Post-Secondary Planning for Rising Seniors Presented by: School Counseling Department April 21, 2015

2 year community college vs. 4 year college/university SAT/ACT Information Introduction to Naviance Scholarships/Financial Aid Information Work Force/Military/Trade School Program Overview

Thinking about Community College? What exactly is a Community College? Examples are Germanna Community College and NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College) Public college that’s close to home Offers 2-year associate’s degrees, certificate programs and career training An economical (cheap!) way to begin a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with built-in transfer programs Offers classes during different times of day and several locations

How much does it cost? Tuition and fees for community colleges are based on the number of credits you take. One class is typically 3-4 credits. If you figure in the cost of tuition, student fees, and books, you can expect to pay approximately $4,400 per year if you attend full-time.

Guaranteed Admission Agreements Many 2-year colleges have partnerships with 4- year schools that allow students to transfer easily. The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has guaranteed admission agreements with both public and many private 4-year colleges in Virginia. Students must meet certain requirements set forth by the 4- year institution, such as maintaining a minimum GPA and be enrolled in a transfer degree program.

VA Colleges Offering Guaranteed Admission Public Universities/Colleges Christopher Newport University College of William and Mary Longwood University Norfolk State University Old Dominion University Radford University University of Mary Washington University of Virginia UVA - Engineering University of Virginia College at Wise Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia State University Virginia Tech Virginia Tech – College of Agriculture and Life Science Virginia Tech – College of Engineering Private Universities/Colleges Art Institute of Washington Bluefield College Bluefield College (nursing) Emory and Henry College Ferrum College Hollins University Liberty University Lynchburg College Lynchburg College (nursing) Mary Baldwin College Randolph College Regent University Shenandoah University Sweet Briar College Virginia Union University Virginia Wesleyan College

Why Go to Community College? Costs less Undecided about your major Bring up your GPA for more options Stay close to home Flexible schedule

PLANNING TO ATTEND A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY? PLANNING TO ATTEND A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY? It is incredibly important that you start to research schools now! You want to be ready to start applying in the fall of your senior year. - Research on Naviance - College visits - Attend college representative sessions at BPHS

What Factors Are Important to You? Does the college have the program in which you want to major? What is the distance from home? Should you stay in-state or go out-of-state? What is the cost? What is the average class size? What admissions tests are required? (SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests, ACT) Does the college offer the activities that you enjoy?

What Do Colleges Look For? Difficulty of Curriculum Grade Point Average (GPA) Class Rank SAT and/or ACT Scores Extracurricular Activities/Volunteer Work Honors and Awards Recommendations Personal Essays Interviews and/or Auditions

SAT vs. ACT SATACT Test structure Ten-section exam: Three Critical Reading, three Math, three Writing, and one Experimental. The Experimental section is masked to look like a regular section. Four-section exam: English, Math, Reading, and Science Reasoning. An Experimental section is added to tests on certain dates only, and is clearly experimental. Test content Math: up to 9th grade basic geometry and Algebra II. Science: none. Reading: sentence completions, short and long critical reading passages, reading comprehension. Writing: an essay, and questions testing grammar, usage, and word choice. Math: up to trigonometry. Science: charts, experiments. Reading: four passages, one each of Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science. English: stresses grammar. Penalty for wrong answers?YesNo How is the test scored? per section, added together for a combined score. A 2400 is the highest possible combined score for each subject, averaged for a composite score. A 36 is the highest possible composite score. Are all scores sent to schools? Yes. If a student requests a score report be sent to specific colleges, the report will include the scores the student received on every SAT taken. Except: if you choose the Score Choice option, you can select scores to send to colleges by Test Date. No. There is a "Score Choice" option. Students can choose which schools will receive their scores AND which scores the schools will see.

For SAT dates and information, visit: For ACT dates and information, visit:

Steps to applying to college Step 1: Decide where you want to apply Step 2: Apply (through college website or The Common Application) Step 3: Add schools to Naviance Step 4: Request teacher recommendation letters through Naviance. Give at least two weeks notice and ask teachers in person first. Step 5: Turn in transcript request form Step 6: Send SAT/ACT scores

Transcript Request Form

NCAA Eligibility If you plan to play sports with a Division I or Division II school, you must register with the NCAA. Here is what you need to do before you leave for summer break: 1) Go to and complete registration. 2) Fill out and submit transcript request form to the Counseling Office. *If you are on free/reduced lunch, you do not have to pay the registration or transcript fee.

Introduction to Naviance What is Naviance? What do we use it for? Student use vs. counselor use

NAVIANCE Website: Username: Student ID number Password: 6 digit birthday (i.e )

Financial Aid Financial Aid is determined by the colleges’ Financial Aid Office. Aid packages are determined by a formula: Tuition-Expected Family Contribution = Financial Aid offer Expected Family Contribution will be based on your 2015 income tax information Families can start to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on January 1, Visit fafsa.ed.gov to apply Brooke Point High School will offer a Financial Aid Information Night to provide additional information and assistance

Scholarships Scholarships can help cover the cost of tuition, books, fee, etc. Scholarships can come from the college/university or private organizations Scholarship opportunities are posted on the BPHS website (not all!!) Check Naviance for additional scholarships Don’t be afraid to Google Check early and check often!

The World of Work If college isn’t an option or you need extra time to earn money for tuition, going directly into the work force offers many choices and benefits, such as health insurance and tuition reimbursement programs. The first thing to consider is if you will be satisfied with a “job” or if you want to work towards a “career.”

Career vs. Job

Creating A Resume

The Job Interview Preparation Arrival Interview Follow-up Go to for sample interview questions

Thinking About the Military? U.S. Air Force U.S. Army U.S. Army National Guard U.S. Navy U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Coast Guard For a list of local recruiters, please go to the Counseling Office

Technical/Trade Schools Sometimes our talents lie in a specific course of study, i.e. computers, so it might make more sense to focus solely on that curriculum. Technical/trade programs allow students to focus on a specific subject. College students, on the other hand, focus on a variety of different subjects before choosing their “major.”

So what makes these postsecondary programs so appealing to students and employers? Hands on training Up-to-date curriculum Cost and time savings Personalized learning atmosphere Flexible class schedule Apprenticeship programs

Thank you! Counselors A-CL: Ms. Portell CO-HAQ: Ms. Jones (will be Mrs. Hull next year) HAR-ME: Mrs. Falk MI-SA: Mrs. Calvello SC-Z: Dr. Bridges Follow us on Visit the BPHS website and click on Counseling Center for more information