Information for Seniors Welcome Back Class of 2016

Information for Seniors Welcome Back Class of 2016!

WHS Counselors n n n Students A through E Mrs. Bishop Students F through K Mrs. Fassbender Students L through Q Mr. Landis Students R through Z Mrs. Glynn Senior Associate Principal – Mr. Grabarski

First Things First! Attention all male students – when you turn 18 -years of age, you are required to register for the Selective Service! n Register online at: http: //www. sss. gov/FSregist. htm n You may also register at any US Post Office n

Military Recruitment n Any student interested in pursing a career in the military, there is information in the Counseling Office. n There will be visits from various military branches once per semester during school lunch hours. Individual appointments may be made by you with recruiters. Note: If you do not want to be contacted by the any of the Military branches, please notify the Main Office.

THE ACT vs. the SAT As you all know, the ACT is an academic achievement test which predicts your success in college. The SAT is an aptitude test, and it is structured to measure how well you can apply the material you have learned in HS. n 4 -year schools required either the ACT or SAT. For schools in WI and in the Midwest, the ACT is generally preferred, but you should check with any out-of-state school choices you have to see which exam they prefer. n ACT and SAT requires online registration. You may repeat the ACT or SAT. ACT Fees for 2015 -16: n $39. 50 for the basic test n $56. 50 for ACT + Writing. If you are planning to apply to Marquette University, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities or UM-Duluth, you MUST take the writing portion of the ACT or the SAT. n LATE FEES ARE AN ADDITIONAL $25. 00 for ACT!

THE ACT vs. the SAT Fees for 2015 -16 are: $54. 50 with essay per test (SAT 1) $26. 00 for one subject test $18. 00 for additional subject tests (SAT II) Late fees are AN ADDITIONAL $28. 00. Upcoming Test Dates: n n ACT: October 25, 2015 – reg. September 19, 2015 n SAT: October 3, 2015 – reg. September 3, 2015; Subject Tests Dates – check website

How to Prepare for the ACT or SAT There are ACT and SAT practice tests and preparation strategies @ Your Naviance Account - Prep. Me www. testprepwi. org or www. studystack. com. These are all free sites. There also a limited number of ACT booklets available in the Counseling Office. ACT prep classes are available through Mc. Farland HS. Please stop in the Counseling Office for details.

Directions for the 4 -year College Application Process n All of the 2 - and 4 -year UW Systems Schools prefer that you apply online at: http: //apply. wisconsin. edu beginning September 1 st. n Fees are $50. 00 per application for UW System schools September 1 st. You pay online with a credit card. n You may work on and save your electronic applications until you are finished. This gives you the opportunity to check for errors before submitting a completed application. The WI Private Colleges will either have a campus-specific application or they may use the Common Application. More on the Common Application later.

Directions for the 4 -year College Application Process n You will be required to supply written answers to question(s) and submit a Personal Statements may be submitted as part of the electronic application or as an attachment. If you choose to submit this electronically, we strongly suggest that you create your statement in Microsoft Word or Google first, then copy/paste it into the application. This will help you avoid grammatical and electronic errors and help other proofread your statement. n Not all colleges expect or require letters of recommendation. We suggest that you should submit at least 1 letter of recommendation with your application(s). Letters should be from a teacher first, then principals, counselors, ministers, or employers. Per School Board Policy, class rank WILL NOT be included on your transcripts or given to any schools. If you have questions about this policy, please speak with your counselor.

Getting Letters of Recommendation n If your application requests letters of recommendation, give teachers, coaches, employers, etc. enough time to write these. n There are “brag” sheets available in the Counseling Office for you to fill out. This is helpful for your letter writers. n You may submit letters of recommendation even if they are not required – again, this is important for the UWMadison application. n For the Common Application, you will be required to designate a Teacher Recommender. Your application will not be complete or ready to be sent without completing all of the requirements determined by each school.

The Personal Statement Writing Clinic n Mrs. Doucette and Mrs. Fassbender will host a writing clinic to help you prepare your personal statements for your college applications and scholarship opportunities. n These clinics are designed to give you specifics about writing statement expectations, good writing style, and tips for a concise and well-written personal statement. We will be happy to review any rough drafts you have been working on during these times. n The clinic times will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6: 00 – 8: 00 pm in Rooms 1114 or 1116 with dates to be determined.

The Common Application Important Things to Know n Colleges will not be able to download the required electronic teacher recommendations unless the student submits their Common Application Online to that college. You submit the email address of the teacher and the teacher will be prompted electronically to write the recommendation through Naviance and the Common Application. n Counselors will submit the required Counselor’s Report online. You must note your counselor’s email address when you apply via the Common Application. Be sure that all of your email addresses are correct! n This is a lengthy application process and includes the School Report, Midyear and Final Reports. All of this information will be captured during your application process. n YOU MUST MATCH YOUR COMMON APPLICATION ACCOUNT WITH YOUR FAMILY CONNECTION ACCOUNT IN NAVIANCE.

The Naviance Family Connection Common Application Matching Tutorial https: //vimeo. com/102639828 n

The Common Application Early Decision vs. Early Action n Early Decision plans are BINDING. By selecting Early Decision, you agree to attend the college if you are accepted and if the college offers an adequate financial aid package. You can apply to only ONE college for Early Decision, but you may also apply to other colleges through the regular admission process. n Early Action Early action is similar to Early Decision but it IS NOT binding. If accepted, you can choose to commit to the college immediately, or wait until the Spring. Under Early Action, you may apply to another college action to another college.

Ordering Your Transcripts n How to request your transcript through Naviance http: //www. waunakee. k 12. wi. us/hs/counseling/Naviance/How%20 to%20 reques t%20 a%20 transcript-%20 Student. pptx n Transcripts will not be sent until you stop in to make payment. Each transcript is $3. We will NOT send transcripts to colleges that were not requested through Naviance (ex. Send. U).

What is Dual-Credit? Have I taken any College Classes? n What WHS classes count for Dual Credit? http: //www. waunakee. k 12. wi. us/hs/counseling/POS/Dual%20 Credit%20 Chart %2014 -15. pdf n What does the application question mean when it asks about college courses taken during high school? How do I answer that? Students who take college courses prior to high school graduation will receive advanced credit at most colleges as long as the credit is: 1) transferable, 2) earned at an accredited college, and 3) listed on an official transcript generated by the college. To be awarded credit at UW System and other schools, enrolling students must have their official college-level transcript(s) sent to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment for their consideration.

Service Academy Applications n Students wishing to attend the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Military Academy at West Point or the Merchant Marine Academy must FIRST receive a nomination from a member of Congress in order to be evaluated by the academy for admission. n Completed application packets (with all materials, including letters of recommendation, test scores and transcripts) are due to either: Congressman Mark Pocan no later than 5: 00 PM MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Office 5: 00 PM, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015. Senator Ron Johnson’s Office 5: 00 PM, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015. - n The 2015 Wisconsin Academy Information Day is on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at EAA in Oshkosh, WI

Unsure as to Where to Apply? n There are booklets available in the Counseling Office. These are sent to us from the UW Systems Schools, WI Private Colleges and WI Technical Colleges n The booklets list majors and career track offerings n They also list vital campus statistics n All of this information is online, too!

Other Sites to Help With Your College Searches n WISCareers. wisc. edu is a valuable tool to search for majors, school information, and career planning. If you have forgotten your login ID and password, please see your counselor. n UW System Schools offers majormania. uwex. edu to help you search careers and campuses. n Wisconsin Private Colleges uses: wisconsinsprivatecolleges. org as their major/career search engine.

The NCAA Facts, Forms, and Requirements n If you are being recruited to play a sport at a Division I, II, or III college/university, you should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. This will ensure that you have taken the required NCAA accepted courses and meet their credit requirements. Please see Mr. May in the Athletic Office for more information. On-line registration and information is available at: http: //www. NCAAClearinghouse. org. n You are responsible for ordering your transcripts and ACT/SAT score reports to be sent directly to NCAA. There is no charge to send your transcripts to the NCAA. n For any additional questions, please see Mr. May.

The Wisconsin Technical Colleges Madison College and Beyond! n The WI Technical College booklet gives you general information and also contains an application. Madison College (formerly MATC) has a terrific website and an online application -- take a virtual tour at http: //www. matcmadison. edu. Paper applications are available at the Downtown Enrollment center. n The application fee is $30. 00; online processing is an additional $5. 00. There is also a $50 Advanced Registration fee for high demand programs. n Applications for fall semester 2016 will be accepted starting September 1, 2015. Many high-demand programs close third Monday of October. Be sure to check their website for high-demand programs and predicted length of waiting lists. n If you have not taken the ACT yet and you are certain you want to attend technical college, refer to the ACT information in the Counseling Office for upcoming dates. Madison College also gives the COMPASS test for placement into degree/credit-earning classes.

The Wisconsin Technical Colleges Madison College and Beyond! n Applications will be considered complete when the required placement tests have been taken and all required application materials have been received. n For high-demand programs, there may be an advance reservation fee ($50). This fee will apply towards tuition at the time of enrollment. n Madison College and WI Technical Colleges specific websites will let you know if certain programs are full and expect waiting lists. Such programs are: Nursing, Radiology, Graphic Design, Firefighting, etc.

Wisconsin Private Colleges n There are booklets in the Counseling Office of all of the private colleges/universities in Wisconsin. Each college has their own application and admissions criteria. You should be aware that some of these schools have sports programs and are Division I, II, and III schools. Remember the NCAA rules/release where applicable. n Private colleges are more expensive up front, but they also offer generous financial aid and scholarship opportunities n Private colleges tend to have smaller class sizes, and easier access to professors. n Application fees range from $0 – beyond. There are often fee waivers available either online or in the Counseling Office.

College and University Applications for Out-of-State Schools n Websites are your best source of current information for each specific school as well as application information and directions. n There are computer terminals in the Counseling Office to help your with your searches and the application process.

Housing and Dorms! n Housing deposits are required; refunds are granted if the schools are notified by certain dates (generally May 1). BE CAREFUL because out-of-state schools may not offer refunds – check with your schools. n Be aware of housing requirements for your schools – some schools require two (2) years in a dorm – become familiar with the housing regulations for each school you apply to. n Most schools will send out housing packets after you’re accepted. n MAKE SURE TO INDICATE ON YOUR APPLICATION THAT YOU WANT HOUSING!

Financial Aid n If you are applying for financial aid you will be completing a federal FAFSA (Free Application for Financial Aid) form. These forms will NOT be available until January 1 st. There are no fees to apply for financial aid. n Our financial aid night is Wednesday, DECEMBER 9, 2015 at 6: 30 p. m. You and your parents should plan to attend to get information on the financial aid process. n You can be looking for scholarships. You will find collegesponsored scholarships by searching school-specific websites. Mrs. Fassbender also prepares a bi-monthly listing known as the Scholarship Bulletins are in a spreadsheet format and list all active scholarships by name, due date, and specific requirements. These are available by paper or online at the Counseling website. n There is also a bulletin board outside of the Counseling Office that has all current bulletin listings by categories. The secretaries will give you any applications and/or directions. n APPLY, APPLY – you cannot receive money if you don’t apply.

The Annual Scholarship Fund Drive n Mr. Landis will come into your Law classes in March with information for the Drive scheduled for a date to be announced in APRIL 20 th, 2016. Student teams go door-to-door collecting scholarship donations. n Students MUST fill out the REQUIRED application materials. Monies collected at the end of the drive are divided between all the students who participate and who have turned in their completed application. In general, the more effort you put into this, the more money you are awarded. n ONCE YOU LEARN THE DATE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP DRIVE, MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDARS AND REQUEST THAT DAY OFF OF WORK, IF NEEDED!

“Buyer Beware” n You may be contacted by private companies via the mail or telephone offering to find scholarships for you for a fee ($35 -1, 300+). n Do NOT pay anyone money for this service as they CANNOT guarantee you scholarship dollars. This is a database search only, and it has no guarantees.

College Representative Visits n Representatives call us and schedule dates to come in and meet with interested students. If you are interested in meeting with a representative, you need to come to the Counseling Office to get a pass. n Announcements will be made as to the upcoming visits, and we will post visits outside of the Counseling Office.

Some Final Reminders…. n Enjoy your senior year – the time goes by very quickly. n Once you are accepted to a school, this does not mean party time… Schools can and do rescind their admission offers, especially if classes are dropped or your grades drop significantly. Schools expect you to maintain your standing! n OUR STRONG RECOMMENDATION IS: Plan to have your application (s) submitted before the end of October or early November. That way, you should know your standing when you return from Christmas break. n If you drop a class after you have been accepted to a school, you will need to contact the school directly to inform them of this change. You may come to the Counseling Office to make these calls. Some schools reserve the right to rescind your acceptance if you drop classes.

Wisconsin Education Fairs n The Wisconsin Education Fairs are your opportunity to talk to colleges, technical colleges, vocational and trade schools, and the military about your future. n IT IS FREE! n Sun Prairie HS hosts two visit days: 10/01/2015 – 9: 00 -11: 00 am 10/01/2015 – 6: 30 -8: 30 pm n There are other sites throughout the State of Wisconsin n This is a great opportunity to meet a number of colleges, scan your name into their database systems, and gather great information!

Thank you for your Attention! n Please see your counselor with any questions. n Brag sheets are in the Counseling Office. n A summary of this presentation will be available on our website for your information! We are happy to help you! GOOD LUCK!