1. 2016 Northwest High School Spring Showcase

2. At Each Grade Level 9-12

3.   Choose a balanced course load with you future and GPA in mind.  Work with the school counselor to create a yearly schedule for meeting graduation requirements. (Career Planner)  Talk to a school counselor about taking PAP,AP, and/or Dual Credit courses.  Get involved with community-based, leadership-oriented, and extracurricular activities.  Explore and identify career fields of interest through online research and by attending career fairs and other events.  Keep a running list of accomplishments, awards, and recognitions to use in preparing a resume and college applications. 9 th Grade Focus

4.   Attend college and career information events.  Research funding for college, including scholarships, grants, loans, etc.  Reach out to mentors in the fields of interest.  Exploring college and career options.  Consider taking a practice test to prepare for the PSAT. 10 th Grade Focus

5.   Take the PSAT. Students must take the test in 11th grade to qualify for National Merit scholarships.  Attend college fairs and college-prep presentations.  Register for college admission exams such as the SAT and ACT  Research ways to pay for college.  Identify scholarship opportunities to pursue.  Contact colleges/recruiter to request information.  Narrow down the colleges being considered.  Start college visits 11 th Grade Focus

6.   Register for and take (or retake) the SAT and/or ACT.  Contact colleges/recruiter to request information.  Complete and submit college applications prior to deadlines.  Complete and submit scholarship applications prior to deadlines.  Request transcripts and letters of recommendation.  Work with parents to complete and submit the FAFSA.  Finish submitting scholarship applications.  Consider college acceptances; compare financial aid packages offered.  Decide on the college to attend and contact its offices. 12 th Grade Focus

7.  Students in NISD use Naviance Family Connection to: Take personality and career assessments:  Career Cluster (can be taken every year)  StrengthsExplorer® (middle school; can only be taken once)  Career Key (middle school only)  Career Interest Profiler (high school only)  Do What You Are® (high school only)  Learning Style Inventory™ (high school only)  MI Advantage™ (high school only) Naviance

8.  Students in NISD use Naviance Family Connection to:  Research, examine and reflect on the assessment results  Research, pin, and save colleges in About Me tab using SuperMatch College Search, watch videos and interviews on a multitude of careers through Roadtrip Nation.  Build a resume  Start adding volunteer hours Naviance

9.  Counselors School counselors usually have access to information about your classes, your grades and, often, your extracurricular activities. That means they can help you see the big picture when it comes to planning for your future. It’s up to you, though, to make sure you get the college and career guidance you need.

10.  Counselors Make an appointment to see a school counselor for the first time during freshman year. Try to build a relationship with him or her during your four years of high school and be sure to talk about your interests and goals when you meet. The more the school counselor knows about you, the more he or she can help you. Here are some of the many ways school counselors can aid you.

11.  Academic Advising When you meet, talk about your favorite subjects and classes and your plans for life after high school. Your school counselor can use this information to help you plan your high school class schedule.

12.   Counselors can assist you with: Academic Advising Taking all the classes you need to graduate on time Taking the types of classes that most colleges look for Getting the help you need if you’re having trouble in class Taking classes and participating in activities that will challenge you

13.  Working with Your High School Counselor for College Success

14. College Planning A school counselor can steer you toward colleges that are right for you by recommending colleges that fit with your academic record and career goals. When it comes time to apply, your counselor plays a big role in the process.

15.  The government, colleges and private organizations offer students money to help pay for college. Your school counselor is a good resource for information about this financial aid and can give you insight on how the process works.

16.  Career Planning Your school’s counseling office can help with planning for your future in several ways. Career fairs Tests that reveal students’ strengths and interests — information that may help with career decisions (ASVAB) Naviance Exploring career areas that interest you can help you choose fitting colleges, majors and job paths.

17.  Counseling If you have a problem in your personal life, a school counselor can speak with you about it or tell you where you can get help.

18.  20 Questions to Ask Your School Counselor Your school counselor is one of your best resources as you plan for college. Your counselor has information about admission tests, college preparation, and your education and career options. Here are some basic questions to help get your conversation started: 1.What courses do I need to take to be ready for college? 2.How should I plan my schedule so I'll complete them? 3.Which elective courses do you recommend?

19.  20 Questions to Ask Your School Counselor 4.Which AP courses should I consider taking? 5.When is the PSAT/NMSQT going to be given? 6.How should I study for the SAT, and is it given at this high school or do I need to go somewhere nearby? 7.Do you have any college planning sessions scheduled? 8.Do you have college handbooks or other guides that I can browse or borrow? 9.What activities can I do at home and over the summer to get ready for college?

20.  20 Questions to Ask Your School Counselor 10.What kinds of grades do different colleges require? 11.Are there any college fairs at this school, or nearby? 12.What colleges do other kids from our school go to? 13.What are the requirements or standards for the honor society? 14.Can you put me in touch with recent grads who are going to the colleges on my wish list? 15.Do you have any information to help me start exploring careers?

21.  20 Questions to Ask Your School Counselor 16.If my colleges need a recommendation from you, how can I help you know me better, so it can be more personal? 17.Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now, so I can work toward them? 18.Can I see my transcript as it stands now, to see if everything is as I think it should be? 19.What forms do I use to apply for financial aid and where I can find them online? 20.How does our school compare to others, in terms of test scores and reputation?

22.  Reality Check Your school counselor may be the most accessible person on the planet, or may be juggling a thousand students and barely know your name. So, remember that the person who has the biggest stake in your academics is you. It's up to you to stay on top of opportunities and deadlines so you can take control of your future.

23.  Parent Action Plan: 9th Grade The beginning of high school is an exciting time. Your child may be adjusting to a new school, making new friends and becoming more independent. But your child still needs your help and involvement. Here are some things you can do together to succeed this year.

24.  Summer Before High School Visit a college campus together. It’s a great way to get your child excited about college. Get the facts about what college costs. You may be surprised at how affordable higher education can be

25.  Summer Before High School Show your child how to explore career ideas. He or she can make a list of interests, talents and favorite activities and start matching them with occupations. Come up with fun reading ideas. Look for magazines or newspapers your child may like and talk about the books you loved reading when you were your child’s age. If your family makes reading enjoyable, it can become a daily habit.

26.  Fall Make sure your child meets with the school counselor. Your child should schedule a meeting to talk about college and career options and to choose the most-appropriate classes.

27.  Fall Help your child set goals for the school year. Working toward specific goals helps your child stay motivated and focused. Make a plan to check in regularly about schoolwork. If you keep up with your child's tests, papers and homework assignments, you can celebrate successes and head off problems as a team. Talk about extracurricular activities. Getting involved in clubs and other groups is a great way for your child to identify interests and feel more engaged in school.

28.  Winter Start thinking about financial aid. It’s not too early to look into types of aid that could help you cover college costs. Discuss next year’s classes. Make sure your child is challenging him- or herself — and taking the courses college admission officers expect to see.

29.  Spring Help your child start a college list. Visit College Search Step-by- Step together to get tips on starting a college search and figuring out what matters most to your child when choosing a college.(www.collegeboard.com) See how much you need to save for college. Use the College Savings Calculator to get an idea of where you are compared with your savings goal. (www.collegeboard.com) Help your child make summer plans. Summer is a great time to explore interests and learn new skills — and colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities.

30.  As your child settles into the high school experience, it’s a great time for him or her to take on new challenges. It’s also not too early to explore colleges, college majors and career goals.

31.  Summer Visit a college campus together. It’s a great way to get your 10th-grader excited about college. Get the facts about what college costs. You may be surprised by how affordable higher education can be. Start by reading Understanding College Costs. (www.collegeboard.com)

32.  Summer Help your sophomore explore career ideas. He or she can make a list of interests, talents and favorite activities and start matching them with occupations. Come up with fun reading ideas. Look for magazines or newspapers your child may like and talk about the books you loved reading when you were in high school. If your family makes reading enjoyable, it can become a daily habit.

33.  Fall Make sure your child meets with the school counselor. Your sophomore should schedule a meeting to talk about college and career options and to make sure he or she is taking the most- appropriate classes.

34.  Fall Encourage your child to set goals for the school year. Working toward specific goals helps your high schooler stay motivated and focused. Make a plan to check in regularly about schoolwork. If you keep up with your child's tests, papers and homework assignments, you can celebrate successes and head off problems as a team.

35.  Fall Talk about extracurricular activities. Getting involved in clubs and other groups is a great way for your child to identify interests and feel more engaged in school. Help your 10th-grader get ready to take preliminary exams. Taking the PSAT/NMSQT this fall can help your child prepare for college admission tests. Sophomores can also use their score reports to figure out which academic areas they need to work on. Learn more about the PSAT/NMSQT. (www.collegeboard.com)

36.  Winter Review PSAT/NMSQT results. Log in to the SAT Suite of Assessments Student Reporting Portal with your child to learn what she or he is doing well and which skills your child should work on to get ready for college and career. It will also connect your child to free, personalized SAT study tools; AP courses; and college and career planning resources. (www.collegeboard.com) Start thinking about ways to pay for college. Most families get help paying for college costs.

37.  Spring Make a college wish list together. Talk with your 10th- grader about qualities he or she may want in a college in terms of location, size, majors offered and so on. Check out How to Find a College That Fits You to learn more about deciding on college must-haves. (www.collegeboard.com) See how much you need to save for college. Use the College Savings Calculator to get an idea of where you are in terms of your savings goal. (www.collegeboard.com)

38.  Spring Help your child make summer plans. Summer is a great time to explore interests and learn new skills — and colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities.

39.  Parent Action Plan: 11th Grade Junior year usually marks a turning point. This is because for most students and families, it’s when college planning activities kick into high gear. Here are some things you can do this year to support your child and give him or her the best options.

40.  Summer Get the facts about what college costs. You may be surprised by how affordable higher education can be. Explore financial aid options. These include grants and scholarships, loans, and work-study programs that can help pay for college costs. Find out more about how financial aid can make college affordable. (www.collegeboard.com)

41.  Fall Make sure your child meets with the school counselor. This meeting is especially important this year as your 11th-grader starts to engage in the college application process. Encourage your child to set goals for the school year. Working toward specific goals helps your high schooler stay motivated and focused. Help your child stay organized. Work with your 11th- grader to make weekly or monthly to-do lists to keep on top of the tasks required to get ready for applying to colleges.

42.  Fall Help your junior get ready for the PSAT/NMSQT in October. This is a preliminary test that helps students practice for the SAT and assess their academic skills. Juniors who score well on the test are also eligible for scholarship opportunities.

43.  Winter Review PSAT/NMSQT results. Your child’s score report comes with a free SAT study plan. This online, customized plan is based on your child’s test scores and can help him or her work on areas that need improvement. Help your child prepare for college admission tests. Many juniors take college admission tests, such as the SAT and the ACT, in the spring so they can get a head start on planning for college.

44.  Winter Discuss taking challenging courses next year. Taking college-level or honors courses as a senior can help your child prepare for college work — and these are also the courses that college admission officers like to see.

45.  Winter Encourage your junior to consider taking SAT Subject Tests. Many colleges require or recommend taking these tests to get a sense of your child’s skills in a certain academic area. In general, it’s best to take a Subject Test right after taking the relevant course. Encourage your child to take AP Exams. If your 11th- grader takes AP or other advanced classes, have him or her talk with teachers now about taking these tests in May.

46.  Spring Search together for colleges that meet your child’s needs. Research scholarship options through Naviance. This form of financial aid provides money for college that doesn’t need to be repaid. Attend college fairs and financial aid events. These events allow you to meet with college representatives and get answers to questions.

47.  Spring Help your child make summer plans. Summer is a great time to explore interests and learn new skills — and colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities. Help your high schooler look into summer learning programs or find a job or internship. Visit colleges together. Make plans to check out the campuses of colleges your child is interested in.

48.  Parent Action Plan: 12th Grade Senior year is a whirlwind of activities. This is a big year for your child as he or she balances schoolwork, extracurricular activities and the college application process.

49.  Summer Visit colleges together. If you haven’t already, make plans to check out the campuses of colleges your child is interested in. Ask how you can help your senior finalize a college list. You can help him or her choose which colleges to apply to by weighing how well each college meets his or her needs, for example.

50.  Summer Find out a college’s actual cost. Once your 12th-grader has a list of a few colleges he or she is interested in, use the Net Price Calculator together to find out the potential for financial aid and the true out-of-pocket cost — or net price — of each college. (www.collegeboard.com) Encourage your child to get started on applications. He or she can get the easy stuff out of the way now by filling in as much required information on college applications as possible.

51.  Summer Help your child decide about applying early. If your senior is set on going to a certain college, he or she should think about whether applying early is a good option. Now is the time to decide because early applications are usually due in November.

52.  Fall Encourage your child to meet with the school counselor. This year, he or she will work with the counselor to complete and submit college applications. Create a calendar with your child. This should include application deadlines and other important dates.

53.  Fall Help your child prepare for college admission tests. Many seniors retake college admission tests, such as the SAT and the ACT, in the fall. Offer to look over your senior’s college applications. But remember that this is your child’s work so remain in the role of advisor and proofreader and respect his or her voice.

54.  Fall Help your child find and apply for scholarships. He or she can find out about scholarship opportunities in Naviance. Encourage your child to set up college interviews. An interview is a great way for your child to learn more about a college and for a college to learn more about your child.

55.  Winter Work together to apply for financial aid. Have your child contact the financial aid offices at the colleges he or she is interested in to find out what forms students must submit to apply for aid. Make sure he or she applies for aid by or before any stated deadlines. Funds are limited, so the earlier you apply, the better.

56.  Winter Fill out the FAFSA to apply for aid. The government and many colleges use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to award aid. Now it’s easier than ever to fill out this form because you can automatically transfer your tax information online from the IRS to the FAFSA. Learn about college loan options together. Borrowing money for college can be a smart choice — especially if your high schooler gets a low-interest federal loan.

57.  Spring Help your child process college responses. Once your child starts hearing back from colleges about admission and financial aid, he or she will need your support to decide what to do. Review financial aid offers together. Your 12th-grader will need your help to read through financial aid award letters and figure out which package works best. Be sure your child pays attention to and meets any deadlines for acceptance.

58.  Spring Help your child complete the paperwork to accept a college’s offer of admittance. Once your child has decided which college to attend, he or she will need to accept a college’s offer, mail a tuition deposit and submit other required paperwork.

59.  FAFSA To apply for most financial aid — including federal and state student grants, work-study, and loans — you’ll need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Although this financial aid form may seem complex, there are many free resources to help you. And completing the form is easier than it used to be, thanks to the new IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

60.  Where to Find the FAFSA January 1 is the first day you can file the FAFSA The FAFSA is available online at FAFSA on the Web. If you need a paper copy, you can download a PDF at www.studentaid.ed.gov/PDFfafsa or call 800-4-FED- AID (433-3243).

61.  FAFSA on the Web You can complete, submit and track your application online. This is the easiest way to apply for federal aid. The online program even checks your data before it is transmitted to the processing center, so there's less chance of making an error.

62.  Before You Apply Complete your income tax return. You don’t have to file your income tax return before you fill out the FAFSA, but it’s a good idea to do so. A lot of the requested information is the same, and you may be able to use the time-saving IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

63.  FAFSA If your college has an early financial aid application deadline, you may need to complete your FAFSA before your income tax return is ready. Just estimate your and your parents’ income as best as you can on the FAFSA. Don’t worry — you can return and update your information once your tax returns have been filed.

64.  FSA ID Create an FSA ID. When you start your FAFSA on the Web application, you will set up your account by creating a user ID and password. These will become your online identifiers for all federal student aid programs. You will need to provide your own email address and password (parents will create their own account using a different email address and password). Set up your user ID and password before you start your FAFSA.

65.  FSA ID Note: The FSA ID replaces the FAFSA PIN as of May 10, 2015. If you already have a FAFSA PIN, you can create a new FSA ID and link that to your existing PIN. Collect documents.

66.  Reminders and Resources January 1 is the first day you can file the FAFSA. You should try to file as close to this date as possible. College, state and private aid deadlines may be much earlier than federal deadlines. You should pay attention to your colleges' priority financial aid deadlines. For help, go to the free government website Completing the FAFSA. It has a detailed question-by-question guide to filling out the FAFSA.

67.  The New IRS Data Retrieval Tool You can save time and effort if you qualify to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. It will transfer your income tax data directly from the IRS to your online FAFSA. You and your parents may be eligible to use this tool if: Your family income tax returns were filed electronically at least two weeks before you complete the FAFSA. Your family income tax returns were mailed to the IRS at least eight weeks before you complete the FAFSA.

68.  The New IRS Data Retrieval Tool If you are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and choose to do so, you’ll be transferred from the online FAFSA to the IRS website, which will guide you through the transfer of your tax information. When you’re done, you’ll be sent back to your FAFSA.

69.  The New IRS Data Retrieval Tool You don’t have to use this tool, but it’s recommended that you do. If you have to complete the FAFSA using estimated income tax information, you can always return to FAFSA on the Web to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool once you have filed your tax forms.

70.  What Happens After You Apply Once you submit the FAFSA, your family’s financial information is analyzed using the federal need formula.

71.  The Student Aid Report (SAR) After the information you provided is analyzed, you will receive a SAR that contains the data you entered on the FAFSA. The U.S. Department of Education will send this form to you either by email or by postal mail. Review the SAR carefully for errors (the form highlights items that may need attention) and follow directions for making and submitting corrections. Submit corrections promptly. Make sure to keep a copy of the SAR for your records.

72.  Expected Family Contribution (EFC) On the front page of the SAR, you'll find a figure called the expected family contribution (EFC). Your EFC is an indicator of your family’s financial strength. It is sent to your state scholarship agency as well as to the colleges you listed on the FAFSA. They use this number to determine your financial aid award.

73.  Other Financial Aid Forms After you complete the FAFSA, make sure you submit any additional financial aid forms that your colleges require. For example, some colleges require you to submit the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® or their own forms.

74.  Help with the FAFSA If you have questions about the application, FAFSA on the Web or federal financial aid for students in general, call: Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) 800-4-FED-AID (433-3243) / TTY 800-730-8913 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time

75.  Thank You