COLLEGE PREP 101

College Search & Campus VisitsApplying For Admission

Scholarships!!Financial Aid Application

CAMPUS VISITS

Must be arranged through Ms. Paper to be “excused absences” Call / email me to make the appointments

or if visit is arranged by the college No specific limit Campus visits DO count as a school absence

(regarding “Perfect Attendance”)

CAMPUS VISITS SENIORS

Usually completed in the Fall Go on a Visit Day, but all colleges allow individual

appointments as well

JUNIORS Recommend Spring semester of Junior Year Attend a Visit Day for best information Return in Fall 2012 for a second look if needed Iowa Private College Week in August:

Visit 3 or more private Iowa colleges ALL Iowa private colleges waive application fees Go to www.thinkindependently.com

COLLEGE SEARCH

College information and selection software program

Online at school or at home www.ihaveaplaniowa.gov

Create portfolio for yourself Select ‘Wilton’ as your school district

COLLEGE SEARCH

WHS Counseling Center Website www.wiltoncsd.org Click on ‘Guidance’, then ‘College,

Vocational School & Military Information’ Access any College website Link to vocational & technical schools Link to Armed Services websites

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

Most applications can be done online Have this information ready

GPA and Class Rank Titles of any AP or College Credit Courses Email, home phone, home address

Print out any counselor transcript release or recommendation forms Give to Ms. Paper for completion Include your “Activity Resume” Activity Resume” given to her for the given to her for the

best recommendation!best recommendation!

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

How many colleges do I apply for? Private colleges vary in their aid package

1-3 depending on your interest You may wait until after April 1st to decide

State universities will be a mid-range cost Select a community college (free application)

If circumstances change and you go to a CC, you will have missed out on aid if you do not apply for both admission and financial aid

You can always decline/withdraw your application for admission

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

Admission Transcripts must be OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS Sent by the HS Office Signed by a school official Embossed with the school seal Include all ACT scores

Contact Deb Brenner or Jill Proctor

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

ESSAYS Check out some sample essays

Look at local forms on the guidance website Know what you are interested in and what

motivated you to pursue that major What makes you unique What assets do you bring to their campus

Volunteerism & interests, activities Bragging is OK—sort of

Regents Admission Index

Uniform standards for all 3 state universitiesCombination of GPA, Rank, ACT, and Core Courses taken in High School

Regents Admission Index

Students from Iowa high schools must have an RAI score of at least 245* and take the minimum number of required HS courses to qualify for automatic admission to ISU, UNI, and the College of Liberal Arts &Sciences at U of I. (*265 for Engineering at U of Iowa)

Students who achieve a score less than 245 will be considered for admission on an individual basis, with rare exceptions.

STEP ONE

Multiply your

ACT

COMPOSITE SCORE

times 2

STEP TW0

Write in your current

High School Class Rank, expressed as a percentile~found in ( ) on your transcript~

(For example, if you rank 5th

out of 100, your rank is 95)

STEP THREE

Multiply your

Current High School GPA

times 20

STEP FOUR

Multiply the number of

High School Core Courses

Times 5(see Core Courses Chart)

WHS CORE COURSES

English Math Science Social Studies Foreign Language

English I - 1.0 Algebra I – 1.0 Earth Sci – 1.0 Amer Hist – 1.0 Spanish I – 1.0

English II - 1.0 Geometry – 1.0 Biology – 1.0 World Hist. – 1.0 Spanish II – 1.0

English III - 1.0 Algebra II – 1.0 Chemistry – 1.0 Psychology – 0.5 Spanish III– 1.0

Commun. I - 0.5 Algebra Plus – 0.5 Physics – 1.0 Sociology – 0.5 Spanish IV – 1.0

Drama - 0.5

Trig – 0.5 AP Biology II – 1.0 Economics – 0.5 German I – 1.0

Journalism I – 0.5 Pre-Calculus – 0.5 Government – 0.5 German II – 1.0

AP Eng Lit – 1.0 AP Calculus – 1.0 Mod US Hist. – 0.5 German III – 1.0

Studies in Lit – 0.5

Alg Concepts – 1.0 U.S. Problems – 0.5 German IV – 1.0

Adv. Comp – 0.5

Adv Pub Spk – 0.5

TOTAL 1 = TOTAL 2 = TOTAL 3 = TOTAL 4 = TOTAL 5 =

STEP FIVE – Add 1-4

Step 1 – ACT x 2 ____ Step 2 - Percentile Rank ____ Step 3 – GPA x 20 ____ Step 4 – Core courses x 5 ____

STEP 5 – TOTAL ____

This is your RAI Score.

Minimum HS Coursework

4 years of English 3 years of Math (through Algebra II) 3 years of Science (2 of Chemistry,

Physics, and Biology) Intro Chem/Physics is not included

3 years of Social Studies Foreign Language

Scholarships!!

Register at www.fastweb.com or other search sites

Check resources at www.wiltoncsd.org

click on ‘Guidance’, then ‘Financial Aid’ Local forms are online at this website

View now for sample questions and begin writing your essays

Submission will be after winter break

Scholarships!!

Prepare your ‘Resume’ School activities Athletics Work experience Church & Community activities Awards & Honors Intended major & why, if known

Provide this to any of your ‘recommendation writers’ – better info, better recommendation

Scholarships!!

Check daily announcements Open block or don’t hear them? READ THEM

AT LUNCH!!

Check scholarship file weekly Check the website Check any bulletins you get in Seminar

Gone from seminar? Pick one up from Ms. Paper!

Scholarships!!

College-based Scholarships Check with the colleges. Many have online

applications & deadlines Many are campus-specific. MCC and SCC

have different scholarship funds Work-based Scholarships (you or your

parents) Wal-Mart, auto dealerships, HON, Bandag,

REC, WTC Communications, etc

Iowa State U-President’s Award For Competitive Excellence

$1750/year for 4 years (Totaling $7000)

Requirements AP Calculus Biology, Chemistry, and Physics 4 years of a single foreign language ACT Composite score of 28 GPA of 3.30 or higher

ISU Academic Recognition Award

Two Award Levels $1000/year for 4 years

Class Rank in the Top 10% OR are ranked #1 or #2

$500/year for 4 years Class Rank is 11% to 15%

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

Essays are VERY important Follow directions carefully Provide ALL information requested Meet all deadlines! LOCAL Scholarships

If you turn it in to me, I WILL ADD THE TRANSCRIPT! Many need to be copied and taken apart for committees

Do not use the forms online until after January 1st.

FAFSA Forms

Apply for your FAFSA PIN number now at www.pin.ed.gov One for the student One for a parent (use same PIN for all of your

children) Arrange for taxes to be done ASAP after

January 1st

Attend the Financial Aid Night on January 16th @ 6:30 pm

Sign up for the FAFSA “Fill Out the Forms Night” on February 23rd @ 5-8 PM

FAFSA FORMS

All colleges require the FAFSA to receive any aid

Regardless of income, complete the form!

Colleges use federal & state money first, THEN their financial aid funds.

ACT TESTING

Retake or not? Our website has some guidelines

Juniors WHS ACT Workshop on January 30 & 31 Recommend in February, April or June

Seniors December (February, at the latest, if

shooting for a specific score)

For assistance: Check the Website at

www.wiltoncsd.org.

Click on Guidance Look in the 2011-2012 Course

Description Book (also online) Call or email Char Paper at

732-2629, ext. 211 charpaper@wiltonscsd.org