Planning for what you want to do after high school is a process that takes your time and energy to make it happen. POST-SECONDARY AND COLLEGE PLANNING

JUNIOR COLLEGE PLANNING NIGHT - Tuesday January 8, Parents and Students - Very informative! - What will the night focus on? College visits and Interviews College admissions criteria Naviance SAT/ACTs

DecemberJanuaryFebruaryMarch Begin to clarify your educational goals, needs, and preferences Use PSAT results to develop range of colleges Talk with graduates home from college Prepare for midterms- junior grades are very important Complete college search in career center and review results with guidance counselor Attend college planning program at FHS Plan college visits Meet with counselor and parents-plan challenging senior year courses Develop a preliminary list of colleges Consider taking SAT or ACT prep class Visit college during February vacation View individual college websites Explore job shadowing opportunities with your counselor View individual college websites Review personal college criteria AprilMayJuneSummer Visit colleges during April vacation Complete second college search in career center and discuss results with counselor Identify teachers whom you may ask for recommendation AP exams SAT I and II offered Attend national college fair at Expo Center SAT I and II offered Arrange for college visits and/or interviews for the summer Review SAT material Compile resume/list of activities, jobs and community service Begin to outline possible college essays Earn $ in a job related to career interest COLLEGE PLANNING DURING YOUR JUNIOR YEAR BY MONTH

1)Academic Record = Transcript, including senior year grades 2)Standardized Test Results = SAT or ACT scores 3)Essays 4)Teacher Recommendations 5)Activities, Honors, Recognition = Resume 6)Interview 7)Demonstrated Interest COLLEGE ADMISSION CRITERIA

SAT AND ACT DIFFERENCES vs. SAT = reasoning test Type of Test ACT = content-based test Critical Reading: 2, 25-min sections and 1, 20-min section; Math: 2, 25-min sections and 1, 20-min section; Writing: 1, 25-min essay, 1, 25-min section, and 1, 10-min section Test Format English: 1, 45-min section; Math: 1, 60-min section; Reading: 1, 35-min section; Science: 1, 35-min section; Writing: 1, 30-min essay (optional) questions can be phrased in ways that make them difficult to decipher Test Stylequestions may be long but are usually less difficult to decipher Math, Critical Reading, and Writing scores will each range between a ; total SAT score ranges between Scoring English, Math, Reading, and Science scores will each range between Composite ACT score is the average of your scores on the four sections; ranges between 1-36 yes – you lose ¼ of a point for incorrect answers (except on the grid-in math questions) Penalty for Wrong Answers? no – you do not lose points for incorrect answers yes – you can choose which set(s) of SAT scores to submit to colleges Score Choice?yes – you can choose which set(s) of ACT scores to submit to colleges questions increase in difficulty level as you move through that question type in a section (except reading passage questions, which progress chronologically through the passage) Difficulty Levels difficulty level of the questions is random arithmetic, data analysis, algebra I and II, functions, geometry; formulas are provided in the test booklet Math Levelsarithmetic, algebra I and II, functions, geometry, trigonometry; no formulas are provided Accepted by all colleges and universitiesCollege Preference Accepted by all colleges and universities

SAT Date SAT Subject Tests Available Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline Deadline for Changes Mail Phone/ Online Jan 26 Subject Tests Dec 28 Jan 11 Mar 9 Feb 8 Feb 22 May 4 Subject Tests Apr 5 Apr 19 Jun 1 Subject Tests May 2 May 17 SAT TEST DATES AND DEADLINES

Test DateRegistration Deadline(Late Fee Required) September 8, 2012August 17, 2012 August 18–24, 2012 (paper registrations) August 18–31, 2012 (online registrations) October 27, 2012September 21, 2012 September 22 – October 5, 2012 December 8, 2012November 9, 2012November 10 – 16, 2012 February 9, 2013*January 11, 2013January 12 – 18, 2013 April 13, 2013March 8, 2013March 9 – 22, 2013 June 8, 2013May 3, 2013May 4 – 17, 2013 ACT TEST DATES AND DEADLINES

Quality Safety- Colleges where you typically are somewhat overqualified and will almost certainly gain admission. You should like these colleges and be sure to show demonstrated interest so the college does not think you are overlooking it during the application process. Target- Colleges where you have a reasonable (typically better than 50-50) chance of admission. Reach- Colleges are usually your top choice colleges and those most difficult to gain admission. DEVELOPING YOUR COLLEGE LIST

Most CompetitiveHighly CompetitiveVery CompetitiveCompetitiveLess Competitive Air Force AcademyAmerican UniversityAuburn UniversityAdelphiAmerican International College Amherst CollegeBabson CollegeBard CollegeAlbrightAlbertus Magnus College Bates CollegeBoston UniversityBYUArizona State UniversityAnna Maria College Bowdoin CollegeBaylor UniversityChamplain CollegeAssumptionAtlantic Union College Brandeis UniversityBentley UniversityClarkson UniversityBay Path CollegeBecker College BrownBryantDrew UniversityCastleton State CollegeBerkeley College – NJ, NYC Boston CollegeClark UniversityDrexel UniversityCCSUCaldwell College Bryn Mawr CollegeClemson UniversityDuquesne UniversityColby-Sawyer CollegeCentenary College Bucknell UniversityDenison UniversityFairfield UniversityCurry CollegeColorado State University Carnegie MellonDickinson CollegeFlorida State UniversityECSUDeVry Colby CollegeElon UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityEmbry-RiddleDowling College Colgate UniversityEmerson CollegeHofstra UniversityFairleigh DickinsonGeorgian Court University ColumbiaFordham UniversityIona CollegeFramingham State UniversityHusson University CornellGettysburg CollegeIthacaFranklin Pierce UniversityMount Ida College DartmouthHampshire CollegeJames Madison UniversityHigh Point UniversityNew England College DukeLawrence UniversityMichigan State UniversityJohnson & WalesNichols College GeorgetownMount Holyoke CollegeOklahoma State UniversityKeene State CollegePurdue University - Calumet HamiltonMuhlenberg CollegePenn StateLaSalleRegis College LehighNortheastern UniversityPurdue UniversityMerrimackRhode Island College Middlebury CollegeOhio StateQuinnipiac UniversityMonmouthSaint Francis College MITPepperdineRITPost UniversitySalem State College New York UniversityProvidence CollegeRutgersRider UniversityUnity College TuftsSarah Lawrence CollegeSan Diego State UniversityRoger Williams UniversityUniversity of Bridgeport University of PennsylvaniaSkidmoreSiena CollegeSacred Heart UniversityUniversity of Saint Joseph University of RichmondSUNY BinghamtonTowsonSCSU University of RochesterSUNY GeneseoUniversity of ColoradoSpringfield University of VirginiaTexas A & MUniversity of DelawareSuffolk VassarTrinityUniversity of South CarolinaTemple VillanovaU.S. Coast GuardUniversity of VermontUniversity of Arizona Wake Forest UniversityUniversity of ConnecticutValparaisoUniversity of Hartford WesleyanVirginia TechWagnerUniversity of New Haven WilliamsWheatonXavierWCSU

GPA PSAT ScoresCR- 57M-63W- 60 STUDENT PROFILE Quality Safety GPA- B/B+ SAT CR M W Target GPA- B+/A- SAT CR M W Reach GPA- A-/A SAT CR M W ECSU Marist College Boston University URIUMass AmherstAmerican University College of Charleston Clemson University

-Browse the schools website and any campus blogs -Take a campus tour -Talk to students about what they think of their classes and professors -Visit the dining hall, fitness center, library, career center, bookstore and other campus facilities -Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus -Take part in a group information session at the admission office -Meet with someone from the department of your prospective major -Talk to the coaches of sports that you may want to play -Interview, required or recommended (Admission Officer, Alumni, Skype) -Read the student newspaper COLLEGE VISITS