SPRING 2015 PRESENTED BY DRAKE HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING DEPARTMENT Junior Parent Workshop

Role of Parents in College Planning Process Establish roles and set check-in times Listen and be mindful of stress reduction Have a conversation with your student about expected costs and family contribution Emphasize that the goal is for students to find options which allow them to be happy and successful both personally and academically Let this be a student led process

Student/Counselor Meetings Counselors are meeting with each of their juniors individually in February through April Discuss future plans and goals Review of transcript, GPA, tests scores, and graduation requirements Review course selection for senior year Review Colleges I’m Thinking About list in Naviance Discuss ACT/SAT Testing (if applicable) Discuss application timeline and answer any questions

Important Tasks this Spring Spring semester academic achievement  Junior spring semester grades are the last official grades students will earn before submitting college applications College entrance testing-register now Summer Plans Research

College Entrance Testing We recommend all college bound juniors take the SAT and/or the ACT this semester If SAT Subject exams are required or recommended for colleges that your students are interested in, recommendation is to take them in May or June.  For dates and registration:  

Research Tools Naviance Attend College Fairs College and Career Center Online Resources-some examples include:  College Navigator:  Collegeboard:  College Prowler:  Peterson’s:

Exploring Colleges It is best to reserve spots on official tours early, especially around school holidays Students are allowed up to three days of warranted absences for college visits Visit local colleges to get a sense of small vs. large, private vs. public etc. Approximately 100 college representatives will visit Drake in the fall.

Organization Create a calendar Keep files (electronic and paper) for prospective colleges Encourage your student to take notes when visiting campuses Establish an appropriate address for college communications Keep a master list of all usernames and passwords Consider setting aside time every one to two weeks to check in with your student and review progress.

College Application Timeline  November 1 and 15-Early Decision, Early Action, Restricted Early Action  October 1-November 30-CSU and UC application window  November 15-Deadline for requesting counselor recommendations for January applications  January 1 – Most frequent regular deadline for private colleges  February 15- Priority deadline for FAFSA for many schools  April 1 – Should have admissions decision from most colleges  May 1 – SIR (Statement of Intent to Register) deadline. Deposit required.

What are colleges looking for? Evaluation of applications varies by school, but most put emphasis on grades in academic classes and test scores. Admission-Decision.aspx Other factors considered may include: Essays Recommendations Activities Special Skills, talents, awards, community service and passions

What are colleges looking for? (cont’d) Some examples of where to find this information: UC System: applications-reviewed/ applications-reviewed/ CSU System lity_index.asp lity_index.asp University of Denver: ml ml Colleges have this information on their websites

Letters of Recommendation Required by private schools and some out of state public schools Students should think now about who they might ask to write such letters. They may want to put extra effort into cultivating relationships with teachers if that is not something that occurs naturally for them. This summer or early fall- students fill out the letter of recommendation packet for counselor: Counselors need 20 working days notice ahead of deadline to write letter of recommendation

Financing College Use Net Price Calculator on college websites FAFSA and Cal Grant (January 2016) CSS Profile WUE Naviance Scholarship information and deadlines on college websites

Drake Counseling Staff Sandy Howard, Counseling Secretary Kyle Kassebaum, Counselor Lisa Neumaier, College & Career Specialist Katie Paulson, Counselor Sheila Souder, Counselor Molly Yasuda, Counselor Please continue to ask questions and seek help throughout the college planning process. We are here to support you and your student.