Navigating Your College Planning Journey: A Workshop Guide
Join Ms. Gung in this comprehensive workshop designed to help you envision and plan your ideal college experience. Explore key aspects of college selection, including location, size, public vs. private options, financial aid, and academic programs. Learn how to prioritize your college characteristics and conduct effective research, utilizing valuable resources such as College Board and CTCL. Engage in practical exercises to create a College Comparison Chart. Prepare for scholarship searches and admissions deadlines, setting yourself up for success before senior year.
Navigating Your College Planning Journey: A Workshop Guide
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Presentation Transcript
Junior College Planning Workshop May 27, 2014 Ms. Gung
Your Ideal Post-NSA World • Envision the ideal college experience that best meets your needs and interests. • Location – specific city, urban/suburban/rural, distance from family, proximity to nearest city • Size – number of students, size of classes • Public vs. private • Loans • Major/minor, emphasis on liberal arts and sciences vs. a specific specialization • Field of expertise of professors • “Feel” – residential vs. commuter, type of student, focus on undergraduates or grad students, competitiveness, diversity, preppy/formal vs. low-key, religiosity, school spirit • Activities – clubs & organizations, Greek life, sports, religious opportunities
Looking for Colleges • Write down the characteristics you visualized in the brainstorming exercise. • Prioritize the 5 characteristics that are MOST important to you right now – rank them on your sheet. • This is your starting point for research. • Goal: Whittle it down to 3-5 schools to apply to • Include an academic AND financial “safety” school • Match/reach schools
How to Research • College Board Big Future: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org • Colleges That Change Lives: www.ctcl.org • Academic Common Market • Individual college websites • Admissions page • Financial aid/scholarships page • Academic/arts department page
Organize Your Research • College Comparison Chart • Part I: Researching general “fit” of schools to whittle down your list to 3-5 schools to which you’ll apply • Part II: Organizing admissions/scholarship/event deadlines to apply • Part III: Scholarships
Do Now • Spend 10-15 minutes researching colleges and adding details to Part I of “College Comparison Chart”
Financial Aid Sources • Financial aid vs. scholarships • FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid • CSS Profile • Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC): State grants • TN Promise • Tuition savings programs • “No Loan” Schools • Outside scholarships
Scholarships • College financial aid/scholarship websites • College department websites: music, theatre, etc. • College Honors College website • Senior Newsletters from Ms. Gung • “Scholarships” tab of NSA School Counseling website
Do Now • Spend 10-15 minutes researching scholarships at the schools you plan to apply to, scholarship websites on NSA School Counseling page, or Senior Newsletters • http://teacherweb.com/TN/NSA/SchoolCounseling
Summer Before Senior Year • Spend 2-3 hours a week on college related tasks • Research schools based characteristics you prioritized – use Part I of College Comparison Chart for this. • Identify 3-5 schools to which you’ll apply. Complete Part II of College Comparison Chart for important admissions/scholarship/event deadlines. • Plan a tour in early Fall – use your 3 college visit days! Check college admission website for dates of college tours & big events to put on your calendar. • Write draft of your college essay – use Common App or school application to identify topic.
Summer Before Senior Year (cont.) • Write draft of resume. (See examples on “College Planning Resources” tab of School Counseling website.) • Start/finish Senior Questionnaire from Ms. Gung for recommenders. • Start researching scholarships – “Scholarships” tab of School counseling website, Senior Newsletters, etc. • Do things related to your interests! • Work • Job shadow • Volunteer: Hands on Nashville (www.hon.org) • Capstone project hours
