Conquering the College Chaos

Presented by WBHS PTSA and WBHS Guidance Department

“The current and future health of America’s 21st Century Economy depends directly on how broadly and deeply Americans reach a new level of literacy- ‘21st Century Literacy’- that includes strong academic skills, thinking, reasoning, teamwork skills, and proficiency in using technology.” - 21st Century Workforce Commission National Alliance of Business

75% of jobs will require education beyond high school, by the year 2020 ( U.S. Department of Labor, 2009)

Guidance Staff

A-E- Stephanie Browning F-J - Ms. Marsha House, K-R- Mr. Tony Hughes S-Z- Ms. Gayle Patterson Administrative Assistant- Mrs. Vickie

Carroll SAP- Mr. Joe Scott Career Center - Mr. Steve Graves

Planning Your Future...

College testing

Finding the right school

Applying for college

Paying for college Virginia Wizard

Making the Grade

Top priorities for getting students enrolled in higher education are GRADES and a RIGOROUS COURSE LOAD.

Here are some of the GPA requirements for the top 5 schools that our students are applying to: UVA- 3.75 or higher (92% of freshmen) Virginia Tech- 3.5 or higher (72% of freshmen) JMU- 3.5 or higher (56% of freshmen) Roanoke College- 3.0 or higher (28% of

freshmen) Radford University- 3.0 or higher (38% of

freshmen)

Competitive Courses

For students planning to apply to UVA, VT and JMU, the following are suggested competitive courses: Pre-AP and AP English classes Pre-AP Algebra thru Pre-calculus or

higher Advanced Earth Science thru Physics or

higher Pre-AP WG/WH thru Government,

preferably AP or Dual Credit World Languages- 3 years or higher

College Planning

Research colleges that interest you. Each college has a website and most information about that college can be obtained from the website.

Attend the College Fair at the Salem Civic Center in Sept 2013 from 2-4pm or 6-8pm

Colleges visit WBHS mostly during the fall semester. Check the website and in the Career Center for details.

College Planning (continued)When to visit colleges: Visit the colleges that you are interested in

attending as soon as possible. Each school usually offers tours and open houses and even weekend visitation programs.

Spring of the junior year is an ideal time to visit. Visit during the week while the college/university

is in session. You can use two school days to visit colleges with

two days prior notice of our Attendance Office. Schedule your visit with the college/university’s

admissions office.

College Planning (continued)

College visits allow you to:

Get a firsthand view of the college.

Get answers to your questions about different majors offered and other opportunities.

Get valuable information which will assist in determining which college is right for you.

Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

Standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test.

All college bound juniors should take the PSAT in order to be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship program.

Measures critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills and writing skills.

Score report and test booklet will be returned in December.

Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test PSAT’s will be given at WBHS Saturday,

October 2013

Students can register at “Back to School” night in September or in the Guidance Office by the first of October

Cost is TBA . Make checks payable to WBHS.

College Admissions Testing:ACT and SAT Juniors should take the SAT or ACT at least

twice in the Spring and again in the Fall of the senior year, if necessary.

SAT Subject tests are required for some colleges. Should be taken May of the junior year.

Register for the SAT.

Register for the ACT.

College Check List

March: Sign-up for AP exams to possibly earn college credit.

April: Talk with teachers about writing letters of recommendation. These will be used for the admissions process and scholarships.

May: If colleges require SAT II Subject Tests take them in May.

June: Take the SAT I or SAT II or ACT tests if it is needed. Begin working on essays, audition tapes or portfolios if needed.

College Check List If you are planning to play on a Division I or Division II

sports team you must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse: http://eligibilitycenter.org.

This should be done the second semester of your junior year.

If you need to take SAT’s or ACT’s again in October or November of your senior year, obtain prep materials from a local book store to help you prepare for the tests. There are also test prep materials available in the school library, public library, and Career Center for check-out. Our materials are limited.

Students who qualify for testing accommodations (i.e. extended time, small group) see Ms. Patterson in the Fall of their junior year.

Finding the Right School

Reach or Dream School

“Good Fit” School

Safe School

Applying to 3-5 schools is recommended.

Applying to College

Decide if Early Decision or Early Action programs are for you.

Fill out and submit the online application

Release of information

Secondary School Report Form- two weeks prior to application deadline

Examples: Common Application and JMU Transcript Test Scores Letters of Recommendation

Paying for College

FAFSA- Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Super Saturday Program Scholarships/Grants- “Free” money for

college. Work-Study programs Student Loans(Stafford Loans-

subsidized/un-subsidized) a step by step financial aid process can be accessed at: www.wellsfargo.com/resourceguide.

WBHS Counseling Website

www.rcs.k12.va.us/wbhs Scholarship information College visit schedule Other important information

Conquering the College Chaos

Questions?