1. Rising Senior Information
CLASS OF
2020
Rising Senior Information
Smoky Mountain High School

2. Tonight’s Topics Preparing for Senior Year What Can Parents Do
College Admissions
Types of Decisions
ACT or SAT?
Financial Aid
Scholarships
CFNC.org

3. Preparing for Senior Year
Registration Meeting with Counselor
Transcript Review
Plans After High School
Resources for Senior Year
Opportunities for Help
Workshop Dates

4. Parents Challenge your Senior to… Help them stay organized
Maintain a challenging course load
Enjoy senior year, but be responsible
Start working on applications, and financial aid this summer
Avoid getting into the pattern of late in’s and early outs
College classes, the military & careers will make them get up in the morning & go past 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Help them stay organized
Applications log in & passwords
Deadlines & s

5. College Admissions
Admissions Counselors are reviewing the student as a whole
Course Rigor- college prep courses
Overall Grades
GPA/Class Rank
Extracurricular commitments
Community Service / Community Involvement
The Essay
Recommendations
Test Scores
Courses taken toward major of interest

6. Types of Decisions Early Decision- commitment
Students submit applications before the regular decision deadline & receive their admissions decisions soon after. Early Decision is binding, which means that any student who applies & is admitted to a school through Early Decision is expected to enroll.
Early Decision applicants typically require some type of signed form that indicated the intention to enroll upon admission.
Early Action- no commitment
Students will submit their applications before the regular deadline and will be informed of their admissions earlier than with regular decision applications.
Regular Decision-no commitment
The vast majority of students who apply to a given institution will do so through regular decision. Application submission deadlines vary between institutions

7. When to Apply Early Decision/Early Action
Applying EA or ED is Appropriate for a Student Who….
Has researched colleges extensively
Is absolutely sure that the college is their first choice
Has found a college that is a strong match academically, socially, and geographically
Meets or exceeds the admission profile for the ACT/SAT scores, GPA and class rank
Has an academic record that has been consistently solid over time
College Comparison Checklists

8. Transcripts Need a Transcript Form
Will be given to each student in their registration meeting
Available in the Student Support Center

9. ACT or SAT ACT www.act.org SAT www.collegeboard.org
All juniors have taken the ACT & will be given copies of their scores during their registration meeting with their School Counselor
Sections: English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning, Optional Writing
Common core aligned
SAT
Offered every November at Smoky Mountain High School
Sections: Reading, Writing & Language, Math, Optional Essay
Stronger emphasis on vocabulary
ALL US COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES ACCEPT SCORES FROM EITHER ACT OR SAT
Both tests use super scoring

10. Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/act-vs-sat

11. Financial Aid Grants- Does not have to be repaid
Free money usually awarded based on need
Ex. Pell Grants, NC State Lottery Grant, College Funded Grants
Scholarships- Does not have to be repaid
Free money awarded for academics, sports, special talents, cultural/religious backgrounds, etc.
Does not have to be repaid
Work Study- Does not have to be repaid
Money funded by the government to employ the student in a part-time job on or off campus that will pay the student, and pay towards college tuition/fees
Loans- Must be repaid
Borrowed money from government or private lenders that must be paid back, and in some cases paid back with interest

12. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Submit FAFSA at
Apply for need-based grants, loans, and work-study
Make sure you are on the .gov website
Financial Need = Cost of Attendance – EFC (Expected Family Contribution)
EFC is determined by income data provided by parents on FAFSA
FSA ID is required
Multiple opportunities at SMHS for FAFSA Help
Can submit October 1st
The sooner the better!

13. College Costs Billable Expenses Indirect Expenses Tuition Fees
Room and Board (if residing on campus)
Meal Plan
These costs show up on college “bill”
Indirect Expenses
Books & Supplies
Room and Board (if residing off campus)
Personal Expenses
Travel
These costs do not show up on college “bill”

14. Scholarships Take Student Effort- But do not have the be repaid
Monthly Scholarship Flyer- On SSC website & ed to Seniors
Look Locally
Utilize different websites
FastWeb.com
Finaid.org/scholarships
cfnc.org
Lendedu.com/blog/scholarships
Beware of Scams
No guarantees
Do not pay to apply

15. CFNC.org Free Account for All Students Scholarships Applications
Transcript Manager
RDS
NC College Application Week
Mostly Independent Colleges & Universities
All Community Colleges
Tentatively set at October 15th-19th

16. Senioritis
Decreased motivation towards studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school career
Symptoms include: slowness, procrastination, apathy regarding school, tendency to be absent or skip
The Serious Side:
Retraction of College Admissions
Academic Probation
Alteration of Financial Aid Award Package

17. Closing Information
Check with your student’s School Counselor about your student’s meeting date
Senior Portraits will be taken on July 8, 2019
Formal photo
Casual photos
Graduation Date
Announced before Christmas