College Bound Timeline/Preparing for College

Link To Grab Life Magazine - 18 page resource

Link-  Planning Your Future - helpful to 9th graders - scroll to page 4

Freshman & Sophomore Year

• Explore your interests, hobbies & values
• Get involved in your school & community to develop your skills & abilities
• Explore careers and college admission requirements
• Create a 4 year high school plan of classes
• Update your Educational Development Plan
• Go to www.fastweb.com to register on this free scholarship clearing house website  There is
• Scholarship Money for Freshman.  (Most times you will have to write an essay)
• Keep up your grades, your counselor has a tutoring list if you are falling behind.

Sophomore Year

• Take the ACT PLAN test and use the results to assist you with academic and career planning
• Explore www.fastweb.com for cash awards for non-senior students
• Consider attending the TSD College Night at Athens held in October.  Even though this event
   is at Athens, it is for any every Troy student
• Attend with your parents the Sophomore Junior Parent Night
• Continue with the 9th grade suggestions above
• Update your EDP often to reflect new experiences and use to research careers .

Junior Year

• Take PSAT in fall
• In fall, attend Sophomore Junior Parent Night at your high school
• Maintain the highest level of achievement in your classes
• Attend local college fairs in the Fall & Spring.  Attend the Troy Schools College Night held at
   Athens in October
• Visit college web sites. (Register as a prospective student) Use www.collegeboard.com
   to help identify possible schools
• Meet college representatives that visit your school—Troy High website under Counseling,
   look for Guidance Updates for list of dates that reps are in the building
• Watch for announcements for special college visitation days —
• Formally visit colleges
• Take ACT or SAT in the spring- you may want to take a test prep workshop, go to
   www.learningexpresslibrary.com  for free practice tests.  Use  www.act.org to register for ACT,
   www.collegeboard.com to register for SAT.  Remember to request, during the test registration
    process, the colleges where you would like your scores to be sent.
• Explore financial aid using internet options ("Need Estimator" at www.act.org
• Update your Educational Development Plan stored in Career Cruising software
•   www.careercruising.com
• Continue your involvement in school & community activities
• In June, explore the process of requesting teacher recommendation letters for fall of senior year
• Open a on-line college application, to examine the past year's required essay questions and
• become familiar with application process
• Attend Financial aid night at your school
• If considering playing college sports go to the NCAA website to register
   https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/general/index_general.html
• Senior Year      http://www.troycolts.org/Counseling/  Troy High Counseling Website
• In Aug before school starts, open on-line college application, start completing
• Bring to the Counseling Office the "Counselor Page of the College Application
• Send transcripts electronically (5 colleges particiapte with THS)  using
   Connect edu http://www.connectedu.net/members
• Retake the ACT or SAT if you feel it is necessary-send scores to schools that you are applying to
• Concentrate on completing your college applications —   Apply early in the Fall 
• Attend college fairs and college representatives that visit your school
• Attend financial aid information meeting
• Continue to search for scholarships by using scholarship search engines www.fastweb.com
• Apply before January 1st for pin number from FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
   web site. Complete form by Feb 15tht
• Continue to do your best academically
• Continue your involvement in school and community activities
• Notify the counseling office of any college acceptances, scholarships or awards
• Narrow your college decision to one school- notify other schools before May 1st
   if you intend to get a refund on reservation fee
• Check out the MACRO site http://www.macrao.org/  to see if you take classes at a community college
   will they transfer to a 4 year college

The Counseling Office is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Phone (248)-823-2715    The fax number is 248-823-2888.

Preparing for College

What Do Universities Expect?

The President's Council of the State Universities of Michigan suggests "the best predictor of college
success is the quality and rigor of the courses you take each year in high school," In general, college
admission committees review overall grade point average, test scores, special abilities, scholastic and
volunteer activities, and work experiences, However the kinds of courses a student takes go a long way
in determining how well a student will do in college. It is to a student's advantage to prepare
for college by taking course work seriously and working hard.

Recommended Courses from the Council of University Presidents:

English: 4 years strongly recommended. Students need the ability to read critically, write clearly, and speak concisely.
Mathematics: 4 years strongly recommended. Colleges require high levels of math achievement. Colleges place great emphasis on math skills.
Biological and Physical Sciences: 4 years preferred, 3 years strongly recommended. Recommendations include yearlong courses in biology, chemistry, and physics, along with laboratory experience.
History and Social Sciences: 4 years preferred, 3 years strongly recommended. Colleges look for experience with American and World History, along with economics and government.
Foreign Language: 3 years strongly recommended. Universities are placing increased emphasis on foreign language as a graduation requirement.
Fine and Performing Arts: 2 years strongly recommended.
Computer Literacy: 1 year strongly recommended.

Out-of-state College Admission Requirements  Each college and university has its own set of admission
requirements, If students plan to attend an out-of-state institution, it would be important to know that
institution's requirements. More often than not, following the Council of University President's
recommendations would prepare a student for admission to any college or university.

Applying to college is a multi-step process for a 4-year school

1. Apply with paper or on-line application (on-line preferred)
    Some schools come to THS and do on-site admissions. 

2. Print the "counselor page" of the application, bring in to Miss Brubaker, the Counseling Office Secretary
    Bring in $2,00 and complete a Transcript Order Form.

   Anytime transcripts are requested there is a $2.00 fee.  

3.  If applying to Michigan State, University of Michigan, Central Michigan or
     Oakland University  log into www.connectedu.net/members to record your transcript
     request electronically.
 

4.  Make sure standardized test scores (ACT or SAT)  were sent to your college.  If you didn't request
to have scores sent during registration process, go to www.act.org to send ACT scores or
 www.collegeboard.com for SAT  (ACT costs approximately  $8.50 per score to be sent) 
Caution when considering paying $13.00 for  "rushed scores".   Some colleges (like University
of Michigan) don't accept "Rushed Scores"

5. Open on line application to see if teacher letter of recommendation is needed.
 If teacher letter of recommendation is needed, you may want to ask your teacher in
June when is the best time to put the request in for a letter. (Most of the time it will be early Sept.
of senior year to make the request of the teacher.)  Please allow your teacher
2 –3 weeks to write the letter."

A.  Meet the teacher in person to request the letter (follow up the request in written form via email
or write it in a letter.)"
B.  Ask if the teacher will email the letter or mail the letter to the college
C.  Supply the teacher with the college form - (usually called Teacher Letter of Recommendation),
 pre-addressed stamped envelope with admissions address on the envelope  or the email
 address of where the teacher emails the letter.
D.  Supply the teacher with a deadline date  (allow teacher 2 weeks from your request date)
 for the letter to be completed
E.  Give the teacher your resume or "Activities Sheet" or a copy of Senior Questionaire
     to illustrate activities you particpate in.
F.  Follow up on the deadline date to ask if the teacher mailed the letter
F.  Send the teacher a thank you letter or email for assisting you

6.  Counselor Letters of Recommendation.  When you submit "the counselor page" of the college
application to Miss. Brubaker, Secretary in the Counseling Office, she gives
these forms to the counselors, so a counselor will see that a letter of recommendation is needed
by that college.    Following up with the counselor (via email or inperson)
is also suggested.  Provide your counselor with your resume or Senior Activities Sheet
so the counselor craft a letter..  Allow your counselor 2 weeks to complete the letter. 

         Other college tips

Please visit colleges during summer of junior to senior year.

Check the admission requirements of colleges to know if you are applying to a "SAFE" school or a "REACH" school. 

For prestigious colleges, know the terms early decision vs early action.