senior parent night -...
TRANSCRIPT
SENIOR PARENT NIGHTGeorge Washington High School
September 7, 2017
Overview● Graduation Requirements
● College Pathways ○ 4-year college
○ Community college
○ Community college + transferring
● Paying for College○ FAFSA
○ CSS Profile
○ Scholarships
● Other postsecondary pathways○ Military
○ Work
DOOR PRIZE RAFFLE!
Graduation RequirementsStandard Diploma
● 4 units of English
● 3 units of Math
● 3 units of Science
● 3 units of History/Social Sciences
● 2 units of Foreign Language, Fine Arts or
Career/Technical Education
● 2 units of Health/P.E.
● 4 units of Electives
● 1 unit of Personal Finance
Advanced Diploma
● 4 units of English
● 4 units of Math
● 4 units of Science
● 4 units of History/Social Sciences
● 3 units of Foreign Language
● 1 unit of Fine Arts or Career/Technical Education
● 2 units of Health/P.E.
● 3 units of Electives
● 1 unit of Personal Finance
22 units total, 6 verified credits 26 units total, 9 verified credits
“It depends”The college adviser's motto
College Pathways
4-year collegeApplication Requirements
● Application
● SAT and/or ACT scores
● Personal essay
● Recommendation letters
● Official high school transcript
College Applications● Almost all college applications can be found on the school’s website
● The Common Application (commonapp.org)○ One application for multiple schools
○ Over 600 colleges partner with the Common App
● Some applications require a fee○ Amount varies from $25-$80
○ Fee waivers are available
Deadline Definitions● Early Decision
○ Binding decision
○ Deadlines: November
○ Admission notification in December
● Early Action ○ Non-binding decision
○ Deadlines: November or December
○ Admission notification in January
● Regular Decision○ Deadlines: December to March
○ Admission notification in February or April
● Rolling Admission○ Colleges accept applications
throughout the year
○ Qualified students are admitted based
on size of freshman class
○ Admission notification within 2-3
weeks of applying
● Priority Deadline○ Some colleges have deadlines for
scholarship consideration
SAT & ACT● SAT and/or ACT scores are required to apply to 4-year colleges
○ Colleges don’t have a preference for a test
○ Refer to SAT vs. ACT handout in your folder
● Upcoming SAT & ACT test dates○ SAT: October 7th, November 4th, December 2nd
○ ACT: October 28th, December 9th
● Fee waivers are available ○ Students receive 2 fee waivers for the SAT and 2 fee waivers for the ACT
○ Must return “Fee Waiver Benefit Form”
Personal Essay
● May be a prompted essay or a general personal statement○ Typically around 250-650 words
● Write about something that’s not already on your application○ Colleges don’t want to read a resume
○ Depth not breadth
● Have someone else read and edit your essay
Recommendation Letters● Counselor recommendation
○ Will provide information about the high school (school profile) and the student’s
coursework
● Teacher recommendation○ Will provide information about the student’s performance in the classroom
● Pick recommenders that know you well
● Give recommenders at least 2 weeks notice and provide information
about yourself
● Send a “thank you” note
High School Transcript● Use Parchment.com to send transcripts
○ Online transcript request system
○ Free as long as you’re a current GW student ($6 fee once you graduate)
○ Charlotte Melton ([email protected])
● Video tutorial ○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHGshyHZqZ0
● Colleges require mid-year and final transcripts
Application Tips● Start now!
● Apply to safety, target and reach schools
● Stay organized
● Frequently check your email
● Communicate communicate communicate
Community CollegeDegree Options
● Associate of Arts & Science (2 years) ● Certificate programs● Job training programs
Requirements
● Virginia Community College Application○ https://apply.vccs.edu/oa/launch.action
● Virginia Placement Test (VPT) ● Meeting with an admission counselor for program placement
Community College + TransferringVirginia Guaranteed Admission Agreements
● Agreement between Virginia community colleges and some 4-year
Virginia colleges
● Requirements○ Must meet GPA requirement of transfer school and earn nothing below a “C” in
community college courses
○ Obtain an Associate degree
○ Submit a “Letter of Intent” to interested schools
Source: The State of College Admission, NCAC
79.2%
60.3%
60.2%
55.7%
22.1%
17.3%
Percentage of colleges surveyed
What’s important in college admissions?
Paying for college
FAFSA● Free Application for Federal Student Aid
● Requires student and parent information ○ Name, date of birth, Social Security Numbers
○ 2016 financial information
THE MOST IMPORTANT APPLICATION FOR
FINANCIAL AID!
When do I file the FAFSA?● Application opens
October 1, 2017
● Deadlines vary by college○ Recommended that you
complete the FAFSA no later
than March 1, 2018
○ The earlier the better!
● fafsa.gov ○ 2018-2019 application
What do I need to file the FAFSA?
1. FSA ID (fsaid.ed.gov) a. Username & password for FAFSA account
b. Both the student and parent need to create an FSA ID
2. Email addresses of the student & parent
3. Social Security Numbers of the student & parent(s)
4. 2016 Tax Return
5. List of colleges you’re applying to
5 things:
What do you receive when you file the FAFSA?● Pell Grant
○ Maximum amount: $5,920
○ Grants = money the student does
not need to pay back
● Virginia Guaranteed
Assistance Program (VGAP)○ Offered by VA Public Schools
○ Award based off residency and
financial need
● Virginia Tuition Assistance
Grant (VTAG)○ Offered by VA Private Schools○ Award based off residency and
financial need
● Work Study○ Option to work part-time in
college and use money for education related expenses
● Federal Loans○ Subsidized ($3,500)
○ Unsubsidized ($2,000)
Special Circumstances● Knowing which “Parent” to list on the FAFSA
○ If parents are divorced, separated or never married, provide information of the parent
that the student lives with more during the year
● Independent students ○ Student is/was in foster care since age 13
○ Student is under legal guardianship (not the same as custody!)
○ Student is homeless or at risk of being homeless
○ Student has a child or is expecting a child that he/she will financially support
● Contact the college if there are any special circumstances that would
impact the student’s ability to pay for college
CSS Profile● Another financial aid application required by the following
Virginia colleges○ University of Virginia
○ College of William & Mary
○ Washington & Lee University
○ University of Richmond
○ Patrick Henry College (not the same as PHCC in Martinsville)
● Created by College Board ○ Student uses the same username & password that he/she used to register for the
SAT
How is the CSS Profile different from the FAFSA?● Asks for more detailed information
● Receive institutional money, not federal money
● Not free ○ $9 application fee
○ $16 fee for every college
○ Fee waivers are available
● Not required by all colleges
● No edits after submission
When do I file the CSS Profile & what do I need?
● Application opens October 1, 2017 ○ Deadlines vary by school
○ https://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile
● To file the CSS Profile you’ll need…○ Student’s College Board username & password
○ 2016 Tax Return
○ Student and parent information
FAFSA & CSS Profile Tips● Don’t do these applications by yourself!
● The earlier, the better○ Gather your financial information now
● Write down your usernames & passwords
● Attend FAFSA workshops in October or set up a FAFSA appointment
ScholarshipsPopular scholarship search engines
● Fastweb.com
● Scholarships.com
● Cappex.com
● Scholly (scholarship search app)
Local Scholarships
● Community Foundation
● JT Minnie Maude
● Hughes Memorial Foundation
● Tobacco Region Loan Forgiveness
Program
● GW Scholarship drawer
Scholarships available now● Gates Scholarship
○ Deadline: September 15, 2017○ Criteria: Minimum 3.3 GPA, Pell Grant eligible, racial minority, demonstrated leadership○ https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship
● Questbridge National College Match Program○ Deadline: September 27, 2017○ Criteria: Top 5-10% of senior class, household earning less than $65,000/year for a family
of four○ https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match
● Coca-Cola Scholarship ○ Deadline: October 31, 2017○ Criteria: Demonstrated leadership and service ○ http://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/apply/
Scholarships available now● Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship
○ Deadline: October 2, 2017○ Criteria: 3.0 GPA, play a school sport, demonstrated leadership○ https://www.wendyshighschoolheisman.com/
● Golden Doors Scholarship○ Deadline: October 25, 2017○ Criteria: DACA status, high GPA, demonstrated leadership○ http://www.goldendoorscholars.org/
Scholarship Tips● Apply for more scholarships than you expect to receive
● Apply for the small ones○ Everything adds up!
● Make sure you meet the criteria before applying
● Treat your scholarship application like a college application
● Watch out for scams
Grants &
How does an average family pay for college?
35% 27% 23%
11% 4%
Other options after high school
Military
● Requirements○ ASVAB (minimum score: 31)○ Meet physical requirements○ Graduate with a high school
diploma
● Talk to a recruiter● 8 year commitment to serve
Work
● Create a resume● Practice interview skills● Utilize job search resources
○ Virginia Workforce Connection○ Workforce Career Center○ Local job fairs, newspapers,
friends/family
College NightSeptember 12th, 5:30-7:00PM
Institute for Advanced Learning & Research
150 Slayton Avenue
Guidance Counselors● Ms. Blackwell
○ Last name K-R○ [email protected]
● Mrs. Lyons○ Last name S-Z○ [email protected]
● Ms. Hooker○ Last name A-D○ [email protected]
● Mr. Pearson○ Last name E-J○ [email protected]
DCC Career Coach● Ms. Elgin
○ Dual enrollment, placement testing, college and career planning ○ [email protected]
Contact Information & Resources
Robin [email protected]
434-799-5108
@eaglescoop18
GWHS College Blog gwhscollegeblog.wordpress.comCollege Bound Eagles
Class of 2018 PARENT Group:Text @parentgwhs to 81010
Class of 2018 STUDENT Group:Text @gwhs2018 to 81010
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