3. Make a four-year plan of classes that
interest and challenge you, so that you
have a worthwhile high school
experience.
Get involved with extracurricular
activities in which you have a genuine
interest and are able to make the
necessary time commitment
Look into different volunteer
opportunities and choose to participate in
the ones that interest you.
4. Seek to balance academic rigor with the
value of strong grades in grade 10
Consider SAT Subject test in Biology and - if
proficient - Hebrew
Finish service learning requirement
Continue service projects and establish
autonomy and independence in your
service, thinking ahead to scholarship
applications
5. Honors vs. GT vs. AP
Depth and breadth
Analysis and Application
Quality Points and class rank
Think about the time commitment
Seek BALANCE in your life
School may be the most important thing, but it is
not the ONLY thing.
It is not natural to make decisions in high school
that theoretically lead you to a goal.
Do your best in high school in order to have
choices.
6. Ifyou haven’t already, start looking at
different colleges online and in other
resources.
www.collegeweeklive.com
Use Twitter to follow colleges, advisors, and
hashtags
Attend a college fair
Re-evaluate your high school course selection
to make sure it meets college requirements
Take the PSAT in October
7. Measures critical thinking skills
Critical Reading, Math, Writing Skills
20-80
National Merit in 11th grade
AP Potential
PSAT Extra / My College Quickstart
8. Seriously consider the balance of rigor and
academic success for junior year
AP is good. ALL AP is not necessarily all good.
Attend college fairs
Consider SAT Subject tests in World
History, Chemistry, and – if applicable –
Spanish
Seek leadership positions in student
organizations – or create your own!
9. U of
Baltimore URBAN Temple U
Johns Hopkins
Howard U
MEDIUM
Goucher U of Maryland
Notre Dame of MD UMBC U of Delaware
SMALL Morgan State LARGE
SUBURBAN
Frostburg State
Hood College Salisbury U Penn State
McDaniel College RURAL
UMES
10. Take the PSAT in October
Visit College fairs
Take SAT Listening subject test in November
Start preparing for the SAT and ACT
Develop a list of colleges and begin
researching
11. Register for and take the SAT and ACT when
you are ready.
Begin narrowing your college list and start
visiting campuses
If you plan on playing Division I or II
sports, register @
www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
Make an appointment with your School
Counselor to discuss your college search
Ask 2-3 teachers for letters of
recommendation
Take SAT Subject Tests in May or June
12. Both the SAT and the ACT accept fee waivers
for eligible students. See your school
counselor individually for details.
Both the SAT and ACT are accepted by
colleges across the USA.
Your test score is not as significant as your
GPA and level of academic rigor.
Both provide accommodations for students
with disabilities, but have different
processes for approval.
TOEFL
13. 10 sections 4 sections
Critical Reading, Math, English, Math, Science, Re
Writing Skills ading, and optional
Writing
7:45-12:30 7:45-12:00, or 7:45-12:45
7 dates each year 6 dates each year
Math includes algebra 2 Math includes 4
and geometry trigonometry questions
The SAT The ACT
14. Lose points for It is safe to
incorrect answers – guess, because you
don’t guess don’t lose points.
Reasoning and
Directly related to
Problem-solving
curriculum
Norm-referenced
scoring Criterion-referenced
scoring
0-36 on each test
200-800 on each test
500 is average 21 is average
The SAT The ACT
16. Four scores for free at registration
Approx $10 per recipient after the test
Score Choice
Super-scoring
ACT vs. SAT
17. Location
Distance from home & surrounding community
Size: of campus, student body, and
community
Competitiveness (Average grades & SATs)
Extra-curricular opportunities
Racial/Ethnic/Religious composition
Athletics
Cost – “net price calculator”
18. Teaching-oriented Research-oriented
Smaller classes Larger classes
Privately funded More likely public
Scholarships depend Less generous with
on merit and need scholarship
19. 4.0
36
2400
Valedictorian
State champion in _____
Musical virtuoso
Son of a senator
Hollywood starlet
9% of those students are admitted
20. Register in advance on their websites
Go on tours
“Demonstrated interest”
Eat in the dorms
Ask to sit in on classes
21. Transportation:
Is there a college bus service?
Can students have cars on campus?
Employment:
Are there many jobs for students on campus?
What kind of jobs are available locally for
students?
Does the college help students find paid
internships or externships?
Majors:
Industry accreditation
Academic common market
22. Safety:
How safe is the campus? Where can I find
crime statistics for the campus and area?
Are the residence halls locked? Who has access
to them?
Social Life:
What clubs, volunteer groups, and other
extracurricular activities are available?
What are weekends like on campus?
Where do students socialize on campus? Off
campus?
23. Housing:
Are students guaranteed housing on campus the first
year? Is housing also guaranteed after the first year?
What percentage of undergraduate students live off
campus?
Is there a service that helps commuters find housing?
Do student rooms have wi fi access? Telephones?
24. Internet
www.collegeboard.org
www.collegeweeklive.com
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
College websites
Books
College Fairs
College Visits
Representative Visits (Senior Year)
25. October 28 – JCC College Fair
October 29 and 30
Baltimore Convention Center
February 7, 2013
Pikesville High School, 5pm-6:30pm
College Admissions Workshop starts at 6:30.
More than 50 colleges are invited
March, 2013
CCBC Catonsville, 6pm-8pm
Over 100 colleges will be represented
Bring labels with your contact information!
26. Arrange a time on the school’s website or by
calling admissions
Try to visit when classes are in session
Students are allowed 2 college visit days
junior year, and 3 college visit days senior
year
27. What are the most popular majors?
What percentage of first-year students
return to this college for their second year of
college?
What is the graduation rate? What is the
average amount of time it takes to graduate?
What is the average size of a general
education course?
28. Be aware of your admissions options
Accentuate your strengths
Be aware of your limitations
Grades & coursework come FIRST
Test scores usually come SECOND
Essays are read
Recommendations count, though not as much
as grades
Extra-curricular activities – colleges are
building a well-rounded class, not necessarily
looking for well-rounded applicants
Marginal applicants need every possible edge
29.
30. Rolling Admission- A decision is made on
your application almost immediately. You will
learn of the decision typically 4-6 weeks
after your application is complete.
Many colleges will have a set deadline date
and then in the spring set a notification
date, where they will notify all candidates of
their decision.
31. Early Decision- A plan in which students
apply in November or December and learn of
the admission decision in December or
January. This is often binding and other
applications are required to be withdrawn.
Early Action- Differs from early decision in
that students are not required to accept
admission or withdraw other applications if
accepted.
32. Early Admission- A program in which a
college allows high school students to
enroll before they graduate from high
school as a full-time student.
Concurrent Enrollment- Some colleges
will allow currently enrolled high school
students to take a course or courses at
the college (part-time).
Open Admissions- A policy which allows
almost all applicants to be accepted.
33. Midyear Admissions- An option some colleges
offer, allowing students to start classes in the
second semester, rather than in the fall.
Summer Admissions- A program that the
college recommends where the student
would begin course work in the summer
rather than in the fall.
Transfer Admissions- After accumulating a
set number of credits, colleges evaluate your
application based on your GPA in those
courses
34. Identify your 6-12 colleges:
Reach schools
Comfort schools
Safe schools
Apply on-line or on paper
Ask teachers and other adults for
recommendations early
Wait until orientation at the beginning of next
year before you submit anything
If there is any chance you’re applying to a 4-year
college, you should have taken either the SAT or
ACT no later than October of your senior year.
Keep a system to manage ALL of your
information during this process.
35. Visitany remaining colleges that you are
interested in
Research scholarship opportunities
Begin writing essays
Narrow (or grow) your list to about 10
schools
If you registered with the NCAA, send your
transcripts
36. Retake the ACT/SAT, if necessary
Continue to take a full course load of
college-prep courses
Decide on your final list of colleges and
apply
Write thank you notes to those who wrote
letters for you
Arrange for admissions interviews, if
necessary
Compile financial data for the FAFSA
37. Fillout the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), not prior to January 1
www.fafsa.ed.gov
Follow up with colleges to make sure they
have received all application
forms, transcripts and letters of
recommendation
Financial Aid Information Night
December 6
39. The College Solution by Lynn O’Shaughnessy
College Admissions for the 21st Century by
Robert Sternberg
Colleges That Change Lives by Loren Pope
College Bound and Gagged by Nancy Berk
40. GOOD LUCK!! REMEMBER TO MAKE
APPOINTMENTS WITH YOUR SCHOOL
COUNSELOR THROUGHOUT THE
PROCESS!