Junior College Awareness Night

1. Junior College Awareness Night Get Ready for the College Process!

2. Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • Planning Checklists/Timelines • How to Search for Colleges • How to Apply to Colleges • ACT/SAT Dates and Deadlines • Dual Enrollment • Summer Programs • Posse nominations • How to Pay for College Cathy Simoneaux, Loyola University • Tips and Closing Comments

3. Parent Liaison • Jaqulin Joseph • PowerSchool

4. Plan to take challenging courses next year! Keep grades up! Colleges will consider your cumulative GPA at end of the JUNIOR school year! Register for the ACT. Take at least once, preferably twice this year! Talk with parents/counselor about colleges List, compare, and visit colleges Stay involved! Make good use of this summer! Consider taking classes at a college during your senior year. The Dual Enrollment deadline is April 5, 2013! By the start of your senior year, choose the 3-5 or more colleges to which you want to apply! Junior ChecklistNow!

5. How Do I Search for Colleges? • Visit the College Room (Rm. 112). Talk with Mrs. Derham, search catalogs, search websites, and more. • College search engines: www.collegeboard.com www.cappex.com www.zinch.com www.louisianaconnent.org • Meet with college representatives who visit Karr during the school day. • Attend college events around town (other college fairs, college open houses, sporting events, etc.) • Attend a summer program • Like Mrs. Derham’s College Corner on FB! Start this process NOW!!!

6. Other awesome ways to prepare for the college process: • www.collegeweeklive.com • 5 free online events for middle and high school students and their families • www.sacac.org/page.minicampcollege • Mini college camp at UNO • ½ day workshop students • GPA game, search for colleges, scholarships, financial aid, ACT v. SAT • Free! • Register at website

7. Summer Programs Love them! • Database created of summer programs available for different ages/grades • No better way to determine if a college is right for you than to spend time on the campus. • Touro, Oschner, Xavier, Dillard, Loyola, Tulane, and many more in and out of state! • www.ednakarr.org, www.ekhs.org

8. Dual Enrollment • Take a college class while still in high school! • Earn HS and college credit! • Can take a variety of classes based on PLAN/ACT score • Developmental (remedial), Degree-level (freshmen level), Skill-based classes (trade/skill) • Most local campuses offer DE classes, cost and class availability varies • Application process depends on college

9. Advanced Placement (AP) • English Literature, Biology II, European History, Human Geography, Statistics • Rigorous course work that prepares you for college-level coursework • Earn a 3, 4, or 5 on AP Exam in May = College credit at most colleges! • Can take an AP class in any subject area, not just the area in which you want to major. • “You can check out, but you can never leave…”

10. Posse nominations • www.possescholars.org • National organization to promote underrepresented students attending highly-academic colleges and universities • 10% of senior class can be nominated • Tuition for four years to member school (Tulane University in New Orleans, LA; Bard College in Hudson-on-the-Bay, NY) • Visit link on www.ekhs.org in April to self-request a nomination

11. What are the two biggest factors in college admissions? GPA and Test Score ACT Composite Score as well as English and MathSubscores. English = 18 Math = 19

12. ACT refresher • Maximum score is 36 • National average is 21.1 • LA average is 20.2 • Karr average 18.0 • Composed of four subsections English (18) Math (19) Reading Science Reasoning

13. State-wide ACT • Tuesday, March 19, 2013 • All juniors (in the entire state) will take ACT • College-reportable scores • Very important day! How do I prepare? • www.actstudent.org • Download apps to your smart phone • Sleep/breakfast/snack/water/brain

14. LA Public University Minimum Admissions Criteria What GPA and ACT do I need to be admitted to certain colleges? • Criteria “grid” used by all in-state public schools • Changes for Class of 2012 and 2014 • Admission primarily based on ACT and GPA • ACT requirements increasing for future classes • Usually based on core, unweighted GPA http://www.regents.state.la.us/

15. Louisiana University Minimum Admissions Criteria Class of 2014 Regional Schools Grambling, LSU-A, LSU-S, McNeese, NSU, SELU, Southern, SUNO, ULM 20 or 2.0 and 18 in English and 19 in math Statewide Schools La Tech, ULL, UNO 23 or 2.5 and 18 in Englishand19 in math Flagship/National LSU 22 and 3.0 and 18 in English and19 in math

17. What about LA private schools? Need 18 in English or 19 in Math Avg ACT Our Lady of Holy Cross College 16-20 Dillard University 16-20 Xavier University 18-23 Need 18 in English and 19 in Math Loyola University 23-26 Tulane University 29-32

18. What about out-of-state schools? • All are different! • Many require an 18 in English and a 22 in Math • The student must research the admissions requirements of each school. Do you fit within the admission requirements?

19. What about Community College? • TOPS can be used at any LA community college • CCs are an affordable, accessible way start to your post-secondary education. Can I transfer credits from Community College to a Louisiana four-year school? YES!

20. Louisiana Board of Regents ACT 356 The Louisiana Transfer Associate Degree AA/LT AS/LT 20

21. What is TOPS?Taylor Opportunity Program for Students State-wide scholarship for LA students who attend: • LA Public Colleges and Universities • LA Community Colleges • Cosmetology schools • Institutions that are a part of the LA Association of Independent Colleges and Universities TOPS pays tuition and some fees at an in-state public school. (Provides about $3400/year at a LA private school.) http://www.osfa.la.gov/

22. In order to earn TOPS, students must have: • 2.5 core, unweightedGPA at graduation • 20 composite ACT score • Completed required courses (see next slide) 19.0 core classes for Class of 2014

23. Tops Core Curriculum(2014 and thereafter) • 4 Units of English • 4 Units of Math • 4 Units of Science • 4 Units of Social Studies • 2 Units of Foreign Language (must be the same) • 1 Unit of Fine Arts or 2 Units of a performing art • Total of 19 Units(Class of 2014 and beyond)

24. TOPS Tech Award • 2.5 core, unweighted GPAbased on 17.5 required courses • At least a 17on ACT(or 850 on SAT) • At any campus of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System • Carpentry, Computer Networking, Automotive Tech, Cosmetology, Practical Nursing, Early Childhood Education and many others…. • TOPS Tech pays tuition for up to 2 years for skilled or occupational training at an approved LA school described above

25. How Do I Apply to College?Major steps… • Online Application • Transcript Request (sometimes) • Counselor Form (sometimes) • ACT Score Report • Letter of Recommendation (sometimes) • Essay (sometimes) • Proof of Immunization Form (shot record) • Teacher Recommendation (sometimes) • Application Fee

26. How Do I Apply to College?Tips and Facts • Begin online applications in August of Senior year! • Use social security number for all college applications, ACT, FAFSA, etc.

27. Early Decision, Early Action Early Decision = A student may apply earlier than other candidates and will be notified early of an acceptance or denial. If accepted, the student must attend that school. Early Action = A student may apply earlier than other students and will be notified early of acceptance or denial. The student does not have to attend that school.

28. Common Application • www.commonapp.org

29. Deadlines Regular Deadline = Date by which all application materials must be at the school. Priority Deadline = Date by which all materials must be at the school in order to be reviewed for scholarships. Testing deadline = Date by which school must receive ACT/SAT scores. Financial Aid Deadline = Date by which the FAFSA and any other financial aid forms the school requires must be at the school.

30. How Do I Pay for College When I Don’t Have Any Money? TOPS (tuition at an in-state, public school, scholarship from LA) FAFSA (Pell Grant from federal government, based on need) Private Scholarships (banks, organizations, churches, etc.) Loans (Perkins, Stafford, PLUS; from federal government) Introducing our guest speaker…

31. Cathy Simoneaux Director Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid Loyola University New Orleans www.loyno.edu/financialaid

32. Tips from Outgoing Seniors… • Search now • Take ACT 2x as a junior! • Review for ACT! • Apply early • Visit campuses • Extracurricular activities/Other experiences • Pick more than one school, not just in LA • Make sure school has your major or interest. • Pick your major carefully!

33. Final Thoughts Junior Year Spring Semester • Take ACT 2x • Search for Colleges • Visit campuses • Finalize list Senior Year Fall Semester • Apply to Colleges • Search/Apply for Scholarships Spring Semester • Complete FAFSA • Apply for Scholarships

34. Our big goal for you… Before you return to Edna Karr as a Senior, have ready your list of the 3-5 schools (or more) to which you want to apply! That means the time to search for the college of your dreams is now!

35. Thank You for Coming! Best of luck for a successful college application process. Natalie Derham College Counselor natalie.derham@theacsa.org