Senior Naviance

1. Senior Naviance Google Site: http://tinyurl.com/ydd42h8m

2. What you should be doing this year • Get good grades and have good attendance. This transcript follows you your whole life. • Stay involved: clubs, sports, jobs, volunteering. • Keep trying to narrow your career path—figure out what you do not want to do and then go from there. Maybe do a career shadowing. • Apply to college early – all by Halloween but some are earlier. • Apply for scholarships – national now, local opens Nov 22-Jan 17. • Take some college visits. October 16 is PSAT day, so that is a good day to schedule one. You get 3 if you do the forms in the counseling office before your trip.

3. Upcoming Opportunities • October 1: College and Financial Aid Night in BMHS Auditorium at 7:00 pm • October 3: College Fair at Lorain County Community College, Ewing Activities Center, 1005 North Abbe Rd, Elyria, 6:00-7:30 pm • Register: https://oacac.org/oacac-college-fairs/ • October 7: College Fair at BW, Lou Higgins Center (the gym), 6:30-8:00 pm • Register: https://oacac.org/oacac-college-fairs/ Link not working yet • October 16: PSAT Day - Visit colleges or do application workshop.

4. College Now • Help completing the FAFSA (do as close to October 1 as possible) • Offers scholarships: many for needy students, but not all • Advisor: Roger Bowers • Financial Aid Night: October 1 at 7:00 in the Auditorium. Please go so you know how to complete your FAFSA • Handouts for College Now: sign up for appointments through Mrs. Kronika in the Counseling Office.

5. Scholarship Searching • Naviance at the bottom of the Colleges tab has a Fanny Mae search engine = government run so it is pretty safe • Collegenet.org or fastweb.com are also pretty good sites • What to watch for when applying for scholarships: • Never pay • If they promise you anything, they are probably a scam • If they ask for private information (phone, social security number…) • If they seem too good to be true, they are probably a scam

6. Naviance • Sign up for College Rep visits here at BMHS • Add colleges to “Colleges I plan to apply to” • Add recommenders if you need them and then print resume/brag sheet • Complete the Game Plan in the About Me tab • Career Interest Inventories: you can reset them if you want to do so • College SuperMatch: sorts schools by many categories to help you get to the short list (yellow sheet) • College Match, College Compare and Scattergrams help you pick the best fit • Resume: you can use this for jobs and to give to teachers if you need recommendations • Scholarships: in College tab near the bottom

7. Common Application 2019-2020

8. The Common Application is an online college application that is accepted at hundreds of colleges and universities nationally. • Students can use one application for any schools that accept the common application instead of filling out a separate application for each school. • Some schools require an additional supplement, so be sure to check the admission requirements. • Application fees to each school still apply. • Almost all Ohio colleges accept the Common App—check the list at: • https://ohiohighered.org/students/prepare-for-college/applying-to-college/common-application

9. Tips for Common App • How do I match my Common App to Naviance? • Add a college in your Common App. • Answer the FERPA question about waiving your right to read your recommendations (say you want to waive your right!). • Go to Colleges, Colleges I’m Applying To, Match, and then put in your email address. • How do I know when to use it? • A few schools only accept the Common App. • If more than one of the schools you plan to apply to accepts it—look in their website to find out or use Naviance. • How do I answer the question about GPA and class rank? • Look up your percentile on your portal transcript and convert it into a decile: 73 percentile is top 30 decile, 88 percentile is top 20 decile. • Who can help with my essay? • Have a parent, teacher or counselor read over your essay before you submit it. • How can I tell if a college requires extra information? • Once you add your colleges, they will appear on the left bar. Scroll through each tab to make sure you answer all the questions. • Some require more essays, so plan ahead.

10. For Common App Submission… Your essay will not be MLA. The paragraphs will not be indented. It still makes sense to type it in a Word or Google Doc and then cut and paste it so spell and grammar check helps you. Have someone edit it!!!!

11. Overview of the Essay • New common App launched on August 1st, 2013. • The length limit for the essay is 650. 250 words in the minimum. The system won’t accept less! I would not suggest 250, however. • The new prompts are designed to encourage reflection and introspection. If your essay doesn't include some self-analysis, you haven't fully succeeded in responding to the prompt.

12. 2019-2020 Common App Prompts http://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/application-updates/common-application-announces-2017-2018-essay-prompts • 2019-2020 Common Application Essay Prompts1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? 7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. 

13. Take-Away Tips Create a strong title. You might develop your title after your essay has been completed. Don’t feel you have to generate a five-paragraph essay. It might be more, or it might be less. Choose a direction that may be a bit out of the ordinary. The element of the “unexpected” could work to your advantage. Show, don’t tell. “I like to work with children” = telling. “I loved my experience at Camp-Mi-Bro-Be when I…” = showing. Don’t use this as a way to brag about yourself. This will only sound pompous and shallow. Let your strong choice and solid writing speak!

14. Common Application tips can be found at: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/common-application-essay-prompts.htm Or in Dr. R’s Google Site: Berea-Midpark High School College/Career

15. Halloween or Before • All application materials should be submitted to your counselor by mid-October so they may be sent by October 31. • Give teachers a brag sheet or resume so they may write a good recommendation if you need one and ask them well before mid-October if you haven’t already. • Update your Naviance page by putting the college in “Colleges I’m Appling To” and then come to the counseling office to complete an application folder so your transcript may be sent. • Put deadlines in your phone so you don’t miss out on any!