1. Moscow High School Senior Year Planning There are 8 months and 12 days until graduation!!……..

2. Explore Post High School Options and Plan Ahead! For College: Programs/Majors? Do Your Research Know Your Deadlines Make Checklists Ask For Help! Meet Your Deadlines Explore Careers, Workforce Opportunities and the Military

3. Workforce Opportunities Look into Local, Regional, and National job opportunities Idaho Department of Labor website: http://www.labor.idaho.gov Check the MHS Career Counseling Website at: o http://www.msd281.org/highschool/counselors/career Idaho Career Information System: o www.idahocis.org username: moscowhs; pw: gobears05 Network with people you know, employers, professionals Consider employment packages: Pay, benefits and perks Consider taking a business and/or professional-technical class For more information please make an appointment with Career Coordinator Diane Potter, or Diana.

4. Training and Education Pay! Level of Education Less than HS diploma: HS Diploma: Some College: Associate’s Degree: Bachelor’s Degree: Master’s Degree: Doctorate Degree: Mean Hourly Wage $ 10.67 $ 16.01 $ 19.12 $ 24.96 $ 26.94 $ 29.74 $ 46.04

5. Research Majors On-line searches College websites Check out materials in counseling center Look at interests & skills in relation to majors Complete Interest Inventories at www.actstudent.org

6. Things to include when looking at colleges and universities: Academics Admissions Requirements: GPA, SAT or ACT scores, course history, possibly an essay and recommendations. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/416 22747/ns/today-parenting/t/inside- college-admissions-process/ Cost (tuition, books, housing and transportation) Location Size Campus Life Activities Population of the town/city Scholarship and financial aid options Other:

7. Compare Colleges & Universities On-line tools: www. idahocis.org princetonreview.com collegeboard.com School Comparisons 2012 School Harvard Stanford Univ. of WA Number of Applicants 30,489 34,348 24,540 Number Accepted 2,205 2,437 14,340

8. Colleges “At A Glance” Montana State University Bozeman, MT Small town-rural area (not within commuting distance of a large city) 12,594 undergraduate students 1,980 graduate students Admissions: Moderately difficult (about 85% of all applicants accepted) In-state tuition: $6,749 Out-of-state tuition: $20,018 Public Applications due: Continuous University of Idaho Moscow, ID Small town-rural area (not within commuting distance of a large city) 9,586 undergraduate students 2,726 graduate students Admissions: Moderately difficult (about 85% of all applicants accepted) In-state tuition: $6,212 Out-of-state tuition: $19,000 Public Applications due: First day of the semester in August

9. College Application Types Early Decision: Binding application if student is accepted, provided $ can be worked out Early Admission: Early notification of acceptance status, gives a leg up on course selection, housing, financial aid offers Priority Deadline: Priority in first round of admission decisions & financial aid offers

10. Check the Freshman Profile University of Idaho Freshman Class Profile 2014 University of Idaho Total Enrollment: 12,312 Total Freshman Enrollment: 1,631 Average high school GPA of incoming freshmen: 3.4 Average ACT composite score: 23.0 Average SAT score: 520 (verbal) and 525 (math) Number of National Merit finalists: 76 total enrolled Requirement 3.0 GPA, or 2.2-3.0 with high SAT/ACT scores Example:

11. To Do List Keep grades up Take challenging courses Prepare for SAT/ACT retakes Narrow down college search Complete applications Develop essays Complete the FAFSA early Request letters of recommendation

12. Take ACT? Retake SAT? Take ACT first if you have not done that. Consider SAT/ACT retake if on the bubble for admission/scholarships: Retake Example: Go Idaho Gold Scholars 3.8 to 4.0 GPA 26 ACT or 1180 SAT Value: $2,500 minimum in scholarships/year; renewable Go Idaho Silver Scholars 3.4 to 3.79 GPA 23-25 ACT or 1070-1179 SAT Value: $1,500 minimum in scholarships/year; renewable ** It is a good idea to ask about cut offs and ways scholarships can be increased when you receive offers.

13. This year’s SAT And ACT Dates ACT Oct 25, 2014 Dec 13, 2014 Feb 7, 2015 Apr 18, 2015 June 13, 2015 www.actstudent.org SAT Oct 11, 2014 Nov 8, 2014 Dec 6, 2014 Jan 24, 2015 Mar 14, 2015 May 2, 2015 June 6, 2015 www.sat.org/register

14. SAT II Subject Tests Competitive schools may require 1 or more subject test(s); check requirements Offered on SAT Test dates; not all tests offered every date! 1 hour exams; standardized method of showing what you know. Subjects include Physics, Mathematics, US History, Foreign Language, Literature Practice resources: SATSubjectTests.org & idahocis.org

15. Application/Scholarship Essay Help “Get Started” session: Tues 9/30 Lunch,BandRoom 3 Essay Development Sessions: o Wed October 8, Wed Oct 22, Wed Nov 5 o 7:00-8:30 p.m. Library o Meet with a reader & receive feedback, as needed Ask staff member, counselor, parent, and/or mentor for feedback

16. College Major & Career Planning www.idahocis.org username: moscowhs password: gobears05 Make a profile Use for college search and compare, major search, practice tests for SAT/ACT/Compass, department of labor statistics and more

17. College Visits Plan vacations and trips to include college visits in the area Exposure to different campuses helps you know what will “feel right” when making a decision Plan ahead and get a tour (break weeks, teacher inservice days )

18. Scholarships Counseling Center Website updated regularly: http://msdweb.msd281.org/worpress.highschool under counseling center tab National, State, Local Scholarship Handbook Be aware of deadlines! Look early and often! Start drafting an essay now, before it gets busy! Internet www.fastweb.com scholarship search service www.idahocis.org www.college-scholarships.com www.collegexpress.com

19. The Common Application 488 colleges and universities “Holistic” admission process = test scores, grades, essay, letters of reference, extracurriculars considered Primary application completed only once Check deadlines and plan ahead! Website: www.commonapp.org

20. Common Application Process Complete Online Application Complete Applicant Section of the School Form; Invite counselor and teacher(s) Meet with counselor and teacher(s) regarding recommendations; provide list of schools Complete supplemental materials as needed Submit application, supplementals and payment for each university: 3 clicks, not one!

21. Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Reduced tuition rate of 150% of resident tuition at participating two- and four-year colleges. The WUE rate is not automatically awarded to all eligible candidates. Limited number of WUE awards each year, so apply early! States include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. Competitive www.wiche.edu/wue

22. Attend November 12 Financial Aid workshop at MHS Apply for a pin number: https://pin.ed.gov FAFSA website: www.fafsa.gov Start a worksheet based on 2013 returns; can apply with estimated numbers Opens for submissions January 1 st, 2015

23. Some Dates To Remember: Sept 30 Essay Development: lunch Oct 8, 22 Essay Nights & Nov 5 Nov 6 College and Career Night Nov 12 Financial Aid Night Jan 1 FAFSA Application can be submitted Feb 15 Priority deadline- many schools