1. Ashley Hill, MPH

2. Every Success Begins as a Thought!

3. Thoughts => Behavior
 Approach to the
college preparation
process
 Perspectives about
college life

4. Challenges
 Lack of key skills – reading comprehension, critical
thinking, research, and writing skills
 Low exposure to the college setting before starting
college
First generation students
 Unrealistic expectations (more emphasis on
independence – grades, communication with college)

5. You need an advantage!
 Over 4 million high school students graduate from
college each year in the US with millions of students
applying to college.
 You must stand out from the crowd!

6. The Partnership

7. How do we solve them?
Right tools (strategies) +
develop key skills +
exposure to college setting early
in high school
= success!

8. College Preparation Process
 College Application
Grades
Courses
ACT/SAT
Admission Essay
Major Selection
Volunteer
Internships
 College Selection
 FAFSA

9. How early do I start the college
prep process?
 The college preparation process should begin by the
6th grade!
 Grades 6-8 => Focus on skill development
 Grades 9-12 => Focus on maintaining skills and
putting together college application

10. Grades
 How do you learn best?
Visual, Auditory, Manipulations
What do you do if your grades are low?
Be honest with yourself – distractions, lack of study
skills, not understanding material
Take action – tutoring, change study habits

11. Courses
 If possible, take additional courses to give you an
advantage with your college applications
 Take college prep level courses

12. ACT/SAT
 Practice makes perfect!
 SAT Subject II Tests
 Talk with counselors about possible financial
assistance with paying for tests
 College admissions staff take these scores very
seriously when looking at your college application
 Perfect scores (ACT=36, SAT=2400)

13. ACT/SAT Resources
 http://www.collegeboard.org/ (SAT)
 http://www.act.org/ (ACT)
 Keep up with the changes!

14. Admission Essay
 Be unique!
 Discuss experiences that will help admission staff to
understand why you want to go to college and what
you hope to gain from your college experience
 Have other people to proofread it.
 Watch out for spelling and grammatical errors

15. Major Selection
 Your major may not necessarily match your future
career
 Interests, Skills
 Minors and certifications

16. Volunteer/Internships
 Start in your community!
 Develop organization skills and may actually find
your ideal college major or career
 Make a goal to volunteer at least 30 – 50 hours
between 9th and 12th grade.
 If necessary, create your own opportunities!

17. College Selection
 Location
 Cost
 Safety measures – Virginia Tech
 Majors offered
 Meal plan
 Extracurricular activities
 What matters to you?

18. Paying for College
 College is an investment in your future!
 Start with the FAFSA form!
 Scholarships, Grants, Loans
 Scholarships are ideal – start early!
 Grants – you don’t have to repay these back
 Use loans as a last resort! (Parent loans vs. student
loans)

19. Paying for College
 __%: Percentage of teen girls who are stressed about
finding a way to pay for college (verses __% of teen
boys). Teen girls are also more likely than boys to
have feelings of depression or fear, fights with family,
and fights with friends because of money.
 SOURCE: 2009 survey completed by Bank of America
and Seventeen.

20. Role of parents and college costs
 Should parents pay for all college costs?
 Who is responsible for repaying student loans –
parents or students?

21. More statistics
 _%: Number of teens who have had to alter their
college plans in some way because of the current
economic downturn.
 _%: Percentage of teen girls who think that their
parents should bail them out of a tough money
situation, no matter how old they are.
 SOURCE: 2009 survey completed by Bank of America
and Seventeen.

22. PSEO Program
 Allows high school students to take high school and
college courses
 Free program
 Must maintain B average in all classes
 Exposure to the college setting

23. Special Admissions Process
 Student Athletes
Keep track of meetings with recruiters, coaches
Organizational Skills
 “The Arts” – music, dance, theater, art
You will be required to audition

24. Homeschool Students
 Get involved!
 Take the initiative and seek out summer bridge
programs for a smooth transition to college

25. Students with disabilities
 There are resources on campus for you – note takers,
tutors, additional time on testing, and other special
accommodations

26. Beyond Academic
 Relationship with God – connect with church in the
area
 Self-Identity
 Health
 Self-management skills – responsibilities, finances
(budgeting)
 Relationships (dating, friendships, professional)

27. Final Words for Parents
 Partnership
 Support

28. Final Words for Students
 It’s a process – take it one step at a time
 Take control of your future
 Seek resources and use them!
 Be confident

29. Contact Information
 www.collegeprepready.com
 www.fb.com/prep4college
 www.twitter.com/prepforcollege
 info@collegeprepready.com

30. Resources
 http://www.collegeprep101.com/
 http://mappingyourfuture.org/CollegePrep/selectcollege.h
 Community (Church)