Senior College & Career UnitMargaret Griffin, Last Names A-G, 907-260-7073,

mgriffin@kpbsd.k12.ak.usKaren Ruebsamen, Last Names H-M, 907-260-7074,

kruebsamen@kpbsd.k12.ak.usMegan Murphy, Last Names N-Z, 907-260-7059

mmurphy@kpbsd.k12.ak.usJade Mann, Career Lady, 907-283-2141

jmann@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

*Sign up for REMIND by texting@sohi2020to the number 81010

Day 1

• Info session

• Demo AKCIS log in, complete FA sort

• Demo PLCP update, update PLCP

• Work on scholarship folder-Show scholarship template and checklist to counselors by end of period for signatures/points.

Day 2

• Essay discussion

• Work time on essay

• Students submit essay into turnitin.com by end of period.

Counselor’s Corner on SOHI’s webpage

Counselor’s Corner on SOHI’s webpage(Forms, announcements, information)

Information

• Counselor’s Corner on SOHI’s website

• OneStop on KPBSD’s website

• Sign up to meet with your counselor if you have questions about the college application process.

KPC JumpStart Information for Juniors and Seniors

• Take the Accuplacer/ALEKS NOW! Call Student Services office at KPC 262-0330 to schedule an appointment

– Juniors/Seniors can take up to two classes each semester for the Jumpstart tuition rate.

– If students take 100 level or higher classes, worth 3 or more credits at KPC, they can get 1 full credit at SOHI.

Types of Postsecondary Options

1. Apprenticeship Programs (AK Teamsters, Local 751, IBEW, Ironworkers Union)

2. Flight Schools (Above Alaska Aviation, Alaska Float Ratings, Alyeska Helicopters)

3. Career, Technical, Vocational

4. Community College/Junior College

5. 4 year College/University

For more information, see page 10 in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

Considerations• Admissions Requirements

• Programs offered

• Size and location (rural vs. urban)

• Cost and financial aid

• Housing (and is it required for Frosh?)

• Employment rate after graduationFor more information, see page 11 in the

Postsecondary Advising Guide

Types of Applications and AdmissionsEarly Decision

• Apply in early fall

• Learn of the decision in December and accept or reject the offer in 2 weeks

• If accepted, must withdraw all other applications

• Nonrefundable deposit at the time of acceptance.

• Only do this if you are 100% certain

• Downside: must make a decision before financial picture is known.

Early Action

• Apply in the early fall

• Learn of the school’s decision to admit, decline, or defer by January 1

• Have until May to decide whether to accept or decline an offer

• May apply to other schools after hearing of the school’s decision

• Early action decisions are final, and declined applicants are not reconsidered.

Types of Admission cont.

Regular AdmissionsMost commonly used application processCheck with the college for their deadline. Rolling AdmissionsApply beginning in the fall of their senior year Decision is made as soon as the application is complete

Open AdmissionsAll qualified applicants are admitted (UA system)

Deferred Admissions• May defer attendance for up to one year allowing

time to travel, earn money or pursue a nonacademic interest.

• Be sure to double-check with the college to see if they allow this.

Wait List• Qualified candidates are placed on this list after a

school has accepted its allotment of applicants. • Waitlists are used to admit a student when fewer

accepted candidates enroll than expected.

Types of Admissions

Application Process

• Complete the application – take your time, make sure it is complete

• Plan ahead for letters of recommendation

• Meet deadlines

• Send your transcript and test scores

For more information, see page 14-15 in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

Narrow it down to 5-6

a. “Reach” colleges/universities – freshman profile exceeds your academic profile.

b. “Target” colleges/universities – freshman profile matches your academic profile.

c. “Safety” colleges/universities – Your profile exceeds their freshman profile.

For more information, see page 14-15 in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

Postsecondary Assessments

• PSAT, SAT/ACT, Accuplacer/ALEKS (UA), ASVAB (military), TABE (AVTEC)

• What is a “good score?” vs. National Averages (ACT 20-21, SAT 1060)

• FREE TEST PREP WEBSITES: www.act.orgwww.collegeboard.com www.khanacademy.org/satwww.number2.com www.testu.comhttps://www.prepfactory.com/

For more information, see pages 19-21 and 35 in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

School Visits

• Contact ahead of time

• Bring transcript and test scores

• Have your questions ready (See pages 7-8 in the Postsecondary Advising Guide)

• Visit the library, dorms, Counseling office, financial aid office, job centers

• Consider skyping, facetiming, etc…For more information, see page 18 in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

ATHLETES!NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA

• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) www.ncaa.org

• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) www.naia.org

• National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) http://www.njcaa.org

For more information, see pages 22-26 in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

NCAAwww.ncaa.org/student-athletes

http://web3.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jspNCAA will not be combining scores from the “old” SAT and the “new” SAT

What is WUE?• WUE (pronounced (“woo-wee”) offers reduced

nonresident tuition to residents in the West studying out-of-state at 160 public institutions in the region

• Eligible states and territories include:

Alaska Arizona California Colorado Hawai'i Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico

North Dakota Oregon South Dakota U.S. Pacific Territories and

Freely Associated States (currently CNMI and Guam)

Utah Washington Wyoming

How much is WUE tuition?

Resident = $10,872

WUE = $16,308(resident x 1.5)

Nonresident = $32,904

Tuition Savings = $16,596!! ($32,904 - $16,308)

WUE is 150%

of the enrolling

INSTITUTION’S

resident tuition

(sometimes less!)

For Example*:

*Estimates from University of Hawai'i, Manoa 2017 Tuition

How do I qualify for WUE?

Meet the institution’s

WUE requirements

Apply to a participating

institution

Be a residentof a WICHE

state

Applying for WUE

• There is not a general WUE application: Apply directly to the institution.

• Many of WICHE’s partner institutions use WUE as a merit scholarship. When you apply, look for:– Early deadlines or first-come, first-served programs

– Is a separate application required?

– Minimum GPA and SAT/ACT scores

– Restrictions on eligible majors (i.e.: University of Arizona only offers WUE for mining engineering)

Scholarship Portfolio and Applications• Check your Gmail for the Portfolio template (AKA

Academic resume)• Check your Gmail for scholarship notifications from

your counselors• Search OneStop on KPBSD• Search on www.akcis.org• Search on numerous scholarship websites (see page 33

of the Postsecondary Advising Guide)• Apply, Apply, Apply• For Alaska Schools, make sure you are APS eligible

http://acpe.alaska.gov/STUDENT-PARENT/Grants_Scholarships/Alaska_Performance_Scholarship

• For more information, see page 27in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

www.fastweb.com

Scholarship search

• Scholarship, Financial Aid, Etc…www.HighFiveScholarships.com, www.fastweb.com www.petersons.comwww.finaid.org www.cappex.comwww.brokescholar.com www.edfund.orgwww.fafsa.ed.gov www.scholarships.comwww.bigfuture.org www.chegg.comhttps://acpe.alaska.gov/ and don’t forget good old GOOGLE!!!

• For www.akcis.org (click the application tray in PowerSchool)

• Fill out the FAFSA starting as early as October 1of your senior year (based on prior year taxes)

• Attend our FAFSA completion workshops Oct 9th

and Nov 18th from 5:30-7:00pm in the library

• Contact the financial aid office at schools you are applying to.

For more information, see page 31in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

Financial Aid

Letters of Recommendation

• 3-5 (teachers, community members, boss, coach, principal, counselor)

• Ask ahead of time, not at the last minute

• Give them your personal profile/scholarship portfolio/academic resume (Brag sheet)

• Thank themFor more information, see page 33 in the Postsecondary

Advising Guide

Attend EventsPost Secondary Planning Night (AKA Senior Night)- Come find out about College search resources, timelines for juniors and seniors, an overview of federal and state financial aid programs, funding for postsecondary education goals, loans, and more! DATE: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 from 5:30-6:30pm in the Soldotna High School Library

Financial Aid Night – Come find out about FAFSA, other types of financial aid, grants, loans, and Scholarships. Monday, September 30, 2019. 5:30-6:30PM at SOHI Library. Director of Financial Aid from KPC will be a special guest speaker!!!

FAFSA Completion Workshops – Bring 2018 Tax info, fill out FAFSA, experts there to help. Wednesday, Oct 8th 5:30-7pm in the library and Monday, Nov 18th 5:30-7pm in the library.

Sixth Annual College and Career Fair at Kenai Central High School-Juniors and Seniors are strongly encouraged to attend. Representatives from over 40 colleges will be available to answer questions and provide information. DATE: October 15, 2019 TIME: 10:00am to 1:00pm.

http://akcis.intocareers.org/Compare schools feature (cost, housing, location, size)

Day 2 start here

• Essay discussion• Work on essays

End of period: * Print off scholarship template and turn in with checklist to counselors• Erfurth: Submit your essay into turnitin.com

for your teacher. • Hewitt:Submit your essay into turnitin.com

for your teacher.

The Essay….College ApplicationsScholarship Applications

• Start early (September)• Complete academic resume/portfolio using template in your Gmail• Brainstorm topics• Write 3-5 paragraph essays based on the prompts• Use completed portfolio/academic resume to apply for

scholarships• Change formatting as needed or cut/past to an online application• Change cover page for each scholarship• Modify essay if there is a specific prompt• Some scholarships are turned in to the counseling office• Some scholarships are turned in online

For more information, see page 28-30 in the Postsecondary Advising Guide

Essay Tips• Choose a topic that will highlight you.

– Do share your personal story and thoughts.

• Keep your focus narrow and personal– Don’t cover too many topics.

– Do focus on one aspect of yourself.

• Use your own voice– Don’t rely on phrases or ideas that people have used many times

before.

• Ask a teacher, or parent to proofread

--Don’t turn your essay in without proofreading it.

--Don’t rely on computer spell check to catch mistakes.

Essay 2 Critique

• The Writing –His sense of VOICE really comes through. There is no fluff, it is concise. Relationships can be a risky topic, but he enriches his application by talking about taking a risk, and overcoming fear.

• Final thoughts – Your personal essay should show that you can write well, but also help admissions folks and scholarship committee folks get to know the person behind the grades and test scores.

*Essay tips for writing a college essay

Work day

• Turn in Scholarship template with your check off sheet(have #1 and #2 initialed by an adult)

• Choose an essay prompt from Day #2 of your checklist, and begin writing your essay.

• Erfurth: Submit essay into turnitin.com by end of the class today.

• Hewitt: Submit essay into turnitin.com by end of the class today.

Attend EventsPost Secondary Planning Night (AKA Senior Night)- Come find out about College search resources, timelines for juniors and seniors, an overview of federal and state financial aid programs, funding for postsecondary education goals, loans, and more! DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 2019 from 5:30-6:30 pm in the Soldotna High School Library

Financial Aid Night – Come find out about FAFSA, other types of financial aid, grants, loans, and Scholarships. Monday, September 30, 2019. 5:30-6:30 PM at SOHI Library. Director of Financial Aid from KPC will be a special guest speaker!!!

FAFSA Completion Workshops – Bring 2018 Tax info, fill out FAFSA, experts there to help. Wednesday, Oct 9th 5:30-7pm in the library and Monday, Nov 18th 5:30-7pm in the library.

Sixth Annual College and Career Fair at Kenai Central High School-Juniors and Seniors are strongly encouraged to attend. Representatives from over 40 colleges will be available to answer questions and provide information. DATE: October 15, 2019 TIME: 10:00am to 1:00pm.

Questions?

SOHI School Counseling DepartmentMargaret Griffin, Last Names A-G, 907-260-7073, mgriffin@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Karen Ruebsamen, Last Names H-M, 907-260-7074, kruebsamen@kpbsd.k12.ak.usMegan Murphy, Last Names N-Z, 907-260-7059, mmurphy@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Jade Mann, Career Lady, 907-283-2141, jmann@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

*Sign up for REMIND by texting@sohi2020

to 81010

Day 1

• Info session

• Demo AKCIS log in, complete FA sort

• Demo PLCP update, update PLCP

• Work on scholarship folder-Show scholarship template and checklist to counselors by end of period for signatures/points.

Day 2

• Essay discussion

• Students work on essay-submit into turnitin.com before end of class