The Road to Higher Education

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Presented by:

Paula Kennedy

Retired, Division of Enrollment Management,

Southern Connecticut State University

Overview

• College Knowledge
• Your Search
• Questions to Ask College Representatives
• What Colleges/Universities look for in candidates for admission
• Tips
• Academic Support and Disability Services
• Financing
• Timeline
• Q&A

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College Knowledge

• Over 5,300 two and four-year colleges in the USA

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• College Degrees:
• Associate
• Bachelor
• Master
• Doctorate/Professional

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College knowledge cont.

• Types of Higher Education Institutions:
• Community Colleges
• Universities
• Liberal Arts Colleges
• Military Academies
• Single Gender
• Historically Ethnic (Black/Hispanic)
• Religious Affiliations
• Technical/Vocational

Your Search

• What type of student enrolls at the school? (Incoming class profiles can change from one year to the next)
• Academic programs of study; Internship/Co-op experiences; Job/Graduate School Placement Rate- ex-www.Bentley.edu
• What types of extra-curricular activities does the college/university offer? What percentage of students participate in them?
• **How can I arrange a campus visit? Are there any special visitation days/Open Houses/Preview Days?
• ***What are the application deadlines for admission***, financial aid/scholarships and on-campus housing?
• Is the college accredited? (Inquire about special programs with accrediting agencies) for example- nursing, business, athletic training-pre-professional certification or licensure requirements.
• Dual Admission Process? When you are admitted to a college or university are you ALSO admitted to the Major Program of Study you are interested in OR is there a 2^nd Admission Process for that Program?
• What documents are required to apply to the college(s)? Is there a preference for documents to be submitted online? Is the Common Application accepted/preferred/required? Are standardized test scores optional? What about an on-campus interview?
• Disability Services and Support

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Admission post the COVID-19 ERA��

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• You need to be flexible
• Use Naviance to do a “Super Match” search with your school counselor to find schools you should be looking at
• Cast a “big net”
• Keep your grades up-(Algebra 2 is the first course admissions counselors see on a high school transcript)
• Think about who you want to write your recommendations (3 is recommended-2 academic/teacher and 1 school counselor)
• SAT Prep if you have time now or the summer before senior year
• Test Optional/Test Blind-what do these policies mean?
• From Bentley University’s website Q&A “In our test optional year, the primary academic focus will be on your secondary school curriculum and grades. Our holistic review of your application includes learning about you through your essay, teacher/guidance counselor recommendations, your extracurricular activities and other commitments. With respect to academics, we want to see how you challenged yourself in relation to the classes offered by your school and how you performed in those classes. If submitted, we will evaluate test scores separately from your classroom performance and will only consider test scores if they have a positive impact on the evaluation process”.
• https://www.fairtest.org/

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Applying Early: Is it right for you?�

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• Three main types of early admission plans
• All three require you apply in October or November
• All plans give you an early decision (December or January)

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• Early Decision plans: (ED)-You can apply to only one ED college. If you are admitted and the institution offers ‘enough’ financial aid, you MUST go to that college. That is why these plans are called ‘binding’.

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• Early Action plans: (EA)-You can apply to more than one EA college. If you’re accepted, you can say yes immediately, or wait until the spring to decide; you can also decline the offer.

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• Single-choice Early Action Plans: You can apply early to only one college. Otherwise, these plans work the same as other early action plans.

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Source-CollgeBoard.org

What Admission Counselors are looking at and evaluating

• Strong Academic Background
• SAT/ACT-Test Optional
• Extracurricular Activities
• Recommendations
• Factors to Consider
• Self-expression
• Leadership skills
• Part-time work/Comm. service

opportunities

• Level of interest
• Special talents
• Summer adventures

Tips

• Know how your school counseling office operates
• Self-analysis
• Do NOT text write
• Stay on top of where you are in the process/be organized/Deadlines are important!
• Student should make the calls/send emails
• Document your student IDs and usernames/passwords/Most institutions use an online student portal to communicate with students and parents.
• Visit/record impressions

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Congratulations! You’ve been Accepted! Next Steps…

How Much will it cost??�

• Direct Costs� Tuition� Fees� Room/Board
• Indirect Costs
• Room/Board
• Travel
• Books/Supplies

Financial aid-FAFSA and CSS Profile (based on need)

Gift Assistance

• Grants
• Scholarships
• Local Awards

Self-Help

• Loans
• Work Study

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)=

Cost of Attendance – Resources = Need

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*Most high schools host a financial aid planning night in October*.

2024–25 FAFSA Roadmap

The 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) includes unprecedented changes to how students and families apply for federal student aid and how we determine eligibility, giving students a better and simpler experience with the FAFSA form. Improvements include a direct data exchange with the IRS for income data elements, a new “Who’s My Parent?” wizard, and a single consolidated portal for all FAFSA help resources.

To help ensure that students and families—and the partners critical to getting student aid dollars into the hands of students—are best prepared for a successful 2024–25 FAFSA cycle, we have launched the Better FAFSA Better Future Roadmap.

US Department of Education, December 2023

Road To college timeline

• Meet with your school counselor to discuss office procedures and generate a list of schools to consider
• **Visit schools during the spring and summer (Jr year) and summer/early fall of your senior year**
• Take the SAT 2x –State Administration will be in March/2024 (You may also take the ACT)
• Finish researching colleges by early October-senior year
• Complete applications by Thanksgiving-DEADLINES
• File required financial aid forms beginning October 1^st senior year; Research + apply for scholarships beginning early January
• Review financial aid awards prior to May 1^st confirmation deadline
• Investigate alternative loan options mid-April
• Monitor grades-ongoing!!
• Re-visit the colleges to which you have been admitted (if possible)
• Deposit to the college of your choice by May 1^st

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Questions??

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Paula Kennedy

Emeritus Administrator Retired, Division of Enrollment Management

Southern Connecticut State University

kennedyp1@southernct.edu

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Casey Rowe, School Counselor Old Saybrook HS

crowe@oldsaybrookschools.org

Chris Perras, School Counselor, Old Saybrook HS

cperras@oldsaybrookschools.org

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