Junior Family College Night

1. Junior Family College Night Wilsonville High School February 16, 2017 Andre Abraham, Alyson Leatherman, Lucia Meza, Christine Moon & Lyndi Tucker

2. Evening Agenda • Welcome • College Planning Timeline • College Exploration • Standardized Tests • Preparing for Senior Year • Forecasting • Community College • Question & Answer

3. To Begin… • College planning may seem overwhelming, so it is important to take it one step at a time • This evening is the first step in your family’s preparation for college • Remember: Preparing for college is a process, not an event

4. College Planning Timeline • Junior Year • Research and explore colleges and universities • Attend Oregon Public University (OPU) Night this spring. Date TBD • Attend the PNACAC College Fair on Sunday, April 30 at the University of Portland • Prepare for and take the SAT or ACT in the spring • Begin campus visits (perhaps during spring break?) • Prepare for AP exams • Register for NCAA Clearinghouse if you plan to pursue college athletics (www.ncaaclearinghouse.org) • Continue to maintain a challenging academic schedule • Meet with your school counselor to review your transcript and plan a strong senior schedule

5. College Planning Timeline, cont. • Senior Year • If necessary, re-take SAT and/or ACT during the fall semester • Finalize list of colleges • Complete applications • Complete the FAFSA in October for financial aid • Conduct scholarship search

6. College Exploration • It’s time to begin thinking about life after high school • Four year colleges and universities • Two year community colleges • Trade/Apprenticeship • Military • Work

7. College Exploration • Things to Consider • Location and size • Academic majors, educational programs and opportunities • Type of school and degrees offered • Campus activities, athletics and extracurriculars • Admission programs and requirements • Cost of attendance and financial aid • Housing options • Dining facilities • Support services

8. Unsure About a Major? • It is common for students to be unsure about their major • Inquire about freshman course of studies • Inquire about when you have to declare a major • Consider a liberal arts college • Talk with your school counselor • Use Family Connection (personality, interest and skill inventories) or Career Information Systems (CIS)

9. Assessing Majors and Educational Programs • Consult publications such as U.S. News and World Report, Peterson’s, Princeton Review and Barron’s for published ratings • Investigate the college or university • What courses are required for specific majors • Number of professors with highest degree in field • Research institution vs. teaching institution • Number of students seeking higher education, securing jobs, etc. after graduation • Attend a class • Meet with a professor in that major or program • Meet with a current student in that major or program

10. Collect Information • Family Connection • SuperMatch, College Lookup, Acceptance History • Other Sources • WHS College & Career Center • Guide books: The College Board Handbook, Kaplan, Princeton Review, Barron’s, Peterson’s, etc. • College websites • College representatives and college fairs- OPU in the spring and PNACAC on April 30 at The University of Portland • Facebook, Twitter, Blogs • Parents, students, and alumni • Indicate to colleges on PSAT, SAT, ACT and AP registration that you are interested in receiving information regarding their school

11. Campus Visits • One of the best ways to learn more about a college or university and to collect valuable information • Spring break and spring campus visit days • Summertime is not as helpful because students are not on campus • Visit several different colleges to get best perspective • Visit the admission webpage for tour times and/or contact the campus visit coordinator to arrange your visit • Be sure to write thank you notes to anyone that you meet with during your visit

12. Campus Visits, cont. • Take a campus tour • Attend a class • Eat in campus dining facility • Talk with students and faculty • Meet with an admission counselor • Verify admission requirements • Determine actual college costs • Ask about financial aid opportunities • Investigate academic programs • Discuss your chances for success: • Admission • Graduation • Placement • Overnight visit (if offered)

13. Standardized Tests • Almost all colleges accept either the SAT or the ACT for admission • Some schools will state a preference and you should always check with the admissions office for specific requirements • The only sure way to see on which exam you will perform better is to take both tests and compare your scores

14. Standardized Tests, cont. • The SAT or the ACT should be taken as early as March of the junior year and no later than December of the senior year • New test date in August • To register for the SAT, visit www.sat.org/register and to register for the ACT, visit www.actstudent.org • You will create a username and password. Be sure to keep it in a safe place as you may need it at a later time • Students are required to upload a photo as part of their online registration

15. Standardized Tests, cont. • The SAT will be offered on May 6 and June 3. The cost is $57.00 • Students should register for the SAT with Essay • WHS will host the May 6 administration- sign up to take it here  • The ACT will be offered on April 8 and June 10. The cost is $58.50 • If you have some schools in mind already, send your scores directly to the schools • The WHS CEEB code or school code is 381258

16. Standardized Tests, cont. • Schools will generally take your best combined score, so it is advisable to take the exam more than once • SAT= Math & Evidence Based Reading and Writing • High score = 1600 • Essay scored separately, 2 to 8 on each of three traits • ACT= English, Reading, Math, Science & Writing • High score = 36

17. Standardized Tests, cont. • CollegeBoard has partnered with Kahn Academy to provide personalized SAT practice • Students link their PSAT scores to Kahn • Kahn Week: • February 21-24 • Lunch • Forum Room • WHS also offers a SAT Prep Course for English and Math that begins on Sunday, March 5 and ends on April 30. Sign up with the Bookkeeper. Another course will be offered in the Fall. • Other ways to prepare include: Kaplan course, Saturday Academy courses, College & Career Center, free online resources and local library

18. Standardized Tests, cont. • Some colleges and universities also require SAT Subject Tests for admission • You should check with the admissions office for specific test requirements • http://www.compassprep.com/ • Requirements and Recommendations • It’s advisable to take the SAT Subject Tests as soon as you have completed an advanced placement course in that subject area

19. Preparing for Senior Year • College Admission Academic Requirements • Colleges and universities consider the courses taken in 9th, 10th and 11th grade and the grades earned in those courses and the strength of senior schedule • Requirements include: • English- 4 years • Math- 3-4 years • Science- 3-4 years (2 years must be lab science) • Social Studies- 3-4 years • World Language- 2-4 years of same language • University of California System also requires 1 year of the same visual or performing art and 1 year of World History • ‘D’ Policy

20. Preparing for Senior Year, cont. • Meet with your school counselor to review your transcript and discuss your senior schedule • AP Forecasting is NOW and students should complete the online forecasting worksheet by Friday, February 17 • WHS offers 21 different courses that represent every content area • Two-three AP courses are recommended at most • AP courses will be pre-loaded into students’ schedules for forecasting in April • Students should consider taking an AP course during their senior year: • Increases course rigor • Demonstrates to college admission officers that they have sought the most rigorous curriculum available.

21. Preparing for Senior Year, cont. • Cumulative Grade Point Averages (GPAs) • Automatic Admit vs. Comprehensive Review • OUS Recommended GPAs • U of O – Comprehensive Review • OSU – 3.0 • PSU – 3.0 • OIT – 3.0 • Western – 3.0 • Eastern, Southern – 2.75

22. Preparing for Senior Year, cont. • Factors in College Admission Decisions • According to the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC): • GPA or grades in college preparatory courses • Strength of schedule • SAT or ACT test scores • Essay • Teacher recommendation • Student’s expressed interest in the school • Counselor recommendation • Class rank • Interview, if applicable • Extracurricular activities

23. Preparing for Senior Year, cont. • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) • Filing FAFSA date will be October 1, 2017 • Will use prior-prior year (PPY) for filing • Purpose is to provide families with more accurate financial aid information earlier in the admission process • What can you do now? • FAFSA4caster: Provide you with the experience of completing the FAFSA and also give you an early estimate of eligibility • Net Price Calculators

24. Categorizing Your Options • Safety • 50/50 or Good Fit • Reach

25. Community College • Program Options: • Transfer Degree (to a 4 Year College/University) • Associates Degree (2 Year) • Certificate Program (1 Year) • Admission Process • Online application completed in spring of senior year • Placement Tests • Advising Session • Oregon Promise • State program that can help pay for community college. Student will only pay $50 per term, so essentially FREE! • 2.5 GPA requirement • Community College Event • OPU Night in the spring

26. Family Connection: New Best Friend • Web-based software purchased by the district to assist in the college planning process • http://connection.naviance.com/wilsonville or Academics/Family Connection • Username: WHS student email/Password: P+student ID • Example: lindberc@wvhs.wlwv.k12.or.us / Password: P181000 • Research and explore colleges and careers • Create resumes • Sign-up for college visits • Access college data regarding 2006-2016 WHS graduates

27. Family Connection: New Best Friend • Students will use Family Connection during their senior year to: • Communicate where they are applying • Request transcripts • Request teacher recommendations • Access the WHS scholarship database • Sign up for college visits

28. Career Information Systems (CIS) • Web-based software purchased by the district to provide a system of occupational and educational information to help students learn about the world of work and education. • http://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/home/ • Username: Wilsonville • Password: wildcats • CIS services include: multiple self assessments, college searches, and career searches • Students can maintain an individual career planning portfolio

29. Helpful College Websites WHS: • College & Career Center: • Academics/College & Career • Counseling: • Academics/Counseling • Naviance: • www.connection.naviance.com/wilsonville SAT and ACT: • www.collegeboard.org • www.actstudent.org Financial Aid and Scholarships: • www.fafsa.ed.gov • www.finaid.org • www.oregonstudentaid.gov • www.getcollegefunds.org • www.fastweb.com • www.scholarships.com • www.collegegoaloregon.org

30. Helpful College Websites NCAA Clearing House: • www.ncaaclearinghouse.org Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): • www.wiche.edu/wue College Search: • Family Connection: www.connection.naviance.com/wilsonville • CollegeBoard: www.collegeboard.org • US News Best Colleges: www.usnews.com/rankings • Colleges That Change Lives: www.ctcl.com • Community and Two Year Colleges: www.community-college.org • U. S. Department of Education Information Site: http://www.ed.gov/ Career: • Oregon Career Information System (CIS): oregoncis.uoregon.edu/home/

31. Connect with Us! • Remind • Text @2018wvhs to 81010 • Twitter • Follow us @WilsonvilleHS • Facebook • Like us! Wilsonville High School College & Career Center • Junior Only Emails • Register for the Class of 2018 email (WVHS-Homes18)

32. Question & Answer

33. Thank You for Coming! • Please fill out our evaluation before leaving this evening • Our next College Night will be the OPU Night which will include all of the Oregon Public Universities as well as Community Colleges in the spring. Date TBD • The first College Night of senior year will be in late September