College Road Trip Junior-Senior-Parent College Info Night Martin’s Mill High School

College Road Trip WELCOME Activity Please complete the following tasks: 1.Sign in and update information 2.Stop Light Post-it Activity: a)Students use pink (girls) or blue (boys) post-it to indicate your level of confidence on the questions. b)Parents use any other color post-it to indicate your level of confidence on the questions. 3.Enjoy snacks, meet & greet Your date here WELCOME 2

5 Things to Take on your Road Trip 1.Timeline – What to do now, next 2.College Prep 1.ACT/SAT 2.GPA/Rank 3.Document high school accomplishments 3.Application Process 1.ApplyTexas 2.CommonApp 4.Paying for College 1.FAFSA 2.Scholarships 5.Resources Your date here College Bound 3

What to do now? What’s next? Handout: “Family Action Plan: 12 th /11 th Grade” Planning for College booklet – pgs. 2-3 Create an account with BigFuture.com and utilize resources 5 Things You Need to Know About College Admission ( ( Narrow down colleges – compare, find the right fit Attend College Fairs Nov. 5 – Fall Patriot Preview UTTyler 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m Nov. 8 – Smith County College Fair – Harvey Hall, 6:00 p.m. Nov. 10 – TVCC Day for Seniors Meet with me! GOOGLE!!! TIMELINE 4

College Prep College Entrance Exams – TSI – March 24 th, March 31 st at MMHS ($30) – SAT – ACT Understanding your high school transcript (updated every semester for juniors and seniors, and again at the end of the 3 rd 9 weeks for final senior ranking) – GPA – Rank – Quartile Difference between “Official” & “Unofficial” 26 State Credits needed for graduation

What do colleges consider?  Academic Record  Difficulty of Course Load  SAT Scores  Letters of Recommendation  College Essay  Extra-Curricular Activities  Personal Interview  Neatness of the College Application  Community Service  Special Talents  Demonstrated Interest

Admission Criteria Objective Grades Types of Courses Standardized Test Scores Subjective Application Essay Recommendations Activities Special Talent Interview Objective: admission is based on academic history Subjective: admission is based on personal characteristics

WEBSITES CAREER WEB SITES See links on Mrs. Gandy’s school webpage  US Bureau of Labor  Career Key COLLEGE ADMISSION WEB SITES  Alphabetical list of all Universities in the U.S.  Career Cruising  Peterson’s Onlinewww.petersons.comwww.petersons.com  Common Applicationwww.commonapp.orgwww.commonapp.org  College Boardwww.collegeboard.comwww.collegeboard.com  ACT FINANCIAL AID WEB SITES  Financial Aid Information Pagewww.finaid.comwww.finaid.com  Fast Webwww.fastweb.comwww.fastweb.com  U.S. Dept. of Educationnces.ed.gov/ipeds/coolnces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool  CT Dept. of Higher Edwww.ctdhe.orgwww.ctdhe.org  NCAA Clearinghousewww.ncaaclearinghouse.net/  FAFSAwww.fafsa.ed.govwww.fafsa.ed.gov  CSS Profilehttps://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsphttps://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp

What college is right for me? Where? What size school fits me? Will I be admitted?

Admissions Counselors Consider Student Record/Transcript Strength of Schedule Scores (SAT/ACT/Optional?) Activities Resume Essays Recommendations

What Students Should Consider… Location (Urban, Suburban, Rural) Distance Academic Rigor Size Extra-curricular (i.e. athletics, clubs, organizations) Field of Study/Major Financial Aid

Finding the perfect college match: m/college_search/ Create a free account, take surveys, and explore college options. Compare colleges. Find your perfect college match!

ACT vs. SAT: Which should I take? Both are accepted at all US colleges ACT measures: English (75 items, 45 minutes) Mathematics (60 items, 60 minutes) Reading (40 items, 35 minutes) Science (40 items, 35 minutes) SAT measures: Reading (52 items, 65 minutes) Writing & Language (44 items, 35 minutes) Math (58 items, 80 minutes) The Essay (optional) (1 task, 50 minutes) Test Fees: ACT = $83.50 – $99.50 (with writing) SAT = $ $ (based on location) Both tests’ scores are based on the number of correct answers without penalties for incorrect answers

SAT Test Dates & Registration Information

ACT

Application Process Check individual college or university application requirements Know specific deadlines and requirements for admissions for the specific schools you want to attend – Application – Financial aid

$$$ for College FAFSA - – Useful youtube videos: – A rep from TVCC can come to MM – possible date/time??? Scholarships – See my website – (demo) – GOOGLE!!! – Check school religiously – Sign up for Remind: Text to: Seniors Juniors – Don’t wait – start applying now!!!

Resources Handouts Mrs. Gandy’s webpage Websites of colleges you’re interested in

Final Thoughts What questions do you have? How can I best help you or your child?