Junior College Guidance Night May 31, 2011 Mr. Luke Sferra, High School Counselor (A-K) Mrs. Katie Dahm, High School Counselor (L-Z) Mrs. Ah Young Chi, College/Career Counselor

Your resources for college planning CCC website CCC calendar on the web MHS eNews mailing list  to sign upMHS eNews mailing list Naviance Family Connection College and Career Center!

Postsecondary Options 4-year college or university (Bachelor degree) –Public: UC or CSU –Private: over 70 in California –Out of State Public or Private: over 3,000 2-year college (Associate degree, career training or transfer) Trade or technical school (varying degrees and certificates) Military Work Gap year (concrete plan with a destination in mind for the 2 nd year, usually)

By now… You have begun the college search process and have a working list of colleges to apply to You are researching these schools and refining your college list You have taken the SAT or ACT (and maybe even the SAT Subject exams) You have visited a couple of schools over winter or spring breaks You have met with Mrs. Chi at least once to discuss your post- secondary plans

College Admission Testing Timeline Nov 20, 2010 Practice SAT Dec 4, 2010 Practice ACT March 12, 2011 SAT 1 st time April 9, 2011 ACT 1 st time May 7, 2011 SAT Subject June 4, 2011 SAT 1 st or 2 nd time SAT Subject June 7, 2011 ACT 1 st or 2 nd time Fall 2011 ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Retake as needed

College Applications & Requirements Simple Guidelines for Applying to Colleges

Application Deadlines Rolling Admission Regular Decision Early Action Restrictive Early Action Early Decision

What are colleges REALLY looking for? Success in challenging curriculum Have you taken advantage of the opportunities at your school? This doesn’t mean taking EVERY Honors and AP courses that we offer at MHS MESSAGE: FINISH STRONG THIS SEMESTER!!! Meet other entrance requirements MESSAGE: PAY ATTENTION TO REQUIREMENTS & DEADLINES Are you and the college a good match for each other? MESSAGE: YOU HAVE MUCH OF THE CONTROL

Letters, Forms & Deadlines for MHS Most private schools require at least 1 letter of recommendation, from teacher or counselor Many private schools require Secondary School Report form to be completed by the high school counselor Before students can request letters and forms, students and parents must complete the Brag Sheet What is a Brag Sheet? Brag Sheet is available for download in Naviance Find instructions on Guidelines for Requesting Counselor and Teacher Recommendation Letters also in Naviance

Counselor Packets Students must provide counselor with the following: – Completed Brag Sheet – Secondary School Report form, signed and waived, for each school – Official transcript for each school (get transcript from Ms. Morgan) – 9”x12” envelope, stamped (3) and addressed, for each school – Paper clip materials into appropriate piles and submit them together to Mr. Sferra or Mrs. Dahm DUE: Oct 1 for Early Applications & Nov 1 for Regular Decisions Counselors will send following materials to each college: completed Secondary School Report, official transcript, letter of recommendation, and MHS Profile

Teacher Recommendation Letters Students must provide each teacher with the following: – Completed Brag Sheet – 1 unofficial transcript for teacher’s review (Ms. Morgan) – Teacher Evaluation form, signed and waived, for each school – regular size envelope, stamped and addressed, for each school – MHS Request for Letter of Recommendation form (in Naviance) – Paper clip materials into appropriate piles and submit them together to each teacher DUE: Oct 1 for Early Applications & Nov 1 for Regular Decisions Teachers will send following materials to each college: completed Teacher Evaluation form and letter of recommendation

So what should I be doing NOW? ~ STUDENT ~ Do well in your classes - #1 goal Your transcript (grades and coursework) is the most important factor in admission decisions Nothing replaces the importance of your transcript Make up all D and F grades Junior Year “Prep for College” Calendar Make sure you have an appropriate address Make sure your address is correct/updated in Naviance Get on the mailing lists of colleges you’re interested in Remember that YOU are in charge of this process; vast majority of colleges want YOU more than you want them

So what should we be doing NOW? ~ PARENTS~ Sign up for MHS eNews mailing list Allow your student to take the lead Offer positive support Stay in touch with their progress Remind your student of deadlines Get familiar with Naviance Family Connection Coffee with the Counselors

Looking ahead to the Senior year… College rep visits to MHS College counselor visit to classrooms More individual meetings with college counselor 12 th Grade College Night College essay review sessions (individual and free) College Essay Workshop (evening, fee required) College application workshops (lunch time) Coffee with the Counselors for parents continues Financial Aid Night

Scheduled Events Program/ActivityDate Summer SAT prep Boys & Girls ClubAugust 8-18, 2011 SAT prep course for October SATBegins August 20, 2011 Classroom guidance in Senior English classesSeptember 6-7, th Grade College Guidance NightSeptember 13, 2011 SAT Bootcamp: One-Day Workshop for October SATSeptember 17, 2011 UC and CSU applications openOctober 1, 2011 College Essay Workshop (6-8 p.m. with fee required)October 5, 2011 UC and CSU applications DUENovember 30, 2011 Financial Aid NightDecember 6, 2011

Naviance Family Connection Detailed information on Naviance Family Connection: To log into NFC account: NFC Quick Reference Guide is available after you log in

Questions? Mr. Luke Sferra, High School Counselor (A-K), Mrs. Katie Dahm, High School Counselor (L-Z), Mrs. Ah Young Chi, College/Career Counselor,