WELCOME
GRAND BLANC HIGH SCHOOL
JUNIOR PARENT COLLEGE
NIGHT
March 18, 2013
Topics to be covered…
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What are the options after high school?
How do you choose a college?
What are important factors considered by
college admissions?
Are you interested in playing college sports?
What are the steps in the college application
process?
How will you pay for college?
Post High School Options
Associate Degree (2-year college)
 Bachelor’s Degree (4-year college)
 Vocational Training
 Apprenticeship
 Employment
 Military
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Education and Earnings
Career Resource Center
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Educational Development Plan (EDP)
www.careercruising.com
Research careers and colleges
Military
Day-on-the-job opportunities
Volunteer opportunities
Job openings
Summer programs
Contact Stephanie Garey: 591-6929
Graduation Testing Requirements
•Students must complete ONE of the following:
Receive a 21 composite on the ACT
Earn all 1’s and 2’s on the MME
Earn a C- or higher in the ACT Prep class
Take and pass any required senior exit
exams
Things to consider when
choosing a college…
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Admission Requirements
Location (distance and setting)
Cost
Academic programs
Size of enrollment
Public vs. Private
College Tours
 Visit colleges your student is considering
 Call the admissions office for an appointment
or register online for an official tour
 Talk to professors and students
 Sit in on classes
Visit a dormitory
Virtual tours on college websites
 Arranged absence through school
Colleges Visit GBHS
College representatives visit GBHS in the fall
 Watch the daily announcements
 Check the Counseling Office visitation chart weekly for
dates and times at the beginning of senior year
 Appointments must be made in the Counseling Office at
least one day before the visit
 Sign up to receive the “From the Guidance Office”
newsletter through SchoolFusion. A schedule of college
rep visits and other important information will be emailed
to you on Fridays.
 Friend us on Facebook! Search for GBHS Counseling
Office and hit “like” to receive notifications of upcoming
events
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What are colleges looking
for?
ACT Score
-All juniors took on March 5, 2013 as part of the required MME test
-Test retakes are available in June, September, or October if you want
to improve your score
-Include college codes so that scores can be sent directly to colleges
-Go to www.actstudent.org to register
-Fee waivers available for students who receive free/reduced lunch
-U M-Ann Arbor, MSU, and the NCAA all require test scores to be sent
directly from ACT
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GPA
-Final transcripts WILL be looked at and college acceptance is not a
guarantee. Finish strong!
What are colleges looking
for?
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AP and Honors classes
-Take if they are appropriate and there is a passion for the subject
-GPA is weighted for AP classes
-Colleges look at what was taken vs what was available
-GBHS has 17 AP classes to choose from
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A Well-Rounded Student
-Find volunteer activities and school clubs that truly interest you.
Other Things to Do…
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Create a list of activities and awards for college
and scholarship applications
 Maintain or improve grade point average
 Participate in community service opportunities
 Begin to formulate a personal statement (i.e.
career aspirations, goals, college plans)
Investigate summer experiences/workshops
Senior Year Scheduling
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Take a rigorous class schedule
Colleges recommend at least 3 or 4 academic
credits
Parents and students should review high school
graduation requirements
Schedule changes at the beginning of the school
year are very difficult and only done under
specific criteria
Seniors are encouraged to explore different
elective opportunities during their senior year
Advanced Placement Courses
 College level courses taught in high school
 More challenging
 Require motivated students
 Summer work required in most classes
 Weighted grade (A=5.0, B=4.0, C=3.0)
 Opportunity to earn college credit by achieving a
qualifying score on AP exam given in May
 Read “Pledge of Commitment” in Course
Selection Guide handout or online
 Students are not allowed to drop the course
Are you a potential college
athlete?
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NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
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Register online in the Fall of senior year
Visit www.eligibilitycenter.org
Division I and II schools both require 16 core high school
credits
Core classes are identified online in the Course Selection
Guide
Skill Center classes do NOT count for NCAA eligibility
ACT scores must be sent directly from ACT (Use code
9999)
GPA – recalculated using core classes only
Are you a potential college
athlete?
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NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
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Must meet 2 of the following 3 criteria
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GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
18 Composite on ACT or 860 on the SAT
Graduate within the top 50% of the class
NAIA has over 300 colleges to choose from
MUST register to play at www.playnaia.org
Not the same as NCAA
Can visit the website or call 866-881-6242 for more
information
College Applications
 In-state applications are available
-Counseling Office
-Online (preferred method)
 Out-of-state apps are available
-Online only
 Early Action/Decision deadlines guarantee college
response before winter break
 Submit college applications in fall, checking each one for
specific deadlines
 Application may require a counselor to fill out a paper
portion. When completed, these forms will be returned
to the student to mail.
College Applications
 COMMON APP
- Allows you to fill out one application for multiple colleges
- Required for University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and several
other colleges in Michigan
- Check the website (www.commonapp.org) for a complete list
- Download the School report, Midyear report, and Final report
and hand in together
-The School report will be returned to the student to be mailed
-Midyear and Final reports will be returned to students for
mailing at the appropriate time
-Transcripts must be sent using Parchment
Paying for College
Scholarships
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Lists of available scholarships are updated
regularly beginning in October in the
Counseling Office
Colleges will notify you of anything your
student may qualify for
Online searches (www.fastweb.com)
Local scholarships (Available in February)
Parent’s employers, church, clubs, etc...
Updated scholarship books are available in the
local library
Some scholarships will require that the FAFSA
be completed
Scholarship Scams
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Don’t pay money to get money
If it seems to good to be true, it probably is!
Spend time, not money
Check with the Better Business Bureau if you
question the validity of the scholarship program
Speak with your student’s counselor
Financial Aid
FAFSA - apply online
-Free Application for Federal Student Aid
 This is a FREE service. Watch for similar websites that
charge you a fee to submit information for you.
 Must use 2013 tax returns
 Grants, scholarships, loans, and work study based on
need
 January Financial Aid workshop
 Info available at www.fafsa.ed.gov
 Visit www.grandblancschools.org under Guidance for
additional information
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Contact the Counseling Office if
you have any questions!
Mrs. Phyllis Mol
Mr. John Hentes
Mrs. Mary Gardner
Mrs. Lisa Antonishek
A-Ga
Ge-N
O-Z
CSS Program
591-6648
591-6651
591-6652
591-6354
Mrs. Linda McCleary
Secretary
591-6647
Mrs. Tisha Briggs (MME)
Student Services Analyst
591-1598
Please welcome
University of Michigan –
Flint admissions rep:
Julie Westenfeld
Thank you for coming
to Junior Parent
College Night!
CLASS OF 2014!!