duPont Manual High School

1. duPont Manual High School COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCEDURES Class of 2012 Presenter: Christy Teague, Manual Counselor (H-O)

2. Get to know your COUNSELOR... A-G Mrs. Johnston H-O Ms. Teague P-Z Mrs. Medley YPAS Mr. Robinson

3. Graduation Requirements (Pre-College Curriculum)

4. MissingGraduation Requirements??? Talk to your counselor IMMEDIATELY if you think you are missing any required courses for graduation & they are NOT in your schedule !!!

5. Senior Stats Report • You will get your Seniors’ Stats Report and a copy of your unofficial transcript during your Senior Meeting with Mrs. Medley. • It shows classes still needed for graduation. • See your counselor if there are mistakes on this report. • If you know you are missing graduation credits, you need to see your counselor immediately!!! Do not wait to get your Stats Report. • Complete all independent study and E-school credits before Spring Break • Check transcript for mistakes on your transcript. • Check to make sure all summer school/E-school credits are showing on your transcript

6. Senior Year August-September-October • all tests should be taken (ACT/SAT/Subject SAT) • updated resume & your letter of recommendation—get these items to your counselor • list of colleges that you plan on applying to—know their deadline dates, admissions requirements, etc • line up your recommendations—teachers, counselors, community leaders, etc—get your resume and letter to them at least 3 weeks prior to deadline • start on applications, especially the essay portion and recommendations November • Work on college apps and scholarship apps over Fall and Winter breaks December • send off your final college apps • write “thank you” notes to those who gave you a recommendation • notification on “Early Decision” apps will be this month

7. January • Do the FAFSA—Feb 15 (deadline) February • Register for AP exams March-April • Take a look at your acceptances and financial aid packages. In most cases, you have until May 1 to decide. Visit your top choices, weigh out options, and send in the deposit! May-June • Graduation • Congratulations—you’ve been accepted to college!

8. DIPLOMAS

9. Considering playing college sports? NCAA Clearinghouse Must complete the NCAA Clearinghouse at the end of your junior year—before you go on an official college visit for a sport Make sure you have taken the ACT or SAT and reported your scores to the Clearinghouse Register online at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net The fee is $50.00 Contact Mrs. Marti Johnston—NCAA questions

10. Number of AP courses 2. Cumulative GPA 3. Test Scores 4. Honors, Awards, etc. 5. Community Service 6. Work and Extra Curricular Activities 7. Essay or Writing Samples 8. Counselor Recommendations 9. Teacher Recommendations 10. Interviews (if required) College Admissions Criteria by Importance

11. ACT College Readiness Benchmark Scores • A benchmark score is the minimum score needed on an ACT subject area test to indicate a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher, or, a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit bearing college course • College English Composition 18 on ACT English Test • College Algebra 22 on ACT Math Test • College Social Sciences 21 on ACT Reading Test • College Biology 24 on ACT Science Test • Overall College Readiness 21 on ACT Composite Score These are the minimum scores you need to indicate to the average college you are ready for postsecondary work – More competitive colleges will require higher benchmark scores

12. College Choices based on… Red—Reach Yellow—Reasonable Green—Likely www.collegetrends.org

13. How Many Colleges Should I Apply To??? • For most it will be a list of about three to six schools • Aim for one or more RED light colleges that are highly desired and highly selective. If you don’t, you’ll always wonder, “what if?” • It is wise to include one or two schools where the odds are 50/50 that you will be accepted—YELLOW light colleges • Include at least one or two colleges where admission is highly likely and a college where you can afford to attend if you receive very little financial aid—GREEN light colleges • The easy part is finding your dream (RED light) colleges • The hard part is finding your safety schools that are also a really good match – keep an open mind about the many fine colleges that are not intensely competitive in admission (GREEN light colleges) • Two safety schoolsare preferable to guarantee a choice between two offers • The potential for heartache in April can be drastically reduced by a few good decisions made in October and November

14. Common Applicationwww.commonapp.org • Many colleges use what is called the COMMON APPLICATION. • This is one application that can be used for multiple schools. • Parts of Common Application: 1. Students do their part online and submit SSR—Secondary School Report (goes to counselor) • Mid-year Report (goes to counselor in January) • Final Report (counselors send these in June, following graduation) • Look on the admissions website to find out this information. If they do not use the Common Application, they use their own application that is on their website.

15. How To Use Your “Red Folder” • During your senior class meeting, each student will receive a red folder with a cover sheet and additional information inside • You will use this folder all year to college applications for counselor to complete, recommendations, transcripts, and secondary school reports that are to be sent to the colleges admissions when you apply • You must submit this folder to the guidance office at least 10 school daysprior to the deadline to guarantee that the deadline is met • The earlier you turn in the folder the better - it gives us more time to produce meaningful and high quality letters • Send the actual application and fees separately (online or through the mail). Do not submit money or checks to the guidance office

16. Red Folder Front Cover • Complete all information requested on the front cover • When listing what is inside your folder, only list what is actually being turned in that day and not all of the colleges you are applying to for the whole year (no MYR) • The order colleges are listed on front cover needs to be the order they are inside the folder from earliest due date to the latest

17. LEFT SIDE 1. Letter to your counselor stating information about you based on your resume & personal info not mentioned in resume 2. An up–to-date resume If you wish, you may write your own letter of recommendation and the counselor will refine it and add our own thoughts about you RIGHT SIDE Form for counselor to complete from college/ scholarship Addressed, stamped envelope Small - 2-3 stamps Large - 4-5 stamps Paper-clip forms to envelope Place forms and envelopes in the order they are listed on the front cover page INSIDE the Red Folder Organization & Neatness are essential.

18. Red Folder“Letter to Your Counselor” • Most important information from your resume • Maximum of one page in length • Include additional information that is not on your resume • You should include more personal information • Explain what is unique about you • Describe your strengths and weaknesses • Describe any hardships you have overcome • Describe how the university would benefit from accepting you - what special traits do you have that will benefit the school • Who has been your greatest influence in life and how have they have helped shape the kind of person you are • What are you passionate about and why?

19. Red Folder Common Applications • If you are submitting the Common Application to several schools, only one copy of the secondary school report is needed for your red folder - we will photocopy for each school • Make sure you indicate which schools need the common application • The common application usually requests counselors to submit online - take note that we are not processing any online applications - please provide us with a hard copy we can fill out and send in • We will only do online submissions if this is the only method they will accept

20. Mid-Year Reports & Final Transcripts • Some colleges (and all that use the common application) require a mid-year report and all colleges require a final transcript • Mid-year reports are not sent automatically - you must submit the MYR form with the addressed, stamped envelopes for the colleges that require this (in January) • Not all schools require the MYR • Do NOT submit this form with your SSR in your Red Folder (when you first apply to colleges) • We will send final transcripts two weeks after school is out in June to the one school you tell us you will be attending

21. Online Submission vs Mail • Student completes application ONLINE and submits • Make sure you do not hit submit until you have checked over everything • Student can also print out the application, complete, and MAIL

22. Get Red Folder In Early • Keep on top of deadlines - there will be different ones for each college and for each part of the application process • Some deadlines are as early as Oct. 1st • If the college offers rolling admissions they admit the first good applicants that come along leaving fewer slots for later applicants • If the college evaluates in one big pool, applying early shows you are interested and they know that stronger applicants tend to file early – waiting later risks getting less consideration because of the flood of applications pouring in all at once

23. Early Decision vs. Early Action • Both require students to apply by an early deadline - usually between October 15th and December 1st • Decisions are usually rendered between December 15 and February 1 • Borderline students are usually deferred and considered with the regular applicant pool at a later date • Early DECISION—is a binding decision—you must enroll if you are accepted (only one college) • Early ACTION—is not binding

24. COLLEGE $$$ Question: Who should apply for financial aid? EVERYONE GRANTS SCHOLARSHIPS WORK- STUDY LOANS CONVERSION SCHOLARSHIPS WAIVERS MILITARY

25. F A F S AFree Application for Student Financial Aid Why? • Completing the FAFSA makes you eligible for financial awards from state/federal programs and even some scholarships. • Financial aid is awarded based on financial need, as well as on academic, athletic, or other talents. • Most financial aid is need-based but is often awarded in combination with merit-based awards. When? • Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after the first of the year—after your guardians have completed their income taxes • Apply for your pin number after Thanksgiving atwww.gohigherky.org • Feb 15 Where? • On-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov is the simplest, most time-efficient, most accurate way to complete the FAFSA

26. F A F S A processing • The college’s financial aid office will process your FAFSA information to determine your financial aid eligibility. If you are eligible for need-based aid, they will determine how much and what type. • The college will create a financial aid package for you. • Each college you list on your FAFSA will consider you for financial aid and will notify you of its decision in late spring or early summer. • The sooner you complete your FAFSA (after January 1), the sooner the colleges can notify you of your financial eligibility.

27. Scholarships • 95% of all scholarship money is available through the colleges themselves - search their financial aid site • Alumni Groups, National Corporations, Associations, your local high school, local businesses, community service organizations, fraternities and sororities, banks, and churches all offer scholarships • When scholarships become available that we know about you will receive an email announcing the specifics on eligibility requirements • www.dupontmanual.com - click on counselors, then click on scholarships • Check out Manual’s College Career Room for Scholarship Applications

28. Scholarship Scams Warning signs of scholarship scams: • Application fees • Other fees • Guaranteed Winnings • Unsolicited Opportunities • Mail Drop Box Number or Residence for a return address

29. Internet Searches for Financial Aid and Scholarships • Financial Aid: http://www.finaid.org Includes a top-quality homepage of links to many financial aid and related sites. The expected family contribution estimator is a highlight of this site • FastWeb: http://www.monster.com Free scholarship search database that saves your profile and emails new sources of private merit aid to your mailbox online • Loan Repayment Estimator: http://www.student-loans.com/Repay.html Estimates monthly payments for various college loan programs • Sallie Mae: http://www.salliemae.org • Nellie Mae: http://www.nelliemae.org Information on Sallie Mae and Nellie Mae college loans

30. For Specific Information Regarding: • National Merit Finalists; Governor’s Scholars Program - contact Amy Medley at amy.medley@jefferson.kyschools.us • ILP; NCAA Clearinghouse - contact Marti Johnston at marti.johnston@jefferson.kyschools.us • Advanced Placement - contact Christy Teague at christy.teague@jefferson.kyschools.us • Scholarships; Governor’s School for the Arts; Awards Programs - contact Dennis Robinson at dennis.robinson@jefferson.kyschools.us

31. Announcements!!! • Listen for announcements • Watch for information on the TV • Check College Room for upcoming college visits & scholarships • Manual’s website at www.dupontmanual.com for scholarship up-to-date listing

32. Questions???

33. Before you leave… Please indicate the following on the sign-in sheet: • Your name & your child’s name • Your email address • Your mailing address