Career & College 101 Centralia High School

Communication Follow us on Twitter Remind @counselingCHS Text @col101 to the number 81010

Tonight’s Agenda: Essays, Apps & Scholarships Look at CHS Dollars for Scholarships sample application Hear from Centralia College Look at college application basics. Look at college essay prompts. Learn the basics of a well written college personal statement. Visit scholarship search engines & web pages.

Save the dates: Wednesday, Dec 7 @ 7PM Wednesday, Jan 11 5:30- 7:30 PM ACT/SAT PSAT Wednesday, Jan 11 5:30- 7:30 PM FAFSA on the Web Workshop

College Application Basics Requirements: make sure you qualify for admission. See admissions>requirements for undergraduates. Core Classes, SAT Scores, GPA. Remember timelines & set reminders! Priority deadlines for Acceptance, Housing, Financial Aid, Scholarships Have personal, academic and family information ready and at your fingertips Tax information, letters of recommendation contact information, school (academic and personal=Transcripts and awards) information. Open up a folder on your computer and start adding information; save and back up. Use your resources: Counselors, Career Center, or Call Directly to Admissions Office Apply for three to four colleges: Solid, Reach, Dream

Requirements- CHECK each institution 4 Year University(general) 2 year college High School Graduation Requirements, plus Classes in your field of study. Early application. Trending upward. . . High School Graduation Requirements, plus: Extra year of math, science, English. Foreign lang- 2-3 years High SAT Score Good GPA Strong Senior Year See our website for 2 year, 4 year & NCAA entrance comparisons: http://www.centralia.k12.wa.us/Page/293

Timelines and Reminders Notebook Personal information, recommenders, iPhone App College Application Organizer- Ken Friedman $19.99 College Pastport SAT Edition See Peterson’s, College Net for Overall yearly timeline: http://www.petersons.com/; http://www.collegenet.com/elect/app/app Gather information early and edit it. Work with needed people early: Recommenders Registrar for transcripts Counselor Admissions & financial aid staff at the college you are applying to

Apply to FOUR Solid: pretty sure I am going here and I can get in. Apply for three to four colleges: Solid, Reach, Dream Solid: pretty sure I am going here and I can get in. Reach: I would like to go here, but I think it is a reach for me to do so. Dream: I am a pretty convinced I cannot go here, but I will apply and dream a little!

College Entrance Essays Personal Essay or Statement types: The “You” Question: Example: "The University of Vermont values a diverse student body. What contributions might you make to our campus community outside of academic achievement?" The “Why Us” [College] Question: Example: "How did you become interested in American University?" The Creative Question: Example: "Sharing intellectual interests is an important aspect of university life. Describe an experience or idea that you find intellectually exciting, and explain why."

College Entrance Essays 2 See paper for pitfalls and ideas about the 3 types of essays: Get an essay reviewer: Parent or family member Trusted teacher, usually in the English department Counselor Admissions professional Allow time for feedback Don’t take feedback too personally Re-write if you think you need to.

Scholarships Our CHS Website: http://www.centralia.k12.wa.us/Page/2237 The WashBoard.org: http://www.thewashboard.org/login.aspx  Dollars for Scholars at Centralia High School: http://www.centralia.k12.wa.us/Page/298 Let’s take a look at DFS application on paper. A few search Engines: http://www.centralia.k12.wa.us/Page/2238 Our Web page with Links http://www.college-scholarships.com/ College scholarships http://www.gocollege.com/ Go College http://www.finaid.org/ Financial Aid There are many, many more. Beware of scams!

Questions? Jim Parker, Counselor Matt Whitmire, Counselor jparker@centralia.wednet.edu 360-827-6309 Matt Whitmire, Counselor mwhitmire@centralia.wednet.edu 360-827-6308 Deb Everley, Counselor deverley@centralia.wednet.edu 360-827-6273 Josh Lowe, Administration jlowe@centralia.wednet.edu 360-330-7605

Feedback Please fill out evaluation form to help us do better. Leave on table or turn it in to one of us. Thank you for coming! See you on December 7 @ 7PM SAT/ACT Achievement Testing