Transcript Planning for Success - Legacy Christian Academy

Transitioning from Middle
School to High School
Words that describe High school
exciting
being overwhelmed
stressful
lots of great activities
finding my place
more homework
growing up
more responsibilities
Here are some things you can
you do to help your student
have the best possible, most
successful experience in high
school
Plan for success - physically
 Make sure that your student is in good
health – have their vision and hearing
checked along with a good physical exam
Plan for success – learning
readiness
If they have previously struggled in school in a particular
area you might consider tutoring or evaluation for learning
discrepancies and identifying any “gaps” in their learning
that need to be bridged (these services can be found
through Sylvan or Tanya Goldbeck)
Consider a summer reading or speed reading program
(Public library reading programs, St. Anne’s has hosted a
speed reading program for the last several years –this
program is designed for readers at all )
Plan for success organizationally
High school take more effort and organization than
middle school so:
help your student get organized at home – pen, pencils,
map colors, card stock, poster board, note book paper,
printer paper ...
help your student get their binders, locker and backpack
organized
help your student develop good study habits
make sure you and your student knows how to use Ren Web
High School
Plan for success – the high school
degree plan
- There are two 8th grade courses that count as high
school credit -foreign language, Algebra I
- You and your student should talk with Mrs.
Cregor to arrive at the best mix of classes to fulfill
their degree plan. Both of our degree plans are
college prep. Students who complete the required
number of honors and AP classes may graduate
with an Honors Diploma.
- Understand what honors and AP classes are, when
they can be taken, how they impact their GPA and
what they require from your student.
- Understand that ninth grade students tend to
over schedule and over commit to
extracurricular activities and academic
endeavors– help them choose wisely and keep in
mind all their other non-school activities
(church youth group, Scouts, dance, city league
sports …..).
-Each student is different so
their mix of
athletics
academics,
And other activities
will be different
Additionally, you need to encourage your
student to build a good grade base early on
so that they have “breathing room” later on
in their high school career.
Plan for success – an eye toward
college
College is four years away, but what your student does now will
have an impact on college admissions and scholarships
You should keep track of the following for college and
scholarship applications – keep track by year and by category
•Community service/volunteer hours (travel time counts as
part of the volunteer time) - you need a description of the
type of service done and the name and number or e-mail of
the person in charge.
Also keep track of:
•Work experience of any type – description of the
work done, the name of the company or person
worked for, the phone number, the address or email address
Also keep track of:
•Award/certification or recognition received in
or out of school –you will need the name of the
award, the reason it was given/earned, person
or institution giving the award, phone number
or e-mail address
•Classes taken
•GPA (un-weighted and weighted)
•Class rank and percentile/quartile
•Test scores (PSAT, then later SAT and ACT)
Plan for success – Standardized
Testing in High School
 Most colleges require a standardized test score to be
reported. We work to prepare your student to be
familiar with taking these tests and to help you
understand and track your student’s academic
progress.
PSAT and RediStep – The RediStep and PSAT are scaled
down versions of the SAT and are given each fall.
The RediStep will be given to the
middle school students starting next
year
The PSAT is given to the 9th-11th graders.
These test help prepare your student to take the SAT as
well as give you indicators of your student’s academic
standings based on national standards.
Please encourage your student to do their best on
these tests
PSAT/NMSQT scores are reported on a scale of 20 to 80.
In 2010
The national average score for tenth graders was
43 in Critical Reading,
44 in Mathematics, and
40 in Writing Skills”.
The national average score for eleventh graders was
47 in Critical Reading,
49 in Mathematics, and
45 in Writing Skills.
If you are unsure of what your student’s scores mean,
contact Mrs. Cregor
After you receive your student’s
PSAT scores:
 Read the score information and understand what your
student’s score means at each grade level
 Go to the following web address to get score information
 http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/
scores.html
Using their PSAT identification number your student
will be able to log into the College Board web site and
use their college prep tools
My College Quick Start/ My Roads
Scholarship
search
Interest
Inventory
College Search
and
Comparison
Vs.
Personality Profile
College Entrance Exams
The two test options are the SAT and the ACT
Information about each are available on their web
sites (see “Useful Web Sites”)
We recommend that students take these test in the
spring of their junior year and then again as
necessary to achieve the desired score (the goal is
to have testing completed and scores submitted by
December of their senior year)
After students take the PSAT they will receive the SAT
question of the Day from College Board if they have
supplied College Board with an e-mail address.
Your student can use these questions to help prepare
themselves for the next PSAT and the SAT
Have your student take the one semester SAT Prep
class as an elective their junior or senior year
Thank you for coming today.
Please let us know how else we
can help you help your student.
End of program for 8th graders
Choosing a College
In 2010 Legacy’s SAT scores were above the
state and national averages.
M+V+W1640 Legacy
M+V+W1509 National
M+V+W1467 State
* Legacy is an official ACT testing site.
Majors
Your student may not have a clue as to what they
want to major in when they get to college – That’s
okay; many students go to college undecided or
change majors after they are in college.
If your student does have an idea about a college
major, help them explore colleges that offer that
major.
College Choice
 There several things to do and consider when helping
your student choose a college.
Know that there are many good colleges, but finding
the one that meet the following criteria is important.
•Where do they (the student) feel they belong
•They will be spending four very important years of their lives at
college – do what you can to help them be good years
•What can you afford
•start planning now. Many colleges have scholarships and
financial aid available as well as coops and internships.odo
•Where does God want them to go
•The decision of where to send your student is a matter of much prayer.
Consider the natural gifting, talents and interest your
student has (academic, athletic, artistic, and other
skills) as well as their personality, comfort zone, and
outlook.
Then help them find a college that fits their unique
combination of attributes.
Consider what your student wants to do and help them
explore possibilities.
Ultimately they need to find a college with
a major that lead to a degree that
opens doors to a job they enjoy
and will allow them to be financially self- sufficient.
We suggest that students pick three
to five colleges that have their
intended major and that they would
like to attend. Then, you and your
student can explore these using the
college’s web site and making a
college visit.
The College Visit
The virtual visit:
Visit the web site of colleges your student is interested
in. Google the name of the college/university to find
their web page – if necessary add the state and city
along with the name of the school. (City College will
get lots of listings).
While on a college’s web site look
for the following information
What are the:
entrance requirements (GPA, rank, SAT/ACT score)
special entrance requirements for your
student’s major
deadlines for applications and fees
CLEP, AP or SAT subject tests credit policy
Cost involved (tuition, fees, books, room and
board, travel expenses, and personal expenses
The campus visit:
Campus visits can be made any time during high
school, but are most often done during the junior and
senior year.
Juniors are allowed two college days and seniors are
allowed three college days per school year. (See the
hand book for more details).
During the campus visit:
Go to the various departments your student is
interested in. This usually requires a scheduled
appointment. Some schools will schedule these for
you; others will require your student (or you) to
make an appointment . Some colleges let you
schedule appointments online.
Ask to meet with the department’s student
liaison (it may be a department head, faculty
member, secretary, or recruiter – just let them
know that your student is a perspective student).
Additionally, visit the dorms
And find out:
– where are they located,
- what condition are they in,
- what is the room/bathroom arrangement,
- do they have computer/internet access,
- how are the boys and girls housed,
- what are the visiting hours
- are students required to live on campus, if so,
for how long
And then visit the:
Cafeteria
Is it conveniently located
What are the hours of operation
What are the meal plan options
Are there other food options available
Recreation center or activity center
What types of equipment do they have
What activities are available
Chapel or faith based centers
Public colleges usually have faith based “houses” on or
near campus
(If there is not a chapel or faith “house”, then ask
about the location of nearby churches)
And when you visit ask about:
Academic help such as:
Free tutoring services or labs
Meeting with the professor who teaches the class
Other academic services
What student/extracurricular activities are
available
Service organizations/clubs
Academic organizations/clubs
Intramural sports organizations/clubs
Also visit the:
Bookstore
•What type of purchase plans do they have for text
books (rental and return, buy back)
•Do they have prepay purchase and bundle services
•What other supplies do they have
•What are the hours of operation
Library/resource center
Laundry facilities What types of media available
Coin or card operated What other types of services are available
What are the study room policies
Location
Restrooms
are they clean,
do they have unnecessary extras
Ask about
The size of the school (students enrolled at that campus)
The academic environment of the school
The reputation of the school (you might ask students
you meet why they are there)
Each school has its own policy about
which students are allowed to have cars
so be sure and ask about that too.
Consider also the location of the school •how easy is it to get them to and from school, what is the
cost involved in getting them to and from school
•How large/small is the town the school is located in – does
it have easily available grocery stores, shopping centers,
food places …
•How cold/warm does it get there
•Is your student mature enough to live away from home
DO NOT let your student choose a college based solely on:
It’s where their friends are going.
Because everyone in the family has gone there.
Location - Its as far away from home as they can get and
still be in the US.
They have a winning sports team.
It has the “cutest” coeds.
Scholarships
Scholarship search
- There are college scholarship opportunities available to
student at ALL levels of high school and with all types of
abilities, interest and uniqueness. Search for scholarships
using the following criteria:
By grade level (high school and college)
By gender
By family origin
By unusual/unique characteristics: height,
left-handed, eye color …
By academic/athletic ability
By GPA
By class rank
Additional search criteria
 By hobbies/interest
 By clubs/organizations/affiliations of student or family
 By religion/faith
 By military affiliation
 By volunteer work
 By college
 By major
 Family status or make up
 Survivors of …..
 Health conditions
Useful websites
Legacy is not responsible for the content or reliability of any of the
following websites.
Testing
PSAT:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/scores.html
SAT:
http://www.collegeboard.com/testing/
ACT home page:
http://www.act.org/
College/career Finder web sites
Private schools
www.privatecolleges.com
College and careers
www.careersandcolleges.com
www.bls.gov.oco
College finders
www.insidecollege.com
www.ucan-network.org
College rankings
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/colleges
Athletics
www.ncaa.org
www.eligibilitycenter.org
www.naia.org
Scholarship web sites and Financial Aid
Scams – If you have to pay for a service, it is probably a scam.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/scholarship/
index.shtml
http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/scams.phtml
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/scholarships-andaid/408.html
College Board
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/index.html
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
ACT
http://actstudent.org/finaid/index.html
FAFSA
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov
Other
www.findtuition.com
www.fastweb.com
http://studentaid.ed.gov
www.govloans.gov
Mixed Information
College Board:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/index.html?student
ACT planning for college:
http://actstudent.org/college/index.ht