WELCOME JUNIORS!
Post-Secondary
Planning:
The Time is NOW
First things first. . .
Graduation Requirements
WHS
Graduation Requirements
4 credits (4 years)
3 credits (3 years)
3 credits (3 years)
3 credits (3 years)
.5 credits (1 sem.)
1 credits (2 classes)
.5 credits (1 sem.)
2 credits (4 classes)
Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
Health
P. E.
Computer Science
Practical/Fine Arts
22 Total Credits
On-line courses available now
Unsure? See you counselor!!
HEAR
(Higher Education Admission Requirements)
Subject
English
Math
Years
4
4 *Algebra I, II and Geometry
or equivalent
Natural Science
Social Science
Foreign Language
Academic Electives
3
3
1
2
*2 units lab-based
Who Is My Counselor??!
Academy
ACE
GBA
HBM
VPA
LAA
Counselor
Ms. Bolton
Ms. Piper
Ms. Nakata
Mr. Evans
Ms. Diercks
What are my options
for after high school??
Explore Your Choices
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Military
Service – Americorps
Apprenticeship/Work
Travel
College/University
2 year or 4 year?
Public or Private?
Start Talking. . .
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Parents
Teachers
Family Members
Counselor
College Representatives
Military Representatives
Friends
Why is higher education a focus??
College graduates will earn an average of about
$2.5 million, or about $1 million dollars more,
over their working lives than high school
graduates.
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost04/EducationPays2004.pdf (page 10)
How do I begin this process?
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Determine your priorities—use check list
Remember parents may have different
priorities from students
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Cost
Size
Majors
-Location
-Selectivity
-Public/Private
Visit, visit, visit college campuses!!
The perfect school doesn’t exist, it’s about
finding the right fit for you
Community Colleges
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Many Advantages:
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Smaller class sizes
Less expensive
Can live at home
If you’re not quite ready to go to a 4 year college
Flexible schedules, night, weekend classes
Beware Proprietary Schools!!!
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(Everest, Heritage, Westwood, DeVry)
If you’re unsure, ask!
What are 4 year colleges looking for?
What are 4 year colleges looking for?
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Academic Record – GPA, class rank, improvement, difficulty of
classes
Testing – ACT or SAT with writing
Extracurricular Activities
– Work
– Community service
Letters of Recommendation
Honors and Awards
Essays
Interviews
Commitment/Passion
Leadership
CCHE Admission Eligibility Index
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http://highered.colorado.gov/Publications/Poli
cies/Current/i-partf-index.pdf
TESTING
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ACT – All Juniors in CO will take for FREE in April 2012
Can retake next summer/fall
$49.50 with writing
Register at www.actstudent.org
SAT – Next test January 28, 2012
$49
Register at www.collegeboard.com
Community Colleges – Do not require ACT/SAT
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Will use Accuplacer or similar
Fee Waivers available for ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and
College Applications for students on Free and Reduced lunch
Check with your counselor
Prepare for the ACT!!
It IS Important
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Many FREE resources available online
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Sample questions
Word of the day
Test tips
Test descriptions
http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/preparing.pdf
https://secure.collegeincolorado.org/College_Planning/Test_Pre
p/Test_Prep.aspx
Take practice tests
Doing something to prepare will greatly increase
the likelihood of a better score!
Other Aspects to Consider:
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Letters of recommendation
Essay/personal statement
What you can be doing NOW to help yourself later
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Volunteer
- Get involved in school activities
Work
- Explore your interests (CIC)
Play sports
- Explore your options (CIC)
Get to know your teachers/coaches/counselor
Remember senior year DOES matter!
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Metro State College Representative
Every Wednesday in WHS Library
From 8am-3pm
Help with college applications, scholarships,
essays, financial aid, anything related to
college!
It’s YOUR life, make it what you want
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You are responsible
for exploring your
options, meeting
deadlines, and
submitting complete
applications!
WHS Counselor page
http://www.adams50.org/196520104152831240/site/default.asp?1965Nav=|&NodeID=853
College Searches on the Web
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Collegeincolorado.org
Colleges That Change Lives Ctcl.com
Local College Fairs
collegefairsdenver.org
College View collegeview.com
Peterson Education Petersons.com
(Quick test-prep searches are
available on this site including ACT,
ASVAB, SAT,
MCAT, TOEFL, firefighter and many,
many more!)
College Search Collegesurfing.com
College Search
Collegeincolorado.org
College/Major Search/Test Prep
Princetonreview.com
College/Major Search
Connection.naviance.com
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Access.bridges.com (Site ID 0099411,
Password: Canyon)
College Answer Collegeanswer.com
College Board On-line
Collegeboard.com
College Campus Tours
Campustours.com
College Planning C3apply.org
College Search Embark.com
Go College Search Gocollege.com
How to Choose a College
Usnews.com (click on “education”)
Links to all Universities
Universities.com
NACAC Nacac.com
Study Skills & Careers Kaplan.com
How Do I Pay for College??!
How Do I Pay for College??!
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Parents/own money
Scholarships
Financial Aid
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Grants
Work Study
Loans
College Opportunity Fund (COF)
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Collegeincolorado.org
Things to Know….
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Two-thirds of college students graduate with
some debt, the average being $20,000
Your chances of getting a full-ride scholarship
are slim: 1 in 50,000
Scholarships are not just for Athletes and Brains
Scholarships are not just for financially needy
families
Scholarships
Time = Money!
If you are awarded a $1000 scholarship and it took
you 6 hours to complete the application you just
earned $166 an hour
WHS Counselor page
http://www.adams50.org/196520104152831240/site/default.asp?1965Nav=|&NodeID=853
Where do I look for Scholarships?
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College currently attending/will be attending
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Within the college: Financial Aid office, Academic Depts.
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Internet
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Library
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Employer (Tuition Re-imbursement, Loan Re-payment)
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Local Businesses: Target, Walmart, Burger King, McDonald’s
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Church/Congregation
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High School Counselor
WHS Counselor page
http://www.adams50.org/196520104152831240/site/default.asp?1965Nav=|&NodeID=853
Free Scholarship Searches
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www.MeritAid.com
www.CollegeinColorado.org
www.Fastweb.com
www.brokescholar.com
www.collegeanswer.com
www.princetonreview.com
www.nationalmerit.org
www.Apps.collegeboard.com
www.collegenet.com
www.scholarships.com
www.collegescholarships.com
www.scholarship-page.com
www.finaid.org
www.free-4u.com
www.supercollege.com
www.college-scholarships.com
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www.scholarships-4u.com
www.freschinfo.com
www.collegeplan.org
www.gocollege.com
www.nmfonline.org (National Medical Fellows)
www.careersandcolleges.com
www.edvisors.com
www.collegenet.com
www.colorado.edu/finaid/scholarships.html (for CU
Boulder)
www.hispanicfund.org
www.chci.org
www.hsf.net
www.laef.org/scholarships.html
http://wue.wiche.edu (Student Exchange Program in
the western US)
FAFSA
FREE Application for Federal Student Aid
www.fafsa.gov
The earliest you can access for beginning
college during the 2013-2014 school year is
January 1st, 2013
Grants
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Grants are awarded based on a student’s
financial need
As long as you follow the guidelines of the
Grants you will not be required to repay this
money
Need is determined by the Department of
Education by using information off the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Loans
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To apply for a student loan, student MUST file
FAFSA
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Loans must be repaid
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Repayment begins after student either
graduates or is no longer enrolled in a
minimum of 6 credit hours.
Work Study
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To qualify, student MUST apply for FAFSA and indicate their
interest on the application. Award is based on results from
processed FAFSA
Purpose
– Flexible schedule with employer
– Employment on-campus
– Regular paychecks
– Work between 10 and 20 hours a week
Must be enrolled in 6 credits and attend work-study orientation
when awarded
Financial Aid Calculator
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Complete the FAFSA4caster to help
understand your options for paying for college
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https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e3s1
Questions?
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Attend Counselor Chat sessions
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Thursday, January 5th at 2:45 in the Lecture Hall
Topic: Getting Ready for Life After High School
Please take a moment to
complete:
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Survey Monkey