Slide 1 - Gaston County Schools

							Junior/Senior Workshop

    Tuesday, October 5, 2010
            7:15 pm
Our Agenda
 Getting Ready for College
 Standardized Testing
   SAT
   ACT
 Sports in College
   NCAA Clearinghouse
 Application Process
 Financial Aid
   Scholarships
   FAFSA
Are You Ready?
 Courses/Transcripts
   Junior Year-Most critical year in high school
   Junior Year Action Plan


   Senior Year-Don’t let up/Finish strong
   Senior Year Action Plan
A well-rounded student…
 Strong academics
 Extracurricular involvement
   Athletics
   Clubs
   Summer Programs
 Leadership skills
 Volunteerism/Community
    Service
 Character
        UNC System Requirements
Students         Minimum                            Minimum                   Minimum                    Exceptions Per
entering in Fall GPA                                SAT                       ACT                        Campus

Fall 2011                2.3                        750                       16                         1%
Fall 2012                2.3                        750                       16                         1%


              Seniors: Class of 2011
              Juniors: Class of 2012




 *Each campus will have an exception to these admission requirements of 1% of the number of currently admitted students.
Standardized Testing
 Types of tests
     SAT and ACT
 Used as part of the admissions process.
 Students planning to attend a 4-year college/university must
    take either the SAT or ACT
   Just one of the many factors used for college admission.
   CHS CEEB High School Code: 340-715
   If registering by paper, put the CEEB code on the form to
    ensure we get a copy of your scores!
   FEE WAIVERS
SAT
 Tests reasoning skills; measures how students think, problem
  solve and communicate
 Three components
   Critical Reading, Math, and Writing
 Can score between 200 and 800 on each section
 Offered 7 times per year
 Is never offered at CHS
 Recommend registering online sat.collegeboard.com
 Recommend taking twice in your junior year, maybe early
  fall senior year.
sat.collegeboard.com
sat.collegeboard.com/practice
ACT
 Achievement Test
 Four components
   English, math, reading, and science reasoning
 ACT Plus Writing
 Offered 6 times per year at Gaston College, Dallas
 Recommend taking at least twice in junior year, maybe early
  fall senior year
 Recommend registering online www.act.org
Sports in College
 NCAA Clearinghouse
 www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
 Make use of your coach
 Core Courses
   Division I=16 courses
   Division II=14 courses
   Division III=have separate requirements
 Should register beginning of junior year
 Must take the SAT
 www.Corecoursegpa.com
College Application Process
 Junior Year/Senior Year
   Most important year (Junior year)
   Research colleges of interest
   Campus visits/Open houses
   Request information
   Continue to monitor academic progress
   Student involvement
   Take SAT and/or ACT
College Application Process Cont.
 Student Information Sheet
 Recommendations
   Give recommenders at least two weeks;
   Place in a signed/sealed envelope
   Provide thank you notes
 Recommend applying online
 Paper applications-mail all documents together
 Online applications-print necessary forms
 Counselor forms and recommendation forms.
 Transcript request-allow 24 hours
College Compass
 Selecting a college
   Type of school (2-year vs. 4-year)
   Geography (region of NC)
   Setting/location (small city vs. large city)
   Average class size/total enrollment
   Housing (on campus vs. off campus)
   Academic program or major
   Affordability/percent of students receiving financial aid
   Student/parent expectations
   Private vs. Public
Admissions Essay
 One of the most important parts of your college application.
 Lets colleges know who you are
 What colleges are looking for in an essay
 Types of essays
   Personal statement
   Specific question
 Successful admission essays
   Follow directions/answer the question
   Proofread- parents, teachers, counselors, yourself
                www.cfnc.org
“Helps you plan, apply, and pay for college”

 Links to universities and colleges
 Information on test taking, college essays, and exploring
  careers
 Gives financial aid information
 Can complete a general application
Financial Aid
 Different types
   Scholarships, loans, grants, savings
 Private vs. Public institution
 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
 Scholarships
Scholarships
 Free money
 Two types
   Merit-based
   Need-based
   Combination
 Gaston County Scholarship Website
   www.gastoncountyscholarships.com
 Search for scholarships by deadline and/or source
   www.ScholarshipPlus.com/Gaston
 Posted in Counseling Office, announced, and email
 On Counselors’ websites via CHS website
Scholarships

   Be Conscious of
    Deadlines!!!!
    Common Mistakes
 Not applying
 Black ink vs. Blue Ink
 Typed vs. Handwritten
 Missing the Deadlines
 Waiting until Spring of Senior year to search
 Waiting too late to do a good job
 Not giving enough notice or enough information to recommenders
 Not having essays proofread for mistakes
 Waiting too late to take the ACT/SAT
 Not filing the FAFSA early. Need-based scholarships require copies of
  the FAFSA.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
               (FAFSA)
    First step in the application process for student aid and loans
    Answer questions about income and expenses in order to
       determine how much you can pay for college
       Use tax information from previous year
      Cannot apply until January 1, 2011
      Should submit in January or February/apply early!!
      Apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov
      Obtain PIN at www.pin.ed.gov
      NC and colleges have deadlines
CHS Financial Aid Workshop


      Thursday
 Dec. 16 at 6:00 pm
Closing Information
 Email us at
   maryleaker@gaston.k12.nc.us last names A-I
   cmclark@gaston.k12.nc.us last names J-Z
   prhuffstetler@gaston.k12.nc.us CDC


 Information retrieved from www.cfnc.org and
  www.collegeboard.com

 Questions???