Reaching Your Potential Presented by Kell Counselors

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Reaching Your PotentialPresented by Kell
Counselors

• Your Counselors Are
• A-Co Lynnette Griffin
• Cr-Ha Viola Lussier
• He-Mc Jamie Hamrick
• Me-Sa Stephanie David
• Sc-Z Peggy Jerden
• Graduation Coach - Gayle DuPre

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Overview

• Postsecondary Options
• GACollege411.org
• Choosing a College
• College Application Process
• SAT/ACT
• HOPE and Financial Aid
• Georgia High School Graduation Test
• Registration Process

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Questions to Answer This Year

• What options are available after high school?
• What does my student need to do to prepare?

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Choices After High School

• Work
• Gap Year/Travel
• Military
• Apprenticeship
• Technical School
• 2-Year College
• 4-Year College

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Career Assessments

• Career Cruising
• www.careercruising.com
• Username kell, Password longhorns
• ASVAB
• Military Assessment very well researched
• You dont have to be interested in the military
  to participate!
• GACollege411
• www.gacollege411.org

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What is GACollege411.org?

• Helping students plan, apply, and pay for
  college
• Create an account and start your portfolio to
  personalize your information
• View your HOPE GPA!
• Search for and apply to Georgia colleges
• Research how to pay for college
• Take a Career Assessment

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Choosing a College Where do you start?

• College Major
• Admissions requirements
• Location and size
• Cost and financial aid
• Ratio of studentteacher
• Average size of freshman classes

• Housing
• Diversity
• Affiliation and accreditation
• Campus activities offered athletics, clubs,
  Greek, etc.
• Support services

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Deciding Among Your List

• Compile information
• College Fairs, College and Career Center visits,
  lunchroom visits, College Open House
• websites, catalogues, newspapers, magazines,
  books (lots in C. C. Center)
• Counselors, Parents, Teachers, Alumni, Friends
• iTunes U (podcasts)

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Visit the College

• Visiting the campus is one of the most important
  steps in the selection process
• Call the admissions office ahead of time
• Tour the campus while school is in session
• Eat in the cafeteria
• Visit a dorm room spend the night, if you can!
• Sit in on a class in your intended major and
  speak with the professor
• Speak candidly with students about what they
  like/dislike
• Attend a sports event
• Dress neatly not too dressy or too casual
• Prepare questions ahead of time
• Meet with admissions and financial aid officers

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College Websites

• The second best way to learn about a college
• APPLY ONLINE!!
• Admissions requirements are listed on each site
• Look for links to
• Future Students
• Prospective Students
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Financial Aid information

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2-Year and Technical Colleges

• 2-year Associates Degree, a Diploma, or a
  Certificate
• Transfer to a 4-year college with the appropriate
  coursework
• Cost is significantly less
• Take the COMPASS test instead of SAT/ACT
• Certificates and diplomas take less time to
  complete
• Courses for certificates and diplomas are very
  often specific for that career (i.e.,
  cosmetology, auto mechanics)
• Courses from a certificate or diploma program
  will generally NOT transfer or count toward a 2-
  or 4-year degree

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4-Year Colleges and Universities What do they
look for???

• HS course selection (rigor) and grades (GPA)
• Math beyond Algebra 2 is mandatory for admittance
  into GA 4-year colleges
• Intellectual curiosity take more than the
  minimum
• Colleges usually recalculate your GPA only using
  the core courses and may or may not weight
  honors/AP
• SAT/ACT scores (sometimes SAT II Subject Tests)
• Essays PROOFREAD!!!
• Awards and accomplishments while in high school
• Depth of involvement and leadership in
  extracurriculars / athletics / fine arts /
  community / religious affiliation
• Recommendations Teacher, counselor, and others
• Interviews - occasionally

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Applying to College

• PAY ATTENTION to DEADLINES!!
• You are responsible for all documents arriving on
  time!!
• We highly recommend submitting applications early
  (by December at the latest) to ensure that all
  materials have been received by the deadline.
• Apply to 3-5 schools
• 1-2 Sure bets (you know youll get in)
• 1-2 Good fits (scores/GPA match up pretty well)
• 1-2 Reach schools (your dream school)
• Types of Applications
• Online (most popular and preferred by most
  colleges)
• Paper
• Common Application www.commonapp.org

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SAT and ACT

• Used to predict potential college success
• Try both tests some students do better on one
  than the other!
• Take at least one test before your senior year
• Colleges only accept scores directly from the
  testing agency we recommend sending them when
  you register (you can send 4 for free during
  registration)
• You will pay to send the scores later and can
  take weeks
• Your responsibility to ensure they arrive by the
  deadline!
• We cannot copy the scores in your permanent
  record to send to the college and we cannot place
  scores on your transcript.
• Fee waivers for students on Free/Reduced lunch

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Register for SAT and ACT

• SAT www.CollegeBoard.com
• Register for the Reasoning test this is the
  SAT
• SAT II Subject tests are required for some
  schools
• You can send all scores (recommended) or choose
  which to send
• ACT www.act.org
• Register for the optional Writing Test
• You can choose which score to send
• Plan ahead you must register approx. a month in
  advance

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Recommendations

• Always give a recommender at least 2 weeks notice
  (more time is almost always better)!!
• Many colleges prefer or require at least one
  academic teacher recommendation
• Only send the number requested (follow
  directions!)
• Counselors may want to meet with you before
  writing recommendations
• Provide a resume to assist the recommender

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Admissions Lingo

• Regular Admissions
• Rolling Admissions
• Early Admissions used by many competitive
  schools
• Early Action non-binding, early application and
  notification of admittance (UGA)
• Early Decision BINDING!! You commit to attend
  this school if admitted apply using this method
  with careful consideration

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HOPE Scholarship

• Pays tuition, some fees, and small book allowance
  at eligible public GA colleges
• Private GA college students may be eligible for
  3500
• Requirements
• College Prep - 3.0 in all core courses taken in
  HS
• Tech Prep 3.2 in all core courses taken in HS
• Be a legal GA resident
• Other requirements at www.gacollege411.org
• Will go toward a bachelors (4 year) or
  associates (2 year) degree
• If you do not get the HOPE scholarship right out
  of High School, you can earn it in college!!
• Apply either FAFSA or HOPE Application

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HOPE Grant

• For certificates or diplomas at a public
  technical school
• There is NO GPA requirement for the HOPE Grant
• Pays for tuition, some fees, and a small book
  allowance
• Not many people are aware of HOPE Grant and, as a
  result, choose not to go to college AT ALL!

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Paying for College

• FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• Fill out January of senior year
• This is also your application for HOPE Grant or
  Scholarship
• Loans (federal, Stafford, subsidized,
  unsubsidized, Parent PLUS, etc.)
• Grants (Pell, etc.)
• Workstudy
• CSS/PROFILE many private schools require this
  application for more information
• Scholarships
• Visit the Kell Counseling Webpage on a regular
  basis for updates to our Scholarship Specials!
• Check with college, parents (and your)
  employers, religious affiliations, clubs, scouts,
  banks, insurance companies, etc.
• Scholarship databases
• We will hold a Financial Aid Night next year that
  will go over all these options in detail!

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NCAA Clearinghouse

• If you are planning to play sports in college,
  you will need to register with the NCAA
  Clearinghouse
• www.ncaaclearinghouse.net or www.eligibilitycenter
  .org
• 60 fee (waivers available for students on
  free/reduced lunch)
• Official SAT/ACT scores (use code 9999)
• Official transcripts, including a final in May

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Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT)

• All students seeking a Georgia high school
  diploma must pass
• Subject Area Tests
• English, Math, Science, Social Studies
• March 22 25
• Handout
• Hints to Help You Pass the GHSGT

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Registration Process

• Registration Packet
• Choosing Electives
• Advisement Appointment
• Waivers
• AP Contract