Planning for College Brittany Cochran Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions The University of Akron

Planning for College Discussion Topics Consider College Characteristics Academic Preparation and ACT and SAT tests Collect Information/College Information Sources Schedule Campus Visits Apply for Admission Develop a Plan to Finance Your Education Review and Finalize Your Plans

Consider College Characteristics Majors Location Cost & financial assistance Size Admission policy College affiliation and accreditation Campus activities Support services

Transfer degrees and coursework Community Colleges Stark State Tri-C Technical degrees Transfer degrees and coursework Cost Close to home

Public Universities Wide range of majors Lots of campus activities Major sports programs Research and professional school opportunities Wide range of locations Affordable tuition

Private Colleges/Universities Small class size Low faculty/student ratio Opportunities for student leadership Financial aid and scholarship opportunities Wide range of locations, affiliations, and costs

Competitive Admission Admission Policies Open Admission Selective Admission Competitive Admission Competitive Majors

ACT SAT collegeboard.org www.ACT.org ACT and SAT Testing Multiple choice tests in English, math, reading, and science reasoning Test dates: September 10, 2016 October 22, 2016 December 10, 2016 February 11, 2017 April 8, 2017 SAT collegeboard.org Tests in evidence based Reading and writing and math Test dates: October 1, 2016 November 5, 2016 December 3, 2016 January 21, 2017 March 11, 2017 May 6, 2017

College Information Sources Websites Admissions Officers College Fairs Stark County College Fair Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Counselors and teachers Parents/family members, students and alumni

CAMPUS Visits Schedule Visit Visit Options Open Houses Individual Overnight

Applying for Admission Narrow your choices Review college admission test requirements Know application fees and deadlines Know scholarship requirements Submit application materials Application for admission – online applications Common Application/Supplemental applications High school transcript – request from school counselor Admission test results (ACT or SAT) Composite or Super Score

Develop a plan to finance your education Sources of financial aid Scholarships Academic, leadership, athletic, fine arts scholarships Each school distributes scholarships in a unique way FAFSA Federal and State Government Aid Grants, Student Loans, Work-Study www.fafsa.ed.gov

Review and Finalize Plans Confirm your Enrollment Schedule Orientation On Campus Housing Financial Aid

Brittany Cochran Assistant Director of Admissions The University of Akron bsc10@uakron.edu