Preparing Gifted Students for the College Application Process or When Do I begin to Panic? Preparing your student for the College Application Process

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A Night to Explore the Possibilities
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Empowerment

• Students must become responsible for their own
  success, their own grades, rigorous class
  schedule, and progress with the support of
  parents and teachers.
• Organization-Try different organizational tools,
  expect to try and discard multiple personal
  organization devices.
• Students must become involved.

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Empowerment-Preparation

• Take the Most Rigorous courses available in your
  school and through your school.
• AP Courses
• Advanced Courses
• Dual Credit Courses

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Empowerment-Preparation

• Create a Resume, update it 2 times a year.
• Consider the resume audience to be any individual
  writing a letter of recommendation.
• Include volunteer and extracurricular activities.
• Include any leadership roles.

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Empowerment-Preparation

• Mock Interviews.
• Practice selling yourself.
• Work with a guidance counselor, teacher, youth
  group leader.
• Research college interview questions.
• Research colleges. College Board has a terrific
  College Search
• Utilize the ILP.

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Involvement-Extracurricular
Become involved in a sport, drama, a club, a
musical instrument, and/or a community of faith
based organization.
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Involvement-Community Service

• Volunteer-Develop a sustained relationship with
  some non-profit organization based upon the
  students interest.
• Non-Profit participation allows you to practice
  leadership skills.
• You have the opportunity to give back to your
  community. Colleges expect this.

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Involvement-Internships

• Look for internships or opportunities to develop
  a mentor-mentee relationship with professionals
  in your field(s) of interest.
• Business and Technical professionals are
  interested in working with Gifted Students. Most
  are complimented by becoming mentors.
• Many colleges encourage professors to mentor
  potential students.
• Many colleges actively recruit students to join
  research teams.

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Involvement-Summer

• Be active.
• Participant in summer community programs.
  Learning a new sport (golf, tennis), learning a
  new skill (photography, etc.), writing workshops.
• Participate in WKU Gifted Studies programs, NKU
  gifted summer programs, UK engineering summer
  programs.
• Summer camps, CIT programs.
• Reading Clubs.

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Involvement-Summer

• Sophomores-Juniors can apply to the Kentucky
  Governors School for the Arts.
• Juniors can apply for the Governors Scholars
  Program.
• 9th, 10th, 11th can apply for Governors School
  for Entrepreneurs.
• Juniors can apply for the Murray University
  Commonwealth Honors Academy a 3 week residential
  program.
• Work. Volunteer.

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GSP, GSA, GSE

• GSP-Juniors, Application available now, Need test
  score, PSAT, ACT (Oct.), SAT (Oct. or Nov.) 5
  weeks, Bellarmine, Murrary, Morehead
• GSA-Sophomores or Juniors. Apps go live early
  Oct. Due 13/31, 3 weeks, Centre
• GSE-freshmen, sophomores, juniors. Apps available
  Dec., make own video, app, recommendations. 3
  weeks.

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Involvement-Be Original

• Be creative, develop solutions to community
  problems. Become involved in community
  organizations, city-county government.
• National school based organizations FFA and/or
  FBLA offer great scholarship possibilities.
• Kids Guide to Service Projects by Barbara Lewis
• Original research, original major projects make a
  major difference in acceptance into the most
  selective schools.

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Curriculum-Scheduling

• Work with your school counselor taking the most
  challenging, rigorous curriculum that your school
  offers.
• Carefully craft a four year high school course
  schedule.
• Encourage AP courses.
• Dual Credit-Be careful
• College Courses

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Boyle County High School

• AP- How many is considered to be rigorous?
• 18 AP Courses available
• Dual Credit courses offered from 5 different
  colleges and universities

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Testing-Freshmen

• Freshman should take the Preliminary Scholastic
  Attitude Test in October. The PSAT is shorter
  and cheaper than other college type tests. When
  taken as a freshmen it is practice. When taken
  as a junior it is the qualifying exam for the
  National Merit Scholarship Corporation
  Scholarships.
• Wait to take ACT and SAT tests, unless you
• missed taking the PSAT.

PSAT/NMSQT
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Testing-Sophomores

• Kentucky sophomores take the PLAN test in
  September, accurate predictor of ACT scores.
• Take the PSAT in October as practice.
• If you cannot wait, consider taking the ACT
  and/or SAT in May or June, do not send scores to
  schools, colleges do not consider these scores
  for admission.
• www.number2.com free test prep site.

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Testing Juniors

• Prepare for and take the PSAT test in October.
• Prepare for and take the ACT in March, required
  of all KY juniors.
• Take the ACT and/or SAT in April or June. Avoid
  May-concentrate on AP tests in May.
• Take 2-3 SAT Subject tests in June, based upon
  which AP tests student is prepared for in May.
  The most selective colleges require 2-3 SAT
  Subject Tests.
• A 30 ACT opens most doors, a 32 opens major
  scholarships.

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Testing-Seniors

• Review ACT and/or SAT with a school counselor.
• Design a plan to prepare to retake ACT and/or
  SAT.
• All colleges accept either the ACT or SAT.
• Most selective and highly selective schools
  require a score from either the ACT or SAT essay.
• Three times is the max anyone should take a test.
• Take any needed SAT Subject tests.
• Colleges require scores to be sent from the
  testing agency.

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Boyle County High School

• Helpful Links
• ACT Student SiteCollege Board KHEAAFast
  WebGoHigher KentuckySelective Service
  SystemFAFSAKentucky Department of
  EducationOccupational Outlook Handbook
• Contact Us
• Amy. Rhinehart_at_boyle.kyschools.usDana.Stigall_at_boy
  le.kyschools.us

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College Visits-Freshmen and Sophomores

• College Drive Bys
• Drive by campus
• Walk into the Student Center
• Eat at a restaurant near campus
• Take few pictures as a memory jogger
• Formal visits to with the Admissions Office is
  not necessary

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College Visits-Juniors

• Make appointment with Admissions Staff-meet the
  individual responsible for your geographical
  area.
• Research College. Come prepared with questions,
  if considering a specific major asked about the
  course of study.
• Avoid organized tour days.
• Sit in on a class.
• Take a copy of your resume and/or transcript.
• Try to visit during the school term.
• Follow up visit with a thank you note to
  admissions.

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College Visits-Seniors

• Make an appointment with the Admissions Office
• Consider an overnight stay to 2-3 college.
• Trim the college application list to 6-8 schools.
  
• Try to visit the 6-8 schools on the list.

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College Fairs

• Attend. Regional College Fairs are held in
  Louisville, Lexington, Cincinnati, and Nashville
  during October.
• Go Prepared.
• Attend during the freshman, sophomore and junior
  years.

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Applying for College

• Most colleges accept the Common Application. It
  is available on-line August 1. Some school
  supplements will go on-line at a later date.
• Begin working on the Common Application as soon
  as it is available, August 1.
• Between the Common App essays and the supplement
  essays, seniors will write more essays during
  their senior year than they will write in any HS
  class.

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Applying for College

• UL, Western, Murray, Eastern, Northern Kentucky
  are not part of the Common Application.
• Each public university and community colleges in
  Kentucky have their own application.
• UK, Centre and Transylvania are the only KY
  Common Application members.
• Campbellsville, KY Wesleyan, Brescia,
  Williamsburg, Berea, Asbury, Bellarmine, Union,
  Lindsey Wilson, Pikeville, Georgetown and more
  have their own applications

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State University ACT Requirements

• 50 between
• University of Kentucky 23-28
• University of Louisville 22-28
• Murray State University 21-25
• Morehead State University 19-25
• Northern KY University 19-25
• Eastern State University 19-24
• Western State University 18-25

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Kentucky Private College and University ACT
Requirements

• Centre College 26-30
• Transylvania University 24-30

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Selective College and Universities

• Harvard
  32-35
• Yale 32-35
• Princeton 31-35
• Stanford 31-34
• Vanderbilt 31-34
• Duke 30-34
• University of Pennsylvania 30-34

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Minimum ACT-Compass Scores

• If your ACT scores are below 19 in Math,
• 18 in English, or
• below 20 in Reading,
• youll need to take the COMPASS test.
• Compass test is part of ACT Family of tests-Go to
  www.act.org/compass for test practice
• KY seniors without a qualifying ACT will have the
  opportunity to take the COMPASS

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Application Requirements

• Example
• Brown University- Providence , Rhode Island
• 11/01-Early Decision Date
• 01/01-Regular Decision Date
• 75 Application Fee
• Supplement-Additional information and essay
• SAT w/Writing and 2 SAT Subject Tests or ACT
  w/Writing-tests
• Teacher recommendations-Two teacher recs
• School report-Counselor completes, rec,
  transcript

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Applying for College

• Apply to 6-8 colleges, more than that, students
  are delaying decisions.
• 2 reach schools, 2 realistic, 2 safety
• Make every application count.
• The Perfect School does not exist.

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Applying for College-Recommendations

• The Common Application requires one school
  counselor recommendation and two teacher
  recommendations.
• Ask recommenders early. Give a minimum of two
  weeks.
• Provide recommenders a resume.
• Remind recommender of due dates.
• For non-Common Application schools, recommenders
  will need addressed, stamped envelopes if
  application is a hard copy.

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Applying for College-Due Dates

• Due Dates-Watch Due Dates, design a format to
  organize required paperwork and due dates.
• Most colleges-January 1
• Early Action-Early Decision-November 1
  Research and know the difference
• Most schools notify students of acceptance on
  April 1, April Fools Day!
• Rolling admission-Notified usually within 2 weeks
  of application
• Must accept by May 1.

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Scholarships

• Most scholarships are awarded by the colleges,
  gt10 come from private sources.
• Register with fastweb.com This is free!
• https//bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-sea
  rch This is free!
• Make a game out of scholarship applications, but
  be organized, diligent, and intentional.
• Kentucky and county Farm Bureaus and Rural Area
  Electric Cooperatives offer scholarships.

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Financial Aid Packages

• Parents are welcome to ask the Colleges
  Financial Office to reevaluate their students
  financial aid package. No money is ever removed
  from the package, most time the school adds
  500-1500 a year to the package.
• Parents should always let the Financial Aid
  Office know if there are extenuating situations
  within the family that warrants substantial
  additional financial aid.
• Parents need to complete the FAFSA beginning 1\1.

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Beyond High School

• Honors Programs
• External Scholarships-Gates, Fulbright,
  Rhodes,Truman, Roosevelt, etc.
• Semesters Abroad
• Internships
• Explore all options

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Student Support

• October 2 330-430 PM
• GSP parent-student information session
• October 15 All day support for Juniors
• October 28-29 All day support for Senior College
  Applications
• November 5 Visit Junior classes
• March 25 1200-500 PM Support for Juniors

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Contact Information

• Peggy Workman
• 321 Lakeshore Drive
• Lexington, KY 40502
• 859-269-2443
• Pegrw_at_aol.com