welcome ! junior post secondary planning. counseling department grade 9: mrs. keleher grade 10-12...
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WELCOME !Junior Post SecondaryPlanning
Counseling Department
Grade 9: Mrs. Keleher
Grade 10-12 Counselors: Mr. Peters– A-Cor Mr. Wry-Cos-Goo Dr. Bombara – Gop-K Mrs. Wlodarczyk –L-Ol Dr. LaRochelle – Om-Sa Ms. Brown-Quinn – Sc-Z
Director: Donna Shea
Counseling Secretaries: Margie Smith Kathy Rizzo
Career Center Coordinator:
Tammy Hewitt
Intern: Kim Jacques
Naviance
Our Platform for Delivering Post Secondary
Planning Tools / Information
•Student Accounts•Parent Accounts•Teacher Accounts
Potential College Admission Criteria
Grades/GPA/Quality of Courses Standardized test scores Essays Recommendations Secondary school profile Interviews (recommended/required) Special talents Contribution to diversity of student population Other factors dependent upon institution
WHERE DO WE START?
Determine which factors are most important (academics, environment, size, cost, location, activities offered)
Meet with your School Counselor
(review student profile, develop a strategy) Utilize College Search Engines/other resources VISIT SCHOOLS !!!!!!
MAKE A LIST OF SCHOOLS
Take into Account:
Academic & Financial Factors
INCLUDE:
MATCHSCHOOLS
SAFETYSCHOOLS
REACHSCHOOLS
TYPES OF COLLEGES
What “type” of education are you looking for?
Colleges/Universities
Liberal Arts/Professional Training
Public/Private
Military Schools/U.S. Service Academies
“Niche” Schools
Community Colleges
Technical Schools
How Important is College Admission Testing?
The Reality
Nearly all four year colleges require SAT or ACT Test scores
Why Do Colleges Use the SAT/ACT?
Because it’s a “common yardstick”, an objective assessment of academic abilities that are
important for college success
The Good News
Colleges do not accept or reject applicants solely on the basis of test scores
Most colleges use a combination of factors in their admissions decisions
There is an increasing number of SAT/ACT test-optional schools
What is the SAT Test?
The SAT Test is a three hour test(plus 50 mins. for essay[optional]), given seven times a year, that is used by most colleges and universities as one factor in their admissions decisions
The SAT Test is composed of three sections, an Evidence-based Reading section, a Math and an optional essay section.
Students have become familiar with the structure of the test by taking the PSAT
What is the ACT?
ACT is an acronym for American College Test This test is developed and administered by
the American College Testing program The ACT is accepted at all colleges in the U.S.,
yet is not as widely used in the Northeast
What are the SAT Subject Tests?
They are achievement tests, designed to measure your knowledge of specific subjects
College Board offers a variety of different SAT Subject Tests
Only required by some highly selective colleges
How Can Students Register?
Students can register ONLINE for both the SAT and the Subject Tests at:
www.collegeboard.org
Students can register online for the ACT at www.act.org
How can students prepare for these tests?
Generally, a student should take challenging academic courses, read a lot, and study.
Students should also familiarize themselves with test format, test-taking strategies, question types, and test directions
Juniors should commit to a study program
(e.g. SAT Prep Course , Khan Academy)
SAT School Day Test Recently passed State of
CT Legislation has made the SAT the statewide high school assessment.
Test will be given during school hours on Wednesday March 2, 2016.
Test will be free of charge.
All Grade 11 students are required to take the exam.
Scores can also be used for College admissions.
SAT TEST DATES
Test Date
March 5, 2016*
May 7, 2016*
June 4, 2016
*Testing available at SWHS
Subject test NOT available:
March 5, 2014
Registration Deadline
February 5, 2016
April 8, 2016
May 5, 2016
SWHS Junior Parent NightRedesigned SAT Prep Class Overview
Presenter: Zac Rosensohn
College Planning Partnerships
Welcome
Current SAT Scoring: Math (800 points)
Writing (800 points; includes Grammar/Essay)
Critical Reading (800 points)
Add them up and get a score out of 2400.
The Current SAT Scoring
400 1600
The Redesigned SAT Scoring
More data provides more accurate insight to a student's ability in individual subject areas, which is important when a student wants to study those or related areas during college.
For example, it didn't make sense to lump in grammar ability and writing ability into one score. Now, the Language Test will test ability to analyze writing for Grammar (Standard English Conventions) and Style (Expression of Ideas). The Essay will test the student's ability to write effectively.
Why the Scoring Changes?
Cross-Test Scores allow the SAT to test science and history/social studies ability without adding additional sections to the exam.
We expect that schools WILL use these scores to create a more comprehensive picture of a student’s ability!
Why the Scoring Changes?
Old SAT Reading rSAT ReadingWorth 1/3 of overall score (70 min. / 67 q.)
Worth 1/4 of overall score (65 min. / 52 q.)
Emphasis on challenging vocabulary (both in passages and in sentence completion format)
Emphasis on vocabulary in context (“whose specific meaning and rhetorical purpose are derived in large part through the context in which they are used”)
Generally requires students to interpret written text as literally as possible.
Requires students to show command of evidence, use reasoning and inference to draw conclusions
Requires students to be able to read and interpret tables, graphs, and figures.
What’s Changing in March?
Old SAT Math rSAT MathWorth 1/3 of overall score (70 min. / 54 q.)
Worth 1/2 of overall score (80 min. / 58 q.)
Heavy emphasis on “traditional” math – algebra, geometry, arithmetic
Heavy emphasis on “real-world” math – emphasis on relationships between quantities and data.
Questions are more theoretical (abstract concept applies to abstract problem)
Questions are more conceptual (abstract concept applied to real world problem)
Calculators always permissible No Calculator is permitted for one section
What’s Changing in March?
Old SAT Grammar rSAT LanguageWorth 1/3 of overall score (35 min. / 49 q.)
Worth 1/4 of overall score (35 min. / 44q.)
Most exercises test student ability to correct individual sentences.
All exercises are derived from passages taken from history, humanities, and science.
Nearly all exercises test structural errors with written sentences.
Still tests standard English conventions, but also tests student ability to effectively express ideas.
What’s Changing in March?
Old SAT Essay rSAT Essay25 Minutes 50 Minutes
Required. Worth a portion of the current grammar score.
Optional.Graded on a scale of 24 points.
Asked to read a prompt and respond with a persuasive essay.
Document based question. Asked to analyze an author’s argument.
What’s Changing in March?
The rSAT Essay
• Read a passage.• Explain how the author builds an argument to
persuade an audience.• Support their explanation with evidence from the
passage.• *Prior topic-specific knowledge is never tested.
Students Will:
rSAT Course @ SWHSClass Verbal Math
1 Single Passage ReadingHeart of Algebra (including Advanced Concepts & Geo)
2 Dual Passage Reading / LanguageQUIZ | Passport to Advanced Math 1 (including Advanced Concepts & Geo)
3 Single & Dual Passage Reading / Language
QUIZ | Problem Solving & Data 1 (including Advanced Concepts & Geo)
4 Reading TEST Essay
QUIZ | Passport to Advanced Math 2 (including Advanced Concepts & Geo)
5 Language TESTEssay TEST Problem Solving & Data 2 | FULL TEST
Course Overview
Financial Aid Resources
Information that can help as you begin your college search:
FAFSA FAFSA4caster CSS Profile (charge associated) Net Price Calculator
(netpricecalculator.collegeboard.org)
Net Price Calculator
Provide an estimate of 1 year of college Available on the Financial Aid pages of college
and university websites Benefits: early insight into price, information can
be used to start a conversation with admissions/financial aid.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
NCAA Learning disabilities/special learning needs Art/Music students Military Academies/ROTC
(*All require a student to begin the process early, during Junior year)
A Parent’s Perspective
Advice from a parent who has successfully navigated this process three times!
Mrs. Richard
Most Important Steps:
Begin to research and tour colleges (utilize February and April vacations)
Work on moving SAT scores Junior year. Have a clear plan that you feel your son/daughter will stick to.
Make a family appointment with your School Counselor (to individualize this process)
Keep the student in the driver’s seat!
Breakout Session Groups
If your child’s last name Please go to:
begins with:
A-Goo Back of Media Center
G-Ol Cafeteria
Om-Z Auditorium
PLEASE
COMPLETE EVALUATIONS
BEFORE LEAVING
Letters of Recommendation
4 Year Colleges usually require two Students should request letters from
Teachers / others with whom they have had a long-term, positive and personal relationship
Provide Author of letter with advanced notice, student resume (on Naviance) and a thank you note.
Letters are stored in Naviance by the teacher & sent with application materials
THE STUDENT RESUME
Required of all students, will be stored in Naviance
Students have been updating since 9th grade.
Valuable for requesting letters of recommendation
Valuable for counselor letter/evaluation Useful in completing college applications
SENIOR/PARENT BRAG SHEET• This is a tool that the counselors use
to help them write letters of recommendation.
• Senior & parent provide valuable information via the links to the Brag Sheets on the Naviance homepage. This information, along with a personal resume posted on Naviance, will help the counselor’s letter to be more personal.
• Can be completed at the end of the junior year.
• Content is only seen by the counselor.
Major Decisions
Before starting the college search process, a conversation with you son or daughter about potential majors and or careers they are considering may be a very worthwhile discussion.
Not all colleges have all majors. So, Major becomes a potential selection criteria.
Silence and a blank stare
Maybe a little research on what is required for a certain major or career could be fruitful
Informal interviews and job shadowing would also be helpful in learning about potential majors or careers.
There is no substitute for talking to people working full time in a particular career for gaining valuable decision making information.
Constructing the College List
Unfortunately, students are not born with an intrinsic yardstick to gauge the merits of different colleges. Constructing the college list is a process that evolves as students learn more about their post secondary options and themselves. What a student looks for in a college may very well change between Junior and Senior year.
COLLEGE VISITS
Start LocalLarge, small, public, privateTips on getting the most from a
college visit If you can not visit………
Factors Parents can use to differentiate colleges
Cost Average Financial Aid Awards What type of Academic Support
is available Caliber of the school’s Career
Services Average Debt upon graduation Employment rates for graduates
Evaluations
Please give us your honest feedback about tonight’s
information night!
We will see you at your son/daughter’s college
planning meeting!