Junior Meeting Downingtown High School West School Counseling

Junior Meeting Downingtown High School West School Counseling Department

Keys to Junior Year Grades- shows your capability of handling college courses Course Selection- colleges look at rigor of senior year schedule and number of credits Testing- SATs and/or ACT College Visits- seeing the campus first hand for yourself Letters of Recommendation Graduation Requirements- make sure all course requirements are met, including graduation project NCAA (student athletes)- register prior to senior year

Grades and GPA 11 th grade is a VERY important year for earning good grades in challenging courses. v Colleges look for improvement from 9 th grade. v Some colleges require senior year grades (1 st MP or mid-year) to make decisions v Colleges are looking for continual improvement Transcripts will show GPA individually by year, as well as your Cumulative GPA. v Student's grades in college-preparatory classes are a significant factor in college admission decisions.

If you wish to make your application competitive, you must take a challenging senior program and continue to excel. Senior year is not the time to take a light course load, and admissions will often check an applicant’s senior year grades before offering acceptance. “Our most important admissions factors are high school courses and grades. Take good, tough courses. We can tell if you are not CHALLENGING yourself. ” -Harvard

Course Selection v Be sure to schedule remaining classes required for graduation. v Choose demanding core courses evidencing college readiness. v If you meet the prerequisites, select AP and Honors courses to show colleges readiness. v Colleges consider your choice of electives when evaluating your transcript. Taking multiple years of an elective (including a language) shows commitment to developing a unique interest and can tell something about you v Rigor of schedule is a factor for college admission.

Graduation Requirements 24 Total Credits consisting of: 4 Credits of English 4 Credits of Social Studies 3 Credits of Math 3 Credits of Science 1 Credit of Language 1 Additional Credit of Math/Science/Lang 6. 0 Credits of Additional Electives 1. 66 Credits of Physical Education –. 5 Credit Wellness/Fitness –. 5 Credit Health Educ. –. 66 Credit (2 years) Lifelong/Competitive/ Strength & Conditioning/ Dance . 34 Graduation Project

College Admissions Tests ACT vs. SAT Depending on your strengths and weaknesses, you may perform better on one of these tests over the other. The SAT and ACT are different tests but colleges will accept either one.

ACT The ACT (American College Testing) Assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. It is content based and more closely resembles the testing of core curriculum taught in most classrooms. -www. kaptest. com 4 sections: Reading, Writing (suggested), Math, Science - tests grammar - math includes trigonometry - includes a science reasoning test - no guessing penalty ACT scores are accepted at all colleges in the United States. - www. actstudent. org

SAT Reasoning The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) tests the subject matter learned by students in high school and how well they apply that knowledge along with critical thinking skills necessary to success in college. -www. collegeboard. com 3 sections: Math, Reading, Language and Writing - Essay section is optional Some math without a calculator Focus on “Heart of Algebra”, data analysis, advanced math - No guessing penalty

SAT and ACT Questions ACT 215 Total Questions 2 hrs. 55 min Less time per question Questions considered less difficult No penalty for wrong answers Optional essay New SAT *Take both or consider your strengths when choosing only one test. * 154 Total Questions 3 hrs. More time per question Questions considered more difficult No penalty for wrong answers Optional essay

Testing Dates ACT SAT Register online www. actstudent. org Register online www. collegeboard. com Test dates Spring 2018 -April 14 th (DWHS is a test center) -register by March 9 th -March 10 th (DWHS is a test center) - late reg Feb 28 th -June 9 th -register by May 4 th -May 5 th (DWHS is a test center) - register by April 6 th - July 14 th - register by June 15 th -June 2 nd - register by May 3 rd *Subject tests available May & June

SAT Subject Tests (Available during May and June test dates) Taken in addition to SAT Reasoning or ACT exams Be sure to consult college admissions sites directly, these are generally required or recommended by the most competitive colleges www. compassprep. com lists recommendations from colleges One hour timed tests 20 different subjects to choose from Up to three Subject Tests may be taken on any given date

Score Reports There are two ways to send test results to colleges: v During Registration- You receive four free score reports each time you register either for the ACT or the SAT. Using registration score reports ensures that test scores are sent to colleges as early as possible. v After Registration- You can send score reports at any time from your ACT or SAT account for an additional fee. You are responsible for sending your scores to colleges; test scores do NOT appear on your transcript.

Letters of Recommendation After considering GPA, rigor of schedule, and test scores, many schools look to the letters of recommendation in the acceptance process. These letters should be written by someone who can describe your skills, accomplishments and personality with enthusiasm. Check to see if your colleges require recommendation letters; some schools require at least 1 academic teacher Ask one or two teachers, preferable from your junior year, who know you well and can speak to your skills and abilities Provide teachers with an Activities Resume (available in Naviance) Ask early; at least 1 month before earliest deadline FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

Starting Your College Search v Think about what you're looking for in a college. Make a wish list of what you want in a college. v Get ideas about colleges by examining several of your prospective school’s websites. v Use Naviance or visit Collegeboard to assist you in your search. v Talk to your family and friends; they know you best and may offer good insight. Be sure to ask about what college is really like and how they found theirs. v Your mailbox and in-box might already be filled with college brochures and emails. Browse through them; you may find colleges you haven’t thought of. If you aren’t getting college mail yet, visit college websites and sign up for information. v Have a discussion with your family about the cost of college and related expenses that may impact college choice.

Naviance- A Way to Find the College That’s Right for You http: //connection. naviance. com/downingtownhse User Name: student ID number Password: your birthday - ## /##/#### v Naviance is a web-based college research and planning tool for Downingtown students, parents, and school counselors. It offers many opportunities during the college planning process. v While using it, you can: – – – – Link personality type and interests with careers Indicate preferences/ criteria to determine college matches Compare your academic statistics to the average statistics of your prospective colleges Predict the outcome of your application for a specific college using the Scattergrams Link your application to the Common Application and manage deadlines Track application materials, including teacher recommendation letters View schedule of colleges visiting the Career Center

Selecting Where to Apply Categorize your choices Reach - schools above your academic qualifications Target - schools where you meet admissions standards Likely - schools where you are above admissions standards Visit a variety of schools to determine your best fit Minimally, get a taste of college life by visiting a nearby college. You can explore the campus, talk to college students and get a better sense of what you do and don’t want in a college. You’ll also start to see how college is different from high school.

NCAA and Student Athletes Any students planning to participate in college athletics should verify that they meet NCAA requirements using the NCAA Eligibility Center. www. eligibilitycenter. org Transcripts must be sent to NCAA and can be sent through Naviance.

Final Considerations Open an email account for college correspondence Monitor your social media for appropriate content Remediate failed courses to improve GPA Allow a minimum of 10 school days for transcripts to be processed at DW and additional time for college processing Students receiving free or reduced lunch should check with their counselor to see if they qualify for any financial assistance with applications and standardized testing Use all of the information you’ve gathered to make a list of the colleges you’re interested in. Don’t limit yourself. You can use this list to get a better idea of what’s important to you in a college and where you want to go.

Helpful Resources Downingtown WEST Counseling Department https: //www. dasd. org/Domain/145 Naviance http: //connection. naviance. com/downingtownhse NCAA www. eligibilitycenter. org FAFSA www. fafsa. gov CSS Profile student. collegeboard. org/css-financial-aid-profile Financial Aid www. finaid. org

Helpful Resources Continued SAT www. collegeboard. com ACT www. actstudent. org Practice Tests and Information www. khanacademy. com; www. petersons. com; ; www. princetonreview. com ; www. ivybound. net Test Requirements for Selective Colleges http: //www. compassprep. com/admissions_req_subjects. aspx Colleges without Test Requirements www. fairtest. org