Junior Planning Night Information for Students & Families - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Junior Planning Night

Information for Students & Families Lacey Township High School

January 2018

• Junior Planning Meetings
• Postsecondary Planning
• College Search
• College Admissions
• NJ STARS
• Naviance
• Fee Waivers
• What’s Next

Junior Planning Meetings - Make your appointment!

Individual review of graduation status:

➔ Are you on track for 135 credits needed for graduation? ➔ Do you have your standardized test score needed for NJ high school graduation? ➔ Have you met the requirements for:

◆

Financial Literacy?

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Visual/Performing Arts?

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Career/technical

There will be a sign up sheet at end of night to receive a call to schedule your appointment. Meetings will be held during the school day from January through April.

Course selection for senior year….

Senior year:

Just as important as every other year. Start strong & finish strong!

Course selection: Rigor matters but grades do as well.

Choose appropriately.

Decisions to be made:

➔

LTHS-OCC classes vs AP classes

➔

OCC on campus

➔

SLE/Workplace Readiness

➔

Early Release, Late Arrival

Make decisions that are best for YOU.

Postsecondary options …

there is an option for everyone!

➔ College

◆

2 year - Associate’s Degree

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4 year - Bachelor’s Degree

➔ Trade/Technical school ➔ Military ➔ Workforce ➔ Gap Year

What matters most in college search?

Best overall fit for YOU

The Essentials:

❏

Academic Fit

❏

Financial Fit

❏

Career Services Fit

❏

Campus Culture Fit

Factors to consider when choosing a college:

Cost Financial Aid Offered Distance Majors offered Classroom experience

Class size Student/faculty ratio Professor/Adjunct ratio

Student Outcomes

Retention rate Transfer rate 4-6 year graduation rates Job placement/Employment rate

Student Life

Activities, clubs, sports, special programs Greek Life Dorm Life, Food/Meal Plan Options Campus Surroundings, Safety Statistics Diversity of campus

Head to campus - VISIT

• Visit with College Representatives at Lacey

Township High School - Fall 2018

• College fairs - Spring 2018

○

4th Annual Spring College Fair, April 11, 2018, Pine Belt Arena, High School North, Toms River, NJ, 6PM – 8 PM

• Campus visits - Spring, Summer and/or Fall

○ Take a tour and attend an information session ○ Talk to other students other than your tour guide ○ Eat a meal on campus ○ Visit academic departments that interest you ○ Check out Career Services

5 Things You Need to Know About College Admission

(click link above to CollegeBoard)

What matters most to colleges?

• Courses taken - rigor
• Grades received
• Class rank
• Standardized test scores
• Personal statements and essays
• Letters of Recommendation
• Extracurricular activities
• Honors and Awards
• Demonstrated interest
• Social Media Presence

Test-Optional Admissions list Tops 900 Colleges and Universities

List of schools that do NOT require the SAT or ACT: http://www.fairtest.org/

1. When do you start? Summer before senior year - relieves stress when school starts. Common App opens for everyone August 1st - start then! 2. Who should be completing the applications? Students, not parents. 3. How do I begin?

➔

Finalize College List

❏ Safety, Target, and Reach schools ❏ Get deadlines and decide which is for you - Early Action (EA), Early Decision (ED), Regular Decision (RD), Rolling Admission ❏ Are schools part of Common App, School Specific App or Coalition? ❏ Any common essays? ❏ Ask 2 academic teachers for letters of recommendation (end of Junior year) - ask IN PERSON before adding to Naviance

Links:

CollegeBoard FAQ about Applying to College Application Checklist per college

Applying to College: FAQs

Early Action vs Early Decision

Early Action

• Apply early.
• Receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle (usually in January or February).
• Consider acceptance offer; do not have to commit upon receipt.
• Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans.
• Give the college a decision no later than the May 1 national response date.

Early Decision

• Apply early (usually in November) to first-choice college.
• Receive an admission decision from the college well in advance of the usual notification date (usually by December).
• Agree to attend the college if accepted and offered a financial aid package that is considered adequate by the family.
• Apply to only one college early decision.
• Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans.
• Withdraw all other applications if accepted by ED.
• Send a nonrefundable deposit well in advance of May 1.

Benefits & Drawbacks of ED/EA: https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/applications/early

Which Application to Use?

1. The Common Application

⦿

1975 - Pilot Project with 15 schools

⦿

1998 - went online

⦿

Over 700 members

⦿

Integrates with Naviance which has the career and college planning tools to send letters of recommendations and transcripts

• 2. The Coalition

⦿

went live in 2016 with 49 schools - now has 95 schools

⦿

NOT integrated with the tools to send letters of recommendations and transcripts like Naviance

• 3. The Universal College Application

⦿

Accepted by 23 colleges (these colleges also accept other applications)

• 4. School Specific Application

Contents of a Completed Application

Counselor responsibilities to send:

❏

Transcript once requested by student

❏

Teacher Letter(s) of Recommendation

❏

Counselor Recommendation Form & School Report

❏

Counselor Letter of Recommendation

❏

School Profile

Student responsibilities:

❏

Application

❏

Sending Standardized Test Scores (SAT and/or ACT)

❏

Requesting transcripts through Naviance

❏

Deadlines

NJ Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship

(Funding is dependent upon annual state appropriations)

• Students ranked in top 15% of their high school class at the end of either junior or senior year may be

eligible.

• Students must take at least 12 college credits per semester and will be allowed to take up to 18

credits each semester if they are able to handle the course load and wish to accelerate

• Students have five (5) semesters of eligibility for NJ STARS.
• Covers the cost of tuition only for up to 5 semesters at community college
• Students must take placement test to determine college readiness
• NJ STARS does NOT cover remedial courses & all remedial classes must be completed before NJ

STARS tuition will be paid (1 year to complete remedial work).

• Those students who have earned an associate degree with a 3.25 grade point average or better while

enrolled in high school will be eligible to apply directly to a senior New Jersey public college or university for inclusion in NJ STARS II.

Testing and College Application Fee Waivers

❖ The registration fee for up to two SAT or ACT tests, with or without the Essay. ❖ Four limited-time score reports plus four to use at any time. ❖ Four college application fee waivers - SAT. Unlimited for ACT, however, schools not obligated to accept

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/fees/fee-waivers https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/FeeWaiver.pdf

❖

Practice FREE online through the Khan Academy - import your PSAT scores and there will be a tailored practice plan just for you!

https://www.khanacademy.org/sat

❖ See you Guidance Counselor for a fee waiver.

If you are not already approved for the free and reduced lunch program, please see Guidance for more information re: qualifications and an application.

SAT vs ACT - which is best for you?

Features SAT ACT

Widely Accepted ALL U.S. colleges ALL U.S. colleges Measures

• What students learn in high school
• What they need to succeed in college
• What students learn in

high school Essay is optional Yes Yes Penalty for guessing No No Testing Time 3 hrs + 50-minute essay (optional) 2 hrs 55 minutes + 40-minute essay (optional) Structure 3 tests + optional essay Reading, Writing/Language, Math Tests 4 tests + optional writing test Reading, English, Math, Science tests Score Range Composite 400-1600 Composite 1-36

SAT/ACT Prep through Khan Academy

The Results Are In: Official SAT Practice Pays Off

A study of 250,000 students from the class

• f 2017 showed that a little practice goes

a long way—regardless of gender, race, income, or high school GPA.

Features

• Interactive problems
• Video lessons
• Full-length practice tests
• Personalized study plan
• Instant SAT Essay feedback

Guidance and how we can help ...

Sign up and make appointment for your family meeting with your School Counselor. Guidance will send your supporting documents through Naviance. Those documents are:

• Transcripts - once requested by the student
• Letters of recommendations from counselor and teachers
• School Profile
• School Report

We are here to support and guide you. Do not hesitate to call and reach out!!

Your Guidance Counselor's Role in all of this (click link above for more information about your Counselor’s role)

Financial Aid

3 Steps to Getting Financial Aid

1. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

• Oct. 1 is the first day you can file the FAFSA.

2. Find out if other financial aid forms are required. CSS Profile 3. Search and apply for private scholarships.

How much will you spend?

College Cost Calculator Use this calculator to see how much college will cost by the time you enroll. College Scorecard: Information on college costs, graduation, and post-college earnings.

Naviance - What is it?

Naviance is a college and career readiness solution that helps districts and schools align student strengths and interests to postsecondary goals, improving student outcomes and connecting learning to life.

How can it be used?

• Personality & Career Assessments

○ Discovery of strengths and weaknesses ○ Learning styles ○ Communication skills

• Maintain accomplishments and activities

○ resume builder

• College and career planning
• College Application Process - eDocs

College visits - check out to see who is visiting LTHS

• 1. Click on Colleges tab from home page
• 2. Then click on Upcoming college events

College Research

Create list of colleges you are considering…. Research colleges based on your own preferences through Supermatch…. Compare Colleges

Enter your personal information and see the schools that match.

Use over 20 search criteria to find matches

Increased Financial Aid

Other helpful Naviance resources:

• Explore Careers
• Find your strengths and

weakness:

○ Do What You are ○ Career Interest Profiler ○ Cluster Finder ○ Strengths Explorer ○ MI Advantage ○ Learning Inventory

• Resume Builder
• Scholarship List/Finder

What’s Next:

WINTER/SPRING of 2018

• Work hard - grades will say a lot about your academic performance & potential
• Schedule Individual family planning meetings with counselor - End of January through April
• Schedule for next year - choose carefully (AP, OCC, Honors, CP)
• Sign up for SAT/ACT - spring of 2018, fall 2018
• Ask counselor and/or teacher(s) about SAT subject tests and if they are required
• Create list in Naviance “Colleges I’m thinking about” - do not limit your possibilities
• Attend college fairs
• Complete Student Brag Sheet
• Complete Parent Brag Sheet

End of May/early June - Ask 2 academic teachers to write your letters of recommendation -

ask IN PERSON then request in Naviance

What’s Next:

SUMMER

• Get your FSA ID - before you can fill out your FAFSA, you need to get a username and password

(also known as the FSA ID)

• Visit colleges
• Start your college applications
• Start your personal statement/essays

FALL

The fun begins!

Final Thoughts

• Follow us on twitter @LaceyGuidance
• Monitor your social media
• Communicate!
• Naviance assessments to help in career planning
• Attend Junior Planning Meetings
• Register for SAT or ACT
• Attend College Fairs and College Tours- ask questions!
• Financial Aid Night- Spring 2018 - details coming soon!

We are here to help and support you! Take it one day at a time, stay calm and try to enjoy the process!

Thank you!