Senior Parent Night September 8, 2011

What’s your plan? Military? College? Trade / Vocational School? Work Force?

Who can help? Counselors  Daryl Beebe: A-D  Cathy Helms: E-K  Natalie Perkins: L-R  Lori Bullis: S-Z College Counseling Financial Aid Resource Scholarships Mrs. Olevenick – Career Development Facilitator  Military Resource  Trade / Vocational School Resource  Job Book Resume Writing / Interviewing Tips Teachers and Administrators

What’s important this year? Attendance Grades Attitude Sense of Responsibility 27 credits to graduate  MMC Check regularly Completed Senior Questionnaire Relax and stay calm

The ACT – Test Dates and Scores Next ACT is 10/22/11, then on 12/10/11 You must send scores to the colleges through the ACT website  Colleges only accept scores directly from ACT  Free if you request the score report when you register for the test  $10.00 per school if you send your scores after the test Sign up for the ACT online at

College Application No two applications are the same!  Read the instructions…..tells you everything you need to know 99% of colleges have online applications  It’s faster and there is less room for error College Website – a wealth of information  Look for “Admissions”, “Perspective Students, or “Future Students” section

College Visits at BHS College Information Sessions  Open to Juniors and Seniors  minute group meeting with Admission Rep  Must sign up to attend in the Career Center (Rm 110) On-Site Admissions  Open to Seniors  Must complete hard copy app and turn into counselor  minute one on one appt with Admission Rep who will accept / deny / defer at end of meeting  Must sign up in Career Center (Rm 110)

When Should My Child Apply? Rolling Admission  Accept applications in the fall and when file is complete will render a decision Regular Decision  College accepts applications until deadline and then reviews and makes admission decision  Deadline usually January 1 or 15

Early Decision  Binding agreement between the student and college  Can only apply ED to 1 college/university  If accepted must withdraw all other applications  Deadline usually November 1  Break Agreement = I year tuition Early Action  Non binding agreement  Student can apply to more than 1 school early in their senior year

U of M Early Action Goal is to drive students to apply early Completed application by 11/1/11 Admission notification by 12/23/11  Accept / Deny / Defer

Transcripts ALL transcripts must be sent electronically using Parchment (formerly Docufide) Look for the Parchment/Docufide link near the bottom of the Counseling department webpage First-time users must register and create an account with a valid address In most (but not all) cases, there is no fee A parent must electronically sign to release the student’s record (*NEW this year)

Transcripts (cont.) An notification will be sent to your counselor when you request a transcript Your counselor will authorize the transcript to be sent You will receive an confirmation that your transcript has been delivered electronically to its destination

The Common Application Students can use the same application to apply to any of the participating schools We send all school forms (counselor and teacher recommendations and transcript) electronically You do NOT need to request a transcript via Parchment when you apply to Common App schools

About the cost of college…….. The majority of college students will have to repay a student loan of some kind….expect it Allow your child to apply, then decide what is affordable Many out of state and private colleges offer more grant and scholarship money than in state public universities  Don’t let the sticker price shock you  Some will meet 100% of need based aid

Financial Aid Begin applying for aid 1/1/2012 MI colleges deadline 3/1/2012 BHS Financial Aid Night  Thursday, 1/5/12 Everyone should apply no matter what your income level

The “Skinny” on Scholarships Scholarship monies are available; however, most student aid comes in the form of grants and loans Looking for scholarships – a part time job! Institutional scholarships usually want you to apply by Nov 1 to maximize opportunity Apply, apply, apply…….BHS students win regional and national scholarships!

Develop a Scholarship Strategy Check membership organizations and employers Read BHS Counselors’ Corner every month  Scholarship section Use a FREE scholarship search service:  Look for themes (one essay)

Senior Year College Admissions Timeline September ‘11 – January ‘12  Apply to college  Receive admissions decisions  Apply for scholarships January ‘12 – February ‘12  Receive admissions decisions  Apply for financial aid  Apply for scholarships March ’12 – April ’12  Receive admissions decisions  Receive financial aid packages from colleges  Apply for scholarships By May 1, 2012 – weigh options, accept admission, pay enrollment deposit

Help us help you! “Like” the Berkley High School Counseling Department page on facebook Sign up for Family Access!  See Barb Downer in Counseling Office  Check attendance and assignments regularly Reinforce what’s in the Counselors’ Corner  Especially the scholarship section  They can start applying now for scholarships Go with your child and visit colleges!

Helpful Websites College Navigator  (username: berkley, password: bears)

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