1. Presented by the Guidance Department Junior Workshop

2. How have we prepared for today? Freshman Seminars –Calculating GPA s –Transcript Review Sophomore Seminars –Career Exploration –Career Interest Inventory

3. Junior Seminar Objectives Introduce the college process Factors to consider in choosing a college Required Guidance Forms and Resources How to register for Standardized Testing Practice using Naviance Developing a well balanced list of reach, realistic and safety schools How to find the best fit for you!

4. Some Questions for You How many of you think you want to go right on to college when you graduate? How many of you will be the first child in your family to apply to college? Why do people go to college? What are your fears or concerns, if any, regarding the college search process? Have you started to do anything yet about considering colleges?

5. Factors to Consider in choosing a college Location Distance From Home Admission Selectivity Size Major Housing Financial Aid Student Diversity Campus Culture This is a very individualized process and it is important to remember that there is a college for everyone!

6. Types of Colleges Liberal Arts Colleges : 4 years, broad core requirements Specialized Colleges and Universities : business, art, engineering, etc. Religiously-affiliated Colleges and Universities : religious ties, and usually a religion class required to graduate Single Sex Colleges : all female or all male Military Academies : West Point (Army), the U.S. Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, as well as other military focused colleges. Private vs. Public Colleges and Universities: Differences both in state and out of state

7. Developing a well balanced list Reach- GPA/Test score averages fall above your own range. All Ivy League and Ivy Like schools in the most competitive category are considered reaches for all students! Realistic- 50/50 chance of getting in. GPA/Test score averages fall within your own range Safety- Likely that you will get in. GPA/Test score averages fall below your own range **Remember that you should visit every school on your list, and should be happy to attend every school on it!

8. Visits count!

9. Tips on the College Visit Now is the time! February or April vacation Research colleges before going and then take notes on your tours Limit yourself to 2 visits a day maximum Go on formal tours and info sessions Call the college ahead of time or register on their websites for tour times

10. Admission Terminology 4 Types of Admission Plans: Early Action – Nonbinding, early response Early Decision – Binding, early response Regular Decision Rolling Admission

11. Standardized Tests

12. Testing Strategies Retake your best test in the fall! Prepare for these tests, but know they dont outweigh the importance of your grades!

13. Resources and Information about College Guidance Counselor Guidance Website College Websites Campus visits College guidebooks Barron s Guide (September 2013) College Board (www.collegeboard.com)www.collegeboard.com Naviance (http://connection.naviance.com/westwood)http://connection.naviance.com/westwood

14. Guidance Forms Student Descriptive Questionnaire (SDQ)* -To be completed on Naviance Activities Resume -Check your WHS gmail. Mrs. Higgins will email it to you and once you complete it, upload it to googledocs and share it with your counselor. Parent Information Form * All of this due by March 1 st, 2013

15. Application Process Common Application – online application that includes almost 500 colleges and universities. –Commonapp.orgCommonapp.org School Specific Application – some schools will not be included on the Common Application, therefore you must fill out their own application.

16. Letter of Recommendation You must ask 1 teacher if they will write you a letter of recommendation for next year. See the purple form in your folder Choose wisely! - Academic subject area teachers only - Someone who knows you and your work well - Someone you had a positive relationship with! Colleges prefer an 11 th grade teacher over a 10 th grade teacher. Be sure to ask by the deadline: June 1 st. ** Few schools asks for two letters from teachers. If you have done research and you see that your school requires two letters from a teacher, show proof to your guidance counselor, and THEN ask a 2 nd teacher.

17. Other Material Included in your Folder Transcript GPA Graph Junior Time Line Factors to Consider Practice SAT Teacher Rec. form

18. What s Next? College Planning Night Feb. 6th 7-9pm Attend two more junior seminars Introduction to Naviance –Completing a college search –Developing a well balanced list

19. Parting Advice from Seniors A happy statistic: Over 51% of last years seniors got into their top choice school, and 25% got into their second choice school…