September 25, 2012

• Mrs. Pam Vickers

Junior/Senior Counselor

pvickers@saralandboe.org

251.602.8970

• Mrs. Lee Jay

Freshman/Sophomore Counselor

ljay@saralandboe.org

251.602.8970

• Students

• Before/after school

• During break or lunch

• Make an appointment

• Utilize email

• Parents

• Email (preferred method)

• Phone

• Counseling newsletters and school website

• Unofficial transcript (make copies)

• Check for course/grade discrepancies; make sure credits are

correct

• Official transcript request form

• Must submit to counselors’ office at least one day in advance

• College visit form

• Must follow proper procedures

• Fall 2012 Senior Bulletin

• Important dates and tips

• No Endorsement (Regular)

• Advanced Endorsement

• Advance Honors Endorsement

• Advanced Career Technical Endorsement I

• Advanced Career Technical Endorsement II

• Career Technical Endorsement

• 24 credits for regular, career tech and occupational diplomas

• 28 credits for advanced, advanced honors and advanced

career tech diplomas

• Must pass all core subjects (4 X 4) and required electives

• Must pass all five parts of the AHSGE

• Seniors who do not pass all five parts of the AHSGE and pass

all required courses will NOT participate in the graduation

ceremony

• Weighted GPA is used for ranking

• Final ranking will be determined at the end of 4th

quarter

• Top 10 students will come from students with

Advanced Honors and Advanced Diplomas

• Top 10 can be filled by more than 10 students in

cases of a tie

• Must follow Advanced Honors Diploma track

• Student with the highest GPA will be Valedictorian and the student with the second highest GPA will be Salutatorian

• In case of a tie, Co-Valedictorians/Co-Salutatorians will be declared

• Determined at the end of 4th quarter

• Size

• Location

• Academic Environment

• Degree programs offered

• Extracurricular Offerings

• Cost (Have an honest discussion about this NOW!)

• Best fit for student

• Consider these options

• Public universities (The University of Alabama; Auburn University)

• Private colleges/universities (The University of Mobile; Spring Hill College)

• Community colleges (Faulkner State Community College)

• Vocational/Technical (Blue Cliff; Herzing)

• Apply broadly

• 2-3 “Reach” schools

• 4-6 “Target” schools

• 2-3 “Safety” schools

• Create and regularly check a professional email address

• i.e., johnstudent@gmail.com

• Send applications NOW to colleges and universities

• Many application deadlines are December 1 or earlier!

• Know the deadlines for the schools you are most likely to attend

• Most application deadlines are “received by”; not “postmarked

by”

• Online applications will expedite the admissions process and

will sometimes save money

• Rolling – Students have a large window of time during to apply to a college

or university. The application process typically opens up in the early fall, and

it may continue through the summer

• Early Action/Non-binding – Early admissions programs that do not ask

applicants to commit to attending if they are accepted. They give students

the benefits of early notification without the obligations of early decision

• Early Decision/Binding – Binding means that the applicant promises they will

attend the school if their application is accepted. It is not an obligation to be

taken lightly, since schools honor one another's binding decisions. If you reject

an early decision obligation to one school, it is unlikely that another

competitive school will accept you

• Regular Admit – Considered for admission after the typical scholarship

period ends (spring)

• ACT – Administered at Saraland High School • Math, critical reading, writing, science reasoning

• ACT plus writing (includes essay)

• Highest score is 36

• No penalty for guessing

• Must now submit a photo at registration

• Register online at www.actstudent.org

• Cost is $50.50 for ACT Plus Writing (includes four score reports)

• Next opportunity to test is October 27, then December 8

• December test may be too late for some scholarships!

• ACT fee waivers available for students receiving free/reduced lunch

• See Mrs. Vickers for details

• SAT • Includes math, critical reading, writing (includes essay)

• Highest possible score is 2400

• Penalty for guessing

• Subject area tests (two in different subjects required by many private schools)

• Options include English, History, Math, Science and World Languages)

• Register online at http://sat.collegeboard.org

• Cost is $50.00 for SAT and $23.00 for subject tests

• Next opportunity to test is October 6, then November 3 and December 1

• December test may be too late for some scholarships!

• Fee waivers available for students receiving free/reduced lunch

• See Mrs. Vickers for details

• Essay topics vary by college or university

• Do not procrastinate on this portion of the application

• Utilize the essay written in English class this fall

• Ask teachers or administrators about recommendation letters

now!

• Check the requirements at the schools of your choice

• Aim for teachers from two core subjects

• Sophomore, junior and senior year teachers are preferred

• Be sensitive to the time provided for this part of the application

• Name

• Diploma Type/GPA

• Work Experience

• Volunteer Experience

• Awards/Certificates

• Extracurricular Activities

• Hobbies/Skills Abilities

Scheduled Upcoming

Visits to Saraland High

Auburn University

Auburn University - Montgomery

Birmingham Southern College

Bishop State Community College

Faulkner State Community College

Huntington College

Jacksonville State University

Judson College

Louisiana State University

Lurleen B. Wallace Community College

Marion Military Institute

Miles College

Millsaps College

Mississippi State University

Mississippi University for Women

Remington College

Rhodes College

Samford University

Shelton State Community College

Spring Hill College

Stillman College

Troy University

Tulane University

Tuskegee University

University of Alabama

University of Alabama at Birmingham

University of Georgia

University of Mississippi

University of Montevallo

University of North Alabama

University of South Alabama

University of Southern Mississippi

University of West Florida

Vanderbilt University

• Announcements are made prior to each visit

• Students are to sign up in advance in the counselors office

• Be open-minded

• Students will be provided a pass for 20 minutes of time in which

to meet with the recruiter

• Come to the meeting with questions in mind

• Get a business card from the recruiter and follow up with a

thank you note

• Recruiters will remember those students who made an effort!

• Students are allowed two excused absences per year

• Students must complete the college visit form in its entirety and

in proper sequence

• Return the form to Mrs. Vickers after your visit

• Ask to sit in on a class and take a campus tour

• Speak with current students and faculty members

• Utilize websites, Facebook and Twitter to research potential

colleges

• “Like” or “Follow” those schools that interest you

• Many college recruiters will ask you to “Follow” them for more

information about events and the admissions process

• Research suggests that 80% of potential colleges and

employers check your Facebook or Twitter accounts before

offering admission or employment

• Keep your accounts clean, refrain from posting inappropriate content or

photographs

• Fastweb.com

• Finaid.com

• Notification of Scholarship Opportunities:

• School Website-www.shspartans.com under “Guidance”

• Monthly newsletter

• Morning announcements

• Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov to apply for need-based grants, loans and work-study.

• The FAFSA is used to calculate your “expected family contribution” or EFC, a measure of your family’s annual ability to pay for college.

• A lower EFC makes you eligible to receive more need-based financial aid, such as the Federal Pell Grant.

• Financial Need = Cost of Attendance – EFC

• Students with a lower EFC qualify for more financial aid.

• Students with a zero EFC (mostly students with family income less than $30,000) have full financial need and qualify for even more financial aid to help pay for school.

• Family completes FAFSA

• FAFSA sent to processor

• Processor sends data to up to six schools as reported on the FAFSA

• Each school evaluates application and creates an award package

• Award letter sent to student

• Student returns award letter to school

• School concludes award processing

• University financial aid office pays bills and produces checks

• This is NOT a scholarship – Loans must be repaid after graduation

• We will have recruiters from all branches of the Armed Forces

on campus this fall.

• Interested students must take the ASVAB (November 14).

• ROTC programs and the National Guard offer scholarships for

college.

• After graduation, 4-6 years of military service may be

required.

• Military branches are entitled to names and addresses of our

students. If you do not wish for your student to be included in

these lists, please notify me by email no later than Friday,

September 28 at pvickers@saralandboe.org.

• If your child plans to play a sport in college, make sure they

are registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse

• Web application at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

• $60 fee, payable online

• Submit two high school transcripts

One transcript as soon as web form is complete

Second transcript at final graduation

• See Mrs. Vickers or Coach Kelly for more details