1. Senior Parent Information Meeting
Concord High School
Class of 2017

2. Student Responsibilities
Explore opportunities with schools, military, or work force
Request transcripts to be sent
Request additional required documentation such as secondary school reports and mid-year reports
Request fee waivers for ACT and SAT test registration
Monitoring application and scholarship deadlines
Search and request scholarship applications
Check Student Application Portals to ensure file is complete.

3. Making Choices Four-Year College, Community College, Trade School, Military, Work Force
Exploring Options –
College Fair is Wednesday, October 12 from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center.
Explore CollegeBoard at - BigFuture
Senior Meetings with school counselors
Schedule tours with various colleges, community colleges, and/or trade schools
Look at Student Profiles at various schools to see GPA and test score averages.
Explore websites and read testimonials of previous students
Military Opportunities – See Carolyn DeBerry at

4. Transcripts
A high school transcript is an official document reflecting the courses and grades a student has taken in 9th through 12th grades. If a student took a high school credit course in middle school, the transcript would also reflect that course.
A transcript will be required for a four-year university, community college, trade school, military, or possibly the work force.
If the student is under 18 years old, he or she must have a signed transcript release form signed by the parent and the student. If a student is 18 years old or older, the student can sign for himself or herself.
Once the transcript is prepared and sent to the recipient, any class schedule change would require that the recipient be notified of the change. For example, if the student is scheduled to take Spanish III second semester but changes his mind, the university which received the transcript would have to be notified that the course was dropped. Changes in one’s schedule can affect college acceptances.

5. Sending Transcripts How does a student send a transcript?
If a student is applying to a NC university or community college, the easiest way to send a transcript is for the student to send his or her own transcript through CFNC. Directions for this process are at Transcript Manager
If a student is applying to college through The Common Application, a transcript request will automatically be sent to the school counselor.
Some school applications use SEND.edu to digitally send out transcript requests to school counselors.
Sometimes a paper copy of the transcript is necessary. The student should request the transcript and allow at least five days for the counselor to process. The student will receive a sealed envelope containing the transcript and will need to address and mail out the transcript. The student is given three paper copies of the transcript without cost; following that, the student will be charged $5.00 for each additional transcript request.
After a transcript is sent either digitally or through the mail, it is the responsibility of the STUDENT to check and make sure the transcript was received and processed by the university.

6. Scholarships COMMON SCHOLARSHIP TYPES:
Merit (academic achievement, GPA, class rank, test scores etc.)
Need (family financial situation)
Talent (athletic ability, artistic talent, etc.)
Affiliation (dependent of Duke Power employee, member of religious organization, etc..)
Condition (cancer survivor, left-handed, etc.)
SOURCES FOR SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION:
Colleges - Visit the scholarship webpages of the colleges to which you plan to apply.
High School - Learn about the scholarships that are provided by or through your school.
Employers - Check with your employer and the employer(s) of your parents/guardians.
Community Resources - Explore scholarships that may be offered in your community (Ex. Church, Scouts, etc.).
General Searches - Use your favorite search engine to explore scholarships specific to you (Ex. Left-handed Scholarships).
Search Engines - Scholarship Search Engines exposes student to various scholarships across the country.

7. School Nominated Scholarships
Morehead-Cain – UNC-Chapel Hill
Park – NC State
John Montgomery Belk – Davidson
Levine Scholars Program – UNC-Charlotte
Jefferson Scholars Foundation – University of Virginia
These scholarships provide students with a fully funded college experience including tuition, room and board, spending money, and paid summer opportunities. Deadline to submit required documents (resume and personal statement) is Friday, September 23 by 2:30 pm. A nomination committee comprised of teachers and school staff will review documents and select candidates for nomination by September 30.

8. Scholarships How does a student search for scholarships?
Most scholarship money is awarded from the university to which the student is applying. College admission counselors will examine a student’s application and match with appropriate scholarships.
State, Local or School Scholarships. There are multiple scholarships ranging from $250 to $10,000 that are awarded by the state, local community, or the school. These scholarships are posted on the CHS School Counseling website. Look for the Scholarship tab on the left. Applications typically become available in January and February.
Scholarship Search Engines allow a student to be connected with scholarship applications across the country. USA Today composed a list of what they feel are the ten best scholarship search engines. The article can be found at The Best Scholarship Resources

9. Scholarships
For the last three years, Concord High School has been awarded more scholarship money than any other high school in Cabarrus County. Last year, we set a new record at 9.2 million dollars in scholarships awarded.
We want to maintain our place in the county, so we encourage our students to self report any scholarship earnings they receive. Documentation of some type is necessary for the Counseling Department to report as scholarship. We can report scholarship award amounts even if the student is choosing to go to a different university.

10. Standardized Test Scores SAT and ACT
SAT  Test Dates ACT Test Dates
Test Dates Registration Dates Test Dates Registration Dates
October 1, September 1, September 10, August 5, 2016
November 5, October 7, October 22, September 16, 2016
December 3, November 3, December 10, November 4, 2016
January 21, December 21, February 11, January 13, 2017
March 11, February 10, April 8, March 3, 2017
May 6, April 7, June 10, May 5, 2017
June 3, May 9, 2017
If a student is eligible for free or reduced lunch, fee waivers are available. In order to receive the waiver, the student needs to complete a form and have the form signed by his or her parent.
At the time of registration, the student can select four schools to receive scores without cost. If the student needs a score sent to a school that was not chosen, he or she will need to pay a small fee for the score to be sent. SAT scores can be sent from collegeboard.org and ACT scores can be sent from actstudent.org. Scores cannot be sent directly from the Counseling Department.

11. Financial Aid FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
An application to apply is available at The available aid is based on family income, family size, and other financial considerations.
October 29, 2016 is FAFSA Day. A student and parent can receive assistance completing the FAFSA Application. Information regarding time and place can be found at FAFSA Day
Some universities accept a CSS Profile for additional funding. Information about the CSS Profile can be found at CSS Profile Information
CFNC offers two Financial Aid presentations to inform and assist students and parents in this process. The presentations are on October 25 at Concord Middle School at 6:00 pm and January 26 at the Hamrick Theater at NorthEast Medical Center. A Connect Ed message will be sent home to senior families informing the time and place of event.

12. Recommendations
Most universities will ask for one to three letters of recommendations. Recommendations should be written by someone who knows the student well and preferably someone who has taught the student in at least two courses.
Some universities allow for letters of recommendation by non-teaching roles such as a coach, mentor, neighbor, etc.
Some universities will ask for recommenders to be from a student’s 11th or 12th grade years.
Proper protocol for recommendations include asking the teacher at least two weeks in advance and sending a thank you note following submission of the recommendation.
The student is responsible for ensuring that the recommendation was successfully received by the school.
CollegeBoard.org offers helpful advice on recommendations for college applications at Tips for Getting Great Recommendations

13. Application Essays and Personal Statements
Essays and Personal Statements allow the student to showcase critical thinking, creativity, personal characteristics, motivations, and aspirations.
Essays should reveal the genuine voice of the student. The student should keep focus of essay personal and specific. For example, instead of writing an essay about how you want to change the world, focus on a powerful personal experience that has inspired or moved you. As always, the student should consult with a teacher or parent for proofreading. Advice on essay writing is available at Tips on Writing Effective Application Essays
Personal Statements allow the student the opportunity to provide personal information that goes beyond the GPA and standardized test scores. Students can use the personal statement to distinguish themselves from others – what makes them unique. Meaningful self-reflection is required for a personal statement to be impactful. Be mindful that a personal statement is not a narrative explaining a resume, but instead is a personal, reflective snapshot of who the student is. Assistance with writing a personal statement can be found at Defining the Personal Statement

14. Questions
Christy Takach (704) Students with the last name ending in letters A - G Department Chair Amy Cochran (704) Students with the last name ending in letters H - O Daren Parker (704) Students with the last name ending in letters P - Z Carolyn DeBerry (704) Graduation Coach Deb Russell (704) Registrar