Central Bucks High School South Home of the Titans Class of 2017

Class of 2017 Counselors Tom Hill Michele McGroggan TEXT TOMHILL845 to to join and add questions as we go through the presentation.TOMHILL

Overview Junior and Senior Year Timelines Selection Process & Considerations Application Groundwork Financial Literacy

Junior Year Timeline SPRING/ SUMMER Call ahead to set up campus tours & visit schools of interest. Research eligibility requirements for federal and private financial aid. Register for Spring/Fall SAT, SAT Subject Tests, ACT. Review online applications from colleges; list of 4-7 you are seriously considering. Begin writing application essays and complete “request for counselor recommendation survey” in Naviance. Work, intern, or volunteer in a specific field of interest.

FALL SPRING Post-secondary Planning Night September Submit FAFSA as early as 10/1/16. Utilize 2015 tax info. * Complete applications Submit “document request forms” SAT/ACT scores sent to schools Request 1 st MP grades if required; mid-year grades are automatically sent. Request teacher recommendations. Watch mail & for acceptance letters & compare financial aid packages. Take SAT/Subject Tests/ACT.Choose school and send housing deposit by deadline. Meet college South.Keep a rigorous academic schedule and maintain grades! Financial Aid Night CB South. Apply for scholarships. Division 1 or 2 Athletes: complete NCAA Eligibility. 12 th Grade Timeline

Types of Post-Secondary Schools PA State Colleges/Universities State Universities Liberal Arts Schools “Ivy League” Schools Military Academies Specialized Institutions (art, music, culinary arts, technical/trade, etc.) Community Colleges (Transfer Programs) Two-Year Private Colleges

Top Admissions Criteria 1. Grades/GPA; rigor of course selection and transcript 2. Standardized Test Scores 3. Application Essay & Personal Statement 4. Teacher and/or Counselor Recommendations 5. Extracurricular Involvement & Leadership *CBSD does not provide rank for admission purposes

Your Considerations Admissions standards; selectivity & criteria Tuition, room, board and fees Facilities & housing Enrollment – undergraduate and graduate Average class size Geographic location and size of community - distance from home Athletics/Extracurricular Activities Average financial aid award Diversity Naviance map of where CB South students are attending

Other Considerations Statistics: Retention rate & 4-year graduation rate (Student Debt; Myths and Facts 2014) Job placement & career center Graduate school acceptance Co-op/internship experiences General education requirements/curriculum Advisory system Parking & public transportation New construction

Matriculation Frequency Rank of 4 year Colleges Temple University Penn State University (all campuses) West Chester University University of Pittsburgh (all campuses) Drexel University Bloomsburg University Indiana University of Pennsylvania Millersville University Saint Joseph’s University University of Delaware Kutztown University

Types of Application Deadlines Regular Decision Apply by a specified date Receive an admission decision in a clearly stated period of time Rolling Admissions Applications accepted throughout the year Render decisions throughout the admission cycle; colleges can have “priority deadlines” and specified rolling decision dates. Early Action Apply early, receive decision early love the school non binding Early Decision 1 and 2 Apply early, receive decision early Can only apply to ONE school Early Decision Must love the school, decision is BINDING and all other applications must be withdrawn upon acceptance

Types of Applications School Specific Common Application 600+ Schools mmwww.commonapp.orgwww.commonapp.org Coalition Application (debut set for summer 2016; more info forthcoming) 90+ Schools PA State System PSU Online Application System

The Common Application What is it? 600+ diverse member colleges using one application Supplements for writing & essays Potentially saves time and assists with organization Set up account after August 1 Info is purged every year in late July MATCH Common App account to Naviance account… address must be the same on both accounts! Tutorial video linked on Naviance Best to also use the same for College Board (SAT) and ACT. Update Naviance log-in by contacting your counselor if it has changed or needs to change. Basic Information

When should I start my applications? Applications become available online in late summer. Common Application August 1, SOUTH processes document requests beginning early September. Goal should be to have applications completed by mid-October for rolling admission schools. This includes all the PA State Schools and Penn State (priority deadline 10/31/16).

Requesting Documents from South Things to know… 1. If you apply to a college, you MUST fill out a “Document Request Form” (DRF) even if the school is transcript optional. 2. Senior Year Schedule will be sent. 3. Checklist on the DRF to indicate which additional documents you would like sent: Transcript Test scores (all or nothing) Counselor letter of recommendation 4. All documents are sent electronically Document Request Form (DRF) Application is completed and submitted to college “Request for Counselor Recommendation Survey” is completed in Naviance (if requesting rec) DRF is fully completed with parent signature Request Recommendation from Teacher(s ) “Request for Teacher Recommendation Survey “completed in Naviance DRF submitted to House Office Green sheet to teacher for tracking requests Verification Allow up to 15 school days for completion Verify submission status on Naviance College websites are not updated as quickly due to the volume of applications they receive. Remain calm.

Teacher Recommendations Required or optional? Two recommendations from academic teachers, 11 th or 12 th grade is common. Ask subject teacher related to college major. See teachers personally to ask for recommendation then complete survey. In the fall, notify teachers about your colleges so they know where to send the letters! Which teacher(s) should I ask?

Counselor and Teacher Recommendation Surveys

Changing workplace…

Financial Literacy 85% of college grads plan to move back home after graduating (Twentysomething Inc Survey). The rate has risen from 67% in ’06 (Jessica Dicker CNN staff writer). 49% of teens are “eager” to learn more about money management. Only 14% had taken a class on a financial literacy topic and over 1/3 wan to learn money skills from their parents (Capital One) Almost 1/3 of college students, when reflecting back on their freshman year, admit that they were not very well- prepared for personal money management on campus; 20% of students claim to have been very well-prepared (Key Bank)

Financial Literacy “ Financial Aid Night” October SOUTH. Net Price Calculator on every college website. FAFSA completion as early as 10/1/16; 2015 tax info. CSS Profile, if required, completed in the Fall. Scholarship Research Naviance, employers, service organizations. You should NOT pay for a scholarship search, opportunity, or application.

Scholarship Websites NAVIANCE studentaid.ed.gov fastweb.com finaid.org bigfuture.collegeboard.org collegenet.com scholarshipmonkey.com

College Athletics Division I and II Students must meet NCAA eligibility requirements to play Division I or Division II athletics in college. Those requirements include specific academic courses, SAT/ACT scores, and cumulative GPA. Students must register with the NCAA and submit “Document Request Form” to Counselor.

What to do now… Update/complete resume in Naviance. Create rough draft application essays (CP 11). Include a Personal Statement Develop & research a of 7-10 schools. Trim to a “short list of 4-7 by September. Schedule campus visits/interviews. Complete “survey for counselor recommendation”. Contact teachers for letters of recommendation and complete survey. Make plans to get involved this summer. Clean-up your social media!

Fall College Planning Meeting September 1, 2016 at 7:00pm *VERY Important Session* Thank you for joining us tonight!