1. SENIOR PARENT NIGHT September 9, 2013

2. What’s your child’s plan?  Military?  College?  Trade / Vocational School?  Work Force?

3. Who can help?  Counselors  Daryl Beebe: A-D  Robyn Weiss: E-K  Natalie Perkins: L-R  Lori Bullis: S-Z College Counseling Financial Aid Resource Scholarships  Mrs. Olevenick – Career Development Facilitator  Military Resource  Trade / Vocational School Resource  Job Book Resume Writing / Interviewing Tips  Teachers and Administrators

4. What’s important this year?  Attendance  Grades  Attitude  Sense of Responsibility  24 credits to graduate  MMC  Check email/Facebook regularly  Completed Senior Questionnaire  Relax and stay calm

5. The ACT – Test Dates and Scores  Next ACT is 10/26/13, then on 12/14/13  You must send scores to the colleges through the ACT website  Colleges only accept scores directly from ACT  Free if you request the score report when you register for the test  $10.00 per school if you send your scores after the test  Sign up for the ACT online at www.actstudent.orgwww.actstudent.org

6. SAT Test Dates  SAT/SAT Subject tests  Next test dates: October 5 th, November 2 nd, etc Next test dates: October 5 th, November 2 nd, etc  www.collegeboard.com www.collegeboard.com Note: Almost all Universities/Colleges will accept both the ACT or SAT. -Some highly selective schools will

7. College Application  No two applications are the same!  Read the instructions…..tells you everything you need to know  99% of colleges have online applications  It’s faster and there is less room for error  College Website – a wealth of information  Look for “Admissions”, “Perspective Students, or “Future Students” section

8. College Visits at BHS  College Information Sessions  Open to Juniors and Seniors  30-45 minute group meeting with Admission Rep  Must sign up to attend in the Career Center (Rm 110)  On-Site Admissions  Open to Seniors  Must complete hard copy app and turn into counselor  10-15 minute one on one appt with Admission Rep who will accept / deny / defer at end of meeting  Must sign up in Career Center (Rm 110)

9. When Should My Child Apply?  Rolling Admission  Accept applications in the fall and when file is complete will render a decision  Regular Decision  College accepts applications until deadline and then reviews and makes admission decision  Deadline usually January 1 or 15

10.  Early Decision  Binding agreement between the student and college  Can only apply ED to 1 college/university  If accepted must withdraw all other applications  Deadline usually November 1  Break Agreement = I year tuition  Early Action  Non binding agreement  Student can apply to more than 1 school early in their senior year

11. U of M Early Action  Goal is to drive students to apply early  Completed application by 11/1/13  Admission notification by 12/23/13  Accept / Deny / Defer/Waitlist

12. Transcripts  ALL transcripts must be sent electronically using Parchment (formerly Docufide)  Look for the Parchment/Docufide link near the bottom of the Counseling department webpage  First-time users must register and create an account with a valid email address  In most (but not all) cases, there is no fee  A parent must electronically sign to release the student’s record (*NEW last year)

13. Transcripts (cont.)  An email notification will be sent to your counselor when transcript is requested  Your counselor will authorize the transcript to be sent  You will receive an email confirmation that transcript has been delivered electronically to its destination

14. The Common Application  Students can use the same application to apply to any of the participating schools (Over 450 schools)  We send all school forms (counselor and teacher recommendations and transcript) electronically  You do NOT need to request a transcript via Parchment when you apply to Common App schools

15. About the cost of college……..  Have at least one college on the list that you know you could afford with minimal financial assistance.  The majority of college students will have to repay a student loan of some kind….expect it  Allow your child to apply, then decide what is affordable  Many out of state and private colleges offer more grant and scholarship money than in state public universities  Don’t let the sticker price shock you  Some will meet 100% of need based aid

16. Financial Aid  www.fafsa.ed.gov  Begin applying for aid 1/1/2014  MI colleges deadline 3/1/2014  BHS Financial Aid Night  Thursday, 11/21/13  Everyone should apply no matter what your income level  CSS Profile

17. The “Skinny” on Scholarships  Scholarship monies are available; however, most student aid comes in the form of grants and loans  Looking for scholarships – a part time job!  Institutional scholarships usually want you to apply by Nov 1 to maximize opportunity  Apply, apply, apply…….BHS students win regional and national scholarships!

18. Develop a Scholarship Strategy  Check membership organizations and employers  Read BHS Counselors’ Corner every month  Scholarship section  Use a FREE scholarship search service:  Look for themes (one essay) www.fastweb.com www.schoolsoup.com www.scholarships.com

19. Senior Year College Admissions Timeline  September ‘13 – January ‘14  Apply to college  Receive admissions decisions  Apply for scholarships  January ‘14 – February ‘14  Receive admissions decisions  Apply for financial aid  Apply for scholarships  March ’14 – April ’14  Receive admissions decisions  Receive financial aid packages from colleges  Apply for scholarships  By May 1, 2014 –  weigh options, accept admission, pay enrollment deposit

20. Help us help you!  “Like” the Berkley High School Counseling Department page on facebook  Sign up for Family Access!  See Barb Downer in Counseling Office  Check attendance and assignments regularly  Reinforce what’s in the Counselors’ Corner  Especially the scholarship section  They can start applying now for scholarships  Go with your child and visit colleges!

21. Helpful Websites  College Navigator  http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/  www.actstudent.org www.actstudent.org  www.youniversitytv.com  www.fafsa.ed.gov  www.collegeboard.com www.collegeboard.com  www.petersons.com www.petersons.com  www.careercruising.com (username: berkley, password: bears) www.careercruising.com

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