College Admission Process--Parent Night 2015

*Began week of Nov 2nd and continue throughout 1st semester *Each Conference is a period long *Counselors’ schedules are posted in the Counseling Office *Conferences include: *Credit/Graduation Requirement Check *Discussion of the student’s high school experiences *Senior Course Selection *College Planning Resources (www.wnhs.org and Naviance) *Review of the college search process (What you should be doing now up until next Fall.) * * * Go live anywhere but here! Universities are comprised of a group of colleges and have graduate programs * * *Knowing about the colleges *Planning *Taking the right courses *Testing *Making decisions *Paying for it *Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)—www.fafsa.ed.gov * *A strong senior course load Transcript—Grades and rigor of academic courses weigh heavily in admission decisions (Is the student challenging themself appropriately; taking core academics consistently?) *The proposed field of study /major * Are admission requirements different/elevated for this major? * Do you need to apply directly into that major? *Personal Qualifications * Leadership and involvement in school activities * Achievements/Honors * Community Service/Employment/Summer Experiences *Testing – Are scores looked at for admission? * If so, what is the average ACT/SAT for admission? * * *All juniors are tentatively scheduled to take an ACT w/writing on April 19th here at WNHS *Will be accepted by all IL colleges/universities and most out-of-state ones if given by the state *Consider taking tests more than once, but not overdue it April, June, and Sept 2016 national tests are available – sign up at www.act.org *Test Dates/Deadlines and Test Preparation Options are available at: www.wnhs.org→ College & Career Resources→ ACT/SAT Testing Information *When registering, students can send scores to schools for free ($12 per school if sent later) *Subject Tests *SAT Test * Reading, Writing & Language,* 20 tests available across subject Math, Optional essay areas: English, History, Math, Science, Languages * 400 – 1600 score scale * 3-hr test (3 hrs 50 w/ essay) * Did student score well on PSAT? * If so, consider taking this * Required or recommended by selective & highly selective colleges/universities * If recommended, we suggest you test for college admission if better representation of academic ability take for admission in areas of your academic interest/strength **SAT & Subject Tests cannot be taken on the same day, so plan accordingly if considering both in combination with ACT testing For more information go to: www.collegeboard.org * *All schools will have conversion charts for ACT/SAT tests to determine highest score achieved *Colleges will always take your highest score – they WANT to admit students *Some schools super score (take highest sub scores from multiple tests) so not be afraid to send multiple test scores to schools (NCAA does super score) * * * My boss’s niece’s best friend’s cousin went there and she said it was a good (or bad) school * *Find Student’s “Best Fit” *Location – How far from Wheaton does he/she want to be? * Urban, Suburban, or Rural *Public or Private * Enrollment size (Private=smaller, Public=bigger) * Cost (Private=$$$, In-State Public -$, Out-of-State Public=$$) *Community/Campus Life/Environment * Liberal, Conservative, Moderate *Athletics/Activities *Special Services Offered *Type * Christian, Liberal Arts, Selective/Highly Selective, Technical, or Specialized (i.e Art) * Commuter, Suitcase, or Traditional *Calendar * Traditional semesters, trimesters, single-course focus * Colorado College (not University of…) and Cornell College (also, not University) are the only two institutions that require that you this when choosing your classes? * Answer = Only pick one! According to Cornell students, “You can anything for 18 days!” * *Small schools… * Allow more personal involvement * Offer community atmosphere (including faculty) * Have smaller classes (from 5-50 students) * Have faculty focused on teaching undergrads, not conducting research * Offer direct instruction by faculty, not graduate students * Usually have a higher price tag (Do not discount small schools because of price when conducting your initial search.) *Large schools… * Have a class size anywhere from 20-350 students * Tend to be more impersonal * Allow more anonymity and learning of independent living skills * Tend to be less expensive * Offer the “college experience” * Carry a bigger name •Colleges range in size from 20 to 50,000 students •Big difference between attending a small school - under 3,000 – and attending a large school - 3,000-50,000 ‹2500 Augustana College North Central College Illinois Wesleyan U North Park University Knox College Monmouth College Beloit College Lawrence University 2500-7500 Bradley University Butler University Creighton University Drake University Millikin University Carthage College ›7500 Marquette University DePaul University Northwestern University Loyola University University of Chicago Washington University (St Louis) * Private Schools Most Often Applied to by Wheaton North Students Marquette University Taylor University DePaul University Wheaton College North Central College Carthage College Augustana College Bradley University Loyola University Butler University Hope College Northwestern University Indiana Wesleyan University Illinois Wesleyan University Elmhurst College Calvin College Washington University (St Louis) North Park University University of Chicago Lewis University • Focuses on creating a “well-rounded” student • Broad education – study literature, languages, and the natural and social sciences • Requires a more complex list of general education requirements, which may include religious study • Smaller number of requirements in each major with a lot of overlap allows for multiple majors and/or minors • Unique schedule of academic terms (trimesters with Jterms, etc.) • Higher rates for admission to graduate and professional school programs What you want your student to be able to when she/he graduates? • Get a job in a specific field • Have a diverse array of options including going on to graduate school * * •Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) •National Christian College Fair is typically offered every October (location TBD) •What does “Christian” mean on campus? •Class requirements •Chapel attendance •Pledge or code of conduct * • Not just a mathematical equation, but still starts with strength of schedule, GPA, and standardized tests (but not always) • Essays • Resume of activities, involvements, and work experiences • Letters of recommendation • Interviews • Visits • Demonstrated interest • Legacy **REMEMBER** Colleges are looking for ways to get students IN! * “Selective” Colleges… Knox College Rose-Hulman Kenyon College Grinnell College Hillsdale College Carleton College McAllister College Lawrence University University of Chicago Washington University Notre Dame University Northwestern University Require elite credentials and may only admit 20-30% or less of their applicants ACT Averages are typically in the 28-34 range Have the highest placement rates for graduate school Do not typically offer merit scholarships Recommend that students take the most rigorous coursework available to them while in high school in all subjects • Accepted students are primarily from the Top 5-10% of the class Test scores are also in the Top 5-10% range Typically admit fewer than 20% of applicants; can even be below 10% • • • Harvard 5.3%, Yale 6.5%, Columbia 6.1%, Dartmouth 10.3% 80% of applicants meet the admission requirements, but only 20% are accepted (the difference between being lucky and unlucky) * * *Wednesday, December 9th *Taylor Auditorium *7:00PM – 9:00 PM *Presented by: Mary Lee Hoganson, former National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC) President, and Wendy Biggs, counselor * Post-secondary schools are not obligated to provide services for students with identified disabilities and offer varying levels of support • • Research this fully if your child received services in high school Schedule appointment with Special Services Office when visiting campus (if they have one) • Bring Individualized Education Plan/504 Plan documentation from most current student Reevaluation • Have other diagnosis documentation as well (some schools will require new diagnosis/testing if not done in • Examples of schools with special programs: the past year • • • • • • • University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh (Project Success) / UW – Whitewater (Project Assist) Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Achieve Program) Lynn University (Comprehensive Support Program) Lora College (Learning Disabilities Program) University of Arizona (S.A.L.T) University of Indianapolis (BUILD) Lincoln College (ADHD/LD program) • More specifics can/will be discussed during each student’s Annual Review in the spring Parent Is my student ready to “go away” to college (academically, emotionally, etc.), and am I ready for him/her to leave? Family • How far from home is too far (or too close)? • What is our backup plan if the financial aid does not work out the way we had hoped? • What we get for the extra cost of a private or out-of-state school, and is it worth it? * * • www.commonapp.org • Many more schools are using (UIC, Purdue, Calvin, Hope; more to join in 2016) • Can be used for over 600+ schools • Only use if multiple schools in application list are using it Otherwise, use school-specific application • A workshop will be held in September during Access period for seniors using it * *Most applications open for senior students August or September 1st, but cannot be finalized without counselor assistance, so have them wait for their Senior Conference session *Help them organize what materials each college will need and when (i.e are teacher recommendations required/used, counselor secondary school reports, deadlines, etc…) *October 1st deadline for Senior Information sheets (counselor) and teacher rec requests * Each student application should be their own work and effort Allow your student to take charge and control of his/her own college applications Remember, they will be on their own and acting independently in college, so the more practice they have doing this, the more successful they will be * *Continue using school Naviance account to research and add college choice interests (breakout session available for more information) *Target 3-6 schools from overall list (safety, reasonable, reach – consider both admissions standards / finances) *Build college chart to organize application requirements, due dates, and supporting documents School Deadline WNHS Deadline Common App Application Fee Transcript needed? Test scores Needed? Letters of rec Example: University of Illinois 11/1 (Priority) weeks prior NO Online $50 NO (selfreporting) YES (www.act.org) NO YES Lawrence Univ 11/1 (EA) 1/15 (Reg.) weeks prior YES Online $50 YES (green form) Test Optional YES (1) YES Personal Statement / Essay *Be prepared to apply early (mid-September through Early November) 10 * *College/University Admissions Office *Counselor *College and Career Center (can be used during Access time w/ pass from counselor) *Computers (Naviance and Career Cruising) *Reference books *College representative visits (Naviance sign-up) *School’s website-www.wnhs.org *Announcements/Bulletin Boards (refer to Miscellaneous Resource Reference sheet) * Feel free to contact your student’s counselor Counselor names, e-mails and phone numbers can be accessed on our school website: www.wnhs.org College & Career Resources Counseling Dept Staff 11 ... **REMEMBER** Colleges are looking for ways to get students IN! * “Selective” Colleges… Knox College Rose-Hulman Kenyon College Grinnell College Hillsdale College Carleton College McAllister College. .. University DePaul University Wheaton College North Central College Carthage College Augustana College Bradley University Loyola University Butler University Hope College Northwestern University Indiana... large school - 3,000-50,000 ‹2500 Augustana College North Central College Illinois Wesleyan U North Park University Knox College Monmouth College Beloit College Lawrence University 2500-7500 Bradley