1. October 6 th, 2014

2. Agenda  Mr. Hughes – Introduction  Ms. Deanna Majors--PTO senior parent  Ms. McLendon – Guidance Counselor  Ms. Zodrow – Scholarships  Ms. Randi McKie – Guidance Counselor  Ms. Martin – Senior Class Advisor  Q & A

3. Guidance Counselor Email: McLendoM@walton.k12.fl.us Phone number: 850-892-1270 ext. 4412

4. Basic Graduation Requirements…  2.0 GPA  24 credits  Pass FCAT [or earn concordant score on ACT/SAT test]  Algebra I EOC [or earn concordant score on PERT test] ** Spanish and Community Service are NOT graduation requirements, but ARE Bright Future Requirements.

5. Honor Graduate Designation: Must meet BOTH criteria:  At least 8 Honor Courses (Honors, DE, AP)  GPA  3.45-3.64Cum Laude (w/ honors)  3.65-3.84Magna Cum Laude(w/ high honors)  3.85/aboveSumma Cum Laude (w/ highest honors)

6. Bright Futures http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf/  May only qualify for one scholarship Medallion, Academic, Gold Seal  Minimum weighted 3.0 GPA (core)  Community Service Hours (75 or 100)  2 Consecutive Foreign Language Courses  FFAA—Florida Financial Aid Application Begins December 1, 2014 – NO EARLIER!

7. Post-Secondary Options…  Can include:  Traditional 4-year school  2 year college for an associates degree or to transfer to a 4-year college  Technical colleges  Professional Training Programs  Military Which is appropriate for my student?

8. College Admission Tests: SAT ReasoningACT 7 Times a year6 Times a year Critical reading, math and writing section plus an essay English, math, reading, and science reasoning. Writing/Essay is optional but required by most schools Each section is worth 200 - 800 points for a maximum of 2400 1-36 for each subject, averaged for a composite score. A 36 is the highest possible composite score. **Students need to bring their admission ticket AND a valid photo id

9. Selecting Colleges…  Gather information  Visit the college  Be sure the college has what you are looking for  Review the admission criteria  Select 3-5 colleges

10. College Visit  Visit a “maybe” college first  Schedule interviews with the Admission counselors  Have questions ready  Make appointments with financial aid, and potential major/minor departments (if known)  Visit while students are there  Ask about scholarships

11. How to Apply…  Get the application or locate it online  Deadlines are critical  Goal – Apply by thanksgiving  Neatness is essential  Make sure it is complete  Send test scores directly from ACT or College Board (many schools will not accept our copy)

12. How to Apply…  Requesting Transcripts – students can request this in the SSA office.  Cost: free  Students can pick them up or it can be sent directly to the school  Do not open the sealed envelope, if you do they will no longer be “official transcripts”

13. Responsibilities… Student Responsibilities Parent Responsibilities  Gather information  Seek out letters of recommendation by Thanksgiving  Fill out applications  Listen to announcements  Remember deadlines  Take a college visit with student  Help in decision process  Review application  Check application status  Remind students of deadlines  Contact your guidance counselor with any questions

14. Counselor Responsibilities  Provide Information  Assist student & parent  Process applications  Group college visit  Follow up on applications  Scholarship info made available

15. Financial Aid Process  Begins after 1/1/15  www. Fafsa.ed.gov  Apply for PIN number online – now  Aid packages– compare packages. Just because cost of attending is high, the package may offset the cost enough to make it affordable as a less costly college.  Two types of aid  Need-based – Grants, scholarships– gift aid work study, loans – self help aid  Merit based -- scholarships  Decision Time – Spring  Scholarships– colleges have their own scholarships students can apply to  Attend Financial Aid Night at WHS in the spring

16. Final Thoughts…  Apply early  Encourage independence  Enjoy your seniors as much as we have enjoyed working with them

17. Scholarship Coordinator Email: ZodrowCa@walton.k12.fl.us Phone number: 850-892-1270 ext. 4474

18. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!  Students need to apply to more than one school  Typically students apply to 3-5 schools  3 types of schools  Dream school – may no get in, but is their top choice  Reach School – student stands a good chance of admission  Safety School – backup plan in case they need it

19. How to pay for college…  Financial Aid  Scholarships  Student Loans

20. Resources:  http://bigfuture.collegeboard.org This College Board website is a free resource for college planning and comparing various colleges and discovering how to get money to pay for college. http://bigfuture.collegeboard.org  www.mynextmove.org My Next Move is a free website that utilizes important planning tools such as interest inventories; career information, and US and local salary averages. www.mynextmove.org  www.fastweb.org is an online resource that focuses on finding scholarships to help you pay for school. It offers assistance with targeted scholarships, financial aid, college searches, and career advice. www.fastweb.org

21. Resources:  www.guidancedirect.com Career Connections from Guidance Direct is an interactive online college and career planning resource where students can find colleges and scholarships that meet their needs and preferences. www.guidancedirect.com  www.Fafsa.ed.gov FAFSA is an online resource that students can sign in to discover how federal student aid can help them pay for college.* www.Fafsa.ed.gov  *A representative will be conducting a workshop in the spring at Walton High School. If you are interested in attending, please sign up with Guidance before you leave.

22. Guidance Counselor Email: McKieR@walton.k12.fl.us Phone number: 850-892-1270 ext. 4416

23. If your student is interested in college athletics…  2 Governing Bodies  NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)  No national clearinghouse, simple requirements  www. Naia.org  NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)  Requires potential Division 1 and 2 student athletes to register at www.ncaaclearinghouse.com Check their website for required GPAs and ACT/SAT scores

24. Did you know…  WHS average ACT score is 24  State average ACT score 22

25. Class of 2014 Top College Acceptance…  Northwest Florida State College  Florida State University  Troy University  Gulf Coast State College  University of Florida  University of Central Florida

26. Learn to Earn: Your median income with a ….

27. Visit us at our new student services webpage…

28. NEW LINKS!!!! What’s new on our page

29. Senior Class Sponsor Email: MartinL@walton.k12.fl.us Phone number: 850-892-1270 ext. 4471