OSBOURN PARK HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2017 WELCOME

OSBOURN PARK HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2017 WELCOME TO YOUR SENIOR YEAR!!

SCHOOL COUNSELING DEPARTMENT Ms. Pamela Gardner- Director of School Counseling Mrs. Maureen Andrada- A-B Ms. Suzanne Salvo- C-FE Mrs. Shronda Peake- FI-JENKINS Ms. Lillian Orlich- JEO-MELE Mrs. Keisha Mercer- MELG-POR Ms. Taylor Oakley- POS-SLY Mrs. Eleanor Engler- SM-Z Mrs. Melissa Bach- A-Z Pre-Governor’s & Governor’s School Mrs. Margy Stielper- Secretary Mrs. Alicia Halter- Secretary Mrs. Tammi Hayter- Testing Coordinator Mrs. Toni Gibson - Registrar

ASK YOURSELF NOW! WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO? ? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO AS A CAREER? WHAT TYPE OF LIFESTYLE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?

Family Connections/Naviance College search tool College/Career planning tool Scholarship Information College Visit Information College Application tracking Transcript Request tool A great tool for all seniors to use for post high school planning!!

Family Connection/Naviance Logging in to Naviance: • Go to the OPHS website. Click “School Counseling” on the left hand side of the page. Click on the “Family Connection” Link • Your user id is your student number • Your password is your birthdate, eight digits DD/MM/YYYY • After you login in the first time, change your passcode and write it down in a safe place.

College Visits at OPHS Our college visits start in September each year. Find out when your college(s) of interest will be here and sign up today! • Click on the Colleges tab and view all upcoming college visits • Sign up for your college visit of interest • Print the confirmation page and show it to your teacher to be dismissed from class • Dismissal is at your teacher’s discretion You can also search for a college under the College Research section under the Colleges tab

The College Application Process It is the student’s responsibility to check the admission requirements for each college. Now is the time to research the application process for each college which may differ depending on the college. Examples include: • • Common Application School’s Individual Application Apply to at least 3 -6 colleges. It the student’s responsibility to submit the application directly to the college or university. Students should complete the application prior to requesting a transcript through Family Connection/Naviance.

GPA and Rank Senior grades are important! Class Rank and GPA are computed at the end of the first semester and at the end of the year. At the end of the first semester, the new GPA and Class Ranking are sent to all of the colleges to which the student has applied. • GPA: A grade point average is a number representing the average value of the accumulated final grades earned in courses over time. More commonly called a GPA, a student's grade point average is calculated by adding up all accumulated final grades and dividing that figure by the number of grades awarded. • Class Rank: is a mathematical summary of a student's academic record compared to those of other students in the class. It usually takes into account both the degree of difficulty of the courses a student is taking (AP®, honors, college-preparatory or regular courses) and the grade the student earns. • GPA can significantly differ depending on the school a student attends. Some high schools weigh certain courses and others do not so a 3. 7 GPA at one school may be equivalent to a 4. 5 GPA at another school, therefore, colleges consider GPA and class rank together to see what a student's GPA means at a particular school. The knowledge that student with a 3. 7 is in the top 5% of her class seems a lot more impressive than if she is in the bottom 20% or if no information on rank is provided. Our transcripts indicate GPA and Class Rank.

The Common Application is an undergraduate college admission application that applicants may use to apply to any one of its 700 partnering colleges • Create your account • Add your schools • Know Each College’s Specific Requirements • Gather Your General Application Info ü Transcripts, extracurricular activities, test scores/date for college entrance exams, and parent/guardian info Visit http: //www. commonapp. org/how-apply If you are applying to a school that uses the Common Application, you must sign the FERPA waiver within the common app You must then match your common app to your Naviance account in order for the counselor to complete the necessary forms • Matching your common app is done by logging into your Family Connection/Naviance account & entering your email address in the blue box at the top of the “colleges I’m applying to” screen

Types of College Application Deadlines Early Action- Usually Nov. 1 or 15 th Deadline- Non-binding. Admission based on end of year grades from junior year and SAT/ACT received by deadline. Early Decision- Nov. 1 st or 15 th as well- Binding Regular Decision- Ranges depends on the school. Decision usually includes semester grades from Senior Year. Priority Deadline- Varies by school…Nov-Dec timeframe to be considered for scholarships *Colleges will receive mid year and final transcripts and reserve the right to rescind acceptance based on Senior Year performance Student must indicate in Family Connection/Naviance the type of admission-Early Decision, Regular Decision

Community College/Technical Programs Northern Virginia Community College • • Apply online http: //www. nvcc. edu/ Request HS transcripts • Take a placement test in English and math • Guaranteed Admissions agreements (GAA) after earning your Associates Degree! http: //www. nvcc. edu/gaa/

Requesting a Transcript You must submit a signed authorization for release of educational record (parental consent) form before you will be able to request transcripts ALL transcripts must be requested through Family Connection/Naviance Login to the Naviance website Select the “colleges” tab Click the “transcript” link on the left hand side of the page. You must select the type of application you are submitting (e. g. early decision, early action, regular…) Find and select the name of the college you wish to apply to by using the “lookup” link Click “Request Transcript” at the bottom of the page ***Each student is allowed three free transcripts. Each additional transcript will cost $5. 00. Any unpaid balance is due by June 1***

Verifying Your Transcript Request Once you request your transcript(s), click on the “Colleges I’m applying to” tab to verify those requests Make sure that you have selected the correct Type for your application (regular decision, early action………) Make sure to pay attention to the “Submissions” column. If there is a question mark in the computer icon, then that particular institution allows you to submit your application directly through that college’s website or by using the common app. • If there is a question mark, it is very important that you click on the I’m not sure yet link to let us know if you applied directly to the institution or using common app so that we can make sure that your transcripts are sent thru the right portal If you find a mistake on one or your request(s), click on the Edit icon for that particular college to make updates to your information

Requesting Teacher Recommendations Meet with the teacher you are requesting the recommendation from in person and give them a copy of the Letter of Recommendation form. Login to the Family Connection/Naviance website Click on the Colleges tab Click on Letters of Recommendation Click Add Request Click on the drop down menu and select the teacher’s name If the teacher is only doing a recommendation for one school (or select schools), be sure to check the box beside the college(s), indicate it in the comments section, and mention it when meeting with the teacher. **There’s also a ‘select all’ option if you would like for your teacher to submit the letter to all of your colleges Click Save to send your request to the teacher. Click on the ‘x’ next to the request to cancel

Completing the Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire Log into your Naviance/Family Connection account and click on the About Me tab Click on counselor recommendation questionnaire in the top left corner (under Surveys to take) Complete the form and Click Save to submit your answers This document should be completed and available to your counselor for the purpose of completing the Student Secondary Report and recommendations for college and scholarship applications.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! Know application deadlines Know application fees Know financial aid deadlines The OPHS College Admissions Handbook is a great Resource and can be found on the OPHS Counseling webpage or simply copy and paste the link below http: //osbournparkhs. schools. pwcs. edu/User. Files/Server_416432/Fil e/Migration/School%20 Counselling/College%20 Handbook%202015 -2016. pdf

ACT/SAT Test dates: ACT Test dates: • Oct. 1 st • Sept. 10 th • Nov. 5 th • Oct. 22 nd • Dec. 3 rd • Dec 10 th • Jan 21 st • Feb 11 th • Mar 11 th • Apr. 8 th • May 6 th • June 10 th • June 3 rd SAT Registration/Practice: www. collegeboard. org ACT Test Registration & Information: www. actstudent. org Test Registration Fee Waivers – See your counselor **OPHS 2016 -17 on-site test dates are hi-lighted in blue**

FAFSA Form FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid www. fafsa. ed. gov (official website) • Forms available October 1, 2016 Scholarships – merit & need based • OP’s Money Tree • www. fastweb. com • www. scholarships. com • www. salliemae. com

NCAA Eligibility There are new requirements for college-bound student athletes enrolling full time at an NCAA Division I college or university on or After August 01, 2016 Minimum core-course GPA of 2. 3 required for completion Ten core courses required before beginning of senior year for competition Changes in GPA/test score index (sliding scale) To register and view all updates, visit the clearinghouse website www. eligibilitycenter. org Visit the following link to view a detailed Powerpoint of the changes https: //www. ncaa. org/sites/default/files/High_School_IE_Standards. pdf

PWC College Fair Night Battlefield High School on Monday, Sept. 26 th from 6 to 8 p. m. Garfield High School on Thursday, Oct. 13 th from 6 to 8 p. m. **Students may register online at www. gotocollegefairs. com prior to the fair.

U. S. Armed Forces Branches • • • Army Air Force Navy Marines Coast Guard Opportunities ROTC/Scholarships • Academy • Service Active Duty Enlisted Commissioned • Reserve • National Guard •

Post High School Planning Counselors will work with all members of the Class of 2017 to ensure that each student has a post high school plan. Military recruiters and technical schools visit OPHS throughout the year. Going straight to work? Be sure to discuss your options with your counselor.

Surviving Your Senior Year If you are falling behind, see your counselor or another trusted adult Talk to your teachers if you are having difficulty Communicate with your parents We want 100% of the Class of 2017 to graduate!

Conclusion Check with your counselor to ensure you are on track to graduate Keep college application information updated through Family Connections Study hard

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