1. Eastlake High School Junior Parent Night
Preparing parents and students for
senior year and post-secondary planning
Welcome to Junior Parent Night. I am very excited to see you all here this evening.
I look forward to guiding you through the post-secondary planning activities that take place during the senior year of high school in preparation for the year following high school.
Kirsten Keller
Counselor

2. Agenda Junior Parent Night Goals Balancing the Senior Year
10 Steps To Good College Planning
Q&A Session
Tonight we will cover the program goals, challenges facing the senior class, and 10 Steps to Good College Planning.
Following the presentation there will be an opportunity for questions to be answered in the commons.

3. Junior Parent Night Goals
Identify the challenges seniors face in balancing the senior year
Understand the post-secondary planning process
Simplify college search and application process
Assist parents in becoming an informed support for your son or daughter in planning for the senior year and the year following graduation
Provide resources for parent questions
The goal of the Junior Parent Night is to help you understand the post-secondary planning process so that you may best support your son or daughter in preparing for their senior year and the year following graduation.
The focus of tonight’s discussion will be on balancing a challenging senior year of high school while completing the college search and application process.
When you leave here tonight, I want you to feel you have all the information and resources available to support your son or daughter with his or her educational decision making in the upcoming year and beyond.

4. A Well-balanced Senior year
Student responsibilities are split between planning their futures and working on high school demands:
Help your student plan for next year’s commitments now
Understand that social connections are more important than ever
Anticipate conflicting emotions with upcoming change
Reassure students that parents, advisors, counselors, and teachers are there to help provide support
As seniors begin to complete the first step in a lifelong journey of learning by reaching graduation. A large part of their responsibility this year is also to plan for the future.
The application process to post-secondary programs is a will be your son and daughter’s responsibility to manage. Admission into collegiate and vocational programs is often competitive and depends upon timely planning.

5. 10 Steps To Good College Planning
The following 10 steps will help your student:
Begin the college search process with parent support
Plan for deadlines in the post-secondary planning process
Survive and thrive throughout the senior year
To help your student get started with the sometimes overwhelming task of college planning, I have broken the process down into 10 easy to follow steps.
These steps aim to help student learn to access the handbook resources with ease so that they can plan for next year take steps toward moving where they would like to be.

6. 1. Match aptitudes and career goals with schools and programs
Visit the EHS Career Center Andrea Wehner, EHS Career Specialist
Use Career Cruising -
Explore college search websites
Write a resume
Look for schools with a good range of programs in an area of interest
“What do you want to do when you grow up? This question requires forethought as the college one attends often influences their future career path
It is true that most college students change majors; however, trends and tendencies often remain constant ex. Interests in humanities or language versus math and science;
Look for a school with a good range of programs within an area of interest
Career planning involves 3 elements: 1)learning about yourself - strengths, weaknesses, values and goals
2)learning about careers (education required career ladders, salaries, working conditions 3) learning to make decisions
Career Cruising is an online assessment for students to discover their preferences, aptitudes and programs of study. It is a wealth of information that Eastlake students will be introduced to as part of their high school and beyond graduation requirements.
To access:
USERNAME: ehs (where is your full 7 digit student number, located on your student ID/ASB card)
PASSWORD: s# (where is the last six digits of your student number, located on your student ID/ASB card)

7. 2. Register for a rigorous and balanced senior course schedule
Core academic courses
Coursework beyond minimum college entrance requirements
Advanced classes/course studies
Elective classes in areas of interest
College admissions officers look for advanced classes in academic core areas and elective choices that show an interest in their future studies; students should take a reasonable amount of AP classes if appropriate; and minimize early dismissal/late arrival and TA choices

8. Washington Four-year College Entrance Requirements
English 4 years
Mathematics 3 years (req. math senior year)
Social Science 3 years
Science 2 years (incl. 1 yr Alg. based lab)
World Language 2 years
Fine Arts 1 year
Typical amount of academic coursework required for 4-year college admissions
Western WA – req. a lab science of specifically Chemistry or Physics
Univ. of CA system - req. one year of the same fine art
For the Class of 2012 – Math is a req. CADR for the senior year; math-based science or alternate career/technical course

9. 3. Sign up for College Entrance Exams
SAT Reasoning Test -
ACT with optional writing test -
Both are tests of college readiness
Recommended Spring of Junior year
Last testing opportunity Fall of Senior year

10. College Entrance Exams
ACT
25% English
25% Mathematics
25% Reading
25% Science
Optional Writing Test
Subtests range from 1-36
Composite of 4 test scores
(1-36)
No penalty for guessing
SAT
33% Critical Reading
33% Mathematics
33% Writing
Subtest range from
Sum of 3 test scores
( )
Score adjusted for wrong answers
ACT – achievement test of subject matter learned in school
ACT slide info
SAT – aptitude based which measures predicted reasoning and writing abilities
SAT slide info

11. Test Score Comparison 36…1600 2400 35…1580 2340 34…1520 2260
Old New
ACT SAT SAT
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Here is a relative test comparison to help you understand the scoring of the ACT in comparison to the SAT.
Test prep – LWPTSA-Wolf tracks;
we do not promote a specific test prep – choose one that fits the student’s learning style

12. 4. Build a list of schools/programs to research
Gather information about:
Location
Size
Admissions Requirements – typical test scores/GPA
Academic Offerings – majors/programs
Expenses – tuition, travel to/from school
Financial Aid
Housing
Campus Visits
use a college comparison worksheet to identify demographics, admissions requirements and deadlines, academic programs, expenses, campus amenities, and dates for campus visit opportunities

13. 5. Plan school visits Walk around campus Attend a class
Interview admissions officers
Spend a night in the dorm
Talk with other university students
Use campus comparison form as a tool
Emphasize the importance of school visits
Walking around campus, sleeping in a dorm, asking students real questions
Spending time on a college campus is the best way to determine how students live
Does it fit for me?
Use the campus checklist

14. 6. Build a list of schools for application
Discuss the college comparison data and get feedback from others
Students should talk with parents, counselors, advisors, teachers, and friends
Help your son or daughter examine their goals, thoughts and feelings so that they may choose schools for application
Build a well-considered, reasonable list of schools for application
Important for students to discuss school impressions with their parents, advisors, counselors and trusted friends.
Build a list of schools that they would be happy to attend.
Good rule of thumb: apply to schools which include an academic stretch, a relative sure thing, and several reasonable choices for admission

15. 7. Submit applications Application elements:
Demographic Information/Essays
Academic record
Test scores (SAT or ACT)
School/counselor report
Teacher recommendation
App – Biographical info and essay; Essays are a unique opportunity to show admissions the individual behind the numbers; level of activity, individuality, overcoming adversity, community involvement and writing ability
Academic record – transcript of courses and grades
Test Scores – SAT and ACT
School/Counselor report – GPA, class rank, course schedule rigor, level of school involvement and character
Teacher recommendation – letter including written and oral skills, contribution to class, development of study skills

16. Letters of recommendation
To receive letters that add depth and excitement to an application students should:
Ask someone who knows them well
Choose teachers of classes where they were most engaged intellectually, showed creativity, or completed a special project or independent work
Tell the writer how their experience in the classroom or learning style relates to the college of application
Talk to the writer about their dreams for college and a career
Remember to write thank you notes to letter writers including exciting news of acceptance
Students should complete a pink “Letter of Recommendation” brochure (EHS career center); photocopy to give to writer; give writer at least 4 weeks before application deadline

17. College admission factors
NACAC - Grades in advanced college prep classes and test admission scores most heavily weighted followed by class rank and recommendations

18. College admission decisions
Match between college needs and student characteristics
Colleges provide admissions statistics range of GPA and test scores
Holistic review process
Academic Index less frequently used as a sole determinant in admissions decisions
Schools seeking applicants that meet admissions requirements and provide a good match for the needs of the college in terms of student contribution and diversity
The more qualified applicants that apply, the greater the need to examine subjective factors including activities, leadership, individuality, good writing skills.
Use information regarding academic index with caution – provided only as a guide to practices previously set in place – WA public colleges now using a holistic review process and not guaranteeing admission or denial based upon any particular index score

19. Community and Technical Colleges
Opportunity for lower tuition costs while exploring academic interests
Small setting to solidify academic record or learn a trade
Admissions consist primarily of biographical information and proof of high school equivalency
Exist to serve the needs of the entire community as the name suggests, thus admissions are simple and primarily consist of providing biographical information and proof of high school diploma or equivalency

20. 8. Financial aid and scholarship
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS profile
Factors that determine a families financial strength
Schools determine distribution of funds as financial aid packages
Research independent sources of scholarship funding
Athletes should register with the NCAA
EHS Financial Aid Night in December
FAFSA (CSS Profile) – submit beginning January 1 with income estimates;
Factors that determine a family’s financial strength – assets, liabilities, family size, number of students in college at one time
Schools determine the distribution of funds in financial aid packages - may include loan, scholarship, grant or work-study; this information is typically relayed at the time of admission or following
use community ties and the career center to do scholarship research; scholarships do not require fees for application
prospective college athletes may access NCAA clearing house on the web

21. Financial aid and scholarship references
For financial aid questions you may refer to The Financial Aid booklet written by the US Dept of Ed. (available on the web or in the EHS career center) *bookmark
Scholarship opportunities are also sent out to the advisors in the EHS weekly bulletin under the heading “News from the Career Center” (also available in the career center)

22. 9. Plan senior year Use a calendar to plan for: SAT/ACT
Fall National College Fair
Application deadlines
EHS finals, AP tests, senior project
Sports, activities, community service, social events
National College Decision Day May 1
Graduation
work backwards to plan for the completion of applications including: essays, transcript requests, request for letters of recommendation and school reports; financial aid filing, scholarship applications, and thank you notes
And don’t forget EHS Senior responsibilities such as finals, AP tests, Level 5, senior project deadlines

23. 10. Fall Senior Seminar for students
Review college application process
Discuss elements of the Common Application
Reminder of Fall National College Fair
Answer student questions
Senior Seminars take place in the senior English courses with Counselors
The Eastlake counselors and career specialist welcome students to come and discuss college planning.

24. NACAC tips for parents: Dos and don’ts for college admissions
Do learn about the college admission process
Do discuss restrictions up front
Don’t limit choices based on fees
Do remind your child of deadlines
Do listen and offer advice when asked
Don’t make decisions for your son or daughter
Do encourage and celebrate
The National Association for College Admission Counseling has provided the following tips for parents
Restrictions –distance and finance; can be difficult to anticipate financial aid offers;
Be a sounding board to help your son or daughter walk through their own thought process, you can be a huge support to them during a really stressful transition
Encourage the smaller meeting of deadlines as well as the acceptance letters – it is a long process; work together and help your student thrive and survive their senior year

25. Books and Resources “Parents' Guide to College Life” by Robin Raskin
“The Thinking Parents Guide to College Admissions” by Eva Ostrum
“Sending Your Child to College: The Prepared Parent's Operational Manual” by Marie Pinak Carr and her daughters, Katharine Carr, Ann Carr and Elizabeth Carr
– Steps to College Newsletter and College Preparation Calendar -
Parent of Junior Newsletter and Alerts Help your junior make the most of high school and stay on top of important deadlines and requirements. It includes links to the student version of the newsletter.
*References provided by: The College Board
The National Association for College Admission Counseling

26. Q & A Session