COLLEGE
NIGHT 2014
Natalie Putney
Jodi Brodbeck-Fletcher
Jeanne Sarff
College Application
Process
• Most colleges have an online application.
• Make sure to have appropriate info when sitting down to
complete the application. (i.e. GPA, class rank, ACT scores)
• Be prepared to do an essay or two. (DO NOT LET THIS PART
SCARE YOU!)
• May need letters of recommendation. (DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE
DAY BEFORE TO ASK FOR THEM)
• Let Ms. Putney know when the application is completed so
she can send your transcript (and possibly secondary school
report, depending on the school). (see school report handout)
College Timeline
(see senior year timeline handout)
• Most college application deadlines
are between January 1st and February
1st .
• Some colleges have rolling admissions
which means they will accept
applications until May 1st.
• Apply early, especially if going into the
health care field or another popular
career field.
College Timeline Cont.
• Complete your FAFSA as close to January 1st
as possible – means possibility of more
money.
• February – March: Acceptance letters and
financial award letters start to arrive.
• By April: Make sure tuition deposit is in and
complete any other paperwork the college
has requested.
• May: Let Ms. Putney know where you are
attending so she can send final transcript.
Early Decision
• Usually a deadline between Nov. 1st and Nov. 15th .
• Make sure to read the rules for that college of what
early decision means for them.
• At most schools, early decision means that you are
agreeing to apply nowhere else and that you will
go there if they accept you.
• You are allowed to apply elsewhere if you do not
get accepted, but not until they have sent you a
letter stating that you are not accepted.
College Decision Process
• Choosing a college is difficult. See the
following two attachments for help:
o College Counseling Resume
o College Comparison Worksheet
o How Much Will College Cost?
Procedure for Taking a
College Day
• Seniors receive 2 college days.
• Make sure to use them wisely (one to visit,
one for meeting with advisor and registering
for classes).
• Need to see Ms. Putney a week in advance
of taking the college visit so she can give
you a form to fill out that needs to be
returned to the office.
Placement Testing
• Colleges require a placement test to place a student in
the appropriate math and English classes.
• MCHS offers the ICC placement test.
• Students should take the fall one so that if they need to
retake it, they have time
• Students must sign up ahead of time.
• If a student is attending ICC, they need to sign up here for
the placement test. You are not granted a college day
to take the ICC placement test at ICC. It will count as a
day towards taking finals.
• Need to bring Social Security number.
Scholarships
• Every year, multiple scholarships go
unclaimed because students do not want to
write an essay. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!
• Free money, take advantage of it.
• Most scholarships are available after
Christmas, but there are a few available
before.
• Check the website often to see what
scholarships are available.
• Scholarship Page
Re-taking the ACT
• Depending upon the school
you want to go to, your
ACT score can help you get
huge scholarships, or it
could prevent you from
getting in at all.
• If you would like to retake
the ACT to see if you can
improve your score, visit
www.actstudent.org.
Practicing for the
ACT
• Most of your teachers
recommend using
actstudent.org to help you
prepare for the ACT. It has
loads of practice tests.
• Your teachers also have
practice booklets that you
can check out.
Practicing for the
ACT
• SparkNotes is extremely
detailed when it comes to
going step-by-step through
sample questions,
eliminating choices, and
explaining why the "best"
choice is, indeed, the best
choice.
http://www.sparknotes.com/t
estprep/books/act/
Practicing for the
ACT
• Kaplan is a well-known
test-prep and tutoring
company. Their website
has a practice test, timed,
that then gives you your
results and explanations for
the correct answers.
http://www.kaptest.com/Colle
ge/ACT/About-the-ACT/actat-a-glance.html
Practicing for the
ACT
• McGraw-Hill is both a
textbook publisher and a
test producer. Their site has
practice tests as well as
videos of actual ACT prep
instructors.
http://www.mhpracticeplus.c
om/act.php
Getting Started on your
student’s FAFSA
• When you sit down to fill out the FAFSA you
will need the following items:
o Social Security numbers (parents &
student)
o W-2’s for 2014
o Tax returns from last year
o Current bank statements
o Email addresses
Why is the FAFSA so
important?
• Depending on your income, your student may
qualify for grants from the state and the federal
government that do not have to be repaid.
• Also, the types of loans that you and your student
are eligible for are determined by your FAFSA.
• You must complete the FAFSA even if you don’t
think your student will qualify for aid.
Next Steps:
• Go to www.pin.gov and register for PIN
numbers for both the student and the
parent completing the application.
• Keep the PIN numbers in a safe place;
you will use the same PIN number each
year that you complete a FAFSA.
• Now you are ready to start the actual
application!
Filling out the FAFSA
• Navigate to www.fafsa.ed.gov and start
a new application for the 2015-2016
school year.
• Fill out all of the background information.
You can complete everything but the
financial information before you get your
W-2’s. After you have those, you can fill
in the information and complete the
application.
Other tips:
• The sooner you complete the FAFSA, the
better! The MAP grants from the State of
Illinois are awarded on a first come, first
served basis and they cut off completely
after March 1st.
• You will receive a Student Aid Report by
email that explains what aid that your
student might be eligible for and what
your expected family contribution would
be.
Finally:
• Watch for letters or information from
your College or University regarding
financial aid.
• If you have questions, you can
contact the college financial aid
office directly for help.
Student Loan Types
(see handout Types of
Financial Aid)
Pell Grant – federally funded and never
has to be repaid
*Based on financial need.
*Fill out FAFSA early while more
money is available.
Student Loan Types
Stafford Loans – based on student dependency
on parents and his/her year in school
*Subsidized – Government pays interest
while student is still in school.
*Unsubsidized – Interest is accrued while
the student is in school.
*Guaranteed one low interest rate over
the life of the loan.
*Allowed to defer until 6 months after
graduation.
Student Loan Types
Perkins Loan – help students with extreme financial
need
*Interest is paid by the government until
student graduates.
*Payments are deferred until 9 months
after graduation.
*Maximum 10 year repayment plan with
payments of at least $40 a month.
*After 10 years can be eligible for
“forgiveness” if working a certain type of
job.
Student Loan Types
PLUS Loan – allows a student to finish covering
out-of-pocket costs that financial aid did not
cover
*No borrowing limit.
*Usually have higher interest rates.
*Repayment begins while student is
still in school.
*Interest rate can fluctuate
throughout the life of the loan.
Student Loan Types
• Most are based on FAFSA information.
• Make sure to check the specific loan to know the
repayment options and interest rates.
• Try to get as many scholarships and grants as
possible that you do not have to repay.
Questions?