Top Colleges

1. Top Colleges

2. Why Bother? • Quality of Education • Only to some extent • Primary variable to success is the individual • Connections & Opportunities • Environment/ Student body • Great Financial Aid • Prestige

3. Challenge Accepted?

4. Criteria to Meet • Passion (You can’t get there as a robot, get into what you do) • Course Rigor & Grades • Test Scores • Extra-Curricular Activities • Talents/ Achievement • Essays • Recommendations • No single thing makes or breaks you (unless you’re extremely talented)

5. Passion • Make your interests and work synonymous • The things you do should support a life goal so that you will work that much harder and be able to write that much better about it.

6. Course Rigor & Grades • Relative to class availability of the high school • Take the most (or close to the most) challenging schedule available • AP/ IB Courses • Four years of a second language = good idea • Keep grades up • Progressive grades are still good

7. Test Scores • Practice before taking to yield best score • Official books (Red and Blue) • Take practices and look over mistakes • The higher the score the better but it only goes so far. • SAT or ACT (Practice your Junior summer and take at the beginning of the year) • SAT Subject Tests (Practice Junior year, take during Junior year or study Senior summer and take at beginning of Senior year)

8. Extra-curricular Activities • Do not pile them on without doing anything • Active role is key to activities • Leadership roles • Events, projects • Awards • Clubs allow you to do things you are interested in and make a difference for the school/community, take advantage of them.

9. Talents • Sports, Art, Performing Arts etc. • Greater recognition means more value • Regional is admirable • State is desirable • National/ International is very desirable

10. Essays • Allow admissions to see you as an individual • Originality = Memorable = Good • Write essays (rough drafts) during the summer • Universal prompts • Personal Essay • Future Aspirations related to major • Conquering a challenge • Create a www.commonapp.org account

11. Recommendations • Get to know your teachers or counselor. • Counselor – tell them your goals and keep them updated • Teachers – be a good student, they have to fill out a form that looks like this

13. What Colleges are in my range? Time to see how you measure up

16. Take a Moment… • Is this realistic for you? • Where should you put your time and energy now?

17. Alternatives

18. Honors Colleges • Still good • Easier to stick out of the crowd • Less competitive scholarship applicant pool • Decide earlier so you can take advantage of all scholarship opportunities • Closer to home • Flinn!

19. Good Colleges • Still somewhat prestigious • Easier to stand out of the crowd • Less competitive scholarship applicant pool • Merit Scholarship (Taylor’s Pepperdine Example)

20. Scholarships to Watch For • Presidential • Most schools have one, usually full-tuition or close • Usually based on GPA and test scores • National Merit Scholarship • Study for the PSAT over Junior summer • Usually close to a full ride • Score about 215 or higher • Flinn ($20,000 a year + benefits) • The in-state alternative to top schools

21. Scholarships to Watch For Cont’d • Limit Competition • Region specific scholarships • Ex. Jade Woman’s Club scholarship • University specific scholarships • Ex. Medallion Scholarship

22. Other Scholarships • The Key to many of them • Community Service • Leadership

23. Now what? • No matter what your ultimate destination is, you are good enough to do something great. • School is about more than good grades and test scores; get involved in clubs and sports, and save money.

24. Some more advice • Helpful College information websites • www.collegeboard.com • www.collegeconfidential.com • Helpful scholarship website • www.fastweb.com