CAVALIER NATION
Class of 2013
Senior Seminar
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Lake Travis High School
I’M DONE WITH SCHOOL
• I don’t have money for college…
• My grades aren’t that great and I don’t
think I can get in…
• I don’t have a clue how to apply
• I don’t like school and don’t want to take
any more classes.
• But consider this…
• You are going to work 40 – 50 hours per
week for a long time…
• $7.25 p/h X 50 = $362.50 per week
• $17.25 p/h X 50 = $862.50 per week
• $57.25 p/h x 50 = $2862.50 per week
A BIG difference
• $7.25 X 50 = $362.50 X 50 weeks =
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$18,125.00
• $17.25 X 50 = $862.50 X 50 weeks =
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$43,125.00
Hourly Wages based on
Educational Attainment
• $486 mdn wkly
Less that high school diploma
• $710 mdn wkly
High School, No College
• $845 mdn wkly
Some College, Tech Cert
• $1330 mdn wkly
Bachelors or Higher
U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau or Labor Statistics, July 2011, Report 1031
So now….
• The college application process is your
personal business. Counselors are here
to help you, answer questions, walk you
through the process but you must tell us
what you want to do…where you want to
go.
Where To Begin?
Making a list, where to apply
• There is plenty to learn at every college but if
you are not happy with the environment you risk
not being successful in your classes.
• North or South – the weather does matter!
• Big City or Rural environment – do you need a
mall to be happy? A place to fish or hike?
• Public or Private – a big difference in cost.
• Big School or Small School – what college life
do you want?
Begin with four or five college or universities
that you
might like to attend.
Explore location, cost and entrance
requirements.
Go visit the campus.
Where Did the Class of 2013
Go?
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TX State - 47
TAMU - 38
TX Tech - 33
UT - 20
Blinn Team - 18
UTSA – 15
St Eds - 14
TCU - 13
UT Dallas – 11
Baylor - 9
TAMU CC – 7
29 In State Schools
Where Did the Class of 2013
Go?
• 48 Out of State Schools
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Cornell
BYU
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
SCAD
Arizona State
U/Okla
U/Arkansas
Iowa State
U/Georgia
U/Ariz
U/Colo/Boulder
U/Colo/Col Spr
Ole’ Miss
U/Alabama
U/Mo
Rhodes
LSU
U S Cal
U/Montana
St Johns
Winthrop Col
Columbia/NY
Okla State
Kansas St
Florida
Florida State
Iowa
UC Santa Barbara
Cal Poly
Collegeforalltexans.com
Great interactive map…
www.collegeforalltexans.com
College Visits
• Each senior may take two days each school
year to visit a college without attendance
penalty.
• For the absence to be counted as excused you
must bring 1. a letter from the university dated
and signed by a university official. You will also
need 2. an LTHS form signed by the college.
The form is on our website. Take it with you!
• If possible, stay on campus in student housing.
Contact the admissions office to make an
appointment with an admission advisor. Plan to
tour the campus and sit in on a class.
One down….
We would like to see every Senior
have at least one application submitted
by November 1.
How nice to have one acceptance by the
end of the semester…
Pick a safety school, one that you have a
strong chance of being admitted to.
Once….
You have a list of 5 to 7 colleges to which
you will apply……
Begin the applications process…
Auto or Assured Admission
http://www.ltisdschools.org/Page/12559
Three Main Components
Application
Transcript
Test Scores
Each component is submitted
separately.
• ONLINE
• ONLINE
• ONLINE
ONLINE
ONLINE
ONLINE
• Did I say ONLINE!!
First,
let’s look at applications.
Three Main Sources of
Applications
APPLY TEXAS
all Texas public universities and colleges
Common Application
private universities and colleges
Out of State Public Universities
APPLY TEXAS
www.applytexas.org
COMMON APPLICATION
www.commonapp.org
OUT OF STATE PUBLIC
UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS
www.ou.edu
www.uark.edu
www.colorado.edu
Your Transcript
This is an official record of
your high school academic
career.
It must be sent from LTHS directly to the
university to be considered
“Official”.
Transcripts
We may not send a transcript to any school without a
written request from you. Phone calls and email will
not suffice. You must tell us in writing to send these
official transcripts to the universities you are applying to.
Order Official Transcripts from Mrs. Wise in the Counseling
Office. The first 2 are free; each additional copy is $3.
Transcripts are sent either electronically through TREX
(Texas public) or electronically through Common
Application (private) or by mail (you provide stamped
and addressed envelope).
The Transcript Order Form is available at the Counseling
Website.
TEST SCORES
SAT and ACT
• All universities require test scores as a part of the
application process.
• MOST schools expect to see a variety of (improving)
scores from students.
• Generally the more times you take a test the better your
scores will be. We suggest 3 times.
• You may choose the scores that you want to submit.
• If scores are sent to LT let us know if you do not want
them sent with transcript. Test scores go on the back of
a mailed transcript. Transcripts sent electronically will not
include test scores.
Test Scores
SAT a 500 or better in Critical Reading
and Math for a total of 1070 or better.
ACT a 19 or better with a
composite score of 23 or better.
TAKS
Texas Success Initiative / TSI
must make a 2200 or better in ELA, Math, and a 3
in Writing or you must take Accuplacer.
The Next Available Testing Date
SAT
Test Date: October 5
Registration Deadline: September 6
ACT
Test Date: October 26
Registration Deadline: September 27
Application Fees
• Universities require that you pay a non
refundable application fee when you
submit your application.
• Under some circumstances those fees can
be waived. Ask your counselor if you
qualify.
What is in a complete application?
The Application
An Official Transcript*
Official Test Scores*
And possibly
Essays
Letter(s) of Recommendation (LOR)*
Resume
Universities prefer electronic files.
If they receive paper from you they will scan the
documents into your file. This take time.
Electronic files are faster.
Under Review
• In the Review Process a University will look
at more detail before they decide to offer you
admission.
• You will need to send more information if your
application will be reviewed:
Essay, Letters of Recommendation,
additional Test Scores, Resumes
The Essay
• Topics vary but regardless of the prompt,
this is your chance to tell the university
about you. Bring your application to life.
• Your essay shows the admissions officer
how you think and communicate.
• It is your chance to explain…everything!
Resumes
A resume is a document that you create that tells
about your activities, honors, and jobs.
You will need a resume for many things in the
coming years so save the data to a flash drive.
There are sources for creating a resume online.
Career Cruising also has a resume section.
http://www2.careercruising.com/default/cplogin/11
307C5D-8B11-447B-9B36-CAA02E4B038F
Letter of Recommendation
• From whom should you request a letter of
recommendation?
• Teacher
• Employer
Volunteer Coordinator
Coach
• Request teacher LORs at least two weeks in
advance.
• Provide the writer with a copy of your resume
and a parent brag sheet.
• If the LOR will be mailed provide the writer with
a stamped and addressed envelope.
• Write a note of thanks to each writer.
• For Common Application, Counselor will write.
DEADLINES!!!
Universities are serious about their
deadlines.
And counseling offices and counselors need
time to meet your deadline. We
recommend that you request both
transcripts and LOR’s a month in advance.
4 Steps and You’re In!
• College Connection is an award-winning
program that assists high school seniors with
college enrollment preparation. Seniors are
guaranteed lifetime admission to Austin
Community College, the number one transfer
institution in the area and the primary trainer and
re-trainer of the Central Texas workforce.
• No matter what your immediate goals are –
attending college, going into the military, or
going straight to work -- participating in College
Connection will ensure an opportunity for lifelong
learning.
ACC staff comes to the high school
during the school day
• 1) Admissions – Seniors fill out an ACC admission application
through Apply Texas, which may be downloaded to apply to other
colleges and universities.
• 2) Assessment – Texas requires that seniors show their level of
college readiness with test scores. SAT, ACT, and TAKS scores
may exempt them from taking another test, but some will need to
take an ASSET or COMPASS test. ACC gives the test for free, a
savings of $29.
• 3) Advising – ACC advisors meet one-on-one with each senior
about college plans, majors, and the college courses they should
start with.
• 4) Financial Aid – ACC financial aid staff hold information sessions
about how to pay for college and are available for one-on-one help
with financial aid forms. Plus, seniors are eligible to apply for the
$2,500 one-year College Connection scholarship.
Scholarships
There are two types of scholarships
1 MERIT - based on
something you do well
such as grades or athletics
2. NEED Based – based on
financial need
Merit Scholarships
• Some college applications have a section or
suppliment that allow a student to apply for that
university’s merit scholarship at the time the
application is submitted.
• This is important!!!!! Early submission of
applications is essential to qualifying for
these specific college scholarships.
(November 30)
Need Based Scholarships
FAFSA
You may apply for a FAFSA pin number any time prior to January 1.
www.fafsa.ed.gov
All universities want the completed FAFSA applications if you will be
considered for scholarships
Complete the FAFSA in January once income for the prior year is
complete.
If you do not have a social security number then you can complete a
TAFSA to qualify for need based scholarships for schools in the
State of Texas.
SCHOLARSHIPS
A list of available scholarships is available
on the Counseling Office website.
Scholarships are added each week as those
scholarships become available.
Check often.
http://www.ltisdschools.org/Page/10693
Watch the Deadlines for submitting the
scholarship application.
Web Addresses
College for All Texans www.collegeforalltexans.com
Texas Public Colleges and Universities
https://www.applytexas.org
Common Application
FAFSA
ACC
www.commonapp.org
https://fafsa.ed.gov
www.austincc.edu/collegeconnection
Questions???
Now that you know the basics….
Talk with your counselor about the next
steps for you.
Thank you for coming!
Let us know what you think and
how we can better communicate this
information to you.