WELCOME TO COLLEGE INFO

NIGHT!Hosted by:

Lindsey Bateman, Allison Mock & Mat Rapoza

RCHS School Counselors

IMPORTANT TERMSO Early DecisionO Early ActionO Regular AdmissionO Rolling Admission

The College Application

O ComponentsO Basic student informationO Transcripts & School ProfileO Test scoresO List of activitiesO Essays (when required)O Recommendations (when required)O Interviews (when required/offered)

WHAT DO COLLEGES WANT TO SEE?

THE FIVE Ps:Program

Performance Potential

Participation Personality

PROGRAM

School ProfileO A copy of this will be sent with the

transcript to every schoolO Gives a general overview of RCHS so

the college admissions counselors have a better idea of what type of academic environment each student comes from.

PERFORMANCE

TranscriptsTraditional Method: Blue Form

New Process:Online Requests

O Provide completed blue form to Ms. van Ravenswaay two weeks before application deadline

O Request transcripts through Parchment.com

O See handout with instructions

Additional GuidelinesO Transcript requests will be processed

in the order in which they are received.

O Estimated RCHS processing time: 1-2 days

O Colleges have their own processing time!

O Suggested timeline: request transcripts 1-2 weeks prior to application deadline

POTENTIAL

STANDARDIZED TESTS

O SEE HANDOUT: 2014-2015 TEST DATES & COMPARISON CHART

O All tests at RCHS except February/June ACTs and June SAT

O Registration deadlines are generally one month prior to test administration date.

STANDARDIZED TESTS

O These tests are not the determining factor of admissions – just part of a package

O Do not measure creativity, motivation, imagination, special talents, or intellectual curiosity

O Performance in challenging courses is a better predictor of success

PARTICIPATION

PERSONALITY

Student Brag SheetO REQUIRED FOR ALL STUDENTS WHO

NEED A COUNSELOR RECOMMENDATION

O DUE DATES:O October 1: for all applications due

November 1—January 1O December 1: for all applications due

January 15 or later (and all “rolling” applications)

The EssayO If a school has an optional

essay/personal statement, pretend it is REQUIRED

O This is the best way for the college to know who you are

Essay HelpO Lunch BunchO Tuesdays and Thursdays during 4th

periodO Begins Tuesday, September 16O Individual Appointments with

Counselor (schedule in advance)O W&L Student Mentor Program

Community CollegeO Students go to community college for a

variety of reasons:O Reduced costO Unable to be admitted to first choice

school due to high school GPA – can earn admission through Guaranteed Admissions Agreements

O Chosen career only requires 2 year degree or certificate program

O Not sure of intended majorO Not ready to leave home

Enrollment OptionsO Part-time or full-time course loadO Fall, spring, or summer coursesO Flexible hoursO Online coursesO Hybrid coursesO Distance Learning

How to ApplyO Complete Online Application –

www.vccs.eduO Apply for Financial Aid (FAFSA)O Send official transcriptsO Take Placement TestsO Make an appointment with an advisorO Register for classesO (See handout: “Community College

Checklist for Seniors”)

Helpful ToolsO Application Manager TemplateO College Cost CalculatorO College-Career Weekly Update

Financial AidO Financial Aid Meeting in JanuaryO Based on MERIT and NEEDO What can you do now?

O Get tax information together as soon as possible

O Get FAFSA PIN for student and parent – www.pin.ed.gov

O Get an estimate using College Cost Calculator

ScholarshipsO Check the College and Career Weekly

Update OFTEN for local and state scholarships

O Online scholarship searchesO www.fastweb.comO www.scholarships.comO www.finaid.org/scholarships

**If you have to pay to enter, it’s a scam**

QUESTIONS?