Central Senior High School Junior College Planning Night January 29 th , 2014

1. Central Senior High SchoolJunior College Planning NightJanuary 29th, 2014

2. An Overview of tonight’s presentation: • College Planning Checklist • Testing Information • The College Search • Where have 2013 Central graduates gone to college? • How parents/guardians can help: What’s your role? • Useful Resources

3. Junior Year Checklist What’s your academic plan for high school? Do you have the classes you need? Are you on track to graduate? Take the PSAT/NMSQT on October 15th, 2014 Attend local/regional college fairs – MN National College Fair is September (dates TBA) Establish personal interests and college “must haves” Begin ACT/SAT test preparation, take Wednesday, April 23 in school Attend college representatives’ visits at Central High School Research programs and career services at prospective schools Develop a Resume Visit college campuses

4. Senior Year Checklist • Meet with college representatives at Central • Arrange college campus visits • Attend the MN National College Fair: September (TBA) • Update your resume • Study and retake SAT & ACT tests in early Fall (optional) • Request recommendation letters if needed • Finalize college application list: essays; forms; recommendations; etc.

5. Throughout High School Take rigorous academic courses (core areas and foreign language) Read as much as possible Plan summer “experiences” Create a folder for college materials Attend college fairs Visit 1-2 colleges during the summer and/or during breaks Participate in extracurricular activities and take on leadership roles Develop good study habits including: note taking; revising written work; test taking skills; and a daily homework schedule.

6. Recommended In Preparation Of College *Specific high school course requirements vary by institution. Be sure to check with the schools you’re interested in to see what they recommend or require. * University of Minnesota: For student seeking admission fall 2015 and thereafter: Four years, including two years of algebra, one of which must be intermediate or advanced algebra, and one year of geometry.

7. Become familiar with the “alphabet soup” of testing PSAT – a practice test for the SAT and the only way to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program ACT – college entrance test taken by an estimated 80% or more of CHS students SAT – college entrance test taken by some students, usually those applying to East Coast and highly selective schools. SAT Subject Tests – specialized 1 hour tests in specific subjects, required by some highly selective schools.

8. College Entrance Exams ACT & SAT: counselors recommend taking these in the spring of junior year. SPPS will be offering this to all juniors on Wednesday, April 23 at now charge, no preregistration needed. (Additional testing is available fall of senior year if needed.) Most colleges now require you to have the testing company send your test results directly to the college. Accuplacer: used at community and technical college-assessment is online. (offered here at Central to Seniors in Nov., online)

10. Naviance ACT PrepMe • Free ACT Prep on Naviance under PrepMe www.connection.naviance.com/chsstp View video on Home page Enter your student portal user name and password

16. Websites for Free Test Prep Free practice Tests for many different exams http://www.testprepreview.com/ A free sample test for the ACTs http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/ Free online test preparation. Sponsored by the military https://www.march2success.com/index.cfm Spark notes offer a more direct approach to learning the strategies of standardized tests http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/ Another FREE SAT prep site http://www.number2.com/

17. Other Test Prep Resources Check with your local public library for ACT/SAT test prep books and CD’s with tips and sample tests. $$ ZAPS: http://www.zaps.com $$ Advantage Education Programs: http://advantageprep.net $$$$ Kaplan: www.kaptest.com $$$$ Princeton Review: www.princetonreview.com $$$$ Revolution Prep: www.revolution.prep.com

18. College Athletics Students considering college athletics at the Division I or II level can obtain information on NCAA guidelines at http://www.ncaa.org/. Division I & II institutions which sponsor specific sports can be found at http://www.ncaa.org/sponsorships/. The NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse handles all inquiries regarding an individual's initial eligibility status. Information and Clearinghouse registration are available at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. For more information go to the Central Webpage, click on student or parent, click on Counseling Services, on the right hand side listed in the quick list is the NCAA Clearinghouse, click on this and there is a link to NCAA Clearinghouse in addition to NCAA Initial Eligibility and Recruiting power point.

21. Finding a College “Fit”

22. What Should Your College List Look Like? 3-6 Schools Dream (Reach) School Good Chance School Safety School

23. Prospective College List: Personal Preferences • Size (# undergraduates) • Geographic Location • Campus setting (urban, suburban, rural) • Academic Focus • Areas of Study • Facilities: Library, Research Labs, etc. • Social Atmosphere • Campus Life, Sports, Arts • Religious Affiliation • Support Services • Cost • Financial Aid • Housing – 4 years guaranteed? • Diversity (ethnic, geographic) • Admission Criteria • Graduation & Retention Rates • Outcomes: employment/ graduate schools • Greek System

24. Admissions Terminology Early Decision I – Binding. Student agrees to withdraw all other apps. Can double chances of acceptance at certain colleges. Early Action - Early Deadline, Early Notification. Student doesn’t have to decide until regular admission date. Early Notification - Colleges who really want a student will let them know early how likely it is that they will be accepted. Regular Admissions - Considers all students who have their app. in by the deadline. Priority Deadline – Considers priority applications in advance of regular admissions. Rolling Admissions - Continuous acceptance of apps. until class fills.

25. Central Class of 2013Most Popular College Enrollments

26. Colleges & Universities chosen bythe top 25 students of CHS Class of 2013 Boston University Carleton College Creighton University Davidson College Duke University The George Washington University Gustavus Adolphus College Hamline University Northwestern University Tufts University University of Chicago University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Oxford Wesleyan University

27. Next year as an applicant:What do colleges look for? Academic Performance Grade Point Average (GPA) Rank ACT/SAT test scores Rigor of courses taken Personal Essay Recommendations Activities/Awards Interview

28. Keep up the MOMENTUM! Continue with most rigorous academic program possible - 4 years English, math, science (bio, chem, physics), social studies and world language. Most selective schools want strong grades in the most rigorous academic program available at the student’s school. Your GPA matters ALL THE WAY TO THE END! If you change your courses after you apply to college and you don’t check it out with a college, they can rescind their offer.

29. The Campus Visit

30. Campus Visit Questions What are the admissions requirements? Average class size? Retention rate, graduation rate and career placement history of grads? Who teaches undergrad classes? Strongest departments/programs? Financial Aid- Avg. amount students receive, etc? Special programs, clubs, recreation facilities and services? Types of housing and living situations available?

31. Ways Parents Can Help Encourage your child to consider options which best fits his or her interests, abilities, and values. Encourage your child to utilize the resources available. Encourage your child to maximize the opportunity to visit with college representatives.

32. Naviance • www.connection.naviance.com/chsstp • On Naviance you can: • Take practice ACT tests • Create a Resume • Explore careers • Research Colleges • Sign up for College Visits • Keep track of your Applications and Deadlines • Request Recommendation Letters • Request Transcripts

33. Useful Web Sites http://connection.naviance.chsstp.com www.act.org www.collegeboard.com www.commonapp.org www.collegeboard.com/parents www.fafsa.ed.gov www.ncaa.org www.getready.state.mn.us www.mnprivatecolleges.org/how-plan version2.gustavus.edu/images/userimages/dkogler/4323/How%20Not%20to%20Hover%2009.pdf "How Not to Hover" presentation about parents and the college search.

34. Upcoming Events • Thinking College Early Fair Saturday, Feb. 22, 12:00-3:00 Johnson High School 1349 Arcade Street St. Paul, MN 55106 • ACT for all SPPS juniors on Wednesday, April 23, 2014

35. Counseling Staff Counselors Kea Sparkman A - E Kathleen Karp F – K Ellen Merlin L - O Nathan Flanders P – T Dia Yang U – Z Steven Olson College and Career Counselor Support Staff Xia Lyfoung Testing Coordinator Christine Faust College and Career Assistant Norma Hollins Counseling Secretary (651)744-4906