College Informational Evening, 2014.

German International School of Silicon Valley

High School Counselor: Jennifer KrejcikEmail: jkrejcik@gissv.org

High School Counselor’s Role

Give students and families an overview ofUS college system and entrance requirements One on one meetings start in 10th grade and

continue through 12th on an “as needed” basis.Monitor academic progress.Discuss the importance of extra curricula

activities and monitor involvement.

Counselor’s role continued….AP coordinator for GISSV. Assist with the College Application process for

seniors. Help prepare official student transcripts and

update the accompanying school profile.Attend workshops and conferences to keep

current with latest college developments. Visit colleges and invite college representatives

to get our school recognized.Alumni coordinator.

Navigating the college process

Terminology overview.

What colleges look at.

What’s out there?

.

A look at terminology

American high school and college terminology. Freshman (9th) sophomore (10th) junior (11th) senior (12th)

GPA – grade point average calculated from grades 9-12. The UC system focuses on the 10th and 11th grade GPA.

PSAT - (preliminary scholastic aptitude test) an abbreviated version of the SAT which tests verbal, math and writing skills.

test is administered at the school in October to 10th and 11th Scores do not count for college admission.

SAT Reasoning Test – (3h 45m) New redesigned SAT coming spring 2016

Used by the majority of colleges as part of the admission process. Students take the test externally usually as juniors or seniors and

can take it several times. check out www.fairtest.org for a list of colleges that don’t require

standardized test scores.

Terminology continued …. SAT II subject tests (1 hour tests that test particular subjects)

No longer mandatory for all majors but many private and public colleges still require students take 2 subject tests. Students need to check the specific requirements of the colleges they are applying to.

ACT - American College Testing. Tests school curriculum content rather than being an aptitude test. Includes a Science section and tests more advanced math concepts Less emphasis on vocabulary and so more suitable often for non-

native speakers. More questions to be answered in a shorter period of time.

TOEFL – The Test of English as a Foreign Language measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written and heard in college. (4 hours)

AP a series of 37 college-level courses available to high school students.

Admissions officers recognize the work and commitment required of AP students.

AP credit in high school may earn a student college credit.

At GISSV students sign an AP contract.

Advanced Placement

AP continued…A student must take the AP exam in order

to receive college credit. AP exams are administered every May at the school over a two week period.

Students who fulfill the requirements of an AP course are given an extra point towards their GPA.

AP tests are scored on a scale of 1-5. Students with a grade of 3 or higher may receive credit for a college

AP- Advanced Placement coursesCurrently we offer the following AP courses at GISSV:AP German Language and Culture 10th gradeAP Chemistry 10th and 11th grade (2 year course)AP French Language and Culture 11th gradeAP English Language and Composition 11th gradeAP Microeconomics 11th gradeAP Biology 12th gradeAP Calculus 12th gradeAP English Literature and Composition 12th grade

% of total AP students with scores 3+

GISSV, California and Global AP scores

What universities look at.

Academic record- GPA rigor of the curriculum (how many extra courses does

the student take beyond A-G requirements. (DIAP requirements exceed the “a-g” requirements for all students)

A-G requirements for the UC (University of California) and CSU (California State University) Minimum requirements. History-Social Science 2 yrs req. Mathematics 3 years req., 4 yrs rec. English 4 yrs req. Laboratory Science 2 yrs req., 3 yrs rec. Language other than English 2 yrs req., 3 yrs rec. Visual and Performing Arts 1 yr req. College Prep Electives 1 yr req.

What colleges look at continued…. Standardized test scores.

Number of and performance in University approved Honors and AP courses.

Experiences that demonstrate leadership qualities; community service and/or participation in school related activities.(SMV) (Interact)

Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, and athletics

Letters of recommendation and Personal Essay.(Insight into a student)

School profile. (accompanies the transcript)

What’s out there? Liberal Arts colleges: 90% private

Offer a liberal education to students across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences. undergraduate education is the primary mission

although many offer strong opportunities for research involvement.

Usually small to medium sized schools, enrolling fewer than 5,000 students with most living on campus.

Smaller classes taught by faculty members. Many liberal arts schools are in small towns, so student

life centers on the college and its extracurricular activities.

Often offer generous scholarships to attract students.

What’s out there? cont..Research universities the majority are public

Offer a full range of academic programs in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs.

Research is part of the mission statement in these schools so faculty are expected to place a priority on research as well as teaching.

Size ranges from small (Cal Tech – fewer than 1,000) to medium(Harvard- 6,500 undergrads) to very large (University of Texas 40,000)

Specialized programsColleges that offer specialized programs

Schools like Julliard or CA Institution of the Arts or Babson College MA.

Cater for students who are highly focused in a specialized area and have clear career goals.

Colleges with special affiliationsReligious Colleges (University of Notre Dame)Historically Black Colleges.Womens’ Colleges (Smith, Wellesley)

The University of California, UC SystemA public university system and part of the

state’s three tier public higher education system which includes the UC, the CA State University (CSU) and CA Community College system (CCC)

UC systemCombined student body of over 191.000

students10 campuses throughout the stateUC Berkeley ranked 2nd worldwide among

public colleges.

UC system continuedThe UC accepts fully eligible students

from among the top eighth of California public high school graduates through the regular statewide admission.

A minimum 3.0 GPA for CA residents and 3.4 for non- residents in all completed “a-g” courses.

CSU system CA State Universities

Students can choose from among 23 campuses in California alone, and with over 400,000 students, it is the largest system of 4- year colleges in the country.

Also considered the most diverse and affordable

university system in the country offering a comprehensive selection of undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

http://www.sbcc.edu/transfercenter/files/UC_CSU_Comparison_Chart.pdf

Community College - a viable optionHigh School Diploma the only requirement.Cost considerably less than 4 year public

colleges.After the mandatory 2 years, students can

transfer to a 4 year college.Also offer 2 year associate degrees in

specialized fields.A lot of flexibility in class schedules to cater to

working students.Most community colleges don’t have residences

on campus.

PSAT at GISSV ,Saturday October 18th, 2014

November 1st -30th application submission period for UC applicants for fall 2014

March 1st -31st , notification of fall 2015 admissions decisions

May 1st 2015, deadline for UC admitted freshmen to submit 2015,Statement of intent to Register (SIR)

AP examinations at GISSV, May 4th-15th 2015

https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov/logon.asp California student aid commission

 http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ Free Application for federal student aid

 https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp Financial aid

profile 

www.finaid.org General site with lots of information about financial aid

www.fastweb.com General site with a terrific scholarship search as well as expected family contribution calendar

Need- based and Merit- based.

Need- based aid is awarded proportional to your family’s financial need (the difference between

the cost of study and your ability to pay). Merit-based aid is awarded on your merit

(academic or other)Need- blind colleges do not consider your

financial situation when considering admission.

6 Need- blind Colleges in US1. Amherst College2. Dartmouth College3. Harvard University4. MIT5. Princeton University6. Yale Universitywww.internationalstudent.comSchools that award financial aid for

international students by state.