Special Junior Issue • January 2013
As you approach the mid point of your junior year of high school it is important to realize that next semester, your sixth, will be the last entry on your transcript when you apply to colleges next fall. Next semester becomes a very important time of planning and preparation for life after high school. Here are a few suggestions to help you use your sixth semester wisely.
• Stay focused on your academics, prepare well for your exams, and make your 6th semester your best.
• Plan your senior course work carefully. Be sure your senior schedule reflects the same level of
college preparation as your previous three years.
• Plan your college-testing calendar. Be sure to develop a plan to prepare thoroughly for the tests.
• Develop a profile of the kind of colleges that will fit you best.
• Perform a number of college searches using your profile to identify schools that fit.
• Keep a list of schools that fit. Visit those schools that you are confident that you will apply to.
• Most importantly, make an appointment with your counselor to discuss your plans.
Military Options
• MilitaryAcademies - If you are interested in applying to one of the academies, the process begins during the spring of your junior year. Students are encouraged to write, call, or go on-line for information regarding the admissions process at the academies.
.
United States Naval Academy
Phone: 1-410-293-4361
United States Military Academy
Phone: 1-845-938-5760
United States Coast Guard
Phone: 1-860-444-8500
United States Air Force Academy
Phone: 1-719-333-2520
United States Merchant Marine Academy
Phone: 1-516-773-5391
• ROTC Programs & Scholarships - Now is also the time to apply for these programs. The ROTC Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis. They pay for college tuition, all required fees and most books. They also provide a stipend per month while attending college. For more information and an application call the following: ARMY ROTC 422-6075, AIR FORCE ROTC (1-205 -293-7783 or locally 292-5411), NAVY ROTC (1-800-327-NAVY or locally 693-3082).
• Regular Service - Listed below are the names and phone numbers of the various service recruiters that are assigned to Dublin Jerome High School.
Air ForceMS Marcus Hughley878-8550
Air National GuardMSgt Lawrence Wright492-3790
ArmySsG. Roderic Keller766-0272
Army Ohio National GuardSGT Cheri Higgins246-1503
MarinesSSgt Dillon Hopper408-0086
NavyAM2 Ryan Allchin932-0763
United States Coast GuardPetty Officer Scott Duncan431-0270
College Planning Timeline
6th Semester of High School is Time to Get Serious
Winter
√Continue to challenge yourself in the classroom. Remember when you apply to
colleges next fall you will be submitting a 6th semester transcript.
√Carefully plan your course selections for senior year. Continue to take challenging college prep classes that compliment your academic profile.
√Spend some reflective time carefully considering your reasons for wanting to
attend college.
√Initiate a discussion with your parents about the college search and selection
process. This process is best viewed as a team effort that should include you,
your parents, and your school counselor.
√Create a profile of the kind of school that you believe would best fit you. Rank order the criteria (size, location, majors, housing, activities, cost, etc.) in order of importance to you.
√Begin a list of schools that you believe match your college profile. Remember fit is
everything.
√Identify all available human resources, web sites, publications, etc. that can assist you in researching schools of interest.
√Plan your college-testing calendar. Register for the ACT, SAT I, and, depending on
the college you are considering, perhaps the SAT subject tests.
√Use your PLAN and PSAT results to begin preparing for the admissions tests.
√If you are interested in one of the military academies, talk to your counselor about
starting the application process.
√Meet with your high school counselor to discuss your post high school plans.
Spring
√Continue to research and refine your list of prospective colleges. Your list should
include schools where you are confident that you can be admitted, but don’t
hesitate to include schools that may be a stretch.
√Start early and work hard at identifying scholarship resources. Investigate
scholarship opportunities at the colleges on your list.
√Continue to be involved in extracurricular and service activities. Look for opportunities to develop leadership skills. Colleges look for consistency and depth of involvement.
√Create a resume.
√Plan to visit colleges this spring. Be sure to schedule an interview with an admissions representative when you visit campuses. (note Dublin City Schools College Visitation policy in your Student Handbook.)
√Consider applying for on-campus summer academic or enrichment programs.
√Consider whom you will ask to write your recommendations. Think about asking
teachers who know you well. Letters from a coach, activity leader, or an adult who knows you well outside of school are also valuable.
Summer
√Continue to visit colleges and universities.
√Narrow your list down to those schools to which you plan to apply.
√Complete the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse form if you hope to play Division I or II sports.
Questions Commonly Asked About College Testing
When do I take the SAT/ACT?
College bound students are advised to take these tests during the second semester of their junior year. If students feel the need to retest they should do so late in the junior year or in the fall of their senior year.
How do I sign up for the SAT or ACT? Most students register for these tests online (SAT and ACT A limited number of paper registration packets for the ACT and SAT are available in the guidance office.
How do colleges receive my test scores?A student may request on the test registration form that his/her test results be forwarded to 4 colleges. Additional fees are charged for sending scores to more than 4 colleges. For an additional fee, students may wait and forward their test scores at the time of application.
Should I take these tests more than once? This depends on the student. If the student did not prepare for the tests and feels the results are not an accurate reflection of their academic achievement, or was excessively fatigued, emotionally upset, or sick, it may be wise to retake the exams.
Which test should I take, the SAT or ACT? All colleges will accept scores from either test. However, a few schools do in fact express a preference for one of the tests.
Should I register for the Optional ACT Writing Test? Yes. The ACT Writing Test complements the English Test. The combined information from both tests tells post secondary institutions about students' understanding of standard written English and their ability to produce a direct sample of writing. Most colleges require that you take the writing portion of the test.
If a student takes both the ACT and SAT and/or re-takes either/both tests, how do colleges
decide which scores to use?
Admission practices do vary significantly regarding test scores, so students should always check with the admission office at the individual colleges/universities to find out how they handle multiple test results. Generally speaking, most colleges use the student’s highest score from any and all test administrations. However, some colleges average scores, while others use the highest sub scores to generate a new highest “meta” composite score.
Do I have to take the SAT Subject Tests? The SAT Subject tests are one-hour tests that measure knowledge in specific areas (biology, French, math, etc.). Some selective colleges require or recommend that applicants take these tests for admission and/or placement. Check the admission information for the colleges that you are planning to apply to in order to determine if you need to register for these tests.
How do colleges use ACT and SAT scores? Most colleges and universities use the scores, along with high school records, for admission decisions. While some schools use the results for placement in the appropriate level of classes at the universities.
* Dublin City Schools offers FREE test preparation sessions to any Dublin student signed up for an ACT and/or SAT.
What’s a ‘good’ score?
These are averages for students in the incoming classes. Keep in mind that these are by no means the only criteria that colleges use for admissions.
*Remember to have your test scores sent directly from the testing agency to the schools of your choice. Dublin City Schools does not release test scores.
SAT / ACTScale of 600-2400 / Scale of 1-36
(2011) National Average - 1500 / (2011) National Average - 21
(2011) State Average - 1606 / (2011) State Average - 22
(2011) Dublin School District - 1694 / (2011) Dublin School District - 25
* SAT Subject Tests *
1-hour multiple-choice exams that focus on individual subjects. They are very important at University of California schools and of significance to elite private colleges. Check with the colleges you are applying to see if it is a requirement and which subject test is recommended. Each Subject Test is scored on a 200-800 scale.
* REMEMBER College Admittance is more than Test Scores!
- Colleges look at GPA, Course Selection/Rigor and Test Scores as top three criteria
- Top tier schools frequently turn away students who earn perfect SAT and/or ACT scores. What else do you have to offer?
- Leadership, community service, student essays and extracurricular activities are all evaluated!
College Internet Resources
Comprehensive Guides
- Naviance/Family Connection:
User Name: 14last name_first name Password: Student ID Number
• Embark provides data on careers, colleges, vocational/technical schools, scholarships and much more.
• Peterson’s Education Center gives campus news, advice on writing essays and database of schools and financial aid.
• Kaplan has a wealth of educational and career resources.
• The Princeton Review is a good search engine with a wide array of information on academics, athletics, student life, housing, etc.
• U. S. Department of Education provides government resources and educational news.
• Ohio Career Information System provides career and educational guidance. User name: JeromeHS Password: ohiocis03 This is case sensitive so enter as typed.
• My College QuickStart
- Cappex search for colleges, get detailed info on college admissions and apply for scholarships.
- College Support for Students with Disabilities
College Search Sites
- National Association of College Admissions Counseling
• CollegeNet provides for college searches, financial aid and scholarship information.
• Go College innovative college oriented search engine allowing students quick and easy access to educational information.
• The College Board has an abundance of information on campus visits, interviews, and other parts of the college search process.
• U. S. News College Center has college information and rankings.
• Campus Tours gives video and campus picture tours of many universities. Most sites have campus maps.
Financial Aid and Scholarship
• FAFSA has the web version of the Free Application of Federal Student Aid.
• FastWEB is a searchable scholarship database that enables you to locate sources of financial aid suitable to you.
• Finaid Web Page has rich offerings on everything from scam alerts to scholarship searches.
• Scholarship Search
- Ohio College and University Scholarships
Upcoming Guidance Presentations
January 9, 2013“FAFSA Workshop”
Snow Date: January 10th
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a required form that parents must complete in order to be eligible for financial aid. A line by line explanation of this form will be presented. If a family has questions about completing the FAFSA, this is a must meeting.
January 23, 2013“Alternative Education Programs Meeting”
Snow Date: January 24th
This meeting is designed to provide students with information about a variety of alternative educational programs that are available for Dublin students. These programs provide students with unique and beneficial educational experiences. This meeting will include valuable information about the Young Professionals Academy (YPA), the Dublin Teachers Academy (DTA), the Post Secondary Enrollment Program (PSEOP), the Mosaic Program, Zoo School, and Metro School.
PSAT – How to Interpret Your Scores
My College QuickStart
My College QuickStart is an online personalized college and career-planning tool for all high school students who take the PSAT/NMSQT. Students will have access to this tool for the duration of their high school careers. My College QuickStart is designed to help students chart their path to college by offering personalized skills advice and suggestions based on their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. There are four components to My College QuickStart:
My Online Score Report is an interactive, supplemental PSAT/NMSQT scored report that includes:
- Every test question with complete answer explanations; includes the ability to sort answer explanations by difficulty level and by question type
- Projected SAT score ranges so students can estimate how they might perform on the SAT based on their PSAT/NMSQT score.
My SAT Study Plan is a personalized study plan based on how each student performed on the PSAT/NMSQT.
My College Matches lists colleges in each student’s home state that offer the chosen major as indicated on the PSAT/NMSQT paper Score Report. There is a detailed profile for each college that includes information about admissions, cost of attendance and financial aid, majors and much more. Students can use the College MatchMaker feature to edit their personalized college list by adding and deleting search criteria like distance from home, extracurricular activities, tuition costs, or financial aid.
My Major and Career Matches contains a personalized list of majors and associated careers based on the chosen major of interest as indicated on the PSAT/NMSQT paper Score Report. If students selected “other” or “undecided” for a major, they will be prompted to use MyRoad to explore a range of possible majors and careers.
MyRoad is the College Board’s comprehensive online major, college, and career exploration program and is included in My College QuickStart. Students can use MyRoad to further research their interests and chart their path to college.