1. Welcome Parents of the Senior Class of 2014 Aurora High School

3. Junior Year Homework… Shop Visit Test

4. Senior Year Timeline Take or Repeat ACT and/or SAT (subject tests) Attend Senior Information Night (Sept. 18) Meet with your Counselor Solidify College Choices/College Visits Apply to Colleges (Oct.-Dec. 1) Request transcripts be sent through Naviance Send ACT/SAT scores (actstudent.org, collegeboard.com) Attend Financial Aid Presentation (Jan. 14) Complete FAFSA (Jan.-early Feb.) Apply for Local Scholarships (March) Do Final College Visits (March/April) Make Final Comparisons and Select a College (May 1)

5. College Application Steps Apply directly to colleges on COLLEGE WEBSITES or Common Application Request teacher recommendations if needed- NAVIANCE Request counselor recommendation if needed- NAVIANCE Request transcripts-NAVIANCE Send ACT and/or SAT scores  actstudent.org  collegeboard.com

6. NAVIANCE WHAT IS IT? It is a web-based resource that supports student career and college planning It is used by the guidance staff to communicate with students and parents It is used to process all transcripts and recommendation letters 6

7. NAVIANCE HOW DO YOU REGISTER? STUDENTS= Seniors are already registered PARENTS= Each parent receives a passcode  Use your code to create a personal account  Codes are random and alphanumeric for security reasons and can be used only once 7

8. Naviance: College Information 8 COLLEGE VISITS COLLEGE LIST

9. Naviance: Track Applications 9

10. Transcript Release Form

11. Useful Tips for Parents Encourage your child throughout the college application and scholarship process Be….  The proofreader  The assistant  The passenger  The cheerleader Keep lines of communication open

12. Financial Aid and Scholarships 90-95% of scholarships are awarded from colleges and universities by completing the FAFSA  Apply to college  Get accepted  Complete FAFSA (Jan.-early Feb.)  Receive financial aid package Financial aid office is best source of information Attend Financial Aid Night January 14, 2014 Local scholarship applications are available on AHS website in March Beware of scholarship scams

13. Top Factors in Admission Decision Strength of curriculum GPA Admissions test scores (ACT, SAT)

14. Other Factors in Admission Decision Essay, portfolio, audition Teacher recommendations Counselor recommendation Student interview, contacts Work and/or extracurricular activities Demonstrated interest in attending the institution

15. Important College Planning Websites AHS Guidance Webpage http://ftp.aurora-schools.org/ahs/guidance/guidanceindex.html Naviance https://connection.naviance.com/aurorahs Common Application www.commonapp.org SATFAFSA www.collegeboard.comwww.fafsa.ed.gov ACTNational Scholarship Search Websites www.act.orgwww.fastweb.com www.scholarships.com NCAA Eligibility Center www.eligibilitycenter.org

16. Good Luck! From… Mr. Calcei, Mrs. Nenadal & Mrs. Miley