Concord High School Important Information for Important People!! Senior Student and Senior Parent Information Session

CHS SCHOOL COUNSELING DEPARTMENT Miss Christy Takach Last names beginning A – G Fee Waivers for SAT/ACT/College Application Fee AP Testing Coordinator (704) Mr. Barry Lipscomb Last names beginning H – O All things concerning scholarships / financial aid NCAA Liaison (704) Miss Beth Pinto Last names beginning P – Z Department Chair NCVPS Registration and Concerns (704)

Mrs. Deb Russell School Registrar Cap-n-Gown orders Senior Pictures / Cap-n-Gown pictures Diplomas (704) Mrs. Carolyn DeBerry Graduation Coach 504 Coordinator College Admissions Counselor Visitation Military Recruitment Officers Visitation (704)

Mrs. Nancy Cress Mrs. Selena Sides Mrs. Sharon Motsinger  These are the people who head up the highly anticipated events of the senior year! (Prom, Senior Voting, Senior Picnic, Graduation Practice, etc.)

 Go straight into the workforce  Go into a branch of the military  Go to a 2 year community/technical college  Go to a 4 year university/college

Going Into the Workforce from High School Increasingly difficulty with the current economic situation Family owned business History of consistent work hours with a company

Going into a Branch of the Armed Forces From High School US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, US Marines, US Coast Guard There are many opportunities to further academic and careers goals offered by the Armed Forces Military Recruiters often come to CHS during lunch to speak with students If someone would like to speak with a specific recruiter, Mrs. Deberry can help to set up those appointments

Going to a Community/Technical College From High School Many careers do not require a full bachelor’s degree from a university Two year associates degrees from a community/technical college train students in more specific areas focused more on the career path Associates in Arts diploma that has the specific purpose of preparing students to transfer to a four year college/university to take their “major” classes. North Carolina has an articulation agreement between the community colleges and the university system that allows for specified core classes to transfer as long as the grade is acceptable. No lost credits Save money by taking the core courses at the community college

Going to a 4 year University/College Straight From High School In planning the high school courses remember colleges/universities have specific requirements:  Must have a minimum of 4 math courses beginning at Algebra I and ending at a math higher than Algebra II  Must have a minimum of 2 levels of the same foreign language  Must have a minimum of a 2.5 Grade Point Average For most schools, admissions tests are required: Either SAT or ACT  Minimum SAT (Reading + Math) = 800  Minimum ACT (Composite) = 17  Most colleges recommend 2 test scores (either 2 SAT or 2 ACT or one of each)

Specific University Requirements Please note, South Carolina schools also require an extra lab science and an art class for admission into most of their colleges. The University of Georgia has also added the science requirement this year.

Incoming Freshmen Averages Many students say that attending a quality 4-year college is a goal that they and their parents share. Here are some of the average GPAs for incoming freshmen at colleges: Appalachian State: 3.87 UNC Wilmington: 3.77 UNC Charlotte: 3.4 UNC Asheville: 3.5 Virginia Tech: 3.86 NC State University: 4.0 (weighted) …keep in mind, a GPA in the high-B range (3.4 or 3.5) is what quality 4-year colleges are looking for…also, there is much, much more competition for collegiate openings than ever before…therefore, the better the GPA at the end of high school, the better chance of being admitted UNC Chapel Hill: 4.44 (weighted)

ACT Test Dates ACT Test Dates Register By September 21, 2013 August 23 October 26, 2013 September 27 December 14, 2013 November 8 February 8, 2014 January 10 April 12, 2014 March 7 June 14, 2014 May 9

SAT Test Dates SAT Test Dates Tests Available Register By October 5, 2013 SAT & Subject Tests September 6 LATE Registration September 21 November 2, 2013 SAT & Subject Tests October 3 December 7, 2013 SAT & Subject Tests November 8 January 25, 2014 SAT & Subject Tests December 27 March 8, 2014 SAT only February 7 May 3, 2014 SAT & Subject Tests April 4 June 7, 2014 SAT & Subject Tests May 9

TESTCOSTLATE FEESTAND BY FEE SAT$51.00plus $27.50plus $45.00 ACT$52.50plus $23.00plus $45.00 Bottom Line: WATCH YOUR DEADLINES! Procrastination is expensive!

Dear Parent/Guardian, At the start of the school year, NC schools will be using a new Student Information System called PowerSchool. In addition, students took the new End-of- Course assessments aligned to the Common Core in Because of these two events, student transcripts will not be available until mid-October of Here’s why: The NC Department of Public Instruction and PowerSchool have not yet imported historical grades (grades and credits from previous years) into PowerSchool. This data is stored electronically and is scheduled to be placed in PowerSchool prior to October The NC Department of Public Instruction has delayed the reporting of the End-of-Course (EOC) results until October This will allow the department the appropriate time to ensure the scores are reliable and valid. Once the historical grades are imported and the EOC results are reported, Cabarrus County Schools will be able to run accurate high school transcripts for students. We thank you for your patience.

PAPER / US MAIL ELECTRONIC Fill out a form in the School Counseling Office to have us process and send.  CFNC  SENDEDU  DOCUFIDE  COMMON APP We are optimistic that this will still work this year! Sending Transcripts

1. Apply online. 2. Bring to your school counselor: The “successful” submission page to document that your application has been submitted. The school counselor page if applicable. $3.00 to cover the cost of the supplies and mailing. The completed Application Check-List Form which must be signed by parent and student. 3. Be sure to allow a MINIMUM of one week processing time! 4. We will mail/send all necessary materials from our office.

COLLEGE APPLICATION CHECKLIST FORM ONE FORM PER COLLEGE OR INSTITUTION Directions: Fill out the information completely. Sign the bottom of the page in order to release your transcript and associated scores. You are responsible for sending your SAT or ACT scores. Due to the volume of college applications being turned in, remember to allow a one (1) week turnaround time from the date this form is submitted to the time the material may be mailed from the School Counseling Office. NAME ____________________________________ SCHOOL COUNSELOR ______________________________ DATE GIVEN TO SCHOOL COUNSELOR_____________________________ COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY/INSTITUTION _______________________________________ ADDRESS: _______________________________________ (Not necessary if school is in NC) _______________________________________ APPLICATION DEADLINE: ________________________________________ (Be sure to allow one week processing time.) THE TRANSCRIPT REQUEST WILL NOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TURNED INTO THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR: ________ 1. Hardcopy of the online submission confirmation page. (initial) ________ 2. $3.00 for the transcript and stamps. (initial) ________ 3. College Application Fee waiver (if applicable). (initial or N/A) ________ 4. Signatures on the bottom of this page. (initial) I hereby authorize the officials of Concord High School to send a transcript and/or release other information from the cumulative folder to the institution stated above. ____________________________ (Student Signature)(Date) ____________________________ (Parent Signature)(Date) (only needed if under age 18)

College Application Week November 18 th -22 nd

The Common Application is committed to providing reliable services that promote equity, access, and integrity in the college application process. THE MEMBERSHIP There are currently 517 member schools including colleges from 47 states 6 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) 16 international members from 7 countries outside of the US

WHAT’S NEXT????? CREATE A SENIOR PROFILE / RESUME it to your school counselor or bring it with you to the Senior Appointment.

Name Address Student Cell Phone Student Education:All High Schools Attended Achievements:Junior Marshall: 2000 National Honor Society: 2000 Academic Honor Roll: Varsity Wrestling Leadership Award: Varsity Wrestling Captain: NC Scholar Athlete Completion of the National Student Leadership Conference: National Security Volunteer Experience:Tarheel Keystone Club Boys' & Girls' Club Church Youth Group Extracurricular:JV Football JV Wrestling Varsity Wrestling Cross Country 2001 SPEAK Club 2001 Bible Club Keystone Club National Honor Society

2013 Cabarrus County Schools College Fair When: Tuesday September 24th 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Where: Boys and Girls Club in Concord 247 Spring Street Northwest Concord, NC (704) What: A great place to get information on public & private colleges and universities Free event! Juniors & Seniors are encouraged to attend and start planning! Remember to dress appropriately, and represent your-self and your school with pride! Parents are welcome too!

 Workspace to organize college/scholarship info.  Research/identify 4-5 colleges of interest.  Plan college visits to top 2-3 choices.  List Early Decision Deadlines for your top 2-3 colleges.  Research for early scholarships (due in Oct & Nov) Most scholarships are not due until spring, but some are early.  Take College Placement Test again?? SAT or ACT ?

 Early Decision Deadlines: Apply to top college(s) you are interested in attending.  Apply to your other possible colleges, in case not accepted to top college choices.  Request transcripts from guidance be sent.  Request copy of SAT be sent (colleges want original copies).  Start applying for scholarships that have Fall deadlines.  Collect recommendations from 2-3 people: teachers, employers, coaches, community service organizer, etc.  Re-take SAT (Nov or Dec) if need to improve scores (remember, scores take 6 weeks to reach colleges).

 Last minute college applications: Apply to colleges by end of January. Many have Feb 1 st Deadline.  Remind parents to complete 2013 taxes by end of month, if possible (needed for the FAFSA form).  Continue applying for scholarships  Pay close attention to deadlines.

 Complete FAFSA by March 1 st …… at latest There will be a FAFSA Day in the middle of February hosted at local colleges to assist with completing the application.  Continue completing scholarship applications.  College acceptance letters? Pay attention to response deadlines.

It is very important that the person who is writing the recommendation actually know the student fairly well. It is not just the teacher that the student made an “A” in the class with! Be considerate of person you are asking for a recommendation. Give this person ……  plenty of advance notice (at least two weeks)  the specific date you will come by to pick it up  copy of your resume  copy of scholarship description & criteria

Admissions counselors routinely look at Facebook pages and other social media to see if there is anything that raises red flags about applicants. Red Flags include references to underage drinking, drugs, foul language, promiscuous activity, and any activity that could be dangerous on the campus. September 2012 ABC News Report:  25% of colleges search social media to get a “window into applicants”  1/3 of applicants had information that hurt their chance of admission  How do colleges get the accounts? From other students who turn in student accounts with damaging information. Think before you tweet, post, or respond.

Poor impression address: Poor impression voice mail: a song with profanity, provocative or insulting lyrics

Parting Words for the Senior Year: 1.Pay attention to deadlines. Procrastination is expensive in one way or the other! 2. Pay attention to the announcements. “I didn’t know” doesn’t help the issue!

When you have questions ??? Contact the School Counseling office. We will do our best to assist you in anyway we can!

CHS SCHOOL COUNSELING DEPARTMENT School Counselor Serving Students With Last Names Beginning With:  Miss TakachA – G  Mr. LipscombH - O  Miss PintoP – Z  Mrs. DeBerryGraduation Coach  Ms. RussellRegistrar/1 st Lady

Thank You for Coming!! Important Information for Important People!! Senior Parent Information Session