Presented by the HHS School Counseling Department

March:  Register for/prepare for the SATs  Junior students meet with counselor to begin discussing plans for post- graduation  Familiarize yourself with your transcript; you can’t search appropriately if you’re not informed  Begin searching for colleges/universities/technical programs  Choose classes for senior year  Begin and/or edit your Brag Sheet

March - June:  Register/take the SATs (or ACTs)  Meet with counselor to discuss options  Continue searching for post-secondary schools and adding to “Colleges I’m Thinking About” list on Naviance  Visit college campuses  Ask for letters of recommendation

 Naviance, Collegeboard.org  What to consider when choosing a college: - Geographic location - Majors - Size - Cost - Selectivity - Setting (Rural, Urban, Suburban)  Develop a list of schools that you are interested in

 Schedule college visits/tours with the Admissions Department  Write down questions you want to ask  Prepare for questions they may ask you  Send a thank you or note  Plan to narrow down your list of schools by Fall of Senior year

 Attend College Fairs -  Southern CT College Fair, March 31 st, pm at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport  Hartford National College Fair, March 30 th March 30th 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.; 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.  Plan to attend college rep visits at Hamden HS in the fall

 Be open minded to schools  Start with a larger list and narrow when it is time to apply  Ideally apply to 5 – 7 Schools  1 – 2 Reach  2 -3 Reasonable  1 – 2 Safety  Consider academics and finances when applying

 Transcript  Rigor  GPA / Decile  Trend  Standardized Test Scores  You as a person  Essay  Extracurricular  Letter of Recommendation

SAT  Register for an SAT test at collegeboard.org  Recommendation: Take SAT once in Spring of Junior year and once in Fall of Senior year  Pay attention to registration deadlines!  Fee waivers are available to families with a lower income level. See your counselor for more info.

 Score reports  Remember: You are responsible for sending your scores to each college you apply to!  Score Optional – fairtest.org  Prep – Kahn Academy 

Can be taken in lieu of SAT or in addition  for test dates and to register for a test  ACT-W  Pay attention to registration deadlines!

 Required by some colleges, usually more competitive institutions  Check individual colleges website to find out if they require subject tests  Register for tests on collegeboard.org  You cannot take subject tests on the same day as the SAT  Plan accordingly!

Brag Sheet  What is it? Why is it important?  It lists all the activities you were/are involved in during high school, including sports, clubs, work experience, community service, etc.  The teachers and your counselor will use it as a reference when writing your recommendation letters.

 Each student will need at least two teacher recommendations  You may also need a letter from your counselor  You may get additional letters beyond that (ex. coach, boss)  Make sure your Brag Sheet is completed before asking for recommendation letters.

 What is it? Who uses it?  Over 600 colleges   We will teach you how to fill it out as part our September Lesson  Supplemental Forms

 Allows the student to explain to the admissions committee who they are beyond their transcript  Do not plagiarize, they will know!  Make the essay personal, original, authentic  PROOF READ!  Have someone look over your essay before submitting it

Look over the CA essay prompt choices for 2016 – 2017 Applicants 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

 Follow the guidelines set by the college  Begin writing your essays over the summer  Meet with your English teacher in the fall for assistance on proofreading your essay

Admissions

 When choosing to apply to a college, a student has to decide which application plan is best for them:  Regular Decision - Many colleges establish a deadline by which all applications must be received. All students are then notified of the college's decisions at a uniform response date  Early Decision - Many colleges offer this plan to applicants who are sure they want to attend the college. This college should clearly be the applicant's first choice, as it is a binding agreement and if the student is accepted, they are expected to attend that school.

 Early Action – Admission program in which applying early gets you an earlier response. This is a non-binding agreement.  There are two types of early action applications: * Single-choice - early action plan that does not allow you to apply early to other schools but can apply regular decision. *Multiple-choice – You may apply early action to multiple schools.  Rolling Admissions – Apply at any time in the year – and hear back within six weeks  Check with each school you are applying to on what application plans they use and what those deadline are.

 There are three divisions in college sports – 1,2 and 3 (check w/ each school to find out what division they are in)  If you plan on applying to Division 1 or 2 schools, you MUST register with the NCAA Clearinghouse  Students should be registered by the end of their Junior year of high school  Website:  Pick up a transcript release form in Guidance at the end of Junior year to send your transcript to the Clearinghouse

 You must also request your SAT/ACT scores to be sent from collegeboard.com to the Clearinghouse  Maintain good grades and do your best on the SAT’s!

 Community Colleges  Accuplacer  Cost effective  Certificates, A.S. degree, and Courses transfer to 4 year colleges.

 Technical / Trade School  Apprenticable trade training  (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, etc) Typically less than 2 years in length. Speak with your counselor for more information

 Military  ASVAB Test every fall at HHS  Enlistment  ROTC  Academy

 FAFSA / CSS Profile – New earlier application window for next year for the FAFSA. We will do a workshop in the fall to bring you up to speed.  Merit Money  Financial Aid Workshops offered Fall 2015  Scholarships – Local / Regional

 Make sure you are taking challenging courses in your senior year  Do not slack off!  Colleges will see grades up to the last semester of Senior year  Avoid Senioritis!!!!!!!!!

 There will be a Senior College night in the Fall that all current Junior parents should attend. We will explain the actual application process at this meeting.  We will give a detailed overview of Financial Aide  Make sure you seek out help from your School Counselor throughout this process.  Don’t procrastinate.  Communicate with your parents throughout the process.  Do your best  HAVE FUN!!!!!!!