Brentsville District High School

Brentsville District High School COUNSELING DEPARTMENT

“STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND

COUNSELORS: A WINNING

COMBINATION ”

School Counseling Staff

Sunny Davis– A – D

Tracy Main– L-Ri

Sara Correll – E-K

Holly Banner-Ro-Z

Debra Beasley- Director

Post-High School Have a plan!!!

4-yr collegecommunity collegetrade schoolapprentice programmilitaryjob force

Types of Colleges

Four Year Universities & Colleges–Public Institutions–Private InstitutionsTwo Year Junior CollegesCommunity Colleges

When should we begin the college search?

How do we get started?

Are there helpful resources that may assist us in identifying the right college for me?

Timetable for College Planning

10 Ways to Jumpstart College Planning

Meet with your CounselorDo the workTake challenging coursesGet InvolvedReadDon’t’ delay

Get the college-bound facts (Math and Foreign Language requirements)Involve your familyLook for a mentorConfront personal roadblocks

Gathering InformationWebsites– www.collegeboard.com– www.actstudent.org – www.petersons.com – www.vawizard.org – www.eligibilitycenter.org– Family Connections– Networking– Friends– Parents– College Fairs– College Representatives

What do Colleges look for in their applicants?

College Bound CoursesSolid GPAStandardized Test ScoresRecommendationsActivitiesWriting Sample

Narrowing Choices

Number of Schools to apply to (3-5)

*application fee for each collegeLocationPublic vs. PrivateBig School/Little SchoolCostPrograms – academics, athletics, and activities

Counseling Department

Request an Official TranscriptCounselor Letter of Recommendation (resume in Family Connections)Teacher Letter of Recommendation (begin to ask now)!SAT/ACT scoresSenior year coursesTimeline (10 business days)

MARCH - APRIL - MAY - JUNE

Military Academies and ROTCAthletes must register with NCAA to play sports in Division I and II schools (www.eligibilitycenter.org)Ask for recommendations from junior year academic teachers (1-2)Take SAT and/or ACT Tests www.collegeboard.com or www.actstudent.org Visit colleges, attempt to attend the school’s Open House events

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER

Continue college visitsFinalize the colleges you are applying to and make sure you are applying to various levels of difficultyReview college applications on each school’s websiteSet up a calendar for taking tests and meeting application deadlinesCounselors will meet with you Sept/Oct of your Senior year

October – February (Senior Year)

Early Decision/Action vs.Regular DecisionMost Early Deadlines are in November and Regular Decision Deadlines are in January/FebruaryTake SAT/ACT at least once during Senior year, find-out if the college will require the SAT II in additionAttend College Fairs, Senior Planning Night and Financial Aide Nights

Community Colleges

Must apply to enroll-request official transcript, no recommendations nor SAT/ACT necessaryGuaranteed admissionUpon enrollment, students must take Math and English placement testsHas transfer agreements with many 4-yr colleges/universities

Trade Schools/Apprentice Programs

For those who may not want/need a college education and who are ready to begin work in a specific areaCan get on the job training (apprenticeship)Must applyVarious programsConsider location and costs involvedhttp://www.apprenticeshipsearch.com

MilitarySpeak with a recruiterTake the ASVAB at school- (anyone can take it w/o commitment)

Financing your EducationComplete the FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov )in January of your senior yearBegin to research merit based awards from collegesScholarships listed on BDHS website and Family ConnectionsCheck other websites such as www.fastweb.net, www.collegeboard.com, etc.Be aware of scams!