Rotary club, Credit Union, etc.) • Financial Aid Workshop will be announced later for parents to attend: We will walk you through the FAFSA process and answer college financial aid questions

19. Make Tough Decisions • Receive your offers of decision (differ based on application deadlines—early action results in December/January; regular decision results in March) • Compare scholarship/financial aid packages from each school • Consider your research and your college visits—where can you see yourself? • Trust your instincts and make your choice • Now, celebrate! You are on your way….

20. Words of Advice • Plan ahead and ask for help • Stay positive and don’t panic • Enjoy your senior year, but don’t slack off academically • Have fun, but be smart

21. Questions? We will be beginning one-on-one meetings in the next two weeks. If you have questions in the meantime, please stop by the student center or send your counselor an e-mail at: Letters A-E: kvanburen@iss.k12.nc.us Letters F-G: kelly_arzonico@iss.k12.nc.us Letters H-O: elizabeth_hagaman@iss.k12.nc.us Letters P-Z: jennifer_gambill@iss.k12.nc.us Congratulations Seniors!