Senior Future Planning Night BELMONT HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
BELMONT HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT Ms. Stacie Ross (Last names from A-Con) Mr. Jim Brown (Last names from Coo-H) Ms. Gennie Guellnitz (Last names from I-Mak) Mr. Craig Paczkowski (Last names from Mal-R) Ms. Emily Taylor (Last names from S-Z) Mrs. Vanessa French (Secretary)
All students must enroll in at least 6 full time courses each semester of every year. One hundred credits are required to receive a diploma from Belmont High School. In addition, students must fulfill the following requirements: BELMONT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS English – 4 years……………….................21 credits (Including Senior Thesis) Social Studies – 3 years………................15 credits World History Modern World History American Studies Math – 4 years……………………………..20 credits Science – 4 years………............………...20 credits Fine and Performing Arts – 1 year………..5 credits Foreign Language – 2 years……………..10 credits Physical Education and Health……………8 credits 4 years – 2 credits per year Grade 9 – Wellness I required Grades 10-12 – 6 credits of PE options MCAS English, Math and Science Community Service………………………..40 hours
Senior Future Plans College applications Prep school Gap year Community service Career training program Employment Military
Prep School Gives student an extra year to improve academics and strengthen curriculum. English and math teachers plus guidance counselor must fill out specific recommendation forms for each school. Interviews are highly recommended.
Gap Year Should be used constructively Students participate in anything from City Year, employment opportunities, community service, travel abroad. Can be a great way to gain perspective or participate in something different prior to making more future plans. There will be a BHS grad at the College Fair to talk about gap year possibilities.
Seeing Your Guidance Counselor Students can make an appointment to go over their future plans (college applications, gap year, career planning…). Parents are welcome to attend this meeting. Students who plan on applying Early Action or Early Decision should notify their counselor and schedule an appointment ASAP . Come prepared . Students should bring a list of 6-8 potential colleges they have researched to the meeting. Use the resources available to you. Review the College Planning Guide on the Guidance website prior to the meeting and use Naviance.
Deadlines Make a list of your college application deadlines ASAP! Usual early decision/early action deadlines: Oct. 15 th , Nov. 1 st , Nov. 15 th , Dec. 1 st Usual regular admission deadlines: Jan. 1 st , Feb. 1 st , March 1 st Rolling Decision: the sooner the better The BHS Guidance Office needs the Student Questionnaire and Transcript Release Form 3 weeks prior to application deadlines to ensure that transcript packages are sent on time.
BHS Transcript Release Deadlines College Application Belmont High School Deadline Deadline October 1 st , 2015 September 10 th , 2015 November 1 st , 2015 October 11 th , 2015 November 15 th , 2015 October 25 th , 2015 December 1 st , 2015 November 10th, 2015 December 15 th , 2015 November 23 rd , 2015 January 1 st , 2016 December 1 st , 2015 (Holiday break begins on the 24th) January 15 th , 2016 December 20th, 2015
Standardized Testing If your college requires testing, be sure to have an official score report sent to the college in advance of the application deadline. Request scores to be sent online at: SAT: www.collegeboard.org ACT: www.actstudent.org If you are unsure which scores to send to colleges, check with your guidance counselor. College admission requirements are also available on College Board and a college’s website www.nameofcollege.edu.
The SAT Reasoning Test Fall test dates : October 3rd, November 7th, and December 5th . The registration deadline for the October test has passed; November deadline is October 9th! Score Choice : College Board allows students to choose which test dates to share with colleges. However, some colleges may still require that all scores be sent. Students should check with each college they apply to for their policy. Most admissions offices automatically combine the highest sub-scores from each test date when making their decision (i.e. Super Score). Registration: Online at www.collegeboard.org
SAT Subject Tests Duration: 1 hour Up to 3 subject tests can be taken on the same day. Subjects include, but not limited to: English Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, US History, European History, Math I and Math II Spanish, French, Latin, German, Modern Hebrew, Italian Languages w/ listening include: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, German, Spanish (Some language tests are only offered 1x year) SAT I and SAT Subject Tests cannot be taken on the same day. * Be sure to check whether your colleges require subject tests and plan accordingly. Some schools require 2 or 3 subject tests. *Register online at www.collegeboard.org
This multiple-choice test covers four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading and science The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay — we recommend taking the Writing Test. Most schools accept either the SAT or the ACT and weigh both equally. Fall test dates : October 24th and December 12 th . The deadline for the October test has passed, but the registration deadline for the December test is November 6th .
Recommendations Guidance Counselor : Needs Student Questionnaire at least 3 weeks prior to college application deadlines The Parent/Guardian Brag sheet can also be very helpful Teachers : Most colleges require 2 teacher recommendations Students should have already asked teachers to write a letter. If they have not, this needs to be done ASAP. Students give each teachers the yellow sheet (in guidance) with list of colleges and deadlines at least 3 weeks in advance. Teachers are submitting their recommendations electronically this year. If the college requires a mailed application, the student is responsible for giving them addressed and stamped envelopes for each of their schools. Supplemental : You may consider including one additional letter from someone who knows the student in another capacity (e.g. coach, employer, religious leader). This person will also need a stamped, addressed envelope for each school. Alternatively, the student can invite the supplemental recommender through the Common Application or the college’s electronic application in order for them to submit electronically.
Thank you for writing my letter of recommendation. I greatly appreciate it! I have written my list of colleges and deadlines below. DEADLINE Name of COLLEGE (post marked by)
SENDING YOUR TRANSCRIPT: Transcript Release Form Each student must submit this form to Mrs. French in the guidance office in order for school information to be sent to colleges. Pay application processing fee : One time processing fee of $10 Submit Transcript Release Form : List school, deadlines, and if it is CA,EA or mail. We will automatically send current GPA, first quarter grades, the mid-year grades, and final transcript. **With each new grading period, the GPA will be updated.**
First Quarter, Mid-Year, and Final Grades First Quarter Grades : For Early Admission, most colleges require these. First quarter grades will be send 3 school days after they are released. It is the student’s responsibility to check his/her grades within this time period. If there are any issues, the student is to speak with the teacher and let his or her guidance counselor know immediately. Mid-Year Grades : Automatically sent to each college to which the student has applied. Students will be prompted to review their list of colleges and make appropriate additions and/or deletions. Q1 and Q2 grades will be reported for each class. Final Grades : End of year transcripts are automatically sent to the college that a student indicates he/she will attend in Naviance/Family Connection. It is important that students continue to perform at the expected level.
Applying to College Paper or Online Common Application www.commonapp.org (more than 600 schools are now on the Common Application) *Be sure to check whether your schools have supplemental essay questions*
Parts of the Application Student pieces: Student Information Resume/Extracurricular Activities Essay Standardized Test Results Application Fee Special Talent (athletics, fine and performing arts) Teacher Recommendations List (and any necessary envelopes) BHS Pieces: Transcript Counselor Recommendation BHS School Report Form School Profile Special Education Information
Missing Information Students are responsible for adhering to deadlines and ensuring that the college receives each piece of the application. Colleges often take 3-4 weeks to process application materials once they are received. Call the Admissions Office after this time frame to verify which pieces (if any) are missing. If any pieces are confirmed missing after 3-4 weeks, come to Guidance immediately and speak to Mrs. French. Materials will be faxed and re-sent ASAP.
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