Junior Family Night Part II Wednesday, April 4, 2018 Presented by the Avon Grove High School Guidance Department Elaine Markowitz students A-D Duane Carroll students E-K Scott Searfoss students L-Q Jennifer Lubins students R-Z

Topics to be covered tonight… 4 Step Action Plan Focus: Choosing a Specific Path (2 or 4 Year College, Trade/Technical School, Military, Work) Stay on Track: Grades SAT/ACT scores Improving your high school resume Research: What do I want to do after high school? How do I get there? Action: Timelines FAFSA/Scholarship Information Review You should be here... Moving towards... Summer & Fall 2018

How did we get here? The Transcript Game “Marketing Yourself” Worksheet Recent classroom presentations Currently meeting individually with our juniors

Stay On Track Keep your grades up! Anyone looking at your transcript would like to see students who are trending up not down. Take necessary standardized tests Stay involved in school and activities. Consider career related experiences to help build your high school resume such as shadowing experiences or summer opportunities. Continue to verify that your post high school plan makes sense for you Stay organized - Ask your family to help with this!

It’s not enough to just look online or drive by... What are some other ways to learn about post-secondary opportunities? Visit the school Talk to students who attend the school Meet with college representatives at AGHS when they come in for presentations or at college fairs Meet with military recruiters from different branches Research places of employment/different opportunities Social Media

What are schools looking for? Transcript (Grades, SAT/ACT Scores) BUILDING YOUR HIGH SCHOOL RESUME Leadership Extracurricular Activities Community Service/Volunteer Hours Work Experience Refer to junior classroom presentations

Temple Option - Test Optional Students accepted to Temple Option typically have a GPA of 3.5 or higher

What schools do you want to apply to, III. FOCUS What schools do you want to apply to, please consider: Parts of an application may include (transcript or Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR), test scores, letters of recommendation, essay/personal statement, interview/audition/portfolio, application fee, etc) Your qualifications (GPA, class rank, SAT/ACT) Your needs (academic program, cost) Your wants (size, location, extracurricular activities) STAY ORGANIZED!

“How Many Schools Should I Apply To?” Common Question is… “How Many Schools Should I Apply To?” Five Application Strategy (one) Reach School (three) Target Schools (one) Safety School

IV. ACTION Getting Ready to Apply! Things to pay attention to: If it does have a deadline, when is it? Verify school specific application requirements (letters of recommendation, personal statement/essay, portfolio/interview) What do they need? Does the school use the Common Application or do they have their own application? More than 750 colleges use the Common App! (University of Delaware)

Types of Admissions Open Admissions DCCC, Del Tech, Cecil College “Rolling” with a Preferred Deadline Penn State University Rolling 14 PA State Schools, Temple, Pitt Early Action (Non-Binding) Villanova, Drexel Early Decision (Binding) George Washington, Bucknell

The Common Application More than 750 Colleges! Delaware University of Delaware (Exclusive) Pennsylvania Albright, Arcadia, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Drexel, Elizabethtown, Franklin & Marshall, Immaculata, Lehigh, Millersville, Saint Joseph's, Temple, University of Pennsylvania, Ursinus, Villanova University, etc.

Student “Brag Sheet” for Recommendation Letters

AGHS Transcript Request Form

Scholarship Information AGHS Guidance Website

Scholarship Information https://myscholly.com www.fastweb.com https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search

Families now submit their Fafsa as early as October! FAFSA Information Families now submit their Fafsa as early as October! This is the first step towards looking at the overall picture of the cost of college and comparing one school against another

Now Ask the Experts! Alex Day Lindsay Arnold Kiersten Crouse Mary Gould Sarah Madonna Luke Olshefsky Andrew Spencer Jason Thomson Jordan Howard

Between Now and Senior Year... SPRING of Junior Year Attend Junior Family Night Part II Complete a “brag sheet” if you haven’t done so already, ask for letters of recommendation before the school year is over, check with the Guidance Office to see if you have any letters turned in! Continue researching schools, programs, and careers using online websites such as Career Cruising Visit schools Brainstorm college essay / personal statements - you can look at current applications so you know what to expect Student athletes looking to play in college should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center Visit the AGHS Guidance Office to see what summer educational, volunteer and work opportunities are available

Between Now and Senior Year... SUMMER Before Senior Year Continue to build your high school resume by fulfilling any summer work and volunteer obligations Update your Career Cruising resume Complete any necessary summer work to make sure you are on track when the school year begins Organize your application materials (TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORMS) and prioritize based on application deadline (rolling vs. fixed vs. Pitt/Penn State)

Avon Grove High School presents: Mr. Peter Van Buskirk “The Admissions Game” April 23, 2018 High School Auditorium 6:30pm Do you ever wonder who "gets in" and "why?" "The Admission Game®" (TAG) takes you inside the admission process for the answers. TAG is a high energy, high impact, interactive, case study exercise for students and parents in which the audience is transformed into an admission committee.

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