senior parent night 2013 welcome – watching out for your senior application process by college...

Senior Parent Night 2013 Welcome Watching Out for Your Senior Application Process by College CSU/UC/Private GPA Calculation SAT & ACT Scores Eligibility vs. Selectivity Impacted College v. Impacted Major Early Decision / Early Action/ Priority/Regular Recommendations Where & How To Apply : Mind the Deadline Tour of Naviance Scholarships & Financial Aid Basics

Mental Health and College Admission Encourage your senior to eat well, sleep well, and to plan. Acknowledge your student directly for his/her accomplishments. There are thousands of schools, two-year and four-year, public and private, in-state and out-of-state, urban and suburban, large and small. More than one of these schools will fit the needs of your student.

Myth # 1: Selectivity Selective colleges and super-selective colleges only have a certain number of spaces, so if two PCS students apply for admission, they will only admit one from PCS this year. Fact: Some selective colleges may admit all PCS students this year. Some may admit none. Each applicant is evaluated on his/her own merit, but may also be compared to fellow PCS applicants.

Myth # 2: Idealism College is / will be / should be the best four years of your natural human existence. This means finding the perfect college on the first try. Fact: College is fun for those people who are ready for the adventure involved in finding themselves: Some do it in Maine, others do it in Oregon. Still others go to Canada.

Myth # 3: Pull / Influence I know someone who knows someone. I have the inside track. I know someone with the inside track. Mr. Lysaght knows people. My parents heard My son/daughter heard Fact: Legacy can matter. Giving history can matter. Athletic talent can matter. Artistic talent can matter. None matters more than the students effort in wanting to attend a particular institution. Students are admitted based on talent and hard work.

Colleges Rank Things Testing High School Transcript (Grades, Rigor) Extracurricular Activities Counselor Recommendation Teacher Recommendation (Sometimes x 2) Presentation (of self; essays) Intellectual Curiosity Personal Qualities

CSUUC PRIVATE / OUT OF STATE PUBLIC YEARS INCLUDED IN GPA 10, 11, (12) (9), 10, 11, (12) GRADES INCLUDE +/-NO VARIES SAT OR ACT TESTYES (Some Test Optional) SAT SUBJECT TESTSNONO LONGER REQUIREDSOME REQUIRE 2-3 EXTRACURRICULARSNO (Cal Poly)YES ESSAYSNOYES RECOMMENDATIONSNO YES TRANSCRIPTS / MID YEAR REPORT BY CSU REQUEST ONLYNO / NOYES / YES APPLICATIONCSU MENTORUC WEBSITE COMMON APPLICATION OR SCHOOL WEBSITES DEADLINESOCTOBER 1 NOVEMBER 30OPEN OCTOBER 1 FILE NOVEMBER 1 - 30 VARIES BY COLLEGE

CSU AND UC GPA 10 th 11 th Grade Courses. No +/- Designations No Community Service, TA, Leadership, Focus Project Weighted & Capped GPA: Additional AP credit is limited to 8 AP points (4 AP courses; 1 point per semester, 2 points per year). Uncapped GPA: No limit for AP credit (1 point per semester, 2 points per year / per course).

PRIVATE SCHOOL GPA CALCULATION Some schools consider 9 th Grade Schools have different definitions of solid courses. (VPA, Rhetoric, Psychology, etc.) Some schools are softening their stance on the academic solid in favor of students expressing interest. Colleges will often recalculate their own GPA for each applicant.

TESTING SAT & ACT Required by most schools, public and private. SAT & ACT are weighted equally in the admission process. Some schools will Super Score (take the highest of each section) while others will take only from the same sitting. Send all scores. DO NOT use Score Choice.

SAT & ACT: AFTER THE TEST Send official scores to schools as part of the application process. Schools can be selected during the registration process, or before sitting for an exam. (First 4 free), or can be sent later. ($10.50 each) Applying to CSU? Use 3594. One code sends scores to all CSU campuses (Long Beach.) Applying to UC? Submit scores to one UC campus, and it will be accessible to any UC campus. Sending scores is cumulative; the scores you send will be for all past tests, but not future ones. Be sure to confirm.

ELIGIBILITY VERSUS SELECTIVITY What is the Index? What CSU Campuses are Impacted? What Majors are Impacted? Why Not to Depend Upon Switching Majors

THE INDEX The index is used to rank students in the applicant pool of a particular campus. All impacted campuses, with the exception of Cal Poly SLO, use an indexing system, but many campuses are moving away from providing a clear-cut index number for admission. CALCULATING YOUR STUDENTS INDEX [CSU GPA X 800] + Highest Reading + Highest Math Ex: [3.25 x 800] + 550 + 500 INDEX = 3,650

CAMPUSES WITH HIGHER STANDARDS 2012-2013 INDEX > 2,900 Chico Fresno Fullerton Humboldt Long Beach Los Angeles Northridge Pomona Sacramento San Bernadino San Diego San Francisco San Jose San Luis Obispo San Marcos Sonoma

Better preparation = more choices Campuses will look beyond grades and test scores SAT Subject Tests are not required but may be a good idea, depending on potential major / strength. Performance relative to school group is important. Apply broadly (More than 1 or 2 campuses, but not to all 9) Messages from UC

Tips for UC Engineering As often as possible, be prepared with Calculus in high school. Chemistry and Physics are very helpful. Math 2 and Chemistry or Physics Subject Tests. Demonstrate interest by courses taken, summer programs attended. Always select a secondary major, doesnt have to be a second engineering major.

Updates on UC Campuses and Admission Look for information to be posted on the PCS website under College Counseling and Resources > Counselor Workshops by September 23. This years conference: Saturday, 9/21, UCSC

EARLY DECISION: The Who Who :Students who have a head-over heels relationship with their first-choice school, who are also academically very qualified, and do not feel that they would need first semester of 12 th grade to leave the college with an outstanding impression. Who Not: Students who are not 100% sure, students who feel they need to do better in 12 th grade, students with lots of concerns about financial aid.

EARLY DECISION & FINANCIAL AID: THE MYTH Myth : If I apply Early Decision, I hurt, or severely limit my options with regard to financial aid. Fact : With regard to need-based aid, your calculated need is not likely to change significantly between December and March. The need portion of the equation is relatively constant.

Securing Financial Options If financial aid will be one of the largest determining factors in whether or not you can attend, it is advised that you apply Early Action or Regular Decision. While its true that a school can release you from an agreement for not having enough money in your package, it severely limits your ability to apply to other schools with enough time and consideration.

When? Most Common:November 1, November 15 Others (ED II):January 1, January 15 Early Decision II Identical to Early Decision I, and is a binding decision, but gives students opportunities to apply to other programs in Early Action, hear back, and decide if theyd like to re-double their commitment to another school.

Recommendations The Who, What, When, Where & How

Recommendations Who To Ask Teachers who know you well. Teachers who have taught you in 11 th or 12 th grade 9 th or 10 th is acceptable if the course is significantly advanced for the grade level (e.g. Calculus in 10 th grade)

Provide admission officers with insight into who the student is as a person, including personal qualities, class performance, outstanding contributions to class. Recommendations What They Do

Teachers are often overwhelmed with requests for recommendations. Recommendations When To Ask It is strongly encouraged that students ask for recommendations at least one month in advance.

Recommendations are submitted by teachers online, to Common Application schools, using the Naviance online system. For schools not included on the Common Application, please provide teachers with a stamped envelope, addressed to the college. Recommendations Where They Happen

Applications Where & When California State Universities (CSU) http://www.csumentor.eduhttp://www.csumentor.edu Application opens October 1 Application due by: November 30 Students can review applications with Mr. Lysaght as needed, by appointment. This is HIGHLY recommended. Submit as soon as application is complete.

University of California (UC) http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu Application opens October 1 Submit: November 1 November 30 Private Schools & Large Out-of-State Public Systems http://www.commonapp.org Application opens August 1 Early Nov 1 Regular Jan 1 Deadlines and requirements vary by school

Common Application Revamp Students need to be more concise. Less space for rambling / 4 th grade art projects. Better Essay Prompts Slightly more directive instructions. Slightly less friendly progress tracker.

Naviance: Parents Look, Dont Touch Role Opportunity to review progress in applications, deadlines, etc. Students should maintain updates regarding submission of applications, materials, etc. Track colleges that are visiting PCS. Locate important admission data. Access to valuable resources.

The Middle 50 Imagine a number line between 0 and 100. Everyone on the number line, even the applicants at 0 were admitted. Data is usually provided for admitted students between 26-75 The closer to 100 you reach, the more likely your chance of admission. Dont become fixated on the individual averages.

Scholarships Two Types of Aid: Need and Merit Merit-based aid is often awarded with admission (no separate application needed.) Some merit scholarships require separate application. (Half or Full Tuition, for example) 2 Important Documents: FAFSA and Profile http://www.fafsa.ed.gov http://profileonline.collegeboard.org

Locating Scholarships Google is your friend. Family Connection Scholarship List Scholarship Search (Family Connection) Trade groups and professional organizations County-wide scholarships for students pursuing certain majors or who are involved with certain activities. PCS College Counseling Newsletter