Senior

Post-Secondary

planningWakefield High School

Counseling Department

Before We Begin.......

I AM

Enough

I get

better

every single day

I'm

choosing to

have an

Amazing day!

I choose

my own

attitude

My

challenges

help me

grow

I forgive

myself for

my

mistakes

Today I

Am A

Leader

All of my

problems

have

solutions

I Am An

Amazing

Person

There is no

one better

to be than

myself

Positive Affirmations

Sources of Strength

https://sourcesofstrength.org/IG: @sourcesof strength

IG: @wake_strength

What are my options after graduation?

2-year college

4-year College

Military

Technical School

Work

Gap Year

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2-YearCollege

4-YearCollege

Military TechnicalSchool

Work

Class of 2018 Seniors

Choosing Your

College Priorities

What is important to you?

Location

Academics

Size

Campus Appeal

Social Life

Total Cost – Including aid

2-YEAR College

All students interested in attending NOVA are encouraged to apply through

the Pathway Program.

• Open to all seniors

• There is no minimum GPA, but “strong consideration”

given to:

• 2-year program at NOVA that helps you with your

transition to college and guaranteed admissions process

to a 4-year school

Online Applications will be available in September and

due the first week of November

Barriers to college access Recent grades

Attendance Future goals

What’s in it for you?

While in high school:

While at NOVA:

After NOVA:

✓ Meetings with Pathways Counselor ✓ Early testing

✓ Helpful workshops ✓ Priority registration/scheduling

✓ Help with applying for financial aid ✓ Summer orientation

✓ Counseling and support ✓ Special programming

✓ Leadership development ✓ Grants and scholarship funding

✓ Remediation programs ✓ Early access to GMU events

✓ Assistance with transfer process ✓ Admission to GMU (2.85 GPA)

✓ Support with university application ✓ Continued support after NOVA

✓ Co-enrollment with NOVA/GMU

2-year public junior college in Petersburg, VA

1,500 students

On-campus apartment-style housing (must keep a 2.5 GPA)

Students have the option to transfer to William & Mary or any other 4-year college in Virginia

Rolling admissions

Average GPA: 2.5

Approximately $8,700/year

www.rbc.edu

Application Requirements:

• Application (online)

• $35-$50 application fee

• Official high school transcript

• Essay

Optional:

• Official SAT or ACT scores

• Letter of Recommendation

Four-year college/

university

Class of 2019Average GPA’s for Admitted Students

3.7 GPA 4.0 GPA 3.5 GPA

3.2 GPA 4.0 GPA3.1 GPA

3.25 GPA

2.6 GPA

Quick Pointers

• 4-Year or 2-year school? Both are options----which is right for me?

• Do your research!

• Admission requirements

• Majors, programs, internships

• Cost

• Be realistic!

• Safety school

• Match school

• Reach school

• Most students apply to 5-8 colleges – No more than 10 schools!

• Consider visiting/taking a college virtual tour for all schools you will apply to.

Admissions Deadlines

Early

Decision

• Shows strong interest and is BINDING

• You can only apply to ONE Early Decision school

• Only apply Early Decision if you are 100% sure about the

school• Admission is granted usually by December 1st

Early

Action

• Non-binding

• You can apply to multiple schools

• Some schools split this deadline into “Early Action I” and

“Early Action II”

Regular

Decision

• Non-binding and most common

• Typically in January/February

• Admission is granted usually by April 1st

Rolling• You can apply whenever you want

• Admission is granted on a first-come, first-serve basis until

capacity/need is met

Note: Regardless of admissions option, students should pay close attention

to deadlines for scholarship consideration (merit and need based)!

Important Factors that College

Admissions Officers Look For

❑ Transcripts (Grades/overall GPA)

❑ Strength of high school courses

❑ *Admissions test scores (ACT/SAT)

❑ **Essay – Will be a big part of your

application if no testing is

submitted

❑ Student’s demonstrated interest

❑ Personal accomplishments

• Resume (extracurricular

activities, club/sports, jobs)

• Leadership

• Letters of recommendations

❑ Courses in progress senior year

Components of Your Application

Component

Who Is

Responsible

for Sending?

How?

College

Application

(Essay, resume,

etc.)

Student• Online through admissions websites,

Common App., or Coalition App.

*SAT/ACT

Test ScoresStudent

• Student submits request through College

Board or ACT

Teacher

Letter of Rec.Teacher

• Ask via e-mail

• Submit official request in Naviance

(Plan 3 weeks in advance)

Official

TranscriptCounselor

• Transcript Request Details to be updated

in the Fall. Counselor will submit the

following through Naviance:

❑ Official Transcript❑ School Profile/Secondary Report

❑ Counselor Letter of Rec. (if

requested)

❑ Teacher Letter of Rec. (if requested)

*About College Admission Tests

ACTConsists of four tests: English,

Math, Reading, Science

Writing component is optional

Top composite score is 36

SATConsists of two tests: Verbal &

Math

Writing component is optional

Each test is scored on a scale of 200-800 (1600)

TOEFL• Test for non-native English speakers

• Talk to your counselor if you think you need to

take this exam

SAT/ACT Information(subject

to change)

SAT www.collegeboard.org or for ACT: www.actstudent.org

Test Next Test DateRegistration

Deadline

SAT August 29, September

26, October 3,

November 7, December

5

Check Website

for Deadlines

and Cancellations

ACT September 12, 13 & 19

October 10,17, 24, 25

Check Website for

Deadlines

and Cancellations

What should I be doing now?

❑ Update your email in Naviance- use the same e-mail address for college applications, The Common App, scholarship applications, etc. You will need to check your email regularly!

❑ Create/update a resume in Naviance- found under the “About Me” → “My Stuff” tab.

❑ Complete The Student Brag Sheet in Naviance- this is used by your counselors when writing your letter of recommendation. Go to:

“About Me” Tab → My Stuff →My Surveys (Complete Brag Sheet: Counselor Recommendation Survey)

***The more details you write, the stronger your counselor’s letter is***

August

❑ Request 1-2 letters of recommendations from teachers- after speaking to them, submit your official request in Naviance:

❑ "Colleges” Tab →”Apply to College” Tab & then “Letters of Recommendation”

NAVIANCE HOME PAGESIGN IN USING

MYACCESS.APSVA.US

HOW TO REQUEST A

TEACHER

RECOMMENDATIONS ON

NAVIANCE

CREATE YOUR COMMON APP ACCOUNT @ WWW.COMMONAPP.ORG

YOU ARE A FIRST YEAR

STUDENT

Begin working on your college applications via:

Individual college websites

Common App

Coalition App

Complete the FERPA Waiver in your Common App- this can be done once you

add your first school.

Once you’ve done the FERPA Waiver on Common App:

Complete the Common Application Match in Naviance

Turn in Transcript Request Forms 3 weeks before your college deadline- The Transcript Request Process will be determined at the

beginning of the school year.

Once a Transcript Request Form is submitted,

your counselor will send the following via Naviance (or paper):

Official TranscriptSecondary School

Report

School

Profile

Letters of

Recommendations

(counselor and

teacher)

WWW.COALITIONFORCOLLEGEACCESS.ORG

SCHOLARSHIPS

Merit Scholarship Tips

Merit scholarships are where the

money is.

There is more than $11 billion in merit

scholarships available to students

from colleges

Not just for “A” students

Many awards emphasize

leadership or school involvement

Nearly all colleges offer merit aid

scholarships

The average merit scholarship is $5,000

Many awards can be renewed year after

year

Scholarship

Resources Fastweb.com - Private scholarships

Scholarships.com – Private

scholarships

fafsa.ed.gov - Free Application for

Federal Student Aid

Studentaid.ed.gov - The federal

government’s website about paying

for college

finaid.org - Free student resource

for learning about all types of

financial aid

Trade/Technical Schools and

alternative programs

Do your research!

Joining the Workforce

RESEARCH JOB OPENINGS/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Research might include:

Job Search Engines: Indeed.com, Monster.com, Snagajob.com,

Linkup.com, etc.

Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

Newspapers: Washington Post, Local Newspapers

Internships/Externships

Window Postings

Access your local employment center

Arlington Employment Center: 2100 Washington Boulevard,

1st Floor, Arlington, Virginia 22204. The AEC offers special

services for teens. Call 703-228-1400 or email Nadia

Conyers at Nconyers@arlingtonva.us or

jobseeker@arlingtonva.us for more info

https://aec.arlingtonva.us/jobseekerservices/

APPLY and PREPARE FOR YOUR INTERVIEW

Preparing a resume is also recommended

Military

Contact Mr. Clisham to get connected to a recruiter!

Final Reminders

Please check your email daily! Look out

for emails from Mr. Clisham scholarships

and other important notifications.

Do your research on your schools! Visit

each school (Virtually if necessary).

Be realistic with your schools

Safety schools

On-par schools

Reach schools

Plan ahead! Pay attention to deadlines and

do not wait until the last minute to request

transcripts and letters of recommendations

(plan 3 weeks ahead)

Mr. Clisham, College Career Counselor, will be meeting with students virtually

this Summer. Email him at john.clisham@apsva.us to make an

appointment

College & Career Counseling Summer Availability:

July 15 & 16July 20, 21 & 24

August 12 & 13August 17, 18 & 21

YOUR COUNSELOR

WILL BE MEETING

WITH YOU IN THE

FALL.

Mr. Clisham is available to speak with you regarding all post-graduation options