College Planning CENTRAL BUCKS HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH CLASS

College Planning CENTRAL BUCKS HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH CLASS OF 2016 KERRY MONK GINNY BARRETT PART ONE

OVERVIEW “You can lead a boy to college, but you cannot make him think” Elbert Hubbard q. CB South Guidance Website q. Junior Year Timeline q. Standardized Testing SAT, ACT, AP q. Career & College Search Process Naviance

CB South Guidance Website Guidance Homepage Postings Power. Point presentations Updates * Useful info Links to Naviance * Portal * E-Prep Resources * Contact information

Junior Year Timeline FALL WINTER/SPRING SUMMER Course selection for senior year (Portal opens January 9, 2015). Call admissions to set up campus tours and visit schools of interest. Meet visiting college admission reps visiting South. Attend District College Fair on March 11 th, 6: 30 pm @ South. Register for fall SAT, ACT and SAT Subject tests. PSAT October 18, 2014. Scores returned early December. Take the SAT/ACT & if necessary SAT Subject Tests, AP exams. Start looking at college applications. Naviance: Research careers/majors from surveys completed in 10 th; update resume and game plan with major. Naviance: College search process. Identify colleges of interest. “Request for Counselor Recommendation”. Naviance: Parent & Student complete “Request for Counselor Letter of Recommendation”. Request teacher Revisit college application recommendations from 11 th essay written in English 11

Standardized Testing

SAT’s www. collegeboard. org SAT Reasoning Test Math, Reading, & Writing Designed to predict freshman year academic success. Cost: $52. 50 SAT Subject Test Some “Very Selective Colleges” may require 2 or more for admission and/or placement. *One hour tests *Can take up to 3 on one test date *Scored on a 200 -800 point scale *Cost: $26. 00 Available Subject Tests: � English: � History: Literature US History World History � Mathematics: Level 1 Level 2 � Science: Biology E and/or M Chemistry Physics � Languages: Chinese French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Modern Hebrew, Japanese, Korean

Fast Facts… ACT has pulled ahead for the first time in 2012: 1, 666, 017 took the ACT 1, 664, 479 took the SAT ACTstudent. org The ACT is accepted by all 4 -year colleges and universities in the United States. Most widely taken by students from the Midwest, Southwest, and Deep South. Taken with writing it may exempt you from the need for SAT Subject Tests. Cost: $38. 00 w/writing $54. 50 Designed to predict freshman year academic success.

SAT vs. ACT SAT ACT Test Structure Measures Aptitude: Critical Reading, Math, Writing skills. Measures Achievement: English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning & optional Writing. Test Content Math: Arithmetic, Algebra 1&2, Geometry, data analysis. Reading: sentence completions, short and long critical reading passages, reading comprehension. Writing: essay, grammar, usage, and word choice. Math: up to trigonometry. Science: experiments and charts. Reading: 4 passages: Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, Natural Science. English: grammar. Writing: optional section; recommended

SAT vs. ACT Register Online SAT ACT www. collegeboard. org www. ACTstudent. org Wrong Answers Penalty. 25 deducted for each No Penalty Scoring 200 -800 per section, added together for a combined score. A 2400 is the highest possible combined score. 1 -36 for each subject, averaged for a composite score. A 36 is the highest possible composite score. Are all scores sent to schools? Yes and No; “Score Choice” option now available. No, student can make specific requests.

Test Security Policy SAT ACT � Online registration requires student to upload a digital photo, which will be included on a photo admission ticket. � Students required to present photo admission ticket and a valid form of ID for admittance to the designated test center and at various times throughout the day. Absence of either document will preclude student from testing. � Students must pre-register; standby (walk-in) testing will no longer be permitted, nor will test center changes be permitted on test day.

Testing: “Official Score Report” Some colleges require “official score reports” directly from testing company SAT • Most schools will accept scores from the transcript, some do not (most notably PSU). • Student contacts/pays testing company to send score report directly to college. • Takes about 4 -6 weeks • When registering, students can request scores be sent to up to 4 colleges for FREE. • Is score choice the right choice? • Most colleges, if viewing all test results will consider or combine the highest score from each section for a “Super Score”. When registering for any standardized test, be sure to include CB South school code 394 -992 and check Parent Portal to make sure scores have been sent to South (assessment tab).

Advanced Placement (AP) Testing Why take the AP Test? � Can be used for college credit and course ed fer f o es urs o c P at th A 9 1 Sou B C level placement. � May help students “place out” of college courses. � May allow students to achieve advanced standing � Check individual college policies on credit awards: www. collegeboard. org/ap/creditpolicy Cost: $91. 00; far less expensive than a college course. Administered first 2 weeks of May @ CB South during school day.

Standardized Testing Preparation • www. collegeboard. org ~ SAT • Free practice tests • Familiarize yourself with test content • www. actstudent. org ~ ACT • E-Prep: Free for CBSD students; see Mr. Pecic in library • Private SAT prep through individual and group tutoring • Plenty of other online sites that provide free SAT/ACT practice • PSAT: Utilize the results • SAT prep books

When to test? SAT Spring of Junior Year Fall of senior year ACT Spring of Junior Year Fall of Senior Year AP First 2 weeks of May; same year as AP course SAT Subject Tests Immediately following related coursework

When is SOUTH a testing site? ACT’s April 18, 2015 October 2015 Spring Junior Year Fall Senior Year SAT’s January 24, 2015 Winter Junior Year March 14, 2015 Spring Junior Year May 2, 2015 Spring Junior Year June 6, 2015 Spring Junior Year October & November 2015 Fall Senior Year South CEEB code is 394992 Other High Schools/districts may host SAT/ACT on other test dates

Test Optional � Students can opt not to send their SAT/ACT to colleges for admission review. � www. fairtest. org provides a comprehensive lists of colleges who allow the choice of Test Optional.

Beginning the College Search Process Don’t worry, there are over 4, 100 post-secondary schools in the United States from which to choose!

Resources �Naviance : log in with email and birthdate �Internet; see Guidance Website for links �Individual college websites �Traditional guidebooks and college brochures �Meet with college admissions representatives who visit South each fall (schedule/print passes on Naviance). �College Fair: March 11 th, 6: 30 p. m. at CB South

What can I do in Naviance? Meets all your needs throughout the entire process… �Organize and keep personal records �Career Plan Surveys (Part of CBSD Graduation Requirements) �Career and College Search Tools �Analyze Data �Visit College Websites �Application links �Scholarship list

Career Matches based on: personality , interests, academic strengths, favorite activities, amount of prep/education

Begin Researching Colleges Here… Narrow your search to find the best fit • • • 2 or 4 year Public vs private Coed vs single sex Size of locale Enrollment Location Distance from home Religious affiliation Competitiveness Major Sports & Divisions

Keep a record of your research

Compare yourself to 3 years of CB South students

Program Planning for 12 th Grade �Process begins in January. �Check now to make sure you and your student have access to the portal. �Maintain rigor and/or add challenging courses.

Join us again…. FEBRUARY 19, 2015 � Program Planning Process, Timeline, College search process, decision factors, types of applications, teacher & counselor recommendations. APRIL 23, 2015 � Summer activities, introduction to transcript process, looking ahead to senior year. SEPTEMBER 2015 � Senior timeline, transcript request process, teacher/counselor recommendations, financial aid & scholarships, final decisions.