A Presentation for Parents of Juniors March 6, 2017 College Search & Application Overview A Presentation for Parents of Juniors March 6, 2017

Introductions Court Wirth 6th year at Marist 11th year as a Counselor Senior Counselor, Director of Counseling

Tonight’s Agenda Four stages of the application process Nate Mannetter- Insight from a College Admissions Counselor Factors in a college’s admission decision Events to help with the college search Naviance Course Selection Odds & Ends

The Four Stages of the College Application Process 1- Research/ Planning/ Narrowing 2- Applying 3- Financial Aid and Scholarships 4- Evaluating Offers and Making a Decision

Stage One: Now thru the Fall Research-Planning-Narrowing This is a very important, and often overlooked, time in the college planning process. Students should: Engage in self-reflection Determine the factors that are most important in selecting a university Research Refine their list

Compiling a Final college list Seniors will enter the list of colleges to which they plan to apply in to Naviance The final list should be: 3-8 schools A combination of Reach, Target, & Safety schools (factoring in both odds of admittance, and cost) Well researched Both the school and the application process Know requirements (such as whether letters of rec, or SAT Subject Exams are required)

Stage one (continued) Students need to do the best they can in their classes right now Take the SAT/ACT (and possibly SAT Subject Exams) before end of junior year (all juniors will take the ACT here April 19) Take advantage of this summer- Volunteer, work, participate in an educational or travel experience Visit college campuses, and spend time researching them online

Stage two: Applying (Fall) We will talk more about this in September, but here are some basics: -Students submit their application to a college -Students need to have their test scores sent directly from the testing agency (SAT or ACT) to the college -Student needs to be aware of what school forms are needed (transcripts, letters of rec), and make the appropriate requests.

Stage Three: (Fall/ Winter) Financial Aid and Scholarships Have open discussions about finances. Talk to your son/daughter about what THEIR financial responsibilities will be. When researching a college, be mindful of the cost of attendance, as well as aid that they offer. Be straightforward about what your expectations are regarding applying for scholarships. Scholarship “high season” is from about January-April of senior year, but there are others out there before then.

Stage Four: (Winter/ Spring) Evaluating Offers and Making a Decision Students should have all notifications, and financial aid offers, by April 1. Continuing to pursue private scholarships May 1 is National Candidates Reply Date. Remember to keep in mind the self-evaluation that you did at the beginning of this process. “College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.”

An insider’s perspective… Nate Mannetter, Assistant Director of Admissions at Gonzaga University

Senior Admission Counselor The College Admission Process Nate Mannetter Senior Admission Counselor Gonzaga University

Overview How to approach and manage the college admission process The basics: moving from a “prospect” to an “accept” Five key myths and realities Open discussion and questions

The Helicopter

The Snow Plow

The Coach

The Coach Ask questions Assist with research Encourage hard work Help create and monitor a calendar of deadlines Be an emotional support Plan college visits Lead the financial process

The Coach Assess strengths Focus on finding the right “match” Utilize your support network

Admissions Office Operations Any student can be a “prospect” or “inquiry” Application: Submit transcript, scores, activity information, writing pieces, recommendations Check email regularly to know if any information is missing Colleges want completed applications

Colleges want to admit students! Application Review Index guarantees, holistic review Rolling admissions, pooling admissions Early deadlines, regular deadlines Colleges want to admit students!

Myth #1 Monster’s University sent me information or a free application that is pre-populated, so they will accept me if I apply. Monster’s University is seeking your interest. There are no promises.

Myth #2 “It’s all about the essay.” “It’s all about high test scores.” “It’s all about participating in a lot of activities.” Nothing is more important than academic performance in high school.

Myth #3 Sharing information about hardships, learning differences, etc. is risky. The more we know about each applicant, the better informed our decision-making.

Myth #4 Average acceptance rate in the U.S. is over 60% Colleges and universities accept only a tiny percentage of their applicants. Average acceptance rate in the U.S. is over 60%

Myth #5 I cannot afford Monster’s University because the published tuition, room, and board rates are too high. It is rare for a student to pay the “sticker price” due to financial aid strategies.

Enjoy the Process The process can be FUN and EXCITING! Students build skills by managing their college search Ask questions whenever you need assistance

Contact Information Nate Mannetter Senior Admission Counselor at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA mannetter@gonzaga.edu, 509-313-6575 www.gonzaga.edu or beazag.gonzaga.edu

​Considerable importance Factors in the Admissions Decisions (Percentage of colleges attributing different levels of importance to factors in the admission decision: 2014) ​ Factor ​Considerable importance ​Moderate Importance ​Limited Importance Grades in college prep courses​ ​79% ​13% ​7% Grades in all courses ​60 ​31 ​9 Strength of Curriculum ​27 ​10 Admission test scores (SAT, ACT). ​55 33 8 ​Essay or writing sample ​22 ​39 ​Counselor Recommendation ​17 42 ​Student’s Demonstrated Interest

Factors in the Admissions Decisions, continued ​Considerable importance ​Moderate Importance ​Limited Importance ​Teacher Recommendation ​15% 44% 28% ​Class Rank ​14 ​37 32 ​Subject test scores (AP, IB) ​7 ​35 ​33 ​Portfolio ​10 ​31 ​Extracurricular Activities 6 ​43 SAT II scores ​5 ​8 ​23 Interviews​ ​4 28

What about community colleges? Guaranteed Admittance for high school graduates Transfer to a 4-year college after 1 or 2 years, and earn a Bachelor degree. Certificate and Associate Degree options Dual-enrollment programs (Linn-Benton and OSU, for instance) are available Deadlines are far later in the college timeline Oregon Promise- Tuition covered for first two years of community college for all Oregon grads with a 2.5 GPA Financial Aid process is the same

Marist events to help throughout the process NCAA Info Session- April 10 College Planning Night for Seniors- September Financial Aid Night – October College visits at Marist (throughout the fall) Common Application tutorial (fall)

Area events to help throughout the process April 30- PNACAC Spring College Fair, Portland May 25-JET (Jesuit Excellence Tour) at Jesuit High School in Portland August 2- Colleges That Change Lives College Fair & Info Session, Portland October- PNACAC Fall College Faire, Eugene

A Note About Naviance Naviance is essential throughout this process. Communication tool between myself and the students. Students need to keep their application plans up-to-date Students request transcripts, letters of recommendation, to the colleges they apply to Parents have their own log-in info- (if you need yours, please email me)

Naviance Resources Strengths Explorer Career Interest Profile Game Plan Resume Letter of Recommendation Request Form (if letters will be needed) College Search Tool & College pages

Course Selection and the College Process Senior year courses should continue to be good preparation for college Admissions officers consider course rigor throughout high school INCLUDING senior year Dropping courses halfway through the year may impact a student’s application to university Mid-term grades are required by many colleges, and final grades are always required by college a student is attending. Please discuss this with your son/daughter as they register for next year’s courses

College Athletics Students who hope to be recruited for college athletics at NCAA or NAIA schools MUST complete the necessary forms online before they can be contacted by college coaches. If student is considering this, they should contact me NCAA info session April 10

What’s in your packet? “How to Pick a College” article Glossary of Terms A timeline for Junior/Senior Year SAT/ACT Information “Useful Websites”/ Choosing a College Worksheet A copy of the student’s current transcript

Questions? Feedback? Court Wirth (541) 681-5483 cwirth@marisths.org My contact info Questions? Feedback? Court Wirth (541) 681-5483 cwirth@marisths.org