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Class of 2027 Junior Post-Secondary Launch: Part I

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Your college and post-secondary planning journey is about to begin!

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AGENDA

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Today

  • Choosing a path
  • College admissions
  • Developing your list of possible colleges
  • College application timeline

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Week of April 9th:

  • April 25th ACT information
  • College search in Xello

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OUTLINE OF EVENTS

  • Today: Career & College planning introduction
  • April 13th: Part 2! (ACT info and college search)
  • April 14th: College Planning Night (6:00-8:00pm)
  • April 24th: ACT-for-All at WHS
  • Summer: College research, work on application essay
  • Nov 1st: Many early college applications due
  • December: Financial aid and scholarship applications
  • January-March 2027: Admissions decisions received
  • May 1, 2027: Student makes decision

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PATHWAYS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Today!

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SIGN UP FOR A CAREER INFO SESSION!

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ADMISSIONS 101

  • Factors:
    • GPA
    • ACT
    • Other
      • Gender
      • Ethnicity
      • Geography
      • Unique talent
      • Legacy factor

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    • Rigor
    • Essays
    • LORs (Letters of Recommendation)
    • Activities
    • Interviews
    • Level of interest

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TRANSCRIPT AND TEST SCORES

  • GPA is unweighted
    • Admissions offices re-calculate
    • Counselors send an evaluation of rigor
    • WHS uses decile ranking (no class rank)

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  • ACT/SAT
    • Why? It is standardized.
    • FYI: You can take it multiple times
    • Fee waivers are available for eligible students
    • There is online registration help in CCC
    • Test preparation available on Washburn website

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INITIAL COLLEGE SEARCH

  • Start broad, then funnel down
  • Do not eliminate options based on cost
    • Be aware, but consider all options
    • FAFSA estimators, Net Price Calculators
  • No “right/wrong,” just different priorities
    • Rank priorities

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Remember that parents and students

may have different priorities…

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  • Determine your priorities—use checklist, use what you know!
    • 2-year vs. 4-year
    • Proximity
    • Cost
    • Size
    • Majors
    • Academic Profile
    • Location
    • Public/private

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DEVELOPING YOUR LIST

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  • Other things to look for…
    • Religious affiliation
    • Social life
      • Extracurriculars
      • Character of campus
      • Fraternities and sororities
      • Residential vs. commuter
    • Student Support
    • Graduation Rate

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DEVELOPING YOUR LIST

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DEVELOPING YOUR LIST

  • Even more to look for…
    • Diversity
    • Research/Internship Opportunities/Unique Programs
    • Study Abroad
    • Co-ed or not?
    • Scholarship Opportunities
      • Merit-based
      • Need-based

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DEVELOPING YOUR LIST

Visit campuses!

  • Set up your visit through a school’s admissions office.
  • You can usually register online
  • If you are unsure of what you want, visit a variety of schools!
  • Project Success offers free college tours in the fall and winter (and spring break!)

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  • During the school year is best

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  • Get past the pretty pictures
  • See it in person

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WHEN?

WHAT TO DO?

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  • Classes
  • Tours
  • Talk with Students
  • Eat on campus
  • Meet with coaches

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  • Take a lesson
  • Overnights
  • See the local area
  • ASK QUESTIONS!

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WHY?

VISITING THE CAMPUS

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Build a balanced list:

  • We suggest you have 5-7 schools that include:
    • Reach
        • Less than 30% chance of admission
    • Target
        • 30%- 60% chance of admission
    • Likely
        • 60%-90% chance of admission
  • Are you a good fit? (educational, personal, social, financial)
  • You should have at least 1 “Target” or “Likely” school in Minnesota

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DEVELOPING YOUR LIST

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SPRING THROUGH SUMMER

    • Start searching
      • Use online tools including Xello
      • Build a tentative list
    • Re-take the ACT?
    • Some, but not all, schools require essays and LOR’s
      • Example: UMN and MNSCU schools don’t require LOR’s
    • If you are plan to use Common App, look at essays
    • Consider teachers you may ask for LOR’s in the fall
    • Check out Net Price Calculators on college websites
    • Register with NCAA Clearinghouse if applicable (athletes)
    • First glance at scholarships

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COLLEGE SEARCH

There are many resources available to you!

    • Xello Explore
      • Useful tool for searching different colleges based on criteria that you choose. Reminder you can “like” a school and it gets added to your list for easy reference.
    • BigFuture.Collegeboard.org/college-search
      • Another great tool to search colleges based on a wide variety of criteria. PLUS🡪 “See similar colleges”
    • Collegeresults.org
      • If you have a pretty clear idea of what you want already, you can find very similar schools using this website.
    • College Planning Resources
      • College Planning Workbook
    • Niche

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REP VISITS

  • Washburn invites many colleges, career and military representatives to visit students.
  • All visits take place in the CCC, room #107
  • Students sign up for visits ahead of time in CCC Upcoming Events
  • You will receive a yellow pass from the CCC the day of your visit the hour prior to your visit
  • You must get your pass signed by the teacher’s class you are missing before the visit starts.
  • PLEASE NOTE: It is up to the teacher

whether you are able to miss class.

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SIGNING UP FOR VISITS

  • Signing Up for Rep Visits
    • Go to CCC Upcoming Events doc
    • Click on event you want to attend
    • Fill out quick Google form
    • Receive pass on day of event to get signed by teacher!

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Upcoming CCC Events Doc

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SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER

  • Finalize your list of schools
  • Begin to apply and stay on top of deadlines!
    • Most Early Action deadlines are between November 1 and December
  • Retake the ACT, if you want to
  • Meet with college reps in CCC
  • Go to college fairs
  • Visit colleges over MEA break
  • Do your FAFSA or MN Dream Act to maximize amount of free money you can get!

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WINTER THROUGH SPRING

  • December-January:
    • Finish regular decision applications
  • February-March:
    • Receive accept/deny notices from colleges
    • Apply for private scholarships
  • Spring Break 2027:
    • Make final visits to colleges if needed
  • May 1, 2027:
    • Final decision

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FALL OF SENIOR YEAR

We will be presenting pertinent information to seniors next year

  • Applications
    • Types, Deadlines
    • Working with your counselor– Senior Meetings
  • Gathering Information
    • Meeting Reps, Visits, Fairs
  • Financial Aid
  • Scholarships

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RECAP

  • Many options for post-secondary/college
  • Start researching potential schools
  • Make a list
  • Check out the campuses and talk to reps
  • Use your support systems (parents, teachers, school counselors, etc.)

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SIGN UP FOR A CAREER PANEL

https://bit.ly/WHSCCCEvents

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