College AdmissionKick-OffClass of 2021Bishop Guertin High School

Tonight’s Agenda

I. Welcome and IntroductionII. TimelineIII. College Search/Building a College List IV. What Colleges Are Looking ForV. What’s Next/Additional InformationVI. Questions and Answers

Tonight’s Agenda

Student - this is your process.Parent – this is the student’s process where you as the

parent are patient and supportive, consistently encouraging the student to take ownership of the process.

Counselor– this is the student’s process where the counselor offers support, encouragement, and guidance throughout the process.

• This whole process is an emotional roller coaster

• Don’t listen to anyone!!

Welcome and Introduction

January• Attend College Kick-off meeting!• Sign up for spring testing• Refer to the Counseling page on MyBG

February• Make an appointment with your counselor• Start a college list• Visit colleges during February Vacation• Turn in your Counselor Questionnaire• Register for Spring Testing

Time Line

March• Military Academies, NCAA, ROTC – meet with your

counselor to discuss these aspects of the process.• Register for May and June standardized testing• Course Selection• Teacher Recommendations

April• Utilize NHHEAF, Destination College – at St. Anselm

College on Saturday, March 28, 2020• Attend College Fairs (Refer to timeline for dates/times)

Time Line

May• Turn in your counselor questionnaire• Request a letter of recommendation from two teachers

by May 15th

June• Visit College campuses• If you want to take an SAT Prep course this is the time to

do so• Refer to the Counseling page on MyBG

Time Line

The College Search

Students need to ask questions such as:• What would be a good school for me (the best fit)?

• Is there a “perfect” college?

• Will this college offer me diverse experiences?

• Am I willing: to be far away from/near to/commute from home?share a room with maybe one – 3 other people? share a bathroom with a whole floor of residents/opposite sex?to not to have a car on campus?give up mom’s or dad’s cooking?

The College Search

Students need to ask questions such as:•What opportunities do I want to take advantage of in college?

study abroadinternshipsjob placementa different environment than home

• Where do I want to live for the next four years?geographylocationfacilitiessocial settinglarge, medium, small environment

Reach – what is a reach school?challenging - academically, geographically, environmentally, financially

Target – what is a target school?good fit for many reasons

Realistic – what is a realistic school?reasonable - acceptance range, academically, environmentally, comfort, cost

Building a List

• Cost can play a big part in building a credible list

• The college list is personal and very important

• The list needs to be balanced (reach, target, and realisticschools) and manageable

• There is a cost to each application

• Too many schools on a list – can be too many schools on a list!

Building a List

Building a List

• Use SCOIR or College Board to build your list

• Meet with your Counselor to go over the list

• Start with a BIG list then narrow down to MANAGEABLE

• VISIT colleges – many and often, this helps to “sculpt” a viable list

• Pay close attention to College Admission Program DeadlinesEarly Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, Rolling Admission

The admission program a student chooses can have an impact on the college list.

College Board/College Search

Starting the search:

Start the college search with the College Board. This is an easy and factual program that can assist students in building a solid list.

Students all have an account or should by now.

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

SCOIR/College Search

1. Every junior was sent an email with a link to create your SCOIR account which lasts for 48 hours.

2. Click right on the link to Create Account/Log in. It’s a good idea to use your BG email address!

SCOIR/College Search

4. Click on “Search” then add in criteria that is important to you…keep in mind the

more criteria you add the more specific the list becomes. Add any potential

school you are interested in by clicking on the “Add” button.

5. Senior year you will transfer the list of schools you apply to into the “My

Colleges” list and then you will be ready to submit applications.

3. After logging in click on the “College” tab at the top of the page.

Testing

Register for Testing College Board www.collegeboard.org

SAT Subject TestsAdvanced Placement

American College Testing www.act.orgACT

When to Test• Spring (Junior Year) and Fall (Senior Year) • March/May/June/August - be careful of potential conflicts.• SAT Prep?

What Are Colleges Looking For?

6 components of evaluating an applicant (refer to checklist):

1. Quality of coursework

2. Grade Point Average

3. Test Scores

4. Recommendations

5. Extracurricular involvement

6. Essay

Military Academies – meet with your counselor immediately to discuss the process

Financial Aid and Scholarships – federal and college financial aid programs have changed with new deadlines of October 1st. Scholarships are posted on class page and our website.

NCAA Eligibility Center - any student who is interested in (potentially) playing sports in college needs to register with the NCAA at www.eligibilitycenter.org

College Athletics and Coaches – is a difficult and confusing process as well as at times disingenuous. BE CAREFUL!

Additional Information

Visit the “Counseling Class of 2021” on MyBG for Resources, Scholarships and General Information

Additional Information

Upcoming 2020 Activities:

Parent Coffee January 31

Bishop Guertin College Fair April 21

Summer Programs – enrichment, college programs

Summer of Senior year – work, volunteer, enrichment

Financial Aid Night September 22Application Deadlines start October 1

Additional Information

Thank You!

We look forward to being your partner through this process! It will be exciting!!