1. Post-Secondary Planning How to Process an Application ▫$1.00 to mail out ▫“local” college apps in guidance office Official Transcripts ▫$1.00 to mail out (includes application) ▫Transcript request form needs parent signature if under 18 yrs old Recommendations ▫Complete a Student Information Sheet ▫Give to teacher or counselor ▫when done they will give to Mrs. Turek in guidance office MCIS ▫www.np.k12.mn.uswww.np.k12.mn.us ▫Login- newprague and password- student

2. 7 Ways to Pay for College FAFSA- Free Application for Federal Student Aid ▫www.fafsa.ed.gov not.com – that is a pay sitewww.fafsa.ed.gov MCIS ▫Scholarship search Guidance Office Postings ▫Announced in morning news ▫On Guidance office website www.np.k12.mn.uswww.np.k12.mn.us Local Scholarships ▫Come into guidance office around March ▫Ed foundation application (formerly Dollars for Scholars) Financial Aid Search through Web ▫www.fastweb.com

3. September Register for the ACT or SAT if necessary. Oct 5th – Late registration deadline for the October 27 th ACT Test. (on time registration deadline has passed) Consider attending the MN National College Fair, October 10 th, if you would like to meet a number of college representatives in one location. Narrow your college choices to 3-5 colleges/universities. Begin to gather information needed for college applications. Some applications require letters of recommendations. Start thinking about teachers you might ask to write a recommendation for you. You will want to give teachers 2-3 weeks notice when requesting them to write a recommendation for you. Keep updating your list of activities and accomplishments. This information may be needed on post- secondary and scholarship applications. Check on application and financial aid deadlines. Make an appointment with your counselor to review your transcript to ensure accuracy. (Get involved. It’s your responsibility to be aware of what is on your transcript, not just your counselors.) Plan visits to post-secondary institutions. (Many schedule special visit days over MEA break.) October If applying for early decision, send in your application now. Use EM break to visit campuses. Continue completing post-secondary applications. Keep watching those deadlines. Narrow your college choices to your top three November/December Be sure first term grades represent your best efforts. Use this time to begin researching scholarship opportunities. Watch the daily announcements, bulletin boards and check with the Counseling office for scholarship information. Watch the daily announcements for information on campus visits and post-secondary representative visits to NPHS. Nov. 2 nd – Registration deadline for the December 8 th ACT

4. November/December Talk to your counselor about applying to more than one post-secondary institution. Apply to the post-secondary institution(s) of your choice by Thanksgiving! Turn in your application (along with a check for the application fee, payable to the post-secondary institution) and a transcript request form to the Counseling Office. The Counseling Office will mail the aforementioned materials, along with an official transcript for a cost of $1. Confirm your credit status with your counselor. January Jan. 11 th – Registration deadline for the February 9 th ACT Test. Financial aid representatives from an area post- secondary institution will explain the entire financial aid process at an area college session. Dates will be mailed in November. Pick up financial aid application forms in the Counseling Office. **Parents should gather tax information and complete the tax forms as soon as possible in order to be ready for financial aid applications such as the FAFSA. Keep working on your grades! February Complete the FAFSA financial aid application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov/ preferably. See your counselor if that is not possible. Contact Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433- 3243) or 1-319-337-5665 if you have questions. If you haven’t applied to a post-secondary institution, DO SO NOW! You may still have time. Keep your grades up! March Be sure all post-secondary applications and scholarship materials have been sent or received on time. Don’t procrastinate and miss a deadline. Keep informed of scholarship opportunities. Available scholarships are shown on the TV monitors and posted on the bulletin board. Students are free to look in the scholarship file in the Counseling Office April Keep working on those grades – you’re almost done! Turn in local scholarship applications. Pay attention to directions and deadlines. May – June Take Advanced Placement exams if appropriate. Make your final decision on which post-secondary institution you will be attending in the fall. Contact that institution and get information on the dates you will need to register for classes. Notify any other colleges that you will not be attending. Be PROUD – you’ve completed a long and difficult task!!!

5. Factors to Consider Initial Reasons Programs/Majors Size of school Class size Location (close to home or far away) Cost Quality and reputation Setting and campus life Is it a good “fit” for you? Looking Closer at a few Admission Requirements ▫Top half of class or 21 on ACT  MN State Colleges  www.np.k12.mn.us www.np.k12.mn.us  Go to a college and look at admissions for examples Financial Aid Packages ▫Private Schools vs Public Campus Visit ▫Go there when they are in session

6. Top 10 College Planning Mistakes You miss the boat academically ▫Admin reps more impressed with coursework than grades You follow the pack You don’t take the college for a “test drive” You decide there is only one “right” college You ignore counseling allies

7. What if you are denied? Every college has an appeal process ▫Personal statement, schedule, 1 st tri grades, letters of recommendation http://www.mnsu.edu/admissions/firstyear/ap plication/firstyearrequirements.htmlhttp://www.mnsu.edu/admissions/firstyear/ap plication/firstyearrequirements.html Think about your goal? ▫If it is a four year degree than how you get there is not as important as ultimately earning it. ▫Starting at a two year college may be the HOW.

8. Visiting Campus Think of yourself as a consumer Try and picture yourself going about being a student on a daily basis. ▫Going to class ▫Living on campus ▫Dining Hall ▫Library ▫Campus activities ▫Intramural sports ▫Work out facilities

9. Application Essays FAFSA Private Colleges often ask for one Appeal process needs one usually Everyone should fill one out It depends on parents income ▫FAFSA comes up with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Scholarships will not count against your getting financial aid Financial Aid officers at a college can answer many of your questions FAFSA has very good support either on line or calling them

10. Specific College Applications MNSCU application ▫Good for any MN State school (ie.. MSU, WSU, Normandale)  http://www.mnscu.edu/admissions/application.html http://www.mnscu.edu/admissions/application.html  http://www.mnscu.edu/admissions/pdf/mnscuapplic ation.pdf http://www.mnscu.edu/admissions/pdf/mnscuapplic ation.pdf Common Application  https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.a spx https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.a spx

11. Each trimester class equals a semester credit. Double check to make sure your credits match the requirements. Filling out a MNSCU app form

12. GPA and Class Rank. Your current statistics are through the END OF YOUR JUNIOR YEAR. ACT and MCA Scores are sent on your transcript, but most colleges want the ACT scores send directly from ACT. Ask.

13. For every TWO classes, equals ONE YEAR when filling out applications.

14. Added Information http://advocacy.collegeboard.org/five-ways-ed- pays/homehttp://advocacy.collegeboard.org/five-ways-ed- pays/home https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started http://mycollegedollars.hyfnrsx1.com/

15. College Application Checklist  School application  Completed paper copy  Completed online app  Letters of Recommendation (if applicable)  Did I fill out info sheet and hand out to teachers?  Can be found on counselor website  Teachers will bring them to Mrs. Turek  Application fee  Paid online  Give check to Mrs. Turek  Transcript request form signed  If under 18 need parent to sign  $1.00  Pay to Mrs. Turek  Pays for:  Postage  Official transcript  Envelope