Junior Parent Meeting Tuesday, September 6, 2011 Welcome

Counseling Staff Amanda Breeden A - GL Rebecca Puster Gm – Ki Pam Kennedy KL – N Stacey Ruff O – Z Jeannie Walls - College & Career Debbie Barnes – Registrar Gigi Johnson – Office Coordinator FYI – Amanda Breeden will be on Maternity Leave Sept 1 – Oct 21. Lissa Testa will be the substitute counselor. ( )

Additional Counseling News Rebecca Puster and Pam Kennedy are time sharing their job. Most days, Ms. Kennedy will be here in the mornings and Ms. Puster will be here in the afternoons. In case of emergency or an immediate need, Ms. Puster or Ms. Kennedy will be able to assist you for all students Gm- N. For questions about credits or graduation, please contact the counselor based on the alpha splits – Ms. Puster – Gm - Ki – Ms. Kennedy – Kj - N

Academic Graduation Requirements Transcripts- PLEASE CHECK CAREFULLY - Middle School grades - Summer school, CBE, E-school, etc. - GPA - Class rank - Top 10% rule

Credit Checks & Graduation Plans 26 credits required for graduation Distinguished, Recommended All are college-bound plans

Graduation Plans - Side by Side Recommended Distinguished ENGLISH MATHEMATICS SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES LOVEJOY LEADERSHIP HEALTH FINE ARTS PHYSICAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS FOREIGN LANGUAGE ADDITIONAL ELECTIVES TOTAL CREDITS ***The Distinguished Plan requires 4 advanced measures.

Distinguished Achievement Diploma (DAP) What is an Advanced Measure? A student needs any 4 of the following: A Junior year PSAT score that designates them as commended or higher A score of 3 or higher on an AP test (each score is one advanced measure) A college academic course and Tech Prep articulated college course with a grade of 3.0 or higher (each 3.0 is one advanced measure) An original research project judged by a panel of professionals in the field (only 2 projects can be used and the senior project would qualify as one)

Additional Graduation Requirements Senior Project – if not exempt Pass all sections of TAKS this year

Grades Tips for Academic Success Your student should: Use an academic planner to organize assignments Attend LHS tutorials Utilize the CAT – Center for Academic Training Math Tutorials are available daily in the mornings. Study in an environment conducive to learning Study in small increments Plan homework from most to least difficult Schedule a meeting with the teacher when you are having difficulty in class Look at Power School each week and share the information with parents his/her teachers when absent

Testing 1. PSAT 2. TAKS 3. TSI 4. SAT, ACT, SAT II (Subject Tests) 5. AP Tests

More Testing Information We recommend you take the SAT and/or ACT for the first time at the end of your junior year What are SAT II Tests? Ideally, SAT II Tests should be taken as close as possible to the time when you complete the course that corresponds to the test

PSAT – October 12, 2011 PSAT Student Bulletin/ PSAT Practice Test – given to your student in LEAP Results are given back during LEAP classes Starts at 8:55 am Rooms assignments will be posted on the windows in the Commons Area

PSAT What to bring to the test: - a photo ID - two #2 pencils - a calculator (four-function, scientific, or graphing) Absolutely no cell phones are allowed.

The Actual Test The PSAT has five sections: - Critical Reading - 2 sections - Math-2 sections - Writing Skills-1 section Each section is timed-2 hours and 10 minutes is allotted for the five test sections

To guess or not to guess? EDUCATED GUESSING-means guessing an answer whenever you are able to eliminate two or more of the choices as definitely wrong. Educated guessing may help your score. RANDOM GUESSING- means that you have no idea which answer choice is correct. Don’t waste time on that kind of question. Go on to the next one. Random guessing is likely to produce a lower score. Reminder You can earn an above-average score by getting only half the questions right and omitting the rest.

SCORING A question that is not answered (left blank) receives no points. For a wrong answer to a multiple-choice questions, you lose ¼ of a point. Therefore, it is better to leave an answer blank and lose NO points than to randomly guess when the odds are 1 out of 4 or 1 out of 5 that the answer is correct.

When will I receive my score reports? Through LEAPS in January You will receive a detailed report How can I use my report?

National Merit Semifinalists Juniors who fall in the top ½ of 1% become finalists Each student is assigned a selection index; it is the sum of your math, critical reasoning and writing scores The cut-off index last year was a 219

National Merit – Part 2 National Merit is an award that brings prestige to you and your school AND wonderful scholarship opportunities Look in the Official Student Guide section for more information on scholarship possibilities

Types of Colleges Liberal Arts Colleges Universities Technical Institutes and Professional Schools Community or Junior Colleges

College Match…Things to Consider Look at Yourself: Determine your Interest and Goals Academic Career/ Proposed Major Extracurricular Activities Social Preference Retention & Graduation Rates Look at your Institutional Options Size Location Cost Admissions Requirements Private vs. Public Large vs. Small Special Programs

Things to ask yourself How do I learn best? – In large or lecture style classes, or in small discussion/ seminar settings? What extracurricular activities have been most important to me? – Which will I want to continue in college? What have I learned about my academics interests and abilities that will influence what I might study in college?

ACT Basic Information 3 hour college entrance exam Composed of 4 tests – English usage – Mathematics – Reading – Science Reasoning – 30 minute optional writing test Score range 1-36 for each area Writing test score range Exam Dates at LHS September 10 October 22 December 10 April 14** June 09** ** Recommend taking in the Spring.

Things to Remember about the ACT There are no penalty for wrong answers – If you are not positive… guess – If you have no idea… guess – If you run out of time… guess Do not leave blank answers Science: charts and experiments English: stresses grammar Reading: 4 passages (1 of each: social science, natural science, prose fiction, and humanities)

SAT Basic Information 3 hour and 45 minute college entrance exam Composed of 3 tests – Critical Reading – Mathematics – Writing Skills Scores range for each area Exams Dates at LHS October 01 November 05 December 03 January 28** May 28** ** Recommend taking in the Spring.

Things to Remember about the SAT Questions are arranged in order of difficulty – 1/3 easy – 1/3 medium – 1/3 hard Points – Correct = 1 point – Incorrect = Minus ¼ point – Blanks = no effect on your score Guess if you can narrow it down to 2 answers (3 answers use your judgment but often times guess)

ACT and SAT Comparison ACT SAT 3 hours, 25 minutes (with writing test)L ENGTH 3 hours, 45 minutes 4 sections (English, Math, Reading, Science) Plus an optional writing test S TRUCTURE 10 sections (3 Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing) Plus and experimental section S CORING Composite of 1-36 based on average scores from the 4 test sections S CORE Total score range of based on adding scores from 3 sections No penalty for wrong answersW RONG A NSWER P ENALTY ¼ point subtracted from your raw score for each wrong answer (except for math grid-ins) You decide which score is sentS ENDING S CORE H ISTORY Depends if you are enrolled in Score Choice (Some colleges require you to send all scores) C ONTENT Reading comprehension- 4 passages with 10 questions per passage R EADING Reading comprehension- Short and long passages with questions. Sentence completion Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, and Trigonometry M ATH Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II Analysis, interpretation, evaluation, basic content, and problem solving S CIENCE Science not included Last thing (optional): 30 minutes Topic of importance to high school student E SSAY First thing 25: minutes Factored in to overall score; More abstract than ACT

SAT Subject Test 1 hour test that measure knowledge and skills in a particular subject and a student’s ability to apply the knowledge Scores range Colleges may use these scores in several ways. – Admissions purposes – Award college course credit – Help place students in the appropriate college courses

Crafting the Class – Holistic approach to the student body – It cannot only be a fit for the student but also a fit for the institution – The institution has multiple goals Enrollment targets Diversity Special populations Financial aid availability Alumni

Things that May Effect You Getting in to Your Dream College Last year’s graduating class Your major Your home state Them gambling on whether you will actually attend Who else is applying this year

Key Parts of College Admissions High school courses/ grades (G.P.A.) – Quality of courses, diversity, level of difficulty, trends/ consistency of grades Extracurricular activities/ Your resume – Includes academic awards/ honors, extracurricular activities, interest, jobs, community services and hobbies Application essays and/or personal statements Standardized test scores – Maybe #2 for more selective colleges (as an expectation level) Recommendation from teacher Recommendation from counselor Personal interviews – Many schools may not require them but strongly encourage them and/or provide the option for you to interview

7 P’s of the Application Portrait Program- curriculum Place- the context Performance Pattern Potential Participation Personality

The Ultimate Question What will you contribute to their campus?

Who should register with the clearinghouse? A student who plans to attend an NCAA Division I or II institution and who wishes to participate in intercollegiate athletics. – This also applies to walk-on’s

Upcoming Events College Night – September 13n(6:00 PM- 8:00 PM) Financial Aid Seminar – November College Kick Off – Spring: Tentative

Fall College Fair PSAT: October Register for SAT Reasoning, ACT, or/ and SAT Subject test for later in the the year Start planning your college visits – Day Trips Review PSAT results Extra effort on your Junior Grades… they are the last thing the college will see on your transcript!

Spring SAT/ ACT/ SAT Subject (if needed) AP Exams Senior Classes, Dual Credit, etc. Make Summer Plans (Enrichment Programs) Scholarship Search Plan College Visits Start Narrowing College Search

Naviance To Do List Update Personal Information Update and Follow Check List Update Resume College Search Assessments – Learning Style – Interest Inventory – Personality Assessment

NAVIANCE Family Connection connection.naviance.com/lovejoy - the URL address is on your card Research college options by region, cost, major, selectivity, etc. Check upcoming college rep visits View your SAT scores View status of transcript requests Research financial aid and scholarships

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