Somerville Junior College Planning NightJanuary 14th, 2016

2015 Trends

College Readiness

Academic Preparedness Refers to the academic knowledge and skills students need to succeed in college. These include content area proficiencies and key cognitive strategies that span content areas, such as the ability to formulate and solve problems, conduct research, and construct an argument or complete tasks with precision or accuracy. Academic Tenacity Defined as the “underlying beliefs, attitudes, values and accompanying behaviors that drive students to embrace and engage with challenging work, and to pursue academic achievement,” and is also key to students’ academic success both before and throughout college

(Gates Foundation 2009;Conley 2008).

(Gates Foundation 2009;Conley 2008).

Establish A College Budget

Junior YearGPS

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn

Naviance & Common Application

FAFSA - What is it?● Free Application for Federal Student Aid - Administered by the U. S.

Department of Education

● Determines eligibility for federal financial aid

● REQUIRED for all students applying to college (2yr or 4yr)

● Available beginning in October 2016 for students applying in the fall of 2017-

18, using tax data from 2015 (ppy)

CSS Profile - What is it?

● College Scholarship Service Profile - Distributed by the College Board for nonfederal financial aid

● Private & Prestigious Institutions require it - nearly 300 colleges, universities, professional programs,

and scholarships

● Much more detailed than the FAFSA

● Fees: There is an initial application fee, which includes one college. There is an additional cost for each

subsequent submission. For the 2010-11 form, the initial fee was $9.00 and $16.00 for each additional

college submission.

● Visit www.collegeboard.org for a complete list of colleges and universities that require the PROFILE

Dear Colleague:

We would like to remind you that Boston University's deadline for financial aid applications is February 1, 2016. We encourage all families to explore opportunities for financial assistance.

Boston University requires two applications for financial aid consideration:

CSS PROFILEFree Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The PROFILE and the FAFSA can both be filed online via the BU Financial Assistance website. After a student files these forms, the PROFILE and FAFSA processors will send email acknowledgments, which may include instructions on additional steps that must be taken. Please encourage your students to read these emails carefully to be sure their applications are complete.

Applicants who submit both the PROFILE and the FAFSA by February 1 can expect to receive a financial aid decision by early April.

If you or your students have questions about Boston University's financial aid process, please contact BU Financial Assistance at finaid@bu.edu or 617-353-2965. I truly appreciate your help in making this important information available to your students.

Sincerely,

Julie WickstromDirector of Financial Assistance

881 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

Qualities Admissions Counselors are looking for in Prospective Students

Challenging high school curriculumGrades that represent a strong upward trendSolid scores on standardized testsPassionate involvement in a few activities demonstrating leadership and initiativeLetters of recommendation that give evidence of integrity, special skills, positive character traits and an interest in learning.Special talents or experiences that will contribute to an interesting and well-rounded student body.A well-written essay that provides insight into the student’s personality, values and goals.Enthusiasm in attending the college. Demonstrate interest via visits, Facebook,Twitter.Work and community service experiences that show dedication and responsibility.Demonstrated intellectual curiosity through reading, school, and leisure pursuits.

Structuring Your ListThree categories: Probable, Target, Reach

• Probable: Your GPA and test scores are above the average admitted student; likely acceptance

• Target: Your GPA and test scores are a close match to the average admitted student; 50/50 chance

• Reach: Your GPA and test scores are below the average admitted student

8-10 schools; 2-4 in each category

Finding a Good Fit• Academic and testing admission fit

• Determined by COLLEGE• Do your scores and grades fit the school profile

• Social & Academic Fit• Determined by the STUDENT• Does the school have your major, interests, social life?

• Financial fit• Determined by FAMILY• Can you afford the school? Consider hidden costs and aid

Essay Writing • One of the only places on application where you have control

• Answer the question/prompt presented

• Edit and re-edit. Multiple drafts are normal

• Share with a peer, teacher, parent(s), counselor

• Draft these now-save yourself the panic in 12th grade! Essay writing

takes time and you want to present your best work

• Supplemental essay

Build Your Resume• Activities• Community Service• Employment• Awards• Hobbies• Talents• Unique experiences• Summer experiences• Home responsibilities (caring for animals, siblings, family members,

helping with family business, etc.)• Don’t undervalue anything you do. This is your place to shine!

Admission PlansRegular Decision

• Non-binding

Rolling Admission• Non-Binding

Early Action• Non-binding• Single Choice EA/Restrictive EA

Early Decision• Binding

Presenting Yourself to Colleges

• Clean up Facebook, Twitter, and all social media pages! Check your privacy settings

• Be professional in emails and all other correspondence• Email address, screen name, password• Google Search yourself! (Web and image search)• Keep your communication formal; no text slang

• Dress appropriately for tours, and especially interviews

College Counselor UpdateJeremy Hudson

College Fair• April 6th, 2016 – 6:30 to 8:30pm in HS Gymnasium

• Last year we had over 80 colleges & universities

• All NJ schools represented & many from Northeast

• Excellent way to gather information quickly

• Ability to make an impression on admissions reps

Questions to Ask College Representatives

• Questions about students• How would you characterize the majority of your

students?• Ex. Hofstra says “Grit”

• Social Life & Campus Activities• What do students do for fun?• Many schools have an student activities board that

creates fun event for students, such as concerts

Questions to Ask College Representatives (cont.)

• Campus Facilities• What kind of facilities does the student center

have?• Many schools make this a hub for student

involvement with many activities going on.

• Academics• How would you characterize the academic pressure

and workload?• Are there research possibilities with the faculty?

College Visits to SHS• This fall we had approximately 100 schools visit

• Students sign up in Naviance to visit with the school

• Many colleges track student interest through these meetings (contact card)

• A great way to obtain an overview of colleges and programs

• Visits are generally small and participatory

Campus Visits• Best way to learn about a school

• Tracked by admissions

• 3 excused visits per year

• Optional add-ons• Overnight visits• Lunch in cafeteria• Sit in on a class• Interview

Comparative:Rutgers vs. Purdue

• Rutgers• AVG GPA = 3.5• ACT = 28• SAT CR = 575• SAT M = 620

• Last year 88 applied and 40 were admitted

• Purdue • AVG GPA = 3.5• ACT = 27• SAT CR = 575• SAT M = 625

• Last year 5 applied and 4 were admitted

Students applying to Purdue were almost twice as likely to be admitted as those who applied to Rutgers!

National Association of Colleges & Employers

Career Readiness Competencies• Leadership – Consider taking on a leadership role in a club, activity, or

sport.• Written Communication – Our school offers a college writing course

through RVCC during the 12th grade year. Consider taking advantage of this opportunity.

• Teamwork – Many courses requires students to collaborate on group projects. This theme will continue after high school.

• Problem Solving – Increasingly, employers are looking for individuals who can identify and solve problems.

• Verbal Communication – The ability to express complex information into everyday speech.

The Redesigned SAT March 2016 is the first session of the Redesigned SAT.

8 Key Changes to the SAT1. Words in Context: The new SAT will focus on relevant

words, not obscure vocabulary.2. Command of Evidence: Students will be asked to

demonstrate their ability to interpret, synthesize, and use evidence found in a wide range of sources.

3. Essay Analyzing A Source: The essay session, which will be optional, will more closely mirror college writing assignments.

The Redesigned SAT4. Math that Matters Most: The tests will focus on three

essential areas of math: Problem Solving and Data Analysis; the Heart of Algebra; and Passport to Advance Math. Approximately 40% of the new SAT will be Algebra related, mostly Algebra I, with some advanced Algebra. There are fewer Geometry questions.

5. Problems Grounded in Real-World Contexts: Students will engage with questions grounded in the real world and directly related to the work performed in college and career.

The Redesigned SAT6. Analysis of Science and in History/Social Studies:

Students will apply their reading, writing, language, and math skills to solve problems in a broad array of contexts. There will be some science questions, no separate science section.

7. U.S. Founding Documents and the Great Global Conversation: On the new SAT, the students will encounter a passage from a founding document or a text from the ongoing global conversation about freedom, justice, and human dignity.

The Redesigned SAT

8. No Penalty for Guessing: The redesigned SAT will remove the penalty for wrong answers. Students will earn points for questions they answer correctly.

The Redesigned SAT1. There are only four options to choose from on multiple choice

sections of the new SAT.2. If juniors took the PSAT in the fall, College Board

recommends that they wait until March and take the new SAT.

3. Most colleges will accept both the old and new SAT scores from current juniors, with some exceptions (Virginia Tech).

4. The colleges will determine how they handle super scoring.

RVCC

• Open enrollment• Placement test• Limited accommodations for students with learning

disabilities

RVCC PROGRAMSDual Enrollment Program

Concurrent Enrollment Program

Associate’s Degree Programs

Certificate Programs

Job Training Programs

The Honors College

NJ STARS

1. Top 15% of the graduating class

2. Scholarship that covers the cost of tuition at NJ community colleges

NJ STARS II

1. Must earn an Associate’s Degree.2. Minimum 3.25 GPA

3. $2,500 scholarship per year to a 4-year NJ college or university

NCAAAccording to NCAA:

1. Only 2% of high school athletes are awarded athletic scholarships

2. Student-athletes and their parents must have realistic expectations about receiving an athletic scholarship

3. Academic, not athletic achievement, is the most reliable path to success

NCAA

1. Potential Division I & II Athletes must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse

2. 16 core courses3. Recalculated GPA4. Minimum 2.3 GPA5. GPA/SAT sliding scale