WELCOME

1. WELCOME Parent’s Night 2014-2015 Presented by Leipsic High School Guidance Department – Julie Recker

2. Graduation • Seniors - At this point, if you are worried you may not have enough credits to graduate, come see me in the guidance office. • Juniors – We will look over all your credits before you schedule for your senior year to make sure you take all necessary classes. You need: 4 English, 4 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies, Health, Economics, P.E., 4.5 electives, and pass all 5 OGTs. • Graduation – May 24, 2015!

3. Honors Diploma – need to meet 4 of these 5 additional requirements • Take Physics • Take an additional Social Studies – choose 2 of the 3: WWII, Geography, orEconomics • Take Spanish I, II, and III • Have a 3.5 cumulative GPA by end of 1st semester senior year • Receive a 27 ACT / 1210 SAT score

4. Career Planning • Three Choices: • Post secondary schooling / training • Four year university – Public or Private • Two year college • Adult education career training • Apprenticeships • Military • Work force

5. Graduation Checklists • Juniors • Rigorous course load • Get involved and volunteer • Increase GPA • Take the Lead • Take the ACT in the Spring • Visit colleges in the Spring and Summer • Be ready to apply to your top schools in September and October of your senior year.

6. Graduation Checklists • Seniors • Meet with me ASAP if you still haven’t applied to a school OR you are unsure of what you want to do after you graduate • Create your activity list / resume for upcoming scholarships • Ask for several recommendation letters – must be on letterhead • Take the ACT in the December if you haven’t taken it yet, or need a higher score to get admitted • Visit colleges to help you narrow down your choices • ATTEND FAFSA NIGHT AT OTTAWA - GLANDORF IN DECEMBER • APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

7. Graduation Checklist • Seniors • Watch all deadlines! • SUBMIT YOUR FAFSA BEFORE FEB. 14th. THIS IS THE PREFERRED DATE BY MOST COLLEGES • Retake the ACT in February, if neededto earn more scholarship money • Check the guidance website each month for new scholarships - local scholarships start in Jan. Biggest month is April. • Evaluate award letters to narrow down college choices – March / April • Inform colleges of your attendance or lack ofby May 1st. • AVOID SENIORITIS • Let me know the college you have chosen so I can send out your final transcript.

8. How to Choose? • College representative school visits • College visits – 2 excused days for seniors, 1 for juniors • Meeting with the counselor • Websites! – www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org; Ohio Career Information System – look at job markets, education trends, etc. • Job Shadow

9. Application Process • All colleges prefer you apply online. Often this is the fastest method. Very few colleges still offer a print version. However, I do not get these. • Apply before Halloween! This ensures you meet all deadlines. Plus, the earlier you know you’re accepted the more time you have to A) apply for housing and scholarships B) choose your college. • Apply to 2 - 5 colleges. Try to narrow down your choices to 5. You won’t pay as much in application fees and it’ll be easier to make your final selection.

10. Common Application • Ohio Schools include: Ohio Northern, Cincinnati, Findlay, Miami, Dayton, Kenyon, Xavier and The Ohio State University. • Apply at www.commonapp.org • Set up personal account, complete profile, add all colleges, complete application, upload essays, etc. • Check each of your colleges for supplementalsor fees • Go to the School Forms tab and invite your counselor and a teacher to submit required online forms. • Make sure you save and logout each time. • Before you submit, PROOFREAD! You will not be able to go back and edit! • Check with your counselor and teacher to make sure they received the email from commonapp.org

11. Stressful and Busy • Senior year can be very stressful and busy. You have to: 1) Take a rigorous course load 2) Keep your GPA high 3) Fill out applications 4) Fill out scholarships 5) Watch your deadlines 6) Have a fun senior year? Answer: Start early planning, be prepared, and find ways to stay organized.

12. What do I need to get into college? • Competitive GPA • Aim for 3.0 (B average) or higher if you are planning to attend college. You can get accepted with a lower GPA, but if you want to be eligible for scholarships a 3.0 is a must • Involvement • sports, clubs, community groups, leadership activities, work • Application essays • make sure to get these revised and edited before submitting • Recommendations • If you are allowed to collect them yourself, ask several people and then choose the best to be sent in.

13. ACT vs. SAT ACT • Achievement Test • Tests what you have learned in school • Five Sections: English, Math, Reading, Science and Writing (optional) • Used more often in the Midwest SAT • Aptitude test • Tests you on your reasoning and verbal skills • Three sections: Critical Reasoning, Math, and Writing • Preferred by many Ivy League and West Coast schools PSAT test is the pre-test for SAT. It is taken junior year.

14. How am I going to pay for this? • Three ways to get help: • Financial aid through the college • Financial aid through the government • Grants – don’t have to pay back as long as you meet requirements • Loans – will have to pay back. Government school loans are meant to be at a lower interest rate for your benefit • Scholarships • College scholarships • Independent scholarships – national, state, local

15. Financial Aid • Both for colleges and the government, you MUST fill out the FAFSA.- http://fafsa.ed.gov • You will need your tax information ready. • File in January • Money is handed out more freely in January. As funds dry up, the government and colleges are more selective on who receives aid. So the earlier the better! • Watch deadlines!

16. FAFSA will not cover all expenses! • Large misconception among students is that by filling out the FAFSA, you will receive enough financial aid in order to attend college. • NOT TRUE for 4 year schools. • AT MOST students can earn around $7,000 in grant money. Additionally, Students can only take out a maximum of roughly $6,000 in loans. This totals $13,000. • BGSU – $19,600, Toledo - $19,300, OSU - $21,800, Cincy – $21,500, Wright State - $18,000 • Where do students get the additional $6,000 – $10,000? – Scholarships and parents!

17. Scholarships • There are so many, one person cannot find them all. Use scholarship websites to help research for scholarships you may qualify for. • www.scholarships360.org; www.schoolsoup.com Also, check the school guidance webpage for a list of scholarships I have found or received information for. • www.lp.noacsc.org/guidance/scholarship.php

18. Military • Interested in both college and the military? You don’t have to choose between the two. • Look into ROTC or the National Guard. You get money to pay for college, plus training and experience through the military. • Contact information for recruiters is on the back page of the survival guide.

19. Thank You! • A copy of this PowerPoint will be placed on the school’s guidance webpage under college resources.