1. Class of 2017 Finding the Best College Fit & the College Application Process

2. By the end of this presentation you will understand: ●the timeline for post-graduation planning from now through the summer. ●the factors to consider when researching universities ●some available resources for college planning ●the Oregon Public University requirements ●the differences in college admissions applications ●what would be helpful summer tasks to get you started

3. What should you be doing now? The most important item on your “to do” list is finishing the year strong academically. The #1 item college admissions officers look for when admitting students is - What classes did they take and how well did they do in them.

4. Now to June - Junior year ❏ S tart thinking about college and how you will organize your research. ❏ Think of the factors that will influence your final decision (more on this later) ❏ Visit schools - Within an hour radius of Portland you can visit large, medium, small, public, and private colleges and universities. Even if you are not thinking about applying to any of them, visiting can give you insight on what you want and don’t want in a college. It’s best to visit when school is in session.

5. Campus Visits Call Admission Office and make arrangements. Ask about attending classes. Visit with a student. Visit with an admission counselor. Stop by financial aid. Visit a residence hall

6. Now to June - Junior year ❏ Talk about money. We know this is not always an easy conversation, but it is a necessary one. ❏ How much can parents contribute? ❏ In what ways are will the student be expected to contribute financially to their education? ❏ Is the student thinking about further education after an undergraduate program (i.e. medicine, law, etc.)? Does this impact their decision on undergraduate education?

7. FAFSA- updates Will open October 1st to complete. Know which schools you want your FAFSA information sent.

8. Now to June - Junior year ❏ Make sure you get started on required testing (ACT, SAT, SAT II Subject exams) ❏ All students will take an ACT on April 19th, but many may want to try the SAT, as well. ★ If you qualify for Free & Reduced lunch, your counselor can provide a fee waiver for exams. ❏ SAT II Subject exams are usually only required for highly selective schools or programs.

9. Now to June - Junior year ❏ If you are thinking about a specialty program, such as art, architecture, or music, make sure to look at specific requirements, such as portfolios and auditions. Talk with subject-area teachers about these requirements for tips and advice. ❏ If you are an athlete hoping to be recruited to the collegiate level, talk to your coach about requirements, such as completing the NCAA Clearinghouse.

10. ❏ Create a resume or at least a list of extracurricular activities, accomplishments, and recognitions so that you have this information when filling out applications - CIS and GOOGLE ARE A GOOD RESOURCE FOR THIS ❏ Enjoy the summer, but remember it is the last one before you apply. Use it wisely! Now to June - Junior year

11. Factors to Consider in a College or University 1.Do they have the program (academic major) in which you are interested? How strong is this program? 2.What size of school feels the most comfortable to you? 3.Location - How far or close do you want to be to home? 4.What is a comfortable “campus personality” for you? 5.Cost - this is last for a reason.

12. Post-Graduation Plans ●There are lots of options - 2 year, 4 year, Gap Year, Trade School, Art School.... ●For 4-year schools: ○1-3 “Reach” Schools ■(Where your GPA/Test Scores/Activities are far outside of the range typically accepted or the school is highly selective for all applicants) ○2-6 “Target” Schools ■(Where your qualifications fit into the range typically accepted) ○1-2 “Safety” Schools ■(Where your qualifications are above the range typically accepted)

13. As you finalize your list, remember - You should be happy (or at least mostly happy) with ALL the schools on your list, even your safety schools It is recommended to apply to at least 1-2 OUS schools as this is often the best deal financially

14. A useful tool to get started www.collegeboard.comwww.collegeboard.com - then go to “College Search” Narrow from 4000 to a reasonable number using the filters on the side If you are considering many states, you may want to search one state at a time Click on a school and start to explore!

15. Another great resource: CIS www.oregoncis.uoregon.edu Visit your school website or college and career center for log in information if you do not know this.

16. CIS Tools Grade 11 CIS Activities are required Career assessments Employment search College Search and application tracker Find scholarships based on major Keep track of activities and easily export to resume and/or OSAC (and Oregon scholarship tool, which requires and activities chart)

17. Other resources There are a TON of resources out there, but here are the top ones I use in addition to College Board & CIS: FAFSA (Financial Aid): www.fafsa.gov.edu (FAFSA timeline is changing next year)www.fafsa.gov.edu Common Application (one application for over 500 -mostly private - colleges): www.commonapp.com www.commonapp.com Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE - go to out-of-state colleges for reduced tuition): www.wiche.edu/wuewww.wiche.edu/wue Gear Up Oregon (Lot of resources and checklists for Oregon students): http://oregongearup.org/ http://oregongearup.org/ Oregon Promise - free tuition for two-years of community college in OR: http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/oregon-promise.aspx http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/oregon-promise.aspx All colleges are required to have Net Price Calculator on their website, in which you can enter your financial information and get an estimate of what tuition may be for you taking into consideration the scholarships and financial aid you are likely to receive

18. Have a System Create a system to keep information on schools. Create a timeline and system to keep track of all the required parts of your application.

19. Oregon University System OUS Automatic Admissions 3.4 GPA Regular Admissions Minimum entrance requirements Subject to review, portfolio may be required EOU, OIT, PSU, OSU, U of O 3.0 GPA WOU, SOU 2.75

20. Transcript Review ●The OUS policy is a C- or higher in the credits required for admission. If you have a D/F in one of these core classes, you might want to consider ○Taking an online course through BYU ○Retake the class. ○BSD Summer School (or another summer school program - Jesuit, OES, Portland Public) ○Taking a course through PCC

21. A note on that last slide... ●Remember that is an OUS policy, not an “every school” policy ●They often take the rigor of your courses into consideration ●Admissions officers are usually happy to talk to you about this ●Most OUS schools have an “alternate admissions” option (U of O has an index for admission)

22. Difference in college admissions applications: Common Application - One application used by over 500 (mostly private) colleges and universities (www.commonapp.org)www.commonapp.org Requires at least one essay (some schools may require supplementary essays in addition to the main essay) 1-3 Teacher Letters of Recommendation 1 Counselor Letter of Recommendation Can use outside recommenders (employer, supervisor, youth group leader, etc.) Opens for next year at the beginning of August

23. Difference in college admissions applications: Public universities usually use their own application (a couple out-of-state use the Common App, but not many) Usually do not require letters of recommendation* Most require an essay or short answers (often can reuse the Common App essay), but some do not require an essay at all * Honors Colleges will usually require a separate application, an essay, and letters of recommendation

24. Difference in college admissions applications: A new application is coming out this year called the Coalition Application. For more information visit (http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/). Most member schools will accept both the Common Application/other previously-used application, as well as the Coalition Application; however UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON will solely be using the Coalition Application.http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/

25. What can you do this summer: Rest and relax … BUT you will thank yourself if you spend some time each day or week preparing for senior year and the application process Work, service, summer program, travel … Work on your resume and information required in order to request teacher letters of recommendation

26. Start Your College Essays Make a list of the essay prompts from the colleges you are considering and find the commonalities - this way you can write a couple of essays and “tweak” them for multiple schools The Common Application essay prompts are staying the same next year