READY, SET . . . GO TO COLLEGE!
Class of 2017 Senior Packet
Seniors, let Grady’s College and Career Center (CCC) help you with your post-high school plans. We offer one-on-one help, workshops, visits from college reps, and lots of great resources. For the first two weeks of school, the CCC is open just for seniors (see the attached schedule of lunchtime workshops). College visits begin in late August.
Use this college checklist to get started. Stop by the CCC if you need help.
RELAX! There are almost 4,000 institutes of higher learning in the U.S. They all want students. Hundreds of them will want YOU!
What Can I Do Right Now?
Sign up for Remind 101 to receive text notices from the CCC about college visits, test deadlines, workshops, and more. Seniors sign up by texting this number: 81010. In the message line: @ccc2017. Parents type in the message line: @cccgrady.
Plan to attend when college reps visit Grady. Watch text announcements, the GradyGram, the CCC website, and the board outside the CCC to see which colleges are coming. There will be dozens in the next few months! Be prepared with a few questions that aren’t easily answered on the college’s website.
Sign up now to take the SAT or the ACT, if you haven’t yet or if you wish to improve your scores. Register for the SAT at www.collegeboard.org, and for the ACT at www.actstudent.org. Preparing for the SAT and ACT will help raise your score, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out free and low-cost test prep options on the CCC’s website. Still didn’t do well? A growing number of schools are test optional. Find a list at www.fairtest.org.
Create your resume. Yes, you need one. Use the template on the CCC website—just plug in your information. See the attached sample.
Ask for letters of recommendation. Most schools that require teacher recommendation letters will want two letters from teachers of your core subjects (math, science, English, social studies, or foreign language) from junior year, as well as a counselor recommendation. Ask two teachers, either in person or by e-mail, if they are willing to write a letter for you, and attach or hand them your resume. The letter from the counselor, who likely doesn’t know you as well as your classroom teachers do, will focus on your general academic record. Request letters at least two to three weeks before you need them, but there is no reason to wait. Ask now! Make sure you thank teachers and counselors!
Start writing your essay. The 2016-17 Common App prompts can be found at Commonapp.org. Come to the CCC or Writing Center if you need help getting started.
How Do I Decide Which Schools to Apply To?
Look at Yourself; Look at Colleges. On the CCC’s website you can find links to sites that will help you assess your interests, skills, and values (click on “Know Yourself” on the left-hand side of our homepage). You can also find lots of search engines that will help you find schools that may be right for you (click on College Search Websites). Or visit the CCC and peruse our library of college guidebooks.
Visit schools you’re interested in if you can, or take a virtual tour on the school’s website or on a site such as College Confidential or Youniversitytv.com.
Narrow your list to a manageable number of schools. Use the attached worksheet to select a mix of reach, target, and financial safety schools. Try to include at least one school from Georgia in each category. Talk to your parents, counselor, CCC volunteers, and other mentors about your list. Don’t rule out a school because of the sticker price—financial aid is often available.
How Do I Apply?
Most schools will require you to submit with your application: official transcript, ACT or SAT test scores, essay, and letters of recommendation. If you have the option to do an interview, do it! Check each school’s specific requirements and note all deadlines.
Create an account on the Common App website. Fill out your information once and you can apply to any of the almost 700 schools that accept the Common App. If a school you’re applying to does not accept the Common App (UGA, for example, does not), apply through that school’s website. Most digital applications allow you to save your work as you go, so you can do a little at a time. You will upload your essay to your Common App account, and teachers and counselors will upload their recommendations.
Check each school’s requirements and deadlines carefully; some require only the primary essay, but others require supplemental or short answer essays.
Request a transcript. Grady uses Parchment.com and sends transcripts to each school electronically. Set up your account now. Bonus: if you fill in your information, Parchment tells you your chances of acceptance at any school.
Send test scores. Request that SAT or ACT scores be sent to each school you’re applying to. Do this through the SAT or ACT website.
Pay the application fee. On the Common App, there is a separate application fee for each school. You may receive a fee waiver if you qualify for free / reduced lunch or have financial hardship. Ask your counselor.
Stay Organized. Many students find it helpful to keep a master list of needed items AND to create a file for each school. Consider putting all deadlines and requirements into a spreadsheet. Find a way to organize the information that works for you.
How Do I Pay for College?
This is a big issue, and one that will involve your parents. Tuition prices can seem scary, but don’t assume that high tuition makes a school out of reach. Most schools offer need-based and merit-based aid. Many, if not most, students pay less—sometimes far less—than the sticker price. When you’re accepted to a school, they will offer you a financial aid “package,” which consists of some combination of grants or scholarships (which you do not have to pay back), loans (which you do), and work study. Many of the top schools even guarantee that they will meet 100% of demonstrated financial need. That can make these schools a very good deal. Remember that you need to consider the total cost of attendance per year (including tuition plus room and board, books, and fees). The CCC library has many books on paying for college.
Complete the FAFSA online. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is REQUIRED for the HOPE scholarship and all financial aid. It becomes available online on October 1, and you should complete it as early as possible. Your parents will have to provide much of the financial information. Even if you don’t think you’ll qualify for need-based aid, you still must complete the FAFSA. You might be surprised.
Contact each school where you are accepted and ask them what sort of package you can expect. Parents should make this call. Financial Aid officers are happy to speak to them. Many schools will automatically consider you for scholarships when you apply. All colleges are required to have a net price calculator on their website, which should help you figure out what sort of aid you might qualify for and what the school will actually cost you. Remember that you have to re-apply for financial aid every year. Many schools offer extra support for first generation students in the form of internships, dedicated housing, free tutoring, and more.
Research smaller “portable” scholarships (so called because you can use them at any school) if you still need to fill in a tuition gap. There are many, many small scholarships available. While it would be hard to completely pay for college with $500 or $1,000 scholarships, they can still be helpful. And some are quite generous. These have to be applied for individually, and many require an essay or essays. Check the CCC website for links to search engines to help you find scholarships.
What if I don’t want to go to a four-year college?
College isn’t for everybody. Even if you choose a different path, you still have lots of options. There are numerous trade schools and community colleges that offer great training and allow you to be out in the world earning a good living in a couple of years. The military is a great option for some students, as well. Stop by the CCC for more information.
SAT AND ACT DATES AND DEADLINES 2016-17
SAT
Test Date / Registration Deadline / Late Registration(additional fees apply)
October 1, 2016 / September 1, 2016 / September 20, 2016
November 5, 2016 / October 7, 2016 / October 25, 2016
December 3, 2016 / November 3, 2016 / November 22, 2016
January 21, 2017 / December 21, 2016 / January 10, 2017
March 11, 2017 / February 10, 2017 / February 28, 2017
May 6, 2017 / April 7, 2017 / April 25, 2017
June 3, 2017 / May 9, 2017 / May 24, 2017
Register at www.collegeboard.org
Fees: SAT with essay, $57; SAT with no essay, $45. There are additional fees for SAT Subject Tests. For late registration, add $28. Fee waivers are available if you qualify for free/reduced lunch or have financial hardship. See your counselor.
The SAT is administered by College Board. The College Board also administers SAT Subject Tests, which are NOT required by all colleges, but ARE required by more competitive schools. Check each school’s admissions requirements. Remember that even if you take the ACT, the school you're applying to might still require an SAT Subject Test.
ACT
Test Date / Registration Deadline / Late Registration(additional fees apply)
September 10, 2016 / August 5, 2016 / August 19, 2016
October 22, 2016 / September 16, 2016 / September 30, 2016
December 10, 2016 / November 4, 2016 / November 18, 2016
February 11, 2017 / January 13, 2017 / January 20, 2017
April 8, 2017 / March 3, 2017 / March 17, 2017
June 10, 2017 / May 5, 2017 / May 19, 2017
Register at www.actstudent.org
Fees: ACT with no writing $42.50; with writing $58.50; late registration, add $27.50. Fee waivers area available if you quality for free/reduced lunch or have financial hardship. See your counselor.
It pays to prepare for these tests! Visit the CCC’s website for information on both paid test prep classes and free or low-cost test prep options.
Writing Your College Essay
Your essay gives a human face to your college application. It is your chance to tell the college something about you beyond what they can find in your resume, grades, and test scores. It’s the one part of your application that you have complete control of.
Some characteristics of a good essay
· It includes a story or anecdote about your life—one that only you can tell.
· It includes specific details that bring the story to life and make it memorable.
· It includes thoughtful reflection and self-analysis. This is key—how did the story you tell change or affect you? What did you learn?
· It has a strong opening—a hook to get the reader’s attention—and a strong closing, which may relate back to the beginning.
· It includes descriptive language evoking specific sights, smells, and feelings, and it uses strong verbs. But it avoids fancy words plucked from the thesaurus.
· It answers the prompt and stays within the word limit.
· It has excellent grammar, spelling, and punctuation and uses the first person.
· It avoids clichés, trite conclusions, and vague generalities.
· It’s not wordy.
· It is your own work (obviously), and also shows your own authentic voice.
Find the 2015-16 Common Application essay prompts on the CCC website under the “Essays” tab or on the Common Application website, www.commonapp.org.
Before you begin writing
To write a good essay you first have to read some. Find sample essays in the CCC, the Writing Center, or online. It’s common to feel you don’t have a story to tell, but you do. The CCC has some exercises to help get your ideas flowing.
Tell a story
Decide what quality about yourself you want your essay to reveal (determined, compassionate, imaginative, etc.). Your essay should begin with a slice-of-life story or anecdote that illustrates this quality in action. The story you tell doesn’t have to be a dramatic; almost any topic can be crafted into a compelling essay, as long as it’s something you care about. Seemingly mundane topics are often the most memorable.
Explain how the story matters
Show how you’ve grown, changed, or learned as a result of what happened.
Edit, proofread, revise
You’ll likely go through many drafts. That’s ok; it’s part of the process. Reading your essay out loud is a great way to catch missing words or areas that aren’t working.
Come to the CCC or Writing Center, or show your essay to a teacher, friend, or parent for their input. The Writing Center is located in the Media Center and open Monday through Thursday from 3:15 to 6 p.m. No appointment necessary.
The CCC offers one-on-one essay help during lunch periods. Just walk in or sign up in advance by emailing for an appointment.
SAMPLE RESUME
See CCC website for template and resume tips. A resume is nothing more than a place to organize your high school experiences.
Susan Smith
Henry W. Grady High School, Class of 2017
123-456-7890 (mobile)
ACADEMICS
· GPA: 3.7
· Member of National Honor Society
· Honors and AP course work in English Literature, American Literature, American History, World History, and French
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
· The Southerner, award-winning student newspaper
Features Editor (12), Staff Writer and Photographer (10, 11)