Foothill Technology High School Junior Parent College Night

Foothill Technology High School Junior Parent College Night February 9, 2012

Foothill Technology High School Session 1: College Timeline and Application Process Spirito Hall, Debbie Freeman and Juana Vega Session 2: Standardized Testing for College Admission Rm. D 108, Steve Boyd Session 3: Financial Aid and Scholarships Media Center, Cecilia Johnston

Foothill Technology High School College Timeline And Application Process

Foothill Technology High School College Options Entrance Requirements Ventura College High School Diploma University of California q 9 campuses q Designed to accept top 12. 5% of CA graduates A – G Requirements SAT Reasoning or ACT with Writing Minimum GPA: 3. 0 Subject Tests? California State University q 23 campuses q Designed to accept top 33% of CA graduates A – G Requirements SAT Reasoning or ACT Minimum GPA: 2. 0 Private Colleges/Universities Varies depending on institution Letters of Recommendation from teachers and counselor

Foothill Technology High School Grade 11 What should we be doing right now? ? 1. Begin the college search process if not started already. v v Use spring break/summer vacation to visit colleges/universities and take campus tours. Attend the National College Fair at Seaside Park on May 1 st. Peruse college search websites to narrow focus. Meet with your school counselor further suggestions. 2. Take SAT and/or ACT tests in spring of junior year. Take SAT Subject tests in June 2012 if applying to certain schools and/or programs. 3. Keep grades up. College GPA’s are usually based on grades from sophomore/junior years only.

Foothill Technology High School Grade 11 Continued… 4. Talk to your counselor immediately if you have below a C in any of your A – G requirements and intend on applying to four year colleges/universities. 5. Use your summer wisely: take a college class, volunteer, attend a summer program, travel, work.

Foothill Technology High School Grade 12 Most important dates to keep in mind… n n n n Early – Mid September: Registration deadlines for October SAT and ACT tests. October 1 st: UC and CSU application forms available online Mid October: Counselors visit seniors in English classes Senior Parent Night Late October: Fall Break – make last minute college visits November 1 st: Application deadline for early admissions to private colleges/universities November 30 th: Application deadline for UC’s and CSU’s November – April: Ongoing scholarship opportunities

Foothill Technology High School Grade 12 Most important dates to keep in mind… n n n n Early December: Last opportunity to take SAT and/or ACT December 15 th – January 15 th: Application deadlines for most private colleges/universities January 1 st: FAFSA available online Second week of January: Financial Aid Parent Night at FTHS Late January: FAFSA line-by-line workshops at VC March 2 nd: FAFSA filing deadline March – April: Receive notifications of admission to colleges/universities May 1 st: Submit intent to register to college/university of your choice

Foothill Technology High School Factors to consider in choosing a college or university q q q q Location (in-state vs. out-of-state, rural vs. urban setting, weather considerations) Size (Colleges range in size from 40, 000 students to under 1000) Cost (in-state vs. out-of-state tuition, private vs. public) Selectivity (do you meet the admissions criteria for college/university, how competitive is admission? ) Type of College (private, public, community, parochial, etc) Major/Academic Dept. Housing

Foothill Technology High School Components of the College Application Component Applicable to… Application Form ALL colleges/universities http: //www. csumentor. edu/ http: //www. universityofcalifornia. edu/ad missions http: //www. commonapp. org/ Personal Statement UC’s and private colleges/universities SAT/ACT scores ALL colleges/universities Application Supplement Private colleges/universities *Letter of Recommendation/ ”Secondary School Report” Private colleges/universities *Letters of recommendation must be requested from teachers and counselors at least two weeks before they are needed and must be accompanied by a “Brag Sheet”.

Foothill Technology High School Useful Websites for College Searches q www. californiacolleges. edu Provides college information and search engine for California private and public institutions q q www. princetonreview. com Great place to start the college search www. usnews. com Provides college rankings, college majors, and college planning tools q www. campustours. com Offers virtual tours, campus maps, webcams, videos, general information, tuition costs, enrollment statistics, admission requirements and majors q www. petersons. com Helps students with a timeline starting in 9 th grade q www. bridges. com VUSD college and career search program. Students have login and password. College Application Websites q www. csumentor. edu Helps students plan for attending and apply to a Cal-State University q q www. commonapp. org Application website for over 300 colleges/universities www. universityofcalifornia. edu/admissions Provides information about all UC’s (requirements, deadlines, campus life, etc. )

Foothill Technology High School Counselors: Media Center Specialist: Mr. Boyd: Last Names A – F, ext. 1011 steve. boyd@venturausd. org q Ms. Freeman: Last Names G – N, ext. 1013 debbie. freeman@venturausd. org q Mrs. Vega– Last Names O – Z, ext. 1014 juana. vega@venturausd. org q q Your counselors are here to assist you with college planning and admission, fulfilling your A – G requirements, graduating from high school, academic issues AND any personal, social and/or emotional issues you may encounter. Mrs. Kapala, ext. 1008 linda. kapala@venturausd. org Mrs. Kapala is our college and scholarship coordinator as well as the community service coordinator. Mrs. Kapala works closely with students on career and college planning. Registrar: Ms. Nordin, ext. 1005 kris. nordin@venturausd. org q Ms. Nordin is the point person for official transcripts, VC transcripts, Cal Grant Submissions, and multi-site enrollment forms. Ms. Nordin can also answer many counseling related questions in the event of the counselors’ absence.

Foothill Technology High School Standardized Testing Requirements for College Admission

Foothill Technology High School The SAT Register at: http: //www. collegeboard. com/ What does the SAT test cover? SAT Subject Tests? Where do I take the SAT? How do I improve my SAT scores? n n n ¨ Let me suggest some things Recommended dates for Juniors: Test Date Registration Deadline March 10 th February 11 th May 5 th April 14 th June 2 nd May 9 th

Foothill Technology High School The ACT Register at: http: //www. actstudent. org/ n n n What does the ACT test cover? ACT with Writing? Where do I take the ACT? How do I improve my ACT scores? Recommended dates for Juniors: Test Date Registration Deadline April 14 th March 9 th June 9 th May 4 th

Foothill Technology High School College Testing Requirements UC System SAT or ACT with Writing only. Subject test (? ) All testing completed by December of senior year CSU System SAT or ACT November or December of senior year depending on campus Private/Out-of-state schools Varying requirements Check individual websites *The class of 2011 was the last graduating class that must take the SAT Subject tests for UC admission.

Foothill Technology High School Financial Aid and Scholarships

Foothill Technology High School Something to think about. . . “Education is one of the best financial investments you can make. A bachelor’s degree yields an increase in lifetime earnings potential of nearly a million dollars, according to Census Bureau data. This is equivalent to a 20% annual return on the investment. ” --from the Financial Aid Information Page--

Foothill Technology High School Common Four-Year University Myths v Too expensive v Student not ready to go v Student can easily transfer

Foothill Technology High School Advantages of a four-year college experience: v v v Growth Internship opportunities Relationships with professors Study Abroad Career opportunities

Foothill Technology High School How much does college cost? n COMMUNITY COLLEGES ¨ n CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY ¨ ¨ n Approximately $ 18, 000 to $ 25, 000 California Resident overall full-time fees/tuition for CSUCI are $6, 316 (Academic Year). UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA ¨ n Approximately $ 4, 000 Approximately $ 20, 000 to $ 32, 000 PRIVATE COLLEGES ¨ Range from $ 20, 000 to $ 60, 000

Foothill Technology High School Basic Equation of Need COST OF ATTENDANCE – (COA) - EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION (EFC) = FINANCIAL NEED (eligibility) • The college will attempt to offer FINANCIAL AID to meet your calculated FINANCIAL NEED. Not every college meets 100% of your financial need. •

Foothill Technology High School Financial Need UC CSU Private Community College Cost 25, 000 22, 000 35, 000 10, 000 EFC 10, 000 Financial Need 15, 000 12, 000 25, 000 0

Foothill Technology High School SCHOLARSHIPS – WHERE TO START? 1. Check scholarship bulletin on line. New additions frequently appear. www. fthsmediacenter. wetpaint. com 2. Ask if your parent’s employer offers scholarships. 3. Check web pages of professional organizations to see if they have posted scholarships e. g. American Geologic Institute – www. agiweb. org/mpp n n n American Institute of Architects – www. archfoundation. org American Institute of Certified Public Accountants – www. aicpa. org Institute of Food Technologists – www. ift. org 4. Other sites to explore include: www. finaid. org/scholarships; www. Fast. Web. com; www. scholarships. com; www. freschinfo. com; www. zinch. com

Foothill Technology High School OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Check scholarships posted on www. Bridges. com 2. Create your own scholarship search by using key words e. g. Hispanic + single parent or Hungarian + college scholarship Diabetes + college scholarship 3. Good Resource to check out: FUND YOUR FUTURE WORKBOOK and other booklets are available in English and Spanish on the California Student Aid Commission website. www. csac. ca. gov 4. “Paying for College Without Going Broke” by Kalman Chaney. Available at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Answers many of your financial aid questions in a clear and accurate way.

Foothill Technology High School Now what? 1. Calendar, calendar or you will miss deadlines. Put them on your calendar in two places – one several weeks before the due date and the second date the drop dead date for mailing or delivery of the scholarship 2. As you search different sites about paying for college, be careful of scholarship scams, If you read the following lines, be careful: “The scholarship is guaranteed, or your money back; ” Or, “You can’t get this information anywhere else; ” Or, “I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship/” Or, “We’’ do all the work; ” Or, “The scholarship will cost money to hold. ” 3. Watch out for “College Financial Planners/Consultants” who are really trying to sell you expensive whole life insurance products.

Foothill Technology High School Tip 1 Apply only if you are eligible. Read requirements and directions carefully. Tip 2 Complete application in full. If a question does not apply, note that on the application. n/a Do not leave a blank. Tip 3 Follow directions. Provide everything that is required, but do not supply things that are not requested – you could be disqualified. Tip 4 Neatness counts. Always type the application if you can, or if you must print, do so neatly and legibly. Tip 5 Make sure your essay makes an impression. Be personal and specific. Include concrete details to make your experience come alive. Tip 6 Watch all deadlines. Don’t send the materials in late – they will be refused. Tip 7 Take steps to make sure your entire application gets where it needs to go. Place name on all pages of the application in case it comes apart. Tip 8 Give it a final ‘once-over. ’ Proofread carefully. Ask another person to read it over before you submit it. Tip 9 Ask for help if you need it. Visit your counselor or Mrs. Kapala Tip 10 Remember: your application represents you! Your ability to submit a neat, timely, complete application reflects on you.