1. Rising Junior Parent Career & College Night Searching for Your Next Path
Sherwood High School Student Services
Dr. Kathlyn Carroll Administrator
Ms. Karen Johnson School Counselor
Ms. Erin McKenna School Counselor

2. Agenda Preparing for Life after High School Post-Secondary Options
What Colleges Look For
Preparing for a Career & College – 11th Grade
SAT/ACT
College Visits
Naviance
Events Calendar
Course Registration Timeline
Questions

3. Preparing for Life after High School…
Educational options after high school - should be based on career goals, abilities, interests, and the amount of schooling desired.

4. Post-Secondary Options
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
4-year Colleges & Universities
2 year Colleges & Community Colleges
Technical & Professional Schools & Colleges
MILITARY
WORKFORCE
APPRENTICESHIP & INTERNSHIPS
Carefully monitored work experiences with intentional learning goals

5. What Colleges Look for Grades in College Prep/ Core Classes
Strength of Curriculum: Honors and AP level Courses
Overall Academic Record: Grades, GPA , WGPA
Admission Test Scores: SAT or ACT
Essay or Writing Sample
Counselor Recommendation
Teacher Recommendations
Demonstrated interest in the college
(ie: college visits, visits with admissions rep. in your area)
Extra Curricular Activities/ Community Service
Listed by level of importance, according to NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counseling)

6. Recommended College Prep Courses
English
Four years of English
Mathematics
Four years of mathematics, including rigorous courses in Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II
Natural Sciences
Three years of science, including rigorous courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
Social Studies
Three years of social studies
Additional Courses
Some colleges and universities require other classes as prerequisites for admission, such as two or more years of the same foreign language in high school or courses in the visual arts, music, theater, drama, dance, computer science, etc.
*Specific high school course requirements vary from institution to institution. Be sure to check with the schools you're interested in to see what they recommend or require.

7. Preparing for a Career & College What can I do now?
Keep up Grades
Plan your high school courses wisely
Do your courses match your post-secondary goals?
Are you signing up for advanced classes, honors sections, or accelerated sequences?
Are you choosing electives that really stretch your mind and promote your interests?
Adjust course selections from now until May
Review PSAT scores in College Board and practice with KhanAcademy
Take HSAs and PARCCs
Continue Extra-Curricular Activities and Service Learning
Use Naviance – June Counseling Lesson
Become familiar with general college entrance requirements
Attend Sherwood College Fair: April 4th

8. Preparing for a Career & College 11th grade – Fall/ Winter
Register and take the PSAT on October 11th
Research Potential Colleges/ Career Pathways
October Counseling Lesson – Naviance: College Search
Make a list of colleges that meet your most important criteria
Speak to college representatives who visit the Career Center
Continue Extra-Curricular Activities
work toward leadership positions
Athletes register with the NCAA Clearinghouse
Div. 1 or Div. 2 athletics in college

9. NCAA Eligibility www.eligibilitycenter.org Sophomore Year
Familiarize self with the NCAA Eligibility Standards
Junior Year - Fall
With your coach: Write an introductory letter about you. to colleges of your choice
Follow Up phone call to colleges of your choice
Take PSAT
Visit Career Center during College Visits
Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse’s Eligibility Center: Sherwood Website; Career Center/ Code: 9999
Junior Year - Winter/Spring
Take SAT - request scores be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse Eligibility Center
Meet with your counselor-send copy of your transcript to the eligibility center

10. NCAA Eligibility: Sliding Scale: GPA & SAT/ ACT Scores.
The higher one is the lower The other can be.
If the GPA is higher the SAT/ACT can be lower.
Core Classes determine the GPA.
English, Math. Science and Social Studies. WL
If the SAT/ACT score is higher the GPA can be lower.

11. Preparing for a Career & College 11th grade – Spring 2018
Individual Junior Meetings w/Counselor
Registration for Senior Year
Review Graduation Credits
Prepare and Register for College Admission Tests (SAT/ ACT)
Register for AP Exams
Classroom Junior Meetings w/ Counselors
Preparing for Post-secondary Plans
Review College Entrance Requirements
Visit Colleges – Take College Tours – Attend College Fairs
Begin writing college essays – work on writing skills

12. College and Career Readiness
School counselors and staff will work closely with students to determine the best assessment to take in Grade 11
*The College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act of 2013

13. College Entrance Exams
SAT
Scholastic Aptitude Test
ACT
American College Test

14. The NEW PSAT/SAT https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/
The College Board launched new and redesigned exams in the fall and spring 2016.
The redesigned PSAT™ 8/9 (for eighth- and ninth-graders) and the new PSAT/NMSQT (for 10th and 11th graders) was released in October 2015.
These exams work together as the SAT Suite of Assessments. 
Closely aligned to challenging classroom work, the suite will focus on the few things that evidence shows matter most for college and career readiness.
More directly aligned with curriculum taught in the classroom
Every exam in the SAT Suite of Assessments is scored using the same scale (1520 for PSAT and 1600 for SAT)
Four components: a Reading Test, a Writing and Language Test, a Math Test, and an Essay direct-writing task, which is optional.

15. Proposed 2017-2018 Test Dates SAT ACT August 26, 2017 October 7, 2017
November 4, 2017
December 2, 2017
March 10, 2018
May 5, 2018
June 2, 2018
ACT
September 9, 2017
October 28, 2017
December 9, 2017
February 10, 2018
April 14, 2018
June 9, 2018

16. Tips for College Visits
3 Pre-Approved Excused Absences for College Visits/ year
Always call to schedule a visit. Don’t just show up on campus!
Schedule college visits during weekdays while classes are in session so you can see what the campus and classes are like.
Consider an overnight visit if the college allows it.
Schedule a meeting with an Admissions Officer if possible!
Have a prepared list of questions to ask both the admissions officer as well as the tour guide/students you meet on campus.
Eat in the Dining Hall.
Send a thank you note to the admissions office no more than 48 hours after your visit
Call to schedule appts. At least three weeks in advance. Be sure to get directions and plan to arrive on campus at least 30 minutes prior to your interview. You should look around a little before going to your interview and/or tour.
Overnight visits may be part of a formal program or just a matter of asking. Make sure you find out which your college offers so that you don’t miss out on the opportunity.
Talk to students you see on campus. The usually are able to answer any questions you may have.

17. Start thinking today…
Important to begin thinking about next steps in life…
Think about pathway NOW…don’t wait until your senior year to begin the process.

18. Naviance Use the Naviance program to:
Career Interest Profiler – (all 10th graders completed)
a tool that can help you discover the types of work activities and careers that match your interests.
Research colleges – (June 10th grade lesson)
Compare GPA, SAT scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from Sherwood for students who have applied and been admitted in the past
Sign up for college visits –
Find out which colleges are visiting Sherwood and sign up to attend those sessions
Keep track of the process –
Build a resume, manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers
Request eDocuments (transcript, letters of recommendation) during your senior year

19. Naviance For your students to access Naviance…
User name: Student’s
Password: Student 6-digit ID #

20. Dates to remember… Sherwood HS College Fair –
Tuesday, April 4th, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Montgomery County College Fair at the
Montgomery County Fair Grounds
Wednesday, April 5th 6:30pm to 8:30pm
AP exams May 1st to May 12th
Counselor meetings with sophomores to begin College Search in June & continue with search and goal setting in the Fall

21. Registration for Courses 2017-18
Students & Parents enter course selections into PowerScheduler
January 30 – Signed Course Card due in Advisory. All requests should be entered into Powerscheduler
February – Counselors to meet with students to go over course selections
April – Course selections will be sent home for verification
May 25th – All Change Requests to Schedules
MUST BE Submitted

22. Rising Junior Career Lesson Searching for Your Next Path
Questions???