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Senior Student/Parent NightBishop O’Connell High School
Class of 2014
September 18, 2013
Senior Year “To - Do” List
Senior Timeline Fall’13•Meet with your college counselor in September/October to discuss college plans and review high school transcripts.•Sign up to take the SAT/ACT and SAT Subject tests if needed. (Note: you cannot take the SAT and subject tests on the same day.)•Attend College Fairs.•Sign up through Naviance to meet with college representatives who are visiting Bishop O’Connell.
•Search for and apply to colleges and universities.
•Obtain scholarship information through Naviance, your college counselor, the newsletter, and online through college websites.
•Decide if applying Early Decision or Early Action to a particular school.
•Complete college scholarship/financial aid applications if requesting aid.
•Complete your transcript request forms on Naviance.
SENIOR TIMELINEClass of 2014
Fall ‘13
Fall ‘13
• If using the Common Application be sure to link it to Naviance so your counselor can upload transcripts and recommendations online.
• Make sure to give your college counselor and your teachers a two week window to write your recommendations and don’t forget to give out copies of your resume and return the Parent Response Form. (Please pay attention to school holidays when we are closed.)
• Please note: SAT and ACT test scores must be sent from the appropriate website. We cannot do it from Bishop O’Connell.
Spring ‘14
• Apply for financial aid if applicable and file all forms. (Complete the FAFSA/CSS Profile as early as possible, starting in January.)
• Contact all colleges to make sure all materials were received.
• Decide on a college after all acceptances/financial aid offers come in, usually by April 1st. (Compare financial aid offers.)
• Notify every college of acceptance or rejection and send acceptance to the college of your choice.
• If you haven’t already, visit your final choice before accepting.
• Wait-listed? If you would enroll if accepted, tell the Admissions Director your intent and ask how to strengthen your application
• Need more financial aid? Ask if more aid can possibly be awarded.
Relax and enjoy. You did it!!!
SENIOR TIMELINE
Spring ’14
The College Search
What is the ultimate goal?
The College Trifecta
• Academic fit.
• Campus culture fit.
• Financial fit.
What do colleges look for?
Evaluating an ApplicantIn priority order:•The Transcript: School achievement and rigor of courses•Test Scores•Recommendations•Essay•Interview•Activities
The College Application
Do’s and Don’ts
• Do adhere to all deadlines.
• Do be extremely careful when filling out your applications online. (Do not work on college applications when very tired.)
• Do have your essays evaluated by a trusted teacher or professional.
•Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your application.
•Don’t use an unprofessional sounding e-mail address, i.e. dancegal, surfdude •Don’t apply to too few or too many schools. (Two is too few, fourteen is too many.)
THE CAMPUS VISIT orIf It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Yale!
(or Virginia Tech?)
Making the Campus Visit Count!
• Plan ahead
•Dress appropriately
•Ask the experts (the current students)
•Dodge the statistics
•Relax
•Don’t forget you’ll be living there
• See a dorm room
• Try the food
• Visit a class
• Look at the bulletin boards
• Disregard the weather and the tour guide
• Look around and REALLY observe
• Take advantage of overnight housing
• Reflect and write
• Do you feel at home?
DORM LIFE
The College Interview
Interviewing Tips
• Arrive early.• Dress appropriately.• Ask intelligent questions (show you have
researched the school).• Don’t answer questions with a simple yes or
no, elaborate.• Be enthusiastic about the school.• Be courteous and don’t forget to send a
thank you note to the interviewer.
Writing The Essay
• Do’s
• Write from the heart: colleges want to get a sense of who you are!
• Check and re-check: do not mention the name of a school if it is going through the common application!
• Have a parent and trusted teacher read your essays.
• Read through samples of well written college essays.
• Vary your sentence structure. Avoid
repetition of compound sentences
filled with prepositional phrases. Use
simple, short sentences to give power
to important points.• Show us your weaknesses as well as
your strengths—they make you
uniquely you.• Incorporate humor (with good taste).
Make us laugh, and your essay will
stand out.
Don’t’s• Avoid being wordy, overblown or flowery.• Stay away from colloquial, folksy or overly informal words such as “very,” “a lot,” “cool,” “awesome” and “nice.”• Avoid clichés, such as “…as American as apple pie.”• Don’t leave us hanging. Make sure there are no ideas introduced without being fully discussed.• Avoid using the same words over (and over and over) again.
Your Personal Resume
• Check out other examples of well-formed resumes.
• Have your college counselor and a trusted teacher look it over.
• Be truthful but don’t be shy. Now is not the time to downplay your accomplishments!
Types of Admissions Decisions
• Early Decision: Binding
Outcome: Accepted, Deferred, Denied
• Early Action: Non-Binding
Outcome: Accepted, Deferred, Denied
• Single Choice Early Action: Non-Binding(but cannot apply early to any other private university)
Outcome: Accepted, Deferred, Denied
• Regular Decision: Non-Binding
Outcome: Accepted, Wait Listed, Denied
• Rolling Admissions: Apply anytime
Notification of acceptance or denial is usually within a few weeks.
Just For Athletes
GO KNIGHTS!• Don’t forget to register with the NCAA
Eligibility Center (www.eligibilitycenter.org) if you haven’t already and wish to do so.
• Speak to your counselor and coach regarding NCAA eligibility if you desire to play your sport on the collegiate level.
Standardized Testing
SAT/ACT• Do not take more than three or four
SATs/ACTs starting from Spring of Junior year (this does not include subject tests).
• We recommend one SAT/ACT Spring of Junior year and then concentrating on one or the other Senior year.
• Make sure your score reports are sent to each college to which you are applying.
• Don’t forget to utilize the score choice option.
Financial Aid And Scholarships
Show Me The Money!
Financial Aid Information
• Public vs. private universities:
What’s the difference when it comes to
financial aid?
• Merit vs. Need Based Aid.
• Where to look for scholarships?
• Financial Aid Workshop to be offered at Bishop O’Connell on December 17th.
JUST FOR PARENTS
College Admissions Tips for Parents
• Do learn about the process.
• Do discuss restrictions up front.
• Do remind your child of deadlines.
• Help your children prepare, but let them perform.
• Support and encouragement are more appropriate than pressure and unsolicited advice.
• Prepare your child for disappointment.
• Do not compare your children to others.
• Guide your child in choosing colleges that would be great fit, but don’t force your child to apply to a school that only you like.
• Do not let stereotypes, outdated information, or rankings steer your child away from schools in which they would otherwise have an interest.
A Time of Celebration and Change!
Letting Go: A Bittersweet Time!
• Be prepared- Recognize your feelings and sort out emotions before the day they leave.
• Realize that your role is changing from manager to mentor as your child enters adulthood.
• It is okay to grieve but try not to let your child see a lot of tears. Save them for the trip home.
• Know that every child handles leaving home differently.
• Read relevant literature about parent issues when children leave for college.
• Attend the Parent Coffee at O’Connell in the spring which deals with the issue if you would like to talk about it.
• Remember that this is the culmination of many years of excellent parenting: congratulate yourself on a job well done!
After all: would you want this?
• Or this?
NEW BEGINNINGS!
PARENTS WEEKEND!
• We Get To Visit! Great Fun!
THE FINISHED PRODUCT!
Useful websites• www.fastweb.com – Set up a student profile for college and
scholarship search.• www.number2.com – Vocabulary builder, SAT/ACT practice
tests• www.testprepreview.com - SAT/ACT practice• www.act.org – Register for ACT• www.actstudent.org – ACT info• www.collegeboard.com – Register for SAT • www.studentaid.ed.gov – Financial aid info• www.fafsa.ed.gov – FAFSA• www.pin.ed.gov – Register for our PIN for FAFSA• www.students.gov – Financial aid• www.collegeprowler.com
Reference Books• The Insiders Guide to the Colleges by the Yale
Daily News.• The College Prowler: The Big Book of Colleges 10’• The College Handbook by the College Board• The Best 366 Colleges by the Princeton Review• Colleges that Change Lives by Loren Pope• Getting Into the Right College by Edward B. Fisk
and Bruce G. Hammond• Complete Idiot’s Guide to Financial Aid for College by David Ryes
Such a lot of information!
Questions????
EARLY ACTION
FAFSAMERIT AID
We’re Here To Help!Mrs. Kristina Herbst [email protected] : A through Berube
Mr. Tom Giska [email protected]: Bevan through Ellis
Iacobucci through Obeid
Dr. Daniel Stabile [email protected]: Falcon through Hylton
Olafsson through Zinzi
