1. College Night

2. Counselors Dorrinda Cullum (A-K) andreamckinney@reitzmemorial.org andreamckinney@reitzmemorial.org 476-4973 Ext. 2231 Heidi Bennett (L-Z) heidibennett@reitzmemorial.org 476-4973 Ext. 2232

3. Exploring Colleges 4861 to choose from Most important decision 70% return for sophomore year

4. Exploring Colleges Getting organized Use folders, real and virtual Manage lists **Spring Break and summer vacation are great opportunities to visit schools!

5. Exploring Colleges The visit Think like a consumer Make it official Checklist of things to do Write Thank You College Open House list can be found on the website

6. Exploring Colleges What if you can’t visit? Website College rep. visits – schedule posted on website Call an alumnus College fairs

7. Applying To College On-Line Preferred Options 1. Early decision – Binding 2. Early Action 3. Regular Admission 4. Rolling Admission 5. Deadline Decision May 1.

8. Transcripts Memorial uses Parchment Log in to www.parchment.com to registerwww.parchment.com Send transcripts to any college, NCAA

9. Common App Saves students time by filling out 1 application and sending to any member school 456 member schools Students and parents are encouraged to watch the tutorial

10. Getting In There are no guarantees Art vs. Science

11. Eight Factors Course Selection Rank Interests Tests Essays Recommendations Interviews Academic Performance

12. Course Selection Challenge yourself AP and Honors Check college website for course requirements *World Language, Math, Science* Core 40 minimum standard for Indiana schools

13. Rank Memorial does not report rank on transcripts sent outside of the school building Growing national trend Beneficial to students who have strong GPA’s but are in the bottom 50% of the class

14. Interests What you do outside the classroom Make an impact Quality vs. Quantity

15. Tests SAT Start early-winter or spring of junior year Fall of senior year if necessary 2 Parts: Math and Evidence-Based Reading & Writing OPTIONAL Essay 800 max score per section Send scores to Memorial (150980), NCAA (9999) Register: www.collegeboard.comwww.collegeboard.com Subject tests required by some schools

16. SAT Changes More similar to ACT Major difference—how concepts are tested and steps students have to take to solve correctly. No penalty for wrong answers, so guessing is OK (like ACT). 4 answer choices instead of 5 A student’s ability to process information quickly is key. Reasoning and Critical Thinking extremely important.

17. Tests ACT Composite Score – English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning, OPTIONAL Writing 36 is perfect score Accepted by most schools Should take writing portion Register: www.actstudent.orgwww.actstudent.org

18. Tests Test Prep Cost vs. Benefit Princeton Review Private tutor USI/Ivy Tech SAT’s My College QuickStart

19. Essay Don’t use fancy words Be real Spellcheck and Proofread!

20. Recommendations Tell who you are and what you are good at Give plenty of notice Doesn’t have to be the teacher who gave you an “A”

21. Interviews Highly interested Highly selective Dangers of social media

22. Academic Performance Most important factor Upward Trend Junior year very important Senior year grades do matter

23. How Do You Know??? Read the information! Talk to your counselor Call admissions office and ask

24. Factors Considered Indiana University Admitted Students Middle 50% Average: GPA - 3.47-4.0 SAT - 1110-1290 ACT - 25-30 Indiana Admitted Students (2013 figures): Average GPA 3.73 Average SAT 1186 79.7% in top 25% of class, 40.7% in top 10% of class 86.7% with Academic Honors Diploma **November 1 deadline for scholarship consideration

25. Purdue University Admitted Students Middle 50% Average: GPA – 3.5-4.0 SAT – 1630-1940 (CR & Ma) ACT – 25-30 *Apply by November 1 to receive a decision by first week in December and for scholarship consideration *Deadline for Nursing, vet technology and vet technician

26. Purdue University Apply to one college AdmitDeny Waitlist Holding for new info. Early Dec.- Initial Release of Decisions Nov. 15 th – Deadline for Consideration for Purdue Scholarships

27. UE and USI Heather and Mark will explain

28. Paying for College Average Cost: 2 year public school - $7,000 (living at home) 4 year public school (in-state)- $18,943 4 year public school (out-of-state) - $32,762 4 year private school - $42,419 *Source: College Board College Cost Estimator –requirement for all colleges to have on their website

29. Paying for College Financial Aid www.fafsa.ed.gov Worksheets available in counseling office Available January 1 Due March 10 for IN (some schools earlier). KY is first- come, first-serve Must be done every year Receive fin. aid packages around April 1 Estimated Family Contribution **Apply even if you don’t think you’re eligible

30. Paying for College Financial Aid Types of need based aid: Grants Loans Work Study

31. Paying for College Scholarships Grades Athletics Interests Intended Major

32. Paying for College Where to Find Scholarships MHS website Parent employer College Websites www.fastweb.com, www.finaid.org www.fastweb.comwww.finaid.org College Goal Sunday: Feb. 21, 2016 2:00 Ivy Tech **Never pay for a scholarship search!!

33. Class of 2015 Profile 159 graduating seniors Attending 46 colleges/universities 14 states Over $13 mil in scholarships offered Top 5 University of Southern Indiana – 26 Indiana University– 25 University of Evansville--13 University of Kentucky- 9 Purdue University – 6

34. Planning Ahead… Counselors meet with juniors this week 2016-2017 registration for Juniors - Feb. 8-10 Counselors meet with seniors 2 nd week of school Look for folder with information