Cinnaminson High School

Freshmen/Sophomore Parent Night

April 19, 2012

School Counselors

Alexis Mancinelli A-Ha

Crystal WidmannHe-P

Donna LobascioQ-Z

Graduation Requirements

English 20.0 credits 4 years Social Studies 15.0 credits 3 years

– World History– US History 1– US History 2

Science 18.0 credits 3 years– Biology – Chemistry, Environmental Science, or Physics

Math 15.0 credits 3 years – Algebra 1– Geometry

World Language 10.0 credits 2 years

Physical Education 12.0 credits 4 years– 3 credits each year & will be graded on an individual marking period basis

Health 4.0 credits 4 years– 1 credit each year

Visual & Performing Arts 5.0 credits 21st Century Life & Careers or Career Technical Education 5.0 credits Financial Literacy 2.5 credits

*Credits are based on how many periods a week a class meets.

4-Year College-Bound Student Course Recommendations

English 4 years Math 4 years Social Studies 3-4 years (Depending on major)

Science 3-4 years (Depending on major)

World Language 3-4 years Electives: Students should take meaningful

electives throughout high school. Senior Privilege: Students should avoid

senior privilege if he/she is planning to attend a competitive 4-year college.

PSAT

Sophomores and Juniors are encouraged to take the PSAT.

Only junior year scores will qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

The PSAT is held at CHS every October. The exam is 2 hours and 10 minutes. Students who take the PSAT will receive a

login to begin college/career planning, receive information regarding colleges.

www.collegeboard.com/quickstart

Page 6

Math: up to trigonometryScience: charts, experimentsReading: four passages, one each of Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural ScienceEnglish: stresses grammarWriting: persuasive essay

Math: up to basic geometry and Algebra IIScience: noneReading: sentence completions, short and long critical reading passages, reading comprehensionWriting: an essay, and questions testing grammar, usage, and word choice

What is the test content?

Five-section exam:1 – English1 – Math1 – Reading1 – Science Reasoning1 – Writing (Optional)

Ten-section exam: 3 – Critical Reading3 – Math3 – Writing1 - Experimental

What is the test structure?

SAT ACT

SAT vs. ACT

SAT ACTScaled score between 200-800 Scaled score between 1-36 on

each on each section sectionReasoning test based on broad Achievement test focused on themes curriculum

• Most U.S. colleges will accept either exam interchangeably, however they may prefer one over the other

• Each college will have a specific range of SAT score that they are looking for in their incoming freshman class

• Make sure you check particular colleges’ requirements before taking either test to ensure the best course of action for your student

• Refer to www.collegboard.org for more information.

Advanced Placement (AP)

A program of college-level courses and exams. Generally taken during junior/senior year (There

may be prerequisite courses required). Students must pay a fee to take the AP exam in

May. The AP score is based on a scale of 1-5. Contact colleges to find out if they accept AP

credit and which courses the credit will be applied to . . .

College Acceleration Program (CAP)

Students can earn college-level credit from Burlington County College (BCC) for select courses taken at CHS.

Students pay a fee to BCC and must earn a grade above 70 in the course to receive BCC credit. (Currently $125.00 per course)

Credits will be accepted and given by BCC.

Contact out-of-state colleges and private NJ universities to determine whether or not they will accept any credit.

Although a college may accept CAP credits, they may not necessarily accept it as equivalent credits for the course taken at the high school.

Preparing for College

Colleges take the entire transcript into account when evaluating students for admission including classes from freshman through senior year.

Students should take academically challenging courses. Generally a “B” in an Honors course is looked upon more favorably than an “A” in a CP course.

However, once a student gets into the “C” or “D” range, it is probably more appropriate if he/she takes CP level course.

Students need to learn good study habits! Encourage your student to use his/her agenda book, stay organized, and create a consistent study schedule.

Participation in extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, community service and taking on leadership roles are important elements on a students’ transcript.

Work experience is also valuable to include in a student’s profile.

Sample transcript . . .

Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) and Class Rank

Cumulative G.P.A. is the weighted average of all final course grades. An official Class Rank is computed after the completion of the

student’s junior year. Class Rank is computed in the following way:

The “numerical average” earned in each course is multiplied by the “credit value” for the course to yield the “quality points”

for that course. The sum of “quality points” is divided by the total number of “credits attempted” to yield the “weighted grade point

average” (GPA). Students who took honors and Advanced Placement courses will have ten (10) additional points added to their “numerical averages” before the “quality points” are determined.

Career Resource Center

Students in 9th grade will be scheduled to visit the Career Resource Center to complete a Career Interest Inventory and a Learning Styles Inventory.

During 11th grade, students will be given an appointment to visit the Career Resource Center to create their Activities Resume for his/her college application.

www.careercruising.com Students can access this website at home by using his/her CHS log-in and

password which is available from Mrs. Iannuzzi at iannuzzia@cinnaminson.com

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Students can explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook to find out

educational and skill requirements for various careers as well as salary and job

market projections

Alternative Post-Secondary Options

Burlington County College (BCC) Offers a variety of college programs for two years.

Excellent option to begin the college experience, especially if there are: financial considerations, a

student is unsure of his/her future career aspirations, or he/she is not ready to leave home yet.

BCC has a Transfer Advisement Office that assists students who plan to transfer to a 4-year college

after completing their program at BCC.

Trade School BCIT Adult School offers many training programs for students in each of the trades as well as an

Apprenticeship Programs for those interested in joining a local trade union.

Trade Schools: PennCo Tech, ITT Technical Institute, and Universal Technical Institute (UTI).

Cosmetology Schools: BCIT Adult School, Jean Madeline, Aveda Institute, Rizzeri

Military The ASVAB (Military Entrance Exam) is offered at CHS each year during the winter. Students

interested in military service should plan to take this test during junior and senior year.

Recruiters from each branch of the military visit CHS periodically during the school year. They are

available during lunches on those days to answer questions.

Please Note: The ASVAB is not just an exam for students interested in joining the military. This assessment can be used to see where a student’s strengths and weaknesses are and help determine career paths as well.

CHS Guidance Department Website

Visit www.cinnaminson.com/chs Scroll over the Student Services tab and Click on Guidance Department

You will find links to: Grade level information Upcoming events Scholarship information Graduation requirements Senior Packet information College application process Much more . . .

Other Useful Websites

www.collegeboard.com To register for the SAT & search for colleges

www.act.org To register for the ACT & search for colleges

www.asvabprogram.com Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) or military entrance

exam.

www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov Pre-FAFSA for determining financial aid eligibility for college

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Occupational Outlook Handbook

www.bcit.cc Use Adult High School tab for information regarding post-secondary trade programs

Questions & Comments

We are here to assist you in navigating through your child’s high school career. Please do not hesitate to contact us for anything!