College : Sounds great but how do I get there?

1. College:Sounds great but how do I get there?

2. Tonight's overview: Why go to college? What do colleges look for in a student? How and when do I start preparing? How am I going to pay for college? Where can I find scholarships?

3. Why go to college? • Individuals who have a college degree earn an average of $22,000 more per year than those with only a high school diploma (www.collegeboard.org) • A college education gives a person more job security. People with a high school diploma are more than twice as likely to be unemployed. • For most students who go to college, the increase in lifetime earnings far outweighs the cost of their education. • College is more than just a classroom. It’s an important time in life to learn and grow as a person while gaining independence and life skills.

5. Choosing a college;Things to consider… • Size of the Student Body • Academic attention; extracurricular activities • Location: Close to home? New part of the country? City? College town? • Academic Programs • Campus Life • What extracurricular activities, athletics, and special interest groups are available? • Are students welcomed by the community? • Cost • Diversity: geographic, ethnic, racial, and religious diversity

6. How do I get there?? • Wanting to Go to College is Different than Being PREPARED to GO! • There is NO time to waste! • Waiting until junior or senior year to get serious about school is a MISTAKE! • Why? You get accepted into college primarily based on what you do in the first three years of high school!!! • Getting Into College Competitive!

7. What do colleges look for? • ACT/SAT Score • Grade Point Average (GPA) • Extracurricular activities (after school jobs, community service, leadership, involvement in school clubs) • Coursework: 4 years of math, science, English, and history; 1year of a foreign language; AP and honors classes whenever possible

8. AP and PreAP vs. GPA AP and PreAP classes: • What to expect next year (we will be tougher) • When should you and why (helps ACT scores) • When you should not! (but don’t jeopardize GPA)

9. How and when do I start preparing? • NOW • Check GPA and credits in INOW • When does GPA begin? • What is GPA? • A=4 pts, B=3 pts, C=2 pts, D=1 pt, F=no points or credit • Quality points • Weighted vs unweighted GPA

10. Monitor grades • Progress Reports • 4 ½ Weeks • 9 Weeks • 13 ½ Weeks • Report Card - at the end of each Semester • This grade is posted on your transcript and will count toward your grade point average (GPA). • How close is the next quality point above? • You will earn ½ credit at the end of each semester.

11. Testing overview: • 6-8th: ASPIRE (ACT test replacing the ARMT) • 8th: EXPLORE (last year fall 2014) • 10th: PLAN • 11th: ACT (beginning spring 2014) ASPIRE>EXPLORE>PLAN>ACT Each test builds on the other to predict the next set of scores above. 11th and 12th grade students on Free/Red lunch two fee waivers

12. How will I pay for college? • Scholarships • Grants: does not have to be repaid • Work Study: work on campus • Loans: To be repaid • Apply for these through FASFA your Senior year: Grants, Loans, Work Study

13. Scholarships • Athletic (ACT and GPA requirements) • Academic Merit (ACT and GPA with priority deadline Dec of senior year) see next slide • College specific scholarships (Music, Art, etc) • Back door Scholarships • Listed on Jefcoed website, fastweb.com, local scholarships (ECO credit, Mercedes Benz, etc.)

14. Scholarships continued • Big 4 year colleges • ACT mid twenty’s to partial 30’s for full 3.0-3.5 GPA • Smaller college options • ACT lower 20’s partial to upper 20’s for full 3.0-3.5 GPA • 2 Year colleges (Jeff State) • ACT 22 and 3.0 GPA ALSO, don’t apply to just one college and change up choices!

15. Grants: A “gift” that does not have to be repaid and has certain criteria FASFA -"Free Application for Federal Student Aid.“ Based on income, most families qualify for some, max. of $5600.00 APPLY IN JANUARY OF SENIOR YEAR

16. Work Study: work on campus • Benefits: • On campus job • Often can study during down time • Getting paid

17. Loans: To be repaid • Subsidized vs unsubsidized You want the subsidized!! You will qualify for these if you qualify for FASFA Try not to exceed the annual salary of the job your degree! Examples: sculptor, teacher, doctor

18. Helpful Hints from Upperclassmen • Come to school!! • Do ALL of your work • Pay attention in class. Even take a note or two. • Pay attention to your teachers. They are trying to teach you something • Find a homework buddy for each class in case you are absent or forget something at school • Get to know your peers. • Go to school events.

19. More Helpful Hints … • Get involved at school and in the community. It helps to build your resume. • Remember GPA starts counting in 9th grade!! • Use the ACPS Kuder system-it helps with work interests and values, finding colleges that fit you, scholarships, etc. (www.alcareerinfo.org) • It’s important to take school seriously but still enjoy it. Don’t wait until you are a senior to start looking for scholarships or colleges • FASFA is not hard to complete • USE YOUR JUNIOR/SENIOR JOURNAL (Mrs. King)

20. Know your School Counselors • Laura King and Jennifer Collins • Honorary counselor: Vincent Quick • Counselor office is located in the front office • Students sign up to see the counselor in the office or parents can call for an appointment • Your counselor addresses your concerns: academic, personal, and social • Counselors keep information confidential or on a need to know basis, unless you or someone else is getting hurt

21. RESOURCES: • www.alcareerinfo.org • www.collegeboard.org • www.fastweb.com • www.fasfa.ed.gov • www.educationquest.org • www.act.org

22. QUESTIONS?