junior year college and career planning west forsyth high school
TRANSCRIPT
Junior Year College and Career Planning
West Forsyth High School
Finding the right college for you…
Look for a MATCH between you and colleges
Decide what you want out of the college experience
Do your research and explore options
In the end, it’s you, not the school you choose, that will make the biggest difference
How do you get started?
Do your research—visit college websites (some
listed in handout) and college handbooks
Talk to college representatives at West during lunch or before/after school
VISIT college campuses (Spring Break or teacher workdays are great times)
What are your chances of admission? Colleges will
consider your: Transcript
Rigor of courses, grades, GPA, rank Academic course selection. What does West Forsyth offer and what did the student choose to take?
Senior Year Schedule Test Scores SAT/ACT/CPT/AP You are responsible for submitting Extracurricular activities Essays Recommendations/Interviews
Test Scores SAT/ACT/CPT/AP You are responsible for submitting
Extracurricular activities
Recommendations/Essays/Interviews
Different Schools Fit Different Students:
Examine Your Priorities
Location School Size Diversity of Student
Activities and Academic Offerings
Cost of Attendance Class Size
Schedule a visit: go online to obtain
campus tour info
Campus Visits
Good questions to ask: What do students like most about the college? Like
least? Retention rate for freshmen Graduation rate Most popular major and why? Housing Safety Role of fraternities and sororities on campus Availability of classes
Read the student newspaper/visit a class
Which colleges should I apply to?
What do you want to study?
The career interest inventory on CFNC can help you answer these questions. Your counselors will help you with this.
Make sure colleges offer your major.
Knowing what you want to major in can make the college search easier, but you do not need to pick a major before you start college.
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More competitive college admissions
Why? More students. More applications. Majority of students chasing the minority of schools.
UNC Chapel Hill- 23,000+ applied7,342 admitted (32%)3,960 enrolled (54%)Average GPA 4.47 (weighted). Average SAT (CR+Math) 1300
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College Admissions
NC State- Applied 18,000+ Accepted 10,000. Avg. GPA 4.19 Avg. SAT (CR+M) 1184.
North Carolina A&T Avg. GPA 3.11
Excellent resource for admissions criteria for all public colleges:
www.collegeportraits.com and
Handout-Freshman Profiles for UNC Universities
Rather than “the one” perfect school, look for several good matches
Counselors are available We encourage you
to meet with your counselor if you need help with college and career planning.
Testing You need to have SAT or ACT test scores if you
plan to go to a four year college directly after high school. Register online at www.collegeboard.com or www.actstudent.org Be sure to identify 4 schools you want scores to be sent for free at the time of registration.
To prepare for the tests, you can use your PSAT score report for a personalized SAT study plan. Free test preparation on CFNC.org and IneedAPencil.com
SAT vs. ACTRegister online at least six weeks before test
More of an aptitude test- tests reasoning and verbal abilities
Verbal, Math, Writing (Required)
Penalty for wrong answers
$47 (Seven times a year)
Achievement-measures what student has learned
English, Math, Reading, Science,Writing(optional)
No penalty for wrong answers
$47 (Six times a year)
Upcoming SAT Test Dates
January 22 (Registration Deadline: Dec 23)
March 12 Offered at West (Deadline: Feb 11)
May 7 June 4
We recommend Juniors take the SAT twice in the spring of their junior year and possibly once in October senior year.
.If you are planning on entering the military, take the ASVAB. West plans to offer it in the spring. Read the announcements or check with guidance.
Extracurricular Activities
Develop a list of all activities. Include summer enrichment, awards
recognition.Save list on CFNC orpersonal computer
Utilize list during application,recommendation and scholarship process.
Your organization will save you time later!
Enrichment Activities
Summer Ventures in Science and Math (GPA 3.85) 4 weeks on UNC campus
Martha Guy Business Appalachian University Architecture Summer Program UNC Charlotte Wake Forest Summer Volunteer Program NC State Design Camp www.volunteermatch.org
Extracurriculars: Balance is key
Emphasize quality instead of quantity Do something you are passionate about Through your involvement, make a
positive difference Enjoy your activities, but remember they
may only give you a slight edge over a student with equal academic standing
Cost of College NC Public College (Tuition, room/board,
expenses)
Approx. $15,000 year
Private NC College (Tuition,Room/Board)
Elon Univ. $33,600 Wake Forest $53,000
Forsyth Technical Community College
$2000 per year (Tuition, Fees)
Don’t rule out a community college
33% of West’s 2010 graduating class planned to enter a community college
You can complete the first two years of college and then transfer to a four- year college as a junior saving thousands of dollars
Class sizes are typically smaller
Limited enrollment in some areas, like health careers. Apply early!
Three Main Types of Financial Aid
Grants and Scholarships - don’t have to be repaid. Grant aid usually comes from government. Scholarships usually awarded based on merit.
Loans- Must be repaid. Most loans awarded based on need are low-interest subsidized by government (no interest until graduation).
Work-Study
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) The EFC is calculated by considering the family's financial strength -- their income and assets. Other factors: number of family members and the number of family members in college.
Financial Aid Don’t rule out colleges based on sticker
price alone
EFC remains the same regardless of college; therefore, you may qualify for more aid at a more expensive college
Financial Aid Expected Family Contribution-assumes
families will meet contribution through a combination of savings, current income, and borrowing
There are limited funds –Submit FAFSA application as early as possible (February of senior year)
ScholarshipsWest Forsyth Class of 2010
awarded $5.6 million
ScholarshipsTake a multi-directional approach
Colleges You Plan to Attend
Websites
www.CFNC.org
www.fastweb.com
www.
West Forsyth
Scholarship Newsletter
Daily Announcements
Community/Work
Scholarships
Mock Interview Committee- contact Mrs. Widle in Guidance
Park Scholarship Program “We note when the applicant is not the one calling about his/her application.” Be your own advocate.
Read the announcements. Read the announcements. Read the announcements.
CFNC ActivityTomorrow
West counselors will help you complete an interest inventory and find a college that offers a major related to your interest
For homework tonight, you must set up a CFNC account Your username should be your first initial, middle initial and last name. Use your NC Wise # as your password.
CounselorsC. Zimmerman A-Br
B. Freidinger
[email protected] Bu-Gh
R. Downs [email protected] Gi-Ka
T. Winchester Ke-N
K. Widle [email protected] O-Sl
F. Youngman
[email protected] Sm-Z