1. The College Planning Process: The Junior Year Timetable Presenter: Mrs. Karen Felber Mrs. Allie Hannon

2. Topics to discuss with your child:  What do I want to do with my life? Who do I want to be?  Stay Home/Go Away  Financial Planning for College  What colleges do I want to visit? –Map it out  What experiences can expose me to opportunities? –Volunteer work, internships, summer research, pre-college programs

3. Who Do I Want To Be? ◊ Choose a Career Path by taking a Self- Assessment Test ◊ Write down some career goals ◊ Think about what interests you the most! ◊ Career Search Websites ◊Career Zone- www.nycareerzone.org www.nycareerzone.org ◊Peterson’s- www.petersons.com www.petersons.com ◊Occupational Outlook Handbook- http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ ◊Mpegasus.com- www.mpegasus.com www.mpegasus.com

4. Factors to Consider  Major  Location –Home –Away  How far?  Urban/Suburban/Rural  Size –# of students  Competitiveness  Cost  Support Services

5. Major  Does the college offer a program in your field of interest?  Reputation

6. Location  Do you want to attend a college near home? Do you want to be in a familiar place?  Do you want to go to another section of the country?  Do you want to go to a college in a city, suburban or a rural environment?  Do you have any preference as to the weather?

7. Housing  Do you want to live in a dorm?  Would you live with a couple of roommates? How about 5 in a small apartment?  If it matters to you, FIND OUT!

8. Size of School  Do you want to go to a small, medium-size or large college?  Large Colleges vs. Small Colleges

9. Cost  Private/ Public  In State/ Out of State  Financial Aid Opportunities –Do you have specific plans for financing your college? –Are you attending Financial Aid Night to learn more about options?

10. Financial Aid Night  December 6, at Hicksville High School, 7:00 PM  File FAFSA – January of Senior Year –www.fafsa.ed.gov www.fafsa.ed.gov

11. Special Interests  Do you want to attend a college administered by a particular religious denomination?  Are you interested in a college with specific athletic programs?  Do you have musical/artistic talents you would like to pursue?  Would you like to study abroad?

12. Support Programs  Does the college offer support services or programs?  Support Programs –Academic Enrichment Programs –Office for Students with Disabilities  Testing Accomodations –Student Financial Services –Academic Advisement –Career and Placement Services

13. The College List  Safety (1-2)  Target (2-4)  Reach (1-2)

14. Admissions Criteria  Grades in College Preparatory Courses  Course Selection  Class Rank  Test Scores  Extracurricular  Counselor/ Teacher Recommendations  Writing Sample/ Essay  Interviews  Special Talents/ Interests/ Skills  Community Service

15. Activity Sheet  Include all activities grades 9-12  Categorize  Keep it clear and 1 page

16. Recommendation Letters  Request 2 letters  Consider teachers, counselors, coaches, employers, and community leaders who know you best  Relate to choice of major

17. Essay  Opportunity for colleges to see who you are  Bring to counselor, English teachers for review  Write in the first person and from the heart

18. PSAT Exam  11th grade students will take the PSAT on Saturday, October 20, at Hicksville High School.

19. The SAT Exam  Register online at www.collegeboard.com www.collegeboard.com –CEEB Code-332-365  The SAT measures critical reading, math and writing abilities.  Students must take the SAT Exam at least once, and if taken more than once, most colleges will consider the highest Critical Reading and Math scores in their calculations  www.collegeboard.com www.collegeboard.com –Question of the day –Practice tests

20. SAT Score Report  Colleges require official score reports –Must come from www.collegeboard.com directly www.collegeboard.com –It takes 3-4 weeks for scores to be sent –Most colleges combine your highest scores –Scoring: either a total of 1600 or 2400(depends on the college and whether they use the writing score)

21. SAT II Subject Tests  1 Hour length test(can take up to 3 in one day)  Required by only some schools  Examples: Math, Biology, Chemistry, etc.

22. SAT Exam Test Dates  October 6 – Register by September 7  November 3 – Register by October 4  December 1 – Register by November 1  January 26 – Register by December 28  March 9 – Register by February 8  May 4 – Register by April 5  June 1 – Register by May 2

23. The ACT Exam  www.act.org www.act.org  Achievement oriented  Scores- Range from 1-36  Sections include: Math, English, Reading, scientific Reasoning, Writing(Optional but strongly recommended)

24. ACT Exam Test Dates  October 27 – Register by August 17  December 8 – Register by November 2  February 9- Register by January 11  April 13 – Register by March 8  June 8 – Register by May 3

25. Fee Waivers  If you are concerned about finances and are interested in fee waivers for college entrance exams and college applications, please see your counselor to discuss further.

26. Scholarships  Check with Guidance Office  Fastweb.com  MeritAid.com  Google “Scholarship Search”

27. How to Research Colleges 1. Review “Planning your Future” guidebook. 2. Discuss your needs with your counselor. 3. Use available references: a.Internet a. www.Collegeboard.com www.Collegeboard.com b. www.princetonreview.com www.princetonreview.com c. www.campustours.com www.campustours.com b.Admissions Reference Books c.College Catalogues 4. Talk to college representatives at college fairs. 5. Discuss colleges and costs with parents. 6. Visit colleges – both an interview and tour are desirable (if offered). 7. Maintain an ongoing dialogue with your counselor. 8. Talk to current students in attendance at college.

28. College Visits  Campus Tours  Open Houses  Overnight Stays  Visit the actual classes while in session

29. Early Decision Vs. Early Action  “Binding”- If you get accepted, you MUST go!  Must pull all other applications if accepted  Make sure you are a million percent sure this is the right fit.  Not “binding”- you will be notified well in advance of the normal response date  Not required to make a commitment until May 1.

30. Junior Year Timeline October Take the PSAT exam – October 20, 2012 given at Hicksville High School Take the PSAT exam – October 20, 2012 given at Hicksville High SchoolMarch/April Obtain the SAT I – SAT II – ACT – schedules and register for your appropriate test Obtain the SAT I – SAT II – ACT – schedules and register for your appropriate test Attend College Fairs and Visit Colleges Attend College Fairs and Visit Colleges Meet with your counselor for ongoing post-high school planning Meet with your counselor for ongoing post-high school planning

31. Junior Year Timeline April/May  Meet with your counselor for a junior interview  Take the appropriate college entrance exams  Review college reference books and/or explore colleges on the Internet and request catalogs from colleges  NCAA Clearinghouse form (See your counselor)  Create a filing system for catalogs, applications and correspondence

32. Junior Year Timeline May/June  Take the appropriate college entrance exams  Begin composing your activity sheet  Meet with your counselor to share your college visitation experiences and to amend your list in preparation for fall application process  Request letters of recommendation from teachers

33. Junior Year Timeline July/August  If necessary, begin a new search via the Internet or using college catalogs found at your community library  Plan and outline your college essay  Update your activity sheet

34. Thank you! Any Questions?