Senior Advisement Pathways to Adulthood Presented by SHS Counseling Department

Senior Advisement Agenda Senior Advisement Sheet Senior Newsletter Career Cruising SAT/ACT Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) Sample Letters Scholarships

Senior Advisement Sheets Review credit information Check social security number; address; telephone number; DOB for accuracy Review diploma seal Make an appointment to see your counselor with individual questions

Senior Newsletter SHS Counseling Office publishes a Senior Newsletter monthly. It is distributed to Seniors through their English classes. The newsletter provides information on scholarships, SAT/ACT test dates, college visits, and tips for a successful transition after high school.

SAT and ACT Assessment Dates SAT Test Date Registration Date 10/69/10 11/310/2 12/1 10/30 1/2612/26 3/11/29 5/34/1 6/75/6 ACT Test Date Registration Date 9/158/10 10/279/21 12/811/2 2/91/4 4/123/7 6/145/9

College Here We Come Why go to college? Think about your future (expected earnings over a lifetime) 1.Non-high school graduate: $1 million 2.High School graduate: $1.2 million 3.Some college: $1.5 million 4.Associate’s degree: $1.6 million 5.Bachelor’s degree: $2.1 million 6.Master’s degree: $2.5 million 7.Professional degree: $4.4 million 8.Doctoral degree: $3.4 million

What does it take to get to college? You need a plan Preparing academically Thinking about careers Finding people who can help you Learning about colleges

Career Searching on the Worldwide Web Internet Search Engines Alta vista: Excite: Google: GOTO: Looksmart: Lycos: MSN: Yahoo: Career Search Engines Mapping your future: future.orgwww.mapping-your- future.org Military career guide online: Monster: My Future: Ready minds: Bureau of Labor Statistics: Career Mosaic: Healthcare careers: on on Career Cruising: Username: shs Password: tigers

Who can help you get to college? First, your number one fan must be you! See if there are mentor programs in your school, church, or community.

How will I choose a college – and how will I succeed once I’m there? Think carefully about what you want and need to succeed. Start list of college possibilities. Research the schools on your list. Check their websites.

Where will the money come from? Look into work study programs. Employers, private charities, high schools, ethnic organizations, clubs, trade associations, religious organizations, businesses, civic groups, private foundations. Apply for local and national scholarships and grants. Check with colleges you’re considering to see what other forms are required. Get a copy of the Free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available online.

Scholarship Searches

How to avoid scholarship scams? Beware of scholarship scammers Free seminars – It may be legitimate or it may be a hidden sales pitch You can’t find this information anywhere else – Yes, you can! They don’t know about anything that you can’t learn on your own. You’re a finalist (a contest you never entered) – The caller offers to hold your award funds in return for your credit card or bank account number First come, first served – This may apply to some legitimate forms of financial aid, but not to scholarships. However, legitimate scholarships do impose deadlines Millions of dollars go unclaimed – False! Every legitimate scholarship sponsor predetermines award amounts and works very hard to select the most qualified recipient It’s guaranteed – What’s usually guaranteed is search results – not scholarship money. We’ll do the work for you, for a fee – The fee may be nominal and the offer may come from someone sounding official so make sure you do our research before paying anyone to do a search for you.

GA College 411 HOPE — Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally — is Georgia's unique scholarship and grant program that rewards students with financial assistance in degree, diploma, and certificate programs at eligible Georgia public and private colleges and universities, and public technical colleges. HOPE is funded entirely by the Georgia Lottery for Education, which also funds Georgia's statewide pre- kindergarten program. Since the HOPE Program began in 1993, over $3.5 billion in HOPE funds have been awarded to more than 1 million students attending Georgia's colleges, universities, and technical colleges. You can benefit from HOPE in several ways. For more information visit

Taking Senioritis Seriously Senioritis is a term used to describe the slacking off of some high school seniors during their spring semester or upon being accepted into college. Plummeting grades, dropping or blowing off classes, general of ambition, and far off gazes are just a few symptoms of senioritis. Easy to catch and difficult to get rid of, senioritis can be more dangerous than senior realize to their plans for the future. Senioritis has many side effects. As many as half of all college students do not have adequate academic preparation and are required to take remedial courses. Also, more than one quarter of the freshmen at four-year colleges and nearly half of those at two-year colleges don’t even make it to their sophomore year. In an effort to prevent senioritis, many college acceptance letters now include warnings to students saying that their admission is contingent on continued successful performance. This means that colleges have the right to deny students’ admission should their senior year grades drop. Finally, just because you need to stay focused doesn't mean that you cannot have fun. You determine a successful senior year. Celebrate your last year of school by maintaining a challenging course load, attending football games, going to prom, and participating in graduation festivities, but do so responsibly.

Graduation The End…