Senior Year 101

1. Senior Year 101

2. CHS College Advisors Jerri Czosek (A - Carg) jczosek@colliervilleschools.org Kristy Krotzer (Carh – Fit) kkrotzer@colliervilleschools.org Brooke Loeffler (Fiu-Jack) bloeffler1@colliervilleschools.org Makenzie Perkins (Jacl-McG) mperkins@colliervilleschools.org Jani Smith (McH-P) j2smith@colliervilleschools.org Cedric Stevenson (Q-Stor) cstevenson@colliervilleschools.org Courtney Wall (Stos-Z) cwall@colliervilleschools.org

3. Senior Profile/Transcript Requests Senior profiles (Part II) and parent brag sheets will be due: August 22nd *Both parts are required in order to request a letter of recommendation from your school counselor. You need to give your counselor 4 weeks notice before a letter of recommendation deadline. *The more information that you give us, the better your letter of recommendation will be! Help us, help you!!!

4. College Applications…Where Do I Begin? *Make a list of colleges you are interested in. *Research those schools and the programs they offer. *Review their admission requirements. *Visit campus – seniors are given 2 college visit days. *Create a professional sounding email address (if you don’t already have one). *Submit college applications ASAP- usually online. *Be sure to follow directions. *Meet application & scholarship deadlines.

5. Common Application Letter of recommendation from counselor Letter of recommendation from teacher(s) CHS sends transcript/not test card Student sends in test scores. Essay required

6. What is next? Request Transcripts Fee - $3.00 each Students 18 or older may order transcripts themselves. If under 18, parent permission is required. Make sure to turn in your request with enough time for the transcript to arrive by the deadline.

7. Transcript Requests Forms Request Transcripts Fee $3.00 each Students 18 or older may order themselves Under 18, parent permission is required

8. What is included in a transcript? CHS Profile List of classes 9-11 (Rank & GPA) Test Card List of senior classes Return postcard (for CHS records)

9. Completed Application Includes: Paper or on-line application Application fee Transcript request - $3

10. Senior TimelineAugust Classroom meeting - August 17th Senior Profile Due - August 22nd Register for the ACT and SAT TN Promise (open right now – November 1st)

11. September Senior Parent Meeting – 9/5 at 6:00 pm College Fair – 9/5 from 6:30 – 8:00 (Transcripts will be given out at the Senior Parent Meeting) College Fair – Agricenter 9/25, 6:00-8:00 pm Write college essays, start college applications Ask teachers to write your Letters of Recommendation Take the ACT again, join clubs, build your resume

12. October FAFSA opens for submission- October 1st (Use 2016 Tax Return Info) Senior ACT Retake – October 3rd TN Promise Meeting- October 6th @ 7:30am Financial Aid Workshop- October 17th @ 5:30 Senior Class Meeting- October 18th @ 7:15am (Balfour information on graduation announcements, etc.) *Apply for scholarships *Apply to Honor Colleges

13. November *TN Promise application deadline-Nov 1st *Deadline for UT Knoxville scholarship/ admission- Nov. 1st *Continue to look for scholarships & apply to colleges

14. December *Must beacceptedto U of Memphis for scholarship priority consideration - Dec. 1st *Take the ACT or SAT *Finish all college applications that have an early January deadline *Request a midyear if your college requires one

15. January 2018 *Final Rankings for the Class of 2018 will be determined. *Midyears will go out around the third week *Collierville Community Scholarships will become available. Check the CHS Counseling website. Complete FAFSA by the 16th to be eligible for TN Promise

16. February Continue to look for scholarships. Keep your grades up! Make memories with your friends and family… the end of high school is near!

17. March ENJOY SPRING BREAK! TN Promise 2nd Mandatory Meeting-March 21st @ 5:30 in the cafeteria Get ready for your countdown to graduation! Do not get SENIORITIS!

18. April Bring in all of your award letters to Mrs. Taylor, CHS registrar, in the guidance office by April 20th. All awards/scholarships will be listed in the graduation program if you bring them to us. Between HOPE and TN Promise… EVERYONE should be listed in the scholarship section of the graduation program!

19. May National Signing Deadline – May 1st Senior Picnic – May 11th Senior Awards Night – May 16, 6:30 pm Graduation Practice – May 18, 10:30 am Graduation – Friday, May 18, 7:00 pm Request Dual Transcript from Uof M – after graduation

20. TN Promise Mission The mission of TN Promiseis to increase higher education opportunities for Tennessee high school students by providing last-dollar scholarships with mentor guidance. 

21. TN Promise No money, poor grades, low ACT? OR Lots of money, high GPA, high ACT?

22. TN Promise Pays Amount awarded based on the average cost of community college (estimated to be $4,000) Student is responsible for cost of books TN Promise Timeline: http://tnpromise.gov/students.shtml

23. FAFSA All should apply your senior year in HS. 2. Always list a TN school – even if you don’t apply to a TN school this year. 3. All apply – regardless of financial need. Students will not receive the HOPE or GAM w/o this application. 4. HOPE is guaranteed with your GPA or ACT – income plays no role.

24. Testing Collierville High School Test Code Center # 430410

25. Common Testing Questions Which test do I need to take? What score do I need to make for the TN Hope Scholarship? Which ACT is the deadline for Hope? ACT/SAT test dates? Who sends scores to the colleges? ACT retake for seniors? October waiver?

26. ACT, ACT w/ writing, or SAT? Check with your college for admission requirements. The only university in Tennessee that requires the writing portion for admission is Vanderbilt University. What score do I need to make for the TN Hope Scholarship? HOPE - 3.0 or 21 on the ACT GAM - 3.75 and a 29 on the ACT The ACT can be taken up until Summer 2018 in order to qualify for HOPE.

27. ACTwww.actstudent.org You will want to send your ACT scores to each college that you are interested in. Be sure to include their correct codes when registering for each ACT.

28. SATwww.collegeboard.com The SAT is not administered as CHS. However, CBHS and MUS are both testing sites.

29. ACT retake for seniors? October 3rd... DURING SCHOOL!!! More info to come soon!

30. Tips *Get organized and know the facts College applications and acceptance are YOUR responsibility. Your counselor is a resource. Write down important dates and deadlines Out of state college admission requirements Look at colleges’ websites to find their course requirements. They could be different than TN graduation requirements. NCAA– Complete eligibility worksheet with Dr. Holcomb

31. Advice from College Admission Counselors Read the directions. YOU take the lead. Parents should be a support only. Don’t submit a lengthy resume and don’t submit a resume instead of completing the “Activities” portion of an application. Proofread! Find an adult to proof your application and essay(s) before hitting submit. Don’t wait until the last minute! Things can get lost in cyberspace. Don’t repeat yourself. You miss an opportunity when you tell the same thing over and over.

32. Advice from College Admission Counselors, cont. 7. Don’t give colleges what you think they want to hear. - Be creative! Stay away from generic athletic winning/losing stories and generic community service stories. Find something original so they learn about who you are! - Stay away from politics and extreme points of view. 8. Don’t write a one-size-fits-all essay. -Why specifically have you chosen that school? What about that particular school interests you? 9. Don’t trump up your extracurricular activities. -Quality over quantity.

33. Community Service CHS does not require community service, but many colleges look to see if the student is a contributing member of society. There are many scholarships available to students who have a record of community service.

34. Have a great year Class of 2018!!! We can’t wait to see all that you will accomplish!