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Applying to
College 101:Exploring Higher Education Options
for High School Students
Presented by:
The NHHEAF Network Organizations’ Center for College Planning
NHHEAF.ORGTo sign up for The Varsity Letter,
our free monthly e-newsletter, go to nhheaf.org.
To download a .pdf of this presentation
please visit:
nhheaf.org/handouts
Things We Will Cover
• The College Search
• Creating Your List
• Looking Ahead
• Financial Aid Preview
• Scholarships
The College Search: What do you want in a school?
Try FREE college
search engines
to find and research
colleges that
meet your needs.
BigFuture.org
Petersons.com
Your College
Location
& Size
Major & Special
Programs
Internship
& Co-ops
Academic
Services
Accessibility
Services
• Accelerated Programs
• Honors Programs
• Bachelor’s to Master’s Combined Programs
– 3/2, 3/3 or 3/4
• Articulation Agreements
– nhtransfer.org
• Dual Admission
– dualnh.com
• “Test Optional” Schools
– More than 1050 four-year colleges are test optional for
admission
– fairtest.org
The College Search: Things to consider
The College Search:Earn College Credit While Still in High School
Running Start
– Take CCSNH courses for
full high school &
college credit!
– Courses held at your H.S.
– $150 fee per course
eStart
– A partnership between
CCSNH and VLACS
– Courses offered online
– $150 fee per course
Take two STEM Courses
(Science, Technology, Engineering or Math)
through Running Start – for FREE!
Ask your school counselor for more information
Offered by the
Community College System of New Hampshire
(CCSNH)
• Attend College Fairs
– Take the time to ask questions
• Visit the Campus
– Information sessions & tours
– Attend athletic events, plays or concerts
– Open houses
• Meet with College Admissions Reps
– At your high school
– Ask your school counselor for a schedule
of visiting colleges
• Utilize College Search Engines
• BigFuture.org
• Petersons.com
The College Search: Get to know the colleges
Send a
thank-you
card to the
representative
you speak with;
it shows you
appreciate
them and their
institution.
NEACAC College Fairs:
• Boston Convention and
Exhibition Center
Thursday, April 30, 2020
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Friday, May 1, 20209:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Keene State College
Tuesday, May 12, 202010:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Local College Fairs
• Nashua North (Nashua, NH)
Thursday, April 9, 2020
8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
• Pinkerton Academy (Derry, NH)
Thursday, April 9, 2020
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Destination College
(St. Anselm College)
Saturday, March 28, 2020
11:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The College Search:College Fairs
• Audition Requirements
– Music
– Theater
– Dance
• Portfolio Requirements
– Art or Photography
– Architecture
– Interior Design
• Nursing
– TEAS exam
atitesting.com
• SAT Subject Tests (SAT II’s)
– Check each school
– Do they require 1, 2, or 3?
– Can be taken junior or senior yr.
• NCAA Eligibility Center
– Division I
– Division II
– Not needed for Division III
These are great topics to ask
about at college fairs or
when visiting the campus!
The College Search:“Extras” to consider
Creating Your List:Determine your possibilities
• Balanced Approach
– Public, Private
– In-state, Out-of-state
• Consider the Major
– Some majors may be more competitive
and have different admission requirements
(e.g. nursing, engineering, PT, PA)
• Consider the Type of Financial Aid Offered
– Do they ONLY offer need-based aid?
– Do they offer BOTH need-based AND merit-based aid?
You should always
apply to one
financial “safety” school
2-2-2 Approach
2- Probable:Where your academic profile is slightly above the 50% average
at that school
2- Target:Where your academic profile is
right in line with the 50% average at that school
2- Reach:Where your academic profile is
slightly below the 50% average at that school
This graph is from bigfuture.org. The school is a small private liberal arts
college in New England.
Creating Your List: Prepare for academic success
A student’s “academic profile” consists of:GPA, Rigor & SAT and/or ACT scores
Looking Ahead: Preparing for college applications
• High School Transcript
• College Essay
• Extra-Curricular Activities
• Letters of Recommendation
• SAT or ACT scores
Essential Elements of the Application
Looking Ahead: Senior year timeline
Your Timeline Will Be Unique to YOU!
• WHERE are you applying?
• WHAT do they want?
• HOW do they want it?
• WHEN do they want it?
Consider keeping a
college calendar
or spreadsheet.
See ours on
page 18 of
The College Insider!
• Early Decision (binding)– Typically due October or November
– Financial aid forms may also be due early
• Early Action (non-binding)– Typically due November or December
– Financial aid forms may also be due early
• Regular Admission– Typically due December – February
• Rolling Admission– Typically no “hard” deadline
NOTE:Some programs may require
earlier application submission (i.e. nursing).
Pay attention to both
application
and
financial aid
deadlines
for each of school.
Looking Ahead: When to apply
Looking Ahead:Students take the lead
Students are expected to:
• complete their own paperwork
– college applications
– SAT or ACT score report requests
– transcript requests forms
– scholarship applications
• own their college process– book college tours online or by calling admissions
– develop strategies for staying organized
– check email regularly
• begin advocating for themselves – stay connected with their school counselors
Ben Franklin said it best…
“Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn.”
This is great prep for college where they will be communicating with
professors, financial aid & bursar offices, residence life staff, etc.
FAFSA - studentaid.gov(Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
A federal form that all students must complete in order to
be eligible for state/federal grants or loans
In addition to submitting the FAFSA, you may be required to submit:
CSS Profile – cssprofile.orgAn EXTRA form required by nearly 400 colleges
Financial Aid: A preview
Interested in estimating your EFC?
Try a free EFC calculator.
NHHEAF.org/calculators.asp
or search “FAFSA4Caster” online.
Financial Aid: Cost of college 2018-2019
One Year of Tuition, Room & Board and Fees
NHTI – Concord’s Community College
$7,200 (without R & B), $17,302 (with R & B)
Plymouth State University
$25,790
University of New Hampshire
$30,821
Endicott College
$48,964
St. Anselm College
$56,550
University of Vermont
$56,636
Northeastern University
$70,436
Dartmouth College
$73,578
• Purpose – Research what aid may be available at a school
– Results are an estimate, NOT a guarantee
• How to find them– Admission Office’s home page, college’s search engine
box, Financial Aid Office’s home page or Google
• Not all calculators are created equal– Some only list federal aid while others include merit aid
NOTE:Net Price Calculators are not applications for aid.
You must still file the FAFSA and all other required financial aid
forms in order to be eligible for financial aid.
Financial Aid: Net price calculators
Earn $$ Searching & Studying for College
opportunity.collegeboard.org
Scholarships: Collegeboard Opportunity Scholarships
• The more effort you put in, the more opportunities you have to earn a scholarship
• Complete all six, and you’re eligible to earn $40,000
• Scholarships will be awarded through monthly drawings to students who complete each action
Local Resources
• School Counseling Office
• Employer
• Library or Civic Organizations
• New Hampshire Charitable Foundation - nhcf.org
– Statewide Student Aid Program
– Career Aid for Technical Students
National Resources
• fastweb.com
• collegeboard.org
Scholarships: National and Local
Try our new database for local,
regional and national scholarship
opportunities!
NHHEAF.org/scholarship-search.asp
Mark Your Calendar:
High School Juniors & Families
Saturday, March 28, 2020
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
St. Anselm’s College
The event is FREE!
College fair with over 60 colleges & universities
Registration now open at:
destinationcollege.org
Destination College
TWO Different Workshops
College Essay
Boot Camp
• Review successful college essays
• Learn what colleges are looking
for in a college essay
• Brainstorm/draft essay topics
• One-on-one time with college
counselor to discuss topic choice
College Application
Boot Camp
• Create a personalized “Application
Organizer”
• Start the Common Application
• Get assistance from college
counselors
When: Dates throughout July & August
Where: Concord, NH
Cost: $25 per attendee
