1. Initial College Presentation

2. First and foremost are your course selections and grades. For universities that only look at numbers like our 23 California State Universities you need to have the right courses and grades to be admitted. o Grade Point AverageStrength of Transcript o ACT/SAT/AP scores

3. grade point average (GPA) Colleges determine GPA differently. UCs use 10th and 11th grades, other colleges use all (9th -12th) 7 semesters for regular admissions strength of course selection and curriculum This is determined by the courses a school offers on school profile and historical data shown in the Grade Distribution section

4. What tests and when? (PPSAT) Oct. (10 th grade) New PSAT version Oct. (11 th grade) New SAT version March, May (11 th grade) or Oct. Nov. (12 th grade) ACT April or June (11 th grade) AP May after AP classes 2 to 3 SAT Subject tests May, June, Oct.(Chinese) just after AP test and Pre-calculus in 10 th or 11 th is optimal time to take them. Standardized Test Scores

5.  Junior PSAT next October – National Merit Competition  SAT or ACT - Spring Junior year – Which should I take? AP Exams (May)  Verifies class grade  Earn college credit  Enter higher level courses in college  Avoid Math/English placement tests at college  Earn college admissions SAT Subject Exams ( Take 2 to 3 June junior year after AP exams)  Many selective colleges require 2 to 3  University of California - 2012 no longer required for admission – However they are still highly recommended especially for impacted majors  Earn college admissions

6.  Read test results  Look up missed questions  Visit the College Board’s quickstart and other online sites for test preparation  Devise a plan to improve skills and scores  Be consistent in your efforts (e.g. 15 to 30 minutes a couple times a week )

7. Your Scores Percentile If you are a junior, your scores are compared to those of other juniors. If you are a sophomore or younger student, your scores are compared to those of sophomores. Score You can see your projected SAT score online in My College QuickStart (www.collegeboard.org/quickstart).www.collegeboard.org/quickstart Score Range

8. See how you did on each skill. The same skills are tested on the SAT. Your Skills You can try hundreds of practice questions, organized by skill, online in My College QuickStart (www.collegeboard.org/quickstart).www.collegeboard.org/quickstart

9. Your Answers You will get your test book back with your PSAT/NMSQT results, so that you can review the questions. You can also review each test question in My College QuickStart.

10. What’s next? Use the access code on your report to log in to My College QuickStart, a personalized college and career planning kit. There you can: Search for colleges Get a personalized SAT study plan Take a personality test to find majors and careers that fit you www.collegeboard.org/quickstart Next Steps

11. My College QuickStart

12. My Online Score Report Projected SAT® score ranges State percentiles You can filter questions Questions and answer explanations

13. My College QuickStart My SAT Study Plan™ Personalized skills to improve SAT practice questions An official SAT practice test

14. My College QuickStart My Personality Personality test Description of your type Tips for success Majors and careers that might be a good fit for you

15. My College QuickStart My Majors & Career Matches Major you chose Related majors Related careers

16. My College QuickStart Log in to your personalized account at www.collegeboard.org/quickstart This will be your CollegeBoard account so make sure to save the username and password in a safe place.

17. Extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, community service, etc.) ◦ Special talents and awards Personal qualities, demographics, special circumstances Teacher and counselor recommendations Personal statement/essays, and if required Interview, portfolios, and/or auditions

18. Summer Enrichment and Opportunities to build up your extracurricular activities. Summer is a good time to take care of your service learning and community service hours. Both have haiku pages that list opportunities. You can find these links on the home page of Naviance and under the “Extras” tab on your Haiku school site.

24.  Work hard to get the best grades possible  Select appropriate 11 th grade courses (five classes)  Pathways College Counseling Class – junior/senior  Get involved in meaningful activities – clubs, sports, community service  Get familiar with the ACT and SAT exams  (CollegeBoard QuickStart and ACT.org sites)  Plan meaningful summer activities  Get a job and add $$ to your college savings account  Apply for scholarships and enter contests Visit your Counselor!