Jeff Stahlman College Counselor Kristen Dickerson School Counselor The Guidance Office Students and Parents are always welcome Mondays Drop In Monday College representative visits in the fall ID: 730225
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "College Planning Meeting for Juniors" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
College Planning Meeting for Juniors
Jeff Stahlman, College CounselorKristen Dickerson, School CounselorSlide2
The Guidance Office
Students and Parents are always welcome!
Mondays! Drop In Monday.
College representative visits in the fall
College Guidebooks to reviewI am available for individual meetings with students and parents:Build college listsMake a testing scheduleFind colleges that suit your wants and needsAddress any specific issues you’d like assistance withSlide3
Guidance Office WebsiteSlide4
NAVIANCE
Conduct college research
Send
your transcripts and recommendations electronically!
Track the progress of your transcripts, etc.View college visits to Saint Charles and register for them on-lineReceive a weekly/bi-weekly email update from the Guidance Office – scholarships, Info. Sessions, etc.Links to useful websitesIf you haven’t logged in or you have forgotten your password, please stop by the Guidance Office
Please check your site and be sure that your email is correct!Slide5
NAVIANCESlide6
NAVIANCESlide7
NAVIANCESlide8
Junior Meeting Series
Tonight – Your Profile and Selecting a College
Grades, Testing, Factors which will help you find colleges that “fit” you, admission plans, and building the “College List”
Wednesday,
3/13 – College Conference Night!We will be joined by speakers who will discuss a variety of topics including (and much more): Selective Admissions Effective College VisitsACT vs. SAT The College ApplicationAthletic Recruiting Military Academies and ROTCAND MANY MORE TOPICS!Slide9
Timeline
Grade
11
PSAT –
completed in October, results mid-DecemberResearch Colleges – visits, internet, booksTake ACT/SAT – winter/springBuild Your College LIST!
Summer Application Camp – Early August
(likely Aug. 5-10 and Aug. 12-17)
Grade
12
Finish your College List - Fall
Finish Testing - Fall
Apply!
– Fall
Apply for Scholarships/Financial Aid
– Fall-Winter
Receive your acceptance letters – by April 1
DECIDE! May 1
stSlide10
“What I Wish I Had Known” Mistake #1
(from student and parent comments on evals
.)
I wish I had met with
my college counselor earlier and more often.Slide11
A Few of My Guiding Principles
It’s about the
“FIT”
or
“MATCH” – a school’s name is little solace if you are not happy there! FIT=GRADUATIONThink about “going” to college at least as much as you worry about “getting in”Spend quality time now investigating schools. You will likely spend 4 years there
Find schools where you will thrive!
A voyage of
Self-DiscoverySlide12
The Student Profile
The
Student Profile
is who you are. It is much more than just your grades and test scores.
Your Profile includes:GradesGPACurriculumACT/SAT resultsYour Resume – activities, involvements, community service, etc.
Essays
Recommendations
Talents/InterestsSlide13
Your Transcript (p. 15)
One Page “Snapshot” of High School
TRANSCRIPTS WILL BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY
Cumulative GPA based upon
year end gradesYOUR GRADES MATTER! Final grades for each class
Curriculum – listing of courses,
Honors, AP
, etc.
Senior Year courses
The Single Most Important
Document in Your ApplicationSlide14
Mistake #2
I wish I had begun to
take my ACT/SAT sooner.Slide15
College Testing: ACT/SAT/SAT 2
Why Test?
Predictor of success for colleges 75-80% of time
Common Denominator – a standard measure for students from all over the world
Class placement tool$cholarship$Some schools are “Test Score Optional” (p.37)Slide16
Testing – The Basics
WHICH TEST - ACT or SAT?
Generally Both
Take them both to see your strong test or test of preference and then focus on the strongest
test (concordance chart on p. 35)Most schools take your best score of the two, in fact many will “Superscore” amongst several of one testWriting?WHEN ?
Junior Year –
Late Fall/Winter
first
time
March 12 – State ACT exam - FREE
Junior
Year – Spring second time for your test of preference
Make
a testing plan now!
Fall/Summer
senior dates can be used as a “mop up” for testingSlide17
The Test Expert: Michal Strawn
Michal is a ACT/SAT Test Prep tutor and
expert with BWS Consulting.Slide18Slide19
SAT Subject Tests
Subject Area Tests in specific subjects:
3 Tests at one sitting – one hour per subject
Few schools require or recommend,
BUT these are generally more selective schools Check your schools carefully! Also in your handout on pages 33, 34, but keep checking for changes!If in doubt, take themThis spring – May or June – are ideal test dates for SAT Subject Tests (especially if it pairs with an AP class you are taking) Slide20
ACT/SAT Test Dates (p. 36)
ACT
11th Grade:
Dec. 8, February 9,
April 13, June 8, July 13 (new)MARCH 12 at SC – all Juniors – free – No Writing12th Grade: September, October , December
SAT
11th
Grade: Dec. 1, March 9, May 4, June 1
12th
Grade:
August
, October, November,
December
**Can I get Extended Time?
**Can I get the fee waived?
Slide21
Testing Plan
(sample at end of booklet)
I will take my first ACT on ________
I will take my first SAT on ________
My test of preference is the _______I will take my next test on ________Do I need the SAT Subject Test (SAT 2)?
To Register
:
www.act.org
for
ACT
www.collegeboard.com
for
SAT
and
SAT2
Register at least 5-6 weeks prior to examSlide22
The Student Profile ALSO includes:
Essays
Letters of Recommendation
Your Resume
Your InterestsYour Community ServiceLeadershipYour AccomplishmentsYour Talents Legacy
Diversity/Background
Special Skills
Athletics
WHO ARE YOU “BEYOND THE NUMBERS”?Slide23Slide24
You Can Improve Your Profile!
How Important are Activities?
Develop
Your Activities:
LeadershipYour Activities – extra-curricular, community service, internships, etc.Seek Opportunities! Summer, Columbus area too!Your Talents – music, specific academic - Physics, etc.
Is there anything unusual about you that might stand out?
Hobbies?
What activities will
you
list?
You
can work to improve your profile this year!Slide25
St. Charles Summer Research
30 Students placed in Research Labs last summer
Unpaid Internships
Usually 20 hrs. per week/8 weeks
Examples: Aquatic Bio. / Biomedical Eng. / Biomolecular EngineeringEntomology / Biochemistry / Psychology / Immunology / Molecular VirologySchedule a meeting with Mr. Breckenridge if you are interested!Slide26
Are You a College-bound Athlete?
Be Realistic – see your coaches!
Register with the
NCAA Clearinghouse
this winter IF you plan to participate in athletics at a D-1 or D-2 school ($70 at www.ncaa.org )Do as well in school as you can, strong students have more
options!
Market yourself! Send emails to coaches
.
Schedule a meeting with Mr.
StahlmanSlide27
Mistake #3
I wish I had built a better list
and
researched it more in-depth.Slide28
The College
Fit
What kind of experience do you want from college
?
Find your interests at collegesHow do you feel when you visit campus?“Gut” feeling vs. Objective dataThere will be many colleges which will “fit” you!!Fit or Match = GRADUATION!Slide29
The College Selection Puzzle
Size
$ COST $
Reputation
Social Life
Distractions
Study
Programs
Abroad
Liberal vs. Conservative
Major
Diversity
Campus Setting
Selectivity
Grad Rate %
M/F Ratio
Who Teaches
Dorms
% Returning
Residential?
Big
Fish/Small
Fish
Athletics/Activities
Greek?
Geography
Slide30
Mistake #4
I wish we had set realistic parameters early in the process of selecting colleges for:
Cost, Distance, Expectations, etc.Slide31
Size of Student Body
Small/Medium/Large/Extra Large
How much personal contact would you like (or need) at college?
Are you assertive?
Are you OK with being a bit anonymous?Can you be a small fish in a big sea?Can you be a big fish in a small pond?Would you like to know your professors well?Would you like a lot of activity?
Do you value small, personal learning experiences?Slide32
THISSlide33
OR THIS?Slide34
Location
How far away is too far? Are you OK
not
being home for Thanksgiving?
How close is too close?Particular region of the country?Are you adventurous?Are you mature?Regional Differences?Out of the USA?
Are you flexible?
Can you go it alone?
Are
you Independent?
City?
College Town?
Rural?Slide35
THIS?Slide36
OR THIS?Slide37
THIS?Slide38
OR THIS?Slide39
OR THIS?Slide40
“College Life”
Dorm life
Roommates
Fraternity
lifeDistractions/PartiesResidential/CommuterActivitiesSchool spirit24 hours a day, not 8 hoursSlide41
Have You Considered? (p. 84)
Canadian
Colleges
International
Colleges – UK – Scotland-England-Ireland / Germany – some free tuition! / Europe / NYU Abu Dhabi/ Yale Singapore / SCAD Hong KongHistorically Black CollegesReligiously-based CollegesSpecialty Schools – Art Colleges, Performance Arts Colleges, Technical Institutes, etc.
Co-op colleges
Colleges with unusual calendars – J-terms, one class at a time, etc
.
Innovative Colleges - MinervaSlide42
Have You Considered?
Military Opportunities?
Service Academies:
West Point / Naval / Air Force / Merchant Marine / Coast Guard
Summer Camp ProgramsROTCNational Guard / ReservesOther Military Colleges – Virginia Military Inst./ The Citadel / VA Tech / Norwich / Texas A&MPlease schedule a meeting with Mr. Breckenridge soon!Slide43
Mistake #5
I wish I hadn’t focused
too
much
on my college major.Slide44Slide45
Major
Do they offer my major(s)?
67% of students change their major at least once
NAVIANCE
– Career Search!What are my strengths and interests?More important for very specific types of majors: engineering, nursing, architecture, fashion design, education, etc.Does the college offer several of the majors I am considering?You DO NOT need to know a specific major to select colleges to apply to!Slide46
Mistake #6
I wish we
had known that
very selective
schools give little (if any) scholarship money, but LOTS of financial need-based aid.Slide47
What Does College Cost?Slide48
Cost: $$$$
What are your financial parameters? Discuss as a family – THIS YEAR!
Do you have college choices that are
safe financial options
?Need-Based Financial Aid vs. ScholarshipsAs a “General Rule of Thumb” the more selective the college, the less scholarship money is available, but
need-based
FA
is more
available
“
Sticker Price” is not necessarily your
cost
Many Private Colleges/Universities give very good scholarship $$
College Scholarships – Supply and Demand
Loans are not necessarily bad
(if they reasonable!)
Investment!Slide49
Net Price Calculator
Will I Qualify for Financial Aid?
YES
NO
Don’t rule out
Private Colleges
Consider State
Schools in and out of state
COMPLETE your
FAFSA on time!!!
Apply for private Scholarships
Do NOT eliminate schools that look “too expensive
” – YET!
Consider Private Colleges where you may receive
scholarships
Consider in-state, State Schools
Consider out-of-state, State Schools that are affordable
Apply for private Scholarships
Consider Applying for FAFSASlide50
Mistake #7
I wish we had visited
colleges earlier!
We began to run out of time.Slide51
How Can I Learn about
Colleges?
RESEARCH IS CRITICAL!!!!
Visit the
Guidance Office to meet with Mr. Stahlman. We can make a list of college matchesVisit Campus!!College Rep Visits to SC – 100+ schools - fall
College Fairs – March 24th NACAC Fair at Convention Center
Fiske
Guide, Best
382
Colleges, Insider’s Guide –
p.60 – other Guidebooks, websites p. 61,62Slide52
Mistake #8
I wish we had visited
colleges that my son would be sure to get into. Instead, we visited only
very
selective colleges.Slide53
The College Visit
Call or
schedule online prior to
the date (2
weeks+)You do not need to have ACT/SAT scores to visit!Ask to meet with a special department, coach, or service if you are interestedSchedule an Interview if afforded the opportunity!ASK QUESTIONS! (p. 57)Record your impressions immediately
Send a thank you note.
Get the card of the Admission Rep. and stay in touchSlide54
Building The College List
Safe
School
85-100% chance of admission
Spend quality time looking for themOnly schools you want to attendApply to at least 2Scholarship Money $$$Possible School50-75% chance of admission
Middle of Your List
Generally apply to at least 2
Reach School
25-50% chance of admission
Early Decision?
Realistic?Slide55
Sample College Lists
Sample College ListSafe SchoolSafe School
Safe/Possible School
Possible School
Possible SchoolReach SchoolReach SchoolSample College List - $$$$Safe SchoolSafe SchoolSafe SchoolSafe SchoolSafe/Possible SchoolPossible SchoolPossible SchoolSlide56
Mistake #9
I wish I had looked beyond the “Brand Names” of colleges that everyone seems to talk about.
A couple of my friends are having
great
experiences at colleges I did not even think to consider.Slide57
To Determine Your
Admission Chances
Admission Difficulty Chart and College Listings
(
pages 71-83)Locate your GPA from chartLocate your ACT/SAT score from chartLocate your point on the chart, this is your possible schoolOne region below is a likely
school
One region above is a reach school
See the listings on pages
74-83
to identify safe, possible, and reach schools for youSlide58
Admission Chart Sample (p. 73)Slide59
The Good College List
Every Choice is a 1st Choice!
Allows YOU to be in control!
You will have many schools which are great matches
Safety School MythSelectivity does not = qualityCovers all of your varying needs
Allows you to Compare
Options
What’s in a
Brand Name
and does it matter?
Your
safety
schools are where your Scholarship money will
most likely come
fromSlide60
Mistake #10
I wish we had realized just how selective some colleges have become. Things have changed a lot from my day.Slide61
For Example!
OSU – ColumbusClass of 2018:
52.5K applications and growing
64% of students admitted in top ten percent of class
95% of students admitted in top 25% of classAvg. ACT: 29.3 Many other schools are now more selective than ever as well, but there are still many great options available to all levels of students!Slide62
Ultra-Selective Schools
At the
30-50
or so Ultra-Selective Schools admission is so competitive that perfect grades and test scores are no longer guarantees of admission.
“Lottery Admissions”How Will You Contribute?The GOOD NEWS is
:
there are more than 3,000 colleges
The quality of education is not necessarily tied to selectivity
There are many schools which will “fit” you
Acceptance Rates
2018
Stanford
5%
Harvard
5%
Columbia
6%
Princeton
6%
Yale
7%
U
Chicago
7%
MIT 7%
Cal Tech 8%
Pomona
8%
US Naval Academy 8%
Brown 9%
U Chicago 9%
Penn
9%
Northwestern 9%
Claremont-McKenna
10%
Duke
10%
Dartmouth
10%
West Point 10%
Vanderbilt
11%
Swarthmore 11%
Johns
Hopkins
12%
Air Force Academy 12%
Amherst
13%
Cornell
13%
Cooper Union 13%
Olin C. of Engineering 13%
Bowdoin 14%Slide63
Early Decision (ED)
You apply early and make a contract that if you are accepted by the college that you
will
attend. It is BINDING. 3 QUESTIONS:Have you visited the school?Is this college
your
top choice?
Can
you
afford this school?
(use Net
Price
Calculator on college website for guide)
***IF you
really
want to attend a selective school and feel that it is affordable for your family –
you will want to at
least
discuss/consider
ED***Slide64
Does Early Decision Really Make a Difference?
Examples:
(Graduating Class
of
2018) data)ED Admission %Reg. Decision %% of Freshman class from ED% ALL Students who applied EDNorthwestern 27%7%
54%
10%
Vanderbilt U
24%
9%
54%
10%
Denison U
65%
36%
40%
NA
Colorado C.
33%
14%
56%
11%
Duke
25%
8%
49%
NA
Lehigh U
60%
22%
54%
8%
Penn
22%
7%
55%
15%Slide65
Early Action (EA)/Rolling Admissions
EARLY ACTION (EA)
Similar to Early Decision, but
NOT BINDING
.Apply early/hear back earlyAt large state schools usually an advantage! But not necessarily at privatesSome schools now have Single Choice Early Action where you can only apply to only one EA school (Stanford/Yale/etc.) or other restrictive EA plans (Notre Dame/BC)
ROLLING ADMISSIONS
When you apply, your application is reviewed and acted upon.
Admission decisions usually take 3-8 weeks
Apply Early!! October/November
Your Chances improve early in the admission cycle
Most (but not all) state schools use Rolling AdmissionSlide66
What is “Demonstrated Interest”
How can I Demonstrate Interest?
Visit
!
Discover what interests you about the school and articulate it to admissionsMeet the Admission Counselor and develop a relationshipStay in contact with the Admission Counselor – email, fairs, etc.Interview if given the
opportunity
Do not hesitate to tell a school it is one of your top choices (if it is!)
Consider
applying
Early DecisionSlide67
Parents and Students
Be Realistic About Your Profile
GPA
Test results
Curricular choicesYour special talents and needsBuild a GREAT List!“Lay all your cards on the table” about:College Cost vs. Family Income
Family Parameters – cost, how far, etc.
Student Achievement and progress at college
Expected student financial contributions
Final Choices – a family decisionSlide68
Students
Be “Personally Knowledgeable” about the colleges on your list. You should know their:
Admission requirements –
Safe/Possible/Reach
FacilitiesCurricular options“Personality” of the schoolQuality and reputationMajors availableHigher degrees?
And many, many more thingsSlide69
Next Meeting
Wednesday,
March 13th
7PM-9PM
College Conference with a variety of topics that you will select from.HOMEWORK!Make Your College Testing ScheduleDiscuss Your Parameters with your parents
Complete at least one Net Price Calculator
Begin
to make plans to Visit and Research colleges
Schedule a meeting with Mr.
Stahlman