Academics
Senior Year / College Planning

College Open Houses & Visits
Counselor Ms. Carolyn Balzano is planning for many colleges to visit Juniors and Seniors during scheduled Flex Time. Dates will be listed here when they have been scheduled. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Balzano at cbalzano@austincatholichighschool.org or (586) 200-0143 x 119.
College Visit Schedule
September 13th – Grand Valley State University, 8:55 – 9:30 am
September 21st – Grand Canyon University (AZ), 8:55 am – 9:30 am
September 23rd – St. Clair Community College, 8:55 am – 9:30 am
October 6th – University of Michigan, 8:55 am – 9:30 am
October 12th – Lawrence Tech, 8:55 am – 9:30 am
October 17th – Rochester University, 8:55 am – 9:30 am
October 20th – Aquinas College, 8:55 am – 9:30 am
October 26th – Kettering University, 8:55 am – 9:30 am
October 27th – Merrimack College (MA), 8:55 am – 9:30 am
Important College Information
Planning & Applying
- I’m First
- College Navigator
- O*Net OnLine
- Austin Catholic School Profile
- Common App
- Order your eTranscripts through Parchment
Testing
Paying
State of Michigan- Student Financial Services Bureau
- www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid
- www.facebook.com/mistudentaid
- www.twitter.com/mistudentaid
- 1-888-4-GRANTS (888-447-2687)
Selective Service
The law requires virtually all male U.S. citizens (regardless of where they live), and male immigrants residing in the U.S. (permanent resident aliens), to register within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Therefore, to be in full compliance with the law, a man turning 18 is required to register during the period of time beginning 30 days before, until 30 days after his 18th birthday (a 60-day window). Students can register at https://www.sss.gov. If you have any questions please contact your son’s counselor.
Social Media & College Admissions
Used during both the recruiting and reviewing processes, social media is becoming a valuable tool for schools to find future students.
- 85% of colleges use Facebook to recruit students.
- 66% of colleges use YouTube to recruit students.
- 80% of admissions officers received a friend request on facebook in 2010.
- Admissions officers can share admission statistics of accepted students.
- Their profile pages become a forum for students to ask questions about the school.
- Schools can post application deadline information as well as other news and events.
- Colleges can post virtual campus tours for students who can’t view the college in person.
- Schools can post information about academic programs for prospective students.
- Institutions set up contests to get current and prospective students engaged.
- Colleges may host video chats to provide face-to-face information to prospective students.
Recruitment
Recruiting Students – A Majority of college survey respondents reported that their colleges use social media to recruit students.
How to colleges use social media for recruitment? – By creating social media accounts, colleges connect with students in a variety of ways:
- 1 in 3 colleges say social media is more efficient than traditional media in reaching their target audience.
- 92% of undergraduate admissions officers agree that social media is worth the investment they make in it.
Reviewing Applicants – While admissions officers obviously focus on judging a student’s application, more and more beginning to judge student’s online profiles, too.
Who has looked up students on Facebook?
- 37% – Law School Admissions Officers
- 24% – Business School Admissions Officers
- 22% – College Admissions Officers
Admissions officers can’t look up every student, but they may if there are warning signs in and from:
- Recommendation letters
- Anonymouse reports about inappropriate behavior
- You write something questionable on the school’s Facebook page
12% of admissions officers who check social media sites said posts like alcohol consumption in photos, vulgar posts, and illegal activities in photos and posts had negatively impacted a prospective student’s chances.
Reasons for Rejections – Admissions officers who say they’ve found something that negatively impacted a candidate:
- 32% – Law School
- 14% – Business School
- 12% – College
How Students Can Improve their Odds – Certain posts and photos can hurt a student’s chances at being accepted. Find out how to prevent this:
- Google your name and see what comes up. If there are inappropriate photos or posts, delete them.
- Manage your online info, so there’s a consistent and positive message.
- Check your settings to see which info you’ve posted is public and what is private.
- Consider your audience. If you wouldn’t want your grandparents reading a post or seeing a photo, delete it.
Sources:
- usnews.com
- abcnews.go.com
- press.kaptest.com
- noodle.org
- umassd.edu
- Information provided by: onlinecolleges.net