CLASS OF 2011 PLANNING YOUR FUTURE

CLASS OF 2011 PLANNING YOUR FUTURE CONGRATULATIONS YOU ARE A SENIOR!!!!!!!! ALLATOONA HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE COUNSELORS 770-975-6503 DAWN NEELY MOLLY REAM KRISTI TURNER DEBBIE SANSING A D E - L M - S T Z AHS Code 110057 1

COUNTDOWN TO GRADUATION August December Have you taken the SAT/ACT or ASSET/COMPASS exam.why not?? Were your scores high enough to gain admission to the school of your choice? SAT registration: www.collegeboard.com ACT registration: www.act.org Asset / Compass exam locations & practice tests: Chattahoochee Technical College: http://www.chattcollege.com/admissions/testing.php Georgia Highlands: http://www.highlands.edu/academics/academicaffairs/success/assessment/compassplace menttest.htm *********************************** Create an account on www.gacollege411.org View your preliminary HOPE transcript information Begin your college and scholarship application process Send transcript to colleges (Transcripts can be requested through the counseling office (First one is free $2.00 for each additional) or you can send them directly from your www.gacollege411.org account) Attend A College Fair: Marietta High School Thursday Sept 16 th 6:30pm 8:30pm Town Center (Mall) Tuesday Sept 28 th 6:00pm 9:00pm Hiram HS (Paulding Co) Wednesday Nov 3 rd 6:00pm 8:00pm Cherokee HS Monday Nov 8 th 6:00pm 8:00pm Continue researching scholarships (Watch for the Buccaneer Beat Newsletter) Continue your career and college major searches (Stop by the Career Center) January February Apply for HOPE and Free Federal Aid by completing BOTH the FAFSA Application & GSFAPPS Application (both can be found on www.gacollege411.org ). May GRADUATE!!!!!!!!!!!! 2

#1 WEBSITE FOR COLLEGES, CAREERS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID www.gacollege411.org ADDITIONAL CAREER INFORMATION: www.careercruising.com user name: allatoona password: buccaneers www.careers.org www.myfuture.com www.bls.gov/oco/ www.militarycareers.com http://www.mappingyourfuture.org ADDITIONAL COLLEGE SEARCH INFORMATION: www.collegesource.org www.campustours.com www.search4college.com www.universities.com Athletics: https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP / FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION: www.fafsa.ed.gov (HOPE APPLICATION) www.fastweb.com www.salliemae.com www.college-scholarships.com www.scholarshipexperts.com www.guaranteed-scholarships.com www.schoolsoup.com www.uncf.org www.collegesavings.org www.hsf.net www.atlantascholarships.com www.meritaid.com www.scholarships.com 3

Applying to College 1. College Entrance Exams Take the appropriate College Entrance Exam 1) University or College Admission**: SAT Scholastic Assessment Test www.collegeboard.com or ACT American College Test www.act.org or www.actstudent.org **Georgia Two year colleges have currently eliminated the SAT/ACT requirement for eligibility. 2) Career/Technical College Admission: ASSET - Assessment of Skills for Successful Entry and Transfer www.act.org **Can be taken either through specific career classes in high school or at a Technical College. Sample test questions: http://act.org/compass/sample/index.html 2. College Applications Submit your college application EARLY IN THE FALL OF YOUR SENIOR YEAR. ****** COLLEGES PREFER ON-LINE APPLICATIONS****** When you apply on-line or by paper copy, unless the school advises you differently, you MUST send a transcript to the schools that you are applying to. (Transcripts can be requested through the counseling office (First one is free - $2.00 for each additional) or you can send them directly from your www.gacollege411.org account) YOU MUST ALSO SUBMIT A FINAL TRANSCRIPT ONCE GRADES ARE POSTED (end of May) (Again, transcripts can be requested through the counseling or you can send them directly from your www.gacollege411.org account) IT IS YOUR RESPONSBILITY TO REMEMBER TO ORDER AND SEND A FINAL TRANSCRIPT (THIS IS NOT DONE AUTOMATICALLY) Some colleges and scholarships will request a recommendation from a teacher and/or counselor. You must give your teacher and/or counselor at least two weeks notice if you need a recommendation. WATCH YOUR DEADLINES. There is a form in the back of this packet that you will need to complete and turn into your teacher and/or counselor when requesting a recommendation letter. Absences for college visits are unexcused. Students may fill out the Senior College Visit form in the Attendance Office when they plan to visit a prospective college or university, and it is the student s responsibility to inform his/her teacher in a advance of the absence. 4

College Admissions Glossary of Terms Regular Decision: Submit an application by a specified deadline and receive a decision by a specified date. Rolling Decision: This means that once an application has been submitted and all necessary credentials have been received, the applicant will be notified by letter of an admission decision. Qualified students are accepted until classed are filled. Please check with the colleges of your choice deadlines vary from school to school. Early Action: Students who apply under a college s Early Action Plan receive a decision earlier than the standard response date BUT are NOT required to accept the admission offer or to make a deposit prior to May 1. Check with individual colleges to determine if the college you are applying to offers an early action plan. Early Decision: Allows you to apply early and get an admission decision from the college well in advance of the usual notification date. There is a catch. Early decision plans are binding, which means if you apply as an Early Decision candidate, you agree to attend the college IF they accept you and offer you an adequate financial aid package. If you are accepted by your first choice college, you must withdraw all other applications. COLLEGE ESSAY TIPS Be unique Let your personality shine through Proof-read, Proof-read, Proof-read Let someone else (parent, mentor, teacher) read for appropriateness or mistakes If a topic is provided, be sure not to stray stay on topic Let your essay be the one that the reader wants to read again AND MOST OF ALL. If the college does not want a teacher recommendation, DO NOT include one. 5

Financial Aid WANT TO KNOW IF YOU QUALITY FOR HOPE FUNDS TO GO TO COLLEGE?? YOU MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING STEPS: 1. Create an account on www.gacollege411.org A few points to remember: Follow all directions on screens 1, 2 & 3. Please note that college officials will see your user name ~ create a name that is appropriate. Do not forget to include your Social Security Number. SAVE your profile. 2. Follow these steps: Click on the GREEN FINANCIAL AID tab at the top of www.gacollege411.org Follow the links to complete BOTH Complete the FAFSA AND the GSFAPPS forms These forms can be accessed anytime between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011 A FAFSA on the web worksheet can be picked up in the counseling office The FAFSA requires your parent s income tax information from the previous tax year (2010) Print a copy of your completed applications for your records. The Buccaneer Beat Newsletter will include additional scholarship information and will be distributed periodically through senior homerooms and can be found on the AHS website. Limited scholarship applications can be obtained in the College and Career Center. Please refer to Georgia Student Finance Commission (www.gsfc.org) for additional HOPE information and questions. If you have any questions, please see your Counselor. 6

SAT www.collegeboard.com The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities Test Dates Regular Deadlines LATE Deadlines ($47.00) ($71.00) October 9, 2010 September 10, 2010 September 24, 2010 November 6, 2010 October 8, 2010 October 22, 2010 December 4, 2010 November 5, 2010 November 19, 2010 January 22, 2011 December 23, 2010 January 7, 2011 March 12, 2011 February 11, 2011 February 25, 2011 May 7, 2011 April 8, 2011 April 22, 2011 ********************************************************************************************************* ACT www.act.org The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student learned in school Test Dates Regular Deadlines LATE Deadlines ($48.00) ($69.00) September 11, 2010 August 6, 2010 August 20, 2010 October 23, 2010 September 17, 2010 October 1, 2010 December 11, 2010 November 5, 2010 November 19, 2010 February 12, 2011 January 7, 2011 January 21, 2011 April 9, 2011 March 4, 2011 March 18, 2011 June 11, 2011 May 6, 2011 May 20, 2011 ALLATOONA HIGH SCHOOL CODE: 110057 The SAT is more of an aptitude test ~ testing reasoning and verbal abilities. The ACT is an achievement test ~ measuring what a student has learned in school. 7

What is a top score / national average? How is the test scored? What is you miss a question? What is the test structure? What is the content? SAT vs. ACT 2400 36 2370 35 2280 34 2205 33 2130 32 2070 31 2010 30 1950 29 1890 28 1830 27 1770 26 1710 25 1665 24 1605 23 1545 22 1485 21 1425 20 1365 19 1305 18 1245 17 1170 16 1110 15 1020 14 SAT 2400 is perfect 1500 is the national average 200 800 points per section, added together for a combined score You lose ¼ point for each incorrect answer, so don t guess blindly Ten Sections: 3 Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing, and 1 experimental. The experimental section is masked to look like a regular section Math: Up to 9 th grade basic geometry and algebra II Reading: sentence completions, short and long critical reading passages and reading comprehension Writing: an essay, and questions testing grammar, usage, and word choice ACT 36 is perfect 20 is the national average 1 36 points per subject, averaged together for a composite score. There is no penalty for guessing, so don t leave any blank Five Sections: English, Math, Reading and Science, & Writing. An experimental section is added to tests on certain dates only, and is clearly experimental Math: up to trigonometry Science: charts & experiments Reading: four passages, one each of social science, natural science, prose fiction, and humanities English: stresses grammar Writing: an essay 8

HOPE SCHOLARSHIP The HOPE Scholarship offers tuition, HOPE-approved mandatory fees, and a book allowance at any Georgia Public 2 year college or 4 year university (Please check www.gsfc.org for information regarding Private Colleges). In order to be eligible for the HOPE scholarship, students MUST graduate with a CORE GPA of 3.0 - ALL English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Languages are calculated as CORE classes for HOPE calculations (Pass or Fail). Students must be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen and meet HOPE Georgia s residency requirements (check www.gacollege411.org for more details about residency questions). Apply by completing the FAFSA @ www.fafsa.ed.gov and GSFAPPS on www.gacollege411.org HOPE GRANT The HOPE Grant covers tuition, HOPE-approved mandatory fees, and a book allowance for anyone enrolled in a technical certificate or diploma program at an eligible public postsecondary institution in Georgia. This Grant is offered to Georgia Residents (12 months or longer) regardless of graduation date or grade point average. The HOPE Grant will pay for 95 quarter hours of study. Apply by completing the FAFSA @ www.fafsa.ed.gov and GSFAPPS on www.gacollege411.org 9

United States Armed Forces http://www.goarmy.com U.S. Army 1.800.USA.ARMY The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States Armed Forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. It is generally considered one of the most technologically advanced and best-trained armies in the world. http://www.1-800-go-guard.com Army National Guard 1.800.GO.GUARD The federal mission of the Army National Guard is to be prepared to be called to active duty as a reserve of the Army. The U.S. Constitution designates a second mission to each state's National Guard. Upon mobilization, the state Guard comes under the control of the Army. http://www.navy.com U.S. Navy 1.800.USA.NAVY The United States Navy is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is to maintain, train, and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas. The U.S. Navy plays an important role in helping to maintain the freedom of the United States. The Navy defends the right to travel and trade freely on the world's oceans and protects our country and national interested overseas during times of international conflict. The Navy is a large and diverse organization. They serve on ships at sea, on submarines under the sea, in aviation positions on land and sea and at shore bases around the world. http://www.airforce.com U.S. Air Force 1.800.423.USAF The United States Air Force is the aerospace branch of the United States Armed Forces. The USAF is the largest and most technologically advanced modern air force in the world. The U.S. Air Force defends the United States through control and exploitation of air and space. The Air Force flies and maintains aircraft, such as long-range bombers, supersonic fighters, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft and many others to protect the interests of America and American allies. http://www.marines.com U.S. Marine Corps 1.800.MARINES The United States Marine Corp is a branch of the United States Armed Forces that is responsible for providing power projection from the sea, utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined arms forces around the globe. Along with the Navy, the USMC falls under the United States Department of the Navy. The U.S. Marine Corps has grown to become one of the most elite fighting forces in the world. Training programs offer challenging and progressive skill development with emphasis on the development of mental strength and physical prowess. http://www.gocoastguard.com U.S. Coast Guard 1.800.424.8883 The U.S. Coast Guard mission is to protect America's coastlines and inland waterways by enforcing customs and fishing laws, combating drug smuggling, conducting search and rescue missions, maintaining light houses and promoting boat safety. The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Transportation and in times of war, may be commissioned to the Department of Defense under the command of the Navy. 10

MUST BE RETURNED TO YOUR COUNSELOR Senior Biography Name: (Last, First) Today s Date Fall Semester: My Senior Year Courses: Spring Semester: 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. 4. 4. Top three school choices: / / If applying to colleges, are you applying: Early Action (non-binding) Early Decision (binding) Rolling Regular Admissions Will you be applying for Scholarship(s)? Yes No 1. Academic and Career Goals and Interests: 2. High School Honors/Awards that I have won: (Award name/year(s) Won) 3. Extracurricular Activities/Club Memberships/Sports: Activity # Hrs/Week # Years Participated Leadership Positions 4. List five words that describe you best: 11

Senior Biography Page 2 5. Describe your Community Involvement or Community Service: 6. Describe any paid or unpaid work experience? (Dates of Employment/Job Description) 7. Describe your strengths and weaknesses? 8. How do you react to setbacks and disappointments? 9. A story that describes my uniqueness: 10. How do your grades in high school reflect upon your abilities? Office Use: Received: Biography Completed Transcript Requested Teacher/Counselor Form Received Counselor Reccomendation Letter Requested 12

Parent Worksheet Student Name Briefly describe your son/daughter, including outstanding or unusual qualities. (anecdotes are very helpful in distinguishing your child from others!) List any events or experiences you feel have significantly influenced him/her. List some activities your son/daughter has always enjoyed. At present, what do you see as his/her strengths and weaknesses (academic and personal)? Describe anything in particular about your son/daughter you feel the college should be made aware of. Please address any special considerations that affect the decision of where to apply/attend college. 13

FOR SCHOOL COUNSELING USE ONLY! THIS FORM IS NOT SENT TO COLLEGES AND/OR UNIVERSITIES. ***The teacher completing the form should return it directly to the office of school counseling. Please give this form to a teacher who knows you well. Student Name Teacher 1. What are this student s strengths? 2. What makes this student different from other students that you teach? 3. Please share any other thoughts, observations or feelings that would help me to better understand this student. Continue on back if needed. 4. According to your professional judgment, please rate this student to their peers in this graduating class. No Basis for Judgment Academic Potential Academic Achievement Willingness to go beyond the minimum Co-curricular involvement Commitment to service Ability to interact with different groups Positive impact at school Character & integrity Maturity Disciplined work habits Respect accorded by faculty Respect accorded by peers Self-confidence Initiative Overall Below Average Average Above Average (top 25%) Excellent (top 15%) Outstanding (top 5%) 14