1. Welcome Seniors! Student Services Department

2. Ms. Jen Snyder- Director of Student Services Ms. Cari Franz A-G Mr. James Gyori H-O Ms. Gina Castellano P-Z Ms. Stacey Griffith- Counseling Intern Ms. Kathleen Leynes Social Worker Ms. Agnes Stankiewicz- Social Work Intern Ms. Justyna Kapustka- Social Work Intern Ms. Lori Freese- Office Manager Ms. Heather DeVries- Office Assistant

3. Class of 2016 Graduation Requirements 4 English 3 Math 3 Science 2 Social Studies (American History, APUSH, AP Gov., Government, and ½ credit social studies elective credit) 3.5 P.E..25 Health Consumer Education class 1 Fine or Applied Art 2 Business, World Language, Vocational, or Computer Science Driver Education **22.5 Credits Total**

4. Things to Remember… You are responsible for ensuring you have the proper credits. See your counselor with questions. You are responsible for ensuring you have the proper credits. See your counselor with questions. Credit Recovery – American School is due no later than March 1 st. Credit Recovery – American School is due no later than March 1 st. You need to have taken Driver’s Education to graduate!!!!! You need to have taken Driver’s Education to graduate!!!!!

5. Start Applying to Colleges NOW! Parts of the College Application Application (online) Application (online) ACT scores or SAT scores- You send these! ACT scores or SAT scores- You send these! Personal Statement Personal Statement Recommendation (dependent upon school; we have forms in our office)- request from Naviance Recommendation (dependent upon school; we have forms in our office)- request from Naviance Transcript- meet with counselor to send all transcripts. Transcript- meet with counselor to send all transcripts. Counselor Form Counselor Form Application Fee Application Fee

6. Admission Strategy Apply Broadly  Reach: Your dream college (1)  Match: You meet the minimum requirements (2) requirements (2)  Safety: You exceed the minimum requirements (1)

7. Applying to College What Schools Consider  Academic Record  Breadth/Rigor – How many, how challenging, which ones  Grades  Consistency or improvement  Standardized Test Scores  In terms of ranges  Out-of-Class Activities  Depth of involvement – variety and how long  Initiative – leadership  Creativity, service or work  Recommendation (If requested)

8. The Personal Statement  Completed Junior year as part of the College 301 assignment in the Spring.  This can make or break an application.  If it is mentioned in the instructions, it is NOT optional.  This is your only chance to highlight your unique qualities. This is not your chance to list your GPA and ACT score!  Use Naviance Personality Type Assessment as a tool  PROOFREAD

9. Admission Options Four year institutions generally offer the following admission options:  Early Admission – A student of superior ability is admitted into college courses and programs before completing high school.  Early Decision – A student declares a first- choice college, requests that the college decided on acceptance early and agree to enroll if accepted. This option is binding.  Early Action – Similar to Early Decision, but if a student is accepted, he or she has until the regular admission deadline to decide whether or not to attend. This option is non- binding.

10. More admission options  Rolling Admission – The college accepts students who meet the academic requirements on a first-come, first-served basis until it fills its freshman class. No strict application deadline is specified.  Regular Admission – This is the most common option offered to students. A deadline is set when all applications must be received, and all notifications are sent out at the same time.  Open Admission – Virtually all high school graduates are admitted, regardless of academic qualifications.  Deferred Admission – An accepted student is allowed to postpone enrollment for a year.

11. Admissions Deadlines  Pay attention to specific college deadlines!  Every college is different. It is your responsibility to keep track of necessary application deadlines.  Everything must be received by the deadline. This includes your ACT scores. Go to act.org to send your scores.  APPLY EARLY (We encourage you to apply by November 1 st )

12. College Visits  All seniors have 2 “free” college visit days. These absences will not count towards your attendance record. You must pick up the college visit form in the Attendance Office.  Attend FUTURE FOCUS on September 29 th at Triton College from 7-9 pm. Over 100 colleges will be in attendance.

13. FINANCIAL AID  Apply after January 1, 2016.  RHS Financial Aid Night January 7, 2016

14. NAVIANCE  You must add all colleges you are applying to Naviance.  All letters of rec and teacher/counselor forms must be submitted through Naviance.  We will be coming into your English classes on September 8 th to walk you through the college application process using Naviance.

15. Division I and II College Athletes  Must register with the NCAA Clearing House  Must take the ACT on a National test date, on a Saturday.  September 12th and October 24th ACT dates are the last two dates in order for colleges to have them in time for admission purposes.

16. Career Field Trips  Enthusiastic about Engineering- Sept. 15, Oak Park River Forest  Hypnotized by Healthcare- Oct. 8, Proviso Math and Science  Captivated by Coding- Oct. 13, Elmwood Park  Mystified by Manufacturing- Nov. 3, Riverside Brookfield  Fascinated by Finance- Nov. 17, East Leyden **See Mrs. Costello if interested.**

17. Future Focus

19. Questions or Comments? Have a wonderful Senior year!!