Junior Parent College Night
November 3, 2015
Presented by the
Wheaton Warrenville South Counseling Department
College Search Process
Junior Presentations (week of January 25th)
 Planning for the rest of junior year
 Planning for senior year
 Career and future options
 Students will receive
o Unofficial transcript
o Graduation requirement notes
What happened with last year’s seniors
 64% to a four year college
 31% to a two year college
 3% working full time
 1% in the military
Top five four-year colleges by number attending
University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State, Indiana University,
Northern Illinois University, and University of Iowa
Factors to Consider
Majors
Cost
Enrollment Size
Student Population
Admission Standards
Campus Life
Location
Activities
Community
Athletics
Affiliations
Special Services and
Programs
Academics
GPA
Class Rank
Test Scores
HS Courses/Rigor
Other
Writing Sample
Activities
Letters of Rec
Interviews
Community
Service
College Entrance Tests
ACT and SAT
 Students must take at least one of the two tests
 Sign up at actstudent.org or collegeboard.org
 All Juniors will take ACT w/Writing at South on March 3, 2015
 Consider taking tests more than once
 A perfect ACT score is 36
o (South average is 23.8)
 A perfect SAT score is 2400
o (South average is 1877)
 Colleges usually list the scores of the middle 50% of students enrolled
 Look up individual college requirements to find out if SAT Subject tests must be
completed
 Schools may use SAT Subject scores for placement or admission
 Most students who need to take SAT Subject tests complete in the fall of senior year
(Oct, Nov, Dec)
Preparation courses can help!
o ExcelEdge and Kaplan courses offered at South
o Course through C.O.D.
o CDs, books
o Other options available; ask your counselor for
assistance
Narrowing Your Choices
Counseling Center
Many resources are available in our area
 Computers to link to websites
 Career and College Resource books
 College files
Students are welcome before and after school, at lunch, during a study hall with a pass,
or at another arranged time. . . Parents too!
The College Visit
Research First
Official Tour
See school in session
Admissions Appointment
Visit a class
Parents & Students go together
College Representatives
 Reps come to South to meet with students during the school day, generally in the Fall
and Spring
 List posted by Counseling Center on bulletin board, Naviance, and on website
 Sign up on Naviance then get pass in C.C.
 Students should be prepared to ask questions
ICE @ North Central College
College Fairs
Monday, March 21, 6:30 p.m.
1. Determine “MUST see” list before attending
2. Pick up relevant materials
3. Note the name of the college representative you spoke to
4. Ask questions
Application Process
Senior Year
*Target 3 to 6 schools to apply to
(safety, reasonable, reach)
*STUDENT should apply Early
in Fall of Senior Year
*Process reviewed via
group meetings during
2nd week of school
*Essays, Personal Statements,
Recommendations, Interviews
*Application availability:
ON-LINE
Download (may do so in CC)
Getting the Transcript
 Fill out the form for transcript requests
($5 fee—forms are in Counseling Center, Naviance, or website)
 Transcripts include:
o Identifying information
o All classes and grades
o Grade point average
 Student must request test scores from ACT/SAT to be sent to college—not included on
transcript
Deadlines
Requests for transcripts and counselor forms must be turned in at least 10 school days before
deadline date
May 1
is the date students must notify schools of their decision to attend or not.
Some Terms to Know
Rolling Admission— Applications accepted throughout the year as long as there is space;
important to apply early
Priority Deadline— Students who have application in by this date will receive full consideration;
after this deadline criteria for acceptance may be higher
(e.g., U of I has a November 1 priority date)
Early Action— Early application guarantees an early answer
Early Decision— MUST enroll if accepted and withdraw all other applications;
it’s a binding decision; student may apply to other schools,
but only ONE may be Early Decision
Beware of. . . .
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SENIORITIS
Senior grades count
Senior course selection is important
Students should be taking at least 4 core academic classes
Students who want to drop a senior academic course need to contact college
Naviance/Family Connection is a web-based college research and
planning tool for students, parents and school counselors. Including:
Application management
Electronic Transcript transmission
College Search tools
Scholarship information
Career/Interest inventories
Scattergrams
Resume builder
Financial Fit: is an online program from College Countdown, helps you:
Figure out how much you can really afford to spend on college
Find schools that match what you can afford
Understand the financial aid process, including student and parent loan options
5 Easy Steps to Get Financial Fit for Free
1. Go to www.collegecountdown.com/wheaton
2. Register to get your coupon code
3. Click on the link to buy Financial Fit
4. Use your coupon code during checkout and click “Apply”
5. Go to www.collegecountdown.com/stmarys to login and access Financial Fit
in the “My Tools” drop-down
This program is sponsored through the generosity of St. Mary’s University
Presentation/materials available on-line at wwshs.org, click Student Services,
Counseling Center, then Junior Parent College Night