Seniors Planning for Life After High School Class

Seniors: Planning for Life After High School! Class of 2020 @BWHSCounseling (Twitter) Briar Woods School Counseling (FB)

Agenda Options for Life After High School - Review The College Application & Briar Woods High School Procedures Advice & Information

Materials Several resources can be found on the School Counseling page of the BWHS web site. It includes: Application Process checklist Transcript release form Senior Profile ( google Link) Parent Feedback (google link) NACAC Guide (best practices in college admissions) Additional forms & resources BWHS Website “College & Career Counseling” Page > College Application Process for Seniors Let your counselor know if you need hard-copies

Options for Life After High School Trade-schools/Apprenticeships Gap year Fair – February 5, 2020 – RIVERSIDE HS Career & Apprenticeship Fair – April 2020, TBA Military Community College 4 -Year College or University

College Degrees Associates Degree: 2 -year degree (typically earned at a community college or a junior college) Bachelor’s Degree: 4 -year degree Master’s Degree: Typically 2 additional years after earning a bachelors Doctoral Degrees & Professional Degrees: PHD, JD, MD, DC

Community College Certificate programs 2 -Year Associates Degree • Benefits of community college o NOVA is one of the best community colleges in the country o Relatively inexpensive First year or two of a 4 -Year Bachelors degree o Close to home o Usually “open” admissions

Community College NOVA’s Guaranteed Admissions (incomplete list) Christopher Newport University George Mason University George Washington University Georgetown University James Madison University Liberty University Longwood University Marymount University Norfolk State University Old Dominion University Radford University of Mary Washington University of Virginia Tech

Community College Start at NOVA Transition to a 4 -year university Individual meetings with NOVA counselors Assistance applying for financial aid Early placement testing and priority course registration No minimum GPA required to apply

College Visits at BWHS College representative visits to BWHS Visits are listed in Naviance Student Sign-up through Naviance Student Sign up at least 2 days in advance of the visit Limit visits to 5 Avoid missing the same class twice Your teacher is not obligated to release you from class There is no substitute for a campus visit as a way to assess a school

COLLEGE VISIT Sign Ups Log into – LCPSGo and then access Naviance Student 1.

2. Click “colleges” on the tool bar, select “colleges home” then scroll down.

3. Scroll down until you see “College Visits” and click on “Show More”

4. Click on “Register” to sign up for the college visit. If you don’t see the college you are looking for yet, keep checking, the calendar is updated daily.

How Many Colleges Should A Student Apply to? There is no magic number One or two “Reach Schools”- Your dream school One or two “Safety Schools”- You meet all the criteria Three or four Schools where you meet most of the criteria but the decision could go either way

College Admissions Testing College testing SAT Reasoning Test (admissions) ACT (admissions) SAT Subject Tests (typically for placement) Register now!!! The Loudoun test sites fill up quickly College Board SAT Course Online Other Prep Classes: PTSO, Private Companies

ACT Dates Test Date Registration Deadline (Late Fee Required) September 14 August 16 August 17 -30 October 26 September 20 September 21 -Oct 4 December 14 (BWHS) November 8 November 9 -22 February 8 January 10 January 11 -17 Feb 28 March 1 -13 June 13 May 8 May 9 -22 July 18 June 19 June 20 -26 April 4

SAT Dates Test Date Deadline Late Deadline August 24 July 26 August 13 October 5 Sept. 6 Sept. 24 November 2 Oct. 3 Oct. 22 December 7 Nov. 8 Nov. 26 March 14 (BWHS) Feb. 14 Mar. 3 May 2 April 3 April 21 June 6 May 8 May 27

Social Media Use Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. appropriately. Use a “professional” email address. Take down any inappropriate pictures and information. If you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see it then it’s probably not appropriate for a college admission officer to see. Colleges do check!

The Application “Folder” 1. Application 2. Essay 3. Student Resume 4. Test Scores 5. Transcript 6. Letter/s of Recommendation 7. Secondary School Report/Common App Counselor Form

The Application Seniors are responsible for being aware of application deadlines (see NACAC Guide) Regular Admission – traditional deadline Early Decision – binding Early Action – non-binding Rolling Admission – applications accepted based on space availability until the institution is “full”

The Application Most applications are submitted electronically over the internet – make sure you know how the college wants to receive the application You should start your application before requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation Print and review before submitting it! Seniors are responsible for completing and submitting their own applications (not mom & dad!) Seniors should make copies of all applications they submit Many colleges use the “Common Application”

The Common App. The Common Application is a common, standardized first-year application form for use at any member institution. Over 700 public and private universities use the common application. Essays are standardized and topics are available on line now. Some colleges require supplemental information (essays, recommendations, etc. ). Your Common App must be matched in Naviance Student

The Coalition App • The Coalition Application is another way that colleges receive your application • Students complete their application but DO NOT REQUEST official documents ( Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation), through Coalition. All official documents are requested using Naviance Student. • When requesting in Naviance Student select DIRECTLY TO INSTITUTION in the drop down box for how application is submitted.

The Application “Folder” 1. Application 2. Essay 3. Student Resume 4. Test Scores 5. Transcript 6. Letter/s of Recommendation 7. Secondary School Report/Common App Counselor Form

The Essay Not all colleges require an essay Essays are submitted electronically along with the application Seniors should make sure they are understand the essay topic Follow the directions/guidelines Seniors are advised to print out and review (with help!) their essays before sending them

The Essay English teachers are more than happy to help students with essays; some teachers incorporate this into their curriculum Seniors should save all essays because they may be modified and reused – but be careful Essay resources – BWHS library, BWHS Career Center, BWHS Writing Center, public library, internet

The Application “Folder” 1. Application 2. Essay 3. Student Resume 4. Test Scores 5. Transcript 6. Letter/s of Recommendation 7. Secondary School Report/Common App Counselor Form

Student Resume Many colleges accept student resumes Resumes are usually sent to the college electronically along with the application and essay Resumes can highlight your accomplishment both in and outside of school Be honest and truthful- Information on resumes must be 100% accurate An effective resume is EASY TO READ! Use resume templates or Naviance Student to format your own

The Application “Folder” 1. Application 2. Essay 3. Student Resume 4. Test Scores 5. Transcript 6. Letters of Recommendation 7. Secondary School Report/Common App Counselor Form

Test Scores Seniors are responsible for determining the tests needed for the colleges they are applying to SAT Reasoning Test (typically for determining admissions) ACT (typically for determining admissions) SAT Subject Tests (typically used for placement)

Test Scores Seniors are responsible for having their test scores sent to the colleges they are applying to Requests are made directly through the College Board or ACT; BWHS nor LCPS send test scores Seniors can request their scores be sent when they take the tests; or they can have their scores sent after the test date by contacting the College Board or ACT (for a fee)

The Application “Folder” 1. Application 2. Essay 3. Student Resume 4. Test Scores 5. Transcript 6. Letter(s) of Recommendation 7. Secondary School Report/Common App Counselor Form

The Transcript Official transcripts will be sent through e. Docs, using Naviance Student You will Log in via LCPS Go using your lead username and password.

The Transcript • Students must complete the application before requesting official transcripts (or at least be working on it) • Add the school to “Colleges I’m Applying To” in Naviance Student and then turn in a Transcript Release Form • We include a school profile with every transcript • The transcript is sent electronically and you can view the date of submission in Naviance Student • Transcript requests must be made before December 6 th in order to be sent before winter break • We will send mid-year transcripts to all the colleges to which a student has applied – you don’t need to submit a request

Step 1: Submit to your counselor the student profile and parent feedback form using the Google form link • This will help your counselor and/or teacher write a letter of recommendation. A resume can also be submitted Step 2: Be actively working on your college application • • It’s important that you be working on your application before you request for school documents to be sent What is the application deadline? How do they receive their application? (School application, Common App, Coalition, etc. ) Do they require letters of recommendation? How many? Teacher? Counselor? Step 3: Go to Naviance Student and add schools to Colleges I’m Applying To and Match your Common App account

You can add schools from your Home page, or by clicking on Colleges at the top of the Home page Every college you are applying to and need a transcript sent must added to Colleges I’m Applying to

Use the + to add your Colleges

This indicates how the college receives the application. If there is a ? we won’t be able to send any documents – you much use the edit tool to update

If your school uses Common App, you must Match your Common App account to your Naviance Student account • You must have started your Common App and added at least one school to your My Colleges page before you can match to your Naviance Student account • Don’t forget to read and sign the FERPA release authorization Watch the video below on how to match your accounts Video

The Application “Folder” 1. Application 2. Essay 3. Student Resume 4. Test Scores 5. Transcript 6. Letters of Recommendation 7. Secondary School Report/Common App Counselor Form

Letters of Recommendation Counselor Letter If a senior needs a letter of recommendation from the counselor, he/she can request it when he/she requests the transcript Every senior needs to complete the Senior Profile and submit by Oct. 11 th The Senior Profile is now a Google Link There is also a google link for Parent feedback The counselor letter will be sent electronically through Naviance Student with the transcript

Letters of Recommendation • Teacher Letter Step 4 – Does the College/University require a teacher letter of recommendation? If so, follow the steps below. If not, no action is required. • Ask the teacher in person if they can write a letter of recommendation for you – Please allow 2 • • Log-in to Naviance Student and request the teacher letter of recommendation electronically. • weeks for the teacher to complete a letter for you In the notes box include the following: 1). Deadline to upload letter, 2) Which college do you need the letter for, or do you need it for all, 3) Do you need the Common App Teacher Evaluation Form completed in addition to the letter? Teachers will fill out and submit an electronic letter of recommendation that will be sent through Naviance Student • Counselors DO NOT collect or send letters of recommendations from teachers • The date of submission can be tracked through Naviance Student • Think about who you are asking… they may need more time! • If you send more letters than the college requests, you can’t control which ones they choose to read. Remember, only include a letter of recommendation if the school requires one be included

Requests for Teacher letters of Recommendation are made through Naviance Student Colleges > Colleges Home > Letters of Recommendation

Letter of Recommendation Other Recommender If you are having someone outside of BWHS write a letter for you, and you are using Common App, please follow this process: • • • Sign in to you Common Application account Click on My Colleges On the left hand side go to Recommendations and FERPA Scroll down to Other Recommender Click Add another and input name, title, and email address An email will be sent from Common App to your recommender with a link to submit their letter and evaluation If you are having someone outside of BWHS write a letter for you, and you are not using the Common App, please follow this process: • • • Ask the teacher in person Provide the teacher with instructions on how to submit; email, college link, etc. Provide the teacher with an addressed envelope

The Application “Folder” 1. Application 2. Essay 3. Student Resume 4. Test Scores 5. The Transcript 6. Letter/s of Recommendation 7. Secondary School Report Form

Secondary School Report/Common App Counselor Form Some colleges ask for a Secondary School Report. Schools using the Common App will ask for a Common App School Report The Secondary School Report Form is sent with the transcript We do not use ‘school specific’ secondary school reports. We will send a comprehensive “universal” Secondary School Report for all students

The Application “Folder” 1. Application 2. Essay 3. Student Resume 4. Test Scores 5. Transcript 6. Letters of Recommendation 7. Secondary School Report/Common App Counselor Form

The Application “Folder” - Summary 1. Senior submits application electronically to the college 2. Senior submits the essay electronically to the college (if there is one) 3. Senior may submit the resume electronically to the college 4. Senior has test scores sent directly to the college by the SAT (College Board) or the ACT 5. Senior lists schools in ‘Colleges I’m Applying To’ in Naviance Student and submits a Transcript Release Form to the Counseling Secretary 6. Senior may request letter of recommendation (if needed) from their counselor and/or teachers 7. Senior will meet with their counselor to review Transcript Release Form and answer any questions. Secondary School Report/Common App School Report will be sent with the Transcript.

Keeping Sane!!! Complete one college application at a time Trying to work on several applications at once = confusion for all! Stay organized-use a checklist for each application. Pay attention to deadlines!

Interviews Some colleges interview applicants. Process, procedures, and guidelines vary. Dress appropriately!

Communication/Follow-Up Students and parents can log onto Naviance Student to view transcript send dates We automatically send mid-year transcripts to the colleges our students apply to – No request form or Naviance Student action is needed Final transcripts are sent to the colleges our students plan to attend (no cost) The infamous “we didn’t get your transcript” email

Upcoming Activities Senior presentations – The week of September 16 th. Senior College Night – September 18 th at 6: 00 pm Set up an appointment to meet with your counselor. LCPS College Fair – September 22 nd – SBHS 2: 30 – 5: 00 Financial Aid Night – September 24 th- 7: 00 pm FAFSA Night – October 23 rd - RRHS– 7: 00 pm My College Funding Coach – 7: 00 pm

Have a great Senior year!! Class of 2020

Follow us on Twitter and FB: @ BWHSCounseling & Briar Woods School Counseling