College Information 2013-2014

It begins now! Take courses that prepare you for college.

Exceeding minimum graduation requirements (Foreign Language, Math, Science)

Honors courses & Advanced Placement Courses Dual Enrollment Courses & Post-Secondary Education Option Programs Other opportunities as they arise…

Challenge yourself – Put forward 110% Investigate careers and skills. Research colleges and universities that offer degrees in the career field(s) you are

interested. Take college entrance exam by end of junior year, seniors ASAP

ACT or SAT - Most schools will accept either Send your scores up to 4 colleges. Many are requiring the official scores sent

from ACT/SAT & are also requiring the writing section. SAT II Subject Tests – Many of the elite colleges will require these.

So Where Do I Begin the College Process?

Visit colleges and universities Consider the possibilities: 2-year or 4-year, public or private,

traditional or liberal arts

Consider costs of higher education by investigating your financial aid options and scholarships.

Guidance Website – Financial Aid Guidance Website – Scholarships

Discuss plans and goals Parents, relatives, neighbors, teachers

More beginning tips…

College Visits Take virtual tours of the

college websites. Meet with the recruiters that

visit Hayes. Visit the colleges. Make sure

to schedule an appointment with an admissions counselor, academic advisor, and a financial aid counselor.

For visits, complete the Pre-Arranged Absence form. You may take 2 visits/year.

Attending a Technical School

Technical schools are schools that provide mostly employment-preparation skills for trained labor, such as welding, culinary arts, or office management.

Technical school programs can last anywhere from a few months to two years.

Attending a Two-Year College

Two-year colleges provide programs that lead to associates degrees.

They are typically less expensive than 4-year colleges and universities. The average cost is $3,000 per year.

Many students will transfer to a 4-year university to seek their bachelors degree after completing their coursework at the 2-year college.

Ohio Two-Year Colleges Resources: http://www.oatyc.org/ http://regents.ohio.gov/campuses/2yr.php http://www.ohiocommunitycolleges.org/

Attending a Four-Year College

Four-year colleges and universities award students with bachelors degrees.

The average cost for a public college is $21,447 per year. (Price includes tuiton, room & board.)

Average Ohio Public institution is $16,908 The average cost for a private institution is $42,224 per year.

(Price includes tuiton, room & board.) Average cost after financial aid is $26,700. Source: cnnmoney.com

Ohio Four-Year Private Colleges: http://www.aicuo.edu/ResourcesAndResearch.htmlOhio Four-Year Public Colleges/Universities: http://www.opuac.org/

What are Colleges Looking for in a College Application? (As reported by OSU)

Completion of the College Prep Curriculum 4 English, 3+ Math, 3+ Science, 3+ Social Studies, 2+ Foreign Language, 1 Fine Art

Additional courses in math, natural science, and foreign language Research shows these are predictors of success in college

Rigor of courses Honors and AP courses

Grades and grade trends (including class rank) Strength of senior schedule ACT/SAT Scores

Other Areas of Importance

Extracurricular Activities, Leadership, & Work Experience Obstacles the student may have overcome Diversity—Is the student a 1st generation college student? Does the

student racially, ethnically, or economically diversify the campus? Special talents Essay Response (No grammatical errors, original, and well-thought

out) PSEO courses are preferred only when the high school curriculum

has been maxed out. AP or Honors courses are preferred.

Compare 3 to 5 colleges Naviance is an AWESOME tool for searching

On-line applications are primarily and often times only accepted Many schools use The Common App commonapp.org The CommonApp is synced with Naviance and streamlines the

application process with regards to the college search, transcript submission and teacher recommendations

Deadlines vary but most priority deadlines are in December or January. Some are earlier!

Visit the schools before you apply. (See handout on “61 Questions to ask at a College Visit”)

The Application Process

See your school counselor Access and explore Naviance Notify your counselor when you have completed the application Let them know if there is a deadline for submission. Be sure you bring any necessary forms that need to be completed

by the counselor. Let them know who you have asked for recommendations from Naviance will track all submissions and progress along the way Bring your application fee if required. Give your counselor a two-week window. Counselors can’t

accommodate day of requests

Application Process Cont….

Choose a teacher or community leader that knows you best or has direct personal experiences and interactions with you

Give that teacher two weeks to complete the recommendation.

This gives your rec. writer plenty of time to spend to write their best

Enter their contact info in Naviance so that they may directly upload the document

Letters of Recommendation

Your school counselor will: Complete any necessary forms Send a transcript Include any recommendations you have requested Mail all documents to the college

Stamped envelopes are not necessary

Application Process Cont…

Check the status of your application This can often be done online in most cases.

Wait for notification from the college The time you have to wait will depend on if they have rolling

admissions or not. Notification from college

Need of additional information Follow-up on request

Application is being processed – Be patient Acceptance or Denial

Next Steps

Acceptance notification Review materials and note deadlines

Additional scholarship deadlines FAFSA deadline – this can be as early at Feb. 1 Housing contract

Once accepted the college must hold a spot for you until May 1 with no other requirement, payments, etc.

Colleges can, however, rescind an offer if grades on the student’s final transcript is not in line with the one submitted for acceptance.

If Accepted…

Complete a FAFSA Seniors visit www.fafsa.ed.gov today and request a PIN number

PIN numbers are needed for both the student and one parent – this serves as a verified signature. Go to pin.ed.gov now!

FAFSA must be completed every year after January 1 of the year the student plans to attend college.

Tax returns need to be completed but not necessarily mailed, or you must estimate and then update the FAFSA once taxes are completed.

All students should complete a FAFSA even if you don’t feel you will qualify. Many scholarships are based on the filing of the FAFSA.

Financial Aid meeting will be held December 13th at 6:30 p.m. Be sure to file your FAFSA with all colleges by their deadline to be

eligible for grants and scholarships.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

AprilNotification of Financial aid packageCompare colleges & costsContact the college financial aid office if you have

questionsDecide what college to attendSend acceptance materials by May 1Let other colleges know that you do not plan to

attend

After the FAFSA is Completed….

Financial Aid Meeting

December 12 @ 6:30 p.m.

Hayes Auditorium