Welcome to College Admissions 101 Presented by Office
Welcome to College Admissions 101! Presented by: Office of Undergraduate Admissions Office of Financial Aid Office of Human Resources
Presenters • Office of Undergraduate Admissions – Christoph Guttentag, Dean of Undergraduate Admission – Carina Arellano, Admissions Officer • Office of Financial Aid – Nicole Knight, Financial Aid Associate Counselor • Office of Human Resources – Cherrelle Blackwell, Benefits Specialist
Our Program • Why we’re offering this seminar. • Other colleagues you will hear from tonight. • Time for questions at the end. • Your feedback is appreciated.
What do junior and seniors need to know now? • Advice on building your college list. • Information about application deadlines. • A close look at how admissions offices consider the materials you submit. • A plan for organizing your admissions process. • Financing your college education: an introduction.
Junior year timeline FALL • Meet with your counselor • Continue involvement in extracurricular activities. • Review what tests your school will offer and which tests you will need to take on your own. • Start building your college list. Students: sign up for mailing lists. • Do your best academically! • • Review results of your ACT and/or PSAT. Schedule SAT and ACT testing. If you can, visit some colleges. Do your best academically! • • Beat the rush: ask two teachers if they will write recommendations for you Register for senior year classes, or get a good idea of what you’ll take. Continue your testing. Do your best academically!
How should I spend my summer? Volunteering? Traveling? Camp? Visiting colleges? Studying for the SAT/ACT? Doing whatever I want? ?
Mail, more mail and an inbox full of emails!
Senior year timeline FALL • • Finish taking ACT/SATs. Visit some colleges Finalize college list. Apply! Pay attention to deadlines! • Keep your grades up! WINTER SPRING • Monitor your applications! • Complete FAFSA (more later). • Don’t ignore emails from any colleges where you have applied. • Keep your grades up! • Visit colleges again. • Inform your guidance counselor of outcomes. • Keep your grades up!
Building your college list
LIKELY • A likely school is one where your academic credentials fall comfortably above the school's range for the average freshman. LIKELY • You can be reasonably certain that you will be admitted to your likely schools. • Usually a formula: GPA & Test Score & Class Rank = good idea of chances for admission.
MATCH or TARGMATCH OR MATCH/TARGETET • Your academic credentials (grades, test scores) fall well within (or even exceed) the college’s range. • There are no guarantees, but it’s not unreasonable to be accepted to several of your match schools.
• A reach school is one where your academic credentials fall below the school's range for the average freshman. • Do not approach reaches like a lottery, “…if I apply to all ivy league schools, one is bound to admit me…” “Double Reach” schools are long shots for everyone who applies: REACH
REACH MATCH/TARGET or TARGET LIKELY • You should be happy to attend EVERY college on your list!
Now, determine when to apply to each of your colleges. Keep in mind admit rates may vary depending upon the decision plan you use. Read the fine print!
Decision plans Rolling • There are no application deadlines; colleges accept applications and applicants throughout the year. Early Action • Applications typically are due in November, but students are not required to commit to attending a particular college until May 1. Early Decision & Early Decision II (ED 2) • Students are permitted to apply early decision to only one college. If accepted, students are legally bound to attend that school. Early Decision applications are usually due in November. Regular Decision • Most applications are due between January and February.
Types of four year college applications • Accepted by more than 700 colleges • You complete one application and send it to multiple schools. • Accepted by 113 colleges • Available for use for all high school grades. • Accepted by 16 colleges • You complete one application and send it to multiple schools. College specific applications • Some colleges only accept their own applications Don’t forget about supplements!
NC Countdown to College • October 15 -19, 2018 • North Carolina students can apply to many colleges for free through College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) application hub • CFNC will give extra help to students as they fill out their Free Application for Federal Aid, or FAFSA, to determine eligibility for college aid
Money Matters Application and testing fee waivers: www. collegeboard. org • Covers the basic test fees for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests. • Students may also be eligible for up to four application fee waivers for colleges NACAC Fee Waiver Form: www. nacacnet. org • Based on suggested annual family income guidelines or counselor’s personal knowledge of family’s circumstances. Your counselor must also sign this. Letter directly from your counselor: • Some colleges might also accept a letter from your counselor – check with the schools where you are applying for their rules.
Get Organized! Consider creating a spreadsheet or electronic system to organize information. This is also an efficient way to show your parents how you’re completing your tasks! Note: It is safe to assume that every school is different! College Deadline Testing Essay(s) Transcript Misc. STATE UNIV. NOV. 15 DONE! NONE REQUIRED REQUESTED ON 10/15 SUBMITTED APP ON 10/30 MAJOR COLLEGE JAN. 2 DONE! DREAM SCHOOL JAN. 15 LAST SUBJECT TEST IN OCT. FINISHING MAILED BY OVERNIGHT VISIT SCHOLARSHIP SCHOOL ON CONFIRMED FOR ESSAY 10/15 10/2 O DONE! REQUESTED ON 12/10 INTERVIEW SCHED. FOR 1/15
Stay connected! • Devote one email address to all things college-related and check it often! • Log in! Utilize college-specific technology. • Track your applications via on online portals, if offered. It is up to YOU to make sure your applications are completed. • Parents: consider creating a “college free zone” – a time (like during car rides, dinner) when college admissions talk is off limits! • Students: do answer your parents’ questions!
Testing SAT ACT Scoring: 400 -1600 Timing: 3 hours (+ 50 minute optional essay) Sections: • Evidence-based reading & writing • Math • Optional essay (separately scored) Scoring: composite score of 1 -36 Timing: ~3 hours (+ 40 minute optional essay) Sections: • English • Reading • Math • Science • No guessing penalty • Began March 2016 • No guessing penalty
SAT Subject Tests • Hour-long, offered several times per year, offered in 20 subjects • Many colleges use the SAT Subject Tests and for two main reasons: ü Admission ü Course placement Test-Optional Colleges • More than 900 four-year colleges do not use the SAT or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor-degree applicants. • See the searchable database of schools: http: //www. fairtest. org/university/optional
After you click “submit”… What happens? Is there a magical formula? ? Which pile will my application land in? ? ?
Factors in admission Academic Record SAT or ACT Letters of recommendation Extracurricular Activities Essays More factors: • Interview • Institutional priorities • Demonstrated interest • Artistic supplement
It’s not over yet! Disciplinary issues Significant decline in grades Other serious concerns Colleges can rescind admission #fail
What you need to know: Financial Aid Nicole Knight Financial Aid Associate Counselor Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid
Applying for Financial Aid What types of financial aid are out there? – Need-based Grants – Merit Scholarships – Parent and student loans – Work study—funding for on-campus jobs Duke tuition benefit often reduces need-based grant aid dollar for dollar
How to Apply for Need-based Aid Application Checklist: ü FAFSA www. fafsa. gov ü CSS Profile www. collegeboard. org ü Institutional Application ü APPLY BY PRIORITY DEADLINE ü Contact the financial aid office for priority deadlines. Most priority deadlines are December 1 st or earlier. We recommend that you file your taxes as early as possible.
Tips of the Trade • Meet the priority deadline. This will ensure that your award letter is provided with notification of admission. • Ask how students are contacted for missing information. • Complete all questions accurately. • Don’t wait until you are admitted to file an application. If you do, you may miss scholarship opportunities at some schools, or your award letter will be delayed. • Keep a copy of all documents for your records. • Ask your financial aid officer about financing options available, such as payment plans and loan options.
Helpful Resources • The college’s financial aid office website. This is also where you can access the Net Price Calculator for an estimate of your financial aid award. • College Foundation of North Carolina. Go to www. CFNC. org for financial aid tips, information about scholarships and grants, loan calculators, etc. • Talk to a financial aid officer at the colleges where you apply. • Duke Financial Aid Office • Do not forget your college counselor!
Duke Children’s Tuition Grant Program 2018 -2019
32
Overview • Employee Eligibility • Child’s Eligibility • Applying for the Grant • Calculations 33
Employee Eligibility ALL of the following criteria must be met: • Employee must be in a full-time benefits eligible position (staff members regularly scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week); and • Have at least 5 years of consecutive full-time service during your current term of employment as a regular full-time employee; and • You must be either: – A current Duke University or Duke University Medical Center employee who has completed the five year service credit while employed within the University or Medical Center, OR – A Duke University, Duke Medical Center, or Duke Hospital employee hired prior to January 1, 1999 with no break in service (this group will retain tuition benefits even after transferring to the Health System). 34
Child Eligibility • Your children: – natural – adopted – stepchild – child of your registered same-sex partner at HR • Your child is eligible up until their first semester or quarter after his/her 26 th birthday (there is no age limit for employees hired prior to January 1, 1999) 35
Child Eligibility • Any degree-granting program at the associate or baccalaureate level at an approved, accredited institution of higher education, anywhere in the world, is eligible. • The grant is provided only for the child's pursuit of his/her first Bachelor’s degree. • You may receive up to 16 semesters of the tuition grant, no more than 8 of which may be provided for any one child. 36
Application Process 1. Parent completes first page then sends application to school your child will attend. 2. School sends completed application directly to Duke Benefits via mail, faxes will not be accepted 3. Duke pays school directly and sends e-mail to parent with payment amount 37
Application Process • First time applicants must provide copy of birth certificate or adoption paperwork (stepchild requires marriage certificate of parents and child of same-sex partner requires partnership affidavit) • Re-apply each semester 38
Questions? 39
Questions and answers Office of Admissions Office of Financial Aid Duke Benefit Services
- Slides: 40