Transcript Anticipating College Planning

ANTICIPATING COLLEGE
PLANNING
May 7, 2013
William Morrison & Aliza Gilbert
Highland Park High School
Counseling Department
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Truth vs. Myth
Courses / GPA
Summer
Letters of Recommendation
College Entrance Testing
Naviance
Outside Resources
Calendars – Timelines
Truth vs. Myth
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“I heard no one got into an Ivy last year!”
- False, that would be a shock to the 13 students admitted to
one…
“I heard you now have to submit all of your test scores to
colleges.”
- False, only a few of the very highly selective colleges &
universities (Stanford, Yale, etc.) require all scores.
“I heard applying ED can improve your chances.”
- True/False, depends on the school but often easier by
numbers or selectivity
Truth vs. Myth
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“I don’t need to do an official college tour, colleges don’t
care about interest.”
-False, many colleges care greatly about interest, but
even if they don’t, you will have a much better
experience and learn more on an official tour.
“The earlier you apply, the better.”
-True/False; schools that admit on a rolling basis may
advantage an early application (i.e. by November);
deadline schools don’t give preferential treatment
Courses
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Junior year schedule
Senior year schedule
Honors vs. College Prep
Balance in coursework
Important Factors in Selecting Students
As reported by the National Association for College Admission
Counseling in their 2011 Trends in Admissions Survey
Factor
Grades in college prep courses
Strength of curriculum
Admission test scores (SAT, ACT)
Grades in all courses
Essay or writing sample
Student’s demonstrated interest
Class rank
Counselor recommendation
Teacher recommendation
Alt. Test scores (AP, IB)
Interview
Extracurricular activities
Portfolio
Subject Test scores
Considerable
83.4%
65.7
59.3
46.2
26.6
23.0
21.8
19.4
19.0
9.6
9.2
7.4
5.9
5.3
Moderate
12.3%
25.7
29.4
42.1
33.0
30.9
37.2
45.0
44.2
32.4
22.7
42.3
12.9
11.8
Limited
2.7%
4.7
7.0
10.2
22.9
26.6
25.9
23.1
24.5
32.6
33.0
35.1
32.9
24.9
No
1.6%
3.9
4.3
1.6
17.6
19.5
15.0
12.4
12.3
25.3
35.2
15.2
48.2
58.0
Graduation vs. College Admission Requirements
HPHS
Most Colleges
& Universities
Highly Selective
Schools
Community
Colleges
English
4 Years
4 Years
4 Years
4 Years
Math
3 Years
3-4 Years
4 Years
2 Years
Science
2 Year
3 Years
4 Years
1-2 Years
Soc. Science
2 Years
3 Years
4 Years
2 Years
Foreign Lang.
None
2 Years*
4 Years
None
Grade Point Averages (GPA)
Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA
GPA Distribution
Grade Point Average Distribution
Class of 2014
Highest
Median
Lowest
Weighted
4.72
3.33
.56
Unweighted
3.99
3.18
.56
For colleges that require additional information for scholarship
consideration, the weighted and unweighted grade point averages
for the top 10% and 25% are:
Top 10%
Top 25%
Weighted
4.31
3.86
Unweighted
3.77
3.54
Summer
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College Visits - Make sure visits are “official”; don’t
just self-tour, interest counts!
Summer school
Summer programs
Work
Be productive!
Letters of Recommendations
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You are going to need letters of recommendation
for college applications, use your junior year to
develop relationships.
-Teachers
-Counselors
-Activity sponsors, Coaches, etc.
College Entrance Testing
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ACT
SAT
SAT Subject Tests
Score reporting
ACT – www.act.org
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Total possible score is 36 (average of the 4 scores)
Optional writing test
Allows students to choose which test(s) to report
Given 6x per year plus Prairie State (April)
September and October are recommended for
seniors
December is recommended for juniors wanting to
review their answers to prepare for spring tests
(extra fee required)
February, April and June are recommended for
juniors
ACT Writing Test
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Optional Writing Test
Comprised of a 30 minute essay written from a
prompt
Students’ Writing Tests are available on-line for
colleges to review
Score Report includes a separate Writing score
AND English/Writing score
ACT Writing Test
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Writing score ranges from 2-12 and is based on 2
readers’ evaluations of the essay
Readers grade the essay on a 1-6 scale; sum of scores
creates the sub-score; English/Writing score uses a
formula that weights the English score 2/3 and Writing
score 1/3 for a combined score
The combined score is then reported on a 1-36 scale, it
is not included in the ACT Composite Score
Sample Score:
ENG MATH READ SCIR COMP E/W
25
26
28
26
26
27
SAT – www.collegeboard.org
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Writing section is not optional
Writing section uses an essay and multiple choice
questions to test standard English
Writing samples also available on-line for colleges to
review
Largely multiple choice questions; unlike the ACT
penalizes guessing
Total possible score is 2400 (800 per section)
Students now have the option of choosing which test(s)
to report (this includes Subject Tests) although some
colleges may require all
Given 7x per year
SAT Subject Tests
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One hour, content based exam, primarily multiple
choice
5 areas of subject tests: English, history, math, science,
language
Not required by all colleges
Typically students take 2 exams (1 is usually math) –
some schools still require 3
Tests such as US History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and
Math should be taken immediately after course is
completed
Used for admission and/or placement
Testing Reminders
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Practice ACT given by HPHS in October; free
practice ACT, utilize!
PSAT given on alternate day(practice SAT also used
as a qualifier for National Merit consideration)
Chemistry Subject Test the only one to worry about
now – May 22 deadline
Prairie State exam in April contains an ACT that is
valid for college admission purposes, but it does not
have the writing
PLAN/ACT STATISTICAL
REPORT
Report uses highest ACT attained for students
from the Class of 2012
PLAN as ACT Predictor
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98% of students scored within or above the ACT
range as predicted by PLAN
On average, students scored about 5 points higher
than the PLAN Composite score (remember that the
PLAN composite is out of 34, ACT is 36)
Multiple ACT tests
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Students taking test a second time in spring of junior
year +.8
National average = +1.0
Multiple ACT Tests
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Students taking first test prior to 2nd semester junior
year saw a +2.4 point disparity between first and
highest test score (as opposed to +0.8)
Multiple ACT Tests
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Students taking April National Exam and Prairie
State Exam back-to-back saw a +.5 increase in
their test score, as opposed to the overall average
of +.8
Highest Scores
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Highest scores seen in April
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Fall of senior year second
ACT vs SAT
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All colleges accept both
ACT can get you out of taking Subject Tests at some
highly selective colleges & universities
We recommend trying hand at both and focusing on
one with better results
Utilize practice exams/PSAT
Outside Services
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Start with us! HPHS offers myriad services and programs:
 assist with developing college list and assessing chances for
admission
 provide application and essay support
 offer mock interviews
 share financial aid and scholarship information; assist with FAFSA
completion
Know the background of the individual in regard to training and
experience in college counseling
Think about student/family needs versus services provided
Outside parties cannot communicate with colleges due to federal
privacy laws; are not versed in the HP curriculum
No one can get a student into college except the student him/herself
Calendars/Timelines
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Make good use of your summer-visit!
Review your four-year plan with your counselor
Map out a standardized testing calendar
Formal college counseling program begins in
November; individual appointments with college
counselors begin in February
Start utilizing Naviance
Naviance
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College search
College visits/contacts
College admissions
Scholarships
Contact Rob Becker for assistance
[email protected]
Thank you!
Questions?
[email protected]
[email protected]