demystifying college admissions clark county school district las vegas, nv

Demystifying College Admissions

Clark County School DistrictLas Vegas, NV

Calendar for Senior Students

CCSD Moving On – College and Career Transitional Planning Guide– See Handout

College Admissions Process

Finding a college that fits Request college information Complete application College Entrance Exams Campus visit College Comparison Worksheet

Finding a College That Fits

Know YourselfGoals Likes & Dislikes Abilities Resources

Other Considerations Size Type Location Affordability Programs/Degrees

College Information

College websites (Insert school name

here) College and Career Center Located (insert info here)

Web Resources

CCSD Guidance and Counseling Website ~http://ccsd.net/cpd/guidance/guidance.html

Nevada Career Information System~http://nvcis.intocareers.org

User name: ncis Password: nevada

College Searches www.princetonreview.com www.collegeboard.com (student page)

2009 College Fair Plus

Cashmen Center October 27-28, 2009 5:00 – 8:00 pm Approximately 150 colleges participating Breakout sessions

Education Funding Consultants, Scholarship Search, NCAA Student Athletes

http://ccsd.net/collegefair/

Nevada Colleges/Universities ( See - CCSD College Planning & Scholarship Handbook)

University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Reno Nevada State College Sierra Nevada College Community Colleges

CSN Great Basin College, Truckee Meadows CC,

Western Nevada College

UNLV/UNR Admissions Requirements

3.0 G.P.A – in core classes 4 credits English 3 credits math – Algebra or higher 3 credits social science 3 credits science – at least 2 lab science courses

Alternate admission requirements are available – speak to your UNLV/UNR rep.

Nevada State College Admission Requirements

2.0 G.P.A 4 credits English 3 credits math – at least 2 Algebra or higher 3 credits social science 3 credits science – at least 1 lab science

course

Preparation for College Admissions

Introductory Letters/Email– request catalog, application, financial aid

College Visits Resume Letters of Recommendation (at least 2 wk notice) Essays

KEEP COPIES!!

College Entrance Exams

SAT I Critical Thinking / Problem

Solving Verbal – average score: 508 Math – average score: 520 Writing Guessing Penalty Register online at

www.collegeboard.comSAT II Subject Tests Required by some

schools/programs

ACTContent BasedMath / English / Read / Science ReasoningOptional Writing TestAverage composite score: 21Math includes Trig.No guessing penaltyRegister online at www.act.org

Student Athletes

Academic Plan– Core Courses

NCAA requirements– Refer to NCAA Quick Reference Guide

Clearinghouse– Register at end of junior year

College entrance exams– Take at end of junior year

Website– www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

Financial Aid

Grants– Do not have to pay back

Loans– Must pay back with interest

Work Study Scholarships

– Do not have to pay back

Financial Aid Nights

(Insert school information here)– TBA

Community

Free Application for Federal Student Aid*FAFSA

FAFSA– Required for any federal financial aid– File form beginning January 1 – Both student and parent needs a PIN – Checklist of information needed to complete

FAFSA is in handbook – www.fafsa.ed.gov– FAFSA4caster

http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/

Financial Aid – Scholarships

Merit based– Academics– Special talents– Community service

Need based– FAFSA

Competitive– School– Local– National

How Can I Get More?

Internet scholarship searches– www.fastweb.com– More internet sites on CCSD Moving On – College & Career

Transitional Planning Guide Be as well rounded as possible Scholarship committees look at:

– GPA– Honors, AP, and IB courses– ACT, SAT I, and SAT II scores– Involvement in clubs, activities, athletics, and community– Work– Family responsibilities

Where Do I Start?

Largest scholarships come from the colleges themselves

– Be sure to request the scholarship/financial aid applications when you apply

– For example, UNLV’s application for all types of scholarships is found on the web

– Each school has a specific way to apply – contact the financial aid office at individual schools for information

– Be aware of deadlines as they may be different from admission application deadlines

Deadlines and Presentation Are Important!

Remember there are hundreds of applicants. Often the only contact you have with the

scholarship committee is your application. Read those directions! Don’t be late!

Scholarship Summary Sheetshttp://ccsd.net/cpd/guidance/guidance.html

*Posted by due dates

Due in November Target All-Around Scholarship (National)

Sponsor:Target

Amount: To be determined

Eligibility: Senior. Transcript. List and describe the volunteer service in which you have participated without pay in your community. Essay – Choose one volunteer experience listed on your application and briefly describe how the experience benefited others. Describe what happened in your life or in the life of your family as a result of your volunteer service experience. Must use Target application form. http://www.target.com. (once on their website, type in keyword: scholarships)

Deadline:November 1, 2009 (Received)

Current scholarship lists can be found in (insert school info here)

Millennium Scholarship

Graduate with a diploma from a Nevada high school. Complete high school with at least a 3.25 GPA and pass

all areas of the Nevada High School Proficiency Exam. Resident of Nevada for at least two of your high school

years. Core curriculum required (4 English, 4 math [including

Alg. II], 3 Social Studies, 3 Science) Will NOT pay 100% of your college expenses Website: https://nevadatreasurer.gov/index.html

Scholarship Scam Warning!

“This scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.”

“You can’t get this information anywhere else.”

“May I have your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship?”

We’ll do all the work.”

It’s All Up To You!!!