Welcome!

1. Welcome! Junior Parent College and Post Secondary Planning Information Session Beverly High School Guidance Department

2. Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • College Search/College Visit Process • Naviance • Admissions Tests, SATs and ACTs • Junior/Senior Year Timelines • Financial Aid: How do I pay for this? • Questions?

3. Julie Angelo ext. 11106 • jangelo@beverlyschools.org • Michelle Burke ext. 11107 • mburke@beverlyschools.org • Danielle DiCarlo ext. 11110 • ddicarlo@beverlyschools.org • Tina Grasso ext. 11105 • tgrasso@beverlyschools.org • Melinda Loosian ext. 11108 • mloosian@beverlyschools.org Support Staff • Veronica Belleau ext. 11103 • Registrar, Scholarships • Lori Spurvey ext. 11102 • Secretary, Transcripts

4. Life After Beverly High School 94% of 2011 graduates pursued post-secondary education

5. How do I choose a school? • Narrowing down choices: • Location, size, environment, internship options, study abroad options, majors, selectivity, cost, etc. • Making A List of Schools… Reach = dream school/but may be a stretch Target/Realistic = good chance of getting accepted Safety = will definitely be accepted (MAKE SURE SAFETY SCHOOLS ARE SCHOOLS WHICH YOUR CHILD REALLY WOULD CONSIDER ATTENDING) • Visit Colleges, Meet with Reps, Take Virtual Tours

6. College Visits • Students allowed 1 day junior year for college visits and 2 in senior year. • Check for Open House/Tour Dates through Admissions Office on college websites. • Pick up college visit forms in Guidance. • Boston National College Fair Field Trip on Thursday, May 3. • College Mini-Fairs @ BHS in October.

7. Stresses/Anxieties Parents • “How involved should I be?” • “What if we made the wrong choice?” • “Can we afford this?” • “Is my child ready for college?” Students • “ What do I want to do for the rest of my life? “ • “I don’t want to go to a state school or community college!” • “I won’t get in anywhere!”

8. Naviance Using Family Connectionhttp://connection.naviance.com/beverly Online Resource for College/Career Planning & Advising

9. How do students and parents register? • Guidance Staff creates accounts with students when they are Freshmen • Parents accounts can be created through Student Account • On subsequent visits, sign in using the Returning User box, through Family Connection • Guidance reviews Naviance procedures in Junior Seminar and Individual Appointments

10. What can it do? • Compares colleges in a chart version and in a scattergram plot, using BHS Graduate Data • Links students directly to college websites • College Searches • Maintains an organized portfolio of colleges students are applying to/interested in • Career Exploration with Personality Inventory/Career Interest Profiler/Learning Style Inventory • Course Selection Process Starts Here

11. How is it accessed? • Family Connection web-based, and a direct link is provided on the BHS website. Click on NAVIANCE to get there! The direct website is: http://connection.naviance.com/beverly • Student accounts are created ahead of time with Guidance Staff • Guest accounts are available, if your child forgets their username/password • Students can see Guidance Staff to reset usernames and passwords, if necessary

14. Upcoming SAT/ACT Test Dates ACTs April 14 March 9th registration deadline June 9 May 4th registration deadline www.act.org SATs March 10 February 10th registration deadline May 5 April 6th registration deadline June 2 May 8th registration deadline www.collegeboard.com

15. To-Do-List for Spring of Junior Year • Work hard in school and try to finish strong • Meet with guidance counselor to check graduation requirements, course selections, and college/career planning • Register for SATs/ACTs and consider taking SATs Subject Tests • Develop preliminary list of colleges • Ask teachers for letters of recommendation • Attend National College Fair with Guidance Staff in May • Attend Spring Open House Events (look at college sites for these) • Plan college visits in conjunction with any summer travels • Choose carefully your senior courses at BHS. (Consider graduation requirements & college acceptance requirements) • Brainstorm college essay • Develop Resume/Data Sheet

16. Boston National College Fair Field Trip Boston Convention and Expo Center Thursday, May 3 9-noon (leaving BHS @ 8:30) FIRST 200 JUNIORS TO SIGN UP CAN ATTEND! Need Signed Permission Slips AND BUS FEE Students will return for 3rd lunch and class at 1pm. *Permission slips will be given out end of March/early April in Advisory. http://nacac.com

17. Senior Timeline • Visit schools all summer and in early fall • Take “round 2” of SAT or ACT in Oct or Nov • Complete applications • Early Decision/Early Action (usually by Oct 15, Nov 1, or Nov 15) • Applying by Thanksgiving (for Regular Decision) • Submit Financial Aid Forms • FAFSA filed after Jan 1 • February 15 is priority filing date • CSS Profile deadlines are earlier, usually in fall • Look for local scholarship application in the guidance office DEADLINES, DEADLINES, DEADLINES….

18. Financial Aid • Federal aid (FAFSA / CSS Profile) • FAFSA: www.fafsa.ed.gov can be mailed after Jan 1st • CSS Profile: form or college’s own form • Loans, Grants, Scholarships, Work Study • Scholarships • BHS has a running list of private scholarships. Check daily announcements/website regularly. These are available in Guidance Office as well. • Research many national scholarships through www.fastweb.com or www.collegeboard.com • Merit or need based aid (awarded by school or Mass Pell Grant)

19. Thank you for coming!!  Beverly High School Guidance Department www.bhsonline.org 978.921.6132