The College Admissions Process

Welcome Mr. Matt Middleton, Associate Director of Admissions The College of New Jersey

Decision Factors Size of school Location Distance from home Activities/Athletics Public/Private Entrance requirements Entrance difficulty Reputation of School Majors available Cost Campus personality

How Many Schools To Apply To No “right” number “Diversify” your applications “Safe” schools “Match” schools “Reach” schools Be sure to adhere to deadlines When requesting transcripts allow at least 10 working days before the due date

Benefits to Going on a Campus Tour or Interview Indicates your level of interest Allows you to get beyond the statistics Puts a “face” onto the college Gives the college an opportunity to get to know you on a more personal level

“Top 10 Questions” to Ask on a College Visit 1.Average GPA/Class Rank? 2.Average SAT scores? 3.Other tests required? 4.Cost of attendance/average financial aid package (grants, loans, work study)? 5.Average class size for major 6.Number of years housing is guaranteed 7.% of students who return after 1 year? Graduate in 4 years (6 years)? 8.Do professors teach freshmen/undergrads? Adjunct or full-time 9.Campus social life 10.Career placement services available?

How Colleges Evaluate Candidates: Course selection (difficulty, extended languages, extended math & science, honors & AP courses) Grades/GPA Rank in Class Sat scores –Take the SAT in the spring of your junior year and the fall of your senior year- –Check schools for SAT Subject Test requirements –Review for the SAT or take an SAT prep course. Scores will improve with practice (BTHS offers an evening SAT Prep Course three times during the year at a great rate!) Link on the HS Counseling webpage ACT scores –Accepted by virtually every college in the US in place of SAT –Tests what you have learned, not your aptitude –

Evaluation Continued SAT Subject Tests –Required by some colleges: math, science, etc. Leadership Positions Activities –Sports –Clubs & High School activities –Community/church activities –Volunteer community service activities –Part-time jobs

Evaluation Continued Essay Recommendations –ask for letters of recommendation from two or three teachers early in the fall –Supply a résumé –remember to thank them and let them know where you have been accepted Interview (if offered by the college) Your preparation and planning

Hearing From the Colleges Regular Decision (April 1) Rolling Admission (reviewed as received) Early Decision (early application & commitment) Early Action (early application & no commitment)

Financial Aid Sources Three types of financial awards: 1. Scholarships and Grants 2. Loans 3. Work-study Primary Source of Financial Aid is the Federal Government- over $150 billion dollars in grants and scholarships available New Jersey is also an excellent source for scholarships and loans-

How To Minimize College Debt Total College Debt over 1 Trillion Dollars Average Student Debt around $30,000 Mark Kantrowicz, a financial aid expert who has been interviewed on NPR and in US News, recommends the following tips for minimizing student debt:

Minimizing Student Debt 1. Save before going to college 2. Apply for scholarships 3. Apply for federal loans before applying for private loans- they’re cheaper 4. Think hard about your major- if your starting salary after graduation will not match what you borrowed, consider a less expensive college 5. Double major in a more lucrative field 6. Pay interest on loans while you’re in school

FAFSA Get started on applying for financial aid by: Going to Student and parent/ guardian apply for a pin number Download the FAFSA on the web worksheet

Where To Go From Here Testing Information- PSAT, SAT, ACT, and ASVAB Financial Aid Information- links to sites that will explain how to pay for college, the types of scholarships that are available, scholarship search engines, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid College Information- complete a college search, find out what college may be the right match for you, check out college rankings and take virtual campus tours Review the BTHS Scholarship Bulletin that we publish monthly Take a look at a sample 4 year program of studies to make sure you are on the right path. Go to schools – click on the High School then click on Guidance On the guidance page, scroll down to find the following

Seniors Need to Complete By December 2012 Complete applications on the schools to which you plan to apply Check to see if the schools you are applying to accept the Common Application Take the SAT or ACT by December Take the SAT Subject Test if required by college Check the Scholarship Bulletin regularly and apply for any scholarships that you are eligible for Register for a scholarship search on a web engine such as Fastweb

Students who wish to compete in College Athletics (Division I or II) Register with NCAA Eligibility Center ( The eligibility center is responsible for certifying all college-bound student-athletes wanting to compete in NCAA college athletics. This is done in two ways: Academic Certification & Amateur Certification Do you meet the eligibility requirements Have you kept your amateur status?

JUNIORS – Things to Do Take the PSAT in October (October 20 th at BTHS) Register in the Counseling Office- $20 fee Take the SAT or ACT one or two times between December and June Use Naviance, other websites and college guidebooks to begin college search Check the Scholarship and Open House information Complete the FAFSA4caster at to get an estimate of your eligibility for federal student aidwww.fafsa.ed.gov Register for a scholarship search on a web engine such as Fastweb ( Meet with your Counselor often

SOPHOMORES & FRESHMEN Things to do Take a challenging curriculum and excel in your coursework Begin to familiarize yourself with colleges, careers and scholarship opportunities through the various websites Consider taking the PSAT on October 20 th Complete the FAFSA4caster at to get an estimate of your eligibility for federal student aidwww.fafsa.ed.gov Meet with your Counselor often

UPCOMING EVENTS October 20 th – BTHS – 8:00 AM November 4 th -National College Fair in Philadelphia December 1st - SAT and SAT Subject Test at BTHS January – FAFSA Workshop at BTHS- Date TBD

Are You – Or Would You Like to be an NJ STAR? Students in the top 15% of their class at the beginning of Senior year may qualify you as an NJ STAR!! Qualifies you to attend BCC tuition-free for up to 5 semesters. Program is dependent on state funding Go to click on the Students/Parents link, then click on the Scholarship linkwww.hesaa.org