The document provides guidance to students at Pikesville High School on developing a 4-year academic plan, getting involved in extracurricular activities, exploring college and career options, preparing for standardized tests, applying to colleges, and making the transition to college. It includes tips on balancing academics and other commitments, considering different college attributes, and managing the application process.

1. Pikesville High School

2.  http://youtu.be/C5BUZzkSV5A

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

15.  Tutors
 Tutoring companies
 Test prep books
 Software
 Apps
 QOTD emails and tweets
 READ nonfiction

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

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

38.  www.fafsa.gov
 www.scholarships.com
 www.fastweb.com
 Twitter: #campuschat #collegecash
 Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/aidscholarship/
 Livebinders:
http://www.livebinders.com/shelf/search?te
rms=scholarship&search%5Btype%5D=0&com
mit=Search

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!