An Instruction Booklet for the Parents of Niagara Catholic Junior and Senior High School College Bound Students

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An Instruction Booklet for the Parents of Niagara
Catholic Junior and Senior High School College
Bound Students
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Part IThe Academic RecordPart IIHigh
School-Year by YearPart IIIMoney for College
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Part IThe Academic Record

• In order to understand the college selection and
  admissions process, there are terms that parents
  need to understand and information they must have.

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College Admissions CriteriaWhen evaluating an
applicant, colleges look at

• Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Class Rank
• ACT/SAT Scores
• Recommendations
• Strength of Subjects
• Special Talents art, music, athletics
• Personal Qualities
• Activities/Volunteerism/Employment/Awards
• Essays
• Interviews

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Grade Point Average (GPA)The average of a
students end of term grades, starting with the
Freshman Year.

• Class Rank
• Two numbers used to show where a student stands
  in his/her class (ex/ 10/40).

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College and NUSTEP Courses

• Students should enroll in the most rigorous
  courses that they can handle. College admissions
  offices want to see students taking challenging
  courses.
• College courses are offered at Niagara Catholic
  through Niagara Universitys NUStep program.
• WHAT IS NUStep?
• NUStep is an opportunity for students to earn
  college credit while still attending High School.
  They do not leave the High School campus, but
  are taught on their campus by university-approved
  instructors. Students should be ready for the
  challenge of college-level course work, and must
  be recommended for the course by either their
  school counselor or former instructors.
  Registration is completed online through Niagara
  Universitys website. Students receive
  information on registration and payment from
  their course instructors the first week of
  school.

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High School Transcripta document detailing a
students academic achievement

• Courses, grades, and credits for each grade
  completed, beginning with grade nine (and any
  high school credits earned in grade 8).
• Cumulative GPA, class rank, and attendance
• Anticipated graduation date
• Test scores from the PLAN, PSAT, SAT, and/or ACT
• Regents Exam Scores

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School Profile

• A document that provides information about the
  high school a student is attending The guidance
  office automatically attaches one to each
  transcript that we send to a college for
  admissions purposes.

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College Recommended Courses

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of Math
• 3 years of Science
• 2-3 years of the same foreign language
• 4 years of Social Studies
• 1 year of Fine or Performing Arts
• Individual colleges may have different or
  additional requirements

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Niagara Catholics CurriculumGrades 9-12

• Religious Studies 4 units
• English 4 units
• Social Studies 4 units
• Mathematics 4 units
• Science 4 units
• Foreign Language 1 unit
• Health ½ unit
• Art or Music 1 unit
• Physical Education 2 units
• Computer Application 1 unit
• Electives 1 ½ units
• 1 unit 1 full year of a course TOTAL UNITS 27

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Community Service at Niagara Catholic

• All students must complete volunteer service for
  a charitable non-profit organization for each
  academic year. At least ½ of this requirement
  must be fulfilled by the end of the first
  semester or the students will receive a 50 for
  the region course. All service hours must be
  completed before the designated date as
  determined by the Religion Department.
• The minimum number of service hours to be
  completed are as follows
• Freshman 15 hours
• Sophomores 20 hours
• Juniors 25 hours
• Seniors 30 hours

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Four-Year High School Plan

• A listing of the courses a student plans to take
  during his/her Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and
  Senior Years. Each student has one file in the
  Guidance Office

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College Majors

• Most Colleges and Universitys offer a broad
  range of majors
• Students who know what they want to major in
  should choose their high school courses
  accordingly
• Undecided students can use their first year of
  college to take their required general education
  classes
• All students at Niagara Catholic should take
  advantage of the NUStep college program offered
  since these will help satisfy college general
  requirements before a student even finishes high
  school (remember NUStep courses are available to
  instructor referred or school counselor referred
  students only)!

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Requirements for Athletes

• NCAA-Division I and II colleges can give
  scholarships Students must register with the
  NCAA Initial Eligibility Center at
  http//eligibilitycenter.org/ECWR2/NCAA
  EMS/NCAA.html
• NAIA- There are fewer colleges in this division,
  different eligibility requirements
• NJCAA (Junior Colleges)- no academic eligibility
  requirements for incoming students

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Two-Year Colleges, Career and Trade Schools

• Students can train for many high growth career
  fields in two years or less
• 2-year community colleges are the most affordable
  option
• Students can start a 2-year community college and
  transfer to a 4-year college Many colleges have
  a dual admissions program, i.e. NCCC, that
  streamlines this process. Pay lower tuition for
  2-years then transfer to a 4-year college
• Their courses are more career-related
• They offer a more hands-on approach

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Part II

• High School Year by Year

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High School Year by Year

• There are specific things that a parents can do
  at each grade level to ensure that their children
  will be prepared for college.

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8th GradeWhile 8th grade may not be as important
as grades 9-12, it is nevertheless an important
year.

• Grades may be used to determine ninth grade
  course placement. A few of the courses are
  actually high school courses that will eventually
  be averaged into the students overall GPA.
• 8th grade students who develop good study skills
  are much better prepared for high school.
• This is a good time to develop a 4-year plan and
  explore career opportunities
• Students generally choose their 9th grade courses
  in the late winter months.

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9th GradeHow to Guide and Advise Your
FreshmanRemember-this is the year that all
their preparation for their academic future
success starts to count!

• Monitor academic progress
• Encourage involvement in a wide variety of
  activities. Colleges want well-rounded students
  on their campus.
• Start and Activities List.
• Help your child select appropriate 10th grade
  courses.
• Help plan meaningful summer activities
• Start a college savings account

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10th GradeHow to Guide and Advise Your Sophomore

• Monitor academic progress
• Continue to encourage involvement in
  community/school/volunteer and leadership
  opportunities
• Have your child take the PLAN (practice test for
  the ACT)
• Explore and discuss college options
• Oversee 11th grade course selection
• Help plan meaningful summer activities
• Update Activities List
• Add money to college savings account
• Begin to explore scholarship availability

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11th GradeHow to Guide and Advise Your Junior

• Monitor academic progress
• Continue to encourage involvement
• Think about and explore college options
• Attend Junior Open Houses at various colleges
• Have your child register for the ACT and/or SAT
  in the Spring
• Have your son/daughter register for the PSAT in
  September
• This is a practice test for the SAT
• Students can use their test scores to see how
  they compare to other college bound students
• This test is used to determine National Merit
  Award

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11th grade-How to guide your Junior Continued

• THE ACT
• Offered in October, December, February, April,
  and June
• 4 multiple choice tests English, Reading, Math,
  and Science
• Scores given for each section (1-36)
• Composite Score
• Optional Writing Test
• www.act.org

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11th Grade-How to Guide and Advise Your Junior
Continued

• THE SAT
• Offered in October, November, December, January,
  March, May, and June. Niagara Catholic is NOT a
  SAT Test Center. They can take the exam at
  Niagara Falls High School, Lew-Port High School,
  or Niagara Wheatfield High School. Juniors
  typically take the exam in May. (Seniors
  typically RETAKE the exam in October for a better
  score).
• 3 Sections-Critical Reading, Math, and Writing.
  Most colleges are most interested in just the
  Critical Reading and Math cores.
• Scores range from 200 to 800 for each section.
  Students should strive to achieve a total score
  of around 1100 (Critical Reading plus Math scores
  combined). This will keep students eligible for
  most SUNY colleges.
• SAT Subject Tests-one hour tests in specific
  subject areas. Students applying to selective
  colleges typically will have to take 1-2 subject
  exams (check requirements ahead of time).
• www.collegeboard.com

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11th Grade-How to Guide and Advise Your Junior
Continued

• Make College Visits
• Learn about the college before you visit
• Take a tour
• Meet with an admissions requirements
• Sit in on a class
• Get information on intended major
• Check out Honors Programs
• Read a campus newspaper
• Visit a dorm
• Talk to students
• Verify the cost and find out about financial
  aid/scholarships
• Check out the town where the college is located

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11th Grade-How to Guide and Advise Your Junior
Continued

• Oversee selection of senior year courses
• Look for scholarships. Scholarships sent to the
  school are posted on the Niagara Catholic School
  website under the Guidance Section. Often,
  parents employers or community affiliations may
  offer scholarships for dependent children.
• Update Activities List.
• Meet with High School Counselor
• Narrow the list of college choices
• Put money into your college savings account

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12th GradeHow to Guide and Advise Your Senior

• Continue to monitor academic progress
• Set up a calendar for the year
• Have your daughter/son sign up for the first ACT
  and/or SAT (latest test dateNovember), if
  necessary
• Oversee completion of financial aid and
  scholarship applications. Financial Aid (FAFSA)
  goes from Jan.1 to mid-march. Scholarships are
  all year long.
• Oversee completion of college applications
• Make sure applications are completed correctly
• Provide information for recommendations
• Make sure applications are sent in before
  deadlines

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Part III

• Money for College

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Money for College

• Financial aid is money that is given, earned, or
  lent to help students pay for their education.

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Four Categories of Financial Aid

• GRANT money given, usually because of financial
  need
• Scholarship money awarded for achievement or
  talent
• Work Study money earned by working at the
  college
• Loan borrowed money that must be repaid

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Financial Aid continued

• Except for merit-based scholarships, financial
  aid is generally awarded on the basis of
  financial need.
• Financial need is the difference between the cost
  of attending a college and the amount a family
  can afford.

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Financial

• To receive need-based aid, parents MUST complete
  the necessary forms.
• FAFSA Requirement off ALL colleges
• College Financial Aid Form
• The PROFILE
• TAP NYS financial aid if student attends a NYS
  college

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The FAFSA

• A federal form that determines how much a family
  can afford to pay
• Submit your FAFSA after January 1 of your
  daughter/sons Senior Year. Niagara Catholic
  School has a financial aid night in January and
  March at which financial aid experts explains the
  financial aid sources and documents (FAFSA and
  TAP)
• www.fafsa.ed.gov

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Loans

• PLUS Loan
• Perkins Loan-low interest loan to help needy
  financial students
• Stafford Loan
• Subsidized Stafford Loan-based on financial need
  and interest does NOT accrue while attending
  college
• Unsubsidized Stafford Loan- not based on
  financial need and interest DOES accrue while
  attending college

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Applying for Scholarships

• Start early
• Contact the colleges financial aid office for
  information
• Know that Private Colleges offer more
  scholarships
• Apply for local scholarships
• Network
• Use the internet
• Be aware of deadlines
• Pursue all financial aid opportunities
• Be leery of scholarship searches that charge a
  fee
• Frequently check the Niagara Catholic Guidance
  Office webpage for new scholarship postings!

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For Additional Information
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For Additional Information

• www.collegeboard.com
• www.act.org
• www.petersons.com
• www.finaid.org
• www.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool
• www.ed.gov/finaid.html
• www.fafsa.com
• www.fastweb.com