Junior Family College Night

1. Junior Family College Night Wilsonville High School March 3, 2011 Alyson Leatherman, Christine Lindberg and Lyndi Tucker

2. Evening Agenda • Welcome • College Planning Timeline • College Exploration • Standardized Tests • Preparing for Senior Year • Community College • Question & Answer

3. To Begin… • College planning may seem overwhelming, so it is important to take it one step at a time • This evening is the first step in your family’s preparation for college • Remember: Preparing for college is a process, not an event

4. College Planning Timeline • Junior Year • Investigate and explore colleges and universities • Attend the PNACAC College Fair in Portland on March 27 at the University of Portland • Prepare for and take SAT or ACT in the spring • Begin campus visits (perhaps during spring break?) • Prepare for AP exams • Register for NCAA Clearinghouse if you plan to pursue college athletics (www.ncaaclearinghouse.org) • Continue to maintain a challenging academic schedule • Meet with your school counselor to review your transcript and forecast schedule for senior year

5. College Planning Timeline, cont. • Senior Year • If necessary, re-take SAT and/or ACT during the fall semester • Finalize list of colleges • Complete applications • Complete the FAFSA for financial aid • Conduct scholarship search

6. College Exploration Exploration • Who am I? • What are my interests? • How do I learn? • What do I want?

7. College Exploration • What is Important to Your College Experience? • Things to Consider • Location and size • Majors and educational programs • Type of school and degrees offered • Admission programs and requirements • Cost of attendance and financial aid • College affiliation and accreditation • Campus activities • Support services • Housing options

8. Unsure About a Major? • It is common for students to be unsure about their major • Inquire about freshman course of studies • Inquire about when you have to declare a major • Consider a liberal arts college • Talk with your school counselor • Use Career Information Systems (CIS)

9. Assessing Majors and Educational Programs • Consult publications such as U.S. News and World Report, Peterson’s, Princeton Review and Barron’s for published ratings • Investigate the college or university • What courses are required for specific majors • Number of professors with highest degree in field • Research institution vs. teaching institution • Number of students seeking higher education, securing jobs, etc. after graduation • Attend a class • Meet with a professor in that major or program • Meet with a current student in that major or program

10. Collect Information Information • Family Connection • Other Sources • WHS College & Career Center • Guide books: The College Board Handbook, Kaplan, Princeton Review, Barron’s, Peterson’s, etc. • College websites • College representatives and college fairs • Facebook, Twitter, College Blogs • Parents, students, and alumni • Indicate to colleges on PSAT, SAT, ACT and AP registration that you are interested in receiving information regarding their school Exploration

11. Campus Visits • One of the best ways to investigate a college or university and collect valuable information • Spring break and spring campus visit days • Summertime is not as helpful because students are not on campus • Visit several different colleges to get best perspective • Contact the admission office/campus visit coordinator to arrange your visit • Be sure to write thank you notes to anyone that you meet with during your visit

12. Campus Visits, cont. • Take a campus tour • Attend a class • Eat in campus dining hall • Talk with students and faculty • Meet with an Admission Counselor • Verify admission requirements • Determine actual college costs • Ask about financial aid opportunities • Investigate your academic program • Discuss your chances for success: • Admission • Graduation • Placement • Overnight visit (if offered)

13. What To Do With All the Info? • Be organized • Create a filing system for your college materials • Create an electronic folder for college emails • Keep only the materials that are of interest to you • Record impressions from college visits

14. Standardized Tests Information Exploration Tests • Almost all colleges accept either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT for admission • Some schools will state a preference and you should always check with the admissions office for specific requirements • The only sure way to see on which exam you will perform better is to take both tests and compare your scores

15. Standardized Tests, cont. • The SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT should be taken as early as March of the junior year and no later than December of the senior year • To register for the SAT, visit www.collegeboard.com and to register for the ACT, visit www.actstudent.org • You will create a username and password. Be sure to keep it in a safe place as you may need it at a later time

16. Standardized Tests, cont. • The SAT will be offered on May 7 and June 4. The cost is $47.00 • The ACT will be offered on April 9 and June 11. The cost is $48.00 • If you have some schools in mind already, send your scores directly to the schools • The WHS CEEB code or school code is 381258

17. Standardized Tests, cont. • WHS offers a SAT prep course for English and Math that begins on March 6. Another course will be offered in the Fall. • Other ways to prepare include: Kaplan course, College & Career Center, free online resources and local library • Schools will generally take your best combined score, so it is advisable to take the exam more than once • SAT= Verbal, Math, Writing • High score = 2400 • ACT= English, Reading, Math, Science, Writing • High score = 36

18. Standardized Tests, cont. • Some colleges and universities also require SAT Subject Tests for admission • You should check with the admissions office for specific test requirements • www.compassprep.com/admissions_req_subjects.aspx • It’s advisable to take the SAT Subject Tests as soon as you have completed a course in that subject area

19. Preparing for Senior Year • College Admission Academic Requirements • Colleges and universities consider the courses taken in 9th, 10th and 11th grade and the grades earned in those courses, and the strength of senior schedule • Requirements include: • English- 4 years • Math- 3 years • Science- 3 years (2 years must be lab science) • Social Studies- 3 years • World Language- 2 years of same language • University of California System also requires 1 year of the same visual or performing art • ‘D’ Policy

20. Preparing for Senior Year, cont. • Meet with your school counselor to review your transcript and discuss your senior schedule • Consider AP Courses- forecasting February 28 – March 11, 2011 • Cumulative Grade Point Averages (GPAs) • Automatic Admit vs. Comprehensive Review • OUS Recommended GPAs • U of O – 3.4 • OSU – 3.0 • PSU – 3.0 • OIT – 3.0 • Eastern, Western, Southern – 2.75

21. Preparing for Senior Year, cont. • Meaningful Summer Activity • Employment • Volunteer • Academic program • Leadership camps Information Exploration Tests Summer Experience

22. Preparing for Senior Year, cont. • Student Activity Profile • Organizing your activities in a readable, concise and clear manner allows admission counselors to quickly review your extracurricular activities and how you might contribute to their college • If you decide to include a student activity profile or resume with your application materials: • Utilize Family Connection • Seek assistance for how to develop your profile- there are many acceptable formats • Highlight your strengths and accomplishments • Be honest- don’t embellish! • Quantify your involvement (years, hours, etc.) • Do not include things that happened before freshmen year

23. Categorizing Your Options • Safety • 50/50 or Good Fit • Reach

24. Community College • Program Options: • Transfer Degree (to a 4 Year College/University) • Associates Degree (2 Year) • Certificate Program (1 Year) • Admission Process • Online application completed in spring of senior year • Placement Tests • Advising Session • Community College Event • March 31 at 6:30 p.m. • CCC and PCC representatives will present

25. Family Connection: New Best Friend • Web-based software purchased by the district to assist in the college planning process • http://connection.naviance.com/wilsonville or WHS Website/College & Career/Family Connection • Username: WHS student email / Password: student ID • Example: lindberc@wvhs.wlwv.k12.or.us / Password: 181000 • Research colleges • Create activity resumes • Sign-up for college visits • Access college data regarding 2006-2010 WHS graduates

26. Family Connection: New Best Friend • Students will use Family Connection during their senior year to: • Communicate where they are applying • Request transcripts • Request teacher recommendations • Access the WHS scholarship database

27. Career Information Systems (CIS) • Web-based software purchased by the district to provide a system of occupational and educational information to help students learn about the world of work and education. • http://oregoncis.uoregon.edu/home/ • Username: Wilsonville • Password: wildcats • CIS services include: multiple self assessments, college searches, and career searches • Students can maintain an individual career planning portfolio

28. As a Parent, What Can I Do? • Stay active in your child’s academic planning • Ask questions and have high expectations • Make contact with your child’s school counselor and the college and career coordinator • They are available to help and have a wealth of information! • Discuss college with your child and be active in their research • How far is too far? Size? Does it have an academic program of interest? • Stay informed and be available to provide support • If possible, visit schools with your child, help your child organize application materials, etc.

29. Helpful College Websites WHS: • www.wvhs.wlwv.k12.or/college-career.htm • www.connection.naviance.com/wilsonville SAT and ACT: • www.collegeboard.com • www.actstudent.org Financial Aid and Scholarships: • www.fafsa.ed.gov/ • www.getcollegefunds.org • www.fastweb.com • www.scholarships.com • www.collegegoaloregon.org NCAA Clearing House: • www.ncaaclearinghouse.org

30. Helpful College Websites College Search: • Family Connection: www.connection.naviance.com/wilsonville • CollegeBoard: www.collegeboard.com • US News Best Colleges: www.usnews.com/rankings • Colleges That Change Lives: www.ctcl.com • Community and Two Year Colleges: www.community-college.org • U. S. Department of Education Information Site for Students and Institutions: www.students.gov Career: • Oregon Career Information System (CIS): oregoncis.uoregon.edu/home/

31. Question & Answer

32. Thank You for Coming! • Please fill out our evaluation before leaving this evening. • Our next college night is the Community College Event on March 31, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in the WHS Pointe • The first college night of senior year will be in early October