Arlington 11th Grade Advisement

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION Counselors Graduation Requirements - Credits and Honor Points - Numeric Average - Senior Schedule - AP Dual Enrollment - GHSGT and PSAT - College Admission Standards - GPA - Researching colleges - Narrowing List of Colleges - Honor Code - SAT/ACT - Scholarships/Financial Aid - HOPE - NCAA - Junior Status Meeting

GRADUATION REQUIRMENTS Requirements Credits Language Arts 4 Mathematics Social Studies 3 Science Health/Personal Fitness 1 World Lang Students planning to enter/transfer into a 4 year college/university must take a minimum of two units of the same world language 2 4 Bible Fine Arts/Speech Electives Career Technical Course

CREDITS AND HONOR POINTS 17 credits earned by the start of the 2014/2015 school year If a student does not have 17 credits then the student is placed in an 11th grade homeroom and cannot attend any senior activities. Students can be promoted to 12th grade when proper credit is earned. Honor Points 5 additional points are added at the end of each semester to passing grades in honors, AP, and joint enrollment / college courses.

Numeric Averages Arlington calculates numeric averages by adding up all grades in classes and dividing by the total number of classes taken. The numeric average is on a 100 point scale i.e. 87 out of 100 All grades included in this calculation – failed grades, summer grades, online grades… Arlington adds 5 points to the final passing grade for each Honors, AP, and college course taken; shown on transcript

Grade Point Average GPA College GPA is different than the Arlington Numeric Average Student should contact college to find how they calculate GPA Most colleges use this scale: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0 Most colleges only consider academic courses (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language) Some colleges may give additional points for Honors, AP, and College courses Some colleges may take off the additional 7 points added for Honors, AP and college courses

Senior Sample Schedule Students should take 4-5 academic courses per semester Research classes carefully You must attend AP night if you are planning on taking any AP classes next year Semester English Math Economics Elective World Language or another elective World Language or another elective Science

College Admission Standards GPA – Typically average in academic core on a 4.0 scale (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Language) Course Selection (rigor; difficulty level) – Selective colleges are looking at the strength or rigor of your courses throughout high school, including your senior year. We highly recommend seniors take a minimum of 4 academics each semester. (For highly selective colleges, a minimum of 5 each semester) Test Scores (SAT and/or ACT) Class Rank – Based on overall numeric weighted average Extracurricular Activities – Leadership and participation in clubs, service and sports can be particularly important to competitive colleges

College Admission Standards College Application Essays – Required essays on the college application are important because they demonstrate your writing ability and give the college more information about you. Please seek advice when writing an essay and make sure to proofread for errors Letters of Recommendation – Request teacher recommendation three weeks before needed and counselor recommendation at least three weeks prior to the college’s deadline Resume – Contains academic info., honors & awards, extracurricular activities, work/volunteer experience, etc. Interviews

Focus/Target Your List Narrow your list of colleges – balance is key View the school profiles, and compare the admissions data to your own academic record and test scores. Dream/Reach school (less than 30% chance of admission) Your Academic Record/Test scores are below average For highly selective schools, your scores may meet or be above avg. Good Fit/Target school (30%-60% chance of admission) Your Academic Record/Test Scores are in line with average Safety school (greater than 60% chance of admission) Your Academic Record/Test Scores are above average You need one at least one safety school Highly selective school should never be considered safety

College Freshman Profile UGA Middle 50% GPA 3.77-4.05 Middle 50% SAT 1790-2060 Middle 50% ACT 27-32 Avg AP courses 4-6 GA State Middle 50% GPA 3.4 Middle 50% SAT 1106 Middle 50% ACT 24 GA Southern Average GPA 3.21 Middle 50% SAT 1115 Middle 50% ACT 23 GA. Tech. Middle 50% GPA 3.85-4.11 Middle 50% SAT 2000-2210 Middle 50% ACT 29-33 Avg AP courses 7.31 DOES NOT CONSIDER CLASS RANK Georgia Perimeter College Min Critical Reading SAT 480 Min ACT English 20 Min Math SAT 440 Min ACT Math 18 No deficiencies allowed in Math or English SAT or ACT not required, Compass test instead

College Entrance Exam SAT I College admission test that measures students’ mathematical ability, critical reading knowledge, and writing skill. SAT Subject Tests One-hour tests offered in subjects such as English, foreign language, science, history, and mathematics. Some colleges require the SAT II test(s) & students should check with each college to determine whether it is necessary to take the SAT II(s). American College Testing Program (ACT) College admission test which measures aptitude and skill in English, math, reading, natural sciences, and writing. Test Registration SAT www.collegeboard.com ACT www.act.org High School Code 110125

SAT versus ACT Type of Test SAT Test of critical thinking and problem solving ACT Content-based test Test Dates Nov 2 Dec 7 Jan 25 Mar 8 May 3 June 7 October 26 December 14 February 8 April 12 June 14 Score 600 to 2400 1 to 36 Penalty for wrong answers Yes No Structure Critical Reading Math (through Algebra 2) Writing English Math (through trigonometry) Reading Science Reasoning Writing (Optional)

Test of critical thinking and problem solving ACT Content-based test Type of Test SAT Test of critical thinking and problem solving ACT Content-based test Test Dates Nov 2 Dec 7 Jan 25 Mar 8 May 3 June 7 October 26 December 14 February 8 April 12 June 14 Score 600 to 2400 1 to 36 Penalty for wrong answers Yes No Structure Critical Reading Math (through Algebra 2) Writing English Math (through trigonometry) Reading Science Reasoning Writing (Optional)

HOPE A 3.0 GPA is required by averaging core coursework, including failing grades, on a 4.0 scale Core Courses Conversion English A=90-100- 4.00pts Math B =80-89-3.00 pts Science C=70-79-2.00 pts Social Science D=62-65-1.00 pts World Language F=64-0- 0 no pts. Honors points are removed and a 0.50 weighting is added back in for AP/Dual not to exceed 4.0 Middle school courses/credits are not calculated in the HOPE GPA All calculations are done by the Georgia Student Finance Commission