September 16, 2015
Senior Parent Information Session
Through group advisement, we have given each senior a folder with information about the college application process –if you haven’t seen it yet, please look at it! Especially the FAQ pages!They also gave us an email address that we will
use at least once a month with important information.
Through individual advisement, we have started seeing students via senior conferences, to discuss their after high school plans and during that time, we will give them a notebook to help them stay organized through this process
So far this year:
What to do after high school?
Joining the military
Going straight to work
Going to a 4 year college/university
Going to a 2 year community
college
Community college is a great option for students who want a 2-year degree or want to save money by going there for 1-2 years (complete their basic courses) and then transfer to a 4-year university
Requirement: High School Diploma
$69-72 per credit hour
If they are interested in transferring to a four year University, be sure to talk to the community college about the “college transfer program”
RCCC, CPCC, Stanly CC- Medical Assistant, Dental Hygiene, Culinary, Automotive, Heating and Refrigeration, Welding, etc.
Community College
What does your child need to know to apply to colleges?What college is right?Applications TranscriptsLetters of recommendationEssaysSAT/ACT ScoresSenior Athletes
What do you need to know about paying for college?Financial aid Scholarships
Agenda
Hopefully, they have visited some college campusesDo they want close to home or far away?Do they want small town or big city?Do they want public or private?Do they know what major they are planning on?
Have they considered going in as “undecided”? Have they talked to the college about what this means?
Hopefully, they have researched the GPA and SAT/ACT requirementsThe “best fit” is a realistic one We always also encourage a “safety school” and a
“reach school” www.cfnc.org has a “matching assistant”
What college is right for your child?
The minimum GPA required for a public NC college/university is a 2.5
After researching and visiting colleges, your child will hopefully have an idea of what colleges are realistic for them
What college is right for your child?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill9 of our seniors went to Carolina last year
Clemson UniversityStuden
tGPA Class
RankSAT Scores
(r/m)1 4.63 7 of 287 650/6502 4.32 33 of 287 660/7103 4.35 43 of 334 640/600
Students can get scholarships ranging from $500 to in-state tuition rates at Clemson, University of South Carolina and various other out of state schools. Usually, recipients of academic recruiting scholarships have an SAT score of at least 1370 in R/M (ACT 31) and rank in the top 10 percent of their senior class.
Student
GPA Class Rank
ACT Score
1 5.05 2nd of 332 35
2 4.68 21st of 332
24
Student
GPA Class Rank
SAT Scores (r/m)
1 5.0432
1 of 227 740/780
Student
GPA Class Rank
SAT Scores (r/m)
1 4.7164
5 of 283 730/730
2 4.84 2 of 287 630/720
Davidson College
Duke University
North Carolina State University
Student
GPA Class Rank
ACT Score
1 4.27 66th out of 332
22
2 3.80 125th out of 332
20
3 3.43 175th out of 332
21
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Colleges in North Carolina accept both SAT
or ACT scores.
Student
GPA Class Rank ACT Score
1 4.84 8th out of 332
30
2 4.49 36th out of 332
28
3 4.29 65th out of 332
28
We recommend applying to 3-5 colleges, if the student can afford the college application feesIf your child is on free/reduced lunch and
received a fee waiver for the SAT, they can have up to 4 college application fee waivers
This year, collegeboard will send college application fee waivers to those students who had an SAT fee waiver last year.
If your child does not receive them through collegeboard, just ask your counselor for those.
How many college applications?
Must fill out the Transcript Request Form (online, in their folder, or in the guidance office)One filled out per collegeIf student is under 18, you have to sign; if they are
18 or over, they need to sign the request formGive Ms. Ryan 48 hours to processStudent will receive a note that says “Your
transcripts are ready to be picked up” – you put postage on the envelope and mail it
County Policy: First 3 are FREE and after that $5 each
Paper Transcripts
Students can send transcripts electronically if they prefer through www.cfnc.org for FREE
Be sure your child checks their “transcript manager” on CFNC to see if the transcript has been received
Common App and SendEdu are also ways some colleges may ask for transcripts to be sent electronically (they count as one of the 3 for free) The student has to put their counselor’s email
address in and it notifies us they need a transcript.
Electronic Transcripts
Students can apply to colleges online through a variety of ways:Preferred method by some colleges: the
college’s own website (Future 49er for UNCC)www.cfnc.org for any and all colleges in North
Carolina – fill out application once and then it self populates for additional collegesBe sure to complete any supplemental forms for
each collegeThe Common Application-Chapel Hill, UNC
Wilmington, NC State etc. (www.commonapp.org)
College Applications
Some colleges require them, some are optional and some do not look at them
Give the teacher or counselor 2 weeks to write a good letter
Fill out the letter of recommendation request form and make copies of it (PDF on student services website or in their folder)
If using cfnc.org or common app, be sure to look at “supplemental forms” for each college
It will be given back in a sealed envelope (student waives their right to see it) You put postage on it and mail it
Letters of recommendation
Some schools have them and some don’t Most importantly, be sure your student gets
someone to PROOFREAD the essays (consider BULL time sessions)
Writing a good essay includes: Not writing a “generic” answer – it should
reflect the student!Tailor the essay to the school’s mission – you
need to show that you will fit in at that collegeSpell correctly! Don’t count on spell check
alone
Writing a good essay
All juniors took the ACT last year at least onceHopefully, students also took the SAT—they would
have signed up through www.collegeboard.org Our transcripts do not have ACT/SAT scores listed Students must go to www.collegeboard.org and/or
www.actstudent.org and tell them what colleges should receive scores -- when registering for the test you get 4 free – after the test, it costs a fee of approximately $13 per college
Most colleges look at the best score in each category for the SAT (even if students took it multiple times)
SAT/ACT Scores
ACT Composite ScoreSAT CR+M (Single
Score)
36 1600
35 1560
34 1510
33 1460
32 1420
31 1380
30 1340
29 1300
28 1260
27 1220
26 1190
25 1150
24 1110
23 1070
22 1030
21 990
20 950
19 910
18 870
17 830
16 790
SAT vs. ACT (which one to use?)
If your senior wants to play a sport at college, they need to be registered with the NCAA clearinghouse
There are GPA and SAT/ACT requirements for Division I and II schools – know your requirements
NCAA looks at only “core classes” including English, Math, Science, Social Studies and World Languages
This website also contains an informational video about the requirements for Division I and II schools
Senior Athletes
Complete online college applicationsIncluding writing/proofreading essays (if applicable)
Ask teachers/counselor for letters of recommendationSometimes schools/scholarships will want a
“community recommender” – consider the student’s boss, church youth group leader, etc.
Send ACT or SAT scores to all colleges that you are applying to
Send in transcripts either by paper or electronically Be registered with NCAA (if trying to play a sport in
college)
“To Do List”
How are you going to pay for college?
Financial Aid comes from the Federal Government in the following forms:Grants: Funds that usually do not have to be
repaid. An example would be the Pell Grant Student Loans: Funds that do have to be
repaid. Some of these are subsidized by the Government (they pay the interest while the student is in college)
Work Study: these are government funded jobs on college campus
Financial Aid
Direct Costs:TuitionBooksRoom/BoardMealsRequired Fees
Indirect Costs: Transportation to and from homePersonal ComputerLoan Fees
Financial Aid
FAFSA –Free Application for Federal Student Aid –www.fafsa.ed.gov (notice it is not FAFSA.com!)
You can’t fill out the FAFSA until January of your senior year, but you can begin researching the process
www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov – predicts what funds you could be eligible for based on last year’s income
Go ahead and get a PIN number Issued to an individual and is a “signature” for Federal Student Aid
purposes Faster than using paper signature PIN is valid for years Parent’s PIN may be used for multiple children Each student must have own PIN Obtain PIN from www.pin.ed.govResults available online in 48 hours and to the institutions you list on the FAFSA
FAFSA
EFC---Expected Family ContributionEFC is the end result after submitting a
FAFSA It is the determination of the amount per year
a student’s family can pay toward their child’s college education
The higher the EFC, the lower the chance a student will have to receive “free” money from the government
Calculating Your Financial Need
What is an EFC?
Significant change in your family… Unemployment of a parent
Death in the family
Change in parents’ marital status
Medical expenses not covered by insurance
Student cannot obtain parent informationNotify the financial aid office at your college of any special circumstances. Be prepared to provide documentation of any change, including the financial impact of the change.
Special Circumstances after the FAFSA is filled out
Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need and they do NOT accrue interest while the student is in school.
Unsubsidized Loans are available, even without a financial need, and they DO accrue interest while the student is in school.
Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans
Check to see if the school you will be attending requires an additional application. Hundreds of schools require students to complete the CSS PROFILE, an online application that is more extensive than the FAFSA. Your school will let you know if the form is required when you apply for aid. Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and Davidson are just
some colleges that require the PROFILE
Financial Aid Video from CFNC
CSS Profile
College Foundation of North Carolina www.cfnc.org
Federal Department of Education http://studentaid.gov/
Student Financial Aid for North Carolinians www.cfnc.org/fabook
The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid www.finaid.org
Additional Information for need based financial aid
Merit Based: given primarily based on grades, SAT scores, rank, GPA, etc.
Need Based: scholarships that consider a family’s financial need for money to pay for college
Criteria Based: given based on criteria such as a desire to study Nursing or Accounting (a specific major). They usually have a merit component
We send to the students, via email, a listing of scholarships for that month and the next at the beginning of each month (Senior Notes)
Scholarships
• “The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.”
No one can guarantee your scholarship before it is awarded.
• “Come to our free seminar and we’ll show you how to get more financial aid.” This is a sales pitch. Don’t pay for information that you can get elsewhere for free.
• “The scholarship requires a small fee.” Never pay a fee to get a scholarship.
• “You are a finalist” for an award you never applied for.If you did not apply, it is not a legitimate offer.
• “You can’t get this information anywhere else.”
Everyone has access to the same information.
Scholarship Scams
September 30, 2015 from 6 to 8:00 pm Cabarrus County Schools is hosting an annual College Fair at
the Cabarrus Arena Come prepared to speak to college admissions officers Get on their mailing lists (your address label) Be sure to stop by the HRHS table and sign in
There will be two county wide Financial Aid Nights: Nov. 16th – 6:30 at Winkler Middle School Jan. 25th – 6:30 at CMC Northeast Hospital
November 2-6, 2015 College Application Week – certain colleges will waive their
application fee if you apply during this week
Upcoming Events
Session Date BULL Time Room
Appalachian State University Admissions TBD A and B Lab 207
Conquering the Common App September 21st A and B Lab 207
How to Write a College Essay September 24th A and B Lab 207
College Fair September 30th 6-8 pm Cabarrus Arena
Critique your college essay October 1st A and B Lab 207
Why Choose a Community College October 20th A and B Lab 207
Navigating NCAA and College Sports October 22nd A and B Lab 207
Impactful Interviewing Skills October 28th A and B Room 532
Rowan Cabarrus Community CollegeCollege TransitionsWells Fargo
Visitors Tonight