Coatesville Area Senior High School INVESTIGATING POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

Fastest Growing Careers Wind Turbine Technicians 108% Occupational therapy assistants 73% Physical therapy assistants 70.5 % Home health aides 69.4 % Biomedical engineers 61.7 % Mason, tile and marble setters 60.1 % Carpenters 55.7 % Veterinary tech/ assistants 52 % Commercial drivers 47.6 %

Forensic Science Technicians 43.7 % Diagnostic medical sonographers 43.5 % Physical therapist aides 43.1 % Interpreters and translators 42.2 % Medical secretaries 41.3 % Personal Finance Advisor 41.2% Physical therapists 39 % Dental hygienists 37.7% Audiologists 36.8% Mental health counselors 36.3% Web Developers 27%

Admission Factors Primary Factors Additional Factors Quality/Rigor of Academic Courses Academic Performance/ Grades Test Scores (SAT, SAT Subject Tests, AP®, etc.) Additional Factors Extracurricular Activities Essay(s) Letters of Recommendation Demonstrated Interest

COLLEGE PLACEMENT TEST SAT vs. ACT SAT ACT Aptitude test Fact based test Cost $ 46.00 Cost $46.00 with writing $60.00 with writing $62.50 TEST DATES TEST DATES Dec 2nd registration deadline Nov 2nd Feb 11th registration deadline Jan 12th March 10th registration deadline Feb 9th April 14th registration deadline March 9th May 5th registration deadline April 6th June 9th registration deadline May 4th June 2nd registration deadline May 3rd July 14th registration deadline June 15th

Free Testing All Juniors will be given a FREE PSAT test during the school day in October. Student can prep for the PSAT test at www.collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/practice All Juniors will be given a FREE SAT test during the school day in March. Students can prep for the SAT test at www.collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice

Your Transcript Your high school academic record is one of the most important factors in college admission. Colleges will look at a few aspects: Course selection: Challenge yourself with a rigorous course load and high-level classes, including AP or honors courses. Grades: Every year counts, starting with freshman year. GPA trends: Keep improving through every grade. Class rank : Your place in your class

Other Considerations Positive recommendations from educators and mentors Personal statement and essay(s) demonstrating writing ability. A “demonstrated interest” that shows your enthusiasm for the colleges to which you’re applying Extracurricular activities, including participation in sports, performing/visual arts, volunteering, etc. Community involvement, part-time work or internship Interview (if applicable)

Which College Is Right For You ? Size and diversity of student body Location Academic programs Campus life — athletics, activities, housing Graduation and retention rates Financial aid and scholarship opportunities

Which College Is Right For You? Take a campus tour. Speak with an admission counselor. Ask about financial aid opportunities. Sit in on a class of interest. Read the student newspaper. Talk to students and faculty. Above all, think about where you will be happy and successful in your college life.

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REGISTRATION FOR THE NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER REGISTER DURING YOUR JUNIOR YEAR : www.eligibilitycenter.org TAKE THE SAT OR THE ACT AND HAVE YOUR SCORES SENT DIRECTLY TO THE ELIGIBILTY CENTER NCAA Eligibility Center code - 9999 ASK YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR TO SEND YOUR CURRENT AND FINAL TRANSCRIPT TO THE ELIGIBILITY CENTER

NCAA Division I

Division I Qualifications

NCAA Division II

Division II Qualifications

Planning Fall / Winter Continue to do your best academic work! Junior-year grades are very important for college admission. Be well rounded. Devote your time to extracurricular activities that interest you. Leadership roles are important. Consider SAT preparation. Through software, books, classes. Use the PSAT results as a study guide for the spring SAT. Select challenging courses for your senior year. Colleges are looking for students who are continuing to challenge themselves.

Planning Spring Talk to your family. Have a discussion about the colleges you’re interested in. Your family can learn about what you want to pursue and you can hear any concerns or suggestions they might have. Stay on top of your school work while getting involved with extracurricular activities. This is your last chance to improve your rank and GPA. Taking on leadership roles and making a commitment to the same groups are more important than trying out tons of new activities each year. Organize your college information. Set up a filing system with individual folders for each college’s correspondence and printed materials. Begin narrowing down your college choices. Make sure you have all the information you need about the colleges you’re interested in (entrance requirements, tuition, room and board costs, course offerings, student activities, financial aid, etc.). Prepare for standardized tests. Register to take the SAT or ACT test. Most juniors take them in the winter or spring. You can take them again in the fall of your senior year. Contact your recommendation writers. Teachers and guidance counselors are often asked to write recommendations for lots of students. Consider whom you want to ask now and let them know so they’ll have time to prepare before getting tons of requests in the fall. Ask teachers, coaches or activity advisors who know you well and who will have positive things to say. Set up appointments at your top college choices. Call the admissions office to set up a personal interview, tour, and a meeting with a professor or coach if you’re interested.

Planning Summer Apply for a summer job or internship. Summer employment and internships in fields you’re interested in will look appealing on a college application or resume. The money you earn can also be used to help pay application and testing fees in the fall. Visit colleges. Visit the campuses of your top five college choices. Take a tour and speak with the admissions and financial aid staff. Organize your financial aid information. Develop a plan that includes a list of the aid sources, requirements for each application, and a timetable for meeting the filing deadlines. Getting organized will make the process of applying a lot easier because you’ll know where to find important information. Start working on your application essays. Compose rough drafts of the essay(s) you’ll need for your college applications. Have a teacher read and discuss them with you so you can see what to work on. Make any revisions to your essay and prepare final drafts. Don’t forget to proofread your final essay(s) a few times. Start a scholarship search. There are lots of scholarships out there; you just need to spend a little time and effort to find them. Check with your guidance office for scholarships from local organizations and use online scholarship web sites to find a wider range of options.