WELCOME TO JUNIOR COLLEGE PLANNING NIGHT! Wednesday April 3, 2019 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Every Student Succeeds

Wednesday April 3, 2019

WELCOME TO JUNIOR COLLEGE PLANNING NIGHT!

www.acps.k12.va.us

Every Student Succeeds

www.acps.k12.va.us

2

Overview *Intros & Resource Overview

• 1. How to Package Yourself for Success
• Essays
• Résumé
• Testing
• Recommendation Letters
• 2. How to Choose the Right Colleges for You
• Affordability
• Academic Match
• Fit for Career Interests
• A Good Return on Investment
• 3. How & When to Apply to College
• CommonApp, Coalition Application & Individual College Applications
• Early Action/Early Decision vs. Regular Decision
• National Scholarships

Q&A

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Every Student Succeeds

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Post-Secondary Planning

College Planning Career Planning Gap Year Military Employment Technical/Trade Employment Opportunities

• Ms. Stacy Morris, College & Career School Counselor

Room A114 | stacy.morris@acps.k12.va.us |703.578.6250

The College & Career Center (CCC)

College & Career Center Assistance

College Applications Naviance ACT/SAT Registration FAFSA Scholarships ASVAB NCAA Eligibility Résumé College Essays Fee Waivers Internships Transcripts

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The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria (SFA)

SFA supports TC students with:

• Scholarships for College

○ Gave out almost $1 million to TC grads in 2018 ○ 50% of applicants win a scholarship from SFA

• College, Career, & Financial Aid Advising

○ Assistance with choosing best fit colleges ○ Editing college essays and résumés ○ Applying for financial aid and scholarships, etc…

Weekdays: 8am - 4:30pm School Year Weekdays: 9am - 3:30pm Summer

• Ms. Margaret Feldman | margaret.feldman@acps.k12.va.us | A-115

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Every Student Succeeds

How to Package Yourself for Success

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Every Student Succeeds

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Essays

• Most applications require one or more personal

essays

○ Share your background story, interests, & struggles

• Many 2019-20 essay prompts already available
• Free assistance with brainstorming & editing your

essays from:

○ Scholarship Fund of Alexandria ○ College and Career Center ○ Your Counselor ○ Your English Teacher

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Every Student Succeeds

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Résumé

• A one-page summary of your academic achievements,

extracurricular involvement, work experience, & skills

• What colleges & scholarships want to see on your résumé:

○ Consistent involvement in a few activities (sports, clubs, religious community) ○ Volunteer experience ○ Employment ○ Honors/Awards ○ Languages spoken, etc.

• Download a résumé template here

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Every Student Succeeds

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8

Testing

• SAT and ACT are two different college entrance exams

○ All colleges accept both – they don’t have a preference ○ So take both the SAT and ACT and then focus on preparing to retake whichever exam is a better fit for you

• SAT Subject Tests are one hour tests on specific subjects (e.g. US

History, Biology, Spanish, etc.) ○ Offered on the same Saturdays as the traditional SAT ○ Students may take up to 3 subject tests in one day, but may not take subject tests on the same Saturday as traditional SAT ○ Recommended for students applying to highly selective colleges

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Testing

ACT also offered Oct & Dec of senior year SAT also offered Oct, Nov, & Dec of senior year

SAT Test Dates 2018-19 SAT Registration Deadlines Saturday, May 4 April 5 Saturday, June 1 May 3 Saturday, August 24 July 24 ACT Test Dates 2018-19 ACT Registration Deadlines Saturday, June 8 May 3 Saturday, July 13 June 14 Saturday, September 14 August 16

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Every Student Succeeds

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Testing

• Qualify for free/reduced priced lunch?

○ You can take both the SAT and ACT for free 2 times ○ Waivers available from Mrs. Hawn in Transcript Office (A-119)

• Borrow SAT/ACT practice books at College & Career Center

(A-114)

• Link your SAT (or PSAT) scores with the Khan Academy, a free,
• nline SAT prep tool with personalized practice questions &

video tutorials

• Check out ACT Academy for free, online ACT prep

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Every Student Succeeds

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Recommendation Letters

• Most colleges will ask for:

○ 1 recommendation letter from school counselor ○ 1 recommendation letter from core subject teacher (English, math, science, foreign language, or history) ○ 1 recommendation letter from either core subject, elective teacher, coach, employer, etc. (just not a family member)

• Your recommenders should be able to speak to your work ethic,

academic achievement, & responsibilities outside of school

• Ask 2 teachers for recommendations before summer break &

give them your résumé

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Every Student Succeeds

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Recap

• How to Package Yourself for Success

○ Essays ○ Résumé ○ Testing ○ Recommendation Letters

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Every Student Succeeds

How to Choose the Right Colleges for You

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Every Student Succeeds

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Affordability: Where to start

• Have an open and honest conversation NOW about what your family

can afford to pay for college

• Estimate your college costs NOW using the Net Price Calculator and

choose accordingly ○ Don’t rule out NOVA

• Stay in the loop about upcoming scholarships. Sign up for Ms.

Feldman’s monthly scholarship email NOW: http://bit.ly/SFAemail

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Every Student Succeeds

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Affordability: How much does college cost?

• Before financial aid, the ANNUAL costs of college range from:

○ $6,000 at NOVA ○ $30,000 at in-state public colleges ○ $50,000 at out-of-state public colleges ○ $80,000 at some private colleges

• However, what’s important is not the starting price, but the

“net price” -- or the price after financial aid...

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Every Student Succeeds

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Affordability: What is financial aid?

• Financial resources intended to help pay for college expenses
• = Free Money

= Work to earn funds = Must pay back

• Where can you get financial aid?

○ Federal/State Government ○ Your College (Institutional Aid) ○ Private Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIPS/GRANTS WORK-STUDY LOANS

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Every Student Succeeds

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Affordability: How to estimate your college costs

The Net Price Calculator Estimates: 1. How much financial aid you’ll receive, and 2. How much will be left for you to pay. Go to collegecost.ed.gov/netpricecenter.aspx to get started!

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Every Student Succeeds

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Affordability: Choose colleges accordingly

Net price for a family of three making $30,000/year: The more competitive a college is (or the higher your grades must be in order to get accepted) the more financial aid is available. Great grades = money! College Annual Sticker Price Annual Net Price University of Richmond $64,890 $2,170 University of Virginia $30,496 $4,000 George Mason University $27,970 $18,255 University of Maryland $46,633 $36,558

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Affordability: Steps for next year

• Complete FAFSA in OCTOBER 2019

○ Attend one of SFA’s FAFSA Completion Workshops

• Wed, Oct 2 from 4-7:30pm
• Thurs, Nov 7 from 4-7:30pm
• Complete CSS Profile in OCTOBER 2019 (if required)

○ See SFA for a one-on-one appointment

• Apply for SFA Scholarships Nov 1 - Feb 3rd (just for TC seniors)

○ Keep working on scholarship applications throughout the year

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Every Student Succeeds

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Affordability: FAFSA eligibility

What if I don’t qualify to complete the FAFSA?

• Regardless of citizenship status, it is safe to apply to 100% of colleges
• The challenge is getting the funding you need,

○ Focus on institutional aid and private scholarships

○ See Ms. Feldman in A-115 for a confidential conversation & this list of colleges & scholarships that provide funding to non-FAFSA eligible students Do qualify for FAFSA Do NOT qualify for FAFSA

• U.S. Citizens
• Permanent Residents (Green Card)
• Refugees
• Asylees
• Undocumented (or Dreamer/DACA)
• Student Visa
• Diplomat Visa
• Exchange Visitor Visa

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Every Student Succeeds

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Academic Match Resources

• Select a mix of safety, match, and reach colleges

○ Make a free account for Princeton Review’s College Search ○ GPA chart for VA colleges on p. 7 in tonight’s handout ○ TC data in Naviance scattergrams (not comprehensive)

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Every Student Succeeds

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Fit for Career Interests

• BLS Occupational Outlook (www.bls.gov/ooh/)

○ Shows education/training needed for the career of

your choice; this will help you determine a college major

○ Also shows average salary, day-to-day

responsibilities, and employment outlook

• Don’t know what career you want?

○ Take Naviance career and personality assessments

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Every Student Succeeds

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Fit for Career Interests

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Every Student Succeeds

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A Good Return on Investment

• Be sure you’re making a wise investment of

your time & money

○ Use CollegeScorecard.ed.gov to research

graduation rates and average salary of graduates

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Every Student Succeeds

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Recap

• How to choose the right colleges for you

○ Affordability ○ Academic Match ○ Fit for Career Interests ○ A Good Return on Investment

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Every Student Succeeds

How & When to Apply to College

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Every Student Succeeds

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How to Apply: CommonApp

More than 800 colleges across the country use CommonApp - a single application that you can submit to multiple colleges

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How to Apply: Coalition Application

More than 140 colleges across the country use Coalition - a single application that you can submit to multiple colleges

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Every Student Succeeds

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How to Apply: College Website

Many colleges do not belong to the Common App or Coalition - so students must apply directly through that college’s website:

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When to Apply: Key Definitions

Application Type Early Decision (ED) Early Action (EA) Regular Decision (RD) Application Deadline varies by college November November January Notification Letter Sent varies by college December December March Your Decision Due N/A May 1 May 1 Binding accepted students are required to attend & must withdraw all other college applications Yes No No

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Financial Considerations for ED

Early Decision is binding. Students with financial need should apply ONLY to colleges that guarantee to meet 100% of financial need ○ If your family can afford to pay the full cost of college out of pocket, you could apply Early Decision to colleges not included on the above list

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Is it advantageous to apply early?

• The college admissions landscape is constantly changing, so you may

have heard differing opinions on applying early

• What’s the truth about applying early?

○ Many colleges have early deadlines for priority scholarship consideration ○ Ivy Leagues & many highly competitive colleges accept almost 50% of freshman class through Early Action/Early Decision

○ If you’re a qualified candidate, applying early can increase your chance of

acceptance

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Every Student Succeeds

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Am I a qualified candidate to apply early?

Applying early may be right for you if:

• The college is a match or reasonable reach based on grades

from AP/DE courses

• You are reasonably happy with college entrance exam scores
• You’ve spent plenty of time brainstorming/editing your

college essays Get some input! It’s best to have a conversation with SFA, CCC, or your School Counselor to help with your decision

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Every Student Succeeds

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Should I apply early through Posse?

• Posse is a 4-year, full-tuition scholarship to one of Posse’s 5 partner colleges

(Bucknell, Lafayette, Sewanee, Rochester, Wisconsin-Madison) ○ Posse is binding (like Early Decision), meaning accepted students are required to attend the partner college to which they are matched

• Students must be nominated to apply (nomination request form

http://bit.ly/Posse1920 due May 26) ○ If selected, first round interview will take place in August/September ○ Interview-based scholarship

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Every Student Succeeds

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What is Posse looking for?

• Academically outstanding high school seniors (GPA 3.75+, taking

AP/DE courses) ○ However, Posse makes allowances for “blips” on transcript due to personal circumstances

• Students who display strong leadership skills. Leadership may be:

○ “Traditional” - team captain, student government, club president, etc., OR ○ “Non-traditional” - works to support family, serves as caretaker for siblings, quiet leader who may lead by example or help draw

• ther quiet students into a group, etc.
• Posse is open to all students regardless of citizenship

(undocumented students may also apply)

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Every Student Succeeds

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Should I apply early through QuestBridge?

• QuestBridge is a 4-year, full-ride scholarship to one of QuestBridge’s

40 partner colleges

○ QuestBridge is binding (like Early Decision), meaning accepted students are required to attend the partner college to which they are matched

• Applications are due in September 2019

○ SAT or ACT scores ○ 2 longer essays & multiple short answers ○ Financial information ○ 2 letters of recommendation from core subject teachers, 1 from counselor

• Applying to colleges through QuestBridge gives you a competitive

edge to be admitted (even if you don’t actually win the scholarship)

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Every Student Succeeds

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What is QuestBridge looking for?

• Academically outstanding high school seniors (GPA 3.75+, taking

AP/DE courses)

• Students from families earning less than $65,000 a year for a family
• f four with minimal assets
• Students who display grit in overcoming hardships (financial

hardships, language barriers, family circumstances, etc.)

• QuestBridge is open to all students regardless of citizenship

(undocumented students may also apply)

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Every Student Succeeds

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38

Should I apply for the Gates Scholarship?

• Gates is a 4-year, full-ride scholarship to any college (this is just a

scholarship - you will apply to colleges separately)

• Applications are due in September 2019

○ Extracurricular activities, courses, grades ○ Financial information

• What is Gates looking for?

○ African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American applicants ○ Students who will be eligible for the Pell-Grant through the FAFSA ○ 3.3+ unweighted GPA ○ Demonstrated leadership ability ○ Gates is only open to US Citizens and Permanent Residents

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Every Student Succeeds

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Want to find out about other scholarships?

Sign up for Ms. Feldman’s monthly scholarship email: bit.ly/SFAemail Also check out Ms. Morris’s scholarship search tool in Naviance

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Every Student Succeeds

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40

Recap

• How and When to Apply

○ CommonApp, Coalition Application & Individual

College Applications

○ Early Action/Early Decision vs. Regular Decision ○ National Scholarships

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Every Student Succeeds

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Next Steps

• 1. Choose 5-8 colleges that are a good fit for you
• 2. Decide whether you will apply early/regular
• 3. Sign up for any additional SAT/ACT or SAT Subject

Tests

• 4. Ask two teachers for letters of recommendation

before summer break

• 5. Begin working on college essays over summer

break (help is available 9-3:30 all summer in SFA)

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Every Student Succeeds

Q&A

• Ms. Stacy Morris
• Ms. Margaret Feldman

College & Career Counselor Director of College Advising TC Williams School Counseling Scholarship Fund of Alexandria stacy.morris@acps.k12.va.us margaret.feldman@acps.k12.va.us Room A-114 Room A-115

Please drop off completed exit survey on your way out!