Planning Your Next Move… Counselors-Students-Parents Working Together Lincoln Southwest High School – Class of 2017 Senior Family Meeting (Please shut off or mute cell phones.) Our goal for the senior class is to assist them in preparing to move in a direction of their life’s journey-whether that be continuing their education, working full-time, joining the military, or pursuing another option.

Moving forward… LPS Graduation Requirement Government & Politics New- Community service – 20 hours which include reflection writing. Anders Peterson EducationQuest representative will be at LSW each Thursday to work with families on Financial Aid by appointment. To schedule, contact the counseling center at 402-436-1306 Extension 66300. Graduation requirements are the basic minimum needed for graduation, not for college admission requirements. A letter will be mailed in August to seniors who needed additional graduation requirements. Government and Politics hours need to be completed by their due dates There is a direct link about Go/Po hours on Dr. Ted Larson’s (LSW Social Studies Dept Chair) home page Appropriate schedules vary with the students’ individual goals A rigorous schedule is recommended for students who are planning on attending a 4-year school While some students are working & saving for college, students should continue involvement in school & community activities Family decision-making should be a priority during the senior year. Dream college letter Face book.

The Counselor’s role… Conducts individual meetings with seniors – starting next week and continuing through Term 1. Checks seniors’ progress in completing graduation requirements Assists seniors with completing the ScholarshipQuest scholarship search Provides information about college and/or career planning process

Communication updates… Counseling Center’s web site Packets from senior meeting Synergy ParentVUE Bulletin boards Daily bulletin & Silver Talon School Messenger – phone calls & e-mails

Counseling Center Google Classroom Seniors will have the opportunity to join Seniors 2017 in google classroom to get messages from the Counseling Center regarding college visits, and information pertaining to seniors. The code to enter is l9bz726 We are working on a different way to keep students current

Making Post Secondary Decisions is a Process Every student and family will be at a different place at a different time in the process. DO NOT get caught up in the frenzy of what others are saying and doing. Trust that it will be fine in the end.

Preparing for options… Employment Military Two-year college Academic Transfer Four-year college Tonight we will be focusing specifically on the college process.

The student’s role… Use resources well Bring questions to senior meeting Counseling center resources Computers College guides Appointments - 2:15pm on early release Tuesdays Counselor web site Check calendar regularly

Student responsibilities… Register for admissions tests Complete college applications Request teacher & counselor recommendations Provide registrar with transcript requests Search & apply for scholarships Work with parents to file financial aid applications by deadlines

Applying to College We encourage student to apply to their “dream school” and well as safety schools or schools that students can see themselves attending if they to not get accepted to the “dream school”. Remember that selective schools will deny admission to 92 to 94% of the students that apply. Do not take it personally. You may not fit the profile that school is looking for in their new freshmen class. If staying in state for college we encourage students to follow the 2-2- 2 rule. Apply to 2 NU campuses, 2 Nebraska private colleges and 2 Nebraska state colleges. For example a 26 ACT score gets you no scholarship at an NU campus but may get you close to a full tuition scholarship at a Nebraska state college.

Social Media The impact of social media on the college admissions process has increasingly become a two-way street. While students are researching prospective schools on Facebook and Twitter, admissions departments are also checking up on prospective students’ social media profiles. When applying to college, it is vital for you to present your best self not only on your application, but also online. Your application will tell the admissions officers about your interests, the type of student you are, and how well you performed in school. But your online presence will tell admissions officers, and future employers, how you present yourself in public, and how your projected image fits in with their particular institution.

Social Media Your social media presence is playing a part in your consideration for admission, and admissions officers are paying attention to what they find. 27% of admissions officers surveyed said they Google prospective students. 26% said they look up applicants on Facebook. 35% said that when checking up on a student’s online presence, they found something that negatively impacted an applicant’s chances of getting in, nearly tripling from 12% last year.

Resources for seniors… Visit with college reps at LSW & College Fair @ SCC Sun., 10/9 1-3pm Participate in college campus visits Attend Open Houses on campuses Conduct scholarship searches Research financial aid opportunities NCAA/NAIA student-athlete information NCAA Parent Information night for Oct. 19th, here at LSW at 7:00

Online assistance… ACT -www.act.org LSW Counseling Center http://wp.lps.org/jlehn2/ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) www.eligibilitycenter.org FAFSA www.fafsa.ed.gov (submit after Oct. 1st) EducationQuest www.educationquest.org ACT -www.act.org SAT -www.collegeboard.com National Scholarship Searches linked from Counselor’s page on LSW web site ScholarshipQuest NE, LSW & LPS Scholarships https://www.fes.org/scholarques t/s_login.asp Learn To Dream Scholarship

COUNSELORS Dr. Dee Simpson-Kirkland (A-C) Malinda Jean Baptiste (D-He) Eric Feeken (Hf-L) Dr. Joyce Lehn,Team Leader (M-N) Colleen Finkhouse (Q-Sl) Tim Ernst (Sm-Z) We will be in front of the auditorium after the program to assist with questions. ~September 5, 2007

Upcoming events at LSW LSW Apply2College Now on Thursday, October 6th from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Students can sign up for a pass to leave class and apply to college with the help of counselors and College representatives. More information will be coming to seniors. The Susan T. Buffett Foundation College Scholarshiphttp://buffettscholarships.org/college-scholarships will be in late October or early November. This is a chance for seniors to meet with Buffet representatives and find out about eligibly and the application process. More information will be coming to students as the date in confirmed.

EducationQuest Please welcome Les Monroe from EducationQuest for information on College Funding.