Senior College Information Night

“We are not permitted to choose the frame of
our destiny. But what we put into it is ours.”
Dag Hammarskjold
Tonight’s Presenters
Mr. Daniel Petruccio
Assistant Principal for Guidance
Mr. Robert Hazelton
College Placement Officer
PRESENTATION TOPICS






Letters of
Recommendation
Transcripts
SAT/ACT
Financial Aid
NCAA
Clearinghouse
College Visits






Senior Year
Types of Admissions
Rank/Average
College Placement
Office
Naviance
St. John’s College
Advantage Program
Letters of Recommendation


School Letter of Recommendation (Sometimes
referred to as a Counselor’s Recommendation).
Teacher Recommendation




An academic assessment.
A teacher who happens to be the coach or moderator of
your team or club.
Not written automatically.
In the event of a paper application (see Mrs. Mansueto)
Teacher Letter of Recommendation




In May of your junior year you were asked to submit
the name of a teacher to write a teacher
recommendation for you.
As a courtesy ,you should have already spoken to the
teacher personally.
In the case that you need a second teacher letter of
recommendation ,you must see me before
approaching a teacher.
If you need to change teachers you must see me first.
Teacher Letter of Recommendation


Using Naviance online, you will invite the
teachers you have chosen to write your letter
of recommendation by sending them a
notification email. Later in the program, we
will walk you through the process.
By signing the FERPA form, you will waive
your right to see the recommendation.
Without doing this, the teacher will not write
the letter.
The Transcript

With each application sent to a college on your
behalf, we include your official school transcript:

Grades from Freshman, Sophomore and Junior year.
 Summer school grades if applicable.
 SAT and ACT scores are not on the transcripts sent to
the colleges. You must submit them electronically
through College Board and the ACT.
SAT & ACT




You are responsible for getting your scores to the
colleges you are applying to.
You are able to control what scores are sent to the
colleges by utilizing Score Choice.
Limitations: Complete Test Scores for a particular
test date must all be sent.
ACT exams are an option for students that feel that
the SAT exams don’t represent their best effort.
FINANCIAL AID




50% of all full-time students receive some form of
financial aid.
Only ½ of 1% of the money a student receives
comes from private sources (non-school source).
This means most of the financial aid money comes
directly from the colleges that accept you.
2 basic types of financial aid: Merit and Need based.
Financial Aid



For most students, the largest financial aid
packages will be offered by your “safe”
schools. There is a lot of money out there!
Affordability has to be the first criteria when
looking at colleges.
Colleges allocate funds on “first come, first
serve” basis.
Types of Financial Aid






Grants
Scholarship
Loans- Stafford & PLUS
Work-Study Programs
Merit Based Awards or “Discounts”
The combination of all of these sources of
money is your “Financial Aid Package”
How do you apply for Financial Aid?





FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
Filing can’t be done before January 2014.
Use your most recent tax return. If you have not
filed your 2013, return then use the one from 2012,
and you can update the information at a later date if
there are changes.
CSS Profile is an alternate method of determining
that is used by some schools.
http://www.collegeboard.org
The CSS Profile is available in Mid-October.
Formula for Financial Aid




Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
Cost of Attendance (COA)
Subtract EFC from COA.
If you want to be considered for financial aid,
need or merit based, you must fill out the
FAFSA form.
Where to Look for Financial Aid?



Use the Naviance program.
If you are fortunate enough to be accepted at one of
your reach schools you will not likely receive any
merit-based awards from that school.
You must be prepared to pay the full sticker price.
Financial Aid Meeting for Senior Parents.
Mr. Gene Rogers
Financial Aid Counselor
Molloy College
Hearst Auditorium
A November date will be announced shortly.

NCAA Clearinghouse








Potential College Student/Athletes must register with
the NCAA.
www.eligibilitycenter.org
Prospective Student/Athlete
Registration Form for US Students
$65
SAT/ACT scores come from you directly
Notify Mrs. Mansueto that you have registered.
Naviance is not the mechanism used to send transcripts
to the NCAA. You must see Mrs. Mansueto.
College Visitations





Arrange visits on weekends, vacations, or days when
Chaminade is not in session. Being absent for a college visit
is an unexcused absence. Your absent note should reflect the
fact that you went on a visit.
Visits are an essential part of the college application process.
In some cases, schools are intentionally wait listing qualified
candidates because they have not visited campus.
Check the college website to see the schedule for visits, tours,
and information sessions.
If you are just starting to visit now, you are significantly
behind in this process.
Checklist for College Visits









Check in with the Admissions Office
Ask a lot of questions
School newspaper
Housing
Meal Plans
Transportation
Class sizes (T.A. teaching classes)
Surrounding Community
Career Placement Office
Senior Grades





Commit yourself to making senior year your best
academic year.
Aside from your college application, senior grades
are the only other factor in your admittance.
Mid-Year Grades are your First Semester Grades.
About 95% of the schools our seniors apply to
request these Mid-Year Grades.
We do not seek your permission before sending your
grades. In rare cases, we have been asked to send
progress report grades if that is all that is available.
Types of Admissions




2 Types of early admissions:
Early Action: not binding; the advantage is that you
will have an answer early in the process.
Early Decision: binding; if admitted, you agree to
enroll and not submit other applications.
Our internal deadline for these applications (EA and
ED) – Oct. 15th (Tuesday after Columbus Day)
Types of Admission

In the case of Early Decision, colleges may
accept, reject, or defer candidates. If you
have been deferred by your ED school, you
will be reassessed in the regular applicant
pool. If deferred, remember you must apply
to additional schools.
Types of Admissions



Regular Decision: our internal deadline for all
remaining applications is November 25th
(Monday before Thanksgiving).
The applicant is usually notified by April 1
and must reply by May 1.
Rolling Admissions: This process usually
begins in the early fall and continues into the
summer in some cases.
Rank and GPA (3-year average)


Yesterday in homeroom you received your
rank and 3-year average card in homeroom.
You have been “ranked” in each of your three
years; the rank you received is an average of
these three rankings.
College Placement Office: Fall Visits




Two weeks ago, colleges began visiting CHS
on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
after school.
Posted in Homeroom, AM announcements,
Naviance generated e-mail, etc.
As many as 5 schools visits each day, usually
in Rooms 1-6.
These sessions are led by the admissions
representative who will read your application!
Evening Presentations

University of Notre Dame


Fairfield University


Thursday, October 24th at 7:30 in the Hearst
Auditorium in the A.A.C.
Wednesday, October 16th at 7:30 in the Hearst
Auditorium in the A.A.C.
University of Richmond

Tuesday, October 15th at 7:30 in the Hearst
Auditorium in the A.A.C.
College Placement Office: Strategy

On the average, our seniors apply to 8-10 schools.






2/3 “Reach” Schools
2/3 “ 50/50” Schools
2/3 “Safety” Schools
You must apply to a number of “Safety” schools.
Can you see yourself at all the schools to which you
apply?
One strategy that is often utilized and is not
recommended is to apply to 10 reach schools and
two safe schools. The result is a tremendous amount
of disappointment and dissatisfaction.
College Placement Office: Strategy

How do you create your list of schools?
1. Make an appointment with a guidance
counselor.
2. Read the College Placement Survey Book
in your homeroom or down in the Guidance
Center. Parents are encouraged to stop by the
Guidance Center and spend some time
looking at the book.
College Placement Office: The Essay



The part of the application you control.
Remember! The admissions rep reads
thousands of these!
Therefore,



1. Be concise.
2. Start the essay in a unique way.
3. Use a “slice of life” approach.
Assistance with your College Essay


Seniors will be working with their English
teachers; Guidance counselors are also
available to work with them on their
essays.
Starting on October 15th we have arranged
for a college essay consultant to help with
your final drafts on Tuesdays and
Wednesdays in the Library. Sign-up in
Guidance.
College Placement Office: Scholarships



A number of scholarships become available
throughout the school year.
Two main types: civic and college-related.
These scholarships will be posted on
Naviance and in homeroom with information
and deadlines.
NAVIANCE




College Applications in the 21st century.
Username and Password.
FERPA: Check the handout for directions.
Any questions, have your son come down to
the Guidance Center and speak with Mrs.
Mansueto.
Commonly Asked Questions:





Mr. Hazelton is the counselor of record for all
applications.
His phone number is 516-742-5555 Ext.442.
His email is rhazelton@chaminade-hs.org
His fax # is 516-209-4806
Do not check off the discipline box if you
have received demerits while at
Chaminade.
St. John’s University College
Advantage Program






Cost: $650 for (6) Credits – 2 Semesters
Maximum of 12 credits in total for both semesters.
Spanish, French, German, Latin
English
Calculus I and Calculus II
American History
St. John’s Program




Forms will be distributed in homeroom
tomorrow morning.
Forms and checks for the full amount are due
to Bro. Thomas’ office by September 25.
Make check payable to Chaminade H.S.
Additional work will be assigned above and
beyond the normal class load.

Ex. A paper or additional project.