Pre-Admission: Plan Ahead
– Build your college list
– Make campus visits spring and summer
– SAT/ACT late junior year, early senior year
– Apply for admission fall of senior year
(often September 1 open date)
– Take a full/challenging set of senior
courses (AP/IB/dual enrollment)
– Stay in touch with the colleges you
are considering
USC Aiken
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Pre-Admission: Succeeding
– Test preparation
– Meet deadlines
– Financial planning
– Read your email
– Stay in touch with the colleges you
are considering
– Keep loved ones “involved”
USC Aiken
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Admission Process
• Priority Deadlines
• Submit your completed application
for admission, usually includes a fee
• Ask your guidance counselor to mail
your high school transcripts
• Request scores directly from
testing agencies
• Decision making process on both sides
– Decision rendered upon receipt of above
– Acceptance Packet starts next steps
– This begins the student decision process
USC Aiken
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What do colleges look for?
• General Standards
– High School Courses
• College Prep
– HS Class Rank
– SAT/ACT Scores
– Specific courses/categories
– Holistic Review
• Provisional admission category
• Bridge programs
USC Aiken
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Required HS Courses
• 4 units of English; College Prep I, II,
III, and IV.
• 4 units of Math: Algebra I, Geometry,
and Algebra II required. Pre-Calculus,
Calculus, or Statistics strongly
recommended.
• 3 units of Laboratory Science: Biology,
Chemistry or Physics. 2 units from 2
different fields. 3rd unit may be from same
field as one of the first two units.
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Required HS Courses
• 2 units of the same foreign language.
• 3 units of social studies; a unit of U.S.
History is required. Half units of economics
and government strongly recommended.
• 4 units of academic electives from 3
different fields selected from Fine Arts,
Computer Science, English, Humanities,
Foreign Languages, Lab. Sciences,
Advanced Math, and Social Sciences.
• 1 unit of physical education or Reserve
Officers’ Training Corps.
USC Aiken
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What about Academics?
• Honors Program
• Undergraduate Research
Magellan Scholars
• Experiential Education
Job Shadowing, Co-ops, Internships
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Special courses for freshmen
First Year Readings
•
Support/advising for new students
USC Aiken
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What about Success?
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First-Year Seminar
Advisement Services
Academic Early Warning
Academic Success Workshops
Tutoring
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Writing Room
Math Lab
Languages Lab
other topics
• ALWAYS seek assistance
USC Aiken
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Decision Time!
• Once you are admitted
– Acceptance Packet
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Commitment requests
Student technology accounts
Housing application
Placement Testing
Summer Orientation
Residency and state scholarships
Immunizations
• Apply for financial aid and
outside scholarships
USC Aiken
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Financial Aid
 What is financial aid?
 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
 Types of financial aid
 Federal Programs
 State Programs
 Cost of Attendance and Affordability
What is Financial Aid?
• Financial Aid is money
intended to help
students pay for their
educational expenses.
• Typically, aid comes in
one of the following
forms:
• Scholarships
• Grants (Federal and
State)
• Federal Work Study
• Loans
4 Types of Financial Aid
• Scholarships- Money that does not have to be paid back;
awarded based on financial need, academic merit, skill, or
unique characteristic.
• Grants- Same criteria as scholarships
• Loans- Money that students and parents borrow to help pay
for college; repayment begins after education is completed.
• Employment- Allows students to earn money by working to
help pay for educational expenses.
Million$ left on the table each year!
Complete the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA)
FAFSA = The key to financial aid
• May be filed at any time during an academic year, but
no earlier than January 1st prior to the academic year
for which the student requests aid.
• FAFSA may be filed beginning Jan. 1st each year.
• Colleges may set priority FAFSA filing deadlines.
• USC Aiken priority deadline is March 1st each year.
Applying is easy as 1, 2, 3!
1) www.pin.ed.gov
2) www.fafsa.gov
3) Follow up with
the financial aid
office of the school
to which you are
applying.
USC Aiken School Code:
003449
Federal Financial Aid
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Pell Grant
SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)
Perkins Loan
Direct Loan
PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students)
Work Study/Institutional Student Employment
All federal aid programs require completion of the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for eligibility review
www.fafsa.gov
Net Cost Comparison
Best Advice for College Planning
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Start early
Involve those people closest to you
Keep your options open
Don’t choose a college based on a football team
Find the true net cost http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
File the FAFSA
Get a feel for the campus and the people
Ask questions continuously
www.usca.edu
USC Aiken
OR http://web.usca.edu/
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