Junior Year: Fall Semester Class of 2016 Junior Year: Fall Semester

Goals At the conclusion of this presentation you will better understand: the post-secondary options available to your student the process for visiting a college campus the differences between the SAT and ACT as well as when to register for these tests factors involved in college admission decisions what is available to you and your students through Naviance how to conduct a college search through Naviance how to register for a college visit

Types of Higher Education Liberal Arts Colleges Universities Service Academies Technical Institutes and Professional Schools Community or Junior Colleges

Collin College Associates degrees offered through a wide variety of disciplines Benefits of attending Collin College: Lower costs for transferable coursework Relationships with local and regional 4-year institutions for transfer Transfer scholarship opportunities Opportunity for students to explore areas of interests

College Match… Things to Consider Look at your Institutional Options Look at Yourself: Determine your Interest and Goals Size Location Cost Admissions Requirements Private vs. Public Large vs. Small Special Programs Academic Career/Proposed Major Extracurricular Activities Social Preference Week 7: Handout College Preference Naviance: College Search Questionnaire Searching for and applying to colleges is a stressful process. Your students will find decisions easier to make if they have up-to-date and thorough information about the colleges they are considering- or ones they may not have considered. Emphasize to students that the first step in researching colleges is to examine their own interests, goals, and plans for the future. Direct students to Naviance, books, and college board Questions to open up discussion with students: What do you like about Lovejoy High School? What would you change if you could? How well do you anticipate that your high school will help you reach your goals? If you could choose your high school now, what would you look for? Things the students should be considering: Institution Size: will have an impact upon many of the students opportunities and experiences. The range of academic majors offered, the extracurricular possibilities, the amount of personal attention they will receive., and the number of books in the library will be influenced by size. Size: small, medium, or large Look at average class size for both freshman and upper classmen. Large schools may offer extensive support services for students. Location: Distance from home Also look at: urban, suburban, small town, rural, out of state, in state, north, south, east, west, midwest, or international Other things to consider: Public vs. Private, 2 year vs. 4 year, Single vs. coed, Liberal arts and sciences vs. comprehensive universities, Academic offerings, Majors, Faculty, especially in desired field, Academic skills enhancement Residential and social life, Student organizations and activities, Athletics and recreational sports (varsity, intramural, club), Community service organizations, Personal and career counseling Extracurricular activities, Personal attention, Diversity of student body, Religious affiliation Retention and Graduation Rates: 1 of the best ways to measure a school’s quality and the satisfaction of its students is to find out what percentage of students return after their first year and the percentage of students who actually graduate. A college with good retention and graduation rates often indicates that responsible academics, social and financial support systems exist for most students.

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 academic interests and abilities that will influence what I might study in college? Naviance has a learning style assessment that may be helpful… takes about 20 minutes to complete

Standardized Exams PSAT – national merit consideration SAT SAT Subject Exams ACT AP

National Merit Based on Junior year PSAT Commended Students: Notified September of senior year Semifinalists: Notified September of senior year Top ½ of 1% become semifinalist Finalists: February

ACT Basic Information www.actstudent.org Exam Date: December 13 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 2-12 www.actstudent.org Exam Date: December 13 Exam Date: February 07 Exam Date: April 18** Exam Date: June 13** ** Recommend taking in the Spring – depends on current courses National: Test Takers: 1.4 million Average Composite Score: 21.1 Texas Test Takers: 79,050 Average Composite Score 20.7 Average writing test score 7.7

Things to Remember about the ACT There is 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 www.collegeboard.com 3 hour and 45 minute college entrance exam Composed of 3 tests Critical Reading Mathematics Writing Skills Scores range 200-800 for each area www.collegeboard.com Exam Date: December 06 Exam Date: January 24 Exam Date: March 14** Exam Date: May 2** Exam Date: June 06** ** Recommend taking in the Spring – depends on current courses National: Test Takers: 1.49 million Average Scores: Critical Reading: 502 Math: 515 Writing: 494 Texas: Test Takers: 137,024 Critical Reading: 488 Math: 505 Writing: 480

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 0 points subtracted for incorrect student-produced response (math section) 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) Length 3 hours, 45 minutes 4 sections (English, Math, Reading, Science) Plus an optional writing test Structure 10 sections (3 Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing) Plus and experimental section Scoring Composite of 1-36 based on average scores from the 4 test sections Score Total score range of 600- 2400 based on adding scores from 3 sections No penalty for wrong answers Wrong Answer Penalty ¼ point subtracted from your raw score for each wrong answer (except for math grid-ins) You decide which score is sent Sending Score History Depends if you are enrolled in Score Choice (Some colleges require you to send all scores) Content Reading comprehension- 4 passages with 10 questions per passage Reading Short and long passages with questions. Sentence completion Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, and Trigonometry Math Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II Analysis, interpretation, evaluation, basic content, and problem solving Science Science not included Last thing (optional): 30 minutes Topic of importance to high school student Essay First thing 25: minutes Factored in to overall score; More abstract than ACT

SAT Subject Test 1 hour test that measures knowledge and skills in a particular subject and a student’s ability to apply the knowledge Scores range 200-800 Colleges may use these scores in several ways. Admissions purposes – check specific schools’ websites Award college course credit Help place students in the appropriate college courses

Key Parts of College Admissions High school courses/ grades (G.P.A.) Quality of courses, level of difficulty, trends/consistency of grades Rigor of courses Standardized test scores Extracurricular activities/ Your resume Includes academic awards/ honors, extracurricular activities, interest, jobs, community services and hobbies Application essays and/or personal statements 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

What will you contribute to their campus? 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 www.eligibilitycenter.org

Naviance connection.naviance.com/lovejoy Update Personal Information Update Resume College Search Assessments Learning Style Interest Inventory Personality Assessment EMAILS!!!!

Junior Home Page

Colleges Tab

Naviance Scattergrams blackout Reach – Target – Likely Schools

Target/Likely School University of Arkansas

Colleges on LHS Campus

Careers Tab

About Me Tab

Updating Your Resume

Fall College Fair – Sept. 10th 1PM – 3PM PSAT: October 15th Register early for SAT Reasoning, ACT, or/ and SAT Subject test for later in the the year Start planning your college visits Official visits through admissions offices Review PSAT results Extra effort on your Junior Grades… they are the last thing the college will see on your transcript!

Spring Spring College Fair - TBD 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