SENIOR NIGHT – CLASS OF 2015

College, Military, World of Work

What do I want to do after high school? Gacollege411.org: Career Planning

ASVAB

Research colleges

World of Work Use career planning tools on

www.gacollege411.org to learn what careers might be a good fit.

ASVAB on October 15. It’s a free career planning test that will give you more info about your abilities and career interests.

Create a descriptive and professional resume to give to potential employers

Military Talk to recruiters early so you have plenty of time to make the

decision that is best for you. Do not sign anything without talking it through with parent/guardian.

Contact the local recruitment offices to set-up a meeting where you can learn more about the military. Take parent/guardian with you to the meeting so you can talk through it later.

Sign up in the Counseling Center to take the ASVAB on October 15.

Make sure you understand all stipulations for pay, college grants, etc. before signing.

College

Research colleges online – use College Matching Assistant or School Finder on www.gacollege411.org or the College Match Maker on www.collegeboard.com to discover schools that match your college preferences

Visit specific school websites to learn more about a particular college

What to look for online? Academic Programs – do they have a major I

am interested in?

Admissions Requirements – what do they require? (GPA, SAT/ACT, HS course work, etc)

Financial Aid – do they offer any financial assistance for students?

Sports – do they offer my sport and do I need to register with NCAA?

Things to consider when looking for a college Majors/programs Admission Requirements – GPA, SAT/ACT

score Location Size Proximity to home Public vs. Private In-state vs. Out-of-state How to pay for college Extracurricular activities offered

Narrowing Down Your College List Watch the virtual tours available online

Take a campus tour – Seniors are allowed to miss four days of school for college visits and these will be marked field trip w/ the proper documentation (note on college letterhead stating student name, date toured, and a signature)

Register online or through office of admissions for campus tour.

College Entrance Exams

SAT: register at www.collegeboard.com

ACT: register at www.actstudent.org

Enter the FCHS school code (110920) when you register

Send my scores? Remember to send your test scores to NCAA.

Making a Short List of Colleges

From your research, you should be able to come-up with a few college options.

Make sure you have:A few “good fit” schoolsA “reach” schoolA “back-up plan” school

Finalizing your College Plan For your short list of colleges, gather the

following information on each

Admission RequirementsGPASAT/ACT score

Application Deadline Supporting Documents (school specific)

GPA HOPE GPA vs. Cumulative GPA

cum GPA includes all courses taken in high schoolHOPE GPA is based on ALL English, Math,

Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language courses ○ In HOPE calculation, students receive a 0.5 quality

point for AP courses up to a max of 4 pts instead of the full quality point they receive in the cum GPA

Class of 2015 students must have two credits in courses off the HOPE Rigor Chart on their transcript by graduation.

How do I Apply? For Georgia Colleges, you can do

applications on www.gacollege411.org or on the colleges website

For out-of-state colleges, you can apply through that schools website

Common App – go to www.commonapp.org to see if one of your colleges or universities is one of the more than 450 that use the Common Application website

When do I Apply?

Early Application – be CONFIDENT that your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are solidly in the college’s rangeEarly App colleges either:

○ Accept○ Defer – finish the remainder of application by

regular deadline○ Deny – cannot reapply for 1 year

When do I Apply?

Regular Application One set deadline – some colleges have one

deadline per year for fall applications, as well as, a set date for releasing acceptances

Rolling admissions – some colleges evaluate applications as they come in and make admission decisions and offer acceptances as processed

When do I Apply?

Early Decision – colleges that offer early decision require a student commitment by a certain deadline

Students who want to commit to that college/university must withdraw all other college applications

Supporting Documents Official Transcript – if your college requires an official transcript, stop

in the counseling center to complete request and pay the $3.00 fee – 24 hours processing

Immunization form – available in the counseling center (24 hr processing) or from your doctor’s office

SAT/ACT scores – you must request these from the test agencies

Counselor/Teacher Recommendation – complete SR Profile and take to counselor/teacher to ask for a recommendation; allow two weeks to complete recommendation

Essays – take your time writing and have it proof-read

How do I Pay for College? Scholarships

FCHS Counseling Website under Scholarship tabFCHS Common Scholarship Application (available

on FCHS Scholarship tab)On the college websitesNational databases like www.fastweb.com and

www.scholarships.com Financial Aid

FCHS Financial Aid Night – Dec 4, 2014 @ 6:30pmComplete the FAFSA after January 1 on

www.gacollege411.org

Could I have HOPE?To receive HOPE scholarship funding, students must: Meet academic requirements

Students applying for Zell Miller HOPE must request their SAT/ACT scores be sent to GSFC (instructions on counseling website)

Meet US Citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements Be a legal resident of Georgia Be enrolled as a degree-seeking student at an eligible public or private GA institution Be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by college Not be in default or owe a refund on a financial aid program Be in compliance with Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990.

Student may be ineligible for HOPE payment if he/she has been convicted for committing certain felony offenses involving marijuana, controlled substances, or dangerous drugs

Student’s Social Security card MUST BE ON FILE with Forsyth Central High School in order for us to upload your transcript for HOPE. Social Security cards that are for Work Purposes only do not qualify for HOPE funds.

Details and additional information on www.gacollege411.org website

How do I apply for HOPE? Students have three options for applying for

HOPE scholarshipsComplete the FAFSA application on

gacollege411.orgComplete the GSFAPPS application on

gacollege411.orgComplete the GSFAPPS paper application and

submit to Georgia Student Finance Commission by mail

Details on www.gacollege411.org

NCAA Eligibility Student Athletes interested in NCAA sports at the

collegiate level must:Create an account on the NCAA websiteRegister on the NCAA websiteRequest an official transcript be sent to NCAA – one

after you register, as well as, a final transcript at end of senior year

Read the “Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete” on the NCAA website under resources, as well as, the “Quick Reference Guide” and the “Registration Checklist.”

Details available at www.ncaa.org

October 15, 2014

Seniors will choose between taking the ASVAB or taking a college visit day (submit proper documentation following day in order for it to be marked field trip)

All seniors will be asked to sign-up in their instructional focus class

Upcoming Parent Nights

ESOL Information Night: September 11, 2014; 6:30pm east cafeteria

Financial Aid Night: December 4, 2014; 6:30pm east cafeteria

SR Year Nuts & Bolts Paying SR Fees

The $85 graduation fee covers senior cap & gown purchase, diploma printing, Senior Breakfast, partial fees and costs of graduation site, and a special senior event at the end of the year. Go to gabalfour.com to order.

SR Yearbook Ads – 1st pymt due Oct. 31/final pymt due Nov 18

SR Pictures – if you haven’t had them made, contact Cady Studios @ 770-406-6046 – deadline to have SR pictures made is Nov. 21, 2014

What’s Next?

Ticket out the door is signed Senior Checklist

Mrs. Chilson and Ms. Savage will be in room 180 for questions

Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Kozee will remain in the cafeteria for questions