College Planning for Juniors What Can YOU Do to Prepare for College - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

College Planning for Juniors

What Can YOU Do to Prepare for College Now?

College Seems So Far Away…

 It’s not.  Preparing for college now will help

lessen the stress of senior year!

Session Goal

 The goal of today’s presentation is for you

to know the tasks your student can accomplish in junior year and during the summer to prepare for the college admissions process.

College Acceptance Factors

 Ms. McDiarmid

What Do Colleges Look At to Determine Acceptance?

 Rigor of high school transcript  Grade point average (GPA) and Rank  Activities / interests / accomplishments  Letters of recommendation / essay  College entrance test scores (SAT/ACT)

The more selective the college, the more important these acceptance factors become

Making High School Count

How Does GPA Get Calculated?

 Final grades in academic subjects are

converted to points and averaged:

 English  History  Science  Math  Foreign Language  Technical Division Core Courses

 Cumulative over high school career  Determines class rank

Your Transcripts Are Sent To Colleges…

 When you first apply to college

 Typically in the fall of your student’s senior year  Includes grades from freshman year through junior year

 Midway through senior year

 Includes first semester grades

 Upon graduation

 Includes all senior year grades

This Year, It’s Important To…

 Make sure your junior and senior year

schedules are as rigorous as possible:

 Honors & Advanced Placement Courses, when

appropriate

 At least five academic courses, preferably more  Internships related to the future major (senior year).

 Maintain strong grades in order to have a

strong transcript and the highest GPA/Rank possible at the end of junior year.

College Acceptance Factors

 Mrs. O’Neil

It’s Not Only Your GPA That Matters…

 Although your grades are important,

colleges also consider many other factors when reviewing your application:

 Extra-Curricular Involvements and Activities  Letters of Recommendation  College Essay

Involve Yourself in Extra-Curricular Activities!

 Colleges like WELL-ROUNDED students.

 High school organizations: music, drama,

student government, clubs

 Athletics: school or community teams  Community: volunteer work, church groups,

summer camps, music/dance lessons, etc.

This Year, It’s Important To…

 Create an activities list or resume’ now!

 Use the Resume Builder tool on Naviance  Keep track of your activities, awards, etc. from

freshman through junior year

 Continue with the extra-curricular

activities that you have been involved in throughout high school.

 Colleges like to see involvement in a handful of

activities for four years, rather than many activities for a year or two each.

Recommendation Letters

 Most colleges require three letters of

recommendations:

 Two Teachers  Guidance Counselor

 These letters help to provide the whole picture of

you as a student and person.

 You will need to complete several surveys in

Naviance for teachers and counselors to write your a letter:

 Autobiography Survey (counselor)  Resume Builder (counselor)  Parent/Guardian Survey (counselor)  Teacher Recommendation Survey (teachers)

This Year, It’s Important To…

 Ask two teachers to write you a letter of

recommendation for college next year.

 Consider asking a teacher who:

 You have had multiple classes with  You have done well in class with  You have shown growth in class with  Teaches in your area of interest

(science, math, etc.)

 You had in class during your junior year

The College Essay

 The essay is the best way for the college

admissions counselor to get to know you, beyond your GPA, rank, and transcript.

 A good essay takes weeks/months, not a

few days – so start early!

Tips for Writing a Good Essay

Review the Tips for Writing a College Essay in your packet! The Common Application releases the upcoming year’s essay prompts in the spring!

This Year, It’s Important To…

 Start thinking about an essay topic that

will help you to stand out from the crowd.

 Avoid writing about clichéd topics:

 Winning the “Big Game”  Leadership roles or list of accomplishments  An influential family member or teacher

 Often, essays about the most ordinary of

things but written in an extra-ordinary way are powerful!

College Entrance Testing

 Mrs. Coonan

College Entrance Testing

 Standardized tests are required by most

colleges as part of the admissions process:

SAT SAT Subject ACT

 Remember – there are schools that do not

require standardized tests to apply!

• www.fairtest.org

Facing the Standardized Test

College Entrance Testing

 SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test

 4 Subtests:

 Reading Test, Writing and Language Test, Math

Test, and the optional SAT Essay

 Colleges use your best score in each subtest

to create a Super Score

 Administered at Tantasqua five times per

year

College Entrance Testing

 SAT Subject Tests  Tests in specific subjects: Chemistry,

Biology, US History, Spanish, etc.

 Required by some colleges - usually the

most selective

 Best taken near the conclusion of an

advanced course

 Administered at Tantasqua five times

per year

College Entrance Testing

 ACT – American College Test  Accepted by all colleges  SAT= reasoning & ACT= memory  ACT with Writing = SAT with the Essay  Not administered at Tantasqua

College Entrance Testing

 Refer to the College Entrance Testing and SAT vs.

ACT documents in your packet for more information!

College Entrance Testing

 Recommended test-taking strategy:  Take the SAT two to three times

 Once in Junior Year (May or June)  Once or Twice in Senior Year (October, November,

December)

 Take the ACT at least once

 June of Junior Year or  Fall of Senior Year

 Take the SAT Subject Tests if necessary

 Work with your guidance counselor to determine if these

are necessary based on the schools to which you will apply

College Entrance Testing

Refer to the College Entrance Testing Schedule in your packet for registration deadlines and upcoming test dates!

This Year, It’s Important To…

 Register for May and/or June SATs and/or

ACTs by deadline.

 Take advantage of free test preparation

resources:

 Khan Academy SAT Prep (www.khanacademy.org)  SAT Question of the Day (It’s an app!)  ACT Question of the Day  College Board SAT Practice Tests (www.collegeboard.org)  ACT Practice Tests (www.actstudent.org)  Tantasqua SAT Prep Program – starting in spring

Researching and Visiting Schools

 Mr. Hinckley

Finding Schools That Fit

Naviance – An Essential Resource

 Naviance is a “one stop shop” college and

career software that you will use throughout high school to:

 Research colleges  Research possible careers and career fields  Complete surveys for letters of recommendation  Complete personality and career interest surveys  Complete the exit survey required for graduation

Naviance

 Log into Naviance and use the College

SuperMatch tool to find schools that may be a good fit for you, based on:

 Location  Major  Public or Private  Selectivity  School Size  Campus Setting  Athletics  Extra-Curricular Offerings  Religious Affiliation  Great College Towns  Etc.

Naviance SuperMatch Feature

College Visits

 Once you have created an initial list of

possible colleges, start visiting them!

 College visits are the best way to determine if

a school is the right fit for you.

 It’s best to visit during February & April

school vacations, as colleges are still in session.

 College admissions offices and school

websites will have tour schedules and registration information.

College Visits

 To make the most of

your college visits, use the College Visit Checklists in your Packet!

College Admission Interviews

 As some colleges require interviews and

some offer optional interviews, consider having one while you are visiting a school.

 Refer to the Tips for a

Successful Campus Visit and Interview in your packet for more information!

This Year, It’s Important To…

 Begin using the Naviance SuperMatch tool

to help find colleges that may be a good fit for you!

 Visit colleges during school vacations and

consider an interview.

 Create an initial list of colleges that you

may consider applying to next year.

Other Information

 Mrs. Cantrell

MA Public College Admission Standards

 As many of you will consider attending a

UMass or Massachusetts State University, be aware of the minimum requirements:

 Tantasqua graduation requirements  Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and a math

course beyond Algebra II senior year

 Foreign Language – at least two courses in the

same language

 GPA - 3.0 or better

 2.99 to 2.0 – SAT/ACT sliding scale  1.99 or below – can not apply

MA Public College Sliding Scale

MA Public College Tuition Waivers

 Based on ELA & Math MCAS scores taken in

sophomore year

 There are two tuition waivers that are given by

the state:

 Stanley Z Koplik Tuition Waiver  John & Abigail Adams Scholarship

 Waives Massachusetts university tuition for four

years:

 UMass Amherst:4x$1,700=$6,800  Westfield State:4x$1,000=$4,000

Important Future Dates

 January – March, 2018

 College and Career Planning Meetings with Counselors

 February 28th, 2018

 Course selection assembly for juniors

 June 7th, 2018

 Delivery of Senior College Packet to juniors

 September, 2018

 College Admission Representative Panel Presentation

 September, 2018

 Essay Writing Workshop with Guidance + English Departments

 September, 2018

 College Planning Workshops for seniors and parents/guardians

 October, 2018

 MEFA College Financial Aid presentation for seniors and

parents/guardians

A Recap!

 Get started on the college admission process by

completing the following tasks:

 Maintain strong grades this year  Choose a rigorous course load for senior year  Research colleges through Naviance  Visit colleges over school vacations  Establish an initial list of colleges to which you will apply  Register, prepare for, and take college entrance test(s)  Ask two teachers to write a letter of recommendation  Complete letter of recommendation forms on Naviance  Plan your essay topic  **Create a professional-sounding email address that you

will use for all college-related correspondence!**

Junior Planning Timeline

 Refer to the Junior

Planning Timeline in your packet for a month by month checklist of tasks to complete this year!

Most Importantly, Have FUN!

 College can truly be the best years of your

life, if you find a college that is the right fit for you!

 Have FUN exploring colleges and finding

your “home” for the next four years!

Join Remind for the Class of 2019

 Keep informed about college visits,

scholarships, testing deadlines, and other

• pportunities!

 Text @2019trhs to 81010 to join!

Access Your Counselors!

 Counseling Staff:

 Kendra Cantrell – Academic Juniors Last Names A and B  Audrey Coonan – Academic Juniors Last Names: C – H

 Jillian McDiarmid – Academic Juniors Last Names I - N

 Chris Hinckley – Academic Juniors Last Names O – Z  Maryrose O’Neil – Technical Juniors Last Names A – Z

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions or concerns!