VILLA DUCHESNE COUNSELING Class of 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC
PAGE
COLLEGE PLANNING CALENDAR ………………………………………..…...…..1 WHAT THE COLLEGE COUNSELORS DO ………………………………...……...5 YOU’VE GOT MAIL ……………………………………………………………...……6 THE COLLEGE APPLICATION …...………………………………..……………….7 TESTING ...……………………………………………………………………………....9 SAT AND ACT TESTING SCHEDULE …...……………………………………..….10 THE ESSAY ...………………………………………………………...………….…….11 THE TEACHER RECOMMENDATION …………………………...……………….11 VISITING A CAMPUS ……………………………………...………..……………….12 FINANCIAL AID ……………………………………………...…………..…...……...17 RESOURCES IN THE COUNSELING CENTER …...……………………………..19 NAVIANCE/FAMILY CONNECTION …...………………………………………...21 ASSOCIATED COLLEGES OF THE MIDWEST HANDOUTS………APPENDIX GUIDE TO THE COMMON APPLICATION…………………………..APPENDIX
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INTRODUCTION This handbook has been prepared for Villa Duchesne juniors and parents as a resource during your college search, college selection, and application process. Each student’s needs and goals are different, so use this book for general information. Individualized recommendations will be provided during your college planning meeting in the second semester.
The college selection process is a time when academic planning, college and career exploration, and personal growth come together. As students develop individual plans and set goals for themselves, we have comprehensive systems of support in place to help. The college counselors are available to work with you as you make important plans for the future.
VILLA DUCHESNE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT Mary Crowder Director of Counseling Academic/Personal Counselor for Grades 7, 8, 9 mcrowder@vdoh.org (314) 810-3428
Lucy Klostermann Academic/Personal Counselor for Grades 10, 11, 12 lklostermann@vdoh.org (314)810-3582
Emily Berty College Counselor A-H eberty@vdoh.org (314) 810-3419
Study this handbook carefully and follow the outlined
Colleen Murray
procedures. Use your counselor to help initiate your search and discuss your progress. We want to help you explore and plan constructively for your future. An appointment may be scheduled starting in January.
Mary Drone
Director of College Counseling K-Z cmurray@vdoh.org (314) 810-3479
Administrative Assistant mdrone@vdoh.org (314) 810-3436
COLLEGE PLANNING CALENDARLLEGE PLANNING JUNIOR YEAR Fall Semester of Junior Year Focus on your academic performance. PSAT at Villa Duchesne. Practice ACT at Villa Duchesne. December Begin working on the informational questionnaires for your college counselor. Consider registering for the January SAT; the registration deadline is December 29th. Consider registering for the February ACT; the registration deadline is January 9th. January Focus on a strong academic performance second semester. Schedule a family meeting with your college counselor. Questionnaires must be completed prior to the family meeting. Start researching colleges on the internet using the Naviance college search program. Access and log-in information is on page 21 of this guide. Consider enrolling in ACT/SAT test preparation courses. Take the SAT on Saturday, January 24th, if registered. Note Villa’s CEEB code: 260670. If you are planning to play a Division I or Division II college sport, register with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Eligibility Center at www.eligibilitycenter.org. Have future ACT/SAT scores sent directly by selecting code 9999. Plan college visits during spring break; take an official tour, attend the information session; take advantage of an interview, if offered. Begin to research summer enrichment programs. February Plan senior year course schedule; sign up for challenging courses and register for a minimum of four core classes per semester. Consider registering for the March SAT; the regular deadline is February 13th. Take the ACT test on Saturday February 7th, if registered. Consider registering for the April ACT; the registration deadline is March 13th.
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March Begin organizing your activities to list on college applications. Take the SAT on Saturday, March 14th, if registered. Consider registering for the May SAT; the registration deadline is April 6th. Visit campuses during spring break. If possible, diversify your list to include a variety of school types (i.e. different sizes, public/private, urban/suburban settings). Register for AP exams. April May
Consider registering for June SAT or Subject tests; the registration deadline is May 8th. Consider registering for the June ACT; the registration deadline is May 8th. Take the ACT on Saturday, April 18th, if registered.
Start to narrow your college choices. Ask one teacher to write a college letter of recommendation. Take the SAT on Saturday, May 2nd, if registered.
Summer before Senior Year! Work on the college essay. Organize an activities list/résumé. Take the SAT or Subject tests on Saturday, June 6th, if registered. Take the ACT on Saturday, June 13th, if registered. Begin researching scholarship websites. Continue college visits. Complete a purposeful summer program or activity. Student-athletes should have their updated 6th semester transcript sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
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SENIOR YEAR August Update your college list on Naviance so you will be notified of upcoming college admission officer visits to Villa. Begin college applications online. If applying to a Common Application college, go to www.commonapp.org. Review all admission and scholarship deadlines. Write them down in an obvious place. Before a transcript can be sent, there is a release authorization process that needs to be completed. Your college counselor will help you with this. Continue looking into scholarship and other financial assistance opportunities. Register for an ACT/SAT if you plan to retake tests. Stay focused on your studies. Colleges may request first quarter grades and always request a final transcript. September Review transcript and make sure it is correct (birthday, classes, grades, etc.) Meet with college admissions officers when they visit Villa. Attend Jesuit Excellence Tour at Villa and the West County Private High School College Fair. Meet with your college counselor periodically to ask questions about completing college applications. If you haven’t taken the ACT or SAT, register for one immediately. Continue to visit colleges, if necessary. Revise a final essay draft, and share it with your parents, counselor, English teacher and friends for feedback. Finalize résumé/activities list. Take the ACT on Saturday, September 12th, if registered. Once you have completed an application, request your transcript on Naviance. October Attend the National College Fair at Saint Louis University. Finalize list of colleges to which you plan to apply. If applying to a public institution, be aware of the housing application process. Early Decision, Early Action and priority applications are often due on November 1st, but some deadlines are as early as October 15th. Request “official” college admissions test scores be sent to colleges; go to www.actstudent.org to send ACT scores; go to www.collegeboard.com to send SAT, Subject Tests and AP scores. Take the SAT on Saturday, October 3rd, if registered. Take the ACT on Saturday, October 24th, if registered. Continue submitting applications. Continue meeting with college admissions officers at Villa and during area open houses. Take advantage of any opportunity to interview. Attend the financial aid workshop that Villa sponsors (for parents only). 3
November Wrap up any college visits you plan to make before applying. Continue application process—watch deadlines! All college applications should be completed by December 1st. Consider registering for the December ACT – this is often the last test date colleges will accept for admission purposes. December Villa Duchesne target date for completing ALL applications for college admission is December 1st. Be aware that many scholarships also have a deadline of December 1st. Write thank you notes to teachers who wrote a recommendation on your behalf. January Notify Mrs. Drone of all college admission decisions (accepted, not accepted, deferred, waitlisted, withdrawn, and final decision). Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after January 1st. Attend FAFSA Completion workshop at Villa Duchesne. February Research summer programs for college freshmen. March Register for AP Exams. Make final college visits. April May
Notify Mrs. Drone of all scholarships. Notify your college counselor of all college decisions prior to May 1st. Notify all colleges where you were admitted but do not plan to attend.
May 1st is the National Candidate Reply Date. Request final transcript to be sent to the college you will attend. Take AP Exams. Finish with a strong second semester; colleges have been known to rescind admission if there is a serious decline in grades.
May 2016 - Graduation!
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What the College Counselors Do You may not realize how much Villa’s college counselors can help with the college selection and admission process. In many ways, the college counselor should become your good friend because ultimately she will be the person who has connections to the colleges. There are many things you can expect of your college counselor. She will… Collaborate with students and parents to suggest appropriate colleges for consideration in the college selection process. Help create and refine college lists. Develop an individualized letter of recommendation. Upon request, review online college applications before pressing “SUBMIT.” Upon request, review application essays offering suggestions or critique. Publicize the dates when college admissions officers visit Villa – students are responsible for checking their email and signing up for visits through Naviance. Advocate for students during the college process. Establish a personal connection between colleges and Villa Duchesne. Explain financial aid and scholarship procedures. Coordinate the submission of transcripts, school profile, letters of recommendation, and secondary school report.
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You’ve Got Mail! If you haven’t already, you will soon be bombarded with letters and brochures from colleges that want you to consider them. So how do they know your name? Colleges and universities are able to purchase lists of students from lots of different sources including ACT and the College Board. Then mass mailings are sent to students all over the country. These brochures and view books could be the first introduction to a school that may be a great fit for you! So don’t be so quick to toss them…just organize them! It’s really important to have a system in place for organizing this information. We suggest these simple steps to help:
Organize files for all the paperwork Keep all the papers for one school in one file Keep all the rough drafts for your college essay in one file Purchase a calendar with space to write dates Write down deadlines and test dates, including ACT and SAT, and the dates that college officials are visiting Villa Look at this calendar EVERY DAY so that you will know ahead of time what things are coming up These organizational tips will save you tons of frustration your senior year – we promise!
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The College Application The exact things a college may be seeking can vary from one year to the next, but most colleges keep the following in mind when reviewing applications: 1. Your academic record is the most important part of the application. Colleges want to see that you’ve done well in challenging courses. Admissions officers will look at grades and courses. They prefer to see A’s and B’s in Honors and AP courses and no D’s or F’s in any course. They also look to see if you’ve made improvements from ninth grade to twelfth grade or if you continued in a sequence of courses such as foreign language. They may take into consideration your first quarter and semester senior grades. 2. Standardized testing is another important part of the application file. SAT’s and ACT’s are vital to your admission, but they are not the most important component. Test scores should be a validation of your academic record. Check each school’s website to determine the middle range of SAT or ACT scores for last year’s freshman class. 3. Extracurricular activities are also important. Report how you have contributed to your school or community in terms of service, clubs, or athletics. Colleges look for long-term commitments. Part of your application may include a list of your activities in the order of importance to you. Also be prepared to report on the amount of time per week that you spend in each activity. 4. An essay is required by many schools. This is one opportunity that you have to let the admissions committee see your personality-so write something from your heart. It is an opportunity for the college to get to know about you beyond the other pieces of the application. 5. An interview is required at some schools; strongly encouraged at others; and not part of the admissions process at many schools. When required or offered, this is a chance for the applicant to personalize her application and to expand upon information in the activity list or essay. 6. Your counselor’s portion of your application includes the Secondary School Report, the school profile (which explains the curriculum at Villa, the service learning program, our average ACT and SAT scores, the colleges to which previous Villa graduates have been admitted, among many other things), letters of recommendation, and your official high school transcript.
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Other things to remember: Work experience is important. It can show that you have displayed responsibility, time management, and character. If you have a superior talent in art, music, drama, dance, or athletics, you can expect to receive a special review in admissions. A gauge used by most colleges is whether or not you’ve been recognized on the state or national level. Include DVD’s and portfolios with your application, if applicable. Extensive involvement in your church or youth group is important to include. Some schools, particularly state schools, give considerable preference to in-state students, so even state schools can become competitive for outof-state residents. Legacy applications receive special consideration at most schools. A legacy is most often defined as the parent, but some schools will look at siblings as well.
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Testing Part of the college application/admission process usually includes taking the SAT or ACT. Most colleges require an ACT Plus Writing (see below for more detailed information about the writing section) or SAT. 1. SAT Test is approximately three-hours and forty-five minutes long and is divided into three sections: critical reading, mathematics, and writing. Students receive a score for each section ranging from 200 to 800. Students may take the SAT as many times as they like on national test dates, and most colleges will take the highest critical reading, math, and writing scores into consideration for admission – even if they come from different test dates. Students may choose to have some or all of their scores sent to colleges. 2. SAT Subject Tests refer to subject area tests. Highly competitive colleges sometimes require the SAT Subject Tests in addition to the SAT Reasoning Test; however, many will take the ACT Plus Writing in place of the SAT Subject Tests. The Subject Tests are one-hour long tests in subjects such as literature, mathematics, biology, foreign language, or American history. Students usually take one math test and one or two tests in the areas where their skills are strongest. Students may take as many as three Subject Tests on a single test date. Students may not take the SAT and the Subject Tests on the same date. 3. ACT Test is divided into four areas: English, math, reading, and science. Scores range from 1 to 36. Students may take the ACT up to twelve times. Most colleges will only consider the highest composite score. Some schools will take the highest subsection score from different test dates and recalculate a new composite (called a “superscore”), but this is not as common with ACT as it is with SAT. Be sure to check with individual colleges for their policy on test score consideration. Students may choose to have some or all of their ACT scores sent to colleges. 4. SAT/ACT Plus Writing - There is a writing section included on both the SAT and ACT. On the SAT this is not optional as the writing is included as part of the regular test. For the ACT, however, the writing part of the test is optional. We strongly recommend that all students take the writing portion of the ACT at least one time to ensure adequate preparation for colleges that will require this section. 5. Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, are not required for most college admission decisions, but strong scores can enhance a student’s chance of being admitted into highly competitive colleges. They are subject area tests differing in format and length by subject area. Students take the exams at Villa in May. Scores range from one to five – with five being the highest score. Colleges may consider awarding credit toward college graduation or advanced course placement with qualifying scores of three or higher on the exams.
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SAT AND ACT TESTING SCHEDULE FOR 2015
SAT
ACT
January 24, 2015 March 14, 2015 May 2, 2015 June 6, 2015 October 3, 2015 (tentative) November 7, 2015 (tentative) December 5, 2015 (tentative) February 7, 2015 April 18, 2015 June 13, 2015 September 12, 2015 October 24, 2015 December 12, 2015
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The Essay An essay is an opportunity for the student to share her voice in the application. There is no formula or format for a perfect essay. A good essay engages, moves, or provokes the reader. It reveals something about the person that may not be seen in other parts of the application. There are continuous opportunities at Villa to work with teachers and college counselors on developing your best writing piece.
The Teacher Recommendation A major component of many applications (including the Common Application) is a teacher recommendation. Please complete the Teacher Recommendation Request form, as it provides the teacher(s) with helpful information for his/her letter-writing. Since some teachers prefer to work on their letters of recommendation during the summer, we suggest that you ask a teacher before the school year is over if they are willing to write on your behalf. We suggest you ask a teacher from one of your core academic subject areas (English, math, social studies, foreign language, and science) to write the recommendation. It is ideal, though not required, to have a teacher from junior year write the letter. If you are applying to an art or performing arts program, you may want an additional recommendation from the appropriate teacher in this discipline. Please refer to the website for each college to which you are applying for the number of teacher recommendations required.
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Visiting a Campus One of the best ways to learn about a college is to see it for yourself. If the schools you’re interested in are close enough for a visit, please visit. However, don’t panic if some of the schools you want to consider are an expensive plane ride away. There are alternative ways to get to know a college and to “demonstrate interest” and we’ll be happy to help you learn about those. Before making a college visit… 1. Make arrangements with the admissions office ahead of time-usually online. Request a tour, class visit, interview (if available), directions, and local hotel information if needed. This is also the time for special requests: meeting with a coach, faculty member, financial aid officer, or arranging an audition, or staying overnight in a residence hall. If you have a special need, don’t be afraid to ask. 2. Call if you need to cancel or are running late for your appointment. 3. Make a list of questions to ask during your interview/visit. (See sample questions at the end of this section.) Don’t ask questions already answered on the Internet or in the view book. 4. Be prepared to share information about yourself such as GPA, current classes, extracurricular activities, and unique or special interests. 5. Two visits per day should be the maximum if the schools are fairly close to each other. At the end of each visit, jot down notes while the impressions are still clear in your mind. Often, it is helpful to take a few pictures of each campus. 6. Don’t judge a college by one student, one faculty member, or one tour guide. Remember that a single person cannot represent the entire school. 7. Don’t allow the weather to affect your judgment of a school. Bricks, mortar, and ivy look best on a bright, sunny day but you may not have optimal weather conditions for all your visits. 8. Ask for business cards before you leave. After the visit, write a short thank-you note to anyone you met on campus. These notes are usually kept in your file and, if you apply, will be a reminder of your interest in that particular school. They may even make a difference in helping you be admitted!
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THINGS TO DO DURING A CAMPUS VISIT
Take a tour. Visit one of more classes. Interview, if possible. Talk to as many students as possible. Ask them about the academic and social life on campus. Carefully observe students as you walk around and see if you can picture yourself as a member of the student body. Stay overnight in a residence hall, if possible. Eat in a dining hall. Visit the neighborhood in which the college is located. Check out transportation facilities. Read the bulletin boards and student newspapers. Visit the library. ASK QUESTIONS! ASK QUESTIONS! ASK QUESTIONS!!!
THINGS TO LOOK FOR DURING A CAMPUS VISIT
Student conversations Security Faculty accessibility Library Laboratories Technology Theatre Fine Arts facilities Athletic facilities Residence halls Amenities including the bookstore, cafeterias, student lounges, student union, food options
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SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING A COLLEGE VISIT 1. What percentage of first year students return for the sophomore year? 2. What percentage of students graduate in four years? In five years? 3. Are there special academic programs? Study abroad? Exchange programs? Internships? Co-ops? January plan? 4. How is the advising system organized, and who are the advisors? 5. What types of tutoring are available? 6. Is there an Honors Program or Honors College? What are the requirements for selection? 7. How soon does a student have to declare a major? What are the most popular majors? 8. Are large classes broken down into seminars? Who leads them? Who determines the grade? 9. What is the geographic, ethnic, religious, and racial makeup of the student body? Is there a church close by? 10. What special interest groups – clubs, publications, and teams are available? 11. How is admission determined? GPA? Class rank? Extracurricular involvement? What is the average SAT/ACT score of the admitted student? 12. What do students like about the way the college is operated? What are the “hot topics” on campus? 13. Is housing guaranteed? For how long? How are roommates assigned?
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14. What percentage of students go home on weekends? 15. What is the role of fraternities and sororities on campus? What percentage of students is involved? When is recruitment? 16. What percentage of seniors goes on to graduate school? Medical school? Law school? MBA programs? 17. Is there a career planning and placement center available to students? 18. Which companies/organizations came to recruit students last year? What percentage of students is placed in full-time jobs in their desired area within six months after graduation? 19. Is there a list of recent graduates in my field of interest whom I could contact? 20. What percentage of students receives some kind of financial aid? 21. Are merit scholarships available? What are the criteria? Is there a separate application? (This is a very important question!) 22. Is this college “need blind” or “need conscious” in the selection process? (In other words: Does the ability to pay enter into the admission decision?) 23. What forms are required to apply for financial aid? 24. Is financial aid available for all four (or five) years of study? 25. How do students describe the academic environment? 26. What support facilities such as computer labs, science labs, art studio space, music practice rooms, athletic facilities, and writing centers exist? Who gets to use them? 27. How much pressure do students feel to compete with each other? 28. How accessible is the faculty? To what extent do first year students interact with faculty outside of class? 29. What are the rules governing alcohol, cars, curfew? What is the enforcement policy?
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SAMPLE COLLEGE VISIT WORKSHEET
COLLEGE NAME LOCATION Distance from home SIZE Enrollment Physical Size of campus ENVIRONMENT Type of school School setting (urban, rural) Location and size of nearest city Coed, or all female Religious affiliation ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Deadline Tests required Average test scores, GPA Special requirements Notification ACADEMICS Majors of interest Special requirements Student/faculty ratio Typical class size COLLEGE EXPENSES Tuition, room & board Estimated total budget Application fee, deposit FINANCIAL AID Deadline Required forms % receiving aid Scholarships HOUSING Residence hall requirement Availability Types and sizes Food plan FACILITIES Academic Recreational Other ACTIVITIES Clubs, organizations Greek life Athletics, intramurals Other
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Financial Aid Each fall, the counseling department sponsors a financial aid professional to review the process with senior parents; each winter, we sponsor a parent workshop on completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). One common mistake is to rule out a particular college because it seems too expensive. Often schools that advertise annual tuition costs of $40,000 or more are also the schools that give more financial aid. Therefore, sometimes schools with higher tuition end up being more affordable than the lower priced institutions. Types of Financial Aid Basically, there are four types of financial aid: scholarships (sometimes called merit aid), grants, loans, and work-study programs. Depending on your financial need, students may be eligible for one or more types of aid. Most financial aid packages contain a combination of types of aid to avoid overburdening of loans or employment. Scholarships are gifts of aid often tied to some kind of talent or attribute such as academic performance, athletic ability, musical talent, and affiliation with certain organizations such as Rotary Club, credit unions, and employer groups. Grants are gifts based on financial need. The Pell Grant is a grant through the federal government. However, a grant may be awarded through the college a student will attend, through an educational grant foundation, and through the state of Missouri, in some cases. Loans are the most common form of student aid. Most loans are at low-interest or fixed rates, and usually do not require repayment until six months after finishing college. The grace period is extended if the student attends graduate school full-time after college. It is important to review your financial aid package and assess how much debt will accumulate over four years, and, if applicable, include graduate school to make a realistic decision. Work-study involves a part-time job on campus while attending college which is either federally or privately funded. Application Procedures Need is calculated by filling out a confidential statement that utilizes income tax figures about your family’s finances which will determine the amount of contributions toward college expenses. There is one free form, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to use to apply for federal financial aid. For a twenty-five dollar fee, the CSS PROFILE form may be required to award campus financial aid. Colleges use the information collected on the PROFILE to help them award private grant and scholarship funds. The College Board does not award scholarship money or other financial aid, but the information collected on the PROFILE helps colleges and programs award their
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funds fairly. The appropriate form/s to use depends on the college to which the student is applying. Web Resources Free Scholarship Search www.fastweb.com www.scholarshipexperts.com www.zinch.com www.collegeboard.com www.scholarships.com www.stlgraduates.org www.collegedata.com www.collegerealitycheck.com www.cappex.com U.S. Department of Education for Students www.studentaid.ed.gov www.collegecost.ed.gov FAFSA on the Web www.fafsa.ed.gov FinAid – Financial Aid Information www.finaid.org International Student Guidance www.edupass.org
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RESOURCES IN THE COUNSELING CENTER One of your greatest college resources is the Counseling Center. The following are informational tools available for use: College Admissions Officers Visits Each fall, Villa Duchesne hosts over 100 college representatives from colleges across the United States. These visits are an opportunity for personal conversations with an admissions officer. It is also one of the best and quickest ways to get a picture of a particular school. Students are invited to attend any of these sessions. The visits occur regularly throughout September, October, and November during the school day. They are usually 30-45 minutes long and are informal. These sessions are not interviews but designed so you can get the information needed about any aspect of the college’s programs or financial aid. To attend a college session, the student needs to secure a permission slip from the counseling center at least two days in advance if she will be missing class. Family Connection Family Connection or Naviance, is a web-based program that provides information about colleges and careers. It is available for every student and parent by logging onto http://connection.naviance.com/vdoh. Students and parents select from a menu that allows the counselor, student, and parent to track and analyze data. It also provides information such as college profiles, scatter grams of past college application results for Villa students at specific colleges, a schedule of college admissions officers’ visits, and links to resources for test preparation, college athletics, and financial aid. The following documents are also available on Family Connection: Junior Questionnaire for College Planning Peer Recommendation Parent Questionnaire for College Teacher Recommendation Guidelines Teacher Recommendation Request Form Scholarship Information All notices of scholarships that come to the counseling department are available in Naviance (click the Scholarship Match icon for a scholarship list and possible qualifications), in the weekly College Corner newsletter, and in the scholarship binder available in the counseling center. College Guides College guides are commercially prepared books offering suggestions on how to choose the right school. Some are more useful than others, and all of them are biased. It is a good idea to refer to several to get a broader perspective on the schools of interest. In guide books, students may find short summaries of information such as the middle ACT and/or SAT range of last year’s admitted
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class, the percent of applicants admitted, the ratio of men to women, and approximate costs. Some guides also offer student opinions on topics such as residence life, difficulty of courses, Greek life, and political tenor on campuses. The books are available for purchase at most bookstores, but the college counseling office has many you are welcome to use. We recommend the following guidebooks: 1. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2. Colleges That Change Lives, Loren Pope 3. K & W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences, The Princeton Review 4. The College Finder, Seven R. Antonoff, Ph.D. 5. The Best 379 Colleges, 2015, The Princeton Review 6. College Handbook, College Board 7. Book of Majors, College Board 8. College Guide for Visual Arts Majors, Peterson’s 9. College Guide for Performing Art Majors, Peterson’s
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NAVIANCE/FAMILY CONNECTION Passwords for parents: ________________________________________ Password for student: _________________________________________ (http://connection.naviance.com\vdoh)
Setting Up Your Family Connection Account
Register for Family Connection You will need your personal registration code attached to this folder to create your Family Connection account. Using your VDOH email address, and personal registration code, go to http://connection.naviance.com/vdoh, Villa Duchesne’s Family Connection main page, type your registration code in the New User text box, click Register, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
What can you do on Family Connection? Complete surveys Compare colleges Track deadlines Show schedule of college representatives visiting Villa Search for scholarships Review and complete interest inventories Receive communication from the college counselors Request transcripts (senior year)
COLLEGES TAB My Colleges Displays and adds to the student’s college list, both prospective and those to which she has applied; compares personal scores and GPAs to Villa Duchesne’s averages for a college; displays college overlaps; displays scattergrams, displays application deadlines, and includes a link that displays a list of all colleges that have scheduled a visit to Villa.
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College Research College Search and Super Match College Search Suggests colleges/universities based upon students’ reported interests/criteria.
College Match Lists colleges/universities that have historically admitted students with a similar academic profile.
College Compare o Compares selected colleges using the average test scores and GPAs for former Villa students who were accepted in the past. o Automatically overlays the student’s scores and GPA against the averages for each college and provides a color-coded comparison.
College Lookup o Displays colleges by name, by alphabet, by state or by country. o Provides comprehensive information on thousands of colleges. o In addition to general and admissions information, further data is available on academics, cost and financial aid, student body characteristics, extracurricular and athletic programs. A link to each college’s website is provided. o Shows colleges to which Villa Duchesne students (20072014) have applied (numbers applying, admitted, and enrolled, and the average ACT/SAT score of the admitted student) with a link to a scattergram of results.
Scattergrams o Select from a pull-down menu of colleges to view Villa Duchesne application history. o Accepted, denied, and waitlisted outcomes are plotted using GPAs and test scores.
Scholarships & Money Displays a list of scholarships and financial aid awards that the college counselors have entered for Villa Duchesne students.
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CAREERS TAB Explore Careers Research potential career paths based upon career cluster or previous career surveys. What Are My Interests? Access three assessments to help identify career paths based upon interests and skills.
ABOUT ME TAB My Assessments View results from completed assessments and surveys Interesting Things About Me Access favorite college/careers lists, build your résumé. Official Things View current GPA, test scores, etc.
***Requesting a Transcript through Family Connection*** This is important for the first semester of senior year! o In Naviance, click on the Colleges tab o On left hand of screen, under resources, click on “transcripts”. o Under current applications, place a checkmark in the box to the left of each college you wish to receive a transcript. Click the “request transcript” box at the bottom of the page. o If you need to add a college(s), go to “add to this list”. o Once you have added all your colleges, click Request Transcript.
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COLLEGE PLANNING MEETING December 3, 2014 Villa Duchesne ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________