PREPARING FOR SENIOR YEAR AND LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

1. PREPARING FOR SENIOR YEAR AND LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

2. . Goal: For every Senior to have the opportunity to graduate from high school and go on to the post high school option of their choice.

3. What Should Seniors Be Doing? • Thinking about next steps! 4 year college or university, GAP Year, Community College, Technical School, Military • SAT’s or ACT’s • Studies show that after 4 attempts, scores drop • Reliable Test • Some schools want to see all the test scores • Fairtest.org • Community colleges can now look at SAT scores instead of Compass or Acuplacer • Visit Schools • Visit when school is in session • Sign up for a tour • Visit local private or public schools to get a sense of what kind of school you would like to attend. • Fall Preview events happening now – Never know unless you try it on! • College visits at BHS – EHHS students welcome.

4. 4-Year Colleges and Universities (overview) • Meet College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR’s) • Take/retake SAT or ACT college entrance exams • Complete and send the college admission application on time • Request letters of recommendation early • Biggest issue is missing a step • Think about your email address (tequilamama@msn.com) • Average applications 6- 8. Consider Safety Schools and Reach Schools and school close to home. • Complete FAFSA in January • Have a strong senior year: start to finish! • NCAA? http://web1.ncaa.org • Most important criteria for a college/university is fit.

5. Students need to list their interests, dreams, hobbies, abilities, how they spend their time, grades, strengths and weaknesses and then search for colleges that match. • The right fit means students will feel comfortable at a school both academically (major and area of study) and socially (class size, amount of personal attention from the teachers, activities that fit their interests and find an environment where they feel like they can be themselves).

6. Most Important Factors for Admission • 1. Grades in college prep courses • 2. Strength in curriculum • 3. Standardized admission test scores • 4. Grades in all courses • 5. Essay or writing sample • 6. Class Rank (does not apply to EHHS or BHS) • 7. Counselor’s Recommendation • 8. Student’s Demonstrated Interest • 9. Teacher Recommendation • 10. Interview • 11. Extracurricular activities • (The College Finder, Wintergreen Orchard House)

7. Questions you might ask: • For Students: • What would you change about the college? • How has your experience here affected you? • If you email a professor, how long does it take her/him to reply? • Where do you go for help? • Who gives you advice about your future? • When was the last time a professor mentioned an internship, research opportunity, study abroad program or other special opportunity to you?

8. Questions you might ask: • For Professors: • Why did you choose this college, and why have you stayed? • How would you describe your students here? • What’s distinctive about the college and your department? • Why do you think I should enroll here?

9. Resources • Great Student – Parent Resource: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ • Common Data Set - The Common Data Set (CDS) is a detailed report covering University-wide information.  Data are presented in the same "common" format used by most institutions of Higher Education to facilitate comparisons among institutions. • www.learnerator.com (free resource): -- Master College Admissions(www.learnator.com/guidance2014) Financial Aid Made Simple(www.learnerator.com/financialaid)

10. Washington State Public Schools • Less expensive than private schools (though sometimes private schools end up being less expensive due to grants and scholarships) • University of Washington (Urban) • Western, Eastern, Central and Washington State (Rural) • Evergreen

11. The Common Application, Early Decision, Early Action • Common Application: CommApp.org, 400 Schools, One Application • Early Action: apply in fall, Compared to smaller group of students. • Early Decision: apply in the fall, bound to school. If you get in, withdraw all other applications.

12. EHHS College Application Process(Look on EHHS Website/For Seniors/College Application Process) • College Application Process, College Tracking Form, Parent Brag Sheet, Senior Quick Reference Guide, Student Data Sheet • Public Schools: • Fill out College Tracking Form • Send EHHS Transcript (transcript release form, addressed stamped envelope) • Test Scores • Private Schools: • Fill out College Tracking Form • Sign transcript release form so Becky can upload transcript for on-line submission or snail mail. • Student Data Sheet/Parent Brag Sheet • Students meet in person to request a recommendation • Common Application or Individual on-line application

13. College Academic Distribution requirements (CADR’s)The College Academic Distribution Requirements(CADRs) are the minimumcollege admission standards • 4 Years of English • 3 Years of Math • Algebra 1 • Geometry • Algebra 2 • 3 Years of Science • 3 Years of Social Science • 2 Years of World Language • must be the same language • 1 Year of Arts (U of CA) • A senior year math-based quantitative course • can be a math or algebra-based science course • A 2.00 minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) Source: WA Student Achievement Council

14. Students with Learning Disabilities • Small Class size and relationship with professors can be key to success! • Visit the Department of Disabilities Resource Center (goes by different name at different schools). Talk to other students who use this service. • Find out what resources are available to you and if the college or university has the type of accommodations that your student needs. • Find out what documentation you need to qualify for accommodations and contact them soon after you have sent in your enrollment check. • Accommodations aren’t retroactive

15. Students with Learning Disabilities • Students: Be able to explain how you learn best and know what you need from your professors • Students: If you take medication and don’t know much about it, now’s the time to learn. Read the labels. Understand the dosages and side effects. Ask your doctor to explain what each drug does. Practice managing your meds now before you leave the home

16. 2 Year Colleges and Technical Schools • Apply starting in January • Take placement test (COMPASS or Accuplacer). Some schools now use SAT tests for placement • Meet with college advisor • Complete FAFSA.

17. 4 Pathways of Community College • 1) Professional/Technical: Skills to prepare to work. Often 2 year programs • 2) College/University Transfer – often same or higher GPA of 4 year college students upon graduation from transfer college • 3) University Partnerships: Community College partners with a 4 year school to offer a bachelor degree in a selected area • 4) Applied Baccalaureates – 31 options at 14 different colleges. Receive Bachelor degree at community college, i.e. BA in Interior Design from Bellevue College, Cybersecurity and Forensics from Highline College

18. Applied Baccalaureate Degrees at ‘Community’ Colleges • Builds on education and training from a two-year technical associate degree • With the baccalaureate option, students are able to move from short–term certificates and related degrees to further foundational and specialized coursework, creating access to higher payingjobs • Yearly cost of community college: $11,250 or $17,800 (living independently) • Yearly cost of University of Washington: $24,433 (includes room and board) • Want more information about Community College Baccalaureate options in Washington State? Go to: checkoutacollege.com

19. What are the benefits of a GAP YEAR? • Learning process continues, but in a different format • A Gap Year gives them the opportunity to become more independent and make decisions on there own. • High School students are over-pressured, overscheduled, and often feel uninspired by traditional academics. A Gap Year gives them an opportunity to take a break from traditional academics and pursue an interest that may lead to a career path. • Boys have fallen behind girls in college and graduate school attendance. Many boys mature later don’t find a purpose of enthusiasm for academics until their late teens. The simple gift of extra time can make all the difference for a boy’s future. • Many students who begin college never finish. The freshman year is the most common dropout point. • Gap Year Facts: Number of accepted students you defer admission to pursue a Gap Year. Harvard – 50 – 70%, Cornell – 50 – 60%, Georgetown – 15 – 25%, MIT – 12 – 15% • “Students who take a Gap Year tend to be some of the strongest performers in the classroom”, Jean D. Jordan, Dean of Admissions, Emory University • It is recommended for students who know that they want to pursue a four year school to get accepted to college or university and then defer enrollment to allow for participation in a Gap Year. • A book that is available at the Kitsap Regional Library if you would like to learn more is The Complete Guide to the Gap Year, by Kristin M. White.

20. GAP YEAR – Expert’s Choice: Best Time Out or Gap Year Programs • Americorps • Amigos de las Americas • City Year • Dynamy • International Studies Abroad • The Leap • Leap Now • Masa Israel • National Outdoor Leadership School • Outward Bound

21. GAP YEAR:In addition and honorarable mention: • Habitat for Humanity • World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms – WWOOF • AFRC – Armed Forces Recreational Center • American Field Service • AustriaLearn • Carpe Diem International • Center for Interim Programs • Council on International Educational Exchange • English-Speaking Union • Experiment in International Living Cultural and Educational Travel • Rotary International • Secondary School Exchange • Taking Off • Time Out Associates • Where There Be Dragons • Youth International • Youth With A Mission

22. Additional Options • Apprenticeships • Electricians, Plumbing, Carpentry, Automotive • Certification Programs • Nursing Assistant, Cosmetology • Military • ROTC • Multiple career training opportunities (determined by ASVAB score) – given in late November

23. HOW DO I PAY FOR COLLEGE? • FAFSA (Information sessions in Nov/Dec. at BHS) • http://www.fafsa.ed.gov • APPLY STARTING JAN 1, 2014 (APPLY EARLY. As they receive applications they start dividing up money. Especially applies too state scholarship money.) • Grants • Student Loans • Work Study • SCHOLARSHIPS • COLLEGE PROGRAMS

24. Scholarships • Need Based Scholarships: predicated on income (FAFSA). Federal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. • Merit Based Scholarships: based on student’s academic and sometimes extracurricular achievements (FAFSA). Can come from University, Departments, state scholarship programs, special donors • Association Based Scholarships: dependent on as many different associations that you can imagine (home country, identification with certain group, fraternal and religious organizations, company for which a parent might work)

25. Regents Scholars Program at WSU • Student nominations must be submitted and received by Wednesday, October 29, 2014. • After being nominated, students must complete the following: 1) WSU Admission application, 2) WSU General Scholarship application, 3) submit their SAT/ACT scores, and 4) forward their official high school transcript to WSU’s Office of Admissions. All four application materials must be received by the final submission deadline of Friday, December 5, 2014. • All eligible nominees (2 per school) will receive a Regents Scholars award, which provides $4,000 per academic year for four years. Those students will then compete for the Distinguished Regents Scholar award, which covers full tuition and fees for four years. • Use theEligibility Calculator to see if you are eligible for the Regents Scholars Program. (academic achievement plus co-curricular involvement)

26. CSS Profile • The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE (often written as CSS PROFILE), short for the College Scholarship Service Profile, is an application distributed by the College Board in the United States allowing college students to apply for financial aid. It is primarily designed to give private member institutions of the College Board a closer look into the finances of a student and family. It is much more detailed than the FAFSA. • The CSS Profile asks questions about the financial status of the student and the student's parents. The information the student gives in the CSS Profile is then sent to colleges or universities that the student specifies. • Along with the FAFSA, the CSS Profile is the most common financial aid application that students in the United States fill out. • Each CSS Profile costs a fee, varying from year to year. • Generally, colleges with early acceptance programs (student receives admission decision before the new year) use the CSS PROFILE to make preliminary financial aid decisions because the FAFSA is not available until after January 1. Then after student completes the FAFSA (the official financial aid application) colleges may then make adjustments to their financial aid awards if necessary. • Find out if schools you are applying to want a CSS Profile. Almost 400 colleges and scholarship programs require the PROFILE.

27. WUE “woo-wee” – Western Undergraduate Exchange • WUE “woo-wee” • For students planning on attending college West of the Mississippi, you may want to check out “Woo-Wee”. WUE (pronounced “woo-wee”) is the Western Undergraduate Exchange, a program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Through WUE, students in western states may enroll in 150 two-year and four-year college institutions at a reduced tuition level: 150 percent of the institution's regular resident tuition. WICHE member states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Entrance requirements for WUE applicants are set by each participating institution. Requirements typically include minimum GPA and/or ACT/SAT score requirements; some institutions require higher GPAs and test scores for WUE students. Many institutions limit the number of new WUE awards each academic year, so apply early! Most WUE institutions do not require applicants to demonstrate financial need to receive the discounted rate. For more information and to search for a school that might work for your student, go to: http://www.wiche.edu/wue

28. WHERE TO LOOK FOR SCHOLARSHIPS • FREE SCHOLARSHIP SEARCHES • www.fastweb.com • http://www.thewashboard.org/ - matches profile with scholarships • COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID WEBSITES • COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PAGE • meritaid.com - A comprehensive directory of merit scholarships and academic scholarships from colleges across the country • payscale.com – rates colleges on return on investment

29. Fall of Senior Year • Sign up at BHS for college representative visits. • Attend the national college fair in November. Consider the reasons that you want to go to college. Find out what different colleges require. • Work on college applications (Be aware of deadlines and procedures). • Notify staff for letters of recommendation (4 weeks minimum) • Turn in your college tracking form. • Order your Jostens Cap/Gown for June.

30. Winter of Senior Year • Finish college applications. • Request transcript release for Common Application online or sending transcripts through snail mail. • Notify staff for letters of recommendation (provide your brag sheets, resumes, self-addressed/stamped envelopes for transcripts with deadlines attached. Make it easy for your supporters) • Apply for financial aid (FAFSA) • Search and apply for scholarships.

31. Spring of Senior Year • Apply for local scholarships through BHS. • Make sure that we have your name correct for graduation and you have paid your fines and turned in a final transcript release form. • Finish well…mid-year and final transcripts are sent to colleges. (Colleges are watching). • Take AP exams in May… • Participate in all graduation celebrations and activities at both BHS AND EHHS.

32. Additional Resources • Reccommended Books: • The Complete Guide to the Gap Year, by Kristin M. White (KRL Library) • The Hidden Ivys~ has a good intro with description of why choose Liberal Arts • Admission Matters ~ pretty straight-forward sections on each step of the process • Insider's Guide to the Colleges was the "hipper" student written Fiske or Princeton Review guide. • Fiske Guide • Princeton Review • Scholarships, Grants, Prizes 2014, Petersons Publishing (KRL Library) • The College Finder (Wintergreen Orchard House) • The College Sourcebook for Students with Learning and Developmental Differences (Wintergreen Orchard House) • Read the newsletter for additional opportunities

33. Recommendations from a Pro • Making contact with schools • Don’t have your parents call for you • Interviews • ******************** • Questions?