1. What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Senior
Thursday, Marc 28
6:30 PM

2. Junior AHS
February ACT test – official results were mailed to your home
MCA Math test – official results will be mailed to your home in October
Senior Year class schedule – Make sure your schedule is correct before you leave for summer vacation! Do not wait until the fall to make changes.
Don’t let grades slip Semester 2!! Colleges evaluate your HS transcript grades 9-11

3. Senior Year @ AHS College in the Schools courses Math Honors Diploma
Must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and earn certain scores on the Accuplacer exam to enroll and earn college credit
Math
Only 3.5 years required for HS graduation (Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, Stats), but some colleges require 4 years for admission (U of M)
Honors Diploma
Honors: 3.5 – 3.74 GPA Highest Honors: 3.75 and up
45 credits needed to graduate…Are you on track??

4. Start Thinking and Planning for Life After High School
2 College visit days per year during the Junior and Senior year (pre-arranged 3 days in advance)
Visit with College Reps at AHS
Start researching colleges/programs, requirements, and costs
Job Shadow
Interview adults in the career you are interested in and college students in the program
Volunteer
Decide whether or not to re-take the ACT
Free prep online: actstudent.org, prepfactory.com, academy.act.org

5. “But I don’t know what I want to do after high school!”
That’s okay!! We can help you with that!
World of Work map on the PreACT test from Sophomore year and the ACT from Junior year
MCIS, ISEEK
Minnesota Workforce Center in Aitkin
Helping job-seekers become employed! Resume building, interviewing skills, job fairs, interest inventories, etc.
Self-Reflection, meet with your school counselor 
Who + Why = What
Who + Why = What. The ‘who’ is all about self-knowledge (“which is difficult for 17-year-olds,” she notes), including values, strengths, and “what you like so much that time seems to fly by while you’re doing it.” ‘Why’ is about questions like, “Is there a problem in the world you want to solve?” and “What drives you?” A combination of those answers leads to ‘what’—a blueprint for which skills someone needs to acquire, and what kind of work he or she should seek, to start creating the right career.

6. MN Career Information System, CareerWise Education (Iseek), MN DEED
What occupations are in demand?

7. College Timeline: Spring of Junior year/Summer
Make a list of what is important to you in a college: 2 or 4 year, religious affiliation, on-campus housing, location, cost, etc.
College websites are a great place to start!
Start a list of colleges you are interested in, dig deeper into these schools: admissions requirements, timeline, actual cost of attendance
Visit campus!!!
Compare colleges, pros and cons of each school you visit/research.

8. College Timeline: Fall of Senior Year
Submit Applications! Some programs fill up faster than others (Diesel Mechanics)
Do I meet all the Admissions Requirements?
Does the college have an application deadline? Priority deadline?
Do you need letters of recommendation?
Is there a fee to apply?
Will my CIS credits transfer?
Free Application Week (October) and 5th Annual College AHS
Re-take the ACT (October AHS)

9. ACT test Retake the ACT for a higher score Why retake??
Saturday, October AHS
Must register online (actstudent.org) using your ACT ID number provided for you on your Score Report
Also available June, July, September
Why retake??
Admission to college, scholarships, qualify you for certain college courses

10. College Scholarships Example: SMSU
PRESIDENT’S Scholarship Package - $10,000
1st year - $2,000 / 2nd year $2,000 / 3rd year $3,000 / 4th year $3,000
Students with 29+ ACT/SAT and a minimum GPA of 3.0
3.0 Cumulative GPA required for renewal
VICE PRESIDENTS’ Scholarship Package - $8,000
1st year - $1,500 / 2nd year $1,500 / 3rd year $2,500 / 4th year $2,500
Students with ACT/SAT and minimum GPA of 3.0
OR 29+ ACT and GPA
DEANS’ Scholarship Package - $7,000
1st year - $1,500 / 2nd year $1,500 / 3rd year $2,000 / 4th year $2,000
Students with ACT/SAT and minimum GPA of 2.8
3.0 Cumulative GPA required for renewal
LEADERSHIP Scholarship Package - $5,000
1st year - $1,250 / 2nd year $1,250 / 3rd year $1,250 / 4th year $1,250
Students with ACT/SAT and a minimum GPA of 2.5
ACHIEVEMENT Scholarship Package - $2,000
1st year - $500 / 2nd year $500 / 3rd year $500 / 4th year $500
Students with ACT and minimum GPA of 3.0

11. College Timeline: Winter of Senior Year
General rule of thumb… All four-year college applications should be submitted by the end of November!
Submit the FAFSA (starting in October)
Search for scholarships
Fastweb.com, scholarships.com, highfivescholarships.com, Aitkin Dollars for Scholars, Aitkin High School Counseling website
Appeal if denied admission (if needed)

12. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) www.fafsa.gov
Students must submit a FAFSA every year to be considered for federal student aid
Grants, Scholarships, Loans
Students will be able to file a 2019–20 FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2019.
Use Earlier Income Information: The aid a student receives for the school year is based on income from the year 2018.
FAFSA assistance: AHS School Counseling office (Mrs. Sander), Aitkin Workforce Center (Amanda Voller), Financial Aid CI HS with Financial Aid reps from CLC (November), Financial Aid office of college to which student is applying

13. College Timeline: Spring of Senior Year
Read Financial Aid offers carefully
Play the Waiting Game
You should receive admissions decisions by March or April. Let colleges you don’t choose know that you won’t be attending
Submit scholarship applications – many are due March 31/April 1
Get Ready to GO!
May 1st is the commitment deadline for most colleges
Sign up to register for Fall Semester

14. Sometimes, having a Senior in High School can feel like this…

15. Meredith Sander, AHS 10-12 Grade Counselor
Questions? Concerns?
Please contact me with any questions or concerns you have about your child’s upcoming Senior Year
I am available to meet individually with students and parents
Thank you for attending!!!
Meredith Sander, AHS Grade Counselor