1. NEXT STEPS FOR THE COLLEGE-BOUND JUNIOR
NANCY OLIVEIRA, Career Counselor

2. GIVE YOURSELF OPTIONS! Do your research!
Don’t assume that what you want to do and where you want to go now will be the same next year!
Do your research!
Be realistic and be flexible! There is a school/program out there for you!

3. focus on academics
Your college admission will be based on your transcript through your junior year, so finish strong! (Your plan can’t be to improve your grades senior year.)
Register for next year’s classes wisely! They will be listed on your transcript.
Essay writing: practice, practice, practice!  look for Common App topics in February and start writing  college/career goals essay

4. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO STUDY?
You don’t have to have your major picked out, but given the cost of a post-secondary education, it’s helpful if you have a general idea of where you want to end up. Have a back-up plan.
No clue? Try one of these resources:
Career Cruising
Montana Career Information System

5. How would you rank these items?
CHOOSING A COLLEGE
What are you looking for in a college?
Type (public, private, religious, NCAA/NAIA, grad school)
Location Size Degrees offered Cost Financial Aid Extracurricular Activities
Look at their statistics!
How would you rank these items?

6. CHOOSING A COLLEGE
Make a campus visit! (2 school related absences; documentation required.)
Get a tour, visit the residence halls, sit-in on a class, meet with an admissions counselor, talk to someone in financial aid, speak with a professor, talk to a student with the same academic focus as you.
You will know if the campus is a good fit for you.

7. CHOOSING A COLLEGE Apply to more than one school!
Safety: You can afford it and will be accepted; you would be happy there. (CAW)
Target: A school that you really want to attend and meet the admissions requirements for; a target school is one that you are likely to attend.
Reach: A reach school is your dream school. You want to be accepted, but you realize that you don’t meet every admissions requirement. You might have an exceptional GPA and transcript, but your ACT score isn’t quite what it needs to be. Apply anyway! There’s a reason why schools have you write essays and submit letters of recommendation. Don’t think you can afford it? Apply anyway!

8. CHOOSE YOUR CLASSES WISELY
Senior year isn’t time to take a break; transcripts list courses currently being taken. (admissions and scholarships)
How do the colleges you’re interested in evaluate Advanced Placement scores and dual credit courses? (For example, does it make more sense to take AP Statistics or dual credit Statistics?)
“I wish someone had told me to take chemistry.”
A college preparatory curriculum varies from school to school.

9. CHOOSE YOUR CLASSES WISELY
MONATANA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS *4 years of English *3 years of Math *3 years of Social Studies *2 years of Science *2 years of Electives *2.5 GPA OR Rank in the top half of your class OR 22 ACT Composite
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING REQUIREMENTS *4 years of English *4 years of Math (including Alg I, Alg II, Geometry) *3 years of Social Science *4 years of Science *2 years of Additional Coursework *2 years of a Foreign Language *3.0 GPA AND 21 ACT Composite
What if a student doesn’t meet all admissions requirements? Is college still an option? YES!!

11. TAKE THE ACT
And, take it seriously. Taking it at HHS without having to pay the fee is a great opportunity! APRIL 19, 2017
Compare your score to both the admissions and scholarship requirements for the schools in which you’re interested (MUS schools require a composite score of 22 for admissions.)
Consider taking the SAT. (the tests are different; compare them)
Consider re-taking the ACT. Do schools super score? Are they test optional? Scholarships?

14. PAYING FOR COLLEGE
Budget for the admissions process (ACT/SAT, app fees, residence life deposit)
Will a family contribute to the cost of a post-secondary education?
2-year vs 4-year tuition Missoula College University of MT
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Scholarships – What can I do now? *Extracurricular activities resume (join!) *Community Service – Do some! Do more! *Letter of Recommendation Authors  choose wisely *Work on essays & Ask for help! college/career goals Common App Topics (end of January) *raise.me (UM, MSU, Carroll) *Career Cruising, MCIS, myscholly.com (RHM406$) guidance/scholarships/

15. BE FLEXIBLE
Your post-secondary education may not begin the way or where you had planned, but that doesn’t mean it won’t end the way you want it to.

16. NANCY OLIVEIRA, CAREER COUNSELOR NOLIVEIRA@HELENASCHOOLS.ORG