BATTLEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

CLASS OF 2014

AGENDAPost secondary optionsChoosing the right college for youSAT & ACTThe Application ProcessFinancial AidEthicsWhat do I do now?

WHAT’S NEXT?

ApprenticeshipsMilitaryTrade SchoolWorkforceCommunity CollegeCollege/University

GETTING INTO NOVA

Apply for admission onlineApply for financial aidTake English and Math placement tests

Submit SAT, ACT, AP, IB, Cambridge ScoresAttend SOAR and New Student Orientation

TEST EXEMPTIONSVPT English

A) A minimum score of 500 on both the Critical Reading and Writing section of the SAT

B) A minimum combined score of 21 on both the English and Writing tests of the ACT (taken within the last two years) VPT Math

A) A minimum Mathematics score of 520 on the SAT B) A minimum Mathematics score of 22 on the ACT (taken

within the last two years) exempts the student from most Math 100 level courses.

Questions about AP/IB scores are referred to the NVCC counselors who can interpret the results.

Testing Center staff do not process any of the above mentioned results.

TRANSFER RESOURCES• Guaranteed Admissions Agreements

- Agreements between NVCC and a four-year institution that guarantee a student acceptance to the college providing students meet the following requirements:

- Earn a transferable degree (A.A, A.S.)- Obtain a minimum GPA- Complete a set list of courses and receive certain

grades in those courses

• Articulation Agreements- Agreements that define the manner in which courses or programs transfer to a four-year institution

- These Agreements do not guarantee acceptance

STUDENT ACTIVITIES/ATHLETICS NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic

Association) www.njcaa.org Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Women’s Volleyball,

Men’s Soccer, Men’s Lacrosse, and Co-ed Ice Hockey Intramurals Clubs/Activities

NOVA SNAPSHOT 1 out of every 5 Northern Virginia region public

high school graduates attends NOVA within 1 year of graduation

Students who begin their studies at NOVA and transfer to a state four-year college do as well or better than students who enter those schools as freshmen

NOVA provides training for more than 30,000 workers annually

NOVA is the leading provider of the region’s highly skilled, front-line workforce

IN GOOD COMPANY!DID YOU KNOW THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE GOT THEIR START AT A

COMMUNITY COLLEGE? Of all US undergraduates, 44% attend a community

college

Arthur Goldberg (Supreme Court Justice)

Calvin Klein (fashion designer)

Fred Haise (Apollo 13 Astronaut)

H. Ross Perot (1992 Presidential Candidate)

James Sinegal (CEO of Costco)

Melvin Salveson (creator of Mastercard)

Tom Hanks (actor)

Walt Disney (founder of Disney World)

John Walsh (America’s Most Wanted Host)

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITYTraditional factors to consider: Location: Rural, Urban, Suburban Public VS Private and In-State VS Out-of-State College size Teacher to student ratio Majors Cost Athletics/Extra curricular activities

New factors to consider: Graduation requirements Graduation rates Retention & academic advising Career services and employment rates Average debt upon graduation

Tour the colleges that you are interested in! Take time over spring break and summer to do this.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE ADMISSIONS

PROCESS?

Strength of curriculumGPASAT/ACT examsEssayResumeTeacher/Counselor RecommendationDiversity: athletics, extracurricular activities,

work, volunteer activities, honors/awards, certifications, art portfolios

Take the SAT & ACT this spring

www.collegeboard.org www.actstudent.orgYou should request your scores be sent to the colleges & universities in which you are interested when you register for the test. This will save you money during the application process.

NCAAIf you are interested in playing collegiate

sports be sure to complete the clearinghouse form this spring.

http://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/

Corecoursegpa.com is a free resource that will help you determine if you are academically

eligible to play sports. Visit www.corecoursegpa.com

School ID: 471069School Code: 732700977

MILITARY SERVICE ACADEMIESThe United States maintains five service academies:

• The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York

• The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland

• The United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado

• The United States Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut

• The United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York

Appointment to a service academy is extremely competitive. Interested candidates must start the process in the spring of their junior year. Military academies award full scholarships to students accepted for admission which covers tuition, room and board, and each student receives a monthly stipend for books, supplies and clothing.

Service Academy Admissions Process1. Each candidate must:a. Be 17 but not yet 22b. Be a U.S. citizen at the time of enrollmentc. Be unmarried with no dependentsd. Have an above average high school recorde. Be in good physical healthf. Have above average strength, endurance, and agility

2. Apply for nomination. Each of the service academies, with the exception of the Coast Guard Academy, requires a political nomination for appointment. At a minimum, you should apply to your two United States senators, your congressional representative, and the Vice President. In addition to the letter, the nomination process may include a questionnaire or interview.

3. Start a file at an academy. Send a letter to the admissions offices requesting a pre-candidate

questionnaire.

4. Fill out academy forms. These forms will be sent to you after an evaluation of your precandidate questionnaire.

5. Take the SAT I or ACT. Send your scores to the academies.

6. Pass the medical exam from the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board(DOD MERB) and the Physical Aptitude Exam (PAE).

7. Review notification of the evaluation and status of your application. This may arrive as earlyas November for outstanding candidates; final decisions are made in April.

HOW TO REQUEST TRANSCRIPTS

Submit a signed FERPA consent form.

Log in to Family Connection & request your transcripts under the college tab.

See the Counseling Office secretaries to complete the request. Transcripts are $5.00 (the first three are free).

FAMILY CONNECTION REFRESHER

Family Connection is on the BHS home page under the ‘Students’ section on the left menu.

You can use this site to:Search for scholarshipsSee the requirements for a recommendation

letter from your counselorCreate a college searchView scattergrams for schools in which you

are interestedCreate a resume

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE$ Scholarships

$ Family Connection$ www.fastweb.com$ www.scholarships.com$ www.latinocollegedollars.org

$ FAFSA$ Grants, loans, work study$ www.fafsa.ed.gov – January 1st 2014$ CSS Profile: some colleges will require this in

addition to the FAFSA

ETHICS

Avoid the temptation to cheat, copy or plagiarize.

Be truthful on ALL college & scholarship application materials including your resume and any questions that refer to discipline infractions.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING NOWJanuary/Februaryo Come up with goals for your post secondary plano Think about how you want to present yourself to colleges. This includes senior

year course work. Course selection will take place next month.o Have an appropriate email address for college and job applications.o Sign up for SAT/ACT this spring.

March/Aprilo Go on campus visits during Spring Break.o Take the SAT & ACT

May/Juneo Take the SAT & ACT if you have not alreadyo Submit the FERPA form before you leave for the summer if you plan on completing

any applications and transcript requests prior to the start of senior year. o Find an organization system that works for you to manage your application &

scholarship deadlines. You are responsible for meeting these deadlines.

Ongoingo Be careful what you post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.o Keep your grades up!! Colleges will see 9-11th grade to make their admission

decision & they will review mid year grades from senior year.o Continue your participation in extracurricular activities, work & volunteering

QUESTIONS?