Juniors: Get Ready for College! Southmoore High School

Your Speakers University of Oklahoma- Veleecia Hearne (405) 325-2151 veleecia@ou.edu Oklahoma State University- Ashley Kirven (405) 385-2764 akirven@okstate.edu

Junior Days Campus Tours Light Research Spring Semester

Junior Days Most schools will have a day for Juniors to explore campus! Usually free and very informative! A pressure-free environment Check out what schools you’re interested in are hosting events

Campus Tours Visit campus! This will spark your enthusiasm for college. It will also give you a feel for where you want to spend the next four years. Go to the admissions website to find out how.

Light Research Start looking into a few schools that peak your interest. Talk to your Career Specialists! See what you like and what you are looking for in a school. Here are a few websites we recommend: www.okcareerguide.org Start a Word doc of everything you like. Talk to your parents about what you want to gain from your college experience.

Essay Prompts ACT/SAT Apply Early Deadlines YES! Summer:

Essay Prompts Most schools post their essays online. Start practicing! Write essays in a Word document and save them Ask an English teacher from junior year to look over essays They’d love to hear from you over the summer and see you are prepping for college!

The ACT/SAT Take some time this summer to practice or take the tests Several resources available online for practice No stress or pressure of homework, quizzes and tests You will test better!

Apply Early Most schools offer their application in the summer. OSU- July 1 OU- August 1 Check if the school you’re interested in has their application offered during the summer. Applying early alleviates stress from the fall semester.

Deadlines Research your top schools See what their timelines are Each school will have a different set of deadlines! Make a chart of these deadlines to stay ahead and not miss anything important. Crucial deadlines: Application, Scholarship, Housing, Honors, Orientation

Fall Semester (Senior Year) Apply Application requirements Ways to be Admitted FAFSA Reach out to your admissions counselor Scholarships Fall Semester (Senior Year)

Apply! If your school of choice does offer the application in the summer, start applying now! Get everything in as early as possible! Waiting only delays the process. Send your transcript in once senior year starts so the school has it on file already.

Application Requirements Most schools will require these items from you: An application online An application fee or fee waiver (ask your counselor about a waiver) A high school transcript sent directly from your school Official ACT or SAT scores Some schools may require other items such as: Essays Resume Letter of Recommendation Media Portfolio Fall Grades Make sure to check what each school needs from you before you finish applying!

Requirements for Oklahoma Schools University of Oklahoma: Holistic Review Process There are no minimum requirements to be admitted to OU Areas that are up for review include: Application Academic Rigor Engagement Essay Letter of Recommendation Oklahoma State University: Assured Admission 3.0 unweighted cumulative GPA and top 33% of your class 3.0 core GPA and 21 ACT/1060 SAT 24 ACT/1160 SAT Comprehensive Review GPA and ACT/SAT 2 Essays Resume

Ways to be Admitted University of Oklahoma Admit Contractual Offer Fully admitted to the university Contractual Offer Admissions Agreement Sooner Redlands Agreement Waitlist Admissions Review Committee will request additional test scores and transcripts to re- review application Deny Not admitted to OU, we will provide opportunities to transfer to OU Oklahoma State University: Admit Fully admitted to the university with no restrictions Holistic/Alternative Admit Admitted to the university with a few restrictions and requirements Defer Review committee will ask for additional materials in order to review student again Deny Cannot attend OSU, but can go into the NOC Gateway Program.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid Known as FAFSA--- FREE MONEY! Opens October 1st Everyone should fill this out and send to every school you are applying to Make sure to have your parents/guardians help you with it Take advantage of the IRS data retrieval tool Be aware of scams- the FAFSA is FREE Make sure the website says FAFSA.GOV If you are Oklahoma’s Promise, you are REQUIRED to fill out a FAFSA

Reach out to Admissions Counselors Everyone has an admissions counselor for each school they apply to you OU- Veleecia! OSU- Ashley! Find yours on their website and contact them. It’s nice to form a relationship with your counselor. They are a wealth of knowledge!

Scholarships Each school will have different scholarship types and requirements Make sure to ask the admissions counselor about deadlines and requirements for that school in particular. OU: December 15th deadline OSU: November 1st deadline GPA and ACT are some of the biggest factors in scholarship consideration Make sure to see if the schools requires a separate application for scholarships or if the application for admission is the scholarship application.

Scholarships cont. Start early! Do research on local scholarships you can apply for. Don’t wait until the last minute to apply. Here are some of our favorite community sites: www.occf.org www.fastweb.com Ask your high school counselor about scholarships that are available Check and see if the alumni chapter of the school you’re applying to has scholarships available

Next Steps & Extracurriculars Housing Enrollment Get Involved! Get Excited! Next Steps & Extracurriculars

Housing Benefits of living on campus vs. commuting Must be admitted to the university before applying for housing Building community, finding new friends Check each university for housing deadlines

Orientation Summer enrollment appointments Sign up early because dates fill up quickly Camp Cowboy and Camp Crimson!

Get Involved! Every university will offer on campus activities! There is something out there for everyone! Big Event Soonerthon/Cowboython Student Government Association Intramurals

Get Excited! Don’t forget about Saturdays in Oklahoma! GAMEDAY! Homecoming Parent’s Weekends Howdy/Welcome Week

Thank you!