POTOMAC FALLS HS
Class of 2016
SENIOR PLANNING NIGHT
SCHOOL COUNSELING DEPT
• Director: Rae Ann Paolozzi
• Counselors
Teresa Bennett
A-Can & ELL
Richard Bader
Cao- Goy & Campus
Deborah Brom
Goz – McJ
Stefanie Weiss
McK - R
Lauren Gibson
S-Z
2
SCHOOL COUNSELING DEPT
• Support Staff
College and Career Center:
Mary Ann Ottenberg
School Counseling Secretaries:
Lisa Torick
Allison Richardson
Contact Us: 571-434-3204
PFH School Counseling Web Site
3
AGENDA
•
•
•
•
•
Post High School Options
Creating your college list
Naviance/ Family connection
The college application
Process for requesting transcripts and
recommendation letters
• Paying for college
4
SO WHAT ARE
MY OPTIONS?
TRADE SCHOOLS
APPRENTICESHIPS
MILITARY/ROTC
PROGRAMS
ASSOCIATE DEGREE:
2 YR COLLEGE
BACHELOR’S DEGREE:
4 YR COLLEGES
EMPLOYMENT
GAP YEAR
Statistics of Our Students
Class of 2015
2 Yr College
4 Yr College
Employed
Military
Non- U.S. College
Other Educational
Plans
GAP Year
6
FINDING THE RIGHT MATCH
• Log on to Family Connection
http://connection.naviance.com/pfhs
• Make a list of colleges of interest.
• Identify your priorities
• Research the characteristics of a
range of schools
• Match the priorities with
characteristics
7
CHARACTERISTICS TO CONSIDER:
Is this the right fit for me?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Academic Programs and Strengths
Type of College (public, private, religious, etc.)
Location
Size
Cost and Financial Aid Offer
Retention and Graduation Rates, Grad School
Placement
Difficulty of Admission
Campus Life and Diversity
Resources
Study Abroad
8
9
Family Connection
• Access through PFH Counseling Dept Web page
– Click on Family Connection
– Parents have access to a Family Connection account
• Seniors should complete the:
– Career Cluster Finder and/or College Search to
conduct college searches and narrow choices
– List colleges they are planning to apply to
– Update E-MAIL address
– Complete My Game Plan
• Scattergrams to compare colleges
• College Visit Schedule can be accessed by clicking on
the “Colleges” tab and looking for “Upcoming college
visits”
10
11
12
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
•INCREASINGLY POPULAR DUE TO
AFFORDABLE TUITION
•Students can complete the first one or
two years of a bachelor’s degree
•Community colleges in Virginia offer
guaranteed admission to 4yr colleges in
Virginia
13
Benefits in High School
Benefits at NOVA
Individual meetings about college
transition, major and career
planning, placement test prep
Continued academic and career
counseling
Assistance with Financial Aid Process
Guaranteed Admission to George
Mason
Early Placement Testing
Pathway Section of SDV100
Priority Registration
Opportunities at GMU: classes, social
and athletic events
Who should apply?
Seniors who will
graduate by August
and who want to earn
a Bachelor’s Degree
For more information contact your:
• Pathway Counselor – Mandi Gordon,
adgordon@nvcc.edu
• School Counselor
APPLYING TO COLLEGE
• Don’t focus on either too few or too many
schools: 5 -7 is the average
• Consider colleges that are high, moderate, and
low likelihood of admission
• Do your research on admissions requirements
• Understand your deadlines
• Know what is required as part of your completed
application
• Communication with your parents and counselor
is key!
15
16
Components of your Application
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Application itself
Essay(s)/ Personal Statement or Specific Prompt
Recommendation Letters
Transcript
SAT/ACT scores
Payment
Supplemental Forms
17
The Essay/ Personal Statement
•
•
•
•
•
Write to the prompt
Write in your voice – be yourself
Check for accuracy
Work with parent or teacher to review
Be creative – remember admissions
counselors read a lot of essays
• Very important in admissions
consideration as this is their way to get
to know you
• Show versus Tell
18
Recommendation Letters
• Know your specific college requirement – this
information varies depending on the college
• If recommendations are required, be sure to
understand the requirements and follow the
procedure as determined by each specific
college
• Things to keep in mind:
Deadline
Procedure for Teacher
Ask Early
19
Recommendation Letters:
How to ask
• Ask early and provide a copy of resume or
activities list
• Inform your recommender about manner of
submission
Mail directly
Give to counselor
Upload directly to college via e-mail link
• Inform your counselor if a counselor
recommendation is required. Counselors do
not automatically write a recommendation.
• Remember to write a “Thank You”
20
Panther Planning Portfolio
21
Parchment
• New online program for electronic
transcript requests
• User friendly platform with 2-step
ordering- NO FEE
• Students will be able to submit AND
track orders via Parchment
• Transcript request form must also be
submitted to Counseling Office
22
The Transcript
• Remember to complete PFHS
Transcript Request Form for each
college to which you intend to apply
• A signature is required from both
student and parent
• Cost: $3 per transcript (Scholarships
are no charge.)
23
Test Scores
• Students must have College Board or
ACT forward scores to their colleges
and NCAA
– www.collegeboard.org
– www.actstudent.org
– www.ncaa.org
– www.eligibilitycenter.org
24
NCAA ELIGIBLITY CENTER PROCESS
• Only for athletes participating in Div I/Div II
collegiate-sports (contact Div III schools directly
for eligibility requirements)
• Register online with NCAA Eligibility Center ASAP
– www.eligibilitycenter.org
•
•
•
•
Use unofficial transcript for visits w/ coaches
Send SAT/ACT scores directly to NCAA (9999)
List NCAA on transcript request form
Request your transcript through Parchment
– Final transcripts automatically sent to NCAA after
graduation (approx. mid July)
• After April 1 – update profile
25
Summary of Student Responsibilities
•
•
•
•
•
Complete and Submit Application
Payment to college
Submit Test Scores to colleges
Request Recommendation Letter
Transcript release form: To your School
Counselor
Fill in form completely to include:
– Full name of college/university, city/state.
– Complete address for overseas universities.
– Indicate Early Action/Early Decision/Regular
Admission and specific date
– Signed by both parent and student
26
Student Responsibilities Cont’d
• Remember to request transcript through
Parchment
• Meet or beat transcript deadlines – submit to
counselor 2 weeks prior to deadline. If it falls
around a holiday, sooner is better!
• Keep communication open with your
counselor
• Check with counselor or through Family
Connection/Parchment for processing status
27
Student Responsibilities Cont’d
• Monitor your application status with each
college to ensure materials are received
• Please request mid-year transcript through
Parchment. It is not automatically sent.
Some colleges require students to self report
grades, check the requirements of your
particular college.
• Request FINAL transcript through
Parchment.
28
Items the School Counselor submits
– Official Transcript: Final grades through
11th grade including cumulative GPA &
Rank
– Current schedule
– PFH Secondary School Report form
– Recommendation letter from counselor,
if required,
*Teacher Letter(s) of Recommendation,
as required
29
PAYING FOR COLLEGE
• Financial aid can increase your ability to
attend your 1st choice school and improve
your options in the future
• Help is available: college offices, FAFSA help
line, Super Saturdays, Net Price Calculators
• Financial Aid Night at PFH!
– December 2 @ 6:30 pm
• FAFSA – Submitted after January 1, 2015
• Verify your specific college’s financial aid
process
• CSS Profile
-- only some require, verify college requirements
30
SCHOLARSHIPS
• Check Career Center web page for updated
information
• Follow instructions on how to apply or be
considered for nomination
• LCPS Scholarship Handbook available in early
February http://www.lcps.org/page/1871#
and click on the scholarship link on the left side
menu bar.
• Check all your family’s groups and affiliations
31
Summary
• Know your post high school options
• Update your e-mail in Family Connections to
stay informed
• Communicate with your school counselor to
keep him/her informed of your plans
• College Bound – develop college list; begin
application process; and research
scholarships
• Manage your deadlines
• Know your resources and where to go to get
your questions answered
32
Thank you for coming!
We wish you all the best as
you begin your postsecondary planning and
college admissions process!
33