Getting Started There are some 3,500 colleges and universities in the United States. You can obtain information on any of them in many ways, starting in the guidance office and on the internet. Visit our LHS Guidance Web Page for announcements, links, and information on Financial Aid, College Testing (SAT�s/ACT�s), College Athletics, Public and Private Colleges, Careers, Choices Planner and more. Go to http://www.lansingburgh.org/lhs.htm and follow the link for LHS Guidance. Choices Online Planner The Choices Planner program is now available online @ www.access.bridges.com. The Lansingburgh High School Site ID is 0100367 and our password is lansingburgh. One of the best features of Choices is the Individual Student Portfolio. Check it out. Choices Planner offers information including: � Detailed college information on thousands of schools � A college search program � A listing of college majors � Internet connections to most college web sites (many with online applications) � Updated scholarship search program (hundreds of awards) � Occupational Interest Inventory � Current information on more than 780 occupations � National and NYS Dept. of Labor Occupational projections � Occupational Search Program (Includes Internet connection to USA job bank.) � Capacity to create electronic Student Portfolios In addition to Choices, there are a number of publications also available in the guidance office such as The Peterson�s Guides, Rugg�s college ratings, and The College Scholarship Book. Obtain as much information as possible about your preferred schools. Go beyond the promotional materials OFFERED by the college! The Visit Visit (or revisit) every college you are considering, preferably during a time when classes are in session. Do not limit your visit to the traditional �college tour.� Try to meet with a faculty representative from the department which interests you. Check the size of the department and adequacy of relevant courses. Try to make contact informally with students in the department. They may be your best source of information. Some very good schools are strong in certain programs but weak in others. Request information from the placement office on placements for graduates of the program which interests you. How large is the department? If you are undecided, does the college offer a wide variety of majors? Be sure to visit the dinning hall and freshmen dorms. Get a feel for the area around the college. Is it located in a location where you would like to spend 4 years of your life? Are the things which are important to you accessible? How do you feel about the distance from home? Additional questions or issues related to your visit: 1. Average class size for freshmen courses? 2. Security on campus and in residence halls? 3. Who teaches freshmen courses? Graduate assistants or full professors? 4. Does the college provide internships? 5. What percentage of students live on campus? 6. Adequacy of health facilities? 7. Access to computers and library? 8. Does the campus seem well maintained and secure? 9. How are students provided academic support? 10. Use of advisors? 11. How does the college assist students in finding jobs upon graduation? Is there a career & counseling center? 12. What is the retention rate of the college? What percent of freshman return for their second year? What percentage graduate after 4 years? THE COLLEGE APPLICATION Students are urged to identify a manageable number of schools to submit applications (between 5 and 10). Applying to 25 colleges could get costly and confusing. Be sure to check to see if colleges waive fees for applications submitted on-line. Also, if you receive free or reduced lunch there are fee waivers available for college applications. Apply to your �dream� school and a couple comparable colleges and a safety net school. For most Lansingburgh students, it would be appropriate to include a SUNY school in the mix. When applying to a private school, it is important to also apply to a similar private school in order to have a comparison for cost purposes. SUNY applications are available in the Guidance office and private school applications can be obtained online or through the college admissions office. The procedure for submitting a college application: 1. Complete all student/family parts of the application. 2. Secure letters of recommendation. 3. Bring these materials to the guidance office in a timely manner with proper postage. See your counselor if you need help. Counselors will complete appropriate counselor recommendations etc. and an official copy of the student transcript will be sent to the college. Official transcripts must be mailed directly from the guidance office to the college. Students applying online must notify the guidance office. An official transcript will then be mailed to the college. Check application deadlines for each school but it is strongly suggested that applications be complete before the holiday break in December. Admissions Criteria Colleges are primarily interested in how challenging of a program the applicant has taken and how well they did. Admissions criteria include the following: 1. Grade Point Average 5. Recommendations 2. Class Rank 6. Activities & Awards 3. Strength of Subjects 7. Personal Essays 4. SAT/ACT Scores 8. Interviews Admissions � How competitive? Can you get in the college of your choice? This is of course very situational and varies from college to college. It also depends on the program you are interested in. Some programs such as Physical Therapy have become very popular and extremely competitive. There are publications in the LHS Guidance office, which advise students as to how competitive each school is. Your counselor can give you a profile of a typical freshman regarding SAT scores, rank, Grade Point Average, etc. and you can determine how you would fit that profile. It is important that families have an understanding of the competition for admissions and apply accordingly. Recommendations Letters of recommendation are an important part of admission decisions. Unfortunately too many students request letters at the last minute. When requesting a letter of recommendation students should give as much notice as possible. Use the student resume to summarize your involvement�s and experiences. Students should provide an addressed and stamped enveloped so the letter may be mailed directly to the college. Students may also bring letters of recommendation to the guidance office be mailed with your completed application. The guidance office will mail letters of recommendation if they are submitted along with a completed college application. Class rank and GPA At the end of the junior year the grade point average and class rank will be calculated for each student. This is based on an average of all credit bearing classes taken since the freshman year. (Advanced classes such as math, taken in the 8th grade are also counted.) The final rank and GPA is determined at the end of the first semester of 12th grade. SAT I, SAT II's, ACT�s Four year colleges require SAT�s or ACT�s. Both serve the same purpose of attempting to measure a student�s academic strength and potential to handle college level work. The SAT�s test math and verbal skills while ACT�s cover English, Math, Reading, and Science. The SAT II�s are specific subject area 1 hour tests. The more competitive colleges may require SAT II�s, asking students to select 3 tests. It is best to take these tests soon after taking the specific subject while the material is fresh. SUNY or Private We are very fortunate to have the State University of New York Colleges available and accessible. They truly do represent quality at an affordable price. The university centers (Albany, Binghamton, Stony Brook and Buffalo) are consistently ranked among the nations elite. SUNY Geneseo is often considered the jewel of the SUNY system offering the benefits of a smaller school with the quality of the larger university centers. Colleges such as Plattsburgh, New Paltz, Oswego, Potsdam, Oneonta, and Cortland also offer excellent opportunities to our students. Private Schools Affordable? Actual Cost vs. �Sticker Price� Private schools must attract students to survive and are well aware of the costs of a SUNY school. While the unaided cost of private schools appears out of reach, aid is awarded to most students. It comes down to the question; �How much is enough?� If a private school really wants a student they usually �find� the funds to make it affordable. Students considering a private school should always find a comparable private school and apply to both. You should put yourself in a position to compare packages of private schools with a SUNY school as an alternative. Don�t be afraid to contact the college financial aid office to seek a better package. This will be more effective if you can refer to a stronger aid package from a competing college. Be aware of deadlines for applications and financial information. Role Of The community college Community colleges such as Hudson Valley or Schenectady represent an appropriate choice for many students for both academic and financial reasons. These colleges offer a wide variety of programs from 1-year vocational certificates to an RPI transfer program in engineering. Some programs such as Accounting, Human Services or Culinary Arts provide students an option of employment or continuing toward a 4-year degree after 2 years. Students who are undecided but committed to a 4-year program could start in liberal arts. Those who lack fundamental core courses from high school may be admitted into the individual studies program, which can lead into their major of choice. There are very strong students who for financial reasons choose a community college in order to reduce costs and debt during their first 2 years of college when considering the total cost of 4 to 6 years of college. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Financial Aid In November a financial aid informational meeting will occur to review the steps and required forms of applying for financial aid. Your aid eligibility and expected family contribution will be primarily based on your income and savings for the previous year before attending college. Over 90% of college financial aid is �need based� aid, where-by college costs are compared to your ability to pay. Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is based on the financial information you provide primarily through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid.) This form is revised each year and will be available in the guidance office next November or December. Online registration is highly recommended. Obtain a PIN as soon as possible. (www.pin.ed.gov) The PIN will serve as an electronic signature, allowing you to file the FAFSA online. The FAFSA may not be filed until after Jan. 1 of the year you are planning to attend college. Specifics will be reviewed at our Financial Aid Night. TAP forms may be files as part of the FAFSA online. TAP is need based and available only when a student attends a NYS college. Some colleges require an additional form called �Profile�. Check individual colleges for required forms. The guidance office receives an enormous amount of information regarding awards and scholarships. Worthwhile information is posted on the Money Board, which is located in the guidance office. We urge parents and students to remain in touch with your guidance counselor throughout this important process. All members of the Senior Class and parents will be invited to individual counselors planning sessions in the fall. If you are an underclassman, it is never to early to start planning. You and your parents are also welcome to set up appointments with your counselor. Please contact the Guidance Office at any time you have questions.