1. College Planning for the Class of 2015 Presented by: Ms. Van Buren (Letters A-E) Mrs. Arzonico (Letters F-K) Ms. Hagaman (Letters L-Q) Mrs. Gambill (Letters R-Z)

2. Your Requirements to Graduate 4 MathAlgebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, 4 th Math class to be aligned with post-high school plans 4 EnglishI, II, III, IV 3 Social Studies World History, US History, & Civics and Economics 3 ScienceBiology, Earth/Environmental, a Physical Science 1 Health & PE Health and PE Second Language Not required for graduation. 2 Credits required to meet minimum application requirements for UNC. Electives13 Required. Strongly recommended to have 4 electives from an area of concentration.

3. Going to College in Five Easy Steps 1. Research colleges- check academic programs, tuition, admission requirements, etc. 2. Select schools that “fit” your abilities and needs 3. Complete your applications- SAT/ACT, Transcripts, Recommendations, Essays 4. Apply for scholarships and financial aid 5. Receive your offers of admission and make your final decision

4. Research Colleges www.cappex.com https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ http://collegeapps.about.com/ www.cfnc.org http://www.northcarolina.edu/campus_ profiles/index.php http://www.northcarolina.edu/campus_ profiles/index.php www.petersons.com www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/

5. College Fair 2014 September 24 th —4 th block Juniors and Seniors will get a chance to meet college admissions representatives from regional universities, community colleges, and vocational schools Bring questions for your schools of choice!

6. College Info Sessions at South UNC Charlotte—9/16 @ 10:00 a.m. Sweet Briar College—9/17 @ 8:15 a.m. Queens University—9/19 @11:40 a.m. Univ. of South Carolina—9/23 @ 11:00 a.m. Held in the Student Center--to attend any of these sessions, you must sign up in advance in the Student Center!

7. Find your fit: College Visits Seniors are allowed 3 excused college visit days. Process for College Visit Day Approval: 1. Arrange a visit through the college/ university you are interested in touring. Print a confirmation page that details the date/time of your scheduled visit and bring it to the Student Center. 2. Fill out a college visit approval form (located in the student center or on website), which requires both counselor and teacher signatures prior to your visit. 3. Have a college official sign the form during your visit. 4. After your visit, return your signed paperwork to Ms. Bass in the G-Building lobby along with a typed, one page reflection detailing your experiences.

8. Minimum Requirements for UNC Schools Admission Minimum GPA of 2.5 Minimum SAT score of 800 (verbal & math combined) and/or Minimum ACT score of 17 Each University has specific requirements that usually go above and beyond the minimum requirements listed above

9. Snapshot of Several UNC School Profiles (based on 2013-2014 incoming freshmen) University/ College Name Average GPA (weighted) Average SAT ScoresAverage ACT Composite Scores UNC-Charlotte3.571085 (critical reading & math only) 23 Appalachian State University 4.051135 (critical reading & math only) 26 UNC-Greensboro3.641035 (critical reading & math only) 23 Western Carolina University 3.671039 (critical reading & math only) 22 UNC-Chapel Hill4.561305 (critical reading, & math only) 29 UNC-Wilmington3.931170 (critical reading & math only) 25

10. Private Colleges & Universities Private colleges & universities have varying admission requirements. The best resource for understanding these schools’ minimum requirements is through exploring their websites or speaking directly with an admissions counselor Examples of private colleges/universities include: Belmont Abbey, Gardner-Webb, Davidson, Lenoir-Rhyne, Catawba, etc.

11. Applying to College Apply directly through college’s website Apply through www.CFNC.org  Use this website to submit multiple applications to community colleges and various NC universities/colleges  Send transcripts for free through Transcript Manager (even if you don’t use CFNC to apply to college)  Thoroughly research your schools of interest using college/university websites  Research scholarship and grant opportunities

12. Applying to College Common Application— www.commonapp.org  Use this website to submit multiple applications to competitive colleges and universities  Wake Forest, UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, UNC Wilmington, UNC Asheville, Duke & Davidson  Only certain schools are consortium members so check the website

13. College Application Week November 10 th -14th Labs/times set aside in media center to work on completing college applications online through CFNC Some private schools waive the application fee during this week only!

14. SAT/ACT Information The SAT/ACT is required to attend a 4-year college/university The SAT registration deadlines and test dates are posted online at sat.collegeboard.com/register  Next test date is October 11 th (register by 9/12, late reg. through 9/26) or November 8 th (register by 10/9) The ACT registration deadlines and test dates are posted online at www.actstudent.org www.actstudent.org  Next test date is September 13 th (Standby only) or October 25 th (register by 9/19)

15. SAT Test Prep Session Improve SAT scores for only $79! ZAPS test prep session—SIHS Media Center, September 13 th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On average, students who take this test prep improve SAT scores by 50-150 points Register today at www.zaps.com, click register, search on zip code 28677 to find SIHSwww.zaps.com

16. Community Colleges Do not require SAT/ACT scores, but may require you to take placement test If you have an unweighted GPA of 2.6 or higher and you completed AFM, Discrete Math, Pre-Cal or AP Stats as your 4 th math, you will not have to take Math admission test Any required placement test is usually taken in the spring semester prior to fall enrollment and is arranged through the community college. Test results help to determine whether you will be allowed to begin college level coursework or be required to take remedial coursework first

17. Transcripts & Recommendations Request official high school transcripts through Student Center  First 3 transcripts are free, $3 each thereafter  Fill out Transcript Release form (in Student Center or on website) Use CFNC to send free transcripts  Review your transcript with your counselor if necessary Ask teachers/counselors/coaches for letters of recommendation—give 2-3 weeks notice

18. Financial Aid & Scholarships Apply for merit-based scholarships through your college of choice Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in January Local scholarships begin in Jan/Feb through May (Rotary club, Credit Union, etc.) Financial Aid Workshop will be announced later for parents to attend: We will walk you through the FAFSA process and answer college financial aid questions

19. Make Tough Decisions Receive your offers of decision (differ based on application deadlines—early action results in December/January; regular decision results in March) Compare scholarship/financial aid packages from each school Consider your research and your college visits—where can you see yourself? Trust your instincts and make your choice Now, celebrate! You are on your way….

20. Words of Advice Plan ahead and ask for help Stay positive and don’t panic Enjoy your senior year, but don’t slack off academically Have fun, but be smart

21. Questions? Congratulations Seniors! We will be beginning one-on-one meetings in the next two weeks. If you have questions in the meantime, please stop by the student center or send your counselor an e-mail at: Letters A-E: kvanburen@iss.k12.nc.us Letters F-G: kelly_arzonico@iss.k12.nc.us Letters H-O: elizabeth_hagaman@iss.k12.nc.us Letters P-Z: jennifer_gambill@iss.k12.nc.us