B ATTLEFIELD H IGH S CHOOL C LASS OF 2014

A GENDA  Post secondary options  Choosing the right college for you  SAT & ACT  The Application Process  Financial Aid  Ethics  What do I do now?

W HAT ’ S N EXT ? Apprenticeships Military Trade School Workforce Community College College/University

G ETTING I NTO NOVA Apply for admission online Apply for financial aid Take English and Math placement tests  Submit SAT, ACT, AP, IB, Cambridge Scores Attend SOAR and New Student Orientation

T EST E XEMPTIONS  VPT English A) A minimum score of 500 on both the Critical Reading and Writing section of the SAT B) A minimum combined score of 21 on both the English and Writing tests of the ACT ( taken within the last two years )  VPT Math A) A minimum Mathematics score of 520 on the SAT B) A minimum Mathematics score of 22 on the ACT ( taken within the last two years ) exempts the student from most Math 100 level courses. Questions about AP/IB scores are referred to the NVCC counselors who can interpret the results. Testing Center staff do not process any of the above mentioned results.

T RANSFER R ESOURCES Guaranteed Admissions Agreements - Agreements between NVCC and a four-year institution that guarantee a student acceptance to the college providing students meet the following requirements: - Earn a transferable degree (A.A, A.S.) - Obtain a minimum GPA - Complete a set list of courses and receive certain grades in those courses Articulation Agreements - Agreements that define the manner in which courses or programs transfer to a four-year institution - These Agreements do not guarantee acceptance

S TUDENT A CTIVITIES /A THLETICS NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Soccer, Men’s Lacrosse, and Co-ed Ice Hockey Intramurals Clubs/Activities

NOVA S NAPSHOT 1 out of every 5 Northern Virginia region public high school graduates attends NOVA within 1 year of graduation Students who begin their studies at NOVA and transfer to a state four-year college do as well or better than students who enter those schools as freshmen NOVA provides training for more than 30,000 workers annually NOVA is the leading provider of the region’s highly skilled, front-line workforce

I N G OOD C OMPANY ! D ID YOU KNOW THE FOLLOWING P EOPLE GOT THEIR START AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE ? Of all US undergraduates, 44% attend a community college Arthur Goldberg (Supreme Court Justice) Calvin Klein (fashion designer) Fred Haise (Apollo 13 Astronaut) H. Ross Perot (1992 Presidential Candidate) James Sinegal (CEO of Costco) Melvin Salveson (creator of Mastercard) Tom Hanks (actor) Walt Disney (founder of Disney World) John Walsh (America’s Most Wanted Host)

C OLLEGE /U NIVERSITY Traditional factors to consider:  Location: Rural, Urban, Suburban  Public VS Private and In-State VS Out-of-State  College size  Teacher to student ratio  Majors  Cost  Athletics/Extra curricular activities New factors to consider:  Graduation requirements  Graduation rates  Retention & academic advising  Career services and employment rates  Average debt upon graduation  Tour the colleges that you are interested in! Take time over spring break and summer to do this.

W HAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE A DMISSIONS P ROCESS ? Strength of curriculum GPA SAT/ACT exams Essay Resume Teacher/Counselor Recommendation Diversity: athletics, extracurricular activities, work, volunteer activities, honors/awards, certifications, art portfolios

Take the SAT & ACT this spring You should request your scores be sent to the colleges & universities in which you are interested when you register for the test. This will save you money during the application process.

NCAA If you are interested in playing collegiate sports be sure to complete the clearinghouse form this spring. Corecoursegpa.com is a free resource that will help you determine if you are academically eligible to play sports. Visit School ID: School Code:

M ILITARY S ERVICE A CADEMIES The United States maintains five service academies: The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland The United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado The United States Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut The United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York Appointment to a service academy is extremely competitive. Interested candidates must start the process in the spring of their junior year. Military academies award full scholarships to students accepted for admission which covers tuition, room and board, and each student receives a monthly stipend for books, supplies and clothing.

Service Academy Admissions Process 1. Each candidate must: a. Be 17 but not yet 22 b. Be a U.S. citizen at the time of enrollment c. Be unmarried with no dependents d. Have an above average high school record e. Be in good physical health f. Have above average strength, endurance, and agility 2. Apply for nomination. Each of the service academies, with the exception of the Coast Guard Academy, requires a political nomination for appointment. At a minimum, you should apply to your two United States senators, your congressional representative, and the Vice President. In addition to the letter, the nomination process may include a questionnaire or interview. 3. Start a file at an academy. Send a letter to the admissions offices requesting a pre-candidate questionnaire. 4. Fill out academy forms. These forms will be sent to you after an evaluation of your precandidate questionnaire. 5. Take the SAT I or ACT. Send your scores to the academies. 6. Pass the medical exam from the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DOD MERB) and the Physical Aptitude Exam (PAE). 7. Review notification of the evaluation and status of your application. This may arrive as early as November for outstanding candidates; final decisions are made in April.

H OW TO REQUEST TRANSCRIPTS Submit a signed FERPA consent form. Log in to Family Connection & request your transcripts under the college tab. See the Counseling Office secretaries to complete the request. Transcripts are $5.00 (the first three are free).

F AMILY C ONNECTION R EFRESHER  Family Connection is on the BHS home page under the ‘Students’ section on the left menu.  You can use this site to:  Search for scholarships  See the requirements for a recommendation letter from your counselor  Create a college search  View scattergrams for schools in which you are interested  Create a resume

G EORGE M ASON U NIVERSITY

V IRGINIA C OMMONWEALTH U NIVERSITY

J AMES M ADISON U NIVERSITY

H OW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE $ Scholarships $ Family Connection $ $ $ $ FAFSA $ Grants, loans, work study $ – January 1 st $ CSS Profile: some colleges will require this in addition to the FAFSA

E THICS  Avoid the temptation to cheat, copy or plagiarize.  Be truthful on ALL college & scholarship application materials including your resume and any questions that refer to discipline infractions.

W HAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING NOW January/February o Come up with goals for your post secondary plan o Think about how you want to present yourself to colleges. This includes senior year course work. Course selection will take place next month. o Have an appropriate address for college and job applications. o Sign up for SAT/ACT this spring. March/April o Go on campus visits during Spring Break. o Take the SAT & ACT May/June o Take the SAT & ACT if you have not already o Submit the FERPA form before you leave for the summer if you plan on completing any applications and transcript requests prior to the start of senior year. o Find an organization system that works for you to manage your application & scholarship deadlines. You are responsible for meeting these deadlines. Ongoing o Be careful what you post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. o Keep your grades up!! Colleges will see 9-11 th grade to make their admission decision & they will review mid year grades from senior year. o Continue your participation in extracurricular activities, work & volunteering

Q UESTIONS ?