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Post-High School Planning Liberty High School Class of 2015 Options after High School Four-year college Two-year college Trade/Technical school Hands on experience Job placement Military Free education (college and technical) Employment Double Check Your Graduation Requirements! Total of twenty-five (25) credits Including 4 credits senior year Four years of attendance after grade 8 Seventy five (75) service learning hours 55 hours by the end of this year Pass all of the HSA’s Algebra, English, Biology Check the letter you receive in June! Specific Graduation Requirements Academic Area English Social Studies Credits 4 3 Govt., U.S. Hist., World Hist. Science 3 Physics, Chemistry, Biology Mathematics 4 Algebra, Intermediate Alg, Geometry, Algebra II (unless you did a completer program- then you need 2 credits of Algebra and 1 credit of Geometry) Academic Area Fine Arts Technology Education Physical Education Health World Language (AND Algebra II) OR Advanced Technology (AND Algebra II) OR Completer Program Financial Literacy Credits 1 1 1 ½ 2 2 4–9 ½ College Planning: To Do During Your Junior Year Senior year courses should be rigorous. Keep your grades up. Although senior year courses (and sometimes quarter grades) appear on your transcript, this semester is the last to factor into your cumulative GPA before January 2015. Use websites to explore colleges, majors, and careers. Register with NCAA Clearinghouse and Service Academies (if applicable). Think about application essays and who to ask for letters of recommendation. Take the tests! SAT, SAT II (Subject Tests), ACT, ASVAB, AP SAT vs. ACT ACT SAT An achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. An aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities. 5 components: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. Tests more advanced math concepts- basic arithmetic, algebra I, II, geometry & trig. The ACT is scored based on the number of correct answers with no penalty for guessing. 3 components: Critical Reasoning, Mathematics, and a required Writing Test. Each section and composite score max is 36. National average is 20-21, a “good” score depends on the college. Each section max score is 800, 2400 total. National average is 1500, a “good” score depends on the college. Math through Algebra II. Stronger emphasis on vocabulary. The SAT has a correction for guessing. That is, they take off for wrong answers. How To Get More Information About Colleges Online Searches www.collegeboard.com Use your PSAT code for My College Quickstart www.getin2college.com (password protected, access from School Counseling section of LHS website or your Blue Handbook) College Visits & Open Houses (excused absence for 3 days with pre-approval) College Information Sessions at LHS during PAWSsign up in counseling office College Fairs- Carroll County college fair in October Montgomery County Ag Center, Thursday, April 10th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex, Friday, April 11th 9:30 am to 1:30 pm For more information and to view the most current list of participating colleges, go to http://www.nacacnet.org/college-fairs/SpringNCF/Pages/default.aspx Things to Consider When Looking at Colleges Size Small: under 3,000 Medium: 3,000 - 10,000 Large: 10,000 - 20,000 Largest: over 20,000 Location (city, state, distance from home) Public or Private Cost Majors offered Academic and Social Atmosphere Teacher to Student ratio Campus Setting Urban, Suburb, Rural What Colleges are Looking For Academic Record: GPA, class rank, consistency, improvement, difficulty of classes Testing: SAT, SAT II, ACT, AP Extracurricular Activities: Sports, clubs, leadership roles Letters of Recommendation: At least one person who has background knowledge of your academic ability Honors and Awards: Special recognition for skill or talent Essay/Personal Statement: How are you unique? The Common Application Essay topics are in the LHS April Newsletter. Interview: Personal presentation, questions to demonstrate knowledge of the college Starting Your College SearchKnow your GPA and SAT scores College Average GPA SAT range ACT range Applied/ Accepted (math and reading only) Frostburg 3.25 970-1070 18-22 3951/ 2340 James Madison 3.75 1050-1230 23-27 22,648/ 14,392 McDaniel 3.25 990-1220 20-27 3650/ 2283 Salisbury 3.59 1070-1230 22-26 8866/ 4676 St. Mary’s of MD 3.8 1110-1320 25-30 1985/ 1430 Stevenson 3.39 880-1090 19-24 5739/ 3267 Towson 3.61 990-1180 22-25 18,128/ 9462 UMBC 3.71 1130-1320 24-29 8514/ 5138 UMD- College Park 3.75 1190-1410 28-32 25,255/ 11,825 West Virginia 3.36 930-1140 21-26 16, 521/ 14,060 Is Community College Right for Me? Provides time to explore options and improve your GPA Offers significant cost savings Simple application process Begin a bachelor’s and prepare to transfer credits If your GPA is competitive, consider the Hill Scholar’s program at Carroll. Planning For Your Senior Year Get organized with your list of schools and what is necessary for applications and to track deadlines. Create a spreadsheet, whiteboard or dedicated notebook Internships – see Ms. Linfield ASAP (you must be working on a completer or career major to do an internship) Dual Enrollment – see your counselor ASAP FAQ on the LHS School Counseling Website Parent meeting required Senior Year Timeline Junior Year Spring/ Summer Visit Colleges Narrow your choices Finish your college essay/personal statement Look at applications and deadlines Schedule senior meeting with your counselor Fall Take SAT and/or ACT one last time Start sending out your applications (early deadlines begin in October) Request Official Transcripts from School Counseling Office Ask for Teacher/Counselor recommendations Keep your grades up. Colleges will still review quarter one and mid year grades. Need More Information? Upcoming Paws Sessions College search resources Career search resources Testing information : SAT v. ACT, SAT II, AP College Application Process Please sign up! During the senior year, we like to email students important information, such as upcoming college visits and college deadlines and scholarship information. We asked students to provide their or their parents’ email address. Questions? Counselors presented this information during Advisory. Students received a copy of The Get in 2 College Handbook. Counselors have or will be meeting individually with all juniors to discuss senior year and post secondary plans. Visit the LHS School Counseling Website We recommend having a senior meeting over the summer if you are looking at schools with early deadlines. We are also hoping to offer “summer bootcamp” sessions for more individualized application assistance.