Summary of
Comments
2015 Rising
11th and 12th Grade Parents Meeting
February 9,
2015
Opening Comments from Brad
Thompson
*Make a folder for the college process…keep everything (test
date, community service, awards, communication from colleges, etc.) all in one
place. You will need it when it is time
to apply.
*Make sure your child is using Naviance! It is an incredible tool to assist in the
process.
*Have your child take ownership of the process. Your child drives the process and we are in
the car to assist.
College Representative: Email
Addresses:
Andrew McGill – Auburn University andrew.mcgill@auburn.edu
Bryan Smith – Georgia College & State University bryan.smith@gcsu.edu
Emory Dunn – Mercer University DUNN_E@mercer.edu
Meg Tereniak – Georgia Southern University mtereniak@georgiasouthern.edu
Josh Motta – Samford University jmotta@samford.edu
*Additional comments from College Counseling Office in
italics*
Q: (For Josh from
Samford) We have been advised to tour
college campuses and plan college visits during our junior and seniors years.
Why is it good for the student and the college? How do we plan a visit?
A: The number 1 piece of advice I can
give is to get on campus.
-Helps
to let you feel what it would be like to be a student at that school
-You
can sign up for tours on the school’s website
Demonstrated
interest is big
-College reps want to know you and
your family. Help to show them that you are very interested in their school and
are more than simply a piece of paper.
GSU – We just
started offering departmental tours as well
*The college visit is
huge! Pick one and go (even if it is not the top choice). You can begin to narrow down by distance from
home, size, cost, and size of town. A
follow-up visit is great. Try to meet
with professors, spend the night or sit in on a class. Plan accordingly…the bad news is that the
best time to visit (fall/spring) can be your child’s busiest time of year. Visit days and Open Houses are great but make
sure to see the campus on a regular day.
Q: (For Andrew
from Auburn) If you were a high school
senior today, what 3 factors would you consider as the most important to the
selection process?
A: 1) Look at rankings (majors, placement
rates, etc.)
2) Where do
you feel at home? (Comfort factor)
3) Look at
involvement, clubs, and extracurricular on campus
*Fit is essential. Where would you fit in and could see yourself
for the next 4 years. Also, look at
retention rates from freshman to sophomore year.
Q: (For Bryan
from Georgia College) What are the
qualifications for the HOPE Scholarship? What does Hope cover at the college
level?
*Preface the question
with how a college factors a GPA?
FPD Grading Scale
90-100 A A=4
pts.
80-89 B B=3
pts.
74-79 C C=2
pts.
70-73 D D=1
pt.
Below 70 F F=0
pts.
A: Looking for that 3.0 “B” average
-Students
will now need rigorous courses to be eligible
-This will cover about 87% of
tuition costs at GCSU, but varies between other universities
Students are eligible for the Zell
Miller Scholarship when they have a 3.7 in core classes (as calculated by HOPE)
and 1200 SAT or 26 ACT on a single test day (no superscoring).
-Eligible students for the Zell
Miller Scholarship will receive 100% of tuition costs to in-state public
universities
*Note: Hope removes 2
points for honors classes and 3 points for AP class in core subjects (including
Comparative Religion and AP Computer Science). For AP classes, they will add
back in 0.5 for classes that receive a grade of B or below (example: a 92 in AP
Physics will become an 89, which would normally be a 3.0 for a “B”, but is
considered a 3.5 under the HOPE calculation).
Also, as an advanced
college preparatory school, the FPD curriculum requires that the student
complete enough classes to satisfy the HOPE rigor standards in order to
graduate. By simply graduating from FPD, your student will have taken the
necessary classes to satisfy this new addition to the HOPE process.
Q: (For Emory
from Mercer) How do you apply for
scholarships other than HOPE at your school?
A: Students
are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships when they submit
their admission application at Mercer.
-The FAFSA will try to
match eligible students to any endowed money available
Andrew from Auburn
Students can use the AUSOM portal on
the Auburn website to apply for scholarships
-Andrew’s ranking of scholarships:
academic come first, then general, and finally departmental.
-Academic are the ones to shoot
for first because they normally have the biggest impact on total cost and can
be stacked with other awarded scholarships.
*All schools can be
different! Always check with the
college.
Q: (For Meg from
Georgia Southern) The two tests used for
college admissions are the SAT and the ACT. When is it recommended to take one
test over the other? Does your institution accept both?
A: Take both the ACT and SAT at least
one time.
-The
ACT and SAT measure different things and can give very different results
GSU takes the composite (one test
day) score for the ACT, but will superscore the SAT across multiple test dates
Andrew from Auburn
Auburn does not superscore any tests.
Auburn does not superscore any tests.
Rissa from Wesleyan
Wesleyan will superscore both
the ACT and SAT for admission purposes.
*Note: The redesigned
SAT will begin in March of 2016. Juniors will most likely only take the “old”
SAT. Sophomores will want to make sure they attempt the “old” and new SAT.
Sophomores will also take the redesigned PSAT next year. FYI…FPD students
typically take 4 tests on the average.
Plan well! We are here to
advise.
Q: (For Rissa
from Wesleyan) How important is the high
school rigor of classes? Are AP classes and honors classes given additional
weight when calculating the student’s GPA at your institution?
A: Wesleyan uses an unweighted GPA.
You can
earn up to 30 hours at Wesleyan before setting foot on campus.
Rigor shows
motivation and academic drive to the college.
Allows for
preparation for college level courses.
*FPD does not put a
GPA on the transcript. We defer to the
college to calculate the GPA. Some
colleges look at unweighted (honors/AP pts. removed) and some use weighted. Some do all classes (cumulative) and some
just do the 5 core classes. Instead of
trying to put multiple GPA’s on the transcript, we simply let the college
calculate. Rigor of classes is a huge
factor. Simple rule of thumb…the more
competitive the school then the more rigor they want. Look up what your school of interest
typically looks for in rigor.
Q: How does a
student apply to your college? Does anyone use GA College 411 or the Common
Application?
A: GSU-
Uses GA College 411 – Only $30 to apply – Should only take about 30 minutes
to complete
Wesleyan-
Uses a free online application on their website – There are optional personal
statements – Should take less than an hour to complete
GCSU-
Uses GA College 411 – Only $35 to apply – Includes two personal essays
Auburn-
Application can be found at auburn.edu/apply – The application is available
starting September 1st – No essays, but four short answer questions
Samford-
Can use their website application or the Common Application – $40 to apply –
Application opens September 1st
Mercer-
Can use their website application or the Common Application to apply
*Our office can provide more guidance as
your child enters their senior year.
Just to eliminate confusion, your child’s Naviance account has a
component to track applications but is not the application to a school in
itself.
Q: (For Meg from Georgia Southern) When should students apply for admission to
college? Does your school have Early Action or Early Decision? Would someone
explain those terms?
A: At
Southern, students can begin applying July 1st, but will not be
notified until the first batch in December. Georgia Southern uses a rolling
admission process. They also use a very number-based approach to admissions. If
you meet the minimum, you are admitted. A computer does all of the admissions
screening (except for the appeals process).
Early Decision (ED) is largely found
at your highly competitive schools (Ivy League, Vanderbilt, Duke, etc.). If you
are accepted ED, you must retract all other applications and attend this
institution (depending on financial aid). This is a binding agreement.
Early Action (EA) simply states that
if you apply by a certain (early) date, you will hear a decision by a certain
date. This normally a quicker review of a student’s numbers, rather than a
holistic review of the individual. Schools such as Georgia College, Auburn, and
UGA have EA.
*Apply early! We recommend that all applications be
completed by Dec. 1st!
Q: (For Bryan
from Georgia College) Describe the
importance of extracurricular activities (including community service).
A: Georgia
College uses a holistic review for the admission process. This includes
community service, involvement, and sports.
-They want to know the details of your involvement. Tell what you
got out of it and how it impacted you. Do not simply make a list of activities.
Wesleyan- Please
tell us your activities, leadership, and awards. There are many scholarships at
the school that require these types of attributes. The admissions and financial
aid departments do not know if you have these requirements unless you tell
them!
*Everything you do
helps! It prepares you to list on
application, gives you possible essay and interview material, and allows you to
separate yourself from other applicants.
Q: (For Josh from
Samford) Does your institution look at
teacher recommendations from teachers or the school?
A: Samford
requires one academic recommendation from teachers or administrators at the
school. Your recommender should have a good understanding of your academic
proficiency.
Note: Some schools list recommendations as
an optional addition to the application (and
some require them). If it is an option, send
in a recommendation. Optional means yes.
Q: (For Andrew from Auburn) Are freshman required to live on campus?
How are rooms and roommates chosen?
A: At
Auburn, freshman housing is not guaranteed. Students are encouraged to live on
campus, but it is not required.
-Spending your first year on
campus helps to build relationships and get you more involved on campus.
You can
either put a friend on the application or you can let the college pair you up.
-The school will ask you a series
of questions on your housing forms to try and find a roommate that has similar
tendencies and interests.
Q: (For Emory
from Mercer) What do I need to do if I
am an athlete who is interested in playing in college? How do I let the school
and coaches know I am interested?
A: 1) Have a heart-to-heart with your
high school coach
-Ask
if he/she thinks you are a college-level athlete (and at what level)
2) Narrow
down which division is best for you
-Division
1 and 2 can award scholarships
3) Get
aggressive
-Send
in film to coaches (coaches have a narrow timeframe to come watch you)
4) Get on
campus
-Let
coaches see you and show your interest to the school
*Dream big but also be
realistic. Coaches love strong academic student athletes. They might be able to give some academic
(merit) money along with some athletic money.
They also do not want to waste their time on an athlete who might not be
able to make it academically.
Q: (For Rissa
from Wesleyan) If you were a parent of a
college bound student, what information, in addition to cost, would you want to
consider when comparing colleges?
A: Numbers are not the only important
information
-Get
on campus – See if you can picture yourself there
-Each
student has individual preferences to different types of schools
-Do you want a large school that
has a lot of funding for research or a small “pond” of people that you can
stand out in and get to know your teachers?
College is an investment. Make
sure the college is investing in your student as much as you are investing in
it.
Q: Please comment on
the cost of attending your institution and what financial aid is available. If
possible, include how many freshman are typically on financial aid and an
average amount.
A: Mercer: Total direct costs =
$44,500 (90%-95% are on financial aid of some sort)
Samford: Total costs = $36,336 (95% are
on financial aid. Average of $12,000)
Auburn: Fixed cost $27,000 (tuition)
(about 70% are on financial aid)
GCSU: Around $20,000 (about 80% are on
financial aid)
Wesleyan: Tuition = $19,750 (Room and
Board = $8,800) (97% get financial aid)
GSU: All costs = about $18,400
*Don’t rule anything out! Our
kids go to all types of colleges. Trust
the process and be patient. Private
schools know to be generous in order to compete with HOPE and in-state tuition.
Q: Any last advice you have for our students
as they enter the admissions process?
A: GSU: Start the financial process
early
Wesleyan: 1)
Optional means yes
2) Write the
person statements
3) Proofread
4) All
interaction matters with college reps
5) Check you
Facebook and other social media (college may as well)
GSCU: You are you own best advocate – Students should talk
admissions reps rather than parents
Auburn: Brag on yourself on your application. Pay attention to
deadlines.
Samford: -Use reps,
get to know the school
-Talk
to the alumni and current students
-Take
SAT and ACT
-Don’t
overly stress. God is in control of the process.
Mercer: Don’t apply to 15 colleges because it makes the decision
process to difficult. Do your research ahead of time. Apply to 5 colleges (1
stretch, 1 guarantee, 3 possible).
*We totally agree with
the last statement. Apply to at least 3
schools or 3 types of schools. Stretch
schools, those that are possible, and at least one you know you can get
into. Make sure the one you know you can
get into is one you are excited about.
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