 English-4 credits  Mathematics-4 credits  Science-3 credits  Social Studies-3 credits  Physical Education-.5 credit (one year)  Health-.5 credit (one semester)  Personal Finance-.5 credit (one semester)  Electives-including one year of fine arts  21 TOTAL CREDITS

 English-4+ credits  Mathematics-4+ credits  Science-3 to 4+ credits  Social Studies-3 to 4+ credits  Global Language-2 to 3+ credits  Fine Arts-1+ credit

 Take the PSAT (October)  Attend College Planning Night (December 3)  Focus on maintaining/improving GPA  Visit colleges  Maintain involvement in your school and community  Schedule senior year courses that demonstrate rigor  Take the ACT and SAT (and the SAT Subject Tests if required by your colleges)  Register through NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA Eligibility Centers for future college athletes

Shop Visit Test

 Degrees/Programs Offered  Location  Religious Affiliation  Size  Housing  Special Academic/ Honors Programs  Athletics & Activities  Student Safety  Support Services  Total Cost  Scholarships Offered  Financial Aid

 Web-based resource that supports student career and college planning  Used by the guidance staff to communicate with students and parents  Used to process all transcripts and recommendation letters

 STUDENTS= All students have registered at school with the help of Career Specialist, Ann Marn  PARENTS= Each junior parent received a passcode in the mail with the College Planning Night invitation › Use your code to create a personal account › Students can show parents how to navigate

 College Websites  Books/Reference Manuals  College Fairs  Admissions Representatives  Magazines

Public Colleges Private Colleges

 Schedule a campus tour  Meet with an admissions counselor  Meet with a professor in the department in which you are interested  Attend a class

 Have lunch on campus  Take a walk and talk with current students  Grab a copy of the student newspaper  Talk with a student or counselor in the career center  Attend an event on campus

ACT SAT  All colleges accept either SAT or ACT  Some colleges may SUPER score  Have your test results mailed for free by selecting this option when you register for each test  Take both tests then choose your best test in which to focus for a retest

 English  Math  Reading  Science Reasoning  Composite Score  Writing (recommended or required by some colleges)  Score range: 1-36

 Reading/Writing, Math and Optional Essay (recommended or required by some colleges)  Score range:  Highest total score: 1600

 Score range:  20 subjects  Required and/or recommended by many selective colleges

 ACT website  College Board website  Local individual tutors  Private companies Huntington Princeton Review Kaplan  Practice books

 Difficulty of curriculum  GPA  Competitiveness of high school  ACT/SAT scores

 Recommendation letters  Extracurricular activities  Essays  Interviews  Auditions/Portfolios

 Average SAT  Average ACT  Average GPA 3.31

 SAT Reading and Math  ACT  Average GPA 3.18

 SAT Composite (without writing)  ACT Composite  99% exceeded minimum college prep requirements of 4 or more credits in social science  98% earned 4 or more credits of mathematics  89% earned 4 or more credits of science  90% earned 3 or more credits of global language

 SAT Critical Reading  SAT Math  SAT Total  ACT  Average GPA 3.9

 SAT Critical Reading  SAT Math  ACT  Average GPA 3.88

 Over a Quarter of College Admissions Officers Today Include Google or Facebook in Applicant Evaluations  35% Report Discovering Information that Negatively Impacted Prospective Students’ Admissions Chances – Up from 12% Last Year

 Promote independence--coach, don’t quarterback  Encourage your child  Make it their college visit  Proofread the application  Proofread the essay  Anticipate a wild ride!

 ACT and SAT (Junior Year)  College Exploration and Research  Visiting Colleges  Admissions meetings at AHS (Senior Year)  College Applications (Oct.-Dec. Senior Year)

 Scholarships (91-99% of scholarship money is given by the government and colleges through the application process) › Complete College Application › Complete FAFSA  Grants  Loans  Work Study Tip: Try using the Net Price Calculators on college websites.

 FAFSA › Required by all colleges › Can be filed online  CSS/Financial Aid Profile › Required by some colleges, mostly private › Used to help colleges award nonfederal student aid funds  Institutional Forms (required by some colleges) Financial Aid Night January 14, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.

 College financial aid office  Church or religious groups  Parents’ employers  Fraternal/professional organizations  Reference books  Local scholarships  Internet searches › fastweb.com › scholarships.com

Mr. John Calcei, Counselor (A-G) Mrs. April Nenadal, Counselor (H-O) Mrs. Chris Miley, Counselor (P-Z) Mrs. Sharron Weingart, Guidance Secretary Mrs. Jennifer Hilty, Guidance Secretary