Senior Parent Orientation

1. Senior Parent Orientation Class of 2015 October 2, 2014 Presented by the OAHS Guidance Department

2. Meet the Guidance Department Mr. Daniel Fitzgerald, Guidance Counselor (A - Doherty) Ms. Katherine Abruzzese, Guidance Counselor (Donovan - Kramer) Mrs. Colleen Lutkevich, Guidance Counselor (Kudcey – Purnell) Mrs. Susan Mancuso, Director of Guidance (Q-Z) Mrs. Kathy Duggan, Guidance Secretary

3. Today’s Agenda • Making a Plan • Sat & ACT • College Application Process & Deadlines • Financial Aid • Naviance • Tips for Dealing with Senior Stress

4. What’s Your Child’s Plan? • 4 year college • 2 year college • Other post-secondary training • Military • Workforce • There is something for everyone! • Every student needs a PLAN for life after high school!

5. SAT SAT Reasoning Test • 3 Sections • Writing • Critical Reading • Math • Deadline to register for November 9th SAT is October 9th • Deadline to register for December 6th SAT is November 6th • Late registration now for Oct 11th test SAT Subject Tests • One hour in length • Required by the most competitive colleges • Typically schools want two • $52.50 SAT test fee • $26.00 Basic subject test fee • $28.00 Late fee • $11.25 additional score reports (beyond the four free) www.collegeboard.org

6. ACT • The ACT assesses students ability to complete college-level work • The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science • $38.00 ACT no writing • $54.50 ACT Plus Writing • $24.00 Late fee • $12.00 additional score reports • The Writing Test is optional • The deadline for late registration for the October 25th ACT is October 3rd • The registration deadline for the December 13th test is November 7th. www.actstudent.org

7. MA State University Admissions Standards

8. MA State University Admissions Standards

9. The College Process • Teacher Letters of Recommendation Ask at least one teacher (two at the most.) Please ask them in person and send them an email request through your Naviance account. Please provide them with envelopes for any schools that still require snail mail. • Student Questionnaire Can be found on Naviance under the ‘About Me’ tab. Your counselor and teachers will use this when writing your letter of recommendation. • College List Please list all of the schools you are applying to in your Naviance account under the ‘Colleges’ tab. Be sure to have this information in TWO WEEKS before your first deadline.

10. Responsibilities – Who Sends What? • Counselor: Transcripts, school profile forms, letter of recommendation, secondary school report form • Teacher: Letter of recommendation • Student: Application and fee, essay, resume (where applicable), test scores

11. Reminder on Deadlines • Early Decision • Early Action • Regular Decision • Rolling Admissions

12. What about Finances? • Talk to your seniors • Learn about scholarships • Information on local scholarships will be available in February

13. Financial Aid 101 All colleges require the FAFSA to determine eligibility for federal and state aid. This form can be filed (www.fafsa.ed.gov) after January 1, 2015. In addition to the FAFSA, many private colleges require the PROFILE form to determine eligibility for institutional aid. The PROFILE can be filed after October 1. There is a $5.00 registration fee plus a charge of $18 for each college or university to which the form is sent. (www.collegeboard.com)

14. Financial Aid 101 MEFA College Finance Seminar Tuesday, December 2nd Stonehill College Martin Institute 6:30pm

15. Common Applicationwww.commonapp.org

16. Naviancehttp://connection.naviance.com/oliverames

17. Tips For Dealing With Senior Stress • Know your teen • Listen to your teen • Know where to get help if you need it • Stress isn’t always bad…it can be a great motivator

18. Don’t Worry, You Can Do It! • Senior year can be stressful, but we are here to help • Work with your guidance counselor • Keep on track • Nine months from now will be graduation!