Juniors - Are You Ready?

CCHS Guidance Department

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DOING NOW?

Consider Future Career Options

In order to choose a career that’s going to be right for you, you need to consider: Your Abilities (What you are good at) Your Interests (What you like to do) Your Aptitudes (What you have natural

talent for) What’s Important to You (Money, work

environment, travel, job security, etc.)

Six Ways to Prepare for a Great Career

1. High School Career and Technology Programs

2. Four Year College3. Two-Year Community or Technical

College4. Career or Trade School5. Military6. Apprenticeship

Junior Year

Your junior year is when you should be:1. Taking college tests2. Making college visits3. Searching for scholarships

October 10/16/13 - PSAT/NMSQT 10/3/13 - ASVAB

March to June

If your are planning to attend a four year college, take the ACT and/or the SAT. To get information and to register for the ACT, go to www.actstudent.org. To get information and register for the SAT, go to www.collegeboard.org.

What Colleges are Looking For

Course Selection GPA SAT/ACT Scores Essay Extracurricular Activities Recommendation Letters Awards Independence

Course Selection Colleges want to

see what your interests are.

Did you take courses in high school that relate to what you will study in college?

Did you take the most rigorous courses offered?

GPA - Grade Point Average

Colleges will look at your GPA along with your course selection to determine how well you will perform in college.

The higher your GPA is the greater chance you have of getting accepted into the college of your choice.

SAT/ACT

Colleges use your SAT/ACT score(s) as a determining factor in whether or not you will be able to perform at the college level.

Essay

Write,write, write and get better at writing.

Colleges are interested in reading what you have to say.

Extracurricular Activities

Colleges want to know how you spend your time outside of school.

Are you able to handle the course load while participating in other activities?

Do you work well with groups?

Recommendation Letters

College admission counselors read those recommendation letters because they are interested in what others have to say about you.

Normally, your recommendation will be requested of your Guidance Counselor or by a teacher.

Awards

Colleges want to know what awards you have received for all of your hard earned efforts.

Keep a list of all of your accomplishments.

Keep a portfolio!

INDEPENDENCE!

Colleges believe that this should be student initiated, not parent initiated.

Parents should be informed, but this should be an independent process by the student.

Colleges want to know if the student is applying because they want to be there or are they applying because their parents want them there.

ACT/SAT What’s the Difference?

Test Length

ACT 3 hours, 25

minutes (including the 30-minute optional Writing Test

SAT 3 hours, 45

minutes

Test Structure

ACT 4 Test Sections (5

with the optional Writing Test): English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (Optional), Experimental Test (sometimes added and clearly labeled)

SAT 10 Sections: 3

Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing (Including the Essay), 1 Experimental (unscored but included as a regular section)

Reading

ACT Reading

Comprehension - 4 passages with 10 questions per passage.

SAT Reading

Comprehension - short and long passages with questions sentence completion

Math

ACT Arithmetic, algebra,

geometry, algebra II, and trigonometry

SAT Arithmetic, algebra,

geometry, and algebra II

Science

ACT Analysis Interpretation Evaluation, Basic Content Problem Solving

SAT Science is not

included

Essay

ACT Last thing you do

(optional): 30 minutes

Not included in composite score

Topic of importance to high school students

SAT First thing you do:

25 minutes Factored into

overall score More abstract topic

(vs.. ACT)

Scoring

ACT Composite score of

1 - 36, based on average score of 4 tests

4 scores of 1-36 for each test

Plus optional Writing Test Score of 0 - 12

SAT Total score of 600 -

2400, based on adding scores from 3 subjects

3 scores of 200 - 800 for each subject

Score of 0 - 12 for the Essay

Wrong Answer Penalty

ACT No penalty for

wrong answers.

SAT 1/4 point

subtracted for each wrong answer (except for Math Grid-In questions)

Sending Score History

ACT You decide which

score is sent

SAT Your entire score

history will be sent automatically.

New - Beginning with the class of 2010, you decide which score is sent.

Test Contact Information

ACT, Inc. 1-319-337-

1000 actstudent.or

g

SAT The College

Board 1-866-756-

7346 collegeboard.

org

Upcoming Test Dates

ACTReg. Deadline Test

Date9/27/13

10/26/1311/8/13

12/14/131/10/14 2/8/143/7/14

4/12/145/9/14

6/14/14

SATReg. Deadline Test

Date9/6/13

10/5/1310/3/123

11/2/13

11/8/13 12/7/13

12/27/13 1/25/14

2/7/14 3/8/144/4/14 5/3/14

5/9/14 6/7/14

Testing Fee Waivers

Students may qualify for a testing fee waiver if they receive free or reduced lunch.

Students may receive a total of 2 fee waivers.

(1 in the Junior Year and 1 in the Senior Year or 2 in the Senior Year)