San Juan USD College Night Senior Parent Information Session Presented by: Rio Americano Counseling Team

Senior To-Do List Utilize Naviance to research post-high school options Visit college websites and take virtual tours Check academic (course) requirements for freshman admission to where applying Take or re-take SAT and/or ACT + writing Most colleges accept through the Dec. 2019 test date but some require tests to be taken by Oct/Nov. Check with each campus. Prospective college athletes: Register with NCAA Eligibility Center asap NCAA academic requirements

Student Roles with Letter of Recommendation ▪Sign the FERPA acknowledgement ▪ Allow a minimum of two weeks prior notice (not over Thanksgiving & Christmas breaks) ▪ If the student gives us 2 weeks notice, we will submit on time

To-Do List for Students Be organized! Create master list of application deadlines, letters of recommendations needed, financial aid & scholarship deadlines, etc. Begin working on UC personal insight questions/essay if required. Complete “Personal Profile” if requesting a letter of recommendation from teachers/counselor.

UC and CSU Schools UC Comprehensive Review CSU GPA (min. 3.0 weighted) Strength of Curriculum Test Scores ACT w/Writing OR SAT w/ Writing Accept highest score from one sitting SAT II Subject Tests: Not required but recommended for certain majors Personal insight questions required Extracurricular activities CSU GPA (minimum 2.0 weighted) Test Scores ACT or SAT (no writing scores needed except for Cal Poly SLO) Super Score

WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange) WUE is a reduced out of state tuition program Reduced tuition is not automatically awarded Participating schools might have specific requirements such as GPA, major, etc. Refer to website for a list of participants http://wiche.edu/wue

Finding the right “fit” ▪ Over 4,000 colleges & universities in the U.S. ▪ Appeal of “name brand” schools ▪ Keep options open ▪ Why “fit” is so important ▪ Research, visit, question!

Parent Letter of Recommendation In counselor letter of recommendation packet as the final question What would you want the college admissions officer to know about your child that they would not be able to glean from only school records and the college application? Parental insight makes a tremendous difference in the quality of a finished letter of recommendation, so we ask that you address this portion with anecdotes and other pertinent information that is not already used in the college application Possible topics include student's greatest strengths, most unique characteristics, significant family events, student's personal obstacles, etc...

Counselor Letters of Recommendation Purpose: Overall picture of student Students must complete the senior packet thoroughly and completely Parents asked to write information Reminder: UC and CSU campuses do not accept letters of recommendation

Teacher Letters of Recommendation Purpose: Spotlight accomplishments within the scope of the classroom Preferably from junior year academic teacher Check college website for specific requirements Your student should ask the teacher IN PERSON to write a letter of recommendation. The teacher may ask the student to fill out the teacher letter of recommendation questionnaire (available in the counseling office) Teacher at Rio Americano will be using Naviance. Be Organized! Provide teacher with a written list of schools you would like them to submit letter to. Remind your student to send a thank you card. Teachers are not required to write letters, so be sure to say thanks!

College List in Naviance

Scholarships and Grants Scholarship List Local Scholarships National Scholarship Search Available on Naviance under the College Tab then scroll to Scholarships and Money Parent(s) place of employment

Helpful Application Websites University of California: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply California State University: www2.calstate.edu/apply Common Application: www.commonapp.org WUE: https://www.wiche.edu/wue Naviance: https://portal.sanjuan.edu Rio Americano Counseling Page: https://www.sanjuan.edu/rioamericano Financial Aid & Scholarship Websites: FAFSA: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov Cal Grant: http://www.csac.ca.gov Financial Aid Information: http://www.finaid.org FastWEB Scholarship Search: http://www.fastweb.com Athletic Websites: NCAA: www.eligibilitycenter.org (Division I and II) NAIA – www.playnaia.org