Junior College Unit Class of 2015 Part 2 Alice Wechsler- Ball A -K Harold Dunn L-Z

Topics for today… Review of the Junior College Unit Part One. Where you need to be in the college search process as of now. What can I do between now and the Fall of my senior year. What am I unable to do until school starts.

Let us……. REVIEW

Interest Inventories Not sure what you want to study in college? Have you completed an interest inventory and seen your counselor? Username: scahs Password: lions

SAT and/or ACT Have you taken one of these? The only SAT date left this year is the June 7 th. The deadline is May 9 th ! The only date left for the ACT is June 14 th. The deadline is May 9 th ! You can also take them in October of your senior year. SAT registration at collegeboard.com ACT registration at actstudent.org

Other Tests SAT subject tests….check to see if the schools you are applying to want these. AP Exams…..happening over the next two weeks. ASVAB….check with your military recruiter

Choosing a college is a big decision. Remember there is more than 1 "perfect" school out there. It’s what you make of it. Have you done a college search ?

College Visits How would you know where you want to spend 4 years of your life and spend between $50,000-$200,000 if you have never been there? YOU must go there…..it will not come to YOU

College Visits and Interviews (Pages 21-13) A visit gives you the chance to talk with students, faculty, financial aid and admissions officers. You can get answers to questions, such as: What is the average class size, and the student to faculty ratio? Are most classes taught by professors or by teaching assistants? What is the campus meal plan like? How is the food? What's the social scene like? Do I feel at home here? Is this what I pictured college to be? Some schools strongly encourage a visit (Bucknell) while others do not (Harvard, etc).

Matching Admissions Standards to Your Profile As part of the college search, you should compare your academic and personal qualifications to those of students typically admitted to schools where you want to apply. Check out sites like collegeboard.com and Cappex.com

Penn State Spend a Summers Day Currently there is not a date set. Check PSU.EDU and search for Spend a Summers Day

Selecting an Institution Is it a good match for you? Size Location Environment Facilities Admission Requirements Cost Academics Class Size Activities Sports

Majors If you know what you want to study, research reputations of academic departments by talking to people in the field that interests you. If you're undecided, relax and pick an academically balanced institution that offers a range of majors and programs. Most colleges have divisions for the ‘undecided’ student - such as the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) at Penn State Go to: (Students are typically not required to select a major until the spring semester of their 2nd year.)

Where should you be? SAT/ACT completed or registered for the June test College search almost completed Interest inventory completed College visits…..hopefully started Scheduled meaningful courses for next year….ones that will help you explore and gain information about your interests Meet with your counselor

What To Do Now? Go through your College Planning Booklet cover to cover. (We mean it) Sign up for the SAT, ACT and subject tests if it applies to you. Continue to look at colleges and do more college visits. Narrow your choices down.

NCAA Clearinghouse Code for SAT/ACT is 9999 Register in May at Request to have a transcript sent to NCAA (see Mrs. Wolanski) Make sure you will have the correct number of core courses to be eligible. We have handouts. There is a minimum SAT score required that is tied to your GPA in your core courses Refer to pages in the College Planning Guide

Military Academies Page 39/40 reviews the information for applying to Military Academies as well as ROTC. You need to request a nomination letter from Congressman Glenn Thompson ASAP. There is a limit to how many nominations he will make. His contact information is on page 39. Make note of all deadlines when you begin the application process.

It will be summer time soon….What can you do during the summer?

Common Application What is it? Check out to see if the schools you want to apply to use the Common Application. The process/applications open up August 1, 2014 You can start the process in the summer by looking to see what additional information you will need. You can work on essays, think about what teachers you want to write your letters of recommendations and look at due dates. Organize a system for your applications. Pick up the organizational handout.

Etiquette for asking for a Letter of Recommendation Definition: Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class,... First, you will ask a teacher if they are willing to write a letter of recommendation. Please tell them where to send the letter (counseling office or to the college) and provide them an addressed, stamped envelope if they need to send it to the college directly. Do not give them your resume…..they are to write about you in their classroom. Always send an or a hand written note thanking them for their time. VERY IMPORTANT

Will you need a letter of recommendation? Some college/universities, scholarships and military academies require letters from teachers and/or counselors. Teachers will write about you as a student in their class. Please do not give your resume to your teachers. Counselors write a letter about you as a whole person called a composite letter. This summer you can complete the questions on page 13.

What about Penn State? Application process opens September 1, 2014 Starting September 1, 2014, you will be able to work on your Penn State Application. This includes the Schreyer Honors Program. You must fill out the regular PSU application to access the Schreyer Honors application. You can attend Spend a Summer Day and visit with the department you are interested in.

Other Colleges/Universities Most other college applications open up sometime in August. You can look at them to see what you need for each application. Develop some type of organization for each application. See organizational handout. ********IMPORTANT******* We will NOT process any applications, send transcripts or write letters of recommendations during the summer and the first two weeks of school for college applications. Military applications are the only exception.

Types of Admission Regular Rolling Early Decision Early Action Pages of the College Planning Guide

Mrs. Wolanski & Mrs. Dodson Counseling Support Staff

Most Common Questions Do I need my class rank for college and athletic applications? No you do not want to place your rank on your application without discussing it with us first. In most cases your rank will hurt your application. You WILL need it if you are applying to a Military Academy or for scholarships. How do I get my class rank? Stop in the counseling office and request a permission form and have your parents sign it. We will provide your rank when the form is returned.

Continued…………………. What if I do not get into any of the schools I apply to? It is important when you apply to schools that you apply to at least one safety school. Even for the top students, having a Safety School is important. Ivy League Schools are considered Reach Schools for everyone….even the brightest! How do I get Financial Aid? It may seem backwards, but for government financial aid you need to wait until January 2015 to apply. Some schools will provide additional financial aid after you are accepted. You can apply for private scholarships. Page 24-32

Senior College Unit We will be meeting with you in September to give you clear directions about applying to colleges. We will not process any applications or take transcript requests the first two weeks of school. If you would like to access further information prior to our September presentation please visit

Any Other Questions?