1. Junior Parent College Night Herron High School Thursday, October 2 nd, 2014 5:30 – 7:00 PM

2. Katie Dorsey Academic Advisor 10 th Grade, A-K 11 th Grade, All kdorsey@herronhighschool.org 317-231-0010 ext.1114

3. Junior Parent College Night AGENDA  Junior Year  College Admissions Tests: SAT and ACT  The College Search  College Application Preparation  Financial Aid Basics  Senior Year  Insider Tips Q + A Throughout

4. Junior Year

5. Junior Year: Graduation Progress Core 40 vs. Core 40 with Academic Honors Core 40Core 40 with AD -8 credits of English -6 credits of Math -6 credits of Science -6 credits of Social Studies -5 credits of Directed Electives (Languages, Fine Arts) -2 credits of PE -1 credit of Health -6 credits of other Elective credits -Meet all Core 40 requirements -6 World Language credits (6 in 1 language or 4 credits each in 2 languages) -2 additional Math Credits (Pre- Cal) -2 Fine Arts Credits -1 of the following: 4 AP credits 2 Dual credits 2 AP / 1 Dual credits High test scores - GPA of 2.7 or higher at graduation

6. Junior Year: Strong Academics -When students apply to college in the fall of senior year, the last grades that will be present on the transcript are from junior year. -Colleges look at grade trends – hopefully upward trends! How a student does in 11 th grade is more important than how a student did in 9 th. -A’s and B’s are very important for getting in to college.

7. - Regular, pro-active Office Hours  Students should show up with a plan -Organization and goal setting -Negotiated PowerSchool monitoring -Connection with Advisory Teacher -Using Remediation and Late Passes -Distraction-free studying every night – even if ‘no homework’ Junior Year: What if my student is struggling?

8. - We encourage students to be meaningfully involved – and develop leadership roles – in at least one extracurricular.  Herron clubs and sports  Community organizations  Community service  Faith-based groups -Consider part-time employment for students who have the time. - Balance and joy! Junior Year: Get involved!

9. Q + A

10. College Admissions Tests: PSAT, SAT, and ACT

11. PSAT/NMSQT: October 15 th ! Practice test THIS Saturday at 8:00 a.m. The PSAT scores are not sent to colleges, but the test in important as practice SAT and to qualify juniors for the National Merit Scholarship competition. Students should carefully investigate their PSAT scores (sent in the mail in December) using the log-in code! College Admissions Tests: PSAT, SAT and ACT

13. -Nearly all colleges require the SAT or ACT -Most colleges accept either the SAT and ACT -Register online at least 6 weeks in advance -Tests administered on Saturday mornings -Fee ($51 SAT; $52.50 ACT) or waiver from Advising Office -Score reporting: 4 free – approx. $12.00 additional -Resource students – Accommodations available College Admissions Tests: SAT and ACT

14. The SAT consists of three parts: 1. Critical Reading 2. Mathematics 3. Writing Each section is scored from 200-800. Perfect score = 2400 **New test format released spring 2016 – won’t impact current 11 th graders. www.collegeboard.org College Admissions Tests: SAT- Scholastic Aptitude Test

15. SAT – Scholastic Aptitude Test www.collegeboard.com

16. The ACT consists of five parts: 1. English 2. Mathematics 3. Reading 4. Science 5. Writing The entire ACT test is scored from 16 to 36. Perfect score = 36 College Admissions Tests: ACT – American College Test

17. ACT American College Test www.act.org

18. College Admissions Tests: SAT and ACT 11 th graders should plan to test in late winter or early spring – allowing them to best utilize PSAT scores. Some have already tested / will test in the coming months – great!

19. The SAT/ACT Testing Plan for Students Plan A: Take both tests Junior year; compare; study; retake strongest test Plan B: Take SAT or ACT Junior year; review scores; study; retake (double check test preference for colleges/universities of choice) **All students MUST take the SAT or ACT in their 11 th grade year! **Students sign up with their parents / guardians online for a date and location most convenient College Admissions Tests: SAT and ACT

20. Why take the test again? *Broaden the scope of college acceptances *Possible higher scholarship category *Most colleges will superscore the SAT Apr CR 430 Math 580 Writing 370 [1380] Oct CR 440 Math 560 Writing 390 [1390] Superscore will be 1410 College Admissions Tests: SAT and ACT

21. -CollegeBoard.org and Act.org: practice tests, questions of the day -Online prep: Khan Academy, number2.com, testive.com -Paper practice tests: available at Advising Office -Comprehensive prep books: Advising, Library, Half- Price Books -Classes / tutors for a fee – Princeton Review; Kaplan; local agencies and private companies ; online webinars -Naviance – new website with customized study plan How to Prepare College Admissions Tests: SAT and ACT

22. Q + A

23. The College Search

24. The College Search: Making “the long list” -In the Junior Year, it is time for students to compile the long list of schools to which they might apply. This is not a final application list. The more options, the better! -To find schools to add to their lists, students should explore their own preferences, make-or- break criteria, and their academic data.

25. The College Search: Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider 1)Anticipated College Major/Minor -Career Assessments in English 11 or AP Lang in October/November -Online research -Job Shadowing -Favorite classes / subject areas / hobbies / passions / talents -Mymajors.com *It is okay to be an ‘undeclared’ applicant – but there may be scholarship money tied to specific programs. *50% of college students change their majors 1-3 times.

26. The College Search: Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider 2) College Type - Public / Private - Not-for-profit / For profit - Liberal Arts and Sciences - Technical or Vocational - 4-year or 2-year 3) Location - In-state / Out-of-state ($$) - Urban / Suburban / Rural - Distance from home

27. The College Search: Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider 4) Size - Small schools: 1,000 – 5,000 Wabash, Earlham, St. Mary’s, Butler - Medium schools: 5,000 – 15,000 University of Indianapolis, IU extension campuses, Notre Dame, Indiana State - Large schools: 15,000+ Ball State, IUPUI, Purdue, IU

28. The College Search: Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider 5) Cost - In-state / Out-of-state - Scholarships - Grants - Loans 6) Campus Characteristics - Class size - Professors / TAs - Research focus - Campus activities / extracurriculars / athletics

29. The College Search: Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider 7) Demographics - Religious Affiliation - Diversity - Gender ratios 8) Housing Options - On campus / commuter - Dorms - Fraternities / Sororities

30. How to Find Colleges That Meet Your Criteria - Online searches ACT – www.act.org/collegesearch Petersons College Search – www.Petersons.com College Prowler – www.collegeprowler.com CollegeBoard – www.collegeboard.org (Click on College Search – BigFuture) -College websites – video tours -College visits (2 per year!) -College fairs and college representatives at HHS -Books in the Herron HS Advising office -Colleges that Change Lives: http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/list -US News & World Report rankings -Peer mentors The College Search

31. Planning College Visits -Schedule with Admissions Office -Take a tour (even if you student has been to the campus before) -Attend a ‘Junior Preview Day’ -Treat the day like an interview – both for you and for the school! -Your student should send a thank-you if he/she met with an Admissions Rep or had an interview -Overnight options / activities -Consider ‘demonstrated interest’ if a competitive school The College Search

32. Decide on a Group of Colleges Student: SAT 1200 / GPA 3.98 1) SAFETY - Schools to which you will get accepted and should have strong scholarship options. Ball State: Average SAT 1060 (CR and M Only) / GPA 3.5 2) TARGET - Schools to which you should get accepted but there are no guarantees. Indiana University: Average SAT 1170 / GPA 3.67 3) REACH – Schools to which you might get accepted but it is going to be difficult. University of Notre Dame: Average SAT 1425 / GPA 3.94 The College Search

33. www.cappex.com/colleges

34. Q + A

35. College Application Preparation

36. -Applications don’t go ‘live’ until August 1 of a student’s senior year -There are several pieces of the application – allowing for a ‘holistic review’. Transcript / Diploma (Parchment Account) GPA Test Scores Honors / Awards Extra-curricular activities Leadership roles Community involvement / service Summer experiences Jobs / Internships Disciplinary / Attendance Concerns Letters of Recommendation Secondary School Report Essay (1 st Writing assignment of senior year English)

37. The Application – 3 ways to submit it to the college College Application Preparation 1)Use the Common Application for over 500 (!) colleges 2)Complete the application online at the college website 3)Download the application from the college website, fill it out and mail it back to them (RARE!)

38. www.commonapp.org

39. Q + A

40. Financial Aid Basics

41.  Merit-Based Scholarships and Grants - Colleges and outside sources; do not have to repay - Largest sums of money come directly from colleges and universities. - Other scholarships can be identified through community connections, Herron’s newsletter, websites like www.fastweb.comwww.fastweb.com  Need-Based Grants and Loans FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid EFC – Estimated Family Contribution Grants, i.e. Pell – do not have to repay Federally subsidized student loans Unsubsidized student loans Work-study Private parent loans

42. Financial Aid Basics  FAFSA Night in January of 11 th and 12 th grade  File FAFSA by March 1 of your student’s Senior Year  Must have taxes completed to file  Colleges will then issue a final Financial Aid Package in the spring of senior year, including: Scholarships Grants Loans Work-Study Out-of-pocket Costs  Compare ‘apples to apples’  http://www.indianacollegecosts.org/  http://netpricecalculator.collegeboard.org/

43. Q + A

44. Senior Year

45.  All Herron students take all 5 cores - all 8 semesters of high school. HHS does not have early graduation.  English 12 or AP Lit  Next Math class (Alg II, PreCal, AP Calc AB or BC / AP Stats / Finite Math)  Cell Bio and Forensics / Chem / AP Chem / AP Physics / AP Environmental  AP Human Geography / European History  Next Latin class / Greek  Two electives: capstone classes in content areas (French IV, AP Studio, Adv Choir), double-up in core classes, explore new interests  Internships via application: 1 or 2 class periods. Apply in spring of 2015.

46. Insider Tips (from Herron staff/faculty who have recently had children in the 11 th grade!)

47. “Nudge and encourage, but don't do it for them!”

48. “It’s important to prepare for the SAT / ACT. Plan on re- taking the tests!”

49. “It was very helpful to visit some colleges during Spring Break last year. It got his brain started thinking about where he could see himself.”

50. “The college application process takes time. It can’t happen over night.”

51. Katie Dorsey – 11 th Grade Academic Advisor kdorsey@herronhighschool.org 317-231-0010 ext. 1114 Dr. Deborah Cooney – 12 th Grade Academic Advisor, Assistant Head of School dcooney@herronhighschool.org 317-231-0010 ext. 1104 Jane Hagenauer – Registrar and Advising Coordinator jhagenauer@herronhighschool.org 317-231-0010 ext. 1105 Junior Parent College Night Herron High School Thank you for your participation this evening!