College admission evening Navigating your way through the college admissions search

Tonight’s Agenda Welcome The College Admissions Game Mr. Jeremy Branch (Behind Closed Doors) Parents will remain in the auditorium Students, when told, will move to rooms 142 and 268

Mr. Jeremy Branch, Assistant Director of Enrollment Management, Penn State University

Parents, please remain seated Students with last names A-L will be in room 142 Students with last names M-Z will be in room 268

What is Fit? Financial Fit Social / Emotional Fit Academic Fit

Financial Fit Net Price Calculators Financial Aid Evening – March 21

Social Fit Who are you? Where do you want to go and who do you want to be? Resources SCOIR (tile on Stoga.net)

Academic Fit Like-minded learners Naviance (tile on Stoga.net)

Things to Consider: Visiting colleges Fall visits at Conestoga Virtual tour options Demonstrated interest

Emotional Well-Being: Starting the Conversation Academic health AND emotional health Starting the conversation now (what do you need to know and think about before heading off to college?) College stressors: academic demands / forging new relationships / managing greater independence Campus visits – what can you do when you are there for a visit?

Fast Facts: 1 in 5 youth / young adults experience a mental health condition 75% of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 24 30% of college students reported feeling so down at some point during the previous year that they found it difficult to function So what can we be doing to get our kids ready for this next step?

Common Signs of a MH Condition Feeling very sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks Severe, out-of-control risk-taking behaviors Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason Not eating, throwing up or using laxatives to lose weight Seeing, hearing or believing things are not real Repeatedly and excessively using drugs / alcohol Drastic changes in mood, behavior, personality or sleeping habits Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still Intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities Trying to harm oneself or planning to do so

Things you can do now Begin the conversation!

Once your child is in college Be prepared!

Ideas for the Future FERPA and HIPPA will keep you from accessing information about your child. What can you do? How can you make it easier on your child?

Self-Care Create to-do lists and tackle one item at a time Exercise Get enough sleep Talk to friends about how they manage stress Listen to music Practice mindfulness Eat well Avoid alcohol / drugs Identify trusted adults

Getting Connected Campus events Campus clubs Campus interest groups Sports Student organizations Volunteer activities

Resources Facebook pages NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – www.nami.org The Jed Foundation (JED) – www.jedfoundation.org