Getting Ready for College

What do colleges look for?

• Standardized tests-

-SAT, ACT, Accuplacer (for M.C.)

-Colleges accept both SAT and ACT

• Which test is best for your child?

-Depends on many factors

• When to take the test?

-Between Jan. of junior year to early fall of

senior year

What do colleges look for?

• Counselor and/or teacher recommendations

• Transcript- What courses are you taking?

• GPA and WGPA (difference)

• Senior grades are very important

- Mid year report

What do colleges look for?

• Extracurricular activities

• Application essay

- Senior year assistance

What students need to look for?

• What location am I looking for? East, West, North, South

• What size school do I want?

• How much can we afford?

-Many students are not aware of this

What students need to look for?

• What are my chances of getting admitted?

-Naviance assistance

• Does the college have my major?

-Naviance assistance

Admissions

• Regular Admission

-Due date/ decision in early spring

• Rolling Admission

-Apply at any time; decision rolling also

• Early Decision

-Early due date/ admit and withdraw apps

• Early Action

-Optional early application due date

Where can you get information about colleges?

• Internet

• Career Center

-Mr. Martin 301-253-7045

• Naviance

-Our college tracking program

• College Visits

-Within DHS and visiting schools

What do look for when you visit a college?

• What is the graduation rate?

-Drop out rate and graduate in 4 years

• How many students are in a class?

-Class sizes for freshmen

• How easy is it to get courses in my major?

-Admission requirements for the major

What do look for when you visit a college?

• Do classes have a waiting list?

-How often are necessary classes offered

• What academic supports do they offer?

-Students with I.E.P. or 504 Plan

• How long does it take to travel there?

-Cost and convience of traveling there

Housing

• How big are the rooms?

• How many students share a room and/or bathroom?

• How much storage is available?

• Where is food service located?

Housing

• Sample the food.

• Where are the laundry facilities?

• How safe is the campus?

Transportation

• Does the school offer bus service?

• Can students have their own cars on campus?

• How much is parking?

• What facilities are available to students? Fitness center, pool

• Are there many jobs for students?

Every Year

• Take rigorous courses- get good grades

• Get involved in extracurricular activities

• Talk to your school counselor about your

plans

What can students do to prepare for college?

• Take the PSAT- October- free

• Take the Bridges Interest Survey- conducted by counselors in December

In Grade 10

• Take college test prep course- offered by DHS or others- either semester 1 or semester 2

• Take the PSAT – October ($13 fee)

• Attend College Fairs- October, April

In grade 11

• Take the Mock ACT- November- offered by DHS- free

• College Search- Naviance- offered by DHS in classes in early spring

• Meet with counselors individually on testing recommendations in late fall

In grade 11

• Take either SAT or ACT- for 1st time

• Sign up for visits by college representatives at DHS (through Naviance)

• Visit DHS Career Center for individual support (available now for appointments)

In grade 11

• Visit colleges

• Narrow down your choices

• Start applications process

• Meet with your counselor for assistance

Summer prior to grade 12

• Review of college application process in first week of school

• Participate in SAT/ACT review sessions offered by DHS

• Continue to visit colleges

• Complete college applications

• Attend College Financial Aid Workshop- offered at DHS- early January

In Grade 12

What Can Parents Do?

• Frequently discuss your child’s college plans

• Keep an eye on their grades

• Be actively involved in their course selections

• Encourage them to take AP courses

• Don’t let them take the easy way out

Schedule Considerations

• Internships -Need 3.0 G.P.A.• Taking college courses at DHS or at MC -3.0 Junior/ 2.75 Senior G.P.A.

requirement

•College Tests

Which Test Should a Student Take?Which Test Should a Student Take?

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ACCUPLACERACCUPLACERSATSAT

ACTACT

What Should We Know about What Should We Know about SAT, ACT, and ACCUPLACER?SAT, ACT, and ACCUPLACER?

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SATACT

ACCUPLACER

College Application Tests College Placement Test

ACT and SAT

1. Content based on nation-wide HS curriculum survey

• ACT “measures academic achievement in the areas of English, mathematics, reading, and science.”

• SAT “measures critical reading, writing, and mathematical reasoning skills.”

ACT and SAT

2. Highest Score is 36

• ACT– One point for every

correct item– Each section converted to

a 36-point scale– Average of scale scores

make up the composite score (out of 36)

– Essay reported separately from composite score

• English/Writing Score• Writing Score (out of 12)

ACT

ACT and SAT

3. 10 sections • ACT – 4 sections– English, Math, Reading,

Science Reasoning

• SAT – 10 sections– Critical Reading (3),

Writing (3), Math (3), Experimental (1)

SAT

ACT vs. SAT

Sample English Question

and

Sample Math Question

ACT: English Example

“A Microscope in the Kitchen”

I grew up with buckets, shovels, and nets waiting by the back door; 1

hip-waders hanging in the closet; tide table charts covering the refrigerator door; and a microscope was sitting on

2

the kitchen table….

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. waiting, by the back door,

C. waiting by the back door,

D. waiting by the back door

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. would sit

H. sitting

J. sat

SAT: English ExampleNote: this is just an excerpt from a 3 paragraph passage.

(1) Many times art history courses focus on the great “masters,” ignoring those women who should have achieved fame. (2) Often women artists like Mary Cassatt have worked in the shadows of their male contemporaries. (3) They have rarely received much attention during their lifetimes….

In context, which is the best revision to the underlined portion of sentence 3?(A)In fact, they had(B)Too bad these artists have(C)As a result, these women have(D)In spite of this, women artists(E)Often it is the case that the former have

ACT: Math Example

• When x = 3 and y = 5, by how much does the value of 3x2 – 2y exceed the value of 2x2 – 3y ?

A.  4B.14C.16D.20E.50

SAT: Math Example

• The projected sales volume of a video game cartridge is given by the function s(p) = 3000

2p+a

where s is the number of cartridges sold, in thousands; p is the price per cartridge, in dollars; and a is a constant. If according to the projections, cartridges are sold at per cartridge, how many cartridges will be sold at per cartridge?

(A) 20,000 (B) 50,000 (C) 60,000 (D) 150,000 (E) 200,000

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PSAT-Oct- grade 10 & 11Mock ACT- Nov.- grade 11

.

Which testWhich test

36

is best suited for your studentor

your student do better on

Test PreparationTest Preparation

37

College Test Prep CourseTriumph

Pull out sessions

Test PreparationTest Preparation

38

College Test Prep Course-semester course offered by DHS

or outside test preparation programKaplan or Montgomery College

Test PreparationTest Preparation

39

Triumph –A computer based practice program

that students can access free of charge.

Test PreparationTest Preparation

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Pull out sessions-

1 week prior to the ACT or SAT, DHS provides direct instruction to

students who are signed up for a test.

Stop