The Three P’s of College Counseling at Minnetonka High School

An Overview of our NEW Guidance Services 8 Guidance Counselors + 1 College Counselor Key Components of the Changes Personalization Planning Programming Planned Activities/Events Redesigned College and Career Center

The College Search – How to begin? Conduct a Self inventory What do you like to do? What do you hate to do? What subject excites you? What always bores you? How do you learn best?

Self inventory (cont.) Do you enjoy being a part of a large group? Or, do smaller groups suit you better? Do you want to stick close to home? Or, move far away? Do you seek out diversity among your friends? Or, do you hang out with people who are very similar to you?

Get to know your MHS Guidance Counselors Your First Stop for Smooth Sailing at Minnetonka High School When you talk to your counselor about your goals, and career interests, you are helping to sort through your college search.

Information Gathering The Basics of a College Search Size Faculty/Student Ratio Major/Strongest programs/Courses offered Geographical location and distance from family Learning focus- Liberal Arts or Specialized School Urban/rural Tuition/Financial Aid/Scholarships Honors/accelerated programs Graduation rate

Information Gathering -- The Personality of the College Retention Rate and Graduation Rate Activities Dorm life/Greek life Freshman Connection Programs Facilities Male/female ratio Multi-cultural breakdown Religious affiliation Research opportunities Study abroad programs

Information Gathering – Making Use of the Internet!

Information Gathering – Making use of local resources Prepare for the upcoming National College Fair in Minneapolis on October 9-10 Take advantage of the 100+ admission representative visits to MHS Don’t ask, “How good is your biology major?” but instead ask “How many undergraduates do research in biology?” or “What are some typical freshman year courses in biology?”

Then, it’s time to apply!! Your application folder will consist of (possibly) six items: 1)The application 2)The high school transcript -- your academic record of achievement, and the most important part of your application folder. 3)Extracurricular activities and personal interests 4)Test scores (ACT, SAT, and possibly SAT Subject tests)

Parts of the Application (cont.) 5) Secondary school report, including the counselor’s recommendation 6) Teacher recommendations

The Three P’s of College Counseling Performance The high school transcript – your record of academic achievement. It’s the most important part of the application folder. The courses you have taken, the breadth of study within each department, and the grades you have earned will be examined in detail. Colleges and universities want to see the quality of your life as a student.

The Three P’s of College Counseling Passion What activity, sport, music group, student government group, church group, summer job, or other extracurricular activity has captured your full attention? When you talk about it, we can see your enthusiasm and genuinely positive spirit. Colleges and universities want to see the quality of your commitment – not the quantity.

The Three P’s of College Counseling Priority – finding the right fit College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won. Our goal at Minnetonka – and our pledge – is to help each student find the best match possible for their post- secondary experience. Colleges don’t want you to enroll – they want you to graduate!

What can parents do? a)Believe in your child’s abilities b)Take an interest in your child’s academic life -- in his studies -- in her grades -- in his teachers -- in her schedule c) Keep an open dialogue about the college search d) Stay in touch with your child’s guidance counselor

So, the three P’s of college counseling: Performance Passion Priority – finding the right fit! Phillip Trout College Counselor Minnetonka High School