Frederick County Public Schools | FCPS



Q&A Parent Session 9/17General Process/Navigating NavianceVirtual College Visits - we encourage students to sign up for virtual college visits (we have a lot of representatives offering virtual visits this fall – students can find this information on their Naviance homepage under “what’s new” or under the colleges tab and "find your fit" "college events”). Narrowing down colleges/majors: helpful tools on Naviance for students include career exploration – students should check the “Careers” tab, there they can explore careers and career clusters and from those, possible college majors and colleges and universities that offer those majors. Students can also take a Career Cluster Finder or Career Interest Profiler anize the list of colleges the student is applying to: Students should research each college’s website to determine what type of application they accept (Common Application, the Coalition Application, or a school-specific application), look at due dates/deadlines, and determine what is needed for a complete application (recommendation letters, essays, resumes, etc.) If the student is applying thru the Common App, they need to match the Common App account to the Naviance account. The common app matching video can be found on the Naviance homepage under the “Welcome Seniors” area.List colleges in Naviance: students compile a list of colleges they are applying to under “Colleges I’m Applying to.” Students should BE SURE to ONLY list colleges they are definitely going to apply to. The student’s counselor accesses this list directly on Naviance, and will send transcripts and letters of recommendation electronically through Naviance.Letters of Recommendation: students should be sure to ASK their teacher via email first. Once the teacher agrees to write a recommendation, students must request the Letter(s) of Recommendations thru Naviance (under the college tab). Click on the Colleges tab. Click Apply to College, click on letters of recommendation and then Add Requests.Apply: Students will then complete their applications – either through Common Application, the Coalition Application or the college’s specific application on the college website. Students should begin with the college application that they want to submit first (or the earliest deadline).Sending Scores (see below)Application Fees: most colleges charge a fee for their application and the cost varies by college. As students complete their school-specific application, Common Application or Coalition Application, they will be prompted to pay the fee in order to submit the application.Test ScoresWhat considerations are made for sending SAT scores from the 10/27 school-day SAT when some early deadlines are 11/1? Some colleges are asking students to declare whether or not they are sending scores, how should students decide? Does my student have to submit their SAT score? How will colleges handle the lack of SAT scores for our students? What are the Pros/Cons of Test Optional? How will it affect college applications if you don't take the SAT due to COVID-19?If students wish to submit an SAT or ACT score to the colleges they are applying to, they should submit these directly from the College Board or ACT websites. OHS does not submit SAT or ACT scores to colleges. Most colleges and universities are not requiring students to submit an SAT or ACT – if they ask a student to decide whether or not they want to submit a score, the student may be able to choose not to initially and submit a score later.Students should research if their colleges suggest or requires an SAT/ACT score for scholarship consideration or to apply to a special program or honors college.Students have the option of selecting colleges to send their 10/27 in-school SAT score to when they take the test or waiting to see their scores before they submit them to colleges. These scores will not be available by an 11/1 deadline, but if the student chooses to, can be submitted later. DeadlinesOther than meeting the deadlines, does it matter when the application is submitted? When is the right time to start applying to colleges?Students should organize their colleges by deadline so that they work on the application that is due first. We recommend that students submit their applications a day or two (or more) ahead of the deadline to ensure it is received by the deadline. For colleges with “Rolling” admissions, the admissions committee reviews the applications as they are received instead of after a deadline munity CollegeHow early should my student apply to FCC? If my student is planning on going to FCC for the first year or two, do they still need the SAT?Students can start the application process for FCC anytime during senior year but typically the summer and fall course schedule is released in the Spring.Students are not required to take an SAT to attend FCC, but having a certain SAT score may exempt the student from taking placement testing for FCC courses. This information can all be found here: a student is planning on transferring to a four-year college after attending FCC or another community college for one year, they may not be required to submit an SAT. EssaysHow can my student get help with their college application essay?Students can get help during the Virtual Bear Den Tutoring time – there are two English teachers available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00-7:00 pm. Google Meet codes are OHSEnglishLab1 and OHSEnglishLab2Students with an IEP/504 PlanDo colleges have a specific office or help for students who have learning difficulties or a 504 or IEP?Most colleges have an office for students with disabilities. Once the student decides on the college they are attending, they should set up an appointment with this office and take their plan with them to determine what accommodations may be offered at their college. It will be up to the student to communicate with their professors about their accommodations. ScholarshipsHow do scholarships coincide with school applications?Many scholarships do not open their applications or become available until mid-year/winter. We list local scholarships on Naviance and advertise these on the Class of 2021 Schoology page as well. Students should check Naviance and the Schoology page regularly to see if there are new scholarships they qualify for. Naviance can also link students to a National Scholarship Search.In-State Tuition ReciprocityWhat is in-state tuition reciprocity?When a student’s degree program is not available in their state or out-of-state tuition is a barrier to a major offered at a college in another state, SREB’s Academic Common Market enables students to pursue out-of-state college degrees at in-state tuition rates, through agreements among the states and colleges and universities. The website is: for your studentDifficulty navigating the process? Unsure of how to choose a major? What help can students expect from the school? What resources are there to support students who are struggling to decide on major and schools to apply to?Seniors should be setting up individual meetings with their school counselor to help them navigate the process. There is also a helpful YouTube video that can be found here: . Naviance has a lot of great tools for students to research colleges, “find their fit,” and also explore careers and college majors that match those careers. Financial AidPlease come to our Financial Aid night on October 22! Any submitted Financial Aid questions have been forwarded to the representative who will be presenting that evening.Misc. QuestionsWhat matters most to colleges in the applications? Most colleges have information on their website regarding their admissions requirements and components of their acceptance process.Does Oakdale have affiliation with any colleges?Oakdale does not have a particular affiliation with any colleges, but Frederick County Public Schools aligns their college preparatory curriculum with the University System of Maryland – this means that our students’ graduation requirements line up with what most four-year colleges and universities expect from their freshman applicants.How many colleges should my student apply to? This varies from student to student and is definitely a family decision – we have students apply to just one college and we also have students that apply to ten or more schools.What defines a first-generation college student?Ms. Ketteringham and Mrs. Polce briefly answered this question, but upon further research, wanted to offer this information from : “The Department of Education, in the?Higher Education Act of 1965 and 1998, clearly defines a first generation college student as a student both of whose parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree, or in the case of students who live with and are supported by only one parent, a student whose only such parent did not complete a bachelor’s degree.?This may seem fairly clear-cut, but it’s important to know that it is not always up to the Department of Education to decide whether a student qualifies as a first-generation college student. Some colleges have their own definitions of this term. Some colleges count students as first-generation college students only if neither parent attended college at all after high school, regardless of whether they received a degree. Some colleges consider the completion of an associate’s degree enough to discount further generations from being considered for this designation at all.???In these cases, the college will almost always clearly define the term within the question, but if you aren’t sure, you can always contact the admissions office and ask about their specific definition. Always be certain that you know the exact definition as used by the college, scholarship, or other program to which you’re applying.” ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download