Senior Parent College Night

1. Senior Parent College Night Mrs. Ah Young Chi College/Career Counselor achi@smmusd.org Mr. Luke Sferra High School Counselor (A-K) lsferra@smmusd.org Ms. Elle Yaghoobian (Sub for Mrs. Katie Dahm) High School Counselor (L-Z) eyaghoobian@smmusd.org

2. Your resources for college planning • CCC website • CCC calendar on the web • MHS eNews mailing list to sign up • Naviance Family Connection • College and Career Center!

3. Postsecondary Options • 4-year college or university (Bachelor degree) • Public: UC or CSU • Private: over 70 in California • Out of State Public or Private: over 3,000 • 2-year college (Associate degree, career training or transfer) • Trade or technical school (varying degrees and certificates) • Military • Work • Gap year (concrete plan with a destination in mind for the 2nd year, usually)

4. Graduation Requirements

5. College Prep Senior’s Timeline • Search – self assessment for needs and wishes (self & family) • Narrow down the college list • Apply • Wait for an admission decision • Look for scholarships • Apply for financial aid • Continue with life! • Admission decisions arrive • Make a decision – self assessment • Graduate, attend orientation, move in!

6. College Systems • Community colleges • California State University • University of California • Private colleges and university in California • Out-of-state private and public colleges and universities

7. Community Colleges • 109 campuses in California • Associate degrees (many lead to careers) • Transfer to 4-year school (finish Bachelor degree) • To transfer to CSU or UC and some private schools, must complete 60 semester units (2 years) at CC • To transfer to most private schools, only need 30 semester units (1 year) at CC • Articulation agreements or TAG are available for most schools • Is it “easier” to get into a 4-year school as a transfer?

8. California State University • 23 campuses • Bachelor and Master degrees • First institution of higher education established by the State of California, originally established to train teachers • To be eligible: 2.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT (no Writing) • Not required: SAT Subjects, recommendation letters, essays, transcript • Application filing period: Oct 1 – Nov 30 • To apply: www.csumentor.edu • Impacted campuses: Chico, East Bay, Fresno, Fullerton, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Northridge, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, SDSU, SFSU, San Jose State, Cal Poly SLO, San Marcos, Sonoma

9. University of California • 10 campuses but San Francisco is graduate only • Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees • Research/theory based curriculums • Competitive admissions with few highly selected campuses • To be eligible: 3.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT with Writing, SAT Subject exams (certain majors ONLY), personal statement • Not required: recommendation letters, transcript • Application filing period: Nov 1 – Nov 30 (available Oct 1) • To apply: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply

10. Private and Out of State Schools • 75 private colleges and universities in California • 3,000+ colleges and universities in US (including public) • All vary in admission requirements and application deadlines • MUST BE ORGANIZED! • Application requirements: application usually with essays and activities, official transcript, official test scores, letters of recommendation, and sometimes interview • Over 400 schools are part of the Common Application • Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Restrictive Early Action • http://www.nacacnet.org/PublicationsResources/Marketplace/Documents/StudentsRtsNEW.pdf • National Commitment Deadline: MAY 1  student’s right

11. Letters, Forms & Deadlines for MHS • Most private schools require at least 1 letter of recommendation, from teacher or counselor • Many private schools require Secondary School Report form to be completed by the high school counselor • Before students can request letters and forms, students and parents must complete the Brag Sheet • What is a Brag Sheet? • Brag Sheet is available for download in Naviance • Find instructions on Guidelines for Requesting Counselor and Teacher Recommendation Letters also in Naviance

12. Counselor Packets • Students must provide counselor with the following: • Completed Brag Sheet • Secondary School Report form, signed and waived, for each school • Official transcript for each school (get transcript from Ms. Morgan) • 9”x12” envelope, stamped (3) and addressed, for each school • Paper clip materials into appropriate piles and submit them together to Mrs. Chi (which will then go to Mr. Sferra or Mrs. Dahm) • DUE: Oct 3 for Early Applications & Nov 1 for Regular Decisions • Counselors will send following materials to each college: completed Secondary School Report, official transcript, letter of recommendation, and MHS Profile

13. Teacher Recommendation Letters • Students must provide each teacher with the following: • Completed Brag Sheet • 1 unofficial transcript for teacher’s review (Ms. Morgan) • Teacher Evaluation form, signed and waived, for each school • regular size envelope, stamped and addressed, for each school • MHS Request for Letter of Recommendation form (in Naviance) • For Corrigan, Gonzalez, Panish, & Sarah Ryan use special form* • Paper clip materials into appropriate piles and submit them together to each teacher • DUE: Oct 3 for Early Applications & Nov 1 for Regular Decisions • Teachers will send following materials to each college: completed Teacher Evaluation form and letter of recommendation

14. Letters for Scholarships • Many scholarships require recommendation letter(s) • Follow the same instructions for requesting letters from teachers • Give at least 3 weeks notice, so submit all materials at least 3 weeks before the scholarship due date

15. Student Responsibilities • Senior Year “Prep for College” Calendar • Update Naviance list to reflect final college list • Submit application on time • Submit requests for forms and letters on time • Request for official scores from College Board (SAT, SAT Subjects) and/or ACT (ACT) to be sent directly to colleges • Follow up with each college to verify that all required materials were received • Submit Mid-Year Report forms to your counselor in January (instructions will be given at that time) • Notify the College Counselor of admission decisions and update Naviance status

16. Parent Responsibilities • Kudos for being here tonight! • Senior Year “Prep for College” Calendar • Help your student get organized • Prepare income tax and financial statements for financial aid applications • Visit colleges with your student • Be positive but not unrealistic • Do not complete the admission application or write the essay for your student • Let your student enjoy his/her Senior year

17. College Entrance Exams • Remaining test dates: • SAT • October 1  SAT Bootcamp available! • November 5 (register by October 7) • December 3 (register by November 8) • ACT • October 22 (register by September 16) • December 10 (register by November 4) • Official score reports required by all colleges; allow at least 4-6 weeks for delivery

18. Your Homework • Narrow the college list (no more than 10) by: • visiting the college, whenever possible • looking around the college website • encouraging your child to attend the college presentations at MHS • attending local info sessions and receptions by colleges • attending a college fair • Work on (help your child with) completing the Brag Packet • Look ahead to financial aid • visit www.FAFSA4caster.ed.gov • work on CSS Profile for private colleges that require it • gather/save tax documents

19. Upcoming Events

20. Questions? Mrs. Ah Young Chi College/Career Counselor achi@smmusd.org Mr. Luke Sferra High School Counselor (A-K) lsferra@smmusd.org Ms. Elle Yaghoobian (Sub for Mrs. Katie Dahm) High School Counselor (L-Z) eyaghoobian@smmusd.org