Conquering the College Chaos

1. Presented by WBHS PTSA and WBHS Guidance Department • 75%of jobs will require education beyond high school, by the year 2020 ( U.S. Department of Labor, 2009) “The current and future health of America’s 21st Century Economy depends directly on how broadly and deeply Americans reach a new level of literacy- ‘21st Century Literacy’- that includes strong academic skills, thinking, reasoning, teamwork skills, and proficiency in using technology.” - 21st Century Workforce Commission National Alliance of Business Conquering the College Chaos

2. Guidance Staff • A-E- Stephanie Browning • F-J - Ms. Marsha House, • K-R- Mr. Tony Hughes • S-Z- Ms. Gayle Patterson • Administrative Assistant- Mrs. Vickie Carroll • SAP- Mr. Joe Scott • Career Center - Mr. Steve Graves

3. Planning Your Future... • College testing • Finding the right school • Applying for college • Paying for college • Virginia Wizard

4. Making the Grade • Top priorities for getting students enrolled in higher education are GRADES and a RIGOROUS COURSE LOAD. • Here are some of the GPA requirements for the top 5 schools that our students are applying to: • UVA- 3.75 or higher (92% of freshmen) • Virginia Tech- 3.5 or higher (72% of freshmen) • JMU- 3.5 or higher (56% of freshmen) • Roanoke College- 3.0 or higher (28% of freshmen) • Radford University- 3.0 or higher (38% of freshmen)

5. Competitive Courses • For students planning to apply to UVA, VT and JMU, the following are suggested competitive courses: • Pre-AP and AP English classes • Pre-AP Algebra thru Pre-calculus or higher • Advanced Earth Science thru Physics or higher • Pre-AP WG/WH thru Government, preferably AP or Dual Credit • World Languages- 3 years or higher

6. College Planning • Research colleges that interest you. Each college has a website and most information about that college can be obtained from the website. • Attend the College Fair at the Salem Civic Center in Sept 2013 from 2-4pm or 6-8pm • Colleges visit WBHS mostly during the fall semester. Check the website and in the Career Center for details.

7. College Planning (continued) When to visit colleges: • Visit the colleges that you are interested in attending as soon as possible. Each school usually offers tours and open houses and even weekend visitation programs. • Spring of the junior year is an ideal time to visit. • Visit during the week while the college/university is in session. • You can use two school days to visit colleges with two days prior notice of our Attendance Office. • Schedule your visit with the college/university’s admissions office.

8. College Planning (continued) College visits allow you to: • Get a firsthand view of the college. • Get answers to your questions about different majors offered and other opportunities. • Get valuable information which will assist in determining which college is right for you.

9. Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test • Standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test. • All college bound juniors should take the PSAT in order to be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship program. • Measures critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills and writing skills. • Score report and test booklet will be returned in December.

10. Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test • PSAT’s will be given at WBHS Saturday, October 2013 • Students can register at “Back to School” night in September or in the Guidance Office by the first of October • Cost is TBA . Make checks payable to WBHS.

11. College Admissions Testing:ACT and SAT • Juniors should take the SAT or ACT at least twice in the Spring and again in the Fall of the senior year, if necessary. • SAT Subject tests are required for some colleges. Should be taken May of the junior year. • Register for the SAT. • Register for the ACT.

12. College Check List • March: Sign-up for AP exams to possibly earn college credit. • April: Talk with teachers about writing letters of recommendation. These will be used for the admissions process and scholarships. • May: If colleges require SAT II Subject Tests take them in May. • June: Take the SAT I or SAT II or ACT tests if it is needed. Begin working on essays, audition tapes or portfolios if needed.

13. College Check List • If you are planning to play on a Division I or Division II sports team you must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse: http://eligibilitycenter.org. This should be done the second semester of your junior year. • If you need to take SAT’s or ACT’s again in October or November of your senior year, obtain prep materials from a local book store to help you prepare for the tests. There are also test prep materials available in the school library, public library, and Career Center for check-out. Our materials are limited. • Students who qualify for testing accommodations (i.e. extended time, small group) see Ms. Patterson in the Fall of their junior year.

14. Finding the Right School • Reach or Dream School • “Good Fit” School • Safe School • Applying to 3-5 schools is recommended.

15. Applying to College • Decide if Early Decision or Early Action programs are for you. • Fill out and submit the online application • Release of information • Secondary School Report Form- two weeks prior to application deadline • Examples: Common Application and JMU • Transcript • Test Scores • Letters of Recommendation

16. Paying for College • FAFSA- Free Application for Federal Student Aid • Super Saturday Program • Scholarships/Grants- “Free” money for college. • Work-Study programs • Student Loans(Stafford Loans-subsidized/un-subsidized) a step by step financial aid process can be accessed at: www.wellsfargo.com/resourceguide.

17. WBHS Counseling Website www.rcs.k12.va.us/wbhs • Scholarship information • College visit schedule • Other important information

18. Conquering the College Chaos • Questions?