1. The College Planning Process at Solon High School
SHS College Counselors
Cindy Russell A-C
Rick Nowak D-Ho
Ann Trocchio Hp-Mc
Kathleen Kinney Md-See
Brad Sims Sef-Z
SHS College Planning Support Staff
Laura Gordon Secretary
Valerie Harrell Financial Aid Advisor
Guest Speakers
Tracy Shuman The Ohio State University
Andrew Cruse Case Western Reserve University

2. The College Planning Process at Solon High School
The College Night 2017 PowerPoint can be accessed online:
Visit:
Select “Solon High School”
Click on “Guidance”
Click on “Handouts”
Click on “COLLEGE/CAREER PLANNING: College Night 2017 PowerPoint”

3. Senior Assistant Director Undergraduate Admissions
Tracy Shuman
Senior Assistant Director
Undergraduate Admissions
The Ohio State University

6. Ohio’s Public Universities
Advantages of attending Ohio’s public universities:
Wide variety of academic programs
Broad range of student life experiences and opportunities
Diverse type of institutions to choose from
Metropolitan, urban, rural, selective, moderately selective, open, large, medium, small

7. Ohio’s Public Universities
Advantages of attending Ohio’s public universities, cont.
Broad range of opportunities to participate in research
Affordable tuition options
Financial assistance (merit and need based)
Ability to transfer credit from community college

8. Ohio’s Public Universities
Advantages of attending Ohio’s Public Universities, cont.
Opportunities for graduate and professional studies
Regional campus options
Major sports programs

9. Ohio’s Public Universities
Admission Completion Requirements:
Application Form (online or hard-copy)
Application Fee (ranges from $60 to no fee)
High School Transcript
ACT/SAT
The ACT Writing Test is recommended by the University of Akron, but required by no public colleges in Ohio.
Some universities will require:
Essay
Recommendation
College Prep Form

10. Ohio’s Public Universities
Recommendations
Consider college characteristics that are important to you and your family
Request information from the university
Schedule a campus visit
Apply for admission by the appropriate deadline
Develop a plan to pay for your education

11. Private University Education
Andrew Cruse
Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission
Case Western Reserve University

12. Characteristics of Private Universities
Size; typically smaller universities
Selectivity
Graduation Rates
Geographic Diversity
Values
Liberal Arts
Alumni
Cost/Value

13. Finding the right fit Size of University
Location: city, rural and/or urban area
Academic majors interest
Student involvement
Athletics
Visiting the campus
Internships/job placement

14. Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO)
Ohio’s independent institutions include research universities, traditional liberal arts colleges, comprehensive universities, single-purpose institutions, religiously affiliated colleges, and historically black universities.
There are nearly 50 private institutions in Ohio.

15. Why is there a difference in price between public and private institutions?
The cost of providing a higher education is generally the
same at independent colleges and universities as at public
universities.
For example, both types of institutions incur costs associated with
building and maintaining classrooms,
residence halls, computer facilities and libraries; paying faculty
salaries; and providing career and counseling services.
However, private institutions charge a higher price, or tuition,
because they do not receive an educational subsidy from
the state.

16. Apply to colleges that best fit personal needs, regardless of price
The ability to pay for a college education is likely to be
an important factor in selecting a college or university.
However, the price of a particular institution should not
prevent a student from applying to the schools of his or
her choice.
Every student should apply to the colleges
that best suit his or her academic, social and personal
needs, regardless of the price, because financial aid
can make it affordable to attend.

17. Complete the FAFSA. www.fafsa.gov
Ohio’s independent colleges and universities require prospective students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
To qualify for some state and federal grant and loan programs, students should complete the FAFSA as soon after October 1 as possible of their senior year.

18. Ohio Private Colleges and Universities
Antioch University Midwest
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Ashland University
Baldwin-Wallace College
Bluffton University
Capital University
Case Western Reserve University
Cedarville University
Columbus College of Art & Design
University of Dayton
Defiance College
Denison University
The University of Findlay
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franklin University
Good Samaritan College of Nursing
Heidelberg University
Hiram College
John Carroll University
Kenyon College
Kettering College
Lake Erie College
Lourdes University
Malone University
Marietta College
Mercy College of Ohio
Mount Carmel College of Nursing
College of Mount St. Joseph
University of Mount Union
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Muskingum University
University of Northwestern Ohio

19. Ohio Private Colleges and Universities
Union Institute & University
Urbana University
Ursuline College
Walsh University
Wilberforce University
Wilmington College
Wittenberg University
The College of Wooster
Xavier University
Notre Dame College
Oberlin College
Ohio Christian University
Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine
Ohio Dominican University
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Otterbein University
University of Rio Grande
Tiffin University

20. Next Steps Continue Your Research Campus Visits Guidance Office
School/Public Library
Government & Association Websites
IPEDS – nces.ed.gov/IPEDS
College Navigator – nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
AICUO –
Net price calculator
Campus Visits
Open Houses, Campus Tours, Personalized Visits

21. What We’re Doing at SHS The process that your child has already begun:
Enrolling in the Solon City Schools
College and Career Readiness K-12
School Counseling collaborative meetings K-12
High School Counselors transition 8th grade students for high school success

22. What We’re Doing at SHS 9th 10th 11th 12th Monitor academic progress
Review course selections and credits toward graduation
ACT Practice
AP Exams
State Testing
PSAT Practice Testing
PSAT
ACT
SAT
Meet with students monthly in the Freshman Mentoring Program
Classroom counseling
Naviance registration and Career Interest Profiler
Assist students in updating resume
Introduce EXCEL TECC
Naviance investigation of colleges and careers
Assist students in completing resume
Continue career and college planning
Naviance use for college preparation
Implement the college and post-SHS planning process
Applications, essays, and scholarship information
Individual meetings to create college, career, and academic success plans
Individual meetings to create college, career, and academic success plans.
Individual meetings to finalize college, career, and academic success plans
Transition support

23. What We’re Doing at SHS

24. Steps That You Can Take

25. Naviance

26. Naviance: College Tools

27. Naviance: SuperMatch

28. Naviance: Career Tools

29. SHS College Data (CWRU)

30. SHS College Data (CWRU)

31. SHS College Data (OSU)

32. SHS College Data (OSU)

33. SHS College Data (Yale)

34. SHS College Data (Yale)

35. Evaluating Applications
Primary importance placed on:
High school grade point average
ACT/SAT scores
Strength and depth of high school curriculum
Other important factors in the application process:
Student Essay
Teacher and counselor recommendation letters
Extracurricular Activities

36. Reality Check
There are 37,000 high schools in the United States, each with a top ten list of students.
370,000 seniors apply to the same group of eight Ivies and highly selective schools.
Top SHS students become “typical” looking in this group.
Perfect scores on the ACT/SAT are not unusual in this group.

37. No Guarantees for the Most Selective Colleges
No one is entitled to admission to an Ivy League or Highly Selective School.
This process is an art, not a science. There is no perfect equation that will equal guaranteed admission.
Many top students across the country are denied admission to the most selective colleges each year.

38. College Counseling News at Solon High School
Last year, the SHS Guidance Department processed over 1788 applications to almost 400 different college and universities.
Last year the average number of applications per SHS senior was five.
Last year’s graduates can be found on over 100 different campuses this year, approximately 40 of which are in Ohio.

39. College Entrance Recommendations (Minimum)
4 years of English
4 years of Math
(including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II)
3 - 4 years of Science
(including Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
3 - 4 years of Social Studies
2 - 3 years of Foreign Language
1 year of fine, applied or performing arts

40. SAT RESULTS ELA + Math National Average 1002 SHS Class of 2016 1232
SHS Top 10%

41. ACT RESULTS Composite Scores
National Average
SHS Class of
SHS Top 10%

42. College is not a prize to be won . . . but rather a match to be found.