1. SENIOR INFORMATION Balfour Order for Graduation Cap, Gown and Fees $57.35 $14.00-Shipping $ 6.43-9% tax $77.78-Total for ONLY Graduation Cap and Gown plus fees

2. BALFOUR Balfour will meet with Seniors on October 3 during school. Be expecting information that evening Balfour Orders will be October 9, at 7:30. If the Cap and Gown is not paid for by a certain date, a $20 late fee is charged. After February, the fee more than doubles. Please make arrangements to pay on time!

3. OTHER DATES TO NOTE! Senior Portrait Make Up Day-8/28 at 3:10 Prom-March 15, 2014 Law Day-May 2, 2014 Shakespeare Festival-TBA Look For the Senior Agenda! This should come home in late February! Ask for it! ASVAB-Jan. 13, 2014. Seniors must request to assure a seat!

4. DATES…… Class Night is May 20, 2014 in T.R. Miller Auditorium at 6:00. Attendance is mandatory for Seniors. Graduation is May 30, 2014 at JDCC at 7:00. Admission is by ticket only. Dress Code is Mandatory and will be on the Senior Agenda.

5. MORE DATES ! Class of 2014 Picture will be made the afternoon of Class Night, May 20. Please remind your student to bring their Cap and Gown that day. Individual Cap and Gown pictures will be April 9, 2014. The cap and gown will be provided on that date.

6. COLLEGE: WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

7. REMEMBER!! *All colleges and universities will have their own application fees, scholarship deadlines and requirements. Check college web-sites for these requirements.

8. When should I apply? Apply Early! If you know where you want to go, apply now. Early applications show colleges and universities that you are seriously interested and often will give you a head start on scholarships and financial aid. Remember, each college will have an application fee.

9. How do I apply? All applications are web based. If you do not know your college’s web address, google the college and click on the “Undergraduate Admissions” link. There is usually an application fee to pay before the application is processed. After you have applied, see me and fill out a transcript request form.

10. A Word About Social Media A Majority of Colleges Use Social Media to recruit college students. Many see it as a useful tool for targeting students. Many colleges are beginning to use social media to judge student online profiles, going beyond the student application. graphic

12. Do I have to take the ACT? If you are planning on attending a major four-year college or university, you have to take the ACT or the SAT. If you are attending JDCC and are NOT applying for scholarships, you may take their COMPASS test.

13. Where can I take the ACT or SAT? The ACT is given at T.R. Miller High School and at JDCC. You can register on line at actstudent.org.actstudent.org The SAT is not given locally. The nearest site is in Pensacola. Check the web-site for dates and locations at collegeboard.org. collegeboard.org

14. How do my ACT/SAT scores get sent to the college of my choice? Colleges will accept scores only from the original test company. Make sure when registering for the test you put every college in which you are interested. After you fill out an admissions application, you should come to my office to fill out a Transcript Request Form for me to send your transcript to your college(s) of choice.

15. Why are ACT scores important? Scores are used for admissions eligibility. These will vary by college. Scores are used to determine whether you will need to take a college remediation/developmental course. Scores are used to determine academic scholarships. These will vary by college.

16. ACT PREP Studying for the ACT is a good idea! We have access to ACT On-line Prep through October of this year. Have your student see me for a log-in. Temporary log-ins only last 30 days so be sure an account is set up immediately.

17. What are remedial classes? Most colleges will require a score of 20 or above in each of the four areas of the ACT, ( Math, Reading, English, Science). If that score is NOT met, incoming College Freshmen may be put in a remedial class that still costs money, but does not count for college credit.

18. What ACT score makes a student eligible for an academic scholarship? These will vary by college. Usually, but not always, academic scholarships start at 27 with a matching GPA of 3.5 (Auburn starts at 28) If you meet these requirements, you are automatically eligible for these scholarships through the admissions process. Most colleges will have a December 1 deadline for these scholarships!

19. Alabama, Auburn, Montevallo, UAB all use this December 1 deadline. However, not all colleges do. Troy will accept ACT scores through March 1. Please check with your college or university for scholarship deadlines. For a December 1 scholarship deadline, the October administration of the ACT is the last eligible testing date. For a March 1 deadline, the February administration is the last eligible testing date.

20. Is course selection and GPA important? Yes! A student’s course selection may be considered when determining scholarships. Yes! The GPA is used for scholarships and is also looked at if your student is interested in a sorority or fraternity.

21. What about local scholarships? BankTrust, Brewton Sportsman’s Club, Jay Hospital, D.W. McMillan Hospital and other local scholarships all come in January. When I get the applications, I make announcements for them. It is the student’s responsibility to pick up the applications from me.

22. RECOMMENDATIONS Most scholarships and all local ones require letters of recommendation. Please talk with your student about making a high school resume to give to their teachers for these letters. Mrs. Sewell requires resumes as an assignment, but you may want to start earlier.

23. What about scholarships to vocational or technical schools? There are scholarships available to vocational and technical schools through the Escambia County Career Technical Center or through applying directly to the vocational or technical school itself.

24. MILITARY There are many scholarships involving the various branches of the military. These scholarships are getting very competitive. The first step in this process is to take the ASVAB. ASVAB will be given Jan. 13, 2014

25. What is FAFSA? FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Filling out this form makes you eligible for potential federal grants, loans, and scholarships. If you are planning on going to JDCC and want to apply to the Honor’s Program, you will be required to fill out this form.

26. The application is on line at fafsa.ed.gov. You mustfafsa.ed.gov first apply for a PIN number prior to the application process. FAFSAforcasterFAFSAforcaster is an excellent resource as it takes only about five minutes to fill out and will give you an instant “guess” as for what you are eligible. Early application is key. Most college deadlines are March 1. Money is handed out on a first come first served basis.

27. What is a Pell Grant? Unlike loans, grants are monies that need not be paid back. The Pell Grant is need based. These monies are getting smaller and smaller. In 2011- 2012, the maximum grant for a student was $5,550. In order to qualify, the annual income is under $20,000 in most cases.

28. IMPORTANT WEB-SITES T.R. Miller High School at http://trmiller.bch.schoolinsites.com/ http://trmiller.bch.schoolinsites.com/ All web-sites discussed in this powerpoint are linked at The Counselor’s Corner on this site.The Counselor’s Corner Check out FastWeb for free scholarships.FastWeb

29. How can my counselor help? I am available from 8:00 until 3:30 Monday through Friday for students and parents. Please call my office for an appointment. I will be happy to help you in anyway I can. It is my ultimate goal to teach the Seniors to take responsibility for their career plans. I will work with you, as parents, to reach this goal. Please encourage them, in this regard, to listen to announcements and be proactive in filling out scholarship applications.

30. What about Military Scholarships? Every branch of the military will have great scholarships. Some starting with an ACT score of 25. Please check with me for recruiter information.

31. Afterthoughts….. *Escambia Co. Voc. Fees-$20 *Immunizations-TB Test, MMR Booster, And Meningococcal Vaccine, The Blue Slip *Parent Access Release Form (College)

32. T.R. MILLER HIGH SCHOOL CODE 010505