ACADEMIC YEAR 2016-2017
POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES NEWSLETTER
http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/westforsyth
The beginning of school always brings with it questions about college applications, scholarship opportunities and financial aid. This newsletter is designed to take some of the uncertainties out of the college search process. The following are several of the most frequently asked questions.
I. What Factors Are Important For Acceptance To A College/University?
The single most important piece of information examined in making admissions decisions is the high school transcript. Colleges want to see that you have challenged yourself academically throughout high school, taking the most rigorous courses offered while demonstrating success. Colleges will also consider class rank, SAT or ACT test scores, and even SAT subject tests (for highly competitive schools), extracurricular activities, essays, recommendations and interviews.
II. To Which Schools Should I Apply?
The first step in selecting to which schools to send applications is to figure out what factors are important to you. What do you want to study? How large or small a school do you want? Do you prefer large classes with lectures/independent work or small classes with lots of student participation? What does the school look for in prospective students? What are your chances of being accepted? Do you want to live in an urban or small-town setting? Do you want to stay close to home so you can visit frequently? What is the retention and graduation rates of schools you are considering?
According to the College Foundation of North Carolina, “the key to finding the right fit is to decide what you want out of a college experience, do your research, and then apply to a reasonable number of schools. Whether you end up at your first choice or your fourth, in the end it’s you, not the school you choose, that will make the biggest difference.” We highly recommend visiting campuses during the spring or fall when classes are in session.
Your West counselor will be setting up individual appointments with seniors during first quarter to discuss your future plans. You may always make an appointment with your counselor at any time during the year if you need additional assistance.
Consider these websites to assist you in choosing your list of schools:
· www.cfnc.org
· www.collegeboard.com
· www.collegeportraits.org
Other resources available in the Student Services office:
· College resource books
· Fiske Guide to Colleges
· Rugg’s Recommendations, etc.
Other Recommendations:
· College Visits: take advantage of early release, teacher workdays and high school breaks to visit college campuses.
· WSFCS Career Fair: Monday, October 3rd from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Winston-Salem. Over 100 collegiate representatives along with armed services will be available to talk with interested students.
· Speak to a visiting college admissions representatives! When scheduled, representatives are stationed outside the cafeteria or in the media center before school, after school and during lunches. Listen to the morning announcements and read the daily announcements for information.
III. Should I Consider Community College?
Community college can be an excellent option. Tuition costs are considerably less than four-year colleges and students may save even more by living at home. Classes are typically smaller than at a larger university. If considering a college transfer program, make sure your community college knows your intent from the start. This can be a great option spending the first two years focusing on the core requirements in community college, then transferring to a four- year college to complete the last two years within your focused major.
In addition to the college transfer program, community colleges offer associate degrees and certificate programs. These one- and two-year programs prepare the graduate for immediate employment opportunities in a technical, skilled trade, or health field. For more information, visit www.forsythtech.edu or see your counselor.
The admissions requirement for community college is a high school diploma. The Accuplacer or SAT/ACT scores are required for all associate degree programs. Prospective students are encouraged to apply early. All health programs are more selective and may have earlier deadlines.
IV. What if I am considering the military?
The military requires a high school diploma for entry and has become a more competitive process over the years. Military-bound students must take the ASVAB which will be offered at West Forsyth in the spring semester. The ASVAB is open to all students, not only those interested in the military. The ASVAB is an aptitude test which measures strengths, weaknesses, and potential for future career success. We welcome ALL students to sign up for this opportunity.
V. Applications?
Almost all colleges and universities require that students complete an online application. Be sure to check your spelling and grammar before sending. Not all application programs include a spell check tool.
Students are encouraged to explore www.cfnc.org for online North Carolina college applications. CFNC will save your information so you may apply to multiple North Carolina campuses using the same data. Transcripts may be sent electronically with the Transcript Manager tool. You will not need to request a transcript is using the Common Application, CFNC or schools that use SENDEDU. Transcripts will be uploaded to these sites electronically.
If your college application requires a counselor’s recommendation, you are responsible for submitting a completed counselor/teacher recommendation questionnaire a minimum of two weeks before the deadline. The Counselor/Teacher Recommendation Forms are available on the Student Services webpage in the senior section.
It is the student’s responsibility to submit the completed application, application fee and test scores to college admissions. Unless you uploaded your transcript online while submitting your application, you must request your transcript be sent by Student Services. To request a hard copy of your transcript, see Mrs. Worley in Student Services to fill out your transcript request form. West Forsyth will mail a copy of your transcript directly to the college within two school days of your request. The first two transcripts are free and all additional transcripts are $2.00 each.
It is the student’s responsibility to request official SAT or ACT score reports be sent to admissions directly from the College Board or ACT. You had the opportunity to have your scores sent to up to four colleges of your choice when you registered for either test. If you didn't have them sent and you don't plan on re-taking the exam, you can request your scores be sent through www.collegeboard.org or www.actstudent.org. You will need to know the ID or registration number given to you by the testing company and there will be a fee for each score report sent. For those of you who plan to take (or re-take) the SAT or ACT this Fall, simply fill out the appropriate score report blocks on the application form.
We recommend that you check college websites to find each school's application deadline. It is extremely important to find out about deadlines for applications, scholarships, and financial aid because colleges vary widely.
VI. Test Dates:
SAT Test Date Register by: ACT Test Date Register by:
October 1 (West) September 1 September 10 August 7
November 5 October 7 October 22 September 16
December 3 November 3 December 10 November 4
January 21 December 21 February 11 January 13
March 11 (West) February 10 April 8 March 3
May 6 April 7 June 10 May 5
June 3 May 9
Register online: www.collegeboard.org for the SAT; www.actstudent.org for the ACT.
See your counselor if you are not sure if you need to retake the SAT/ACT in your senior year, or if you need to take the Accuplacer exam that is used by Forsyth Technical Community College for placement. Some colleges may require SAT subject tests. Check the schools admissions website for more information.
VII. What About Financial Aid and Scholarships?
Colleges require students to submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) before financial aid can be considered. Check to see if the colleges to which you are applying require any other financial aid information, ie: the CSS Profile. The earliest date the FAFSA can be submitted is October 1, 2016 using your tax filings from 2015. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System will offer a Financial Aid workshop in Fall 2016. More information to be provided soon.
We publish a scholarship newsletter which is updated monthly listing the scholarship opportunities that have come to our attention. This newsletter will be posted on the Seniors page within the Student Services website. It is also encouraged that students visit the websites of the colleges to which they are applying for institutional scholarship opportunities. We also include scholarship opportunities received after we print our newsletter for that month on the daily announcements. Daily announcements can also be found on our website: http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/westforsyth. We cannot emphasize enough how beneficial it is for seniors (and their parents!) to read the announcements every day! The first scholarship newsletter will be emailed to parents of seniors in early to mid September from an existing build. If this email is not received, contact Mrs. Worley in Student Services with the new parent email address. Other good scholarship resources are www.cfnc.org and www.fastweb.com.
West would like to consider all qualified students for school-nominated scholarships. To ensure that you are considered for school-nominated scholarships, complete an “I want to be considered” form in Student Services for each scholarship you are interested in pursuing. Such scholarships will be posted in the Scholarship Newsletter or Daily Announcements as they are received.
Here are some suggestions to get you started in your search:
1. Check the West Forsyth website for announcements daily!
2. Check with the individual colleges for available scholarships and visit websites such as www.cfnc.org and www.fastweb.com.
3. Read the scholarship newsletter regularly.
4. Contact your employers, your parent’s employers, civic groups and religious organizations in which you are involved, to inquire about scholarships within these organizations.
5. Think carefully about who you will ask to write letters of recommendation and ask early.
6. Make copies of all forms before you send them.
7. Continue applying for scholarships second semester. Many local scholarships are announced second semester.
8. Don't get slack in your classes second semester just because you are accepted to a college or have already been awarded a scholarship. Colleges/Universities have the right to rescind offers if performance drops.
9. If a scholarship opportunity requires an interview, consider setting up a mock interview with the West Forsyth Interview Committee. Contact Mr. Sandag in Student Services for an appointment as soon as you know you need a mock interview. You must give at least one week notice for this service.
*If a student is interested in pursuing the possibility of an athletic scholarship, he/she must register with NCAA Clearinghouse at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. If students then re-log into the site, they can print off a student release of information sheet to bring to Student Services so we can send an official transcript.
NOTE: Beware of offers asking you to attend a conference, pay a fee to be “guaranteed” a certain number of scholarships. Student Services and the WSFC school system do not endorse these mailings, as you can access scholarship information free of charge from other resources.
VIII. Counselor/Teacher Recommendation Forms/Recommendations
The Counselor/Teacher Recommendation Form is a vital part of your school record. It is necessary that you update your activities throughout the year. If you have a computer generated list that you will be sending to colleges with your admissions application, you may attach this to your form as opposed to transcribing all the information onto the form. In order for counselors to write strong recommendations the information provided on the C/T recommendation form should be detailed and specific. The information on the Counselor/Teacher Recommendation Form is used in writing letters of recommendation and in nominations for certain scholarships.
IX. Social Media
High School students should be very careful about what they post on social media, (i.e. Facebook, blogs, etc.). Research has shown that 31% of colleges surveyed are using search engines to research potential students.Negative material that college admissions officials find contradict the application essays and character that students have projected. Additionally, some colleges have stated that although they may not routinely review students’ social media sites, etc., if something is brought to their attention concerning a prospective student they will research the students’ sites, etc, as part of the admissions process. Admission decisions can be affected if information is found about a student's character that differs from what is portrayed on their application. 30% of admissions officers state that they discovered information online that negatively affected an applicant.
X. Websites
The following websites may help you in the search for colleges, careers, scholarships and financial aid:
www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org
www.cfnc.org
www.campustours.com
www.collegeboard.org (college matching service)
www.fafsa.ed.gov
www.finaid.org
www.fastweb.com
www.scholarships.com
www.wsfoundation.org
http://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile