Testing: The following tests will be coming up during this school year. You may register online for either or both tests. Please remember that all colleges accept either test, so it is important to look at both tests and choose the one you feel you will do best on. One is not easier than the other; it depends on your preferences and talents. Information (including free sample tests) is available online at the websites indicated. Remember that SAT and ACT scores are NOT reported on the NFA transcript. You must request that the testing company sends them to the colleges.
Test & Website | Test Date | Registration Deadline | At NFA? | Registration Cost | SAT | December 5, 2009 | October 30, 2009 | Yes | $45 | www.collegeboard.com | May 1, 2010 | March 25, 2010 | Yes | $45 | | June 5, 2010 | April 29, 2010 | Yes | $45 | | | | | | ACT | December 12, 2009 | November 6, 2009 | No | $32 or $47 with writing | www.actstudent.org | April 10, 2010 | March 5, 2010 | Yes | $32 or $47 with writing | | June 12, 2010 | May 7, 2010 | Yes | $32 or $47 with writing |
Naviance & the College Process Workshop: October 29, 6:30 p.m., Ensemble Room. Family Connection/Naviance is an online career and college interactive program that NFA has subscribed to for our students to use. Information on exploring careers and colleges as well as scholarships and college visits at NFA is posted here. This workshop will go over the process of accessing this program as well as the process involved in applying to college.
Financial Aid Workshop: The financial aid process, including how to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will be reviewed. This workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 3, 2009, in the Ensemble Room in the Frank Center. Students and parents can get the FAFSA PIN (Personal Identification Number) now at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This will save you a great deal of time later on, and there is no charge. The focus is on seniors and their parents/guardians, but anyone may attend.
College Goal Sunday: Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on time with the help of experts. College Goal Sunday will be held here at NFA on January 31, 2010 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Register online at http://www.collegegoalsundayct.org and check the listing of documents you’ll need to bring with you.
College Visits at NFA: Each Wednesday until mid-December, representatives from a variety of colleges will meet with students at NFA to discuss their schools and programs. A listing of these colleges is available on Family Connection/Naviance. Each week’s college visits will be read during morning announcements. Students interested in participating in these visits must obtain a pass from their
guidance counselor or the Career Transition Center prior to homeroom the day of the visit. You may also print out a pass directly from Naviance. This is a great opportunity to get information about the college and, in many cases, speak with the admissions representative who will be evaluating your application. Come with questions to make a good first impression. Look up information on the college’s website (many college websites are www.nameofthecollege.edu).
Career Transition Center (425-5620): This resource is available to help all students with career and college planning information. The CTC is located at the entrance to the Cranston Building and is open during school hours. All students are encouraged to stop by and learn about the resources available there. See Ms. Murray or Mrs. Schwartz for more information. Be aware that you may receive information from various companies that offer to help you find scholarships and/or college information for a fee. Most of these companies offer services that are available for FREE from your guidance counselor. You can find up-to-date college and scholarship information on the Internet (a good site is www.fastweb.com) as well on Naviance. Our website provides a wealth of information about what is happening at NFA. Check it regularly.
SAT Preparation Course: The fall SAT Prep Class at NFA begins on October 21st and finishes on December 2nd. Call 1-800-2-REVIEW for more information and to register.
PSAT: Tenth and eleventh grade students will take the PSAT this year in school on October 14. The results will be shared with the students in December. They will receive their scores along with the test booklet and information on how to improve their scores for the SAT.
COLLEGE APPLICATION INFORMATION
Applying to college can be a long and sometimes confusing process. To help make some sense of this process, we have put together the following guidelines and helpful hints for you. Please read them over and keep it for reference throughout the next few months. Do not hesitate to ask questions; we are here to help you.
1. APPLICATIONS. Colleges are encouraging students to apply online. Go to the college web site and follow the links to the Admissions page. You may need to register on the their site to be able to access the application. The NFA Career Transition Center has some paper applications. Double check to make sure you have filled out the application completely and have followed all directions. Counselors are available to review your applications with you before you mail or submit them, but students should mail or submit their applications themselves. Be sure to check deadlines.
2. RECOMMENDATION LETTERS. Does the college that you plan to apply to require letters of recommendation? Check on how many you need and from whom. Check to see if the college has a form that must be submitted with the letter. Fill out the NFA Request for Teacher Recommendation and Request for Counselor Recommendation forms (available on the NFA website under Guidance/forms and in the back of the SEOP handbook), and then make an appointment with your teacher or counselor. You should provide your counselor with a listing of your activities or résumé. BE SURE TO GIVE THOSE WRITING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION PLENTY OF TIME and set a date for you to pick up the letters.
3. TRANSCRIPT: After your SEOP, check to be sure that your transcript is up to date. You will need to ask your counselor to get official copies of your transcript to mail to the colleges. Your counselor will need at least a 3-day notice to get a transcript. Please provide your counselor with a list of the schools you are applying to and the dates by which you want your transcript mailed.
§ If you are applying for EARLY ACTION /DECISION, see your counselor two weeks before the deadline. - Requests for applications with January 1 deadlines must be received by your counselor by December 16 in order to process them before the winter recess.
4. SAT/ACT SCORES: Your scores need to be sent to each school you have applied to and must be sent directly from the College Board or ACT. If you submit your request online at the time of registration, there is no additional fee. If you don’t select this option and use the Additional Report Request, an additional fee is charged for each score sent. Information is available on the web site http://www.collegeboard.com or http://www.actstudent.org
5. COLLEGE ESSAYS: Check the application to see what the essay question is and be sure to answer the question. Give yourself plenty of time to write, proofread, and edit your essay. Have other people read your essay and give you feedback. You should give your counselor a copy of the final draft. Many colleges require that the essay be included with the on-line application.
6. FINANCIAL AID: If you are planning to apply for financial aid from any college, you must complete the FAFSA. This cannot be done until after January 1st. Forms are available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You will need to apply for a PIN for both you and your parent to electronically sign the form. NFA will host a Financial Aid Seminar on December 3rd. In addition, be sure to check www.collegeboard.com to see if any of the colleges you are applying to require the CSS/Profile. This can be done sooner than January and is another way of determining eligibility for financial aid. The financial aid offices of the schools you are applying to are most knowledgeable about the intricacies of financial aid, and they are very willing to help, even if you have not been accepted yet. Utilize them!
7. NCAA: Athletes considering participating in Division 1 or 2 sports must file NCAA Clearinghouse Eligibility forms. See your counselor for details or visit https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common.
8. COPIES: Keep copies of everything you send out.
9. HINT: Stay organized. Be sure you know all deadlines and allow ample time for each step of the process. Admissions officers read applications in the order they are received, so be sure to send your applications in as soon as possible.
10. QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS: Ask your counselor if you have any questions or need further assistance. We are happy to help.
11. OUR EMAIL: Your counselor’s email address is last name with first initial and then @norwichfreeacademy.com (for example, Mrs. Elliott is elliottj(at)norwichfreeacademy.com). Feel free to email us with any questions you might have.
12. THANK-YOU NOTES: It is important to write a personal thank-you note to each person who wrote a letter of recommendation for you. Thank-you notes should be written within two weeks of getting the letter of recommendation.
CEEB CODE/SCHOOL CODE: 070590 |
