Senior College Information Night

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Senior College Information Night

• We are not permitted to choose the frame of our
  destiny. But what we put into it is ours.
• Dag Hammarskjold

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Tonights Presenters

• Mr. Daniel Petruccio
• Assistant Principal for Guidance
• Mr. Robert Hazelton
• College Placement Officer

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PRESENTATION TOPICS

• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• SAT/ACT
• Financial Aid
• NCAA Clearinghouse
• College Visits

• Senior Year
• Types of Admissions
• Rank/Average
• College Placement Office
• Naviance
• St. Johns College Advantage Program

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Letters of Recommendation

• School Letter of Recommendation (Sometimes
  referred to as a Counselors Recommendation).
• Teacher Recommendation
• An academic assessment.
• A teacher who happens to be the coach or
  moderator of your team or club.
• Not written automatically.
• In the event of a paper application (see Mrs.
  Mansueto)

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Teacher Letter of Recommendation

• May of your junior year you were asked to submit
  the name of a teacher to write a teacher
  recommendation for you.
• As a courtesy you should have already spoken to
  the teacher personally.
• In the case that you need a second teacher letter
  of recommendation you must see me before
  approaching a teacher.
• If you need to change teachers you must see me
  first.

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Teacher Letter of Recommendation

• Using Naviance on-line you will invite the
  teachers you have chosen to write your letter of
  recommendation by sending them a notification
  email. Later in the program we will walk you
  through the process.
• By signing the FERPA form you will waive your
  right to see the recommendation. Without doing
  this the teacher will not write the letter.

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The Transcript

• With each application sent to a college on your
  behalf we include your official school
  transcript.
• Grades from Freshman, Sophomore and Junior year.
  
• Summer school grades if applicable.
• SAT and ACT scores are not on the transcripts
  sent to the colleges. You must submit them
  electronically through College Board and the ACT.

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SAT ACT

• You are responsible for getting your scores to
  the colleges you are applying to.
• You are able to control what scores are sent to
  the colleges by utilizing Score Choice.
• Limitations Complete Test Scores for a
  particular test date must all be sent.
• ACT exams are an option for students that feel
  that the SAT exams dont represent their best
  effort.

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FINANCIAL AID

• 50 of all full-time students receive some form
  of financial aid.
• Only ½ of 1 of the money a student receives
  comes from private sources (non-school source).
• This means most of the financial aid money comes
  directly from the colleges that accept you.
• 2 basic types of financial aid Merit and Need
  based.

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Financial Aid

• For most students the largest financial aid
  packages will be offered by your safe schools.
  There is a lot of money out there!
• Affordability has to be the first criteria when
  looking at colleges.
• Colleges allocate funds on first come, first
  serve basis.

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Types of Financial Aid

• Grants
• Scholarship
• Loans- Stafford PLUS
• Work-Study Programs
• Merit Based Awards or Discounts.
• The combination of all of these sources of money
  is your Financial Aid Package.

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How do you apply for Financial Aid?

• FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
  http//www.fafsa.ed.gov
• Filing cant be done before January 2014.
• Use your most recent tax return. If you have not
  filed your 2013 return then use the one from 2012
  and you can update the information at a later
  date if there are changes.
• CSS Profile is an alternate method of determining
  that is used by some schools. http//www.collegeb
  oard.org
• The CSS Profile is available in Mid-October.

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Formula for Financial Aid

• Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• Cost of Attendance (COA)
• Subtract EFC from COA.
• If you want to be considered for financial aid,
  need or merit based, you must fill out the FAFSA
  form.

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Where to Look for Financial Aid?

• Use the Naviance program.
• If you are fortunate enough to be accepted at one
  of your reach schools you will not likely receive
  any merit based awards from that school.
• You must be prepared to pay the full sticker
  price.

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NCAA Clearinghouse

• Potential College Student/Athletes must register
  with the NCAA.
• www.eligibilitycenter.org
• Prospective Student/Athlete
• Registration Form for US Students
• 65
• SAT/ACT scores come from you directly
• Notify Mrs. Mansueto that you have registered.

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College Visitations

• Arrange visits on weekends, vacations or days
  when Chaminade is not in session.
• Visits are an essential part of the college
  application process.
• In some cases schools are intentionally wait
  listing qualified candidates because they have
  not visited campus.
• Check the college website to see the schedule for
  visits, tours and information sessions.
• If you are just starting to visit now you are
  significantly behind in this process

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Checklist for College Visits

• Check in with the Admissions Office
• Ask a lot of questions
• School newspaper
• Housing
• Meal Plans
• Transportation
• Class sizes (T.A. teaching classes)
• Surrounding Community
• Career Placement Office

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Senior Grades

• Commit yourself to making senior year your best
  academic year.
• Aside from your college application, senior
  grades are the only other factor in your
  admittance.
• Mid-Year Grades are your First Semester Grades.
• About 95 of the schools our seniors apply to
  request these Mid-Year Grades.

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Types of Admissions

• 2 Types of early admissions
• Early Action not binding the advantage is that
  you will have an answer early in the process.
• Early Decision binding if admitted, you agree
  to enroll and not submit other applications.
• Our internal deadline for these applications (EA
  and ED) Oct. 15th (Tuesday after Columbus Day)

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Types of Admissions

• Regular Decision our internal deadline for all
  remaining applications- November 25th (Monday
  after Thanksgiving)
• The applicant is usually notified by April 1st
  and must reply by May 1st.
• Rolling Admissions This process usually begins
  in the early fall and continues into the summer
  in some cases.

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Rank and GPA (3-year average)

• Last week in homeroom you received your rank and
  3-year average card in homeroom.
• You have been ranked in each of your three
  years the rank you will receive is an average of
  these rankings.

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College Placement Office Fall Visits

• Starting two weeks ago, colleges began visiting
  CHS on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays after
  school.
• Posted in Homeroom, AM announcements, Naviance
  generated e-mail, etc.
• As many as 5 schools each day these visits take
  place in rooms 1-6
• These sessions are led by the admission
  representative who will read your application!

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Evening Presentations

• University of Notre Dame
• Tuesday, October 16th at 730 in the Hearst
  Auditorium in the A.A.C.
• Fairfield University
• Tuesday, October 30th at 730 in the Hearst
  Auditorium in the A.A.C.
• University of Dayton
• Monday, November 5th at 730 in the Hearst
  Auditorium in the A.A.C.

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College Placement Office Strategy

• On the average, our seniors apply to 8-10
  schools.
• 2/3 Reach Schools
• 2/3 50/50 Schools
• 2/3 Safety Schools
• You must apply to a number of Safety schools.
• Can you see yourself at all the schools to which
  you apply?
• One strategy that is often utilized and is not
  recommended is to apply to 10 reach schools and
  two safe schools. The result is a tremendous
  amount of disappointment and dissatisfaction.

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College Placement Office Strategy

• How do you create your list of schools?
• 1. Make an appointment with a guidance
  counselor.
• 2. Read the College Placement Survey Book in
  your homeroom or down in the Guidance Center.
  Parents are encouraged to stop by the Guidance
  Center and spend some time looking at the book.

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College Placement Office The Essay

• The part of the application you control.
• Remember! The admissions rep reads thousands of
  these!
• Therefore,
• 1. Be concise.
• 2. Start the essay in a unique way.
• 3. Use a slice of life approach.

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Assistance with your College Essay

• Seniors will be working with their English
  teachers Guidance counselors are also available
  to work with them on their essays.

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College Placement Office Scholarships

• A number of scholarships become available
  throughout the school year.
• Two main types civic and college-related.
• These scholarships will be posted on Naviance and
  in homeroom with information and deadlines.

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NAVIANCE

• College Applications in the 21st century.
• Username and Password.
• Any questions, have your son come down to the
  Guidance Center and speak with me.

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Commonly Asked Questions

• Mr. Hazelton is the counselor of record for all
  applications.
• His phone number is 516-742-5555 Ext.442.
• His email is rhazelton_at_chaminade-hs.org
• His fax is 516-739-5013
• Do not check off the discipline box if you have
  received demerits while at Chaminade.

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St. Johns University College Advantage Program

• Cost 500 for (6) Credits 2 Semesters
• Maximum of 12 credits in total for both
  semesters.
• Spanish, French, German, Latin
• English
• Calculus I and Calculus II
• Pre-Calculus
• Physics
• American History

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St. Johns Program

• Forms will be distributed in homeroom tomorrow
  morning.
• Forms and checks for the full amount are due to
  Bro. Thomas office by September 25th.
• Make check payable to Chaminade H.S.
• Additional work will be assigned above and beyond
  the normal class load.
• Ex. A paper or additional project.