Shelby High School

College Prep

STEPS TO PREPARE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

One of the most challenging questions during high school is:  Where should I go to college?  This can best be answered by first answering these kinds of questions:  What colleges have the program in which I am most interested?  What colleges are most affordable for me?  What colleges would accept me?  How far from home do I want to study?  Would a public or private school suit me best?  Liberal Arts or Technical School?  Big or small?  The best way to find answers to these questions is to follow the steps below.  Keep a record of your findings in your portfolio.  To see where you are right now, put a check by the items below which you have completed.

 

Seventh and Eighth Grade

-          Develop a healthy self-image that is independent from a group.
-          Develop effective study skills and habits.
-          Participate in science fairs, writing and speech contests.
-          Explore careers.  Make progress notes in your portfolios.
-          Take the CAPS, COPS and COPES to help with your high school plan.

Ninth Grade

-          Understand high school graduation requirements and college entrance requirements and the differences between the two.
-          Plan an academically challenging curriculum.  Choose elective courses that will enhance your college opportunities.  Get a copy of your high school transcript and fill it in as a goal setting activity.
-          Participate in Comets to Coyotes program.
-          Make an appointment with the counselor to find out how to research colleges and careers.
-          Participate in the Advisement program.
-          Take the Explore test to help you plan your career.  Review your tests results and plans with your parents.

Tenth Grade

-          Take PLAN as a way to prepare for the ACT and further your career exploration.
-          Increase involvement in activities by assuming leadership roles often.
-          Note areas of weakness in the PLAN and remediate them.
-          Use the MCIS program to help identify appropriate colleges and sources of financial aid. www.mtcis.intocareers.org  US – shelbyhs,  PW – plan7ing
-          Consider participating in contests such as:  Voice of Democracy, HOBY and the American Legion Oratorical.
-          Participate in the Advisement Program.

Eleventh Grade

-          Continue an academically challenging curriculum.  Make elective choices to focus on areas of interest and abilities.
-          Review for and take the PSAT in October and the ACT in April and/or June.
-          Assume leadership roles.
-          Prepare a list of possible vocations using MCIS.
-          Meet with many college representatives during their visits to SHS.
-          Research college catalogs.  Send for more information. 
-          Apply for admission to programs that have a two-year waiting list.
-          Take the ASVAB.  Meet with military recruiters to explore opportunities.
-          Consider a Service Academy or ROTC scholarship and begin the application process.
-          Narrow list of possible colleges to approximately 10 choices.  Focus on programs, costs, entrance requirements, size, placement, etc.
-          Apply for and attend Boys/Girls State.
-          Compete in the Voice of Democracy and the American Legion Oratorical Contests.
-          Gain an understanding of financial aid and scholarship opportunities by working through AIDSORT on MCIS (www.safmt.org) or FastWeb (www.fastweb.com) on the internet.
-          Participate in the Advisement Program.
-          Take ACT in April or June.

 

Summer between Junior and Senior Year

-          Update your resume.  Include educational and career goals, awards, achievements, activities, leadership experiences and work history.
-          Plan to visit prospective colleges.  Arrange with admissions offices in advance.
-          Attend leadership and/or other enrichment camps.
-          Establish a good work record in a part-time summer job.

Senior Year

-          Continue challenging coursework.  Maintain high grades.
-          Make regular visits to the guidance office.
-          Attend scholarship and financial aid workshops.
-          Apply for a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid) PIN Number by logging on the this website:  www.fafsa.ed.gov
-          Visit college campuses.
-          Assume leadership roles in clubs and teams at school.
-          Participate in Comets to Coyotes program.
-          Update your resume.
-          Retake ASVAB if military is a viable option.
-          Review for and take ACT or SAT.  (nearest SAT test center is Cut Bank.)
-          Considering your interests and abilities, select three occupational choices and the proper educational route to each.
-          Narrow college choices to 3-5 and apply for admission and scholarships to each.
-          Work with parents to complete their income tax returns by and electronically file the FAFSA by February 1.  Look for financial aid award letters around April 15.
-          Apply for scholarships.  Pay attention to daily announcements of application opportunities and deadlines. 
-          Considering costs of attendance, programs and other factors, select a school to attend.  Contact all schools applied to informing them of your decision.
-          Send thank you notes to all those who helped during your career planning, letting them know of your decisions.                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

 

A total of 22 credits are required for graduation.  The following credits are required:  (all other credits needed are elective)   Refer to the Course Description Guide at www.shelbypublicschools.org for explanations on classes available at Shelby High School.

  • 4 credits in English
  • 2 credits in Science (1 - life, 1 – physical)
  • 2 credits in Math
  • 2 credits in Health Enhancement
  • 1 credit in U.S. History (taken in the junior year)
  • 1 credit in U.S. Government/Psychology (to be taken in the senior year)
  • 1 credit in fine art (Art, Choir, Band)
  • 1 credit of enrichment (World History, Math or Science)
  • 20 hours of community service

 

MONTANA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

The College Preparation Program must be completed by anyone who desires to gain full admission to any of the colleges in the Montana University System.  These colleges include:  Montana State University in Bozeman, The University of Montana in Missoula,  MSU-Billings, MSU-Northern in Havre, Montana Tech in Butte, and UM - Western Montana College in Dillon.

 

In order to complete the College Preparation Program, students must successfully complete:

  •           4 years of English
  •           3 years of Social Studies (including one year of World History)
  •           3 years of Math (including Algebra 2)
  •           2 years of Science (including Introduction to Chem./Physics and Biology)
  •           2 years of coursework from any department at Shelby High School excluding Health Enhancement and Drivers Education.
  •           MUS Writing Assessment score of 3.5 or score of 7 on ACT Writing subtest.
  •           18 on the ACT Math section or 4 credits high school math including Pre-Calculus.
  •  

In addition, full admission standards also require attainment of one of the following:

  • Upper half graduating class ranking.
  • 2.5 high school cumulative grade point average.
  • Composite ACT score of 22 at MSU, UM, Montana Tech, MSU-B or 20 at MSU-N or WMC.

Admission applications may be obtained in the Guidance Office or students may apply on-line.  The fee is $30.

 

 

 

 

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AT MONTANA COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY

 

Montana has community colleges on all of the Indian Reservations and in the cities of Glendive, Miles City and Kalispell.  All of these offer both vocational training and college transfer programs.  Check the guidance office library for more information or the website www.mt.gov/usys/edu.htm.

 

Montana’s five colleges of technology are located in Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula.  All offer vocational training lasting from 6 weeks to two years.  Check the guidance office library for more information.

 

All community colleges and colleges of technology require a high school diploma or a General Education Degree (G.E.D.) for admittance.  Students must be at least 17 in order to take the G.E.D.

 

Admission is awarded on a “first come, first served” basis.  Many popular programs, such as those in health care occupations, have experienced waiting lists.  Early application is strongly advised.

 

Admission applications may be obtained in the Guidance Office.  The fee is $30.

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AT PRIVATE AND OUT-OF-STATE COLLEGES

 

Students interested in pursuing educational opportunities at private and out-of-state schools are urged to consult information in the guidance library to determine the proper high school course of study and application procedure.  This should be done as early as the 9th grade.

 

EARLY GRADUATION

 

School District police allows for students to graduate following seven semesters of attendance.  Completion of a correspondence course in English must be accomplished before the beginning of the senior year.  Consult the guidance library for available and acceptable correspondence courses.  All early graduation requests must be approved by the high school principal.

 

 

 

GETTING ACCEPTED AT THE MOST COMPETITIVE COLLEGES

 

Facts

  • Most competitive colleges accept up to 60% of their classes on early admission.
  • In the past 30 years very few SHS students have even attempted to apply at a very selective out-of-state college.  Most who have applied were successful.
  • Montanans have an advantage in gaining acceptance because selective colleges are looking for a diverse student population.
  • Many students (up to 20%) accepted are taken from the wait-list. 

Tips

  • Start your college selection process early – fourth grade is not too soon.
  • Visit with college professors, students and graduates.
  • Attend classes.
  • Spend a night in the dorms.
  • Research using sources in the guidance office, libraries and internet.  (www.princetonreview.com or www.collegeboard.org)
  • Ask yourself:
    • What am I looking for in a college education?
    • What kind of springboard to my future does this school offer?
    • Would I be proud to call myself an alumnus of this college?
    • Is this college a good match for who I am and what I want to be?
  • Make a checklist of what you want in a college and why you want these things.  Talk to someone who will listen with an open mind about these things.  (Your friendly guidance counselor is a good choice.)  Rate the schools you have researched on each item on the checklist.
  • Apply “early admission” – check the college admission section of the catalog to find out the deadline.
  • Apply to six or eight colleges.  Check the possibility of using the Common Application.  You can download this from the internet:  www.commonapp.org 
  • If you are put on the “wait list”, reply with a note expressing disappointment and reasons why you are still very interested in the college.  Also include a news article about yourself, a poem, a graded paper, your latest grade report, or something else that shows your continued success as a student.  Some students are offered acceptance off the wait list as late as mid-June.

TIPS FOR GETTING SCHOLARSHIPS 

 

  1. Beginning today, whether you are a freshman or a senior, practice good citizenship in school and out-of-school.  Get involved in school and community activities.  Build a positive reputation for yourself – do as Charles Lindbergh once prescribed, “Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want seen on national television.  Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want broadcast on national radio.”
  2. Read the announcements daily to stay informed of opportunities.
  3. Schedule appointments with Mr. Madison to conduct a scholarship search.
  4. Research on your own.  Scholarship information may be obtained by:  researching various books in the guidance office and library, contacting college financial aid offices and/or academic departments, utilizing computer assisted search programs such as www.safmt.org (A mother thanked me recently for giving her this website.  She said, “My daughter is getting her tuition and books paid for because you gave me this information.”  Wow!)  www.fastweb.com  www.collegenet.com  www.collegeboard.com  www.petersons.com

Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as possible after January 1 during your senior year.  Many scholarships are “need-based” and colleges use FAFSA to identify those with need.  A copy of the form is available in the guidance office.  Apply electronically at www.fafsa.ed.gov

Review your high school transcript to ensure its accuracy.

When completing scholarship applications read and follow directions exactly.  (Some reviewers actually count the number of words.)  Use your portfolio to make sure you include everything.  Make an outline of your essays before writing.  Give special attention to writing a strong introduction, supporting arguments and a powerful conclusion.  Proofread and revise.  Proofread and revise.  Ask someone you trust to critique your application – then proofread and revise.

Be neat. Type your applications.

When asking for a letter of recommendation, present your reference with a copy of your resume’.  Be sure to ask for these letters well in advance.  Unless otherwise stated in the application, ask for the recommendation to be addressed “To Whom It May Concern” so that the letter may be duplicated for many applications.  If you are given a letter of recommendation that is written in longhand, ask for permission to type the letter and have the person re-sign it.  Finally, send a note of thanks to your references.

Be on time.  Make sure the deadlines listed on the application are met.

When your awards have been announced, send a thank you note to the organization presenting you with the scholarship.  Write a Thank You note again when you finally receive the money.

File the correspondence so that you know how the awards are made and/or what you have to do in order to get the funds.

 

 

HOW TO APPLY FOR GRANTS AND LOANS FOR COLLEGE

 

Over 90% of those who attend college rely on financial aid to pay their way.  This aid comes in the form of grants (which do not have to be repaid), loans and work-study (money earned from jobs on campus).

 

In order to receive financial aid from the federal government you must apply.  The application form is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  This form becomes available around December 1 each year and can be submitted after January 1 for the school year beginning in the fall.  Applying on the Internet will speed up the processing time considerably.  The address is:  www.fafsa.ed.gov   Applying for a PIN number well beforehand is also advised.  Instructions on how to do this are also available at this website. 

 

Each college has established priority aid application deadlines.  It is important to meet these as they are published by the colleges’ financial aid offices.

 

The amount of financial aid awarded is based upon the amount of financial need determined by each college’s financial aid office.  Financial need is based on the difference between what you and your parents can afford to contribute and the cost of attendance.  All parents are expected to contribute to their child’s education until the age of 24.  Processing the FAFSA is the only way to determine the exact amount of aid for which you qualify.  Estimates of financial need can be attained by logging on to:  www.saliemae.com

 

It is recommended that students and their parents begin to discuss higher education financing early.  Scheduling an appointment with the guidance counselor, as early as the 9th grade, is very helpful.  Financial aid and scholarship workshops are held each year at Shelby High School and open to all students and parents. 

 

Seniors may list as many colleges as they wish on their FAFSA.  Financial Aid offices will present the senior with a Financial Aid Award letter if the student has also applied for admission.  Because award offerings vary with each institution, seniors usually make a final decision on their college selection after they know how much aid each college is willing to offer.

 

CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE – Cum. GPA is computed by averaging all semester grades beginning with the ninth grade.  Quarter grades are not included.  A.P. grades are worth one additional grade point.  GPA’s over 4.00 are calculated regressively in order to ensure that the students with the most credits achieve the highest GPA.  Cum GPA is used to determine class rank, salutatorian and valedictorian honors.  Classes may be retaken to achieve a higher GPA with no additional credit granted.  Correspondence course grades are computed Pass/Fail and not included for class ranking.