Junior Parent College Night
Herron High School
Thursday, October 2nd, 2014
5:30 – 7:00 PM
Katie Dorsey
Academic Advisor
th
10 Grade, A-K
11th Grade, All
kdorsey@herronhighschool.org
317-231-0010 ext.1114
Junior Parent College Night
AGENDA
 Junior Year
 College Admissions Tests: SAT and ACT
 The College Search
 College Application Preparation
 Financial Aid Basics
 Senior Year
 Insider Tips
Q + A Throughout
Junior Year
Junior Year: Graduation Progress
Core 40 vs. Core 40 with Academic Honors
Core 40
Core 40 with AD
8 credits of English
6 credits of Math
6 credits of Science
6 credits of Social Studies
5 credits of Directed Electives
(Languages, Fine Arts)
- 2 credits of PE
- 1 credit of Health
- 6 credits of other Elective credits
- Meet all Core 40 requirements
- 6 World Language credits (6 in 1
language or 4 credits each in 2
languages)
- 2 additional Math Credits (PreCal)
- 2 Fine Arts Credits
- 1 of the following:
4 AP credits
2 Dual credits
2 AP / 1 Dual credits
High test scores
- GPA of 2.7 or higher at graduation
-
Junior Year: Strong Academics
- When students apply to college in the
fall of senior year, the last grades that
will be present on the transcript are
from junior year.
- Colleges look at grade trends –
hopefully upward trends! How a student
does in 11th grade is more important
than how a student did in 9th.
- A’s and B’s are very important for
getting in to college.
Junior Year:
What if my student is struggling?
- Regular, pro-active Office Hours
 Students should show up with a plan
- Organization and goal setting
- Negotiated PowerSchool monitoring
- Connection with Advisory Teacher
- Using Remediation and Late Passes
- Distraction-free studying every night –
even if ‘no homework’
Junior Year:
Get involved!
- We encourage students to be meaningfully
involved – and develop leadership roles – in at
least one extracurricular.

Herron clubs and sports

Community organizations

Community service

Faith-based groups
- Consider part-time employment for students
who have the time.
- Balance and joy!
Q+A
College Admissions Tests:
PSAT, SAT, and ACT
College Admissions Tests:
PSAT, SAT and ACT
PSAT/NMSQT: October 15th!
Practice test THIS Saturday at 8:00 a.m.
• The PSAT scores are not sent to colleges, but
the test in important as practice SAT and to
qualify juniors for the National Merit
Scholarship competition.
• Students should carefully investigate their
PSAT scores (sent in the mail in December)
using the log-in code!
College Admissions Tests:
SAT and ACT
-
Nearly all colleges require the SAT or ACT
Most colleges accept either the SAT and ACT
Register online at least 6 weeks in advance
Tests administered on Saturday mornings
Fee ($51 SAT; $52.50 ACT) or waiver from
Advising Office
- Score reporting: 4 free – approx. $12.00
additional
- Resource students – Accommodations
available
College Admissions Tests:
SAT- Scholastic Aptitude Test
www.collegeboard.org
The SAT consists of three parts:
1. Critical Reading
2. Mathematics
3. Writing
Each section is scored from 200-800.
Perfect score = 2400
**New test format released spring 2016 – won’t impact
current 11th graders.
SAT – Scholastic Aptitude Test
www.collegeboard.com
College Admissions Tests:
ACT – American College Test
The ACT consists of five parts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
English
Mathematics
Reading
Science
Writing
The entire ACT test is scored from 16 to 36.
Perfect score = 36
ACT American College Test
www.act.org
College Admissions Tests:
SAT and ACT
11th graders should plan to test in late
winter or early spring – allowing them
to best utilize PSAT scores.
Some have already tested / will test in
the coming months – great!
College Admissions Tests:
SAT and ACT
The SAT/ACT Testing Plan for Students
Plan A: Take both tests Junior year; compare; study;
retake strongest test
Plan B: Take SAT or ACT Junior year; review scores;
study; retake (double check test preference for
colleges/universities of choice)
**All students MUST take the SAT or ACT in their 11th grade
year!
**Students sign up with their parents / guardians online for
a date and location most convenient
College Admissions Tests:
SAT and ACT
Why take the test again?
*Broaden the scope of college acceptances
*Possible higher scholarship category
*Most colleges will superscore the SAT
Apr
Oct
CR 430
CR 440
Math 580
Math 560
Superscore will be 1410
Writing 370 [1380]
Writing 390 [1390]
College Admissions Tests:
SAT and ACT
How to Prepare
- CollegeBoard.org and Act.org: practice tests,
questions of the day
- Online prep: Khan Academy, number2.com,
testive.com
- Paper practice tests: available at Advising Office
- Comprehensive prep books: Advising, Library, HalfPrice Books
- Classes / tutors for a fee – Princeton Review;
Kaplan; local agencies and private companies ;
online webinars
- Naviance – new website with customized study plan
Q+A
The College Search
The College Search:
Making “the long list”
- In the Junior Year, it is time for students to
compile the long list of schools to which they
might apply. This is not a final application list.
The more options, the better!
- To find schools to add to their lists, students
should explore their own preferences, make-orbreak criteria, and their academic data.
The College Search:
Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider
1) Anticipated College Major/Minor
-
-
Career Assessments in English 11 or AP Lang in
October/November
Online research
Job Shadowing
Favorite classes / subject areas / hobbies / passions
/ talents
Mymajors.com
*It is okay to be an ‘undeclared’ applicant – but there
may be scholarship money tied to specific programs.
*50% of college students change their majors 1-3
times.
The College Search:
Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider
2) College Type
- Public / Private
- Not-for-profit / For profit
- Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Technical or Vocational
- 4-year or 2-year
3) Location
- In-state / Out-of-state ($$)
- Urban / Suburban / Rural
- Distance from home
The College Search:
Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider
4) Size
- Small schools: 1,000 – 5,000
Wabash, Earlham, St. Mary’s, Butler
- Medium schools: 5,000 – 15,000
University of Indianapolis, IU extension
campuses, Notre Dame, Indiana State
- Large schools: 15,000+
Ball State, IUPUI, Purdue, IU
The College Search:
Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider
5) Cost
- In-state / Out-of-state
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Loans
6) Campus Characteristics
- Class size
- Professors / TAs
- Research focus
- Campus activities / extracurriculars /
athletics
The College Search:
Make-or-Break Criteria to Consider
7) Demographics
- Religious Affiliation
- Diversity
- Gender ratios
8) Housing Options
- On campus / commuter
- Dorms
- Fraternities / Sororities
The College Search
How to Find Colleges That Meet Your Criteria
- Online searches
-
ACT – www.act.org/collegesearch
Petersons College Search – www.Petersons.com
College Prowler – www.collegeprowler.com
CollegeBoard – www.collegeboard.org
(Click on College Search – BigFuture)
College websites – video tours
College visits (2 per year!)
College fairs and college representatives at HHS
Books in the Herron HS Advising office
Colleges that Change Lives: http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/list
US News & World Report rankings
Peer mentors
The College Search
Planning College Visits
- Schedule with Admissions Office
- Take a tour (even if you student has been to the
campus before)
- Attend a ‘Junior Preview Day’
- Treat the day like an interview – both for you and
for the school!
- Your student should send a thank-you if he/she
met with an Admissions Rep or had an interview
- Overnight options / activities
- Consider ‘demonstrated interest’ if a competitive
school
The College Search
Decide on a Group of Colleges
Student: SAT 1200 / GPA 3.98
1) SAFETY - Schools to which you will get accepted and
should have strong scholarship options.
Ball State: Average SAT 1060 (CR and M Only) / GPA 3.5
2) TARGET - Schools to which you should get accepted but
there are no guarantees.
Indiana University: Average SAT 1170 / GPA 3.67
3) REACH – Schools to which you might get accepted but it is
going to be difficult.
University of Notre Dame: Average SAT 1425 / GPA 3.94
www.cappex.com/colleges
Q+A
College Application
Preparation
College Application Preparation
- Applications don’t go ‘live’ until August 1 of
a student’s senior year
- There are several pieces of the application –
allowing for a ‘holistic review’.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Transcript / Diploma (Parchment Account)
GPA
Test Scores
Honors / Awards
Extra-curricular activities
Leadership roles
Community involvement / service
Summer experiences
Jobs / Internships
Disciplinary / Attendance Concerns
Letters of Recommendation
Secondary School Report
Essay (1st Writing assignment of senior year English)
College Application Preparation
The Application – 3 ways to submit it to the
college
1) Use the Common Application for over 500
(!) colleges
2) Complete the application online at the
college website
3) Download the application from the college
website, fill it out and mail it back to them
(RARE!)
www.commonapp.org
Q+A
Financial Aid Basics
Financial Aid Basics
Merit-Based Scholarships and Grants
- Colleges and outside sources; do not have to repay
- Largest sums of money come directly from colleges
and universities.
- Other scholarships can be identified through
community connections, Herron’s newsletter, websites
like www.fastweb.com
Need-Based Grants and Loans
FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid
EFC – Estimated Family Contribution
Grants, i.e. Pell – do not have to repay
Federally subsidized student loans
Unsubsidized student loans
Work-study
Private parent loans
Financial Aid Basics




FAFSA Night in January of 11th and 12th grade
File FAFSA by March 1 of your student’s Senior Year
Must have taxes completed to file
Colleges will then issue a final Financial Aid Package
in the spring of senior year, including:
• Scholarships
• Grants
• Loans
• Work-Study
• Out-of-pocket Costs
 Compare ‘apples to apples’
 http://www.indianacollegecosts.org/
 http://netpricecalculator.collegeboard.org/
Q+A
Senior Year
Senior Year
 All Herron students take all 5 cores - all 8 semesters
of high school. HHS does not have early graduation.
 English 12 or AP Lit
 Next Math class (Alg II, PreCal, AP Calc AB or BC / AP Stats
/ Finite Math)
 Cell Bio and Forensics / Chem / AP Chem / AP Physics / AP
Environmental
 AP Human Geography / European History
 Next Latin class / Greek
 Two electives: capstone classes in content areas
(French IV, AP Studio, Adv Choir), double-up in core
classes, explore new interests
 Internships via application: 1 or 2 class periods.
Apply in spring of 2015.
Insider Tips
(from Herron staff/faculty who
have recently had children in
th
the 11 grade!)
“Nudge and encourage, but
don't do it for them!”
“It’s important to prepare for
the SAT / ACT. Plan on retaking the tests!”
“It was very helpful to visit some
colleges during Spring Break last
year. It got his brain started thinking
about where he could see himself.”
“The college application process takes
time. It can’t happen over night.”
Junior Parent College Night
Herron High School
Katie Dorsey – 11th Grade Academic Advisor
kdorsey@herronhighschool.org
317-231-0010 ext. 1114
Dr. Deborah Cooney – 12th Grade Academic
Advisor, Assistant Head of School
dcooney@herronhighschool.org
317-231-0010 ext. 1104
Jane Hagenauer – Registrar and Advising
Coordinator
jhagenauer@herronhighschool.org
317-231-0010 ext. 1105
Thank you for your participation
this evening!