WELCOME TO JUNIOR PARENT NIGHT

AGENDA• Pre-Requisites for College Bound Students• Academic Program• Testing Dates• SAT vs. ACT• What Colleges Look For• CSU System, UC System and Private Colleges and

Conservatories• What to look for in a College• Application Process• Counselor Forms and Teacher Recommendations• College Search • College Visit• Applying Early• The Common Application• What to do this summer• Tips for Parents• Financial Aid

Must take the appropriate classes (a-g)Pattern of 14 -20 college prep

courses

Must earn the appropriate gradesNo D’s or F’s

Must take the appropriate testsSAT or ACT (SAT Subj)

STRONG ACADEMIC PROGRAM

History 2 yearsEnglish 4 yearsMath 3 – 4 yearsScience 2 – 4 yearsForeign Language 2 – 4 years

VPA 0 - 1 year

SAT VS ACT Aptitude vs. Achievement

SAT still critical thinking test SAT essay is optional SAT more time per section SAT guessing penalty is gone

ACT wealth of study materials ACT Science portion ACT with writing ACT Trigonometry

Testing dates 2015-2016

SAT Testing DatesOct 3, 2015Nov 7, 2015Dec 5, 2015Jan 23, 2016Mar 5, 2016May 7, 2016June 4, 2016

Register on-line at www.collegeboard.org

ACT Testing Dates

Oct 24, 2015 Dec 12, 2015 February 6, 2016 April 9, 2016 June 11, 2016

Register on-line at www.act.org

WHAT COLLEGES LOOK FOR

1. Courses taken (strength of academic program)

2. Grades received3. Strength of Senior year (min 4

academics)4. Test Scores5. Essay6. Teacher/Counselor

Recommendations

CSU SYSTEM

23 universities

Largest university system in the nation

Top 33% of HS Graduates

GPA in the a-g courses taken in 10th through 12th grades is 3.0 and above, you are automatically eligible. If your GPA is between 2.0 and 3.0, your eligibility also depends on how well you do on the SAT or ACT

Requirements: a-g requirements Grades of C or better Minimum GPA of 2.0 SAT or ACT w/Writing

UC SYSTEM-  9 UC campuses

-Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) Top 9%

-UC GPA also limits AP extra points to 4 classes

- Academic grade point average (GPA), calculated using 10th and 11th grade UC–approved courses only.

- Performance on standardized tests: the ACT Assessment Plus Writing or the SAT Reasoning Test, and two SAT Subject Tests

- The strength of your senior year program

Requirements: a-g Requirements Minimum GPA to apply 3.0 Courses can be repeated 1 time for “D or F” Make – ups for “C” grades are not accepted SAT or ACT w/Writing

PRIVATE COLLEGES AND CONSERVATORIES

Requirements vary by school

SAT or ACT

Most require letters of recommendation

Some focus exclusively on the arts

WHAT YOU LOOK FORMajor

Academic Selectivity

Territory (size/location/rural/urban)

Cost

Help (student support)

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Official transcript SAT/ACT scores Essay(s) Resume Secondary School Report Counselor Recommendation Teacher Recommendations (2) Application fee

FORMS THE COUNSELOR PROVIDES

Secondary School ReportUn-official TranscriptsCopy of School ProfileCounselor letter of Rec

TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS

1 math/science and 1 humanities (suggestion)

Choose a teacher who knows the student BEST

Request at least 3 weeks from application deadline

Provide teacher with all forms (completed) and a Stamped

Addressed Envelope for every campus.

Provide teacher with resume & samples of previous work.

COLLEGE RESEARCHCollegeBoard – College Planning Step by Step https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-collegesPeterson’s guide to Colleges - https://www.petersons.com/

Attend College Fairs

Performing Visual Arts – Sat, Oct 24th 1:00-3:30pm UCLA Academic – Thurs, April 28, 2016, 9-12:00noon and 6:00-9:00pmPasadena Convention CenterCollege Rep Visits – “LACHSA College Fair”Friday, Oct 23rd – 1:00-4:00pm

Virtual ToursTalk with your counselorTalk to your Arts Chairs

THE COLLEGE VISIT Plan in advance Tour only a few schools at a time

Take the guided tour Take a digital camera

Parents should attend whenever possible Examine:

Classes / Library / Commons / Depts of interest / Student life

Ask Questions: How hard is it to get 1st choice classes? What is the graduation rate?

APPLYING EARLY EARLY DECISION: Binding – must withdraw all other

applications if accepted. Can only apply early to one college.

EARLY ACTION: non-binding – may consider other options if accepted.

Early options are for those students who do NOT need to repeat SAT scores and who are SURE of their college choice.

THE COMMON APPLICATION Over 600 colleges utilize the Common

Application.

It is available at www.commonapp.org

Simplifies the application process by providing BASIC forms you complete once.

Many colleges require a Supplemental Form specific to their university.

WHAT TO DO NEXT SUMMER

Visit colleges Begin writing essays prompts Make a list of the qualities you desire in a

college Develop your personal interests Retake the SAT and /or ACT in the fall Take a summer class at a local college Volunteer Complete the counselor ‘brag sheet’

TIPS FOR PARENTS

Look for the right fit

Do not direct – let your child take ownership of this process

Stay on top of deadlines

Join your child for college campus visits

FINANCIAL AID Federal / State / Institutional

Grants / Loans / Work-Study

Merit based scholarships – begin searching next summer

Need based scholarships – begin searching next summer

Essay contests – start looking at the end of the year

Scholarship websites:

www.fastweb.com and www.finaid.org

GET ME TO COLLEGE

Rebecca Joseph, PHD from Cal State LA

Will speak to our seniors on Friday October 2nd at 8:00 a.m. in Caroline’s Loft. Regarding college essays.

QUESTIONS