College/University

Virtual college fair set for Oct. 12-29

Registration is now open for students, parents, and counselors to attend the Virtual College Exploration, Oct. 12-29. The multi-week program consists of hundreds of opportunities for students to learn about the college search process and about many different colleges through panel presentations and information sessions. Students will gain a wealth of college knowledge, get exposure to a variety of colleges, and have the opportunity to ask questions of admission counselors, all in a safe, flexible, online environment.

All high school students, parents, and counselors throughout West Virginia are all welcome to attend. Participation is free. Students should participate live so they can ask questions and interact with the college admission counselors. If students are unable to attend live, they can still encourage them to register for the sessions they are interested in and recordings will be available on the West Virginia Associate of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers website later.

For more information, visit the WVACRAO website.

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More than half of the graduating class of Jefferson High School is projected to attend a 4-year college or university. The majority of those will be in-state schools for a variety of reasons: Promise, lower tuition costs, closeness to home, et cetera. Fortunately, there are a lot of in state resources available to those students looking to attend school here in West Virginia. A great starting point is CFWV!

College Foundation of West Virginia

CFWV is a web-based career and educational planning system. The tools found in CFWV will help students enhance self-awareness, build meaningful education and career plans, and prepare for their post-secondary education. The results of all activities are stored in an interactive portfolio that reflects students' personal and academic growth as well as their future plans!

Listed below are a list of in-state 4 year colleges and universities, their locations, tuition averages, a link to their school specific scholarships pages, and a link to their home pages for you to compare and contrast what WV schools have to offer!

IN-STATE 4-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

ALDERSON BROADDUS UNIVERSITY Philippi, WV Tuition Avg: $26,400 Scholarships Page www.ab.edu	DAVIS AND ELKINS COLLEGE Elkins, WV Tuition Avg: $28,500 Scholarships Page www.dewv.edu	POTOMAC STATE COLLEGE Keyser, WV Tuition Avg: $4,488 Scholarships Page www.potomacstatecollege.edu	WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Morgantown, WV Tuition Avg: $8,376 Scholarships Page www.wvu.edu
APPALACHIAN BIBLE COLLEGE Mount Hope, WV Tuition Avg: $12,630 Scholarships Page www.abc.edu	FAIRMONT STATE UNIVERSITY Fairmont, WV Tuition Avg: $7,296 Scholarships Page www.fairmontstate.edu	SALEM INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Salem, WV Tuition Avg: Scholarships Page www.salemu.edu	WVU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Montgomery, WV Tuition Avg: $6,960 Scholarships Page www.wvutech.edu
BETHANY COLLEGE Bethany, WV Tuition Avg: $26,496 Scholarships Page www.bethanywv.edu	GLENVILLE STATE COLLEGE Glenville, WV Tuition Avg: $7,344 Scholarships Page www.glenville.edu	SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY Shepherdstown,WV Tuition Avg: $7,328 Scholarships Page www.shepherd.edu	WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY Dunbar, WV Tuition Avg: $7,546 Scholarships Page www.wvstateu.edu
BLUEFIELD STATE COLLEGE Bluefield, WV Tuition Avg: $6,728 Scholarships Page www.bluefieldstate.edu	MARSHALL UNIVERSITY Huntington, WV Tuition Avg: $6,676 Scholarships Page www.marshall.edu	UNIVERSITY OF CHARLESTON Charleston,WV Tuition Avg: $29,900 Scholarships Page www.ucwv.edu	WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE Buckhannon,WV Tuition Avg: $29,574 Scholarships Page www.wvwc.edu
CONCORD UNIVERSITY Athens, WV Tuition Avg: $7,574 Scholarships Page www.concord.edu	OHIO VALLEY UNIVERSITY Vienna, WV Tuition Avg: $21,100 Scholarships Page www.ovu.edu	WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY West Liberty, WV Tuition Avg: $7,380 Scholarships Page www.westliberty.edu	WHEELING JESUIT UNIVERSITY Wheeling, WV Tuition Avg: $27,000 Scholarships Page www.wju.edu

Out of State College

Of course, there are also many more schools outside of WV that students may apply for and attend. Listed below are some tips and hints for planning out which major and college is right for you, as well as some major and school search tools that will assist you in making those pivotal life decisions!

College Planning

College planning begins at home and during high school. Now is the time for students and parents to visit colleges, review college literature, write to colleges for applications or begin applying online.

Identify school of interest and view each website and application process. Be aware of requirements that may be different for each school.
Complete your college application - either on paper or online!
Ask Mrs. DeLauney or your school counselor for a transcript and a letter of recommendation. Remember to submit any required forms (included) at this time. Allow two weeks for processing. Transcripts are $5.00 in cost for each official transcript.
Mail your transcript/application/letters of recommendation in ONE envelope. Remember to be very aware of deadlines.

Hints for a Campus Visit

A campus visit can confirm that a school is a dream school or can show you that a commitment to that campus could be a 4 year nightmare. As such, it's an excellent idea to compile a list of questions and activities to 'check off' to make sure a college is right for you! The list below can help you frame out your list.

Meet with an admissions officer
Verify admission requirements (test scores, high school GPA, course prerequisites, et cetera)
Discuss chances for academic, career, and social success
Obtain a school catalog and calendar during your visit or online.
Determine college costs and financial aid opportunities and what is necessary for those opportunities (deadlines, forms, renewal options, et cetera)
Meet with faculty in the major field of interest to you. Try to sit in on a class to get a feel for the topics.
Ask questions about academic offerings and planning your schedule.
Tour the entire campus and investigate transportation options
Talk to college students on campus about academic involvement, student activities available, and study habits that are conducive to success.

Career Major and College Search Tools

Below are a list of excellent academic and career resources to aid students' and their families make informed choices about the college experience.

College Board - Find colleges, majors, explore career options from the same place you register for the SAT, AP, and PSAT from! The big future sections is a one-stop source for all your college needs.

College Navigator - College Navigator is a free consumer information tool designed to help students, parents, high school counselors, and others get information about over 7,000 Colleges - search for and locate information on schools and colleges.

College Express - College Express is a wonderful search engine that will aid you in searching for college lists and rankings, as well as an extensive scholarship database as well.

QuestBridge - The QuestBridge National College Match is a college and scholarship application process that helps outstanding low-income high school seniors gain admission and full four-year scholarships to the nation's most selective colleges.