GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT STEP

PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT TRANSCRIPTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, LETTER OF REC FORMS, AND TESTING INFO

HTTP://TEACHERSITES.SCHOOLWORLD.COM/WEBPAGES/OHSCOUNSELING

Senior Year…What you need to

know

Options After High School

Wisconsin Technical Colleges 54% of Wisconsin jobs in the next decade will require a technical education

Technical College Effect

Top 20 Careers for WI Tech Grads

Apply early Technical Colleges fill on a first come, first serve basis ~ Oct. 1st – WITC begins accepting

applications Submit application (paper or online application) and payment to college

WI Tech Colleges $30.00 per application Request transcripts electronically through Parchment

Parchment – www.parchment.com Pay online with credit card ($2.75 per transcript)

No letters of recommendation or applicant statement needed

Minnesota Two-Year Colleges www.mnscu.edu Submit application, application fee $20.00, and transcripts No letters of recommendation or applicant statement needed

Entrance exams for 2 year colleges ~ Accuplacer, Compass, or ACT

Options After High School

Community College – Accessible and Affordable!

13 UW College 2-year campuses www.uwc.edu Lowest tuition in the UW System ($5175/year) UW Barron County is the closest UW 2 year campus to us

They have student housing – Glenwood Commons• Rent is $350-$400 per month

Apply at https://apply.wisconsin.edu/ UW System Application Pay $44.00 application fee Request transcripts using www.parchment.com Have taken the ACT

Minnesota 2 year colleges www.mnscu.edu Century College ~ closest 2 year community college in Minnesota Tuition is more affordable ($5375/year) Submit application, application fee $20.00, transcripts

Options After High School

4 Year College/University 13 – 4 year UW System Campuses

UW Superior is the smallest campus with 350 incoming freshmen and 2,700 total students

UW Madison is the largest campus with 42,800 students Competitive ~ 30,000 applicants and 14,00o students admitted

Best disability services available at UW Oshkosh, US Stevens Point, and UW Whitewater

Tuition ranges from UW Parkside at $7326 to UW Madison at $10,410 Major Mania majormania.uwex.edu

Search over 4,400 majors in the UW System

23 - Wisconsin Private Colleges located throughout the state WI Private Colleges Direct entry/admit into programs of study Smaller class sizes More personal attention from the faculty Better chance of graduating in 4 years ~ 4 year graduation guarantees Average WI Private, non profit College freshman financial aid package is made up[ of 75%

grants

How to Apply to a 4 Year College/University

Apply early (Earliest priority deadline is November 3rd (Madison) in the UW System) UW System Colleges began reviewing applications on September 15th

Complete and submit online application UW Schools - https://apply.wisconsin.edu Go to college websites to find online applications Applications are not complete unless all materials are received by the university. Applications will

be reviewed once all your materials arrive. (Application, application fee, transcripts, and ACT scores).

Pay the application fee UW System application fee per school ~ $44.00 Pay online with credit card Fee waivers available, see counselor

Request Transcripts Electronically through Parchment www.parchment.com Pay online with credit card ($2.75 per transcript) Fee waivers available, see counselor

ACT Scores must be sent to the college/university Unofficial ACT Scores are on your high school transcript Official ACT/SAT scores must be sent directly to the university from the testing company (UW

Green Bay, UW La Crosse, UW Madison and UW Platteville)

Applicant Statements

Answer all the questions 1 page is usually enough, they are not looking for a novel What inspires you, why are you focused on a particular area of

study, why do you want to attend this university, or any other personal information that should be taken into consideration or is not already included in your application materials

Don’t use the name of a wrong university in statement Explain your academic performance, low grades on transcripts

and/or special circumstances Disclose a disability (optional) Explain why you took certain classes instead of academic cores Well written, organized, grammatically correct, and proofed English teachers are a great resource

Letters of Recommendation

Only send letters of recommendation if: They are required for the application If you are on the bubble (not meeting admission requirements, but close) If you are on a postponed list at a college

Send letters from: Core academic/college prep teachers (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign

Language) Have teachers explain how you are academically different from others and what your

chances are of being successful in college Ask teachers in subjects that you struggle in and have the teacher explain how you

overcame your obstacles in the subject area Do not use coaches, principals, counselors, or employers as colleges want to hear about

your academic abilities from your teachers

Forms available on the guidance website Letter of Recommendation Request Form

Give teachers 2 weeks notice to complete your letter of recommendation

Write a thank you note to the letter writer

Information about Applying

Senior grades DO COUNT! Finish strong. Admission to a 4 year college/university is conditional. If you fail a required course – admission can be rescinded If your grades drop – admission can be rescinded If you change your senior schedule – admission can be rescinded

Senior schedule changes Take care of 2nd semester schedule changes now as you will have to report your senior

schedule on college applications. Once you apply, all schedule changes must be approved from the university. UW

Madison will not approve any senior schedule changes.

Fee Waivers See your counselor. All UW campuses accept fee waivers.

Students with disabilities Students may choose to disclose their disability to the colleges where they are applying,

OHS can not do this for the student.

Final Transcripts Will be sent to your college in June. If you fail a required course your senior year, notify

the college right away.

NCAA

Division I and II athletics

Must apply to NCAA Clearinghouse for eligibility

Apply online at: https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/

Send official ACT Score to NCAA Clearinghouse

For more information, go to www.ncaa.org

Options After High School

MilitaryIf you plan to enlist in a branch of the military, you will need to take the ASVAB exam if you have

notalready done so. ASVAB is Wednesday, November 12th at OHS.

United States Department of Defense www.defenselink.mil

Armed Forces Careers www.armedforcescareers.com

Air Force www.airforce.com

Army www.goarmy.com

Marine Corps www.marines.com

Navy www.navy.com

Coast Guard www.uscg.mil

College Visits and Fairs

Visit the campus Do an official tour of the colleges, check out the campus Meet with an admissions counselor Observe a class Call in advance to schedule a visit or schedule online Excused from OHS with note from parent/guardian

Colleges/Military visit OHS Listen to the announcements and/or look at white board in the guidance office

College Fairs WI Education Fair – 100 post secondary institutions will be in attendance www.wefs.org for additional information, schedule, and participants

Tuesday, Sept. 30 6:30-8:30 pm UW–Eau Claire Wednesday, Oct. 1 9:00-11:00 am UW-Eau Claire

Minnesota National College Fair http://www.nacacnet.org/college-fairs/FallNCF/Pages/Minnesota.aspx

Tuesday, October 7 9:00 – 12:00 & 4:30-8:00 Minneapolis Convention Center Wednesday, October 8 9:00 – 12:00 Minneapolis Convention

Center

ACT

ACT or SAT is required by all 4 year colleges/universities for admission.

Some two year colleges will use the ACT in lieu of their own entrance exams. Make sure to share your ACT scores with two year colleges as well.

October 25th, 2014 at OHS Registration deadline is Friday, September 19th

Fee Waivers are available from counselors

Testing accommodations are available for students with disabilities, see counselor

Free Test Prep Available Practice test books in the guidance office , OHS Library, and Osceola Public Library WisCareers ~ www.wiscareers.wisc.edu ~ 3 full length practice tests www.KnowHow2Gowisconsin.org www.wisconsinprivatecolleges.org

How am I going to pay for college?

Journey Through Financial Aid

Do not let the cost of college keep you from attending

Financial Aid Grants (Free money, do not have to pay it back!) Loans (Borrow, pay back is required.) Work Study Scholarships

Reciprocity (WI/MN tuition agreement) Available in April

Financial Aid

Financial Aid Night at OHS ~ Monday, January 12th, 2015 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium

FAFSA Application available January 1st Apply in January/February

College Goal Wisconsin in February Free help for students and families to complete the FAFSA Over $30,000 in scholarships awarded www.collegegoalwi.org

February 7, 14, 21, 25, and 28, 2015

Wisconsin Covenant Scholars Grant

Covenant students will be awarded $250.00-$2500.00 per year for four years at a Wisconsin College

Students signed the pledge back in 8th or 9th grade

Must complete 30 hours of community service

Maintain “B” average

Apply to a Wisconsin College

Complete the FAFSA

Complete the seniors confirmation paperwork by April 1st, 2015. Forms will be mailed to students in December or forms can be downloaded at www.wisconsincovenant.wi.gov

Scholarships

Check with the colleges where you are applying for a list of freshmen scholarships

National and State scholarships are very competitive

See guidance bulletin board or website

Local scholarships available in February or March

www.fastweb.com www.scholarships.com www.collegeboard.com

www.zinch.com www.cappex.com

www.bigfuture.org

Announcements

Saturday, September 20 – Military Academy Day in Oshkosh For students interested in a service academy nomination

ACT at OHS – Oct 25, Register by Sept. 19

WITC New Richmond Oct 8 5-8 pm Manufacturers Revealed

Explore area manufacturing companies, their products, processes, and people. Learn about educational opportunities at WITC.

Nov 13 High School Career Day Feb 28 2 pm College Goal WI