3/2/2012 1

GUIDANCE PRESENTS

JUNIOR COLLEGE

PLANNING NIGHT

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Guidance Counselors North

Bob McKay (A-F)

______________________________________

Jo-Anne Gretemeyer (G-M)

______________________________________

Andrea Norton(N-Z)

______________________________________

Guidance Counselors South

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• Jason Hall A-De

• Lindsay Saba Di-Fl

• Mark Furman Fo-Le

• Maureen Metta Li-Me

• Danielle Cafferty Mi-V

• Emily Nugent U-Z

After High School Options

• Why am I excited about post-secondary options?

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Questions or concerns

• What are my questions or concerns about it?

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Topics of Discussion

Graduation Requirements

College Requirements

Guidance Packet for College

Class Rank

Time Line

The Application Process

Career Cruising

Financial Aid

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Graduation RequirementsCREDIT REQUIREMENTS

• 115 Credits Minimum

• 20 Credits in English

• 15 Credits in History

• 15-20 Credits in Math

• 15 Credits in Science

• 10 Credits in Phys. Ed.

• Must earn 27.5 creditseach year including senioryear

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

• U.S. History I• U.S. History II

MCAS REQUIREMENTS

• Must Pass MCAS in ELA, Math, and Science

PSAT ANALYSIS

WHAT DO THE SCORES MEAN?

HOW DO YOU COMPARE TO OTHER STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

HOW DO I IMPROVE?

WHEN DO I TAKE THE SAT?

ACT SUMMARY

English 75 questions 45 minutesMeasures standard written

English and rhetorical skills.

Mathematics 60 questions 60 minutes

Measures mathematical skills

students have typically acquired

in courses taken up to the

beginning of grade 12.

Reading 40 questions 35 minutesMeasures reading

comprehension.

Science 40 questions 35 minutes

Measures the interpretation,

analysis, evaluation, reasoning,

and problem-solving skills

required in the natural sciences.

Optional Writing Test 1 prompt 30 minutes

Measures writing skills

emphasized in high school

English classes and in entry-level

college composition courses.

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College Requirements

• Plymouth North requirements PLUS:

• Math – Completion of Algebra II

• Foreign Language – 2 Year Minimum, 3 Years Recommended

• Specific Requirements of the College or the Major

• SAT’sa. SAT I (Reasoning Test) 5/5 (deadline 4/6)b. SAT II (Subject Tests) 6/2 (deadline 5/8)c. Students must send all scores to colleges

through www.collegeboard.comd. ACT 6/9 (deadline 5/4)

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Guidance Packet for College

• High School Transcript with Rank and GPA

• Resume through Career Cruising (activities, volunteer work, awards/honors, work experience)

• Counselor Recommendation

• Teacher Recommendations

• School Profile

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Class Rank

Plymouth Public Schools utilizes a weighted 4.0 scale where only core courses are included and only courses taken during the school day are considered.

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Class RankGrade Point Conversions

Grade AP Honors/ACC College Universal

A+ 5.3 4.8 4.3 3.8

A 5 4.5 4 3.5

A- 4.7 4.2 3.7 3.2

B+ 4.3 3.8 3.3 2.8

B 4 3.5 3 2.5

B- 3.7 3.2 2.7 2.2

C+ 3.3 2.8 2.3 1.8

C 3 2.5 2 1.5

C- 2.7 2.2 1.7 1.2

D+ 2.3 1.8 1.3 0.8

D 2 1.5 1 0.5

D- 1.7 1.2 0.7 0.2

E 0 0 0 0

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February March April May June July August September October November December January February March April May

JUNIOR YEAR SUMMER SENIOR YEAR

MAKE A LIST, RESEARCH COLLEGES, AND VISIT COLLEGES

TAKE ADMISSIONS TESTS RE-TAKE STANDARDIZED TESTS

NARROW LIST OF COLLEGES

Register for CSS Profile

GET APPLICATIONS

FILL OUT APPLICATIONS

Send CSS Profile + +

BRING COMPLETED FORMS TO

YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

COMPLETE FAFSA

**FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) packets are available on-line. On-line worksheets are available in Guidance

*These time frames are general suggestions. Pay close attention to specific deadlines for testing, admission, and financial aid.

**CSS Financial Aid Profile forms are available in the Guidance Department or on-line.

WAIT FOR COLLEGE RESPONSES

CHOOSE!

RESPONSE

MUST BE

BY MAY 1!

STUDENT-ATHLETES FOR DIV I OR DIV II COLLEGES COMPLETE NCAA CLEARINGHOUSE FORMS

*October - Plymouth Schools College Fair

*October - All Cape College Fair

*April - Boston

National College

Fair

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The Application Process

Responsibility of the Student

• Request recommendations from two teachers

• Obtain applications• Complete resume on Career Cruising• Complete application with essay &

application Fee and send to colleges • Have parent complete Records Release

Form• Complete Transcript Request Card for

each College and Submit to Guidance• Send SAT Scores to Colleges

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The Application ProcessResponsibility of the Counselor

• Review Transcript and Options with Student

• Write Letter of Recommendation if requested or required

• Compile and Mail Packages to all Colleges

• Mail Mid-Year Reports to Schools Requested by Student

• Send Final Transcript to School of Choice

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Careercruising.com

Login Information

username: plymouth

password: north OR south

• Portfolio Login

• Special Tools – Resume Builder

• Careers

• Schools - School Selector, Planning Timeline, & Financial Aid

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An Overview of College

Financing

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What is Financial Aid?Grants, scholarships Free gifts Need based aid vs. merit aid Do not have to be repaid

Loans Money that must be repaid Borrowed by student, parent, or both

Work Study

Money student is given the opportunityto earn

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The Forms You Need to Know

•Free Application for Federal Student Aid

(FAFSA)

–Required by all colleges for Federal and State aid

–Get PIN early (both parents and students)

–Free form

•PROFILE

–Some colleges need this for institutional aid

–Paid form ($25 to register, $16 per school)

•Institutional Application

–One per school

–Usually part of admissions packet

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Vocabulary

• COA = Cost of Attendance - Includes tuition, room, board, fees, books, supplies, transportation, personal expenses

• EFC = Expected family contribution - Measure of what a family is expected to contribute over a year

• Financial Need (Eligibility) = Difference between COA and EFC

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Cost of Attendance

(COA)

- Expected Family

Contribution (EFC)

__________________________

= Financial Aid

Eligibility/Family Need

Financial Aid Formula

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Federal Methodology

Must file FAFSA

Uses both parent and student information

Used to award all financial aid

The

Financial

Aid Funnel

EFC

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Past Income

–Savings

–College Savings Plans

Present Income

–Salary

–Payment Plans

Future Income

–Loan Programs

–See the Guide to Borrowing

How Do I Pay My Balance?

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Financial Aid Resources

MEFA – Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority

www.mefa.org

FAFSA4CASTER – calculators/estimators

www.fafsa.ed.gov

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Senior Year Evenings

• Senior Planning Night - Fall

• Financial Aid Night - Fall

PSAT ANALYSIS

• http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/psat/download

• Your Next Steps: Using PSAT/NMSQT Results Student Video

• https://quickstart.collegeboard.com/posweb/loginbyepl.jsp?daun=uvdfglsczt

• http://youcango.collegeboard.org/

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Please visit our website at

www.plymouth.k12.ma.us