NAVIGATING SENIOR YEAR Helping Families Thrive PCSD Senior Parent - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

NAVIGATING SENIOR YEAR

Helping Families Thrive PCSD Senior Parent Night Presentation

TIMELINE

September

• Retake ACT/SAT
• Apply for scholarships
• Work on essays for college

apps and scholarship October

• Fill out college apps
• Complete FAFSA
• Recommendation letters

November

• Send college apps
• Request transcripts
• Continue to apply for

scholarships

December

• Call admissions office and check on

applications

• Make sure FAFSA is complete

January

• Meet with counselor, check in on

graduation

• Apply for scholarships
• You will start getting acceptance

letters! Feburary

• Start going over SAR (student aid

report) and award letters.

• Go over acceptance letters, stay
• rganized and keep checking email!

March

• Visit the schools you apply to
• Do an overnight visit!
• Still keep applying for

scholarships April

• Go over award letters with

Gear up Advisor May

• Make your decision by May 1st
• Let your college know that you

want to attend

• Prepare for graduation!

IT IS ALL ABOUT OPTIONS

Students should have 4-5 colleges they want to apply to, public AND private! You want to have options! Remember you have 7 free applications!

COLLEGE FIT AND MATCH

Myth: There is one perfect college for me. Fact: There are over 5,000 U.S. colleges. Myth: The “posted” price of the college is the price your student will pay. Fact: 85% of students receive financial aid and scholarships from institution they will attend Sticker Price does not mean Actual Price

DREAM BIG (BUT HAVE A SAFETY NET!)

Reach Schools – the most selective schools on your list (most likely your first and second choice). Target Schools - those whose numbers (SAT/ACT and GPA) match your numbers. Your chances of being accepted are good, but not guaranteed. Safety Schools – a college that fits your needs. You would be a “shoe-in” for acceptance.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER

• Do I meet the entrance requirements?
• Do they have my MAJOR??
• If I don’t know my major, do they offer lots of degree choices?
• Do I want to live at home or at school?
• Does the campus size fit my needs? (small-individualized/large-networking)
• What setting? Urban/rural/small town
• Diversity on campus – will I feel comfortable?
• Variety of extracurricular activities/sports teams
• Special services (i.e. support services, tutoring)

HOW ADULTS CAN SUPPORT

• Listen openly and give input
• Communicate with the admissions departments of your preferred schools!

USE those 1-800-numbers - Ask questions with and for student

• Encourage – visits, meetings with counselor, test prep, scholarship

applications

• Assist in staying organized – help create a student specific calendar of

deadlines

• Provide information for applications (including financial aid) in a timely

fashion

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, we are here to help!

DO THIS NOT THAT

Do:

• Help your student choose a college that is right in terms of his/her

motivation, skills, interests, abilities, needs, and personality.

• Discuss finances as a family. It is very important for the student to have

a realistic understanding of the finances available.

• LISTEN to each other and be flexible.
• ASK questions!

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/h6xxDRvlq3I

Do Not:

• Choose a college based on someone else’s opinion.

Your student must choose a college that suits him or her.

• For Students – Do not choose a college because your best friend,

girlfriend, or boyfriend will be attending.

• For Parents – Do not write application essays for students and do not

complete college applications for students!!!

NAVIGATING NAVIANCE PARENTS CAN KEEP TRACK OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES

student.naviance.com

NAVIANCE BASICS

• Home Page: links, document resource, updates, messages
• College Tab: college search tools, application mechanism,

links to schools, scholarships, admission representative visits

• About Me: resume, PCSD Recommendation Packet Survey,

ACT/SAT scores and GPA information.

NAVIANCE – A VALUABLE TOOL

Students have access to Naviance to –

• Research Careers
• Connect to Test Prep for ACT/SAT
• Find Colleges
• Link to applications
• Request transcript and letters of recommendations be sent to

colleges/universities

• Sign up for Admission Representative visits
• Identify scholarship opportunities

TO HAVE TRANSCRIPT PROCESS

• Students must turn in Transcript Release Waiver
• Fill out NACAC waiver with counselor or College Now advisor
• Move colleges from “thinking about” list to “applying to” list
• Complete resume and PCSD recommendation packet/brag sheet if letter of

recommendation is desired

• Match Common Application with Naviance if applying using CA
• Request for transcripts in Naviance

Email counselor to send out transcripts after application is complete!!! (They do not receive automatic notice.)

IMPORTANT !

Counselors can not send transcript without student completing their side of Naviance and notifying counselor when it is complete. Communication is key – Students NEED to check their email! Have your email on your phone and check it everyday! Deadlines matter … recommending students complete applications and submit by 10/25 but NO LATER THAN 11/22 (just before Thanksgiving week)

CAUTION

Some colleges will not accept ACT/SAT score from PCSD and require that is sent directly from testing company. Costs up to $13 per each school. It can take up to 48 hours for colleges to electronically receive documents and even longer to process. A handful of schools require hard copy of fee waiver or a code for payment.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Senior year DOES COUNT!!
• All acceptances PROVISIONAL dependent upon final

semester grades

• Weak Senior schedule – jeopardizes acceptance at

competitive schools

• Change in schedule – MUST notify colleges
• Things too tough?? Call Counselors or College Now!

FINANCIAL AID

• What is financial aid?
• Money to help students pay for their college

education

• Some financial aid is FREE
• Some financial aid is NOT free
• All financial aid helps pay for college

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

WHAT COSTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH COLLEGE?

Financial Aid assists students in paying for: Ø Tuition and Fees Ø Room and Board Ø Books and Supplies Ø Personal Expenses Ø Transportation

• AKA: Cost of Attendance

TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID

• Gift Money

Grants and Scholarships

• Earned Money

Federal work study

• Borrowed Money

Student Loans

GIFT MONEY – GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

• Grants
• Need-based
• Eligibility determined by FAFSA application
• Given by Federal Government and many colleges, especially private

schools

• Scholarships
• Can be:
• Merit-based
• Need-based
• Circumstance-based

Grants & scholarships do NOT need to be repaid

FEDERAL WORK STUDY

• The student will have to look for an on-campus job that

qualifies for federal work study

• The student will need to apply and interview for the job
• Students are paid by check and it can be used in a variety of

ways.

BORROWED MONEY: LOANS

• Federal Student Loans: awarded upon completion of the FAFSA
• Stafford Subsidized Loans: 4.53% fixed interest
• Starts accruing after graduation
• Stafford Unsubsidized Loans: 4.53% fixed interest
• Starts accruing as soon as you take it out
• Federal Parent Plus Loan: 7.08% fixed interest
• Parents need to apply for this loan and be approved to take out a loan
• Depends on credit score and credit history

DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR FAFSA

• 2018 income tax returns
• FSA ID and passwords
• Balance of checking and savings account
• Investments & asset information
• Records of untaxed income
• Retirement accounts are NOT included

CSS PROFILE

• Only required by select colleges
• More in-depth financial aid application
• Oberlin College
• Case Western
• Kenyon
• Some out of state colleges
• You would do this on www.collegeboard.org
• You can find out if the college you are applying to requires the

CSS profile by going to their website

WHERE DO I GO TO COMPLETE THE FAFSA?

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa The application You FIRST want to create a log in for the FAFSA application called the FSA ID. https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm Student AND one parent needs to create a FSA ID

FAFSA WORKSHOPS

October 1st – Parma Library 5:30pm-8pm October 30th –Valley Forge from 5pm-7pm November 12th – Parma High from 5pm-7pm

AFTER I DO FAFSA…NOW WHAT?

• You will get report called the SAR or Student Aid Report
• This will let you know how much money in grants AND

loans you will be eligible to get

• You will also get your EFC (Estimated Family Contribution)

AWARD LETTERS

• The colleges you add to the

application will get your financial aid information

• This is the OFFER from the

college (grants, loans, scholarships, work study)

• They will then send you an

award letter

• Every college should send

this to you

• If you do not receive one

than that means you are selected for verification and you will need to provide more documentation for that college

APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

• Read the qualifications/criteria for each scholarship
• Use Naviance scholarship list as a resource
• College Now Scholarship Database
• Cleveland Foundation
• PTA Scholarships – available in January
• Have one general essay – change as needed depending on the

scholarship

• Fill out 2-3 scholarships a week.
• CHECK EMAILS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

COLLEGE NOW SCHOLARSHIP

• Need-based scholarship
• Must qualify for the Federal Pell

Grant to apply

• 2.5 GPA & 960 SAT score
• Must be recommended by

advisor

• Application will be available in

early winter

• Additional essays can create

additional opportunities for $

GEAR UP SCHOLARSHIP

Students must: Receive a service Graduate Complete FAFSA Fill out and “sign” survey in Naviance in May/June Have enrollment verified in September Will have money sent directly to school – half in early October and half in January Value ranges from $600 to $1500 depending on number of eligible students and school they will

• attend. Amount is announced in the
• winter. Students in the class of 2020

may receive up to 4 semesters of funding. WILL NOT BE AVAILBLE UNTIL APRIL

FOLLOW GEAR UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES!

Facebook – Gear Up Parma Twitter - @GearUp_Parma Instagram – GearUpParma

BREAK OUT Q&A QUESTIONS BY HIGH SCHOOL