1 College 101

2 Counselor Alpha Tammy Wickline A - BEND Kelly Quiroz BENE - DHJennifer Peel DI - G Matt Eidson H - LE Cathy Jones LI - OL Stacy Blattner OM-SIG Michelle Tanner SIL - Z Dr. Niki Jackson STAN

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4 Reagan Counseling WebsiteYou will receive an within the next week with this power point attached.

5 Sign up for Remind For Freshmen updates, text @rhscouns9 to #81010For Sophomore updates, to #81010 For Junior updates, to #81010 For Senior updates, to #81010 For AP Student updates, to #81010

6 Choosing a College Preferred Demographics Majors OfferedPrivate versus Public Size of City, Size of School Price College Visits College Reps Visit Reagan College Night- BAC November 1, 2017

7 How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?Ideally, apply to 3-5 colleges, a full range of schools; all must be acceptable to you as your future home. Include 1-2 “stretch”/”dream” schools, mostly “good matches” in terms of GPA/test scores, and at least 1 “safety”/ “sure shot” school where you absolutely know you will be accepted. Don’t waste your time and effort applying to schools you know you won’t attend.

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10 Where to Find the ApplicationsApply Texas – Texas public colleges Common Application – over 400 national universities (mostly private) Individual College Applications – many institutions have their own unique application available on their website

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12 Reagan High School Profile

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14 What Does Reagan Send to Colleges Upon YOUR Request?Transcript (Senior Schedule, School Profile)- must be sent directly to school, official copies cannot be given to student, NCAA recruits SSR (Secondary School Report)- if you have a paper copy, give to Ms. Miller when you order transcript (OPTIONAL) Counselor Letter of Recommendation IF REQUESTED Mid-Year Report may be required to submit seventh semester grades/rank (At the end of the 1st semester) Final Transcript (you must request in May)

15 Preliminary Rank deadlineFriday, September 15,is the deadline to order transcripts with the preliminary 6th semester rank. Transcripts with the preliminary rank can be printed until 3:00 p.m. on Monday, September 18. Seniors will receive their 6th semester rank on their progress reports, Friday, September 22.

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17 School Profile

18 College Application PortalsMake sure you are checking your college portal to ensure they have processed your transcripts and supplemental forms. If you see that they have not received or processed your transcript within 3 weeks of your order, contact the college by or phone. Then, see Ms. Miller as needed.

19 Final Transcript You must send a final transcript to prove you graduated. You order it in May, but it is not sent to college until late June. So, don’t schedule orientation in June. Final transcript won’t be there in time!!!! Dual Credit Transcripts- you must send Reagan transcript to SAC, then order SAC transcript through ACES account.

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21 Letters of RecommendationNot all colleges require them nor want them. Generally, public universities do not require one; often private universities do. If they ask for two letters, don’t send more. Counselor letters of recommendation describe the student holistically as a person. Teacher letters of recommendation describe the student as a learner in the classroom. Highly selective schools and some scholarships require two teacher recommendations. One should come from a junior or senior core academic teacher, a teacher with whom they have developed rapport. The second should come from someone who presents a different dimension (UIL sponsor, sports, band, church, employer, etc.). Complete form from Counseling website or get hard copy from office.

22 Requesting a Teacher Letter of RecommendationYou must give the teacher at least 2 weeks notice! You are not the only student asking for a rec letter. Fill out the forms, listing every school where you want your teacher to send the rec and deadline. Giving a resume and questionnaire is also helpful. Give the teacher a neatly addressed and stamped envelope for every college. The teacher will mail the rec letter to the college once it is written. If online recs, let the teacher know, so they can look for . Remember that teachers write these letters to help you. Most letters are written outside of school hours! Be sure to tell them how grateful you are!

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25 Send ACT / SAT Scores SAT/ACT scores are not on your transcript. You must order them from College Board or ACT for a fee if you did not choose 4 when you registered. Plan ahead!!! With the exception of the most selective colleges, if a student reaches the college’s expected SAT / ACT range, applicants are not penalized for lower scores on prior test dates. ACT and College Board allow applicants to selectively send only their best scores. Colleges would still like applicants to send all scores, but this is your family’s decision. The counselors suggest YOU SEND ALL SCORES. Keep accurate records of when scores were sent to each institution and tracking numbers. You may need to provide this proof if the score gets lost in transit. AP scores can be sent AFTER you are accepted to a college or university. They are not needed to be considered for admission.

26 SAT Subject Test ScoresMost colleges do not require SAT Subject Test scores. SAT Subject Tests are offered on the same dates as the regular SAT. SAT Subject Tests are one-hour content specific tests. A student can take up to three tests on a single test date. SAT Subject Tests were designed as placement exams, although they may affect admissions, especially in highly selective institutions. Be sure you know the requirements of each specific college to which you are applying. If given a choice, test only in the subjects where you excel.

27 Essays Be sure your voice comes through clearly but stay on topic!Tell a story that reveals something unique about you. Do you come across as an interesting person the admissions officer would like to know better?

28 Event: How to write a good College Admissions EssayWhen: Tuesday, September 26th 3rd period Where: Reagan Auditorium Presenter: John Carrillo Admissions Officer from St. Mary’s University How to Attend? More information to come

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30 How to Help Your Chances w/ AdmissionsAs a rule of thumb, the earlier you apply, the better Meet with college reps when they come to Reagan College visits College interview Weekend seminars/ workshops Ask questions! If you need help, come see your counselor! We want to help!

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32 Reagan College and Career CenterMonday 8:00-am 4:30 pm Advisor: Ms. Crayton, San Antonio Educational Partnership Tuesday and Wednesday 11:00 am -3:00 pm Advisor: Mrs. Vaughan

33 College Visits You are allowed 2 days in the 11th grade and 2 days in the 12th grade. They do not count against final exemptions. Travel time not included. Must turn in proof of visitation form from college to attendance office. Make an appointment online or call the admissions office for an appointment two weeks beforehand. Prepare for your visit. Plan and gather background information. Places to visit include: Admissions Office Financial Aid Office Housing Programs of Interest

34 College Interviews Only highly selective programs or private colleges regularly conduct interviews. If an interview is part of their admission process, most out-of-state universities have alumni in town that interview. Ask your counselor for interview tips!

35 Paying for College Use FAFSA4Caster or Cost Calculators on college websites to get a good idea of real costs of attending. If you have a special niche (examples: athletics, rank, National Merit, etc.) or have demonstrated financial need, the university often offers scholarship incentives to attend. Privates are more expensive than public colleges, but their scholarships are often generous. Some may end up costing the same as a public university. Unless the student has made a binding Early Action contract with a college, the student has until May 1st to officially choose their college and pay the initial enrollment deposit.

36 Financial Aid FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student AidAll students should fill one out, complete EVERY year Opens Oct. 1 Cost of Attendance – Estimated Family Contribution Grants, loans, work study TASFA - Certain categories of foreign-born and immigrant students in the State of Texas can meet state requirements for residency. Need Help?? Contact Financial Aid Office or Café College

37 FSA ID # AND FASFA PRIOR TO COMPLETING THE FASFA, BOTH PARENT AND STUDENT MUST SET UP AN FSA ID # THE FSA ID # IS USED TO COMPLETE THE FASFA NAME, DOB, AND SS# ARE USED TO ESTABLISH THE FSA ID# THE FASFA USES 2016 TAX INFORMATION FROM 2016, “THE PRIOR PRIOR YEAR”

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39 Online Help

40 TYPES of SCHOLARSHIPS Need and Merit basedFrom university or colleges, organizations or businesses Check District Database and bucket in College and Career Center Beware of scams! Use Free scholarship search engines Collegescholarships.com Fastweb.com Goodcall.com Scholarships.com Apply for many, they add up! Transcripts for scholarship applications are FREE

41 Café College ScholarshipStudents need to graduate with 80 or above GPA. Students must attend 3 SAEP success activities – one must be at Café College. Plus an Activation Seminar File a Financial Aid Application – FASFA or TASFA – to demonstrate financial need. Scholarships: accepted at ACCD colleges; public or private universities in San Antonio for 5 years maximum. Applications available in College and Career Center

42 CAFÉ COLLEGE FIELD TRIPSENIORS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A CAFÉ COLLEGE FIELD TRIP ARE ENCOURAGED TO SIGN UP AT: https://goo.gl/forms/vhW8wfNx 1uxsPHvg2

43 The scholarship database for NEISD can be found at:SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH The scholarship database for NEISD can be found at: https://www.neisd. net/Page/822

44 Bexar County Clearinghouse ScholarshipsOCTOBER 20 AT 4:30 P.M. Bexar County Scholarships are due

45 Military Scholarship Options4 year ROTC scholarships require a service commitment.

46 applytexas.org - Texas Electronic Application commonapplication.org - Out of the State Application collegeboard.org - On-line registration for SAT Act.org - On-line registration for ACT ncaastudent.org - Student Athlete information fafsa.ed.gov.org- GOV FREE Financial Aid fastweb.com - FREE College Scholarship Search fastaid.com - FREE Financial Aid Search studentaid.ed.gov - Student GOV Financial aid cafecollege.org - San Antonio College Events campustours.com - College campus virtual tours collegescholarships.com - FREE Scholarship Listings finaid.org/scholarships - FREE College Scholarship scholarships.com - FREE College Scholarship Search schoolsintheusa.com - College MAJORS comparecollegetx.com – TX College Comparison Site collegeforalltexans.com- TX College & Financial Aid Info

47 Sending SAT, ACT, AP scores and Dual Credits Log in to https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores https://aces.alamo.edu/cp/home/displaylogin

48 More Questions / Need Help?????See your Counselor Career Center 11am- 3pm Tues. & Wed. Contact University SAEP -see Ms. Crayton in the counseling office Career Center on Mondays.