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Junior Parent/Guardian Evening

Paul V. Genovese

Postsecondary Counselor

Junior Spring Core

Paul Genovese

College Career Counselor

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Welcome Junior Families

Goals

Work together as a family
Big investment
Big decision
A new chapter for your son or daughter
Choices
Timeline
Standardized testing

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Goals

For families to be prepared - timeline of events

For families to be informed consumers

For families to work together

Make good choices & decisions

Develop a game plan

Ultimate goal: “RIGHT FIT”

To give an overview of the next 12 months

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Review Fresh. - Jr. year
Low stress-fun and exciting
Main goal

Explore
Research
gather information

It’s a process...one day at a time
Not an exact science
Time consuming part is now
Top of funnel

Timeline:

January - August

(8 months)

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By August 12th

(1st day of school)

Sr. Yr. Preview - Apply!

Know the 5-8 schools to which you are applying
Choices with 5-8 schools
Make it manageable
Don’t exclude school based on cost
Sr. Core/Parent Night - Application Process

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Establish a - PLAN
Stay - ORGANIZED
Know your - GOALS

6th semester grades AND

Senior year course selection

Standardized Testing

ACT/SAT

Opportunities...

What To Do Now

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How To Explore

Campus Visits - holidays, institute days, spring break, and summer break!
Naviance/Website (college searches & personality inventory)
Appointment with counselor or me
Family discussions
Junior Core - January Junior check-In - March Summer Send-Off - May
First Generation College Trip daytime field trip - Thursday, March 5th
Essay Writing Workshop April 28 (tentative) @ BGHS
Evening events:
- Gap Year Program 12:00pm- Saturday, January 25th @ NTHS

- “Options” Night 7:00 pm - Tuesday, February 25th @ FVEC

- “Junior Financial Aid” Night 7:00 pm - Thursday, March 12th @ RMHS

- “D214 College Fair” 6:30 pm - Tuesday, March 31st @ FVEC

- “Honors Program” Night 7:00 pm - Thursday, April 16th @ FVEC

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Campus Visits

Never go to a school sight unseen
Picture is worth a thousand words
Spring/Fall vs. Summer
Meet with the Dean of…
Sit in on a Psychology class
4 hours minimum
Eat lunch on campus (student union)
Talk with students
Pick up a school newspaper
Tour entire campus & community
Questions to ask - on website

and packet

Overall atmosphere: type of student

collaborative or competitive

Major or Pathway

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Choices

What is your Pathway(s)?
Declare a major by sophomore year
Have a lot of interests
Know yourself:

- abilities

- interests

- values

- experiences

Natural selection
BGHS has been working on helping students narrow down their career pathways since freshman year

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Private

Liberal Arts based or
Technology based or
Specialty based
Small - Medium (1,000-10,000 enrollment)
Liberal - Selective admissions
Conservative-liberal atmosphere
Religious or Christian based
Look at the “whole student”
Cost

Public (12 in Illinois)

Regional/Comprehensive
Medium - Large (10,000-40,000 enrollment)
Liberal - Selective admissions
Admissions based on academics
Cost

CHOICES: BACHELOR DEGREE = 4 YEARS

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Private (Lincoln College & Kirkwood College)

Open enrollment - still need ACT for placement
Transfer to 4 year or seek full-time employment
Residential

Public (Harper College)

Open enrollment - still need ACT for placement
Transfer to 4 year or seek full-time employment
Commuter/District 214, 211, 220

CHOICES: ASSOCIATES DEGREE = 2 YEARS

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Bad Reasons

Think it is just like high school
Do not know what else to do
Think it is going to be easier than a 4 year school
Did not apply anywhere else

Good Reasons

Improve grades
Maturity
Cost
Family commitments
Fresh start
Ease into transition
Undecided career path

CHOICES: ASSOCIATES DEGREE = 2 YEARS

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Choices: Miscellaneous

More selective school does not = better education
What kind of learner are you?
What it takes to get in but what does it take to get out?
Meet with your academic advisor 1 time per semester
Seek a major/career that you enjoy (30+ years in your working career)
Social media leaves a digital footprint…
Be your own advocate

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Academic requirements
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Composite ACT/SAT
Distance from home
Cost
Diversity (cultural/geographic)
Size of campus
Type of community
Faculty
Retention rate
NCAA - Division I, II, & III
Activities
Internship opportunities
**MAJOR**

“RIGHT FIT”

Selection Criteria

What your family is looking for in college

*comprehensive on website

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#3 Non-Academics

Essay/Personal Statement
Letter of recommendations (Teacher/Counselor)
Activities - How colleges view them (quality vs. quantity)
Level of interest
Interview
Deadline dates

#1 Transcript

Freshman - Junior year
Current senior year courses in progress
Rigor of your senior year
Overall level of difficulty
Grades in core courses
Cumulative GPA

“Right Fit” What Colleges Look At

#2 Standardized Test Scores

ACT
SAT

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Testing

SAT or ACT
Take SAT/ACT more than one time - 55% chance to increase score

Advantage to send multiple scores to schools
Score choice
Superscore
Look at the highest score

Writing section does not affect composite score
State SAT in school in April
National Test Dates - Register via website & take writing section (insurance)
SAT - Reading, Writing/Lang., Math (Optional Essay)

SAT score range 400 - 1600

ACT - Reading, English, Science, Math (Optional Writing)

ACT score range 1 - 36

No penalty for guessing both exams
Send scores now for free vs. fall for a fee

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Testing: Admissions Decisions

Categories of Schools ACT Scores SAT Scores

Open 17 - 21 920 - 1090

Liberal 20 - 24* 1030 - 1190

Traditional 23 - 27* 1130 - 1290

Selective 26 - 30 1230 - 1380

Very Selective 29 - 36 1330 - 1600

*Most Illinois public schools

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Summer To Do

ꪚ Continue visiting colleges.

ꪚ Take additional ACT or SAT if desired.

ꪚ Begin drafting essays or personal statements and activity resume

ꪚ Start brainstorming what teachers you want to ask to write letters of recommendations.

ꪚ Before Fall starts have a list of colleges you are applying to.

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The Admission Game…

Bison University