Junior and Senior Parent/Student Night

1. Junior and Senior Parent/Student Night October 29, 2013 6:00 PM

2. Tonight we will discuss • Things to do before the end of your senior year • High school coursework needed to get into college – Why take AP courses • College admissions tests • How to Chose a college • How to apply to college • How to get scholarship money • The purpose of a resume • Options if you chose not to attend college

3. Junior/Senior Year

4. What Should You Do Now to Prepare for Life After High School Pass high school classes that will prepare you for college level work – English, Math, Science, Social Studies, etc. Take the ACT or SAT test (or both) Research and visit colleges of interest Job Shadow Start the scholarship process Build your resume

5. High School Courses

6. Minimum High School Courses Recommended for College • English – 4 years • Math – 4 years (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II) • Science – 3 years (Biology, Chemistry, and 1 advanced Science) • Social Studies – 3 years • Foreign Language – 2+ years • Art/Technology – (electives should bein the areas of music, computer, or visual art)

7. Advance Placement Courses • Advanced Placement (AP) courses are rigorous college-level courses taught by AHS teachers • AP English Language and Composition, AP Physics, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP Psychology, & AP Statistics offered at AHS • Score a 3+ on AP exam to earn college credit for freshman level college course • Go to http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp to find out what AP Exam score is needed at the college(s) of your choice and what course that corresponding exam score exempts you from • This years AP exam fee is $89 and will be due in April

8. Post Secondary Option (PSEO) • Local colleges also offer high school students with good GPA’s and attendance the opportunity to take classes on their campus at a reduced price • To successfully plan for PSEO a student/parent must: • Have reliable transportation each day • Rank in top 35% of class and have a 3.5 GPA • Be able to fit all necessary high school courses into the beginning/end of the school day • Submit a separate application to the college by their deadline • Notify the high school of your choice as soon as the student has been accepted by the college • Be certain that this is what you want to do – can’t change your mind after the first 10 days of school, if you fail the PSEO course you must pay for the cost of tuition and do credit recovery work to graduate • PSEO applications can be found in the guidance office and must be completed by March 30th of each school year

9. College Admissions Tests

10. ACT and SAT Admissions Tests • Standardized exams to measure knowledge and skills in English, math, reading, and science • Colleges accept either test • 4 year institutions and some 2 year schools require either the ACT or the SAT • A student’s score on the ACT/SAT will help determine admission to the college, merit scholarship money awarded, possible exemption from courses, and it is one of the requirements for the Honors Diploma (ACT=27 or SAT=1200)

11. ACT • Offered several times throughout the year at Paulding High School • This year’s cost was $52.50. Expect an increase to next year’s cost • Register for the ACT at (www.actstudent.org) • Students on Free/Reduced Lunch can test 2 times per year for free (need to get a waiver in the guidance office)

12. How Can You Study for the ACT/SAT? • Go to www.actstudent.org or www.collegeboard.org and take the online practice test • Use your PLAN/PSAT results to review questions • Get a free practice test from the guidance office • Plan to take the test multiple times (55% of students who retake the ACT improve their scores)

13. The College Search Process

14. How Do You Narrow Down Your College Choice? Here are a few things to consider: • Size (of both college and town) • Cost/Financial Aid • Admissions Standards/Requirements • Distance from home • Majors

15. Size • Large colleges may offer more majors, more courses, more activities on and off campus, and more flexibility in your schedule • Smaller colleges may offer more personalization, smaller class size, better chance for participation in activities, one-on-one attention from faculty

16. Cost • Do not pass on a school based solely on it’s initial cost of attendance • How much could you save by commuting or living in off-campus housing? • Do they offer work-study programs? • What percentage of their students receive some form of financial aid? • Each college has a financial aid calculator that will give you a rough estimate of your cost of attendance. Visit the college’s website and go to the financial aid tab (or search “Net Price Calculator” on the college’s website)

17. Financial Aid 4 Types • Scholarships – Free money based on merit, need, or ability in a specific area • Grants – Free money based on need or major • Loans – Generally low interest rates that are deferred until after a student leaves college (taken out by student, parent, or both) • Work Study – campus jobs that allow students to earn money toward collegeexpenses while enrolled at the college

18. Financial Aid Continued • Federal and State financial Aid (grants, loans, etc.) is awarded based on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) • FAFSA must be filed each year your student goes to college • FAFSA should be filed as soon after January 1, 2014 as possible • There is helpavailable for the FAFSA process and it is FREE • Go to https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm to get an early estimate of your financial aid eligibility (FAFSA4caster) • Seniors parents should plan to attend Antwerp’s FAFSA Night which will be held on January 13, 2014

19. Admissions Standards • Open- any student is accepted as long as they apply by given date. Average ACT scores of 16-21. ACT/SAT may or may not be expected ( ex. Northwest State, all OSU satellite campuses) • Liberal – Some students are accepted even if they are in the lower ½ of graduating class. Average ACT scores of 17-22 (ex. University of Saint Francis) • Traditional – Top 50% of class is accepted. Average ACT scores of 18-24 (ex. BGSU) • Selective – Top 25% of class is accepted. Average ACT scores of 21-26 (ex. ONU, Defiance College) • Highly Selective – Top 10% of class is accepted. Average ACT scores are 25-30 (ex. Case Western, OSU main campus)

20. Distance From Home • How far are you willing to go from Antwerp to attend college? Ask yourself these questions: • How often do you want to come home? • Who is going to do your laundry? • Who is going to take care of you when you get sick? • Do you have a car? Can you take your car on campus freshman year? If not, who will pick you up when you want/need to come home? • Have you ever been away from your parent(s) for more than one week? ****Visit http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to see schools within a certain distance from home****

21. Majors Here are some things to consider: • Does the college have the major that you THINK you want? • Does the college have your second choice of major? • Can you take any major-related courses your freshman year? • Do the credits that you earn your freshman year transfer to other institutions?

22. College Visit Days

23. College Visit Days • College Visit Days are excused by the school as long as the student follows the policy • You should visit at least 3 college campus before you make your final decision • Make sure to check out dorms, classrooms (especially in your major of interest), and the dining facility • Always take a parent/adult along to ask the questions you are too shy to ask

24. What Colleges are Looking For

25. What are Colleges Looking At? • ACT or SAT scores • GPA/Class Rank • Strength of Coursework (AP, Honors) • Extra-curricular Activities • Major • Grade Trends

26. The Application Process

27. Applying to College • Should apply online • Each college has a unique application, application fee and due date • Each application will need an official transcript and ACT score. • Some applications require one or more essay(s) • The sooner you apply, the sooner you will know if you are accepted • Should apply to first choice colleges by December 1st (if not earlier)

28. The Scholarship Process

29. Scholarships • List is found in guidance office, passed out monthly in English class, and on the website • Scholarships are broken down into: National, State, College Specific, and Local • Some are only found on-line (National/State/College Specific) others are paper applications found in the guidance office (Local) • Each scholarship is different (essay, specific to major, random drawing, etc.) with different qualifications and method of payment

30. Scholarships Continued To get a jump on the scholarship process visit these sites: • http://www.fastweb.com • http://www.wiredscholar.com • http://www.fastaid.com Or visit http://www.aw.noacsc.org and look under “High school”>”Guidance”>Scholarships

31. The Resume Process

32. Building Your Resume Include: • School Related Extra-Curricular (sports, music, theater, clubs, etc.) *include leadership positions held* • Non-School Related Extra-Curricular (dance, scouts, 4-H, etc.) *include leadership positions held* • Volunteer Work (how often and for how many hours) • Job (hours per week, duties performed) • Awards (both in and out of school) • Church related activities (Youth Group, VBS, Church Choir/Band, etc.)

33. Why Make a Resume? • To get a job (part-time or full-time after high school) • To give to teachers for Letters of Recommendation (scholarships/college applications) • To help you remember activities that you can use on applications (scholarship/college) • To see where you are lacking (volunteer work, extra-curricular, etc.)

34. The Non-College Route

35. Other Options • Service Academies – (Military, Naval, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, Air Force) http://latta.house.gov/ConstituentServices/serviceacademynominations.htm • Military/National Guard • Apprenticeships http://jfs.ohio.gov/apprenticship (419) 528-4076 or john.loomis@jfs.ohio.gov • World of Work/On the job training

36. Call or Email Me Anytime Diana Rogge (419) 258-5421 x 2143 rogge_d@antwerpschools.org