WELCOME JUNIORS!
Post-Secondary Planning:
The Time is NOW
First things first. . .Graduation Requirements
WHSGraduation Requirements
4 credits (4 years) Language Arts3 credits (3 years) Math3 credits (3 years) Science3 credits (3 years) Social Studies.5 credits (1 sem.) Health 1 credits (2 classes) P. E. .5 credits (1 sem.) Computer Science 2 credits (4 classes) Practical/Fine Arts
22 Total Credits
On-line courses available now
Unsure? See you counselor!!
HEAR(Higher Education Admission Requirements)
Subject YearsEnglish 4Math 4 *Algebra I, II and
Geometry or equivalent
Natural Science 3 *2 units lab-based
Social Science 3Foreign Language 1Academic Electives 2
Who Is My Counselor??!
Academy Counselor
ACE Ms. Bolton
GBA Ms. Piper
HBM Ms. Nakata
VPA Mr. Evans
LAA Ms. Diercks
What are my options for after high school??
Explore Your Choices
Military Service – Americorps Apprenticeship/Work Travel College/University
2 year or 4 year? Public or Private?
Start Talking. . .
Parents Teachers Family Members Counselor College Representatives Military Representatives Friends
Why is higher education a focus??
College graduates will earn an average of about $2.5 million, or about $1 million dollars more, over their working lives than high school graduates.
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost04/EducationPays2004.pdf (page 10)
How do I begin this process?
Determine your priorities—use check list Remember parents may have different
priorities from students– Cost -Location– Size -Selectivity– Majors -Public/Private
Visit, visit, visit college campuses!! The perfect school doesn’t exist, it’s about
finding the right fit for you
Community Colleges
Many Advantages:– Smaller class sizes– Less expensive– Can live at home– If you’re not quite ready to go to a 4 year college– Flexible schedules, night, weekend classes
Beware Proprietary Schools!!!– (Everest, Heritage, Westwood, DeVry)– If you’re unsure, ask!
What are 4 year colleges looking for?
What are 4 year colleges looking for?
Academic Record – GPA, class rank, improvement, difficulty of classes
Testing – ACT or SAT with writing Extracurricular Activities
– Work– Community service
Letters of Recommendation Honors and Awards Essays Interviews Commitment/Passion Leadership
CCHE Admission Eligibility Index
http://highered.colorado.gov/Publications/Policies/Current/i-partf-index.pdf
TESTING
ACT – All Juniors in CO will take for FREE in April 2012
Can retake next summer/fall
$49.50 with writing
Register at www.actstudent.org SAT – Next test January 28, 2012
$49
Register at www.collegeboard.com Community Colleges – Do not require ACT/SAT
– Will use Accuplacer or similar Fee Waivers available for ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and
College Applications for students on Free and Reduced lunch Check with your counselor
Prepare for the ACT!!It IS Important
Many FREE resources available online– Sample questions– Word of the day– Test tips– Test descriptions– http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/preparing.pdf – https://secure.collegeincolorado.org/College_Planning/
Test_Prep/Test_Prep.aspx
Take practice tests Doing something to prepare will greatly increase
the likelihood of a better score!
Other Aspects to Consider:
Letters of recommendation Essay/personal statement What you can be doing NOW to help yourself later
– Volunteer - Get involved in school activities– Work - Explore your interests (CIC)– Play sports - Explore your options (CIC)– Get to know your teachers/coaches/counselor
Remember senior year DOES matter!
Metro State College Representative
Every Wednesday in WHS Library
From 8am-3pm
Help with college applications, scholarships, essays, financial aid, anything related to
college!
You are responsible for exploring your options, meeting deadlines, and submitting complete applications!
It’s YOUR life, make it what you want
College Searches on the Web
Collegeincolorado.org Colleges That Change Lives Ctcl.com Local College Fairs
collegefairsdenver.org College View collegeview.com Peterson Education Petersons.com (Quick test-prep searches are
available on this site including ACT, ASVAB, SAT,
MCAT, TOEFL, firefighter and many, many more!)
College Search Collegesurfing.com College Search
Collegeincolorado.org College/Major Search/Test Prep
Princetonreview.com College/Major Search
Connection.naviance.com
Access.bridges.com (Site ID 0099411, Password: Canyon)
College Answer Collegeanswer.com College Board On-line
Collegeboard.com College Campus Tours
Campustours.com College Planning C3apply.org College Search Embark.com Go College Search Gocollege.com How to Choose a College
Usnews.com (click on “education”) Links to all Universities
Universities.com NACAC Nacac.com Study Skills & Careers Kaplan.com
WHS Counselor pagehttp://www.adams50.org/196520104152831240/site/default.asp?1965Nav=|&NodeID=853
How Do I Pay for College??!
How Do I Pay for College??!
Parents/own money Scholarships Financial Aid– Grants– Work Study– Loans
College Opportunity Fund (COF)– Collegeincolorado.org
Things to Know….
Two-thirds of college students graduate with some debt, the average being $20,000
Your chances of getting a full-ride scholarship are slim: 1 in 50,000
Scholarships are not just for Athletes and Brains Scholarships are not just for financially needy
families
Scholarships
Time = Money!
If you are awarded a $1000 scholarship and it took you 6 hours to complete the application you just earned $166 an hour
Where do I look for Scholarships?
College currently attending/will be attending
Within the college: Financial Aid office, Academic Depts.
Internet
Library
Employer (Tuition Re-imbursement, Loan Re-payment)
Local Businesses: Target, Walmart, Burger King, McDonald’s
Church/Congregation
High School Counselor
WHS Counselor pagehttp://www.adams50.org/196520104152831240/site/default.asp?1965Nav=|&NodeID=853
Free Scholarship Searches
www.MeritAid.com www.CollegeinColorado.org www.Fastweb.com www.brokescholar.com www.collegeanswer.com www.princetonreview.com www.nationalmerit.org www.Apps.collegeboard.com www.collegenet.com www.scholarships.com www.collegescholarships.com www.scholarship-page.com www.finaid.org www.free-4u.com www.supercollege.com www.college-scholarships.com
www.scholarships-4u.com www.freschinfo.com www.collegeplan.org www.gocollege.com www.nmfonline.org (National Medical Fellows) www.careersandcolleges.com www.edvisors.com www.collegenet.com www.colorado.edu/finaid/scholarships.html (for CU
Boulder) www.hispanicfund.org www.chci.org www.hsf.net www.laef.org/scholarships.html http://wue.wiche.edu (Student Exchange Program in
the western US)
WHS Counselor pagehttp://www.adams50.org/196520104152831240/site/default.asp?1965Nav=|&NodeID=853
FAFSA
FREE Application for Federal Student Aid
www.fafsa.gov
The earliest you can access for beginning college during the 2013-2014 school year is
January 1st, 2013
Grants
Grants are awarded based on a student’s financial need
As long as you follow the guidelines of the Grants you will not be required to repay this money
Need is determined by the Department of Education by using information off the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Loans
To apply for a student loan, student MUST file FAFSA
Loans must be repaid
Repayment begins after student either graduates or is no longer enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours.
Work Study
To qualify, student MUST apply for FAFSA and indicate their interest on the application. Award is based on results from processed FAFSA
Purpose– Flexible schedule with employer– Employment on-campus– Regular paychecks– Work between 10 and 20 hours a week
Must be enrolled in 6 credits and attend work-study orientation when awarded
Financial Aid Calculator
Complete the FAFSA4caster to help understand your options for paying for college
– https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e3s1
Questions?
Attend Counselor Chat sessions– Thursday, January 5th at 2:45 in the Lecture Hall
Topic: Getting Ready for Life After High School
Please take a moment to complete:
Survey Monkey
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