Doug WiegandRising Sun High School

Better Paying Jobs Access to Wider Range of Career Choices Exposure to variety of people and cultures “Supposed to make you worldly” Avoid becoming an Adult

College Graduates earn more Money Most students switch majors 25% do not return for their Sophomore year 50% of those who start college will not

graduate Involvement increases graduation chances

35-40% are Drug and Alcohol Related Other Reasons;

◦ Relationships◦ “I’m taking a year off”◦ Financial Issues ◦ Depression◦ Homesick

23% of US Population has a Bachelor’s Degree

20% have an Associates Degree 6% have a Master’s Degree 1% have a Doctorate 2% have a MBA, JD or MD Average starting salary for a Bachelor’s

Degree in 2012 will be $58,000

10. Grades are more important than challenging classes

9. SAT tests are more important than grades

8. I need to decide on my career prior to college

7. A difficult 9th or 10th grade year will doom you.

6. I need to be in many activities to be considered

5. College is 4 years 4. My life is ruined if I don’t get into _____

college/university 3. Liberal Arts colleges lack Science and

Engineering Programs 2.The Federal Government gives the most

Financial Aid

1. “There is no way I can afford this”

Cash Credit Cards Payment Plans Parents work at college that offers free

tuition to dependents Utilize Financial Aid Options like 75% of

College Students Nationwide

Merit-Based◦ Scholarships (Public and Private)◦ Institutional Aid (from the college)◦ Grants (State Residents)◦ Awards (Local Groups, Civic organizations etc.)

Need-Based Aid◦ Cost of attendance – EFC = Financial Aid

◦ CA – EFC = FA

◦ Starts with The FAFSA

4-year State University $17,000 cost (Tuition, Room, Board, Fees,

Books, Supplies, “incidentals”) FAFSA says you have an EFC of $10,000 The remaining 7,000 is Financial Aid This is called a “Financial Aid Package”

through the Institution

Community College◦ $5,000 cost (Tuition, Fees, Books, Supplies)◦ EFC is $10,000◦ You can still receive Merit-Based scholarships

from the school or other sources

Harvard University $50,000/year◦ EFC is $30,000◦ You qualify for $20,000 in Financial Aid◦ Do the FAFSA no matter what you think your EFC

might be

Perkins Loan $5,500 maximum per year for

Undergraduate 8,000 maximum per year for Graduate 5% fixed rate Product of the 1965 Higher Education Act

Stafford Loans (subsidized) Fixed 4.5% Government pays the interest $ 3,500 Freshman Year $ 4,500 Sophomore Year $ 5,500 each for Junior/Senior Year $ 5,500 for “Fifth Year” NEED BASED

Unsubsidized Stafford Loans◦ 6.8% Fixed◦ 2,000 per year Freshmen through “Fifth Year” for

Dependent Students◦ 6,000 for Freshmen and Sophomore Years, 7,000

for Junior, Senior and “Fifth Year”◦ *NOT NEED BASED

Most Federal Programs are need-based You EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) is

the most important factor in receiving financial aid.

Scholarships are mostly merit-based and competitive.

Scholar ship

Finding the “right” school for you Environment Academic Program ( No Marine Biology at

North Dakota State) Cost Proximity to Parents (and Vice Versa) Selectivity (How tough is it to get in)

Take your own tour after the admissions office tour

Acknowledge your reactions to a campus visit

Process these reactions with your child (in the car, they are trapped)

Think of this process as the same as buying a house

In reality, your child is moving there

Regular DecisionSubmit an application by a certain dateReceive a decision by a clear dateNon-binding commitmentDecide by May 1st

Applications are reviewed throughout the year

Decisions are made as applications are submitted

Non-binding commitment May 1st is usually the deadline

Apply early with the intent to receive a decision early

Early action is usually about two months prior to the regular decision deadline

Non-binding commitment Still have until May 1st to decide

You have made a commitment to this school as your first and only choice

100% sure that this is where you want to go to school

Deadlines are early Commitment is binding

Think of your application as a pizza with eight fairly equal slices

Think of yourself as the Delivery Person of your Application

Have you taken challenging classes in your High School Career?

This includes your Senior year Many Colleges want to see the 1st semester

Senior Year grades

The most accurate way to compare you to other students (standardized test)

Taken into greater consideration the more applications a school processes (College Park, UD, PSU, UVa.)

Writing portion allows admissions to assess your skills

“Writing on demand”

Quality vs. Quantity Leadership position vs. Membership Emphasizes being “well-rounded”

How do you compare to students in your class?

Top 10% in a class of 280 where 40% go to a 4-year college (RSHS)

Top 10% in a class of 280 where 15% go to a 4-year college

Top 10% in a class of 140 where 95% go to a 4-year college

How is your GPA configured? Unweighted vs. Weighted Unweighted of a 3.1 and a weighted of a 3.5

shows that you have taken challenging courses (Slice #1)

Clear and concise Answering the question? Avoid an overabundance of flowery

language. This seems disingenuous. Be mindful of the SAT/ACT writing section

that is sent with your scores to schools.

A teacher that you have had in a challenging class

A coach that knows your character Leadership skills, ability to work with others,

work ethic and habits You want the recommendations to reflect a

cross section of your teachers

Misspelled words, poor grammar Organized, neat and professional-looking Within the deadlines given Is your application appetizing?

Did Aunt Gertrude or Uncle Paulie donate large quantities of cash to the general fund of the College?

Are you the second coming of Peyton Manning or LeBron James?

Are you the Next American Idol?

Apply Online Many Colleges/Universities are paperless, or

as paperless as possible Send a Thank You card to the

representative if you meet with one. Approach this process as if it is another

class

Early November- Early Decision/Action Deadlines

November/December- Filling out Applications (mostly online)

December- Last time to take the SAT’s for 4 year college purposes

Financial Aid/FAFSA Workshop

January is FAFSA-time February- Mid-Year Transcripts sent to

College Admission offices March- Student Aid Report (SAR) March/April- Acceptance Letters April- Decisions and Deposits May- Avoid Senioritis Graduate

Be Involved in the process◦ Counselor/Student/Parent meetings◦ Visit Colleges with your child◦ Help organize the paperwork, but let your child do

the majority◦ “peeking over their shoulder”

Organization of Materials Payment of application fees Deciding where to go to school Payment of Tuition, Room and Board Managing the due dates and deadlines

Transcripts $2.00 per request Example; 3 Transcripts= $6.00 Completing School Report on Admission

Application Transcripts and School Reports are sent by

mail by Guidance Transcripts become unofficial if opened by

someone other than college official

Good luck in College!!!