Created by: Iesha Jackson

Presented by: The Post-Secondary Readiness Team

DE SOTO ISDPOST-SECONDARY READINESS TEAM

WHO ARE WE? GEAR UP

NXT GEN: 7th & 8th grade

3 Site Coordinators, Lead Content Coach, and Family & Financial

Literacy Advocate

LETS: 11th & 12th grade

3 Site Coordinators, Lead Content Coach, Family & Financial Literacy

Advocate and IT Lead

UT Austin Partnerships 9th -12th

Advise TX: Taylor Terry(GO Center)

Outreach: Taryn Bright-Haskett

To and Through K-12

Iesha Jackson

AGENDA• Testing

• Military Readiness

• College Applications

• Fee Waivers

• Financial Aid

• Automatic Acceptance

• For Profit Colleges

• Dallas County Promise

• TCU Community Scholars

TESTING BY GRADE LEVELPSAT 8

PreACT 8

PSAT 9

PreACT 9

PSAT 10

PreACT 10

PSAT/NMSQT SAT ACT ASVAB TSI

8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 11/12th

Grade

11/12th

Grade

11/12th

Grade

*varies

Useful Websites:

Collegeboard.org: PSAT/SAT

Khanacademy.org:PSAT/SAT

https://academy.act.org/: ACT Academy

ACT.org: ACT

Uniontestprep.com/asvab: ASVAB

TESTINGSAT

• collegeboard.org

• Score range: 400-1600

ACT• act.org

• Score range: 1-36

*The higher the score the more admissions and scholarship opportunities available for the student.*

ACT UPDATES• Starting Fall 2020

• Students can re-take a section versus re-taking the whole test

• Super-scoring: ACT will take your highest Math, Science, Reading, and

English scores that you achieved on any of the dates you took the test.

Then, it will average these together for a new composite so that you'll end

up with your highest possible composite score

• Unlimited chances to take the test, however, waivers only apply to two test

• Exemptions based on SAT or ACT scores

• Determines the appropriate level of college course work for an

incoming student

• Mathematics, Reading, and Writing

http://www.tsipracticetest.com/

SENDING SCORES

SAT• Student WITH free or reduced lunch=

UNLIMITED score reports

• Student WITHOUT free or reduced

lunch = 4 FREE score reports

ACT• Student WITH free or reduced lunch=

20 score reports

• Student WITHOUT free or reduced

lunch = 4 FREE score reports

S.T.A.R.R END OF COURSE TESTS

https://texasassessment.com/

ADVANCED PLACEMENT(AP) TESTING

DeSoto ISD:

• was the recipient of the NMSI College Readiness Grant, which provides

support for AP Math, English, and Science courses.

• is supporting DeSoto ISD students who want to take AP exams by covering

the cost of those exams.

• Students must decide by November 1, 2019, if they want to take AP

exams. Students who decide after November 1, 2019, may have to pay

$40 per exam.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Nneka

McGee(nneka.mcgee@desotoisd.org or Ms. Charla

McClure(charla.mcclure@desotoisd.org)

NMSI SATURDAY SESSIONS

MILITARY READINESS

• Do your research on all branches(requirements etc.)

• Speak to recruiter(s)

• ASVAB Prep

• Take ASVAB

• Enlist

• ASVAB: November 7, 2019

*sign-up using the following link: *

tinyurl.com/y2gb3fbb

Deadline to sign-up: October 31st

Open to JUNIORS & SENIORS!

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS →

APPLY TEXAS• Texas colleges/universities

• applytexas.org

COMMON APP

• Out of State Institutions

• commonapp.org

→ COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

COALITION

• Used by some private institutions

ON INSTITUTION’S WEBSITE

• Some colleges/universities have

their application on their website

BLACK COMMON APPLICATION

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

• Official Transcript -HS and College(if applicable)

• Application Fee Waiver(if applicable)

• Resume

• Letters of Recommendations(3)

• Essays(submitted electronically w/ application)

• Personal Statement(if applicable)

• Shot records: bacterial menegitis

OPTIONAL MEANS DO THEM!

Mail all documents to the

college/universities’

Office of Admissions

FEE WAIVERS• Students with free or reduced lunch receive 2 SAT and 2 ACT test waivers

• Students without free or reduced lunch will pay for their tests, price list below:

• Students with free or reduced lunch receive 4 application fee waivers, via

collegeboard.org---click on their name---mySAT----print application fee waivers

• Students with free or reduced lunch receive an unlimited amount of application

fee waivers from act.org, form can be picked up in the GO Center

STEPS AFTER BEING ACCEPTED

Send bacterial meningitis shot record(preferably before

acceptance)

Continue to apply for scholarships

Register & pay housing deposit

Register & pay for orientation registration

Check your portal for all schools accepted to

School must be listed on FAFSA(preferably before acceptance)

Award letter advising

Send FINAL transcript after graduated

FINANCIAL AID

STEP 1:CREATING AN FSA ID

• fsaid.ed.gov

• REMEMBER YOUR LOG IN

• You will fill out FAFSA every year your student is in college

• Always click “Show text”

• Forgot log in? “Click Manage MY FSA ID”

• Can’t use any identifiers in password, i.e.: name, ss #, birthdate, etc.

EXCEPTIONS• If you have a child who is/was in college,

you already have one

• If you attended college, you already have

one

•Used to be called a PIN

• It is linked to your social security number

APPLICATIONSFAFSA

• Free Application for

Federal Student Aid

• https://fafsa.ed.gov/

• U.S. Citizens

• Permanent Resident

TASFA

• Texas Application for

State Financial Aid

• http://www.collegefora

lltexans.com

• Undocumented Texas

Residents

2020-2021 Application

October 1: Application Opens

January 15(Texas): Priority

Deadline

HOW TO APPLY?• 2018 tax return is needed(Link application to IRS Data Retrieval Tool)

* DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!

• The application is divided into 2 sections; student(1st) then parent(2nd)

• List up to 10 schools: be sure to include DCCCD or partner school

• At the end, you and your student sign the application using FSA ID

TASFA1. Graduate from a Texas HS or GED program

2. Reside in Texas at least 3 consecutive years

3. Reside in Texas at least 1 year prior to college

enrollment

4. Sign an Affidavit of Intent (must be notarized)

5. Males must register with Selective

Service(applicable to FAFSA as well)

*collegeforalltexans.com*

GRANTSTEXAS

Toward EXcellence Access & Success

Eligible students may receive up to

$9,792/year

Requirements

Pell

Award amount is up to

$6,195

Eligibility depended on institution

Grants do NOT have to be repaid.

LOANSSubsidized

based on financial need and

the interest does not accrue

while the student is in college

Unsubsidized

Loans have to be paid back to the federal government!

SCHOLARSHIPS

Types:

• National, Regional, Institutional, Local

Major:

• Terry Foundation Scholarship

• Gates-Millennium Scholarship

• Dell Scholars Program

• Coca Cola Scholars Foundation

*Apply while in college!*

https://www.collegegreenlight.com/

AWARD LETTERS

https://www.edvisors.com/fafsa/

after-submitting/award-letter/

An award letter outlines the amount of

aid the federal government and the

institution is giving the

student(scholarships, grants, and

loans(if applicable)

For more information, please visit the

link below.

AUTOMATIC ACCEPTANCE

• In 1997, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 588 – also known as the

Texas Top Ten Percent Law – guaranteeing automatic admission to all

state-funded universities for Texas students in the top ten percent of their

public high school class.

EXCEPT…

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

UT AUSTIN-DESOTO PARTNERSHIP

DeSoto HS is a Texas Advance Partnership school

• $75 application fee waived: student needs to select “request fee waiver” at the end of

application

• $50 housing application fee waived

• FREE field trips to UT Austin

COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS

• Community service hours are not REQUIRED, but RECOMMENDED

• Hours make the student a stronger applicant for admissions and most

importantly scholarships

• Find opportunities in your future field

INTERNSHIPS &

SUMMER PROGRAMS

• Find internships and summer programs geared towards your career goals

• Strong attribute to have on resumes

FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES

Operates like a business with CEOs and Investors!

OTHER OPTIONS

• Community College

• Jr. Colleges: Blinn, Tyler,

Navarro

• TXST Technical College

DALLAS COUNTY PARENT PROMISE

https://www.dcccd.edu/pc/scholother/scholarships/parent-

promise/pages/default.aspx

TCU COMMUNITY SCHOLARS PROGRAMCHECKLIST

TCU COMMUNITY SCHOLARS PROGRAM TIMELINE

TCU COMMUNITY SCHOLARS PROGRAM ESSAY

COMMUNICATIONS LETS GEAR UP: Instagram(@desotogearup)

NXT GEN GEAR UP: Instagram(@nxtgengearup)

GO CENTER: Instagram(@desotohsgocenter)

UT Outreach: Instagram(utoutreachdallas) Facebook(UT Outreach)

District: Instagram(@desotoisdeagles) Facebook(DeSoto ISD)

CONTACTSIesha Jackson: iesha.jackson@desotoisd.org To & Through

Taylor Terry: taylorterry@austin.utexas.edu College Advisor

Taryn Bright-Haskett: taryn.bright@austin.utexas.edu

Robin Ford: robin.johnsonford@desotoisd.org Director

Jereese Johnson: jereese.johnson@desotoisd.org Director