Seniors: Planning for Life After High School!

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SeniorsPlanning for Life After High School!
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Agenda

• Options for Life After High School - Review
• The College Application Briar Woods High School
  Procedures
• Advice Information

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Materials

• NACAC Guide
• An Electronic-Index will be emailed to you
• Links to forms and resources
• BWHS Website
• College Career Guidance Page
• Let your counselor know if you need hard-copies

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(No Transcript)
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Options for Life After High School

• Trade-schools/Apprenticeships
• Military
• Community College
• 4-Year College or University

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College Degrees

• College Degrees
• Associates Degree 2-year degree (typically
  earned at a community college or a junior
  college)
• Bachelors Degree 4-year degree
• Masters Degree Typically 2 additional years
  after earning a bachelors
• Doctoral Degrees Professional Degrees PHD, JD,
  MD, DC

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Community College

• Community College
• Certificate programs
• 2-Year Associates Degree
• First year or two of a 4-Year Bachelors degree

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Community College

• Benefits of community college
• NOVA is one of the best community colleges in the
  country
• Relatively inexpensive
• Close to home
• A small step into higher education
• Usually open admissions

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Community College

• NOVAs Guaranteed Admissions (incomplete list)
• Christopher Newport University
• George Mason University
• George Washington University
• Georgetown University
• James Madison University
• Liberty University
• Longwood University

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Community College

• NOVAs Guaranteed Admissions (incomplete list)
• Marymount University
• Norfolk State University
• Old Dominion University
• Radford University
• University of Mary Washington
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Tech

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Community College

• Pathways Program Apply in November
• Start at NOVA
• Transition to a 4-year university
• Individual meetings with NOVA Pathways counselors
• Assistance applying for financial aid
• Early placement testing and priority course
  registration
• No minimum GPA required to apply

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College Visits at BWHS

• College representative visits to BWHS
• Sign-up in the Career Center or electronically
  using Family Connection
• Limit visits to 5
• Avoid missing the same class twice
• Your teacher is not obligated to release you from
  class
• There is no substitute for a campus visit as a
  way to assess a school

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College Admissions Testing

• College testing
• SAT Reasoning Test (admissions)
• ACT (admissions)
• SAT Subject Tests (typically for placement)
• Register now!!! The Loudoun test sites fill up
  quickly
• CollegeBoard SAT Course Online

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The Application Folder The Magnificent
Seven

1. Application
2. Essay
3. Student Resume
4. Secondary School Report
5. Test Scores
6. Transcript
7. Letter/s of Recommendation

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The Application

• Most applications are submitted electronically
  over the internet
• Print and review before submitting it!
• Seniors are responsible for completing and
  submitting their own applications (not mom
  dad!)
• Seniors should make copies of all applications
  they submit
• Many colleges use the Common Application

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The Application

• Seniors are responsible for being aware of
  application deadlines (see NACAC Guide)
• Regular Admission traditional deadline
• Early Decision binding
• Early Action non-binding
• Rolling Admission applications accepted based
  on space availability until the institution is
  full

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The Application Folder

1. Application
2. Essay
3. Student Resume
4. Secondary School Report
5. Test Scores
6. Transcript
7. Letter/s of Recommendation

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The Essay

• Not all colleges require an essay
• Most essays are submitted electronically along
  with the application
• Seniors should make sure they are understand the
  essay topic
• Seniors are advised to print out and review (with
  help!) their essays before sending them

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The Essay

• English teachers are more than happy to help
  students with essays some teachers incorporate
  this into their curriculum
• Seniors should save all essays because they may
  be modified and reused but be careful
• Essay resources BWHS library, BWHS Career
  Center, public library, book store, internet

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The Application Folder

1. Application
2. Essay
3. Student Resume
4. Secondary School Report
5. Test Scores
6. Transcript
7. Letter/s of Recommendation

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Student Resume

• Many colleges accept student resumes
• Resumes are usually sent to the college
  electronically along with the application and
  essay
• Resumes can highlight your accomplishment both in
  and outside of school
• An effective resume is EASY TO READ!

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Student Resume

• Use resume templates and samples to format your
  own
• Information on resumes must be 100 accurate
• Use email, Facebook, MySpace, etc. appropriately
  (if you wouldnt put it on a resume)

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The Application Folder

1. Application
2. Essay
3. Student Resume
4. Secondary School Report
5. Test Scores
6. Transcript
7. Letter/s of Recommendation

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Secondary School Report

• Some colleges provide the student with a
  Secondary School Report form for the counselor to
  complete and send in
• We will send a comprehensive universal
  Secondary School Report for all students

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The Application Folder

1. Application
2. Essay
3. Student Resume
4. Secondary School Report
5. Test Scores
6. Transcript
7. Letter/s of Recommendation

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Test Scores

• Seniors are responsible for determining the tests
  needed for the colleges they are applying to
• SAT Reasoning Test (typically for determining
  admissions)
• ACT (typically for determining admissions)
• SAT Subject Tests (typically used for placement)

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Test Scores

• Seniors are responsible for having their test
  scores sent to the colleges they are applying to
• Requests are made directly through the
  CollegeBoard or ACT BWHS nor LCPS send test
  scores
• Seniors can request their scores be sent when
  they take the tests or they can have their
  scores sent after the test date by contacting the
  CollegeBoard or ACT (for a fee)

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The Application Folder

1. Application
2. Essay
3. Student Resume
4. Secondary School Report
5. Test Scores
6. Transcript
7. Letter/s of Recommendation

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The Transcript

• Seniors must submit a Transcript Release Form
  signed by a parent. Forms can be obtained in
  guidance and are online
• Seniors must submit the form in person to the
  counselor (along with the Secondary School Report
  if required)

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The Transcript

• We ask that seniors submit transcript requests a
  minimum of two weeks before the college
  application deadline (last year we sent over 3000
  transcripts)
• We track the process date and send date posted
  on Family Connection

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The Transcript

• We include a school profile with transcript
• Transcript requests must be made before December
  1st in order to be sent before winter break
• All LCPS students are charged 3.00 per
  transcript

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The Transcript

• Please only request transcripts to be sent to
  colleges you are actually applying to
• There are no costs for mid-year and end-of-year
  transcripts

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The Transcript

• In November, LCPS plans to move from mailing
  hard-copy transcripts, profiles, and counselor
  letters of recommendation to using a service
  called National Transcript Center
• No cost to student and parents
• Faster for colleges
• Increased tracking abilities for high schools

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The Application Folder

1. Application
2. Essay
3. Student Resume
4. Secondary School Report
5. Test Scores
6. Transcript
7. Letter/s of Recommendation

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Letters of Recommendation

• Counselor Letter
• If a senior needs a letter of recommendation from
  the counselor, he/she can request it when he/she
  requests the transcript
• Every senior will be provided with a Senior
  Information Packet to be turned into the
  counselor
• The Senior Information Packet is posted online
  and contains a parent brag section
• The counselor will send the letter with the
  transcript

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Letters of Recommendation

• Teacher Letter
• If a letter of recommendation is requested from a
  teacher, the senior should make the request
  directly to the teacher and provide the teacher
  with a postage-paid envelope addressed to the
  college
• Think about who you are asking they may need
  more time!

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Letters of Recommendation

• Seniors should allow counselors and teachers a
  minimum of two weeks to write a letter
• Please only request letters to be sent to schools
  you are actually applying to
• If you send more letters than the college
  requests, you cant control which ones they
  choose to read

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The Application Folder - Summary

1. Senior submits application electronically to the
   college
2. Senior submits the essay electronically to the
   college (if there is one)
3. Senior may submit the resume electronically to
   the college
4. Senior has test scores sent directly to the
   college by the SAT (CollegeBoard) or the ACT
5. Senior meets with counselor directly to request a
   transcript by submitting a Transcript Release
   Form
6. Senior may submit Secondary School Report (if
   provided by the college) when they meet with the
   counselor
7. Senior may request letter of recommendation (if
   needed) from their counselor and/or teachers

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Keeping Sane!!!

• Complete one college application folder at a
  time
• Trying to work on several applications at once
  confusion for all!
• Use a checklist for each application

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Keeping Sane!!!

• Complete applications one at a time
• One by Halloween
• One by Thanksgiving
• The rest by Winter Break
• Pay attention to deadlines!

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Interviews

• Some colleges interview applicants
• Process, procedures, and guidelines vary

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Communication/Follow-Up

• Students and parents can log onto Family
  Connection to view transcript send dates
• We automatically send mid-year transcripts to the
  colleges our students apply to (no cost)
• Final transcripts are sent to the colleges our
  students plan to attend (no cost)
• The infamous we didnt get your transcript
  postcard or email

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Some Advice

• HAVE FUN!

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Upcoming Dates

• Senior presentations This week
• Senior/counselor meetings begin next week
• LCPS College Fair September 25 at 400pm-530pm
  630pm-800pm, SBHS
• Junior College Information Night October 18 at
  700pm
• Financial Aid Night December, date TBA

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Have a great Senior year!!