1. Senior Orientation Stonewall Jackson High School

2. Planning Important Dates Senior Interviews Transcripts College Applications Responsibility

3. Important Dates September – December Senior Interview with school counselor Make/Review your plan Edit and update your list of colleges from your junior year. Register to retake/take the SAT and/or ACT if necessary Start drafts of college essays.

4. Important Dates September – December Make a final list colleges to apply to. Visit the colleges that most interest you. Fill out applications completely and correctly. Request recommendation letters Request high school transcripts Finalize portfolios, audition tapes, writing samples if they are require for your school.

5. Important Dates September – December Submit all revised, complete admissions and college academic scholarship applications by the prescribed deadline. (Early Action, Early Decision, Regular, Rolling)

6. Important Dates January-June Submit the FAFSA (Financial Aid Form) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.www.fafsa.ed.gov Follow-up as requested by the college Continue to search for scholarship opportunities Keep track of your decision letters Review financial aid award letters. Make appeals as necessary

7. Important Dates January-June Consult and make a final decision on the college that you plan to attend. Submit acceptance letter and pay deposit or enter your name on the deferred list. Submit all housing paperwork in a timely manner to assure your housing requirements.

8. Senior Interview One-on-one interaction with your school counselor. Will cover such areas as: Graduation Requirement Check Receive an unofficial copy of transcript Individual Post Secondary Planning Complete important Senior Documents (diploma order form, information release, etc.)

9. College Applications Procedures College applications should be completed and submitted directly to the college or university that the students wishes to apply. A student should submit the application according to the rules of that particular institution. Once the application has been submitted then the student should submit a transcript request online through the Family Connection program.

10. Transcripts The guidance secretary will provide all students, upon request, three free official transcripts. In addition, each senior will receive one free unofficial transcript during their senior interview. A $2.00 fee will be assessed for any other transcript, official or unofficial requested by the student. For those Alumni requesting transcripts there will be a $2.00 fee applied to each unofficial transcript and official transcript ordered. Payment must be made at the time of the request. The high school transcript is an official document.

11. To Request Transcripts There are two different methods available to request a transcript. Please note that a lack of requested information could result in a delay. Under normal circumstances it usually takes 7 to 10 days for a transcript to be processed and mailed or made available for pickup (unofficial only) after payment is received. However, if the guidance secretary is gone or unavailable, it may take longer. By requesting a transcript, you give your permission for SJHS to release your transcript for educational purposes to the recipient designated. You have the right to review or question your transcript. YOUR TRANSCRIPT REQUEST WILL BE HELD UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED

12. To Request Transcripts Request a Transcript at the Guidance Office: A student or parent may come in to the Guidance Office, complete the Transcript Request form online in the office and pay the $2.00 fee at that time. Request a Transcript online: A student or parent may request a transcript on-line through the SJHS Naviance program. The student or parent must then submit the $2.00 fee to the guidance secretary. The request will be held until the payment is received.

13. Scholarship Application Procedures Scholarship applications should be completed and submitted directly to the organization sponsoring the scholarship. A student should submit the application according to the rules of that particular organization. Once the scholarship application has been submitted then the student should submit a transcript request online through the Family Connection program (if necessary).

14. Secondary School Report The secondary school report is a form that is completed by your school counselor and submitted along with the transcript when you request it. Once you complete the transcript request this form will be automatically sent to the college along with the transcript.

15. Recommendation Letters Contact the people who you wish to have write a letter of recommendation for you. Provide them with the following: The reason for the recommendation (college application, scholarship, etc.) and the due date of the recommendation. Provide them with a resume that contains a list of activities and goals to assist them in writing the recommendation. Provide a stamped envelope with the address of the organization that you want the recommendation sent.

16. Responsibility It is your responsibility as a student to be aware of application deadlines. Please check with the school to which you are applying to make certain of deadlines. COLLEGES DO NOT GIVE SECOND CHANCES.

17. Post High School Choices Post Secondary Education Traditional 4-yr College/University Community College Trade/Technical Schools School to Work (Workforce Entry) Military Service Year Off ????

18. Post Secondary Education College Search College Requirements College Applications Writing the College Essay College Visit – Test Drive Financial Aid/Scholarships

19. College Search Use a college search engine to help narrow your college choices. Some popular search engines are as follows: Family Connection College Search College Board College Search College View Search

20. College Requirements High School GPA Core Courses SAT/ACT Intangibles (Extra-curricular programs, employment)

21. Completing the Application Application Form. In the old days (well, a few years ago), you had one application option—a handwritten or typed form. Today you can often apply online directly to an individual school or use the Common Application, entering your information just once. Application Fee. The average college application fee is around $35. (Some colleges charge up to $60, while others don't have an application fee at all.) The fee is usually nonrefundable, even if you're not offered admission. Many colleges offer fee waivers for applicants from low-income families. If you need a fee waiver, call the college's admissions office for more information. High School Transcript. This form is filled out by an official of your high school. If it comes with your admissions materials, you should give it to the guidance office to complete as early as possible. Some colleges send this form directly to your school after receiving your application. Admissions Test Scores. At many colleges, you have to submit SAT®, SAT Subject Test™, or ACT test scores. Test scores are a standard way of measuring a student's ability to do college-level work.

22. Completing the Application Letters of Recommendation. Your entire application should create a consistent portrait of who you are. Many private colleges ask you to submit one or more letters of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, or other adult who knows you well. When asking someone to write such a letter, be sure to do so well before the college's deadline. Essay. If you're applying to private colleges, your essay often plays a very important role. Whether you're writing an autobiographical statement or an essay on a specific theme, take the opportunity to express your individuality in a way that sets you apart from other applicants. Interview. This is required or recommended by some colleges. Even if it's not required, it's a good idea to set up an interview because it gives you a chance to make a personal connection with someone who will have a voice in deciding whether or not you'll be offered admission. If you're too far away for an on-campus interview, try to arrange to meet with an alumnus in your community. Audition/Portfolio. If you're applying for a program such as music, art, or design, you may have to document prior work by auditioning on campus or submitting an audiotape, slides, or some other sample of your work to demonstrate your ability. The Sum of the Parts. Your entire application should create a consistent portrait of who you are and what you'll bring to the college. The more the pieces of the puzzle support one impression, the more confident the admissions committee will be in admitting you. If the essay or interview contradicts information you gave on other forms, you may cause them to have doubts about accepting you.

23. Writing the Essay The college application essay is a chance to explain yourself, to open your personality, charm, talents, vision, and spirit to the admissions committee. It's a chance to show you can think about things and that you can write clearly about your thoughts. Don't let the chance disappear. Stand up straight and believe in yourself

24. The Essay Writing Process To write a college essay, use the exact same three-step process you'd use to write an essay for class: first pre-write, then draft, and finally, edit. This process will help you identify a focus for your essay, and gather the details you'll need to support it. Get help. Writing Center, English Teacher

25. College Visits A visit gives you the chance to talk to students, faculty, and financial aid and admissions folks. You can get answers to questions, such as: What is the average class size, and the student to faculty ratio? Are most classes taught by professors or by teaching assistants? What is the campus meal plan like? How is the food? What is the make-up of the current freshman class? Is the campus fairly diverse? What's the social scene like? What kinds of activities are planned by the college's Residential Affairs?

26. Financial Aid Complete the FAFSA Deadlines (first file date, priority) Website (www.fafsa.ed.gov)www.fafsa.ed.gov Three main types of financial aid Grants Loans Work Study

27. PROFILE WHAT is the PROFILE? The PROFILE is an online application that collects information used by certain colleges and scholarship programs to award institutional aid funds. (All federal funds are awarded based on the FAFSA, available after Jan. 1 at www.fafsa.ed.gov.)

28. Scholarship Information Research scholarship opportunities Family Connection College Website National Search Engines (FASTWEB, etc) Beware Scholarship Scams

29. School to Work Option Choosing A Career Career Assessment Testing Job Search Interviewing

30. Choosing a Career If you desire to go directly from school to work then make an appointment with Career Counselor: Research career choices Take career assessment Decide on career choice

31. Pursuing A Career Job Search Strategies: Using search engines Look at company websites Resume Writing Interviewing Techniques Organization and Follow-up

32. Armed Services Option Which Branch of Service for you? Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard Benefits in the Armed Services Education Payment Steady Income Take the ASVAB Meet with a Recruiter

33. Taking A Year Off Some students have taken a year off to work and save money for college. Some students do mission work. Some students travel abroad.

34. Conclusions Regardless of what students decide to do with you next step in life students need to be organized, decisive and possess the ability to follow through on their plans. The counseling office is available to assist the student in their future plans. Good luck and see you on stage in JUNE.