LOOKING BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL October 2, 2017 Angela Roberts, MA 12th grade Counselor Gaby murphy, MA College and Career Counselor Julie Mcmanus director of counseling

agenda Higher Ed Opportunities Testing Admissions Criteria College Day Transcripts and Recommendations Financial Aid Scholarship Resources

Higher ed opportunities Four-year universities Two-year colleges Technical schools Certification programs

Majors and careers Career Cruising (www.careercruising.com) Username: LUF-ID# Password: DOB (MMDDYYYY) Start exploring majors and careers Method Test Prep (SAT) www.bigfuture.org www.bls.gov/ooh

Four-Year Universities Testing requirements Two-Year Colleges Four-Year Universities Placement exam: TSI or TSI Exemption Admissions exam: SAT  Evidence Based Reading and Writing, Mathematics, and an optional Writing Test ACT  English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test

TSI EXEMPTIONS SAT ACT Composite N/A 23 EBRW/English 480 19 Math 530 Students may be exempt from one or all TSI assessments Dual Credit & TSI If your student has taken and passed a dual credit class they have likely met the requirements for TSI. See Counselor or Julie McManus with questions.

Testing dates

Testing dates

TSI INFORMATION DATES ***September 27 April 21 ***November 1 May 21 (seniors only) February 24 June 27 ***afternoon (only 1 test) Can students retake the TSI? Yes, students can retake the TSI as many times as they would like. Must repay each time.

TSI costs $10.00 per test (Reading, Math, or Writing) Students receiving free / reduced lunch: $5.00 Reading $5.00 Math $8.00 Writing

Apply to college early! www.applytexas.org or www.commonapp.org Save username and password Send transcript Send application fee where applicable Application fee waivers through SAT/ACT Send SAT/ACT scores directly from test agency Send TSI scores when available (if necessary)

TEXAS Common Application www.applytexas.org Student name and address Educational information Tests Residency Extracurricular Activities Essay Transcript SAVE YOUR USER NAME AND PASSWORD!

College acceptance criteria

What are admissions looking for?

Student activities list

Essay Topics Essay A- What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Essay B- Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself. Essay C- You’ve got a ticket in your hand-Where will you? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

ESSAY Personalize Handicap overcome? Challenging experiences? Setbacks? Unusual situations? Motivation to succeed

College day Complete request form in 12th grade office Have approval well in advance Return with documentation from the school Excused absence

Transcripts and recommendations Request transcripts in the counseling office several days in advance. First three transcripts are free; after third, $3 each. Complete autobiographical “brag sheet,” and give to counselor for recommendation. Submit recommendation request and “brag sheet” AT LEAST 10 DAYS IN ADVANCE.

Fafsa Free Application for Federal Student Aid Opens Oct. 1st 10 million students a year apply, with 8 million awarded some type of aid $3 billion available each year Awarded on first-come, first-served basis Do not pay for FAFSA services. www.fafsa.ed.gov FSA ID has replaced the PIN, effective May 2015. Users can electronically access personal information as well as electronically sign a FAFSA. Must have parents’ tax return. Use 2016 tax return for fall 2018.

College funding FAFSA Parent Plus Loans Texas Grant Grants Work study Student Loans Parent Plus Loans Texas Grant Loan Forgiveness Programs Tuition and fee exemptions Tax credits

Possible Tuition exemptions Foster Care Adoption Valedictorian Blind Deaf Hazlewood Act

Scholarship application See Mrs. Murphy in the Go Center for scholarship information and applications. http://sites.lufkinisd.org/lhs/go-center/ Apply to your school of choice for scholarships. Search the web for national scholarships. Ex. www.fastweb.com Register for Remind 101 text @lufkin2018 to 810-10 Twitter--@LufHSCounseling

5 Common scholarship mistakes Only applying for private scholarships Most people think of scholarships as something offered by a private organizations. Check locally and nationally for scholarships Applying for too few scholarships Getting lots of small scholarships adds up. Smaller scholarships are often less competitive, so you have better chances of winning an award Not following instructions and other application mistakes Always double check your work, or even better, get someone else to look over your work. A second pair of eyes can help catch careless mistakes. Not paying attention to deadlines Missing a deadline is the biggest mistake you can make. Apply before the deadline hits. It really doesn’t pay to procrastinate. Looking for only a few weeks Start your search as early as you can, which will allow you more time to complete applications and earn scholarship awards.

Scholarships based on merit

Scholarships at lhs One Application- Deadline February 9th General Scholarship Application LHS Alumni Association Scholarships Community Scholarships

www.fafsa.ed.gov www.collegefortexans.com www.fastweb.com resources www.fafsa.ed.gov www.collegefortexans.com www.fastweb.com www.bigfuture.org www.hsf.net www.uncf.org

College night Financial Aid Workshops in the library Scholarship Presentation in the auditorium College and career representatives in the cafeteria

review Tests required Apply early College funding Scholarships

Meningitis shot clinics State requirement Shot Clinics @ LHS Nov 8th and April 24th More details to come

www.khanacademy.org Free online SAT test prep Official partner with Collegeboard

Live SAT Test prep

Angela Roberts Questions?? 936-630-4107 aroberts@lufkinisd.org Gaby Murphy 936-633-7592 gmurphy@lufkinisd.org Julie McManus 936-630-4116 juliemcmanus@lufkinisd.org