Class of 2017Parent Night

February 3, 2016 Ms. Snelson, College Counselor

Mr. Smith, Upper Academy School CounselorMrs. Kaczmarczyk, Upper Academy Principal

A+ Program• Free tuition at a Missouri community college and/or technical

college• Some Missouri schools give out scholarship money based on

A+ eligibility status • Requirements

– U.S. citizen, permanent resident, lawfully present in US– A+ Agreement on file with GCAA College Counselor– Attend a designated A+ high school for 3 consecutive years

immediately prior to graduation– Graduate with overall GPA of 2.5 or higher – At least a 95% attendance overall for grades 9-12– Perform at least 50 hours of unpaid tutoring/mentoring at GCAA– Good citizenship record– Proficient or Advanced on Algebra I End of Course Exam (EOC)

**Appeals can be made with GCAA’s College Counselor**

GCAA COLLEGE READINESS ASSESSMENTS

• Junior Year– PSAT-October 2015 (all juniors)– ACT-April 2016 (free for all juniors in Missouri)– SAT- independently– ACT- independently

• Senior Year– ASVAB (all seniors)– ACT-independently – SAT-independently – Acuplacer (community college)

ACT & SAT• College Readiness– Used frequently in the college admission process.

• Cost– SAT ($43 without essay/$54.50 with essay)– ACT ($39.50 without essay/$56.50 with essay)

• Fee Waivers– Students who qualify for Free/Reduced lunch are allowed 2 free

fee waivers• Test Preparation– Students should take advantage of test prep sessions offered

in/outside of school (local colleges)– Khan Academy (SAT)

• Testing Accommodations (students with IEPs/504 Plans)– See Ms. Snelson for accommodations documentation

ACT• Subtests (according to ACT)

– English (21-College Readiness)– Math (22-College Readiness)– Reading (21-College Readiness)– Science (24-College Readiness)

English, Mathematics, Science, Essay (optional)

WWW.ACTSTUDENT.ORG

Next test date:Tuesday, April 19, 2016 @ GCAA

New SAT• There are 20 SAT Subject Tests in five general

subject areas: English, history, languages, mathematics and science.

• Each Subject Test is an hour long. They are all multiple-choice and scored on a 200–800 scale.

• Subject Tests test you on your knowledge of subjects on a high school level. The best way to prepare is to take the relevant courses and work hard in them.

• PSAT are aligned to the new SATwww.collegeboard.org

College Athletics & Academic Eligibility 3 Separate College Athletic Associations

• NCAA (Division I,II, III) www.web1.ncaa.org – Core GPA and ACT subscores determine eligibility

• NAIA www.playnaia.org – Must have 2 of 3 requirements:

• 18 ACT• 2.0 Cumulative GPA• 50% or higher class rank

• NJCAA (Community College) www.njcaa.org– ACT– High School Transcript

**Students need to notify Ms. Snelson if this is an option ASAP**

POST-SECONDARY OPTIONS

• Community College • Technical College• 4 year College• 4 year University • Conservatory • Military• Companies (dance/theater/etc.)• Work Force

Resumes/Portfolios• Resumes (Admissions)

– Students should be documenting ANY/ALL recognitions (in/out of school), their participation in ANY/ALL clubs/organizations (in/out of school), any honors, college prep courses, community service, work experience, leadership experiences, etc..

• Academic Portfolio – All students should have an academic portfolio where they keep any/all academic

achievement awards, recognitions, letters of recommendation, admission letters, etc..

• Letters of Recommendation (at least 3)– Ask the writer to give a hard copy and an electronic copy showcasing your abilities

• Performing Arts Portfolio– Students should work with pathway instructors on building their portfolio– Be in contact with interested schools to know what is required

GET INVOLVED!!!!!!!!!!

COLLEGE SEARCHES

• There are numerous websites available to conduct free college searches– www.collegeboard.com– www.nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator– www.collegedata.com

COLLEGE EXPOSURE• Individual campus tours (3 per year-excused absences) • GCAA college campus tours • Attend college representative visits • Explore college websites/virtual tours• Speak to admission representatives • Attend Junior/Senior campus events • College and Scholarship fairs

Types of Admissions• Rolling Admissions (majority of colleges)

– Apply Aug-Oct of senior year/earlier the better– Find out within 3-4 weeks usually

• Regular Admissions– Apply before Nov 1 to a competitive college

• Early Action– Apply before Nov 1– Decision mid December

• Early Action-Single Choice– Apply before Nov 1– Decision mid December– Can only apply to one EA school

• Early Decision– Apply before Nov 1– Decision mid December– MUST go to this school if accepted and financial aid package is doable– MUST take back all other college applications you have out there

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS• Paper vs On-line Applications

– On-line is much more convenient and easy to track

• Application Fees– Most schools have application fees so be sure all schools your applying to have

the program of study of your interest and you have/close to having all the admission requirements

– Students with free/reduced lunch are eligible for fee waivers (See Ms. Snelson for waivers)**some schools might not accept application fee waivers at all

• Common Application www.commonapp.org – One application (only use if there are more than 2 of your potential schools that

use it)– MUCH longer application than traditional applications

ADMISSION CRITERIA

• Be sure to research and KNOW the admission criteria of the desired schools

• GPA, Student Rank, ACT/SAT – Specific, Index Score Calculator, 2/3 of criteria

• Some schools will use H.S. courses for placement purposes

• KNOW the timelines/deadlines

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)https://fafsa.ed.gov/

• Dependent/Independent • FSA ID (Student AND Parent)-electronic signature• Timeline

• FSA ID-anytime• Begin FAFSA-October 1, 2016 (Prior-Prior Year)• IRS Retrieval-once taxes are complete (if file)

• FAFSA identifies: • Estimated Family Contribution (EFC)-how much government

feels you can contribute to your student’s education • Federal Stafford Loans-(subsidized/unsubsidized) amount given

SCHOLARSHIPS• Merit Based Scholarships

– Based on GPA/ACT/SAT/Rank – Start with colleges/universities you’ve applied for– Some with show up automatically on financial aid award letter but

others you have to apply for

• Local Scholarships– Scholarship Foundation www.stlgraduates.org

• National Scholarship Searches– www.scholarpro.com www.cappex.com– www.scholarships.com www.zinch.com www.meritaid.com

• Place of Employment– Ask Human Resource with companies/organizations

SENIOR SCHEDULES

• Registration– Presentation (Monday, February 8th)– Students will be able to log on through their

student portal of IC and choose classes they wish to take next year

– Approvals from teachers for advanced/honors

ACADEMIC PREPARATION• Honors Courses

– High school students are enrolled at GCAA in honors classes based on formal assessments/teacher recommendations

• AP Courses (weighted)– High school students take AP courses at GCAA, taught by GCAA teacher, held to

college level standards, students take an AP test at the end of the course, colleges use the score to determine if college credit should be issued, used in college course placement

• Dual Enrollment – High school students are enrolled at GCAA and a local junior college where they

attend class as a typical college student• Dual Credit/SLU 1818 (weighted)

– High school students are enrolled at GCAA in a SLU 1818 course, taught by GCAA teacher, student earns high school credit and potentially college credit as well (based on class grade/payment)

• Project Interface– GCAA partners with community members to offer GCAA students hands-on

experience within their interested pathway (75 hours-1/2 Practical Art credit issued)

DUAL CREDIT VS DUAL ENROLLMENT

Dual Credit • Taught by GCAA faculty• Taught at GCAA• GCAA purchases book(s)• More class time• $64 per credit hour • Receives both high school

and college credit• Student receives actual

college transcript (UMSL/SLU)• Limited class options

Dual Enrollment• Taught by college professor• Taught on college campus• Student purchases book(s)• College schedule• $103 per credit hour• Student receives actual

college transcript • No financial aid offered• More class options

DUAL CREDIT/ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses • Students can enroll in class but chose not to

take the AP test and still earn HS credit

Dual Credit Courses-1818 • Students can enroll in class and withdraw/

drop from college roster based on college’s deadlines but still earn only HS credit

AP Courses1. Recommendations for student participation:

a) Sophomore, junior, or senior standing depending upon the course description or prerequisites.

b) A 3.5 GPA or better in the subject area.c) Recommendation from a teacher or department chair.d) Recommendation from school counselor.e) Parental consent.

2. Students who do not meet one or more of the above recommended criteria may be asked to sign a waiver that they and their parents understand that the student may not be prepared for the level of difficulty of the course(s).

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses • AP Government• AP Psychology• AP Biology• AP Chemistry• AP Environmental Science• AP Art Studio I• AP Art Studio II• AP US History• AP World History• AP Music Theory

Subject to change for 16-17 school year depending on requests

Dual Credit (1818) Requirements

• Be a student in Grades 10-12– 10th graders must seek school approval

• Carry a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above (on an unweighted 4.0 scale)

• Have written endorsement from the teacher, counselor or principal

Dual Credit (1818)SLU 1818 • 1818 Elementary Stats w/ Computers• 1818 Calculus 1• 1818 Advanced Composition• 1818 Literature (2)• 1818 America’s Music• 1818 Theatre• 1818 Public Speaking• 1818 Writing Composition

UMSL • College Algebra

Subject to change for 16-17 school year pending requests

SENIOR YEAR TIMELINE/College AdmissionNow-August 2016• At least 1-2 scores (ACT/SAT)• Narrow college choices down • Campus visits• Know admission requirements/representatives

August-October 2015 (prime time)• Submit college applications

October 2016• FASFA**

March-May 2016**• Receive Financial Aid Award Letters• Verify attendance• Sign-up for registration/housing

August 2016-August 2017• Scholarship searches

Financial Aid Awareness NightFall 2016

FASFA FrenzyOctober 2016-ongoing

Family Meeting with College CounselorBy appointment

REMIND MESSAGES

Parents can sign up to receive text messages/emails from me regarding upcoming events/deadlines.

TEXT 81010, and in the space for the message, enter @gcaa2017

OREMAIL gcaa2017@mail.remind.com and leave the subject and message are blank

GCAA Counseling Department• http://www.grandcenterartsacademy.org/counseling-department/

• Erica Snelson– College Counselor/Department Chair• Erica.snelson@grandcenterartsacademy.org• 314.533.1791 ext. 6003

• Rusty Smith– Upper Academy School Counselor• Russell.smith@grandcenterartsacademy.org• 314.533.1791 ext. 6203

Questions