East View Junior Checklist

1. East View Junior Checklist Steps to prepare for life after High School

2. EVHS Guidance Counselors for 2012-2013

3. Benefits of higher education ADD “JOB A”“JOB B” “JOB C” Graphics A college degree, skilled trade or certification increases • Chances for employment in a rewarding field • Flexibility in the types of jobs for which you might qualify • Likely earnings

4. Examples of Post-Secondary Education • Certificate/License programs • Apprenticeship/ OJT • Military • Technical/Trade Schools • 2 year college • 4 year college or University

5. Preparing for a College Search

6. 10 Tips for Parents • Help your student understand the college search process • Be realistic and non-judgmental • Be in the "back seat" - and not the driver - of the college search process • Be open to dialogue and responsive to questions • Be aware of deadlines and fees due • Know that things have changed since your college days • Don’t overemphasize your own alma maters • Don’t compare your student with others • Don’t dwell on disappointments, like a rejection letter • Celebrate successes!

7. Know Yourself • Values • Ambitions • Achievements • Academic Strengths • Interests • Your Standout Talents

8. Here or There?Choosing between In-State and Out-of-State Schools A Few Good Reasons to Venture:In general, students who attend school in another state enjoy heightened independence, being out on their own. They benefit from proximity to career opportunities they might not get at home. They meet new people and experience new cultures through student housing. They tend to be very involved on campus and in academic/professional groups. The Perks of Staying Put:On the flip-side, students who choose a school in their home state avoid the difficult transition and homesickness that can accompany a big move. They share their residence status with the majority of the student body. They benefit from the often markedly lower cost of in-state tuition. They stay in close, personal contact with family, friends, and career networks.

9. Visit College Campuses • Hopefully, you will visit every college in your fit application pool. • Every university has special “open house” events in the fall (UT – Longhorn Saturdays, SMU – Mustang Mondays, etc.) Visiting then makes information gathering easier.

10. Which Colleges are Right for You? • Picking a college is like picking a second family- a home for the next 4 years! What’s right for one senior may not be right for another. It’s about “FIT”. Does the environment feel like a place where your child will be happy and grow? • Prioritize what factors are most important to you: good dept. in your major big vs. little urban vs. rural religious location/ distance prestigious public vs. private Greek life athletics school spirit class size special programs cost in-state vs. out-of-state diversity male/female ratio liberal vs. conservative clubs & organizations

11. Spring Opportunities April 9th, 2013 In the Evening at theAustin Convention CenterMany colleges will be in attendance!! April 10th, 2013 In the Evening at CPHS Choose 3 workshops- approximately 15 will be offered! CPHS COLLEGE CONFERENCE

12. Consider Types of Admission Decisions • Regular Decision – apply by the regular deadline; non-binding; • Rolling Admission – applications reviewed and a decision is rendered as soon as possible after the application is submitted; non-binding; • Early Action – apply early and receive a decision early, dates depend on college you have applied to… • Early Decision – apply early to one first-choice college and receive a decision early; if accepted, the CONTRACT IS BINDING and all other applications must be rescinded.

13. Consider Our Deadlines • You must give your counselor at least 3 weeks notice for a letter of recommendation! Each counselor receives 50-100 requests during the fall semester. • A teacher recommendation should also be requested 3 weeks in advance. • The types of transcripts requested by a college vary. The registrars need adequate time to process each request.

14. What is a Senior Schedule? If the college sees that a schedule has “lightened” a senior load, this could affect your admittance to the college Ask permission if you unsure whether or not the college will care if a course is dropped.

15. Consider What a College Receives from EVHS • Transcript • Senior Schedule • SSR (Secondary School Report; if necessary) • EVHS School Profile • (OPTIONAL) A Letter of Recommendation from the Counselor IF REQUESTED AND NECESSARY • Note….ACT/SAT scores are NOT sent

16. Consider College Deadlines – Know When You Need to Choose a Fit College Deadlines are NON-NEGOTIABLE for admissions, scholarships or financial aid • - Scholarship deadlines can be different from applicationdeadlines; • - Is the deadline POST MARKED BY or RECEIVED BY ?

17. Making it Fit • Ideally, apply to 3-8 colleges, a full range of schools; all must be acceptable to you as your child’s fit future home: • 1-2 “stretch”/”dream” schools • mostly “good matches” in terms of rank/test scores • at least 1 “safety”/ “sure shot” school where you absolutely know you will be accepted. • Don’t waste time, money & effort applying to schools you know you’ll decline.

18. Absences for College Campus Visits • Every Junior has 2 college visitation days to use before May 1st. • Pick up the “College Visit Form” in the attendance office. • Bring the completed “College Visit Form” back to the attendance office. • You must provide proof of your visit to the campus within 48 hours of your return to EVHS. Failure to provide proof may result in loss of exemption. • College visitation days do not count against exemptions for finals if you have followed these procedures.

19. Crucial Tip! Write a thank you note. It may be noted in the review process.

20. Top 3 College Visit Mistakes 3. Choosing the wrong time to visit. (i.e., during summer vacation, when the campus is empty). 2. Tuning out during the tour. Don’t just take in the scenery-engage the tour guide with questions about academics, dorm life, and student activities • Not visiting at all. You may love the photos in the view book and the videos online, but nothing replaces the in-person visit!

21. Interviewing During Your College Campus Visit • Only highly selective or private colleges regularly conduct interviews. Public universities do not. • If an interview is possible, it is beneficial.

22. Tips for College Campus Visits Make an appointment online or call the admissions office for an appointment two weeks beforehand. 6 Ways to Get the Most from a Campus Visit: 1. Put the U in University. Rank your criteria for the perfect school, factoring in things like labs, dorms, and off-campus fun. 2. Pull an All-Nighter. Considering on-campus housing? Ask the admissions staff if your student can spend a night in the dorms to get a feel for the after-hours vibe. 3. Stage a Sit-In. Auditing classes will give you a chance to hear lectures, observe interaction between student and teachers, and gauge the overall classroom environment. 4. Go Off Campus. Explore the shops, restaurants, and other spots surrounding campus. 5. Be Safe, Not Sorry. Be prepared in the unlikely event of an emergency by taking time to locate the campus security office as well as call boxes and other security features. 6. Time Travel. Keep an eye on your post-graduation future by researching graduate employment rates and career services for each prospective school.

23. Visit College Campuses • Hopefully, you will visit every college in your fit application pool. • Every university has special “open house” events in the fall (UT – Longhorn Saturdays, SMU – Mustang Mondays, etc.) Visiting then makes information gathering easier.

24. Here is an awesome search engine!Username: GeorgetownPassword: Careerswww.careercruising.com

25. Testing Requirements • Criteria for exempting College Readiness Exams (Asset, Compass, THEA) • ACT • Composite score of 23 with at least a 19 on English and Math • SAT • Critical Reading and Math Combined score of 1070 with a 500 on each section. • TAKS (Current 11thGraders) • ELA – 2200 and a 3 on the writing sample • Math – 2200

26. Entrance Exams • SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (SAT I) • Widely used by the more selective schools. • Divided into VERBAL and MATH parts. • Approximately 4 hours. • Annual test dates will normally occur on Saturdays in October, November, December, January, April, May and June. • Register at www.collegeboard.com • AMERICAN COLLEGE TESTING PROGRAM (ACT) • Widely used by junior colleges as well as universities. • Divided into English, math, natural sciences, and reading. • Approximately 4 hours. • Annual test dates will normally occur on Saturdays in October, December, February, March and June. • Note: Test dates do not conflict with SAT. • Register at www.actstudent.com

27. More info. About College Admission Tests • ACT • Consists of four tests: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing • Writing component is optional • Top composite score is 36 • SAT • Consists of three tests: Verbal, Math, Writing • Each test is scored on a scale of 200-800

28. Other Possible Testing • SAT II ACHIEVEMENT TESTS • College Board • Same test dates as SAT • Used for course placement or credit • APTITUDE TESTS • Used for assessment of vocational or trade/technical skills

29. APPLY ONLINE Texas public and selected private four year and two year schools: www.applytexas.org Private colleges and universities: www.commonapp.org Go online or visit your school counselor to find out about the requirements for Technical and Trade schools

30. PARTS OF THE APPLICATION: Personal Information Directory information What you have studied and are currently studying in high school Resume Extracurricular Service Work Essay

31. COLLEGES USE TWO SCORES TO DETERMINE ADMISSION Academic score: Rank GPA Quality of preparation Test Scores Personal Score Resume Essay Letters of recommendation

32. THE RESUME • Many college use the resume as 60%-70% of a student’s personal score • This includes such things as being responsible for younger siblings or an older relative, trips in the summer with your family, tutoring, babysitting, extra-curricular activities and clubs or anything else that is productive, educational, and contributes to who you are and your determination. • Especially include activities that further your goals and build leadership and character.

33. THE ESSAY The essay becomes the most important part of the application, especially when it is being read by theperson determining college admissions, admission to a particular program, deciding scholarship recipients, or hiring for school jobs. It should be: • 100% technically correct • Interesting • Giving information not somewhere else on your application • Not another list of activities

34. What information do college admission officers review?

35. HOUSING Advance Application for housing is not the same as application for admission. File a housing application. File the required deposit. Be aware of refund policies. Understand whether or not on-campus housing is required of freshmen. Where can I find this stuff: www.careercruising.com

36. PAYING! COLLEGE IS EXPENSIVE KINDS OF FINANCIAL AID: Scholarships Grants Loans Work Study

37. Scholarships

38. FINDING SCHOLARSHIPS #1 SOURCE OF SCHOLARSHIP MONEY IS THE SCHOOL YOU ARE ATTENDING: • Fill out all scholarship supplements on applications for admission • Go to the college of choice and department websites to check for others. #2 check the counselor page on EVHS website for numerous tips and search engines! #3 check local scholarship opportunities in the local paper, organizations and school web-site, to name a few. #4 National Scholarship searches (Fastweb, Zinch, Career Cruising, Scholarships.com)

39. Scholarship Resources • Fastweb.com - Private scholarships • fafsa.ed.gov- Free Application for Federal Student Aid • Studentaid.ed.gov - The federal government’s website about paying for college • MeritAid.com- $11 billion in merit scholarships • Cappex.com- Scholarship matching • finaid.org- Free student resource for learning about all types of financial aid

40. Merit Scholarship Tips Merit scholarships are where the money is. • There is more than $11 billion in merit scholarships available to students from colleges • Not just for “A” students • Many awards emphasize leadership or school involvement • Nearly all colleges offer merit aid scholarships • The average merit scholarship is $5,000 • Many awards can be renewed year after year

41. Next Steps for Juniors In School • Stay focused on academics • Do not lighten your academic load for senior year • Meet with your school counselor • Stay involved in school activities Standardized Testing • Prepare for and register for ACT / SAT tests • Register for AP tests as appropriate College Exploration • Explore colleges on the Web • Visit colleges if you can • Meet with college representatives • Attend college fairs

42. We know it seems overwhelming. Don’t get stressed! Take everything ONE step at a time….

43. Refresh Yourself with This Information at Home This full Power Point presentationis already available on the EVHS website!!See the quick link to Guidance.