1. Senior Orientation Class of 2012

2. SubjectRegentsRegents with A.D. English44 Social Studies44 Math33 Science33 Art/Music11 Health.5 PE22 LOTE**c an do 5 credits in Business, Tech, Art, Music or BOCES 13 Electives3.51.5 Total22 Credits22 credits

3. SubjectRegentsRegents w/ A.D. English1- ELA 11 Social Studies2- Global & US2- Global and US Math1-Math3- Algebra, Geometry and Trig Science1-any science2- Living Env. & Chemistry or Earth Science, or Physics LOTE01 Total5 exams9 Exams

4. 2 year college 4 year college Vocational or technical training Employment Military/ Armed Services “Gap Year” (tutoring, volunteering, travel, AmeriCorps, PeaceCorps, adventure programs… “I don’t have a clue!” (see your school counselor ASAP )

6. Visit schools (over nights) See Admission Representatives that visit NW Internet Talk to Alumni Find out about programs and majors Does your list contain Reach, Realistic and Safe Schools? Always remember…your school counselor and Mrs. Reed in the Career Center are here to help!

7. Reach Schools – College may be a stretch from your current academic profile Target Schools – Colleges in which the characteristics and academic history match the student’s academic profile Safe Schools – Colleges in which your academic profile places the student in the top third.

8. FactorsPercentage Grades in College Prep Courses80% Strength of Curriculum64% Standardized Tests58% Grades in All Courses52% Essay/Writing Sample26% Demonstrated Interest22% Counselor Recommendation21% Teacher Recommendation20% Interview11% Student Activities7% Subject Tests (AP, etc)7%

9. Early Decision- Generally applications are due by 11/1, 11/15 or 12/1. – Students are LEGALLY BOUND to attend that college and must retract all other applications to schools once accepted. – Make sure: Have I talked to a financial aid advisor to get an estimate of college costs to find out how Early Decision could affect my aid package? Have ruled out other schools at first choice – Visited all – Extensive research and conversation – Hopefully multiple visits Do not look at it as the easiest way to get in Early Action- Similar to Early Decision, although students are not obligated to attend that college Rolling Admissions- No deadline or cut off date. Decisions are based on a rolling date. First in- first out. Regular Admissions- Deadlines run from 1/1, thru 3/15 and sometimes later. The admission letter will often not come out until March or April. – One Deadline Date Open Admissions- Open acceptance of students – For example, NCCC or ECC

10. Call the admissions office in advance Meet with an admissions counselor Read up on college and think about questions to ask Get the facts: college cost, financial aid opportunities, academic programs available Take a campus tour (yes… even local schools) Talk to students and faculty Prepare for the interview Take time to look around on your own

11. Again… BE AWARE OF DEADLINES to both colleges and to the counseling office! Follow directions carefully! Read applications THOROUGHLY Complete a rough draft/download and electronic application to review before hitting send! Use black ink if using paper form Role of NW counseling office: – Transcript request forms – Standardized tests – Providing ALL materials to complete applications (application, essay, and optional activity sheet/ resume) – If you are completing your application online, you MUST print out ANY forms your high school must complete – Let counselor know EVERY school you have applied to so we know to send in your transcripts.

12.  Electronic Submission ◦ More efficient for colleges to process and is preferred by them  Three ways: ◦ Common Application: www.commonapp.orgwww.commonapp.org  Make your life easier!! ◦ SUNY Applications: www.suny.edu/studentwww.suny.edu/student ◦ Individual college websites

13.  Good way for college to know you  Do not reiterate information that is already on the application  Follow directions and guidelines  Demonstrate good writing skills  Share more in depth information, how or why something has impacted you. ◦ Own work ◦ Be yourself ◦ Unique ◦ Passionate  Work with English teacher/ have it proof-read  Spend the time… colleges look at them very seriously

14.  Check to see how many the school requires  Student’s responsibility to ask teacher (ask early)  Teacher has the option to: ◦ send into school by envelopes provided by the student or; ◦ Teacher gives to counseling office **Don’t forget to fill out the “Background Sheet” for Letter of Recommendation!!**

15.  Supplemental Applications ◦ Schools want more info ◦ Additional essay(s) ◦ Writing Sample ◦ SAT subject test?  Midyear Reports  Final/End of Year Reports

16. Senior year is hectic, but don't let that affect the quality of your college applications. Take your time, pay attention to detail and plan ahead so you can meet the deadlines. The most common mistakes on college applications that counselors and admissions staff see are:

17. 1. Misspellings and grammatical errors—This is a big pet peeve of admissions people. Misspellings on something as important as the application shows that either you don't care or you aren't good at spelling. Some students even misspell their intended major. But don't stop with a spell check. Proofread for grammatical errors, too. 2. Applying online, but the application isn't actually submitted—If you apply online, you should receive confirmation that the college or university received it. Confirmation could be an email message, a Web page response or a credit card receipt. Follow through and make sure that your application has been received

18. 3. Forgotten signatures—Make sure you sign and date the form. Often students overlook that part of the form if it's on the back. Check that all spaces are completed. 4. Not reading carefully—For example, if the form asks what County you live in, don't misread it as Country and write United States

19. 5. Listing extracurricular activities that aren't—Those that make the list include sports, the arts, formal organizations and volunteer work. Talking on the phone and hanging out with friends don't make the cut. Make sure your activity information is accurate. Colleges may check with your high school. 6. Not telling your school counselor where you've applied—Let your counselor know which colleges you're applying to, and ask him or her to review your high school transcript before sending it to colleges. Sometimes transcripts have errors.

20. 7. Writing illegibly—First impressions count, so take your time and use your best handwriting. It will make a better impression. 8. Using an email address that friends might laugh about, but colleges won't—Select a professional email address. Keep your fun address for friends, but select an address using your name for college admissions.

21. 9. Not checking your email regularly—If you've given an email address, the college will use it. You don't want to miss out on anything because you didn't read your email. 10. Letting Mom or Dad help you fill out your application—Admissions people know if your parents help, whether you have two different styles of handwriting or your admissions essay sounds more like a 45-year-old than a 17-year- old. It's fine to get advice, but do the work yourself.

22. Senior Year is all about DEADLINES– for college apps, financial aid & scholarships, changing courses, ordering your announcements, and completing all your requirements to GRADUATE!

23. ACTSAT, Scholastic Assessment Test $34.00, $49.50 with writing$49.00 Measures academic achievement in English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning Designed to measure academic aptitude in critical reading, math and writing Each part 25% of scoreCR 1/3, Math 1/3, Writing 1/3 Scored based on number of correct answers. No penalty for guessing ACT Assessment Scoring scale 1-36Scoring scale for each section 200-800, sum up of all three areas

25. * SAT and Subject Tests and ACT exams that are located at Niagara Wheatfield High School TestDateRegistration Deadline ACTOct 22 nd* Sept 16th SATNov 5 th* Oct 7th SATDec 3 rd* Nov 8th ACTDec 10 th* Nov 4th

26.  Check to see if schools need them officially reported ◦ Use six digit school code (335028)  Collegeboard.com  Act.org ◦ Compare ACT and SAT scores ◦ Check to see if SAT subject test is required for some colleges and universities.

27. Financial Aid Night- December 8th – The counseling and career center host a Financial Aid Night in the High School Adult Learning Centre in November. The purpose is to inform parents and students of the financial aid process. NOCA College Fair-NCCC- September 22 – Over 60 college admissions representatives will be available to answer questions and hand out information regarding academic programs, admissions requirements, scholarships and athletics. This is a very Informative and worthwhile evening!

28. SEPT 21SUNY POTSDAM10:00 CAZENOVIA COLLEGE11:45 HILBERT COLLEGE12:30 SEPT 22MARYMOUNT COLLEGE8:30 UTICA COLLEGE9:15 RIT10:00 NOCA COLLEGE FAIR – NCCC6:30 – 8:00 SEPT 29SUNY CANTON10:00 SEPT 30ST JOHN FISHER10:30

29. OCT 3NCCC INSTANT ADMISSIONSPER 1 – 5 & 7-8 OCT 4NIAGARA UNIVERSITY12:00 NROTC PRESENTATION10:15 OCT 5WNY COLLEGE CONSORTIUM11:00 LMC OCT 6HOUGHTON COLLEGE8:30 CLARKSON UNIVERSITY9:30 SUNY OSWEGO10:30

30. OCT 11CANISIUS COLLEGE9:00 OCT 14LEMOYNE COLLEGE9:00 COMMON APPLICATION DAYPER 1 – 8 (You must schedule an appt in Career Center to attend) OCT 19SUNY BROCKPORT8:30 OCT 20JOHN CARROLL UNIV11:30 OCT 25D’YOUVILLE10:00 DAEMEN COLLEGE11:00

31. NOV 7ST. BONAVENTURE11:30 NOV 14ALFRED UNIVERSITY12:00 NOV 15KEUKA COLLEGE8:30 NOV 18SUNY CORTLAND2:30

32.  Students interested in applying to NCCC or ECC must apply ONLINE! There is no longer a paper application. College representatives will be in the Career Center October 3 rd. If you are interested, visit the Career Center during periods 1-5 or 7-8. The application process should take no more than one period.

33. Search for colleges: – www.collegeboard.org www.collegeboard.org – www.petersons.com www.petersons.com – www.collegeview.com www.collegeview.com – www.usnews.com www.usnews.com Financial Aid and Scholarships – www.fafsa.ed.gov www.fafsa.ed.gov – www.finaid.org www.finaid.org Choices program available in the Career Center As are Guidebooks, College Catalogs, etc. NW Counseling and Career Center – www.nwcsd.k12.ny.us www.nwcsd.k12.ny.us

34.  Listen to the morning announcements  Read the counseling website ◦ Website is also a great took for Scholarships, check NW counseling website regularly, new scholarship opportunities are added weekly!  Visit the Career Center  Visit the Counseling Center’s Facebook page  Talk with Teachers/family/friends/counselor

35.  Counseling Office Due Dates ◦ Applications due in counseling office by October 31 st. ◦ We process over 1,500 applications! ◦ Keep in mind, we need at least ONE WEEK advance notice to process transcripts

36. Division 1 & 2 must meet eligibility NCAA: www.eligibilitycenter.orgwww.eligibilitycenter.org – Fee – Request your transcript When do I register? – You can register anytime after you compete 6 semesters of high school. Most students will register at the beginning of their senior year How do I qualify to participate in sports at a D I or II school? – Complete minimum of 16 core courses – Take your SAT or ACT – Eligibility is determined by sliding scale – You MUST have your SAT or ACT scores sent to NCAA directly from collegeboard or ACT. Scores on a high school transcript will NOT be accepted – NCAA code is 9999

37. Relax… you’re almost there! Work Hard-don’t catch Senioritis Enjoy the journey! Be Balanced It’s your senior year… Make Memories!!! and remember…. Once a falcon, always a falcon!