Junior Planning Night February 26, – 9 pm SHS Auditorium

TONIGHT’S AGENDA : Southington High School Guidance Power Point Presentation Guests Speakers: Donna DeCarlo- Central Connecticut State University Elizabeth Ludovico – Quinnipiac University Questions & Answers

Making Post High School Decisions is a PROCESS Keep your child’s information PRIVATE Every Student and Family will be in a different place at a different time DO NOT get caught up in the frenzy of what others are saying and doing TRUST that it will all work out

What are COLLEGES Looking for? Grades in academic classes all 4 years Strength of curriculum Standardized test scores Essay or writing sample Work/Extracurricular activities Counselor recommendation Teacher recommendations Student’s demonstrated interest Interview ( if required) Diversity (geographic/ethnic) Legacy Special talent ( art/music/athletics)

SCHEDULE IMPORTANCE of a STRONG Senior Year SCHEDULE Course selection in January and February Important to choose appropriately challenging courses Colleges examine grades closely through the end of senior year No matter what your child’s post high school plans, the High School transcript will be viewed.

College Entrance Exams SAT Reasoning Test – designed to access skills and application of knowledge SAT IIs – one hour content based tests www. collegeboard.com ACT – curriculum based test with optional writing section

The College Visit If possible, visit the colleges your child is considering Call ahead or check college website to make an appointment for a campus tour/information session February, April and Summer vacations are a good time to visit

Types of Admission Rolling Admission – no specific deadline. It is BEST to SUBMIT in the FALL Regular Decision - notified in the spring Early Action – non-binding. Can apply to more than one school. Most applications are due in November. Restrictive Early Action – non-binding contract to one school only Early Decision- binding contract and commitment to one school. Most applications due in November; decision rendered in December

WHAT should Students do Now? Work hard in school Use Naviance to generate initial list of colleges Create an ACT/SAT timeline Think about one or two teachers to write recommendations Set up meeting with school counselor

Parent Dos Support your child by diminishing stress Keep test scores and GPAs private Utilize Naviance Meet with your child’s counselor between March 1 st and the end of junior year Visit colleges with your child Help register for SAT/ACT Help your child stay organize Check out FAFSA4caster for initial financial aid information

Parent Don’ts Do not let the college process overtake your life. Do not discuss college issues everyday. Do not believe everything you hear from others regarding college admission. Do not forget that your child is just a teenager

Fun Facts about Colleges Across the Nation Gatorade was invented at the University of Florida. Both the first and the last person to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan, are alumni from the University of Purdue. 54% of full-time students at two and four year colleges last year were female Harvard University has graduated a total of 8 presidents, more than any other university Famous college dropouts include Reggie Jackson, Steve Jobs, Ben Afleck, Woody Allen, Mark Zuckerburg, and Hans Christian Anderson

Majors with the best pay include Engineering, Economics, and Physics Worst paying majors are Social Work, Theology, Elementary Education, Music, Fine Arts, Hospitality/Tourism, and Drama Approximately 80% of college students change their major at least once during their college career The SAT was administered for the first time in 1926 Approximately 2.94 million U.S. students graduate from more than 27,000 high schools each year, meaning each college applicant is competing against 27,000 valedictorians, 27,000 salutatorians, 27,000 student government presidents and 27,000 editors-in- chiefs

GUESTS SPEAKERS Liz Ludovico – Quinnipiac University Donna DeCarlo – Central Connecticut State University Liz Ludovico – Quinnipiac University Donna DeCarlo – Central Connecticut State University