1. Senior Parent night

2. A tool created for you! If you would like to follow along with our presentation on your personal device, our Get Ready to Graduate (GR2G) PowerPoint can be found on the Counseling Department website. The GR2G PowerPoint will remain on our counseling website after this event for you to refer back to at your convenience.

3.  Welcome  Introduction of Counselors and Assist. Principal for Curriculum  Sr. Class Sponsor & Class Officers  Balfour  Connect Georgia  GR2G and your packet

4. North Forsyth High School Counseling Staff Mrs. Kathy Wigley, Counseling Department Chair Students with last names A and ESOL Students Ms. Whitney Adams, Counselor Students with last names B-Da Mr. Josh Owens, Counselor Students with last names De-Hi Ms. Sarah Kate Hampton, Counselor Students with last names Ho-Mi Mrs. Leigh Ann Strickland Students with last names Mo - Sc Mrs. Kimberly Haynes, Counselor Students with last names Se-Z Mrs. Tracy Winkler, Assistant Principal of Curriculum Mrs. Claire Nicholson, Counseling Secretary Ms. Kim Grogan, Registrar

5.  Class Sponsor: Mrs. Glenda Santiago  Class President: Sean Greenwood  Class Vice President: Nina Carter  Class Secretary: Molly Majerus  Class Treasurer: Haley Hubbard

6. Sean Smith  Important Information  Fees and Deadlines  How to get reminders

7. James Douglas A tool being developed to explore Georgia colleges and universities. Mr. Douglas has a table in the hall to demonstrate how to use the site. If your child would like to explore the site and give feedback for development during IF on October 21 st, please return the completed permission form available from Mr. Douglas.

8. Senior Graduation Checklist  What classes are needed?  All required course work must be completed and passed for a student to participate in graduation ceremony in May, 2016.  Please sign the form and return original to a counselor at the door as you are leaving tonight.  Please, please, please, call the counselor if you have questions or concerns about graduation requirements.

9.  If you did not receive a HOPE transcript, please call the Counseling Secretary to make sure the correct social security number is on file.  * or ** in the second column indicates that course is not calculated into the HOPE GPA (middle school credits or classes that are not core classes)  4.0 is the highest GPA awarded for HOPE

10. When considering the HOPE scholarship, please note that that AP courses are only given a ½ a quality point of extra weight up to a 4.0 For example: A in AP for the HOPE scholarship = 4.0 B in AP for the HOPE scholarship = 3.5 C in AP for the HOPE scholarship = 2.5 There is no extra weight added for Honors Classes.

11.  Cumulative GPA (Honor Grad?)  Class rank (Based on Cumulative GPA)  Percentile  Schools attended  Courses (F’s don’t go away)  State standardized tests  Graduation requirements

12. 3.5 or higher Cumulative GPA = Honor Graduate Cumulative GPA = All classes taken throughout high school, this is the number you see on Parent Portal. HOPE GPA = All CORE classes taken during high school. You can check your HOPE GPA on www.GaCollege411.comwww.GaCollege411.com

13. A – numerical average 90-100 4.0 quality point B – numerical average 80-89 3.0 quality point C – numerical average 70-79 2.0 quality point AP courses and ACCEL Dual Enrolment courses are the only courses that add one additional quality point to a student’s GPA. A- 5.0 B- 4.0 C- 3.0 However, the numerical average will stay the same. There is not extra weight added to Honors Classes.

14. Balfour dates Don’t forget: Remind Me Senior Timeline Parent Nights SAT/ACT Test Dates Check Scholarship page regularly GRADUATION!!!!

15.  Not all colleges nor all scholarships need a recommendation, but when they do, this information is helpful  The STUDENT should ASK politely for an adult to write a recommendation.  Allow a MINIMUM of 2 to 3 weeks  Give Information Sheet and addressed envelope to the adult when the recommendation is requested.

16.  Schedule visit  Complete permission form (on web page and in Counseling Office)  Bring documentation from college/school/university/military to Attendance Office  Suggestions for things to ask

17.  Summary of many of the topics covered along with information  Contact information for counselors and administrators

18. Decide Final List of College/Universities – 4 to 6 (Remember to be selective and to keep in mind a “reality check”) College Search Engines (Collegeboard.org, GaCollege411.org.)Collegeboard.orgGaCollege411.org Visit College/University Website Example Make Note of the following from the Freshman Admissions Link: Requirements HS credits Application deadline Recommendations Fees

19. Complete and Submit Applications (Prioritize according to deadlines and Review/Edit before Submitting. Pay application fee.) Essays Dedicate time and effort. Be honest, authentic, creative and answer the prompt. Ask teachers/peers to review and make suggestions. Proof Read and Edit. Common Applications Create an account and be sure to go to school forms where you must agree to questions asked. Complete Personal and School Information. Be sure to include your counselors email and contact information (see counseling website).

20. If you are visiting a college and would like for it to be excused, please complete a college visit form and return it to the attendance office.college visit form Students are awarded four days of excused absences during their junior and senior year. Forms are located in the counseling offices.

21. Register for SAT/ACT (If you have not taken or need to retake either of these tests) Act quickly! Deadlines for registrations are coming up! Check with colleges for the last test date they will accept for a specific deadline: For example, for early admission at UGA the last test date UGA will except for consideration with a student’s early action application is the October administration of the SAT and the September administration of the ACT. Update Schools you are applying to on your personal SAT/ACT Account (Colleges/Universities must receive scores directly from testing agency)

22. http://www.actstudent.org/ Create an account, this account will be linked to your student’s social security number and cannot be created multiple times. Choose North Forsyth High School as your test administration site. Study!! ACT Study TipsACT Study Tips

23. http://www.collegeboard.org/ Create an account; this account will be linked to your student’s social security number and cannot be created multiple times. Choose North Forsyth High School as your test administration site. Study!! SAT Study TipsSAT Study Tips

24. Military: ASVAB Test Technical Colleges require: The ASSET or COMPASS Test All 2 year or 4 year colleges require: SAT or the ACT

25. Official ACT scores can be sent from: (www.act.org)www.act.org Official SAT/AP scores can be sent from: (www.collegeboard.com)www.collegeboard.com The student is responsible for requesting scores directly from the testing agencies. North Forsyth High School cannot send any standardized test scores to colleges.

26. Deadline Terminology: Regular Admissions Deadline: January or February Deadline Rolling Admissions : No deadline (apply early to insure your spot) Early Decision: A binding agreement. October/November Deadline. See counselor before selecting this option. Early Action: Early application that is non-binding. with a deadline usually in October/November.

27. Submit a Transcript Request Official Transcript & School Profile Forms available in Counseling Office Fill out completely for all applications (Common App., In- State/Electronic Copy, Out-of-State/Hard Copy) Include a $3.00 Fee for each application. Note: If you are completing a Common Application for various schools, please list them on the Transcript Request Form and include a $3.00 fee. Counselor Recommendation (if needed) – Be Considerate! (Allow 2 to 3 weeks) School Report/Counselor Evaluation (print and include with Transcript Request) All out-of-state applications, or transcripts that can not be sent online will need to be requested and then picked back of up by the student to be mailed. NO paper transcripts will be mailed from the counseling department.

28. Request Teacher Recommendation (Note: NOT all colleges will require a recommendation) Please allow teachers ample time (2 to 3 weeks) to write your recommendation. Provide them with a copy of your teacher recommendation form. (Ask your counselor) Let the teacher know whether the application will be sent through Common Application, College Website, or mailed. If the recommendation letter needs to be mailed, remember to pick the letter of recommendation back up from your teacher and mail it yourself.

29. Request Counselor Recommendation (Note: NOT all colleges will require a recommendation) Please allow counselors ample time (2 to 3 weeks) to write your recommendation. Provide counselors with your Senior Resume, for an example please look in your packet. Let the counselor know whether the application will be sent through Common Application, College Website, or mailed. If the recommendation letter needs to be mailed, remember that you will need to pick it back up from your counselor and mail it yourself.

30. We want to celebrate you! Notify the Counseling Department when you are accepted. (Notebook is on the counter in #402.) We will also put your senior picture up on the NORTH KNOWS NO BOUNDS board, so that students and teachers can celebrate your success!

31. Financial Aid and the HOPE Scholarship.

32. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ® ) is the first step toward getting federal aid for college, career school, or graduate school. FASFA provides more than $150 billion in grants, loans, and work- study funds each year, but you have to complete the FAFSA application to see if you can get any of that money. Let’s watch this short video, taken from www.Studentaid.ed.govvwww.Studentaid.ed.govv FAFSA: Apply for Aid | Federal Student Aid

33. If you need assistance completing the FASFA application be sure to check out College Goal Georgia. College Goal Georgia, part of the national College Goal Sunday initiative, is sponsored by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). It is a FREE event where volunteers help students and families who need assistance in completing their FAFSA, with a particular focus on helping low-income, first-generation families.Georgia Student Finance Commission For more information and to find a location near you be sure to visit the following website: http://collegegoalga.com/ http://collegegoalga.com/

34.  6:30pm in Cafeteria  Representative from GSFC  Financial Advisor, Scott Kessler.  Tuesday, October 27th

35. Check the scholarship link on the Counseling Department web page regularly. Create an account on the suggested scholarship search web sites. You do NOT have to pay money for someone to find scholarships for you. Notify the Counseling Department of scholarships received. (Notebook is on counter in #402.) If a recommendation letter is required, follow the procedure to secure a recommendation from your teacher or counselor.

36. Scholarship  3.0 Core GPA (refer to HOPE transcript)  3 HOPE “rigor” courses required for Class of 2016 Grant  Used for technical/certificate programs  Talk with your chosen technical school for details

37. “Academically Eligible” means the student entered an Eligible Postsecondary Institution in 2007 or later as a freshman with a high school Grade Point Average of 3.70 or higher as calculated by GSFC, and received a minimum score of 1200 combined critical reading and math on a single National Administration of the SAT on a test administration by the time of high school graduation; or received a composite scale score of 26 on a single administration of the ACT on a test administration by the time of high school graduation; or having graduated high school being named the Valedictorian or the Salutatorian.” – taken from GSCF. org

38. Spring Senior Honors Night celebrates students who have earned a scholarship or military academy appointment (HOPE scholarship excluded). This is event is invitation only

39. Graduation Ceremony North Forsyth High School Class of 2016 7pm on June 1, 2016 The Arena at Gwinnett

40. o Get ready for college level work. o Get involved with clubs and organizations. o Grades count! College admission is provisional. o Be consistent about checking Parent Portal. o Ask teachers if you have questions. o Take advantage of remediation opportunities. o Don’t get SENIORITIS too soon