Information for Seniors

1. Information for Seniors Welcome Back Class of 2014!

2. WHS Counselors • Students A through E Mrs. Bishop Students F through K Mrs. Fassbender Students L through Q Mr. Landis Students R through Z Mrs. Kuntz and Mrs. Glynn

3. First Things First! • Attention all male students – when you turn 18-years of age, you are required to register for the Selective Service! • You can register online at: http://www.sss.gov/FSregist.htm • You can register at any US Post Office

4. Military Recruitment • Any student interested in pursing a career in the military, there is information in the Counseling Office. • There will be visits from various military branches once per semester during school lunch hours. Individual appointments may be made by you with recruiters. Note: If you do not want to be contacted by the any of the Military branches, please notify the Main Office.

5. THE ACT vs. the SAT By now, most of you planning to attend college have taken the ACT or SAT test. For those of you who have not yet taken the test, here is important information: • The ACT is an academic achievement test which predicts your success in college. The SAT is an aptitude test, and it is structured to measure how well you can apply the material you have learned in HS. • If you plan to attend a 4-year school, you must take either the ACT or SAT. For schools in WI and in the Midwest, the ACT is generally preferred, but you should check with any out-of-state school choices you have to see which exam they prefer. • ACT and SAT requests that students register online when possible. This is to cut paper/mailing costs. Registration for re-testing should be done online. ACT Fees for 2013-14: • $36.50 for the basic test • $52.50 for ACT + Writing. If you are planning to apply to UW-Madison, Marquette University, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities or UM-Duluth, you MUST take the writing portion of the ACT or the SAT. • LATE FEES ARE AN ADDITIONAL $23.00 for ACT!

6. THE ACT vs. the SAT (continued) • SAT Fees for 2013-14 are: $51.00/test (SAT 1); $24.50 for one subject test; $13.00 for additional subject tests (SAT II); $24.00 for language with listening tests. • Late fees are AN ADDITIONAL $27.50. Upcoming Test Dates: • ACT: October 26, 2013 – reg. September 27, 2013 • SAT: October 5, 2013 – reg. September 06, 2013; Subject Tests also offered this date

7. How to Prepare for the ACT or SAT • There are ACT and SAT practice tests and preparation strategies @ www.testprepwi.org or www.studystack.com. These are free sites. • There are also ACT booklets available in the Counseling Office. • There are also ACT prep classes available at McFarland HS. Please stop in the Counseling Office for details.

8. General Directions for the 4-year College Application Process • All of the 2- and 4-year UW Systems Schools prefer that you apply online at: http://apply.wisconsin.edu beginning September 1st. • Fees are $44.00 per application for UW Systems schools. You may pay online with a credit card. • The Counseling Office does not hold letters of recommendation and other application information until your online application is complete. Please bring these items to the Counseling Office for mailing with your transcript AFTER your online application is complete.

9. General Directions for the 4-year College Application Process • It is recommended that you complete an electronic application to the UW-System Schools; if this is not possible, there are paper applications available. • You may work on and save your electronic copy until you are finished. This gives you the opportunity to check for errors before submitting a completed application. The WI Private Colleges will either have a campus-specific application or they may use the Common Application. More on the Common Application later. • You will be required to supply written answers to some questions and submit a Personal Statement. Personal Statements may be submitted as part of the electronic application or as an attachment. If you choose to submit this electronically, we strongly suggest that you create your statement in Word first, then copy/paste it into the application. This will help you avoid grammatical and electronic errors. • Not all colleges expect or require letters of recommendation. We suggest that you should submit at least 1 letter of recommendation with your application(s). Letters should be from a teacher first, then principals, counselors, ministers, or employers. Per School Board Policy, class rank WILL NOT be included on your transcripts or given to any schools. If you have questions about this policy, please speak with your counselor.

10. Getting Letters of Recommendation • If your application requests letters of recommendation, give teachers, coaches, employers, etc. extra time to write these. • There are “brag” sheets available in the Counseling Office for you to fill out. This is helpful for your letter writers. • You may submit letters of recommendation even if they are not required – again, this is important for the UW-Madison application. • Make sure to give your writers enough time to compose your letter!

12. The Personal Statement Writing Clinic • Mrs. Doucette and Mrs. Fassbender will host a writing clinic to help you prepare your personal statements for your college applications and scholarship opportunities. • These clinics are designed to give you specifics about writing statement expectations, good writing style, and tips for a concise and well-written personal statement. We will be happy to review any rough drafts you have been working on during these times. • The clinic times will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 – 8:00 pm on: 9/11/2013 9/25/2013 10/9/2013

13. The Personal Statement Writing Clinic • Please be sure to give your readers plenty of time to review your statements. This will give them time for a critical review and constructive feedback. • Never leave your personal statement for review with a reader WITHOUT talking with them first!

14. The Common Application • Colleges will not be able to download electronic teacher recommendations unless the student submits their Common Application Online to that college. You then will give the email address of the teacher and the teacher will be prompted electronically to write the recommendation through the Common Application. • Counselors cannot submit the required counselor’s Page/School Report online. You will note your counselor’s email address when you apply via the Common Application, and your counselor will be notified by the Common Application that you’ve applied. The counselor will then opt out of the online process. • This is a lengthy application process and includes the School Report, Midyear and Final Reports. The personal information on these reports must be filled out and printed off by you. Please bring these completed forms to the Counseling Office.

15. The Common Application Early Decision vs. Early Action • Early Decision Early Decision plans are BINDING. By selecting Early Decision, you agree to attend the college if you are accepted and if the college offers an adequate financial aid package. You can apply to only ONE college for Early Decision, but you may also apply to other colleges through the regular admission process. • Early Action Early action is similar to Early Decision but it IS NOT binding. If accepted, you can choose to commit to the college immediately, or wait until the Spring. Under Early Action, you may apply to another college action to another college.

16. Ordering Your Transcripts • There is a fee for transcripts. Each official transcript is $2.55. Transcript requests must be made in writing and submitted with the required fee to the Counseling Office. These request forms are available in the Counseling Office. • NEW THIS YEAR: When initially ordering your transcripts, you will also be charged for your final transcript at that time. This is to avoid the chaos of ordering your final transcript at the end of the school year. • We are unable to send ANY transcripts electronically at this time. All transcripts must be ordered by you, in person, and be paid for at the time you order them. • Unofficial transcripts may be printed by you via the Infinite Campus portal.

17. Unsure as to Where to Apply? • There are booklets available in the Counseling Office. These are sent to us from the UW Systems Schools, WI Private Colleges and WI Technical Colleges • The booklets list majors and career track offerings • They also list vital campus statistics • All of this information is online, too!

18. Unsure as to Where to Apply? • WISCareers.wisc.edu is a valuable tool to search for majors, school information, and career planning. If you have forgotten your login ID and password, please see your counselor. • UW System Schools offers majormania.uwex.eduto help you search careers and campuses. • Wisconsin Private Colleges uses: wisconsinsprivatecolleges.org as their major/career search engine.

19. The NCAAFacts, Forms, and Requirements • If you are being recruited to play a sport at a Division I, II, or III college/university, you should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. This will ensure that you have taken the required NCAA accepted courses and meet their credit requirements. Please see Mr. Smith in the Athletic Office for more information. On-line registration and information is available at: http://www.NCAAClearinghouse.org. • The fee for registration is $70.00 and may be paid online with a credit card. You will be required to submit an official ACT or SAT score report directly to the NCAA if you haven’t done so already. You will be charged an additional fee of $11.00. ACT score reports are available at: www.actstudent.org; SAT score reports are available at www.collegeboard.org and cost $11.25 per report. • You are responsible for ordering your transcripts and ACT/SAT score reports to be sent directly to NCAA. There is no charge to send your transcripts to the NCAA. • For any additional questions, please see Mr. Smith.

20. The Wisconsin Technical Colleges Madison College and Beyond! • The WI Technical College booklet gives you general information and also contains an application. Madison College (formerly MATC) has a terrific website and an on-line application -- take a virtual tour at http://www.matcmadison.edu. The application fee is $30.00; online processing is an additional $5.00. If you apply by paper, you will incur additional costs. Paper copies should be downloaded from the Madison College website. • Applications for fall semester 2014 will be accepted starting September 1, 2013. Many high-demand programs close the third Monday of October. Be sure to check their website for high-demand programs and predicted length of waiting lists. • If you have not taken the ACT yet and you are certain you want to attend technical college, check the particular technical school’s website to see if the program you want to pursue requires the ACT. Each particular major will have information regarding any ACT score requirements for admissions

21. The Wisconsin Technical Colleges Madison College and Beyond! Note:The Guaranteed Transfer Program does NOT require the ACT or SAT. You will be required to take either the COMPASS or ASSET entrance exams. • Applications will be considered complete when the required placement tests have been taken and all required application materials have been received. • For high-demand programs, there may be an advance reservation fee. This fee will apply towards tuition at the time of enrollment. • Madison College and WI Technical Colleges specific websites will let you know if certain programs are full and expect waiting lists. Such programs are: Nursing, Radiology, Graphic Design, Firefighting, etc.

22. Wisconsin Private Colleges • There are booklets in the Counseling Office of all of the private colleges/universities in Wisconsin. Each college has their own application and admissions criteria. You should be aware that some of these schools have sports programs and are Division I/II/III schools – remember the NCAA rules/release where applicable. • Private colleges are more expensive up front, but they also offer generous financial aid and scholarship opportunities • Private colleges have smaller class sizes, and easier access to professors. • Application fees range from $0 – beyond. There are often fee waivers available either online or in the Counseling Office.

23. College and University Applications for Out-of-State Schools • Websites are your best source of current information for each specific school as well as application information and directions. • There are computer terminals in the Counseling Office to help your with your searches and the application process.

24. Housing and Dorms! • Housing can be a problem at some schools. Some schools will allow you to register for housing before you’re accepted. You will need to be aware of each school’s housing policies. • Housing deposits are required; refunds are granted if the schools are notified by certain dates (generally May 1). BE CAREFUL because out-of-state schools may not offer refunds – check with your schools. • Be aware of housing requirements for your schools – some schools require two (2) years in a dorm – become familiar with the housing regulations for each school you apply to. • Most schools will send out housing packets after you’re accepted. • MAKE SURE TO INDICATE ON YOUR APPLICATION THAT YOU WANT HOUSING!

25. Financial Aid • If you are applying for financial aid you will be completing a federal FAFSA (Free Application for Financial Aid) form. These forms will NOT be available until January 1st . There are no fees to apply for financial aid. • Our financial aid night is DECEMBER 11, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. You and your parents should plan to attend to get information on the financial aid process. • You can be looking for scholarships. You will find college-sponsored scholarships by searching school-specific websites. Mrs. Fassbender also prepares a bi-monthly listing known as the Scholarship Bulletin. Bulletins are in a spreadsheet format and list all active scholarships by name, due date, and specific requirements. These are available by paper or online at the Counseling website. • There is also a bulletin board outside of the Counseling Office that has all current bulletin listings by categories. The secretaries will give you any applications and/or directions. • APPLY, APPLY, APPLY – you cannot receive money if you don’t apply.

26. The Annual Scholarship Fund Drive • Mr. Landis will come into your Law classes in March with information for the Drive scheduled for APRIL 16, 2014. Student teams go door-to-door collecting scholarship donations. • Students MUST fill out the REQUIRED application materials. Monies collected at the end of the drive are divided between all the students who participate and who have turned in their completed application. In general, the more effort you put into this, the more money you are awarded. • BE AWARE OF THE DATE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP DRIVE – MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDARS AND REQUEST THAT DAY OFF OF WORK

27. “Buyer Beware” • You may be contacted by private companies via the mail or telephone offering to find scholarships for you for a fee ($35-1,300+). • Do NOT pay anyone money for this service as they CANNOT guarantee you scholarship dollars. This is a database search only, and it has no guarantees.

28. College Representative Visits • Representatives call us and schedule dates to come in and meet with interested students. If you are interested in meeting with a representative, you need to come to the Counseling Office to get a pass. • Announcements will be made as to the upcoming visits, and we will post visits outside of the Counseling Office.

29. Some Final Reminders…. • Enjoy your senior year – the time goes by very quickly. • Once you are accepted to a school, this does not mean party time… Schools can and do rescind their admission offers, especially if classes are dropped or your grades drop significantly. Schools expect you to maintain your standing! • Plan to have your application (s) submitted before the end of October or early November – that way, you will know your standing when you return from Christmas break. • If you drop a class after you have been accepted to a school, you will need to contact the school directly to inform them of this change. You may come to the Counseling Office to make these calls. Some schools reserve the right to rescind your acceptance if you drop classes.

30. Wisconsin Education Fairs • The Wisconsin Education Fairs are your opportunity to talk to colleges, technical colleges, vocational and trade schools, and the military about your future. • IT IS FREE! • Sun Prairie HS hosts two visit days: 10/10/2013 – 9:00-11:00 am 10/10/2013 – 6:30-8:30 pm • There are other sites throughout the State of Wisconsin • This is a great opportunity to meet a number of colleges, scan your name into their database systems, and gather great information!

31. Thank you for your Attention! • Please see your counselor with any questions. • Brag sheets are in the Counseling Office. • A summary of this presentation will be available on our website for your information! We are happy to help you! GOOD LUCK!