Senior Parent Night The Road To College

HHS Guidance Counselors Mrs. Tracy Encarnacao, District Director of Guidance Mr. Bruce Powers A - Castillo Ms. Stacey O’Brien Castro – Des & Early College Seniors Mrs. Susan Beaudoin Dev – Her Ms. Samantha Massahos Hey – McC Mrs. Jami Dion McG – Pare Mrs. Mindy Cripps Park - Rom Mr. Andy Alsup Ros – Z

Agenda Graduation Requirements Timelines Deadlines The College Search Process Applying Standardized Testing Naviance

HHS Graduation Requirements AreaCredit English4.0 Social Studies (including US History)3.0 Math3.0 Science3.0 Computer Lit0.5 School To Career1.0 Fine Arts/Foreign Language1.0 Wellness1.0 Electives3.5 TOTAL CREDITS20.0

Roadmap to College Be proactive! Do a little each day Communicate early and often with your counselor and your teachers Read the directions Ask for help when needed

September Gather letters of recommendation Finalize college selections and know the deadlines! Meet with guidance counselor Plan college visits Make appointments with college representatives who are visiting HHS this fall. The list is available in Naviance. Create Commonapp Account for appropriate schools Complete FERPA form on Naviance Check online for college applications

October-November Decide which schools you will apply to, and make a list of each college’s deadlines. Take the SAT (October/November) or the ACT (October) If applying for Early Action, finish taking standardized tests. Ask teachers to complete the evaluation forms and school report forms Brainstorm for and write your essay. Make sure to edit your essay Arrange and attend college interviews and practice for them Submit your transcript request to guidance 2 weeks in advance If applying for Early Action, submit your application

December-February Send regular decision applications. Deadlines are around Jan 1 Complete FAFSA form (after Jan. 1) Apply to outside scholarships Ask counselor to complete mid-year reports, typically due in Feb. Keep those grades up!

Spring Timeline Receive notification letters Discuss financial aid offers and contact schools if they are seriously insufficient Notify schools of your admission decision and send in your deposit to your chosen college (May 1 st ) Take part in college orientation and pre-freshman year activities

Types of Deadlines Early Action (Non-Binding) Typically Oct 15, Nov 1, Nov 15 Early Decision (Binding) Typically Oct 15, Nov 1, Nov 15 Regular Decision Varies….as early as Dec 1 and as late as April 1 Rolling Admissions Applications processed upon arrival. Decisions received in 6-8 weeks Open Enrollment Admittance dependent on graduation from HHS

What are the options for college?

How much training & education am I willing to get to achieve my career & life goals? 2-year Technical School or Community College 4-year University or College

2-Year Technical & Community Colleges Affordable ($5,000-$6,000 per year) Affordable ($5,000-$6,000 per year) Transfer Options/ MA Transfer Program Transfer Options/ MA Transfer Program 1 or 2 years at a community college can help you get into your dream school, while developing characteristics (such as independence, ambition, and maturity) necessary to become a successful college student. Licensure/Certification Licensure/Certification These schools offer hundreds of Associate Degree and Certificate Programs that lead to licensure in the career field of your choice These schools offer hundreds of Associate Degree and Certificate Programs that lead to licensure in the career field of your choice

2-Year Admissions Requirements High School Diploma Completion of the Accu-placer exam Exam administered by the college to evaluate Math and English proficiency Scores determine class placement for the first semester of college.

Community Colleges of MA Provide well-rounded college experience Campuses offer many of the same clubs and activities as 4-yr colleges Many colleges have intercollegiate or club athletic teams Smaller class sizes MA Transfer

4-Year Colleges and Universities There are over 2,000 4-year colleges and universities in the country. Decide the factors that are important to you to help narrow down a list of schools that are a good match.

Selectivity/Admission Requirements Be realistic Where do you stack up in comparison to admission requirements at a particular school? What factors are important for admission? What percentage of students are accepted each year? Make sure your schools fall into one of three categories: Reach 50/50 Probable

Programs of Study Not all schools have every academic major Undecided? Be sure to look at schools that have all of your potential areas of interest!

Location, Location, Location! Far away or close to home? Urban vs. suburban vs. rural Be sure to factor in the cost of travel if you plan to go far away

Size/Enrollment Weigh the pros & cons of a small school vs. large university Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond? Do you want to blend in with the crowd in a lecture hall of 250+ students?

Cost The investment of a college education is expensive. Be sure to include colleges that are “financially safe”, such as state schools or community college.

What’s In an Application?

Parts of the Application Application Essay SAT/ACT scores High school transcript Letters of recommendation Interview (depends on the school) Application fee

What are Colleges Looking For? Classes taken & quality of courses GPA Involvement Standardized test scores Essay/Letters of recommendation

College Applications 2 main types of applications Common Application College-specific Application

Common Application Accepted by over 500 colleges and universities One general application & essay Helps student organize all aspects of their applications Many schools require a supplemental piece- know what your school’s requirements are! Letters of recommendation and transcripts are sent by Guidance Counselors through Naviance

College-Specific Applications Can apply online or via paper application Most colleges have copies of application available on their website

Standardized Testing

Standardized Tests SAT Reasoning Test SAT Subject Tests ACT

Upcoming SAT Dates Test DateRegistration Deadline October 11 th September 30 th November 8 th October 9 th SAT is offered at Haverhill Cost: $ SAT Reasoning $ $16 for each test- SAT Subject Tests Visit for updated information!

Upcoming ACT Dates Test DateRegistration Deadline October 25 th Oct 3 rd December 13 th November 7 th $54.50 with writing section Visit for updated information!

What is Naviance and how can it help me?

Naviance Manage and track all aspects of the admissions process. Delivers all of the supporting documents for college applications Provides valuable insight into the college admissions process with college search, scatter grams, scholarship information and college application statistics

Take A Career Interest Survey

Research Career Options

Perform a College Search Choose the criteria you are looking for in your ideal college

Research Schools

How do you Stack Up?

Keep Track of Schools You Are Considering

Track Submitted Applications

Questions?