GREAT NECK SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT Welcome to the College Journey October 20, 2015 Welcome to College Night! You are here because you have questions about getting into college, and you may want to know what you have to do in high school to prepare. You may wonder about standardized tests. You probably have questions about the applications process. Finally, you probably want information about financial aid. You probably feel overwhelmed by all this, but let’s take things one step at a time.

HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION Ms. Susan Elliott – Principal Ms. Sharon Applebaum – Assistant Principal Mr. John Duggan – Assistant Principal HIGH SCHOOL DEANS Mr. Peter Gottfried - Dean Ms. Sally Passarella - Dean

HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS Ms. Carly Bank – Counselor Mr. Christopher Erickson – Counselor Ms. Allison Romeo Gottfried – Counselor Ms. Jo-AnnEyre McNeil Cruz – Counselor Ms. Gillian O’Connell – Counselor Ms. Stacey Rapp – Counselor Dr. Joseph Stopanio - Counselor Ms. Rebecca Gottesman – Department Chairperson

What are you looking for in a college? Major Location Campus Setting Size of school Type (Public, Private, Religious Affiliations, Liberal Arts, Conservatory) Athletics Extracurricular Activities Military academies Special Programs (Arts, Honors, Learning Support Services, ROTC, Co-Op)

Naviance: Family Connection https://connection. naviance Create student account Computer program which allows students and parents to research colleges College Search, SuperMatch GNS acceptance statistics and scattergrams Emails communication between Guidance office and students

Create Student Naviance Account https://connection.naviance.com/family-connection/auth/login/?hsid=gnshs Copy and paste orange link above or enter through the Great Neck homepage and click on South High Naviance User Name: Student ID # Password: Naviance 2017 (Capital N) Parents can enter Naviance for general search and viewing information by clicking on “I’m A Guest” in gray box on right side of screen Parent Password: parents (all lower case)

College Visits and Open Houses Check Great Neck email for updates on college open houses Contact Admissions office to schedule an official information session and tour Ask for the contact information for the Admissions Representative Send a Thank You email

What are colleges looking for? Strength of coursework Grades Standardized test scores Essays Activities outside of the classroom Letters of recommendation Individuality - what makes you unique, special, different from all of the other exceptional applicants? Juniors should take AP or honors classes, as well as some AP tests. In the fall, go over some test materials by yourself or enroll in a test-prep course. A wide variety of test-prep books are available for you to use on your own to familiarize yourself with the format and subjects of the test. Take the SAT or ACT in the spring. Get involved in extracurricular activities if you haven’t done so already. There’s no need to pack your schedule—just pick one or two things that you interest you. Admissions officers find it more impressive if a candidate is truly involved and dedicated to a few activities rather than superficially interested in a dozen activities. Slide 8

12th Grade Course Selection (Course selection process to begin in February) Keep it strong Colleges look for a rigorous/challenging program Senior grades count Required 6 Classes plus Physical Education English Social Studies Strongly Encouraged: Continue Math, Science, Foreign Language

PSAT Completed last week, Wednesday October 14, 2015 Results usually available by mid December Pick up test book from your counselor once you receive results

SAT/SAT SUBJECT TESTS Register online at www.collegeboard.com Spring Test Dates March 18, 2016 May 7, 2016 June 4, 2016

The ACT Spring Test Dates April 9, 2016 June 11, 2016 Conversion Chart http://www.act.org/aap/concordance/index.html

School Codes High School CEEB Code: 332 172 Test Center Codes: SAT Code: 33458 ACT Code: 214130

College Essay… There may be more than one!!! Represents student Answers question Engaging Presentation counts Be original and be yourself Revise and proofread Seek feedback Read the essay question carefully and make sure you respond to exactly what the question asks for. The questions are usually very broad, but you should still make sure you don’t respond off-topic. Make your essay a personal, engaging narrative. The essay should be about you and why you should be admitted to that particular college. Remember, admissions officers are people too—they like to read lively pieces of writing rather than dry essays. If you’ve had an obstacle or challenge in your life that you feel affected your high school career, explain it in the essay—but only if it fits the topic. You shouldn’t use this obstacle or challenge as an excuse for subpar grades; instead, just explain how it affected you both personally and academically. Proofread your essay, then have another person proofread it as well. You should also have someone critique the clarity of your essay. This is the only part of the application that the student has total control over. This is the opportunity for the student to really shine, and give Colleges the insight to who they really are. Slide 14

Letters of Recommendation Counselor Recommendation Request two academic letters in the spring of junior year from teachers who know you well (preferably junior year teachers) Make sure that you can count on a positive letter of recommendation. If you aren’t sure, ask! Give the person writing the letter at least two weeks notice before the mail date. Not only is it rude to ask for a letter of recommendation at the last minute, but most people will write a better letter if you give them more time. Furnish the person writing the letter with a list of accomplishments, or provide them with a resume. [Note to presenter: a form for this purpose is provided.] Send them a thank you note. Save a copy of these recommendations for future use.

When to Apply First quarter of senior year – the earlier the better!!! Early Decision Early Action (single choice/restrictive) Regular Admission Rolling Admission Look for application deadlines and apply early. Colleges usually begin accepting applications after the first quarter of your senior year. Check with individual colleges. If you definitely know where you would like to go to college, you may apply using early decision or early action. Both of these options involve applying early in your senior year. You will receive notification from the college in December, January, or February. Do keep in mind, however, that early decision is binding. In other words, if the college accepts you and offers you an adequate financial aid package, you must go there. Early action is not binding. You may still apply to other colleges as part of regular admissions; however, many schools won’t allow you to apply to other schools as part of early action.

THANK YOU! The Guidance Department