Junior College Planning Workshop

1. Junior College Planning Workshop May 27, 2014 Ms. Gung

2. Your Ideal Post-NSA World • Envision the ideal college experience that best meets your needs and interests. • Location – specific city, urban/suburban/rural, distance from family, proximity to nearest city • Size – number of students, size of classes • Public vs. private • Loans • Major/minor, emphasis on liberal arts and sciences vs. a specific specialization • Field of expertise of professors • “Feel” – residential vs. commuter, type of student, focus on undergraduates or grad students, competitiveness, diversity, preppy/formal vs. low-key, religiosity, school spirit • Activities – clubs & organizations, Greek life, sports, religious opportunities

3. Looking for Colleges • Write down the characteristics you visualized in the brainstorming exercise. • Prioritize the 5 characteristics that are MOST important to you right now – rank them on your sheet. • This is your starting point for research. • Goal: Whittle it down to 3-5 schools to apply to • Include an academic AND financial “safety” school • Match/reach schools

4. How to Research • College Board Big Future: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org • Colleges That Change Lives: www.ctcl.org • Academic Common Market • Individual college websites • Admissions page • Financial aid/scholarships page • Academic/arts department page

5. Organize Your Research • College Comparison Chart • Part I: Researching general “fit” of schools to whittle down your list to 3-5 schools to which you’ll apply • Part II: Organizing admissions/scholarship/event deadlines to apply • Part III: Scholarships

6. Do Now • Spend 10-15 minutes researching colleges and adding details to Part I of “College Comparison Chart”

7. Financial Aid Sources • Financial aid vs. scholarships • FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid • CSS Profile • Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC): State grants • TN Promise • Tuition savings programs • “No Loan” Schools • Outside scholarships

8. Scholarships • College financial aid/scholarship websites • College department websites: music, theatre, etc. • College Honors College website • Senior Newsletters from Ms. Gung • “Scholarships” tab of NSA School Counseling website

9. Do Now • Spend 10-15 minutes researching scholarships at the schools you plan to apply to, scholarship websites on NSA School Counseling page, or Senior Newsletters • http://teacherweb.com/TN/NSA/SchoolCounseling

10. Summer Before Senior Year • Spend 2-3 hours a week on college related tasks • Research schools based characteristics you prioritized – use Part I of College Comparison Chart for this. • Identify 3-5 schools to which you’ll apply. Complete Part II of College Comparison Chart for important admissions/scholarship/event deadlines. • Plan a tour in early Fall – use your 3 college visit days! Check college admission website for dates of college tours & big events to put on your calendar. • Write draft of your college essay – use Common App or school application to identify topic.

11. Summer Before Senior Year (cont.) • Write draft of resume. (See examples on “College Planning Resources” tab of School Counseling website.) • Start/finish Senior Questionnaire from Ms. Gung for recommenders. • Start researching scholarships – “Scholarships” tab of School counseling website, Senior Newsletters, etc. • Do things related to your interests! • Work • Job shadow • Volunteer: Hands on Nashville (www.hon.org) • Capstone project hours

12. Questions?