COLLEGE

1. COLLEGE IS A MATCH TO BE MADE NOT A PRIZE TO BE WON

2. Agenda for this evening: • Timeline • College Search & Visit • Common Terms & Definitions • Questions

3. Presenters This Evening 11th Grade Counselors Stephanie Carter (H-M) Freda Didlake (A-G) Kimberly Pennington (N-Z)

4. 11th Grade - 1st Semester Discover new colleges: Peterson’s, Fiske Guide, Insider’s Guide, Colleges that Change Lives, Rugg’s Internet & Catalogs Career Center Career Cruising Attend College Visits at Pioneer High School

5. 11th Grade - 2nd Semester • Meetings with Counselor • Plan completion of graduation requirements • Study and take SAT, ACT and MME exams • On-Campus College Visits (go to class, stay overnight) • Attend College and Career Fair at Pioneer HS on March 30, 2011. • Fill out Senior Profile and Parent Brag Sheet, due May 1 (Make copy for yourself, too!) • Request teacher recommendations

6. Summer Before 12th Grade • Fill out applications for Colleges - find them online, note due dates • Don’t submit before review and revision! • Personal essays need particular care • Read summer mailing from Pioneer HS • Study and retake SAT & ACT tests in early Fall (optional)

7. 12th Grade - 1st Semester • Submit counselor/school page of application to Main Office • Go to College Visits at Pioneer HS Admissions Officers available. It’s helpful to meet these people! • Retake SAT & ACT tests as needed • Continue rigorous program of study ALL year

8. 12th Grade - 2nd Semester • Fill out FAFSA after January 1st • Check weekly at Career Center for scholarships • Receive acceptance/rejection letters from colleges • Continue to work hard academically: 2nd semester classes & grades count towards acceptance or “denial”! • Contact Financial Aid officers at proposed colleges (if needed) • Develop a plan to finance college • Make final decision, make your deposit!

9. How to do a College Search & Visit

10. WHAT DO I LOOK FOR? • What do you know about yourself? • Likes, Dislikes, Interests, Values • Environment - location, size, etc. • Admission Requirements • Academics • College Expenses & Financial Aid • Housing • Facilities • Activities You are looking for a college that “fits” and will likely have a preliminary list of 15-20 colleges to explore

11. HOW DO I SEARCH? • EDP & Career Cruising • Career Center at Pioneer High School • College Visits at Pioneer High School • On-campus college visits • Online internet research • Helpful books • Research - Research - Research!

12. Career Center • Joyce Williams, Career Center Director • Hours of Operation: 7:30 - 3:00 M-F • Location: Across from the Cafeteria • Students can spend lunchtime and 7th hour in the Career Center • Parents are more than welcome to utilize these resources!

13. What is in the Career Center? • Online Searches • College Catalogs & DVD’s • PSAT, SAT & ACT applications & practice tests • Resources for other Post-secondary planning: Military, Vocational Schools, Apprenticeships, etc. • Scholarship Opportunities • Summer & Internship Opportunities

14. On-Campus College Visits • Call or e-mail the Admissions Offices at prospective colleges • Ask about procedures for a Campus Visit • Try to plan visits while college is in session • Inquire if college students will be available for questions • Try to attend a class or two & ask about eating in the dining hall • Try to spend a night in the dorm or see a dorm room during a campus tour

15. College Athletics • Playing sports in college requires careful planning throughout high school. Apply to the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse in the spring of junior year if you plan to play sports in college. Check the website NCAAclearinghouse.net for updated information. Students being recruited and needing transcripts for that purpose must have a release form on filein the Records Office.

16. Steps in Applying to College

17. It’s Here! • After careful research, select at least 3-5 colleges to apply to. Consider colleges where your admission might be a stretch, pretty certain and guaranteed. Do NOT apply to a school if you would never attend there. • Pioneer HS will begin accepting applications for processing the second week in September. • You may be eligible for a college application fee waiver if you are eligible for free/reduced lunch. See your counselor.

18. Common Terms & Definitions

19. Admissions Information • Rolling Admission – An admission procedure where the college considers each application as soon as all required materials have been received. The college then notifies each applicant of acceptance or rejection as soon as possible. • Candidates Reply Date – A policy among subscribing institutions that permits students to wait until May 1 to choose, without penalty, among offers of admission/financial aid. • Wait List – Colleges may initially delay offering admission by extending the possibility of admission in the future. Colleges offer admission to wait list candidates if insufficient numbers of regularly admitted candidates accept their offers of admission. • Deferred Enrollment - The practice of some colleges of allowing an accepted student to postpone enrollment for one year.

20. Selective Admissions Options • Early Action –Permits students to apply to an institution and receive a decision in advance of the normal response dates in the spring of senior year. The candidate is not committed to enroll at that particular institution. • Early Decision – This is a binding commitment that, if admitted, the student will enroll. The institution will require a nonrefundable deposit from the student and student will withdraw applications from all other colleges.

21. Financial Aid Terms • Financial Aid Package is a combination of aid (possibly including a scholarship, grant, loan, and work study) determined by each college financial aid office. • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application is required for students to be considered for federal student financial aid. FAFSA is used by most state agencies and colleges to determine eligibility for financial aid. • Pioneer has a financial aid program for parents in late Fall every year. A financial aid officer from a local college or university will help you understand the process.

22. IMPORTANT JUNIOR YEAR TESTS A Quick Review: PSAT, SAT, ACT, MME, AP

23. Standardized College Admission Exams • SAT I – Reasoning Test – This SAT is a three-hour, primarily multiple-choice test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities that develop over time. Many colleges require SAT scores for admission. • SAT II – Subject Tests – Subject Tests are one-hour, primarily multiple-choice tests that measure your knowledge of particular subjects and your ability to apply that knowledge. Check the requirements of the colleges you are considering. More selective colleges may require or recommend one or more Subject Tests for admission or placement. • ACT – Assessment Test – A group of tests administered by ACT and required or recommended by many colleges. The tests measure educational development in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning and are given at specified test centers throughout the year.

24. MMEMichigan Merit Exam March 1-3, 2011 Juniors only Required for graduation Part I is ACT PART II is ACT Work Keys PART III Michigan components of exam

25. AP (Advanced Placement) Colleges may award credit based on student performance on national AP subject examinations.

26. WHERE DO I TURN TO ASK QUESTIONS? • COUNSELOR • CAREER CENTER • COLLEGE WEBSITES

27. Thank you for coming! We hope this makes the college application process a little easier!