Rising Senior Information

1. CLASS OF 2020 Rising Senior Information Smoky Mountain High School

2. Tonight’s Topics • Preparing for Senior Year • What Can Parents Do • College Admissions • Types of Decisions • ACT or SAT? • Financial Aid • Scholarships • CFNC.org

3. Preparing for Senior Year • Registration Meeting with Counselor • Transcript Review • Plans After High School • Resources for Senior Year • Opportunities for Help • Workshop Dates

4. Parents • Challenge your Senior to… • Maintain a challenging course load • Enjoy senior year, but be responsible • Start working on applications, and financial aid this summer • Avoid getting into the pattern of late in’s and early outs • College classes, the military & careers will make them get up in the morning & go past 3 o'clock in the afternoon. • Help them stay organized • Applications log in & passwords • Deadlines & emails

5. College Admissions • Admissions Counselors are reviewing the student as a whole • Course Rigor- college prep courses • Overall Grades • GPA/Class Rank • Extracurricular commitments • Community Service / Community Involvement • The Essay • Recommendations • Test Scores • Courses taken toward major of interest

6. Types of Decisions • Early Decision- commitment • Students submit applications before the regular decision deadline & receive their admissions decisions soon after. Early Decision is binding, which means that any student who applies & is admitted to a school through Early Decision is expected to enroll. • Early Decision applicants typically require some type of signed form that indicated the intention to enroll upon admission. • Early Action- no commitment • Students will submit their applications before the regular deadline and will be informed of their admissions earlier than with regular decision applications. • Regular Decision-no commitment • The vast majority of students who apply to a given institution will do so through regular decision. Application submission deadlines vary between institutions

7. When to Apply Early Decision/Early Action • Applying EA or ED is Appropriate for a Student Who…. • Has researched colleges extensively • Is absolutely sure that the college is their first choice • Has found a college that is a strong match academically, socially, and geographically • Meets or exceeds the admission profile for the ACT/SAT scores, GPA and class rank • Has an academic record that has been consistently solid over time • College Comparison Checklists

8. Transcripts • Need a Transcript Form • Will be given to each student in their registration meeting • Available in the Student Support Center

9. ACT or SAT • ACT www.act.org • All juniors have taken the ACT & will be given copies of their scores during their registration meeting with their School Counselor • Sections: English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning, Optional Writing • Common core aligned • SAT www.collegeboard.org • Offered every November at Smoky Mountain High School • Sections: Reading, Writing & Language, Math, Optional Essay • Stronger emphasis on vocabulary • ALL US COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES ACCEPT SCORES FROM EITHER ACT OR SAT • Both tests use super scoring

10. Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/act-vs-sat

11. Financial Aid • Grants- Does not have to be repaid • Free money usually awarded based on need • Ex. Pell Grants, NC State Lottery Grant, College Funded Grants • Scholarships-Does not have to be repaid • Free money awarded for academics, sports, special talents, cultural/religious backgrounds, etc. • Does not have to be repaid • Work Study- Does not have to be repaid • Money funded by the government to employ the student in a part-time job on or off campus that will pay the student, and pay towards college tuition/fees • Loans- Must be repaid • Borrowed money from government or private lenders that must be paid back, and in some cases paid back with interest

12. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) • Submit FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov • Apply for need-based grants, loans, and work-study • Make sure you are on the .gov website • Financial Need = Cost of Attendance – EFC (Expected Family Contribution) • EFC is determined by income data provided by parents on FAFSA • FSA ID is required • Multiple opportunities at SMHS for FAFSA Help • Can submit October 1st • The sooner the better!

13. College Costs • Billable Expenses • Tuition Fees • Room and Board (if residing on campus) • Meal Plan • These costs show up on college “bill” • Indirect Expenses • Books & Supplies • Room and Board (if residing off campus) • Personal Expenses • Travel • These costs do not show up on college “bill”

14. Scholarships • Take Student Effort- But do not have the be repaid • Monthly Scholarship Flyer- On SSC website & Emailed to Seniors • Look Locally • Utilize different websites • FastWeb.com • Finaid.org/scholarships • cfnc.org • Lendedu.com/blog/scholarships • Beware of Scams • No guarantees • Do not pay to apply

15. CFNC.org • Free Account for All Students • Scholarships • Applications • Transcript Manager • RDS • NC College Application Week • Mostly Independent Colleges & Universities • All Community Colleges • Tentatively set at October 15th-19th

16. Senioritis • Decreased motivation towards studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school career • Symptoms include: slowness, procrastination, apathy regarding school, tendency to be absent or skip • The Serious Side: • Retraction of College Admissions • Academic Probation • Alteration of Financial Aid Award Package

17. Closing Information • Check with your student’s School Counselor about your student’s meeting date • Senior Portraits will be taken on July 8, 2019 • Formal photo • Casual photos • Graduation Date • Announced before Christmas