Post-Secondary Planning for Rising
Seniors
Presented by:
School Counseling Department
April 21, 2015
Program Overview
2 year community college vs. 4 year college/university
SAT/ACT Information
Introduction to Naviance
Scholarships/Financial Aid Information
Work Force/Military/Trade School
Thinking about Community College?
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What exactly is a Community College?
Examples are Germanna Community College and
NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College)
Public college that’s close to home
Offers 2-year associate’s degrees, certificate
programs and career training
An economical (cheap!) way to begin a 4-year
Bachelor’s degree with built-in transfer programs
Offers classes during different times of day and
several locations
How much does it cost?
Tuition and fees for community colleges are
based on the number of credits you take.
One class is typically 3-4 credits. If you
figure in the cost of tuition, student fees,
and books, you can expect to pay
approximately $4,400 per year if you attend
full-time.
Guaranteed Admission Agreements
Many 2-year colleges have partnerships with 4year schools that allow students to transfer
easily. The Virginia Community College System
(VCCS) has guaranteed admission agreements
with both public and many private 4-year
colleges in Virginia. Students must meet
certain requirements set forth by the 4year institution, such as maintaining a
minimum GPA and be enrolled in a
transfer degree program.
VA Colleges Offering Guaranteed
Admission
Public Universities/Colleges
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Christopher Newport University
College of William and Mary
Longwood University
Norfolk State University
Old Dominion University
Radford University
University of Mary Washington
University of Virginia
UVA - Engineering
University of Virginia College at Wise
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia State University
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech – College of Agriculture and Life
Science
Virginia Tech – College of Engineering
Private Universities/Colleges
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Art Institute of Washington
Bluefield College
Bluefield College (nursing)
Emory and Henry College
Ferrum College
Hollins University
Liberty University
Lynchburg College
Lynchburg College (nursing)
Mary Baldwin College
Randolph College
Regent University
Shenandoah University
Sweet Briar College
Virginia Union University
Virginia Wesleyan College
Why Go to Community College?
Costs less
 Undecided about your major
 Bring up your GPA for more options
 Stay close to home
 Flexible schedule
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PLANNING TO ATTEND A FOUR-YEAR
COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY?
It is incredibly important that you start to
research schools now! You want to be
ready to start applying in the fall of your
senior year.
Research on Naviance
- College visits
- Attend college representative sessions at BPHS
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What Factors Are Important to You?
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Does the college have the program in which you want
to major?
What is the distance from home?
Should you stay in-state or go out-of-state?
What is the cost?
What is the average class size?
What admissions tests are required? (SAT Reasoning
Test, SAT Subject Tests, ACT)
Does the college offer the activities that you enjoy?
What Do Colleges Look For?
Difficulty of Curriculum
 Grade Point Average (GPA)
 Class Rank
 SAT and/or ACT Scores
 Extracurricular Activities/Volunteer Work
 Honors and Awards
 Recommendations
 Personal Essays
 Interviews and/or Auditions
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SAT vs. ACT
SAT
Test structure
Test content
Penalty for wrong answers?
How is the test scored?
Are all scores sent to schools?
ACT
Ten-section exam: Three Critical
Reading, three Math, three Writing,
and one Experimental. The
Experimental section is masked to
look like a regular section.
Four-section exam: English, Math,
Reading, and Science Reasoning.
An Experimental section is added to
tests on certain dates only, and is
clearly experimental.
Math: up to 9th grade basic
geometry and Algebra II.
Science: none.
Reading: sentence completions,
short and long critical reading
passages, reading comprehension.
Writing: an essay, and questions
testing grammar, usage, and word
choice.
Math: up to trigonometry.
Science: charts, experiments.
Reading: four passages, one each
of Prose Fiction, Social Science,
Humanities, and Natural Science.
English: stresses grammar.
Yes
No
200-800 per section, added together
for a combined score. A 2400 is the
highest possible combined score.
1-36 for each subject, averaged for a
composite score. A 36 is the highest
possible composite score.
Yes. If a student requests a score
report be sent to specific colleges,
the report will include the scores the
student received on every SAT
taken.
Except: if you choose the Score
Choice option, you can select scores
to send to colleges by Test Date.
No. There is a "Score Choice"
option. Students can choose which
schools will receive their scores AND
which scores the schools will see.
For SAT dates and information, visit:
www.collegeboard.org
For ACT dates and information, visit:
www.ACT.org
Steps to applying to college
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Step 1: Decide where you want to apply
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Step 2: Apply (through college website or The
Common Application)
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Step 3: Add schools to Naviance
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Step 4: Request teacher recommendation letters through
Naviance. Give at least two weeks notice and ask teachers
in person first.
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Step 5: Turn in transcript request form
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Step 6: Send SAT/ACT scores
Transcript Request Form
NCAA Eligibility
If you plan to play sports with a Division I or Division II
school, you must register with the NCAA. Here is what
you need to do before you leave for summer break:
1)
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Go to www.eligibilitycenter.org and complete
registration.
Fill out and submit transcript request form to the
Counseling Office.
*If you are on free/reduced lunch, you do not have to pay
the registration or transcript fee.
Introduction to Naviance
What is Naviance?
 What do we use it for?
 Student use vs. counselor use
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NAVIANCE
Website: http://connection.naviance.com/brookepoint
 Username: Student ID number
 Password: 6 digit birthday (i.e. 010297)
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Financial Aid
Financial Aid is determined by the colleges’ Financial Aid
Office.
 Aid packages are determined by a formula:
Tuition-Expected Family Contribution = Financial Aid offer
 Expected Family Contribution will be based on your 2015
income tax information
 Families can start to submit the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) on January 1, 2016.
 Visit fafsa.ed.gov to apply
 Brooke Point High School will offer a Financial Aid
Information Night to provide additional information and
assistance
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Scholarships
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Scholarships can help cover the cost of tuition,
books, fee, etc.
Scholarships can come from the
college/university or private organizations
Scholarship opportunities are posted on the
BPHS website (not all!!)
Check Naviance for additional scholarships
Don’t be afraid to Google
Check early and check often!
The World of Work
If college isn’t an option or you need extra
time to earn money for tuition, going
directly into the work force offers many
choices and benefits, such as health
insurance and tuition reimbursement
programs. The first thing to consider is if
you will be satisfied with a “job” or if you
want to work towards a “career.”
Career vs. Job
Career
A career is the pursuit of a
lifelong ambition or the
general course of progression
towards lifelong goals.
Job
A job is an activity through
which an individual can earn
money. It is a regular activity
in exchange for payment.
Requires:
Usually requires special
Training
Education or Special training
may or may not be required.
Time:
Long term
Short term
About:
Creating A Resume
Name (in BOLD type)
Address (include zip code)
Telephone number
Career Objective:
A brief description of the type of position you wish to be considered for. This
can be stated (1) by job title, (2) by level or type of responsibility, (3) in terms of
skills you wish to use or develop, or (4) a combination of all three. Example:
(1) Sales Representative, (2) with responsibility for identifying and building a
client base, and (3) utilizing my skills in organization and communications. Avoid being overly
restrictive or vague.
Education:
Field of study or specific vocational skills
Work Experience:
List position title, description of responsibilities, tasks performed and dates covered. This section
may include full and part-time work experience, summer jobs, volunteer experiences, and
extracurricular activities that involved tasks performed.
Organizations:
List memberships and offices held, description of responsibilities and tasks performed.
Honors and Awards:
List any honors and awards you have received.
Additional Skills:
Computer (hardware and software), foreign language proficiency, for example
Extracurricular activities:
List all activities in or out of school
References:
“References available upon request” is sufficient. It is not always necessary to list your references
on your resume. Type them neatly on a separate sheet that you can provide to the interviewer when
requested.
The Job Interview
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Preparation
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Arrival
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Interview
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Follow-up
Go to www.jobinterviewquestions.org for
sample interview questions
Thinking About the Military?
U.S. Air Force
 U.S. Army
 U.S. Army National Guard
 U.S. Navy
 U.S. Marine Corps
 U.S. Coast Guard
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For a list of local recruiters, please go to
the Counseling Office
Technical/Trade Schools
Sometimes our talents lie in a specific
course of study, i.e. computers, so it might
make more sense to focus solely on that
curriculum. Technical/trade programs allow
students to focus on a specific subject.
College students, on the other hand, focus
on a variety of different subjects before
choosing their “major.”
So what makes these postsecondary programs so
appealing to students and employers?
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Hands on training
Up-to-date curriculum
Cost and time savings
Personalized learning atmosphere
Flexible class schedule
Apprenticeship programs
Thank you!
Counselors
A-CL: Ms. Portell
CO-HAQ: Ms. Jones
(will be Mrs. Hull next year)
HAR-ME: Mrs. Falk
MI-SA: Mrs. Calvello
SC-Z: Dr. Bridges
Follow us on Twitter: @BPHSCounseling
Visit the BPHS website and click on Counseling
Center for more information