COLLEGE VISITS AT MAGRUDER
The annual MCPS and National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) Junior College Fair is on Tuesday, March 19th! Over 300 colleges will be in attendance for students to connect with. Magruder juniors will have an hour to browse through the fair, talk to college representatives, and collect resources. All juniors are encouraged to attend! The cost to attend is $5.00. Buses will leave Magruder High School at 10:00 a.m. and return between 12:30-1:00 p.m.
Students must complete the following four items to attend the fair:
PAY FIELD TRIP FEE online, or submit cash or check to the Career Center
NACAC FAIR REGISTRATION When you register, you will receive a personal barcode. You will need to screenshot it on your phone in order to complete the next step on this list, and college representatives will need to scan the barcode at the fair.
MHS NACAC FIELD TRIP GOOGLE FORM (must be logged into your MCPS account)
PERMISSION SLIP signed and returned to me on or before Friday, March 11th (hard copies available in the Career Center, Counseling, and the main office)
Since we will be at the fair during lunch, students are encouraged to pack lunch on this day. Signed permission forms must be returned to the Career Center by Friday, March 1,2024 to attend the fair. Students may not drive themselves to the college fair.
Parents/guardians who want to attend the fair with their students are encouraged to attend during the evening session from 6:30-8:00 p.m. on March 19th. There will be workshops during the evening on Financing College and the College Application Process.
NOTE: Students are responsible for making up all class work and must dress appropriately (you represent Magruder High School!).
Students are welcome to attend any of the college admissions representative visits held in the College and Career Center. These visits are usually in person but may be held virtually. Please make note when you register on Naviance.
How to sign up or to find the list of all college visits:
Log into your Naviance account
Scroll down to the "What's New" section on the homepage (click "More Info" to see the full list)
Select the college visit that you would like to attend
Click "Register"
For virtual visits, a Zoom link will be provided in the section you signed up one hour prior to the event
All students are welcome to attend college visits, but priority is given to juniors and seniors—freshmen and sophomores must get permission from Ms. Lyons beforehand. Advantages of participating in college visits:
Meeting the contact from a college or university—many times, these are the same people reviewing your application
Learning in-depth information about the school, their program offerings, and financial aid
In some cases, colleges may offer insight on how to receive a fee waiver
To attend a college visit, students must have permission from their teacher in order to attend. It is the responsibility of each student to make-up any work they may miss.
Before signing up, think about the following:
Does the college have your major?
Can you afford to miss class that day to attend?
How many visits have you already made this week?
Students interested in participating in visits must register in Naviance. The most accurate and current list of college visits is in Naviance.
CLICK HERE FOR COLLEGE VISIT SIGN-UP INSTRUCTIONS
Unless noted, visits will take place in the College & Career Center.
COLLEGE CAMPUS VISITS AND FIELD TRIPS
Juniors and seniors may request up to three excused absences per year to visit colleges. Students are required to make up all classwork missed. The parent or guardian must send in a note to the attendance office one week in advance stating that the student will be out of school for a college tour and/or information session. The principal approves these absences provided that the student is in good academic standing.
There also may be field trips arranged by Magruder to visit colleges and/or to attend college fairs. More information will be announced at a later date.
APPLYING TO COLLEGES
Applying to Colleges
There are several ways to apply to a college. Check the college's admissions webpage to see if they accept applications on their website, via Common App, via Coalition for College, or via the Black Common Application.
Once you have chosen your method to apply:
Complete the application by entering a response in all the required fields and upload your personal essay if necessary, then finalize and click SUBMIT
Request or upload additional documents such as your transcript and teacher letters of recommendation
Pay the college application fee
College Admissions Interviews
Some colleges require applicants to go through an interview process. These interviews may be conducted virtually, in person on campus, or locally with an alumni or other school representative at a neutral location like a Starbucks. It's important to be prepared for these interviews. These guidelines are intended to help you prepare and be as successful as possible at a college admissions interview.
Montgomery College
Montgomery College is a two-year community college that accepts 100% of its applicants. THERE IS NOT AN ACCEPTANCE PROCESS! Because it is a community college, anyone can sign up to take for-credit or non-credit courses with the goal of completing an Associate's degree, some form of certification, or to simply learn something new. If you are planning to earn an Associate's degree or transfer to a four-year college or university to continue your higher education to earn a Bachelor's degree, you will need to submit a high school transcript and take the Accuplacer Test. Montgomery College does not require teacher letters of recommendation. For more information or to apply, please visit the Montgomery College website.
