Welcome Seniors and Parents

1

• Welcome Seniors and Parents
• Class of 2007

2
Agenda

• Students and their families will learn about the
  following topics
• Graduation requirements
• Career and college searches
• Job Opportunities
• The college application process
• S.A.T. requirements
• Resume and Essay Writing
• Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Following the assembly parents/guardians will
  have an opportunity for a question and answer
  session with our Guidance counselors in the Media
  Center.

3
The Importance of Senior Year

• A year of transition
• Are you ready for life after high school?
• Senioritis
• I wanna have the easiest schedule possible!

4

• Graduation Requirements
• All students are required to meet the following
  requirements as
• mandated by the Quincy School Committee to
  receive a North
• Quincy High School diploma. Students must receive
  a
• minimum of 70 points to be promoted to 12th grade
  and 100
• points to graduate, and must pass the following
• English 4 years
• Social Studies 4 years
• Math 3 years
• Science 3 years
• Foreign Language 2 years
• Phys. Ed 4 years
• MCAS

5
Life after High School

• What happens after high school?
• College / University
• Technical College / Trade School
• Military Service
• Get a job
• What does everybody do after NQHS?
• Class of 2006
• Education College/Trade/Technical (88.6)
  Military (5.8) Work (5.6)

6
2-Year College Info

• Most 2 year colleges (Associate Degree programs)
  require a minimum of proof of high school
  completion or a GED.
• Most do not require SAT scores
• Less expensive than four year colleges
• Assist you in preparing for a career or to
  transfer to a Bachelors Degree program (4 year
  college)

7
Technical College / Trade School

• What are my options?
• Public or Independent
• In-state or out-state
• Apprenticeship
• How do I apply?
• Paper application process
• On-line options

8
Military Service

• What are my options?
• Army Navy Coast Guard
• Air Force Marines
• Reserves/Guard ROTC
• Where can I find more information?
• Military recruiters
• On-line information
• Do I need to take any tests?
• ASVAB offered to all 11th grade students,
  otherwise arranged through a recruiter

9
Getting a Job

• What if more school or military is not for me?
• Employment options
• Career outlook
• Labor market information
• Which career is right for me?
• Career/Personality Inventories Online at
• Mass. Career Information Systems or
• My Personality Profile on Naviance
• MyTurn Program (Jean Auguste)

10
Getting a Job

• How can I prepare?
• Resume
• Interview skills
• Job Search Plan
• Follow-up responses
• Volunteer / Internships
• Local service agencies
• Chamber of Commerce
• City Year
• AmeriCorps
• Peace Corps

11
4-Year College Admissions Requirements

• Most 4 year colleges require 16 units of college
  preparatory courses within the following
• disciplines
• English 4 units
• Math 3 units or more
  (Algebra 1,2 and Geometry)
• Social Studies 2 units or more
• Science 3 units (2 units of lab
  science)
• Foreign Lang. 2 units or more in one language
• Additional units from college preparatory
  electives

12
U Mass and State CollegeMinimum Admission
Standards

• Freshman Applicants to any of the state colleges
  or UMass campuses must meet the following
  admissions standards
• The 16 required academic courses (units).
• The minimum required grade point average (GPA)
  earned in college preparatory courses completed
  at the time of application.
• Must submit an SAT or ACT score.

13
U Mass and State CollegeMinimum Admission
Standards

• Minimum Requirements for the
• Massachusetts State Colleges (not including UMass
  campuses)
• Fall 2007 High School GPA Minimum
  combined
• SAT I CR and M score
• 3.00- 4.00 N/A
• 2.51- 2.99 920
• 2.41- 2.50 960
• 2.31- 2.40 1000
• 2.21- 2.30 1040
• 2.11-2.20 1080
• 2.00-2.10 1120
• Less than 2.0 Not admissible

14
Typical College Admission Criteria

• Courses taken and grades achieved
• Grade point average (GPA)
• Rank-in-class
• Admission test results (SAT I, ACT, SAT II,
  TOEFL)
• Counselor/teachers recommendations
• Application questions and essays
• Activities outside the classroom/resumé
• Personal interview
• Special talents, skills, and interests
• Ethnic status
• Alumni relationship
• Geographic location
• Major/college applied to
• Familys ability to pay

15
Do you need to take the SAT?

• The SAT I or ACT is required of all students
  interested in applying to a four year college or
  university.
• SAT Registration Booklets and study guides are
  available in the Guidance Office, Career Center
  or you may access this information on-line at
  www.collegeboard.com.
• If you are applying to a 2-year junior or
  community college you are not required to take
  the SAT or ACT.
• The SAT II should be taken by any senior who
  expects to apply to a 4-year private college or
  university. State colleges and universities do
  not require the SAT II.
•  Our CEEB CODE is 221660
• How do I prepare for these tests?
• On-line resources
• Prep courses
• Books

16
College / University

• How do I apply?
• Schools accept applications beginning mid-October
• Visit schools Now
• Attend résumé writing workshops
• Ask 2-3 teachers to write a letter of
  recommendation
• Attend the Essay writing workshops
• Complete applications by Thanksgiving
• Meet with your counselor regularly
• Submit Financial Aid forms by Valentines Day

17
What to do

• First and most important Make an appointment
  with your counselor to begin the graduation and
  application process. Confirm that you will meet
  the graduation requirements.
• October Begin asking your counselor, teachers
  and employers to write letters of recommendation
• Use the web, the career and college selection
  software, and reference materials located in the
  Career Center (room 234), Media Center, local
  library or the Higher Education Info Center at
  the Boston Public Library at Copley Square.
• Additional college and career planning
  information is available on the guidance page of
  the North Quincy High School website. Please
  visit us at www.quincypublicschools.com/northquinc
  y

18
What to do

• Attend local career and college fairs. The
  Quincy Public Schools College Fair is October 10,
  2006 at 600 pm. in the Quincy High School
  Gymnasium.
• Throughout fall Meet with representatives from
  the colleges during their visits to the Guidance
  Office and Visit the schools
• Register for and take the necessary tests (SAT,
  TOEFL, ELPT, ACT) 
• November Wait for your first quarter grades.
  Check your transcript for accuracy. There is a
  3.00 fee for each college application transcript
  requested.
• Narrow your list and begin requesting,
  downloading, or electronically filing your
  applications.
• Two weeks prior to admission deadlines Meet with
  your counselor to request transcripts and put
  together your application packets.

19
Scholarships and Financial Aid

• What is a scholarship?
• A scholarship is an award of access to an
  institution and/or a financial aid award for an
  individual for the purposes of furthering their
  education. A scholarship is generally awarded
  based on any number of arbitrary criteria,
  including financial need academic
  achievement athletic achievement public
  service nationality or ethnicity. courtesy of
  Wikipedia
• There are local, state, federal and college
  based scholarships.
• Scholarships are money that you are awarded by
  competing with other students. Most local
  scholarships require that you submit a transcript
  and an application. Some require an essay in
  addition to the application.
• A listing of local scholarships is available by
  going on to your Naviance account and clicking on
  the scholarship link.

20
Scholarships and Financial Aid

• FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Required by all students in need of financial aid
  and is available on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
• This application is FREE
• The earliest you can file the FAFSA is January 1,
  2007.
• Most colleges recommend that you file it by
  February 1. Check with each college for their
  deadline.
• We will be hosting a Financial Aid seminar on
  January 8, 2007 at 700 p.m. to assist families
  in navigating through the financial aid process.

21
Scholarships and Financial Aid

• CSS PROFILE
• A web based service offered by the College Board
  and used by some colleges, universities and
  scholarship programs to award their own financial
  aid.
• Students register for and complete the PROFILE at
  the College Board website www.collegboard.com.
• Students pay a fee to register for the PROFILE
  and to have reports sent to their list of
  colleges. Fee waivers are available for
  qualified students.
• A list of colleges, universities and programs
  which require the PROFILE is available at the
  College Board website.

22
Now What?

• Explore all of your options
• Discuss plans with your family
• Talk to your Guidance Counselor
• Go on-line
• Ask lots of questions

23
Conclusion

• Question and Answer session for parents in the
  Media Center, immediately following the assembly.