Hillsborough High School IB Programme

1. Hillsborough High SchoolIB Programme Seniors and parents class of 2019

2. FINDING THE “RIGHT FIT” •CONSIDER SIZE AND DIVERSITY OF STUDENT BODY, LOCATION, MAJORS, CAMPUS LIFE, PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE, IN STATE VS OUT OF STATE, COST OF ATTENDANCE, FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES •CAMPUS TOURS- SPEAK WITH AN ADMISSIONS AND FINANCIAL AID COUNSELOR. •VIRTUAL COLLEGE FAIRS / INTERNET FIELD TRIPS

3. KEEP AN OPEN MIND! •APPLY TO ALL COLLEGES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING. •APPLY TO COLLEGES IN THE FALL EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN TO SAT/ACT. •DO NOT RULE OUT A COLLEGE JUST FOR FINANCIAL REASON JUST YET!

4. WHAT DO COLLEGES CONSIDER? THE “HOLISTIC STUDENT” •QUALITY/RIGOR OF COURSES TAKEN •EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES •ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE (GPA,CLASS RANK) •TEST SCORES(SAT and or ACT) •APPLICATION ESSAYS •LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONS  TWO LETTERS NEEDED FROM TEACHERS AND OR COUNSELORS

5. TYPES OF ADMISSION DECISIONS AND WHEN YOU SHOULD APPLY • Early decision – binding contract. You are financially committed to that college if they accept you. Only apply to one • Early action – non-binding. Early deadlines with early answers • Regular admissions • Summer admissions • Get a head start on your classes and other students.

6. Gap year • Do not delay the admissions process • Get accepted then discuss the gap plan with the admissions office • Some universities such as tufts and Princeton have designed their own service-oriented gap year • UNC, FSU and Dickinson college all offer scholarships to make meaningful gap year opportunities • DarTmouth, brown, rice, Colorado college and Middlebury have developed useful gap resources for prospective students

7. College Admissions

8. College admissions checklist • September: Focus: Narrow down your college list • Make a list of application requirements (essays, transcripts, etc) and deadlines • Request letter of recommendation from teachers, school counselors and community leaders • Meet with your school counselor for your 1:1 meeting • October: Costs - have the discussion about finances. Yes, it’s okay to talk about money! • Decide how much you can afford and explore your funding options • Visit financialaid.org to learn more about financial aid • Apply for scholarships – check monthly scholarship bulletin, and create a Fastweb account – just for starters • Start FAFSA and Bright Futures Accounts • November: Early Decision and Early Action deadlines are typically November 1st • Apply for scholarships • December : Work on regular admissions applications • Apply for scholarships • Collegeboard.org checklist: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/applying-101/timeline-12-grade

9. WHERE TO APPLY SELECT 4-8 COLLEGES TO RESEARCH AND APPLY TO THAT MATCH YOUR PREFERENCES • ONE OR TWO “DREAM” OR “REACH” SCHOOLS •ONE OR TWO “OUT OF STATE” SCHOOLS •PRIVATE AND/OR PUBLIC •2- 4 “IN-STATE” SCHOOLS •ONE OR TWO SHOULD BE A “SAFE” SCHOOL

10. HOW TO APPLY • Apply on-line – start NOW! • Check each institution’s website and determine which application(s) you will use (Institutional, Common, Coalition) • Application fee – waivers are available if eligible (typically free and reduced lunch status) • SAT or ASCT scores should be sent directly from CollegeBoard or ACT • Complete an SSAR (Student Self-Reported Academic Record) may need a Student Summary • Request a Transcript if needed – green form located in the guidance office. You do not need to fill out the transcript request form if you are using the Common or Coalition Application. Mrs. Morter will upload all transcripts on those portals. • Complete Essays. Have someone proof your work • Complete the Letter of Recommendation form and submit it to the recommender at least two weeks prior to needing the recommendation. You may also submit an academic resume.

11. TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS COMPLETE THE TRANSCRIPT FORM IN GUIDANCE •FREE FOR ALL ELECTRONIC TRANSCRIPTS •2.00 FEE FOR ALL MAILED REQUESTS •SCHOLARSHIP REQUESTS ARE FREE •TURN COMPLETED FORMS INTO THE REGISTER IN GUIDANCE MRS. EVANS(PAGAN) •TEST SCORES ARE NOT LISTED ON YOUR TRANSCRIPT(MUST BE SEND FROM SAT OR ACT)

12. TIPS FOR COMMON APP ACTIVITIES LIST •LIST ACTIVITIES FROM MOST IMPRESSIVE TO LEAST IMPRESSIVE. •SHOULD TELL A STORY VIA THE ORDER OF YOUR ACTIVITIES •FOCUS ON CONTEXTUALIZING LESSER KNOW ACTIVITIES. •MUST BE CONCISE.( 50 CHARACTER LIMIT/150 CHARACTER LIMIT TO DESCRIBE). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION •ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES MORE THAN 200 CHARACTERS TO EXPLAIN •ANY ACTIVITIES BEYOND THE 10 SPOTS PROVIDED. •DO NOT PUT AN ADDITIONAL ESSAY IN THIS SECTION •ESSAYS CAN BE 25% WEIGHT OF YOUR APPLICATION.

13. MILITARY OPPORTUNITIES https://www.academyadmissions.com/admissions/ https://www.westpoint.edu/admissions/SitePages/Steps.aspx https://www.westpoint.edu/admissions/SitePages/Steps.aspx https://www.usmma.edu/admissions/admissions-a-to-z http://www.uscga.edu/admissions.aspx?id=59 Should have started this process in the Junior year

14. SAT & ACT STUDENTS ON FREE/REDUCED LUNCH QUALIFY FOR 2 FEE WAIVERS FOR SAT AND 2 FOR ACT. •ALSO QUALIFY FOR UP TO 8 COLLEGE APPLICATION FEE WAIVER REQUESTS IF GIVEN SAT & ACT WAIVERS. •TEST AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL YOU REACH YOUR GOAL!!! •REGISTER NOW TO TAKE THE SAT & ACT. •MOST COLLEGE AND SCHOLARSHIPS WILL TAKE THE HIGHEST SECTION SCORES TO GIVE THE BEST COMPOSITE (TOTAL) SCORE.

15. SUPER-SCORE • STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM TAKING THE SAT OR ACT MORE THAN ONCE • MOST COLLEGES, BRIGHT FUTURES AND OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS WILL TAKE THE HIGHEST SECTION SCORES TO GIVE THE BEST COMPOSITE (TOTAL) SCORE

16. FREE TEST PREP •SAT PRACTICE TESTS AND QUESTION OF THE DAY WWW.COLLEGEBOARD.ORG •KHAN ACADEMY (SAT.ORG/PRACTICE) or khanacademy.org •ACT PRACTICE TESTS- WWW.ACT.ORG •ACT PAPER STUDY GUIDES

17. PAYING FOR COLLEGE

18. FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION • First and foremost, FAFSA means Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You do not need to pay to fill out this form. DO NOT go to FAFSA.com • Eligibility is determined on a yearly basis. You must apply every year • When do you apply? After October 1, 2018 • You must apply for a student/parent PIN first before completing the application • The FAFSA is typically required for admissions • They determine other types of assistance including grants, scholarships, work-study, loans • Financial Aid is mainly need based rather than merit based. • Don’t confuse the SAR (Student Aid Report) with the SSAR

19. BRIGHT FUTURES FLORIDA FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION 14 POTENTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS •REGISTRATION BEGINS OCTOBER 1, 2018 FLORIDA ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP IS AUTOMATICALLY EARNED IF STUDENTS RECEIVE THEIR IB DIPLOMA. HOWEVER, YOU MUSTSIGN UP!!!! https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/ Click this link to create a student account

20. SCHOLARSHIPS • Scholarship Bulletin is published once per month • Students can pick up a paper copy in the College and Career Center Room 111 • Sign up for Ms. Wanner’s Remind for the Class of 2019 • rmd.at/terriers19 (after you download the remind app on your • phone or other electronic device) • Bulletins are available on the HHSIB Website under “Guidance” then “scholarships”, then Monthly Bulletin

21. SCHOLARSHIPS • Fill out college applications early. • -automatically considered for some scholarships • Other scholarships will require that you apply for each one individually. • Beware of scams! If you have to pay money to get money it’s probably a scam. • Read the fine print and make sure you are eligible or keep your eligibility.

22. It’s a numbers game! The more applications you complete the better chance you will have of receiving a scholarship • When considering whether to complete a scholarship application, ask: • 1. How many scholarships are being given? • 2. How much money is being offered? • 3. How many pages are in the application? • Get Organized • 1. Make copies of everything • 2. Keep a record – use a scholarship tracker or excel spreadsheet • 3. Follow up with the organization • Follow all application instructions • Ask for recommendation letters from teachers, coaches, mentors, etc. • Meet the deadlines and don’t leave items blank • Proofread your application. Have a parent, teacher or counselor review it. SCHOLARSHIP TIPS

23. Class of 2019 ROCKS!!!!!