Supporting Your Student

• Encourage involvement in academics, but don’t hover. Begin to set your student up for independence
  •  Follow up with students in their grades
    • Final grades will be submitted to future college
    • D in high school = passing grade
    • D in college = failing grade
      • Help them get in the mindset of achieving college level scores now
      • D’s do not get degrees

• Set them up for success - facilitating independence
  • Budgeting
    • Skills are taught to all Upward Bound Participants in their Senior Seminars, have them use these skills to figure what their costs in college may be.
  • Productive student learning 
    • Tutoring - Once students get to college they will no longer have folks reaching out to them offering help, they will have to find it themselves.  Encourage them to realize when they need help and where they can find it.
    • Time management - scheduling/ making calender give time to study
      • Have student make their own daily schedule that they have to remember
      • They will have to wake themselves up on time and get to school
  • The Upward Bound Summer Academy is a great glimpse at independence, have them continue modeling those skills at home
  • Make sure students know life skills
    • Laundry, cooking, cleaning, time management, communication (when will they call you)
    • Financial literacy is taught to all UB participants in the summer academies
  • Encourage involvement in at least one organization or club

• Take care of yourself as the primary caregiver!  If you aren’t your best self how are you supposed to care for another person?
  • Meditation
  • Go for a walk - lots of trails in the Pontiac and OU area
  • Disconnect from social media and phones for an hour/ month
  • Take time for YOUR support - talk to a friend/ family member alone

• Resources
  • Preparing for the SAT/ACT
  • Khan academy - there are trained folks in PUB college club
  • PUB Website
    • College information
    • Scholarship financial aid information
    • Parent resources - coming soon!
  • The Transition Year - transitionyear.org
    • Information on the college transition for parents and students
  • College Greenlight
    • collegegreenlight.com
    • Helps find the fit for colleges and scholarships
  • Michigan College Access
    • micollegeaccess.org/tools/resources
    • More information on college prep and being ready
  • For those with special needs/ accommodations (Oakland County School services)

• Senior Year Success - Senior Year Checklist
  • September  
    • Register for ACT and/or SAT retakes if needed
      • Actstudent.org
      • collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/fees  
    • If you have not visited college campuses, do so right away. Shoot for 3-4 visits
    • Be on the lookout for campus visits that Mr. Frechen has scheduled. Attend college rep visits that are held in the library  
    • Narrow down your list of colleges that you wish to apply to – shoot for at least 3 schools  
    • Put together resume and request letters of recommendation  
    • Begin the online application process at schools you wish to apply to
    • Create a checklist and calendar to chart:
      • ACT and SAT test dates
      • College Application deadlines
      • Write application essays as needed
      • Request to have Mr. Frechen send your transcripts to schools as you are applying
      • If you are a student athlete and have not done so, you must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
      • Practice being your own advocate and a responsible adult
  • October
    • Some colleges will have deadlines as early as this month, early decision and early action
    • Continue the online application process and ask for letters of recommendation; be sure to give your teachers and counselors a resume of your accomplishments prior to asking them for a letter  
    • Research scholarships – look over scholarships links Mr. Frechen posts on the Google Classroom page  
    • FAFSA becomes available on October 1st Michigan College Month
      • This month will be focused on completing college applications at school and filing the FAFSA o Mr. Frechen will give you a folder at the beginning of the month with various guides and handouts to help you and your family apply for college and for financial aid
      • There will be a financial aid night at the high school for you and your family to get help filing the FAFSA.
      • Register for November SAT
  • November
    • Finalize and send any early decision/action applications
    • Request transcripts and test scores for Mr. Frechen to send to schools you apply to
    • Submit FAFSA if you have not  Register for December ACT
  • December
    • Narrow your college choice list down to the colleges you will apply for if you have not yet applied
    • Complete all college applications by Winter Break if you can  
    • Keep having Mr. Frechen send your transcripts and test scores to the schools you apply to
    • Register for January SAT  
    • Continue to be visiting colleges  
    • Submit FAFSA if you have not
  • January
    • Many college and scholarship deadlines will come up this month-be sure to being paying attention  
    • Register for February ACT
  • February - April
    • Many scholarship deadlines will come up, be sure to check the Google Classroom and complete applications for those which you qualify  
    • All applications, transcripts, and test scores should be sent  
    • File FAFSA by March 1st  
    • Review college acceptances and compare Financial Aid Award Letters  
    • Contact a college or university’s financial aid office if you have questions about the aid that the school has offered you. Get to know the financial aid office of the school you attend well be before you get there-this will serve you well once you are a student on campus in the fall
  • May
    • May 1st is the date when colleges want you to make a commitment and pay a deposit  
    • Request that a final transcript be sent to the institution
    • Request that a final transcript be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center if you will be playing collegiate sports
• Applications
  • Personal Statement and Essay *Adapted from The College Application Essay by Sarah Myers McGinty* Applications
    • Choose a Topic That Will Highlight You
      • Don’t focus on the great aspects of a particular college, the amount of dedication it takes to be a doctor or the number of extracurricular activities you took part in during high school
      • Do share your personal story and thoughts, take a creative approach and highlight areas that aren’t covered in other parts of the application, like your high school records
    • Keep Your Focus Narrow and Personal 
      • Don’t try to cover too many topics. This will make the essay sound like a résumé that doesn’t provide any details about you.
      • Do focus on one aspect of yourself so the readers can learn more about who you are. Remember that the readers must be able to find your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Ask a parent or teacher to read just your introduction and tell you what he or she thinks your essay is about.
    • Show, Don't Tell
      • Don’t simply state a fact to get an idea across, such as “I like to surround myself with people with a variety of backgrounds and interests.”
      • Do include specific details, examples, reasons, and so on to develop your ideas. For the example above, describe a situation when you were surrounded by various types of people. What were you doing? Whom did you talk with? What did you take away from the experience?
    • Use Your Own Voice
      • Don’t rely on phrases or ideas that people have used many times before. These could include statements like, “There is so much suffering in the world that I feel I have to help people.” Avoid overly formal or business-like language, and don’t use unnecessary words.
      • Do write in your own voice. For the above example, you could write about a real experience that you had and how it made you feel you had to take action. And note that admissions officer
    • Ask a Teacher or Parent to Proofread
      • Don’t turn your essay in without proofreading it, and don’t rely only on your computer’s spell check to catch mistakes. A spell-check program will miss typos like these: "After I graduate form high school, I plan to get a summer job." "From that day on, Daniel was my best fried."
      • Do ask a teacher or parent to proofread your essay to catch mistakes. You should also ask the person who proofreads your essay if the writing sounds like you.
    • Application Checklist
      • Coming soon!
    • Things to consider when choosing schools to apply to
      • Location
      • Programs - Do they have majors your student is interested in?
      • Application fees
      • Entry Requirements - GPA/ACT Scores
      • Tips on searching for schools (consider location, etc.)
      • Testing (ACT/SAT)
      • Transcripts Application fees
      • Associates/Community College vs. Bachelors/University
      • Scholarships
    • Acceptance/Admission (Decision)
      • Timeliness
      • Finances
      • How do you decide on the school
    • Financial Aid
      • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
        • Cheat Sheet
          • Federal Student Aid Identification Cheat Sheet (FSA ID)
          • Step 1: Log onto www.FAFSA.gov. Click the link that says “Create FSA ID”. It is a picture of a blue lock along the top menu bar. The student and one parent will need to have an FSA ID to act as a signature when submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
          • Step 2: Create a username and password . You can use the backside of this sheet to document them. Be sure to use an email address you will have access to in the future (school emails will expire!)
            • Your password must contain numbers; upper and lowercase letter; between 8- 30 characters; and special characters such as !, @, #, $, %, ^, etc.
          • Step 3: Enter your name, Social Security number, contact information, and date of birth. You must also come up with challenge questions and answers.
            • Challenge questions are the same as security questions. They are used just in case you misplace or forget your login information.
            • You will be given two Challenge Questions and must create two. Pick something that will not change over your lifetime.
            • Example: Father’s middle name? Mom’s maiden name? First car?
            • Bad Example: What is your favorite food? What color shoes did you wear yesterday?
          • Step 4: You will have to enter a significant date. This date cannot be your birthdate and highly suggested not to be. Pick a date that is memorable and important to you.
            • Examples: Parent’s anniversary, parent’s birthday, half-birthday, graduation, etc.
          • Step 5: Review all of the information you input. Make sure you read and check the terms and conditions box.
            • If you already had a FSA PIN, you will be able to link it to your FSA ID.
          • Step 6: You will have to verify your email account by entering a secure code. A numerical code will be sent via email. It will be sent to the email address you enter when creating your FSA ID. Once the code is submitted, you have completed the FSA ID process! Yay, Congrats! FSA ID Registration
          • Keep in a secure place! You will need this to file your FAFSA for every year of college
          • Remember to use an email that you will have access to for every year of college (so no school email)
          • Students and one parent will each need to make an FSA ID

• Choosing to live on campus or commute
  • Consider the cost of rent, meals, utilities, laundry, etc. if living off campus as most of these costs are included in residence hall fees
• Choosing a major
  
  • Can they see themselves in that field their whole life
  • What are the GPA requirements to be in that field of study
    • How long will it take them to graduate
    • What do those in that line of work make regarding pay
    • Students in their senior seminar go through a course in determining what major they may be interested in pursuing in college.  Use those skills to help guide the discussion
    • When your student is considering choosing a major make sure they consider the following

• This information applies to most college students regardless of where they decide to study
• This article will help you to understand what a parents role is in the transition to college
• Before they leave talk about
  • How they will stay in touch - frequency, etc.
  • Grade and class sharing
  • Payment for their stay
  • Helping them stay focused

• Consider the legal rights of all college students
  • FERPA (privacy), Title IX, Clery, etc.
  • affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/college-student-rights
  • More information coming soon under the Upward Bound Parent Series part of the website

• On campus living - Housing
  • Living structures at universities
    • Community bath
    • Jack and Jill - “Suite style”
• Accommodations for your student with a disability
  • Have your student contact the university’s office of disability support services to set up a meeting with someone from their office
  • At the meeting, let your student speak to talk about their needs be there to support them, but let them run the conversation. After all, it is their college experience and they need to be able to vocalize what their needs will be
  • US Department of Education, disability rights website
    
    
• Involvement
  
  
• Tutoring
  
  
• Advising
  
  
• Health services
  • Mental health
  • Physical

Resources coming soon! All of these presentations and resources are given to parents during the monthly parent meetings.

Acronyms, Terms, and other Frequently Used language

• Pre Application terms -
  • ACT - college admissions test
  • SAT - college admissions test
  • GPA: The combination the students final grades, often times there will be a variety of minimum GPA requirements that a student will have to meet throughout their time at the university.
    • Cumulative: The cumulative GPA is the average of all final semester GPAs.
    • Semester: The average of all final class grades
    • Program: The average of all semester grades from classes that were taken in their academic program. There will typically be a specific GPA requirement to get into the program and stay in.
  • Academic Advisor: An individual who will guide the students to take the correct classes to complete the academic requirements of the university and the student's major.
    • For at least the first year, a student will see a general advisor, but once they are admitted to their major they will see an advisor within their major.
  • AP classes: College level classes that are offered to students in high school, upon the successful completion of the standard test they may be eligible for college credits.
  • Extracurriculars: Activities students can be involved in after school   

• Searching/ Application terms
  • Prospective student: A student that is interested in a particular college
  • In state vs. out of state: Choosing a college in your state of residency will be cheaper that choosing one out of state. Some states have partnerships with surrounding states for similar tuition rates that would be charged in your state of residency.  
  • Transcripts: A summary of the student's academic history and courses taken at a school
  • Associates: A 2 year degree, these are typically for those entering a trade
  • Bachelors: 4 year degree program  
  • Historically Black College (HBC): A university that has a historical focus on serving students of color
  • Private: A university that does not receive state funding.  They may be more expensive as well as have specific connections to the university mission (ex: religious institutions)
  • Public: A university that receives state and federal funding, they have to follow specific guidelines set by the state and may be a more cost effective option
  • Technical school/ community college: A school that has 2 year academic programs.  They tend to have a focus on “trade” programs
  • College: The “department” where a student's major/ minor program is hosted.
  • School: The name of the university where the student is attending
  • Conditional Acceptance: The student has been accepted to the university, however it is dependent on successfully completing senior year and turning in final transcripts.
  • Waitlist: Being waitlisted means that a student still has a chance of attending the university, however it is dependant on if enough people decide not to attend the university
  • Not accepted - Universities will use a variety of phrases similar to “not accepted” stating your student was not given a spot to attend their university

• Financial Aid Terms College students based off of their family financial need.  Aid that is given to  An application will typically have to be filed at the individual’s university after they have received the student's FAFSA. You can visit studentaid.ed.gov/sa/ for more information that can help you.
  • Cost Of Attendance (COA): This will vary from college to college. It is the amount it will cost a student in total to attend that college. It does not include any financial aid. This is sometimes referred to as a college’s “sticker price”.
  • Estimated Family Contribution (EFC): this number is calculated based off the information you provide to the FAFSA. It represents the alleged amount that a family should be able to pay out of pocket towards educational expenses. BUT! It is not a bill, nor is it a precise amount that any college is going to make you pay. It is used to calculate how much financial need a student has.
  • Bursars office: Also known as the cashiers office, this is where students will typically go to pay the balance that is owed to the university
  • Entrance Counseling: a mandatory process that students with federal student loans must complete to receive their loan; it explains the rights and responsibilities of the loan, repayment, and obligations
  • Exit Counseling: a mandatory process that students must complete upon graduation or dropping below half time status of enrollment in college; it explains repayment schedules and options
  • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid):This financial aid application that is mandatory for most schools, will determine the level of aid your student is eligible for.
  • Scholarships: Money that is offered to a student that does not have to be repaid (think of them as a gift), typically students have to apply for these. They may be offered through the school or from private organizations. Students may have specific requirements attached to the scholarship regarding grades, yearly follow ups, etc.
  • Grants: Similar to scholarships, this is aid that is provided to students that does not have to be repaid. They are typically offered in a students financial aid process.
  • Work Study: Funding that is offered to the student through on campus jobs, to access this funding they will have to hold a position on their campus that is “work study eligible”
  • Loans: These may be offered through the government with a financial aid package or through a private organization. There are 3 types of government student loans
    • Federal Subsidized Loan: Lower interest rates offered, no interest accumulated while the student is in school until 6 months after they are out - best kind of loan
    • Federal Unsubsidized Loan: Lower interest rates offered, however interest is accumulated while for the entire time the student has the loan.
    • Parent Plus Loan: Loans offered to students parents in the parent name in honor of the student. The student and parent will be responsible for the repayment of the loan
    • Private Loans: Be sure to read the requirements, length of time of the loan, the interest rate etc.

• University Terms
  • Full time vs. part time: The amount of credits a student takes will determine if they are a “full time” or “part time” student. The amount of credits determining this will vary by university.
  • Academic Advisor: An individual who will guide the students to take the correct classes to complete the academic requirements of the university and the student's major.
    • For at least the first year, a student will see a general advisor, but once they are admitted to their major they will see an advisor within their major.
  • Transcripts: A summary of the student's academic history and courses taken at a school
  • Deposit: A monetary amount due to the university to hold the students place at the school
  • Credit: The unit used to measure the value of a class. The more credits associated with a class tend to indicate the more hours a student will spend in that class.
    • Class Equivalent: Every credit hour is one hour spent in class (add in 2 hours of studying for every credit taken)
    • Graduation:To graduate students will need to complete a certain number of credit hours
  • Tuition:  The total cost of education including credit hours, university fees, etc.
  • Payment plan: If a student does not have enough financial aid to cover their bill in full, the university may set up the student with a payment plan. This will be an agreement between the student and university setting up an installment plan to ensure the balance on the student account is paid over an agreed up period of time
  • Room and Board: The costs associated with living on campus. “Room” is the cost of living in the residence halls (known to many as “dorms”). “Board” is the cost of a students meal plan
  • Enrollment: The process of signing up to be a part of the university
  • Registration: Choosing and signing up for the classes that will be taken for the next year
  • Term: The academic year beginning in September and ending in March/ April
  • Semester: The length of an academic term when a student is in classes (typically broken into Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer)
  • Major & Minor: The area of focus for your students studies, their choice will impact the classes they take.
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress: Students will be expected to maintain certain grades/ take a certain amount of classes to stay at the university. Failure to maintain university specific standards may result in probation, loss of financial aid, or leaving the university
  • Resident: An individual who lives on campus at the university typically in the residence halls, also known as “dorms”
  • Honors: Students that meet a certain GPA (as determined by each university) may be eligible for honors status, meaning they achieved a specific high level GPA
  • First generation student: A student who is the first in their family to attend college
  • Residence halls: Also known as “dorms” these are the buildings that students who choose to live on campus will stay in
  • GPA: The combination the students final grades, often times there will be a variety of minimum GPA requirements that a student will have to meet throughout their time at the university.
    • Cumulative: The cumulative GPA is the average of all final semester GPAs.
    • Semester: The average of all final class grades
    • Program: The average of all semester grades from classes that were taken in their academic program. There will typically be a specific GPA requirement to get into the program and stay in.
  • Semester: The length of an academic term when a student is in classes (typically broken into Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer)
  • Term: The academic year beginning in September and ending in March/ April
  • Major & Minor: The area of focus for your students studies, their choice will impact the classes they take.
  • Academic Advisor: An individual who will guide the students to take the correct classes to complete the academic requirements of the university and the student's major.
    • For at least the first year, a student will see a general advisor, but once they are admitted to their major they will see an advisor within their major.