Senior Transition to Post-Secondary Education Standardized Testing

Senior Transition To Post-Secondary Education Standardized Testing

NOTE: test scores can be sent to colleges up until admission deadline Standardized Testing - ACT - Students should have taken the ACT at least once already - If students are wanting to improve their score, they need to take the exam ASAP - Arkansas Arts Academy is a national testing facility - Test scores are attached to students transcript when sent to colleges - Test Dates: - October 10, 2020 (past registration date) offered at AAA - October 17, 2020 (past registration date) NOT offered at AAA - October 24, 2020 (past registration date) offered at AAA Register at: - October 25, 2020 (past registration date) NOT offered at AAA

- December 12, 2020 (registration deadline: November 6 / late registration November 7-20, 2020) oﬀered at AAA act.org - Study resources: - ACT Study Packet: see counselor Mrs. McGaugh - academy.act.org Register at: Standardized Testing - SAT - SAT collegeboard.org - College Board standardized test /sat/register - PSAT - often given to students in grades 9th-11th - Scores must be sent to the colleges from CollegeBoard account - Test Dates: - October 3, 2020 (past registration date) - November 7, 2020 (registration deadline: October 7 / late registration October 27, 2020 for online registration) - December 5, 2020 (registration deadline: November 5 / late registration November 24, 2020 for online registration) - Study resources: - Free practice test: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice - https://www.khanacademy.org/ Standardized Testing - NWACC Accuplacer - Students planning to attend NWACC - Taken for initial course placement - Reading, Writing, Listening, and Math - Self-Paced computerized exam - Tests oﬀered at Bentonville campus only Register at: - Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm - Friday 8:00 am - 11:00 am - Appointments required nwacc.edu/testing - $10 fee per exam center/nwacctests - No time limit - Register at: http://www.nwacc.edu/testingcenter/nwacctests/default.aspx - Study materials and practice tests: - https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/ Standardized Testing - Community Tests - Taken at NWACC - Proctoring for other institutions: For More Info Visit: - Limited basis during physical distancing - Proctor fee is $35 per exam nwacc.edu/testingc - Questions: 479-986-4078 enter/communitye - Additional test: - Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), The College xams Level Examination Program (CLEP), The Dantes Subject Standard Test (DSST), Pearsons VUE, Kryterion, Scantron (Castle), NALA - The Paralegal Association

- Visit http://www.nwacc.edu/testingcenter/communityexams/default.aspx for more information How to Choose a College

What is right for me? Finding The Right Fit

- Picking a college is like picking a second family. - What’s right for one senior may not be right for another. - It’s about “FIT”. - Ask yourself: - Does the environment feel like a place you will be happy and grow? - Prioritize what factors are most important to you: - Good dept. in your major - Prestigious public vs. private Greek life - Big vs. little - Class size - Urban vs. rural - Special programs - Religious - Cost in-state vs. out-of-state - Location/ distance - Diversity - Athletics school spirit - Male / Female ratio - Liberal vs. conservative - Clubs & organizations College Admissions Process

What should I be doing my senior year? Fall - Narrow college list to 5-6 schools - 2 Dream Schools: academic credentials fall in the lower end or below the school average - 2 Target Schools: academic credentials (grades, SAT/ACT scores & class rank) fall well within the school’s average - 2 Safety Schools: academics credentials exceed the school’s range for the average ﬁrst-year student - Have a ﬁnancially safe school as well - List schools on Naviance - User ID: AAA email Naviance - Password: contact Mrs. McGaugh to reset if needed - Requesting letters of recommendation naviance.com - Counselor: email Mrs. McGaugh for the request form - Teachers: Give enough notice - Take standardized test / PREP! Fall - Do not procrastinate with the applications! - The earlier the better - Complete all applications by December 1st - Once you have completed apps, request that your transcript be sent to the college using the transcript request form - Send thank you notes to those who have helped

Transcript Request Form

artsk12.org Winter - October 1st FAFSA

- First day to apply for the FAFSA Website: studentaid.gov - Financial Aid App: myStudentAid - Scholarships - February 14th - Finish the FAFSA - WAHOO! - Mid February - Mid year grades will be sent, so make sure to keep up with your grades! - FASFA - Website: Studentaid.gov - App: myStudentAid Parent Ed Night: FAFSA Info Coming Soon! Don’t Catch Senioritis

- Sen-ior-it-is [seen-yer-eye-tis] - Noun - Slacking off in the Spring or after being accepted - Every year colleges rescind offers of admission or alter financial aid packages as a result of Seniortis! - Because colleges do not receive final grades until July, students often don’t learn of revoked admission until August - Don’t be a victim! Early Decision vs. Early Action Early Decision - Apply early to first-choice college - Usually in November - Receive an admission decision from the college well in advance of the usual notification date - Usually by December - IS BINDING - Agree to attend the college if accepted and offered a financial aid package that is considered adequate by the family - May only apply to one college for early decision - May apply to other colleges under regular admission - Must withdraw all other applications when accepted by early decision - Usually must give a nonrefundable deposit well in advance of May 1 Early Decision vs. Early Action

Early Action applicants - Apply early - Receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle - Usually in January or February - Non-binding - Do not have to commit to an EA college - May apply to other colleges under regular admission plans - Must give the college a decision no later than the May 1 national response - How do I remember the diﬀerence? - db –Early decision is binding Rolling and Regular Admissions

- Rolling Admission: - Non-binding - Colleges review your application and notify you of their decision within a few weeks from submission. - Decide by May 1st - Regular Admission - Traditional admission process - Apply by regular deadline - Non-binding - Colleges notify you of acceptance in the Spring of Senior year - By May 1st WHEN Should I Apply to College?

- If applying to a four-year college: - Strong students apply early in the Fall - If applying to a two-year college or technical school: - Apply for Fall admission during the prior Spring semester WHERE Do I Find The Applications?

- Common Application - over 400 national universities (mostly private)

- Individual college applications - many institutions have their own unique application available on their website

COMMON APP

commonapp.com WHAT Do Colleges Need For Admissions

- Completed application - Optional - Official high school transcript - Resume - Make sure to there are no - Portfolio mistakes on your transcript! - Sometimes needed - Did you take the required courses - Secondary School Report to graduate? - Mid-year Report - Loss of credit corrected? - Counselor Letter of Rec - Is your GPS and class rank correct? - Teacher(s) Letter of Rec - SAT / ACT scores MAKE SURE TO KEEP COPIES OF - Application fee EVERYTHING! - Essay(s) WHAT Does AAA Send to Colleges? - Transcript - Senior Schedule - Change to schedule after submitting your application = must notify the college - College sees that you have “lightened” your senior load without notifying them = right to rescind acceptance. - Admissions officers regularly see this type of “lying” = will assume the worst. - Ask permission if you unsure whether or not the college will care if you drop a course - SSR (Secondary School Report) - School Profile - OPTIONAL - Counselor Letter of Recommendation IF REQUESTED - At the end of the 1st semester: - Mid-Year Report may be required to submit seventh semester grades/rank WHAT is a SSR? Secondary School Report

- Instead of using each university’s variations of the SSR, some high schools choose to send their own. - Be sure that the information on the Common Application SSR is included. - At the top of the SSR, applicants are given the choice to waive or not waive your right to access their college admission file. - Due to FERPA, the student owns their confidential information and may request to see his/her application file UNLESS they waive their right. - If the student waives his/her right to access, the student no longer has the right to see what is written by anyone in your admissions file. WHAT Really Matters to Colleges?

- There is no “magic formula” - There are no “rules” - Small Schools pay greater attention to the person - Large Schools often use a mathematical formula based on GPA, ACT/SAT and favor in-state applicants WHAT Really Matters to Colleges?

- Courses Taken - Colleges want to see academic discipline and a challenge - Grades Received - Rank - SAT/ACT Scores - Essays - Recommendations - Extracurricular Activities - Truly commit to 2-3 activities - Interviews Most Signiﬁcant Factors in Admission

Grades Earned in ACADEMIC Courses!

- Transcript is the BIGGEST DRIVER in the whole process!! - Admissions counselors report that colleges recalculate GPA, using only academic courses Other Trends in College Admissions

- Admissions counselors reveal: - Rigor comes up often; looking at caliber of courses - Through the SSR and HS Profiles, colleges can discern how many AP and Honors level courses were offered. - Did the student take advantage of available courses? Ways to Influence Admissions

- College visits - College interview - Weekend seminars/ workshops - As a rule of thumb, the earlier you apply, the better - Keep informed on Naviance - Meet with college reps when they come to AAA - Ask questions! If you need help, come see your counselor! College Visits

- Make an appointment online or call the admissions office for an appointment two weeks beforehand. - Most colleges offer virtual tours - Prepare for your visit. - Plan and gather background information. - Places to visit include: - Admissions Office - Housing - Financial Aid Office - Dining Hall - Media Center - Talk with students and faculty - Programs of Interest - Student Center

Write a thank you note. College Interviews

- Only highly selective or private colleges regularly conduct interviews. - Public universities do not. - If an interview is possible, it is beneﬁcial. - Call the university admissions oﬃce to schedule an interview at least two weeks ahead of the date you plan to visit - If an interview is part of their admission process, most out-of-state universities have alumni in Austin that interview. - There are hints about interviews in your Senior Planner! Meet with College Reps When They Visit

- Take advantage of this opportunity! - These visits will be scheduled during advisory. - Check RTI and sign up for sessions - These reps are often the ﬁrst reader for their admission ﬁle. Letters of Recommendation

- Not all colleges require or will read recommendation letters. - Generally, public universities do not require one - Often private universities do. Read the application thoroughly. - Follow the directions implicitly - If they ask for two letters, don’t send more - Make a positive impression by having students ask for letters from teachers with whom they have a good rapport and in whose classes they worked very diligently Letters of Recommendation

- Standard is TWO Letters of recommendation from ACADEMIC sources - Teachers - Describe the student as a learner in the classroom - Highly selective schools and some scholarships require two teacher recommendations. - One should come from a junior or senior core academic teacher, a teacher with whom they have developed rapport. - The second should come from someone who presents a diﬀerent dimension (UIL sponsor, sports, band, church, employer, etc.). - Counselor - Describe the student holistically as a person - Leaders of outside programs you are involved in - Boy Scouts, Dance, Girls Scouts, Church Group, etc. - Letters of Recommendation - Teacher

- Fill out the “Brag Sheet” located in your Senior Planner - You must give the teacher at least 3 weeks notice! - You are not the only student asking for a rec letter. - List every school where you want your teacher to send the rec. - Giving a resume is also helpful. - Give the teacher the correct email address, website to submit to, or a neatly addressed and stamped envelope for every college. - The teacher will mail the rec letter to the college once it is written. - Remember that teachers write these letters to help you. Be sure to tell them how grateful you are! Letters of Recommendation - Counselor

- You must give your counselor at least 3 weeks notice! - Fill out the “Brag Sheet” located in your Senior Planner - Or the Letter of Recommendation form sent at request from Mrs. McGaugh - Give detailed, speciﬁc examples whenever possible. - The better job you do, the more your rec letter reﬂects your uniqueness - A resume is also helpful - Email your forms to your counselor - Check to make sure your counselor received the forms and make sure they don’t want additional information Essay

- Be sure your voice comes through clearly - Tell a story that reveals something uniquely about you - Ask yourself: - Could your parent pick your essay out of a stack? - Do you come across as an interesting person the admissions officer would like to know better? Common App Essay Prompts - Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story. - The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? - Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? - Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma — anything of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. - Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. - Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? - Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. College Application Process in 14 Easy Steps

1. Narrow College choices to 5-8 schools. 2. Put choices in Naviance. 3. Visit School Counselor and list schools to which you are applying. - Be sure to tell your School Counselor if you are using the CommonApp for any colleges 4. Check College application Deadlines. 5. Complete Teacher Letter of Recommendation request forms and ask two teachers for letters. 6. Go to colleges’ websites, click on Admissions/Undergraduate Admissions and complete applications online. 7. Request oﬃcial scores from CollegeBoard and/or ACTstudent. 8. When you have ﬁnished applications, request your transcript be sent and letters of rec. College Resume

- Sending a resume can be advantageous - Can be an addition to the activities section of the application - One way to make your application ﬁle more polished - 2 minute scan of your resume - Highlight what you want the admissions reader within a small time frame - Your resume should be professional, concise, speciﬁc, and factual. - Your counselor has resume examples if desired. - If you need help on where to start, request a resume builder form from your counselor. - Ask for help building your resume if needed. College Application Process in 14 Easy Steps

9. Go to FAFSA.ed.gov and create a PIN number. 10. Go back after Oct 1 and complete your FAFSA. 11. Wait for notification from colleges. 12. If colleges send emails or letters saying items are missing, call the admissions offices to double check. 13. Receive admission or denial letters from colleges. 14. Send in “Intent to Register” notification to colleges by May 1 along with housing deposit. Two Year College or Tech School Process Applications are completed after the first of the year for fall admission

1. Visit college/Tech school website and go to “Admissions”. 2. Download paper application - Or complete online application and then notify your school counselor 3. Complete paper application. 4. Submit paper application along with application fee to your school counselor - Your counselor will mail your application, fee and transcript to the College/Technical School. 5. Take the ACCUPLACER at NWACC - Explore specialty programs (Nursing, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Sustainable Energy Technology, etc) to determine admission requirements

* * You may need SAT or ACT scores The Cost of a College Education - The initial “sticker price” of an education may not be the actual cost of attendance. - If overqualified in some manner or have demonstrated financial need, the university often offers scholarship incentives to attend. - Examples: athletics, rank, National Merit, etc. - Privates are more expensive than public colleges - Their scholarships are often generous. - Often the final cost of attendance isn’t known until April of the senior year. - Unless the student has made a binding Early Action contract with a college, the student has until May 1st to officially choose their college and pay the initial enrollment deposit. Scholarship

What should I be doing my senior year? Need to Knows

- Every college oﬀers their own scholarships - They have their own parameters - Make sure you are ﬁlling out the appropriate paperwork and meeting deadlines - Check the Google Sheets Scholarship link shared on Class of 2021 Google Classroom

DO NOT pay for scholarship information! It is a scam! Where to Look For Scholarships - Use scholarship search engines online - Contact business and industrial groups that provide services or products in your major or career field - Determine if they sponsor students who are entering their profession or industry - Church, Synagogue, or other religious affiliation - Place of employment or parent’s employer - Local community leaders or chamber of commerce - Determine if the community is sponsoring students in specific professions - Medical students, engineers, teachers, etc. - National organizations - May offer scholarships to individuals with specific cultural background, personal circumstances, interests, and skills Helpful Tips

- Apply only if you are eligible - Read all of the requirements and directions carefully to determine eligibility - Make sure to complete application - Follow directions - Provide all information required - Essays required for applications are important - Ask your English teacher and school counselor to assist you with your ﬁnal draft - It is ok to use an essay for more than one application as long as it matches the criteria required. - Give yourself enough time to meet deadlines - Make sure to submit your application, essay, and any references at least one week prior to the deadline Helpful Tips

- Save copies of your applications and essays in case something comes missing - Review the entire application and materials prior to submitting - Spell check - REMEMBER: - Your scholarship application represents WHO YOU ARE. - You must submit an application in a neat timely manner - Keep it professional looking.

Think about events and various factors in your life

- Military, cancer (you or immediate family, disabilities, etc. - If you need help on what to look for, check with your counselor Scholarship Search Engines

- Fastweb.com - Sholarships.com - GoingMerry.com - Check with counselor about creating an account - Studentscholarships.org - naviance.com Questions [email protected]