WELCOME John Champe High School Class of 2017

WELCOME John Champe High School Class of 2017

Tonight’s agenda • PTSA All Night Graduation Party • Kelly Mills and Brie Johanson • Senior Sponsors • Sarah Kinzer and Stephanie Marut • NVCC Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program • Amanda Gordon • School Counselors • Senior year timeline • Recommendation letter process • Family Connection • Remind 101

Pathway to the Baccalaureate • PATHWAY: A special program at NOVA designed for students who: • Are interested in obtaining a bachelor’s (4 year/college) degree • May need assistance with the process and • Are interested in starting at NOVA and transferring to George Mason or another 4 year college/university • Will graduate no later than August of that year • Have a strong desire for academic success • No minimum GPA is required to apply

Pathway to the Baccalaureate • Pathway Benefits in High School • Individual meetings with Pathway counselors in the high schools (meet about college transition issues, major/career planning, etc. ) • Workshops on the application process • Preparation for placement tests & placement testing at high school! • Assistance with financial planning – including help with applying for financial aid, scholarships and NOVA payment plan • Priority course registration

Pathway to the Baccalaureate • NOVA Pathway Benefits • Academic, career, transfer, financial aid counseling • One-stop shop • Can request same counselor at NOVA until transfer! • Guaranteed admission agreements • Special Pathway agreement with George Mason Univ. • Special Pathway sections of College Success Skills course • Regular academic and social activities • Mid-Semester Progress Report

Pathway to the Baccalaureate • Important points: • Applying for and participating in the Pathway program does not bind you to NOVA – you can still apply/go to a 4 year school • Pathway students can transfer to ANY 4 year school, does not have to be GMU • All NOVA students can take advantage of the GAA’s, but Pathway students can start the process early and are provided additional support • NOVA application and the Pathway application are different

Pathway to the Baccalaureate • What do I do now? • Notify your counselor that you are thinking about the Pathway Program • Attend a Pathway Information Session at your High School • Obtain and fill out a Pathway application this fall • Return the application to your school counselor by the deadline – November 10 th! • Acceptance decisions will be mailed out at the end of December/early January

Before we get started…. Where do I get information and updates? • JCHS School Counseling website • Remind 101 • Text @2017 JCHS to 571 -642 -1106 • Instagram • @JCHSCounseling • Twitter • @JCHSCounseling

Step 1 Testing

Upcoming Test Dates SAT ACT

Is my score good enough? This question is relative: • To your child’s GPA • To your child’s transcript • To the university your child wants to attend • Super Score So then how do I know? ? ?

Step 2 Research

Family Connection

Common App Account Matching *DO NOT complete this step if you attend Academy of Science

Seniors: Matching Your Common App Account Create an account or log-in if you already have an account. Use an email address that you will remember as you will need it to match in Family Connection.

FERPA In order to sign the FERPA agreement, which is needed to match your common application, you must add one college to the “MY COLLEGES” section.

Adding Colleges to Your List

Transcript fees: Free for electronic delivery $3 per transcript for mailed $3 per transcript for scholarships

Requesting Teacher Letters • Select Teacher and include a personal note to include but not limited to: the schools of which you are applying to that you would like for them to write a recommendation letter for – remember to ONLY ask a rec. letter for the schools of which you want them to send them to • Please show some courtesy by first asking your teacher for a recommendation letter in person before filling out this form

Family Connection

College Visits to Champe

Please print this confirmation page and use it as your pass out of class to come to the Career Center and meet with the college representative.

How to Check Your Application Status

Family Connection

Stay Organized!

Step 3 Senior Packet

Senior Packet includes: • To Know Thy Knight Self-Assessment • To Know Thy Knight Parent Assessment • Transcript Release Form • Electronic delivery FREE • Mailed transcripts $3 • Scholarships $3 Once complete, JCHS will send: • School profile • Official transcript • Counselor recommendation (if needed) • Secondary School Report (when provided) • Mid-year grades (February) • Final grades DUE DATE – SEPTEMBER 23 rd

Step 4 APPLY!!!

College Applications • Common Application • www. commonapp. org • College Websites Early Decision Early Action Students should only apply ED if they have a definite first choice and are 100% committed to school despite cost. If accepted, there is a binding commitment to enroll. Applications are due early November and notifications are posted/mailed by December. Students must complete SAT/ACT prior to applying. Similar ED but application, if accepted, is a non-binding commitment. Students may apply to more than one early action school as well as regular decision schools. Students enter early application because institutions typically accept around 1/3 of their incoming students this round. Application Admission Regular Decision Rolling Admission Applications typically due from January 1 st to mid-April. Typically includes a larger pool of applicants. Outcomes include accept, deny, or wait listed. Be aware of scholarship or honors program deadlines. Decisions are posted or emailed by spring. Applications reviewed as submitted and rendered decisions throughout admissions cycle. Students notified within weeks of applying.

Deadlines College Application Deadline Materials due to Counselor and/or Teacher To Know Thy Knight Forms DUE SEPTEMBER 23!!! November 1 October 14 November 15 October 28 December 1 November 11 December 15 December 1 January 1 December 8 January 15 January 3 February 15 January 17 February 1 March 1 and beyond February 14

Step 5 Financial Aid and Scholarships

Financial Aid The 2017– 18 FAFSA will launch on Oct. 1, 2016. FAFSA 4 caster is a free financial aid calculator that gives you an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid. This information helps families plan ahead for college. You must use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to apply for aid once you’ve decided to apply for admission and attend college. The FSA ID, which consists of a user-created username and password, replaced the PIN effective May, 2015. It allows users to electronically access personal information on Federal Student Aid Web sites as well as electronically sign a FAFSA. • Make sure you: • Attend our Financial Aid Night at John Champe on November 14 th • Attend the FAFSA Workshop at Freedom on February 9 th

Scholarships

Do you have an athlete? Let’s talk NCAA Eligibility

Interested? Create a Profile

Last but not least……. Sit back and relax • What’s done is done • Or is it? • Keep senior grades up! • All acceptance letters are contingent upon successful completion of senior year. June 13 th will be here before you know it!