1. College Night Presentation
for Juniors and their Parents

2. Agenda Preparing for a College Search Scholarships
Next Steps for Juniors
Myths and Facts about College Admissions
College “Q & A”

3. Preparing for a College Search

4. Types of Colleges Four year Type Description Admission Requirements
Degrees offered:
Bachelors and beyond
Provides: A well-rounded college experience that includes an academic area of study.
SAT or ACT
GPA
Class rank
Essay
Extracurricular
activities
Letters of
recommendation
Transcripts

5. Types of Colleges Two year Type Description Admission Requirements
Degrees offered: Associates
Provides: A way to ease into college / take general college classes for credit.
Typically have agreements with four year colleges to transfer credits.
Open-door admission policy

6. Choosing Your College Priorities
What is important to you?
Location
Academics
Size
Campus Appeal
Social Life
10 Step Campus Culture Quiz
Total Cost – Including aid
Net Price Calculators

7. About College Admission Tests
ACT
Consists of four tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science
Writing component is optional-Recommend you take this section the first time you take the ACT.
Top composite score is 36
Will have an in-school test in April
SAT
Consists of Evidenced Based Reading and Writing and Math, Essay portion is optional
Each section is scored on a scale of , highest score possible is 1600
Essay is scored separately
Khan Academy
SAT Subject Tests
Hour-long, content-based tests that allow you to showcase achievement in specific subject areas where you excel
Only a handful of colleges require SAT Subject Tests
Test Preparation
Prep Class/Books/Websites/Khan Academy/Apps

8. What Information do College Admissions Officers Review?
Grades / Overall GPA
Strength of high school course selections
ACT or SAT Test Score (some schools are test-optional)
Essay
Teacher and counselor recommendations
Class rank (NDA provides decile ranking)
Student’s demonstrated interest
Personal accomplishments
Personality characteristics
Courses in progress senior year

9. Collecting College Information – Where to go
– Naviance (there is an app for iPhones as well!)
Cappex.com - College search made simple
nacacnet.org - National Association for College Admission Counseling. Offers national college fair information and articles about the college process
collegeboard.com - Information about the SAT
actstudent.org - Information about the ACT test
bigfuture.org – comprehensive college planning website

10. Scholarships

11. Merit Scholarship Tips
Merit scholarships are where the money is.
There is more than $11 billion in merit scholarships available to students from colleges.
Not just for “A” students.
Many awards emphasize leadership or school involvement.
The average merit scholarship is $5,000/yr.
Many awards can be renewed year after year.

12. Scholarship Resources
Fastweb.com - Private scholarships
fafsa.ed.gov - Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Studentaid.ed.gov - The federal government’s website about paying for college
MeritAid.com - $11 billion in merit scholarships
Cappex.com - Scholarship matching
finaid.org - Free student resource for learning about all types of financial aid

13. Next Steps

14. Next Steps for Juniors In School Stay focused on academics
Do not lighten your academic load for senior year
Meet with your college counselor
Stay involved in school activities

15. Next Steps for Juniors Standardized Testing
Prepare for tests (Khan Academy/Prep Class)
Register for ACT and/or SAT tests
Register for SAT Subject Tests if needed
Register for AP and/or IB tests as appropriate

16. Next Steps for Juniors College Exploration
Explore colleges on the Web – Utilize Naviance!!
Visit college campuses
Meet with college representatives when they come to NDA
Attend college fairs – Lourdes Fair will be the first Tuesday in October
Familiarize yourself with the Common Application.
Begin working on the application and essay
Register with the NCAA ( ) if wanting to play DI/DII athletics

17. Our High School’s Timeline
Take the ACT/SAT at least once this school year
Attend individual meeting with Mrs. Meier next semester
Work on essay over the summer
Retake ACT/SAT if necessary
Take SAT Subject Tests if necessary
August - Student Brag Sheet and Parent Brag Sheet
Visits, visits, visits!
Attend FAFSA presentation in the Fall
Complete FAFSA
Complete CSS Profile if necessary
Applications will be due in Mid-October

18. Myths and Facts “I’m not going to get into college”
Fact: About 70% of colleges accept an average of 70% of their applicants
“If I haven’t heard of the school, it must not be any good”
Fact: There are countless schools that will offer you a great education. Don’t make your decision based on prestige or name recognition. Make your decision based on the best fit for you.

19. Myths and Facts
“Take the easiest courses your school offers in order to maximize your GPA”
Fact: Colleges know the most difficult classes NDA offers and they factor that in when reviewing your application
“No college will take the time to look at your Facebook page”
Fact: Admissions officers can and do look at social-networking profiles, so make sure you aren’t putting anything out there that you wouldn’t want them to see.

20. Myths and Facts “Be Modest”
Fact: Admissions officers won’t read between the lines. They have to read between 75 and 100 applications a day, so make it easy for them. Give them the facts and don’t be afraid to brag.
“By the time you get to applying to college, the hard work is done”
Fact: You have 5 pages to represent 17 years of your life. Every word needs to count, and essays must be written and rewritten many times. Don’t underestimate the time it will take to make sure your application is the best it can be.

21. Mrs. Meier ameier@nda.org 419-724-1007
Q&A with NDA Parents
Mrs. Meier