OCEAN TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL

Sophomore Workshop

February 18, 2016

7:00 PM

“BEGINNING THE COLLEGE SEARCH”

Presented by:

Kathryn S. Miller

Director of School Counseling

“The beginning is the most important part of the work." Plato-Greek philosopher

The Journey to College/Career

• Hop in the car and fasten your seat belt

• Driver

• Passenger

• Who’s in the back seat now?

• Select your team

Getting Started

• Goals

• Academics – Strength of Program

• Standardized Tests

• Extracurricular Activities

• Recommendations

• Volunteering/ Community Service

• NCAA

• Web Resources

• Books

• Naviance

• College Fairs

• Pre College Planner Booklet

• Organization of materials

PREPARE for YOUR FUTURE

• Know your academic strengths and what kind of student you are.

• Who is on your team?

• What sets you apart from all the others competing for college or a job?

• NTA – Non-Teenager Activity

Find the College That “Fits” Determine which college is the best fit for

your own needs:

• Major

• Distance

• Size

• Expense

• Proximity to family and support system

• Research and Explore

Have You Thought About These

• Allegheny College

• Butler University

• Christopher Newport University

• Colorado Mesa University

• College of Charleston

• Guilford College

• Juniata College

• Marquette University

More…

• Pepperdine University

• State Colleges in NY, PA, VT, WI, etc.

• Susquehanna University

• University of Denver

• University of San Diego

• Washington University

• Wofford College

• Xavier University

Academics

• Challenging courses every year

• Strong grades

• Possibly some AP courses if within student’s ability

• Most challenging courses senior year – no fill in, easy courses

Standardized Tests 2016-2017 • PSAT – Wednesday, October 19, 2016

• SAT II Subject Tests- take in year you reach “peak” in that subject area

• SAT – March, May or June 2017

www.collegeboard.com

• ACT – April and June 2017

www.act.org/aap

• AP – Two weeks in May every year

PSAT/SAT

• PSAT - “My Road” - Identify Interests, Explore Majors, Research Careers, Plan for the Future

• SAT -Three parts

– Math

– Reading

– Writing (optional)

ACT

• Tests knowledge in English, Math, Reading and Science

• Writing portion “optional”, but take it!

• Test Scores – 1 to 36 on each test

• Composite Score – average of the four tests

AP Courses

• The Advanced Placement Program®, or AP, offers high school students college-level courses, allowing them to enter a universe of knowledge that might otherwise remain unexplored in high school; through AP Exams, students have the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation's colleges and universities.

24 AP COURSES 2 English, 4 Math, 6 Science, 6 Social Studies, 2 Art, 3 World Language, 1 Music

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

US GOVERNMENT and POLITICS

ENGLISH LITERATURE MUSIC THEORY STUDIO ART Drawing

CALCULUS AB PSYCHOLOGY STUDIO ART 2D

CALCULUS BC CHEMISTRY MACROECONOMICS

COMPUTER SCIENCE A EUROPEAN HISTORY MICROECONOMICS

STATISTICS HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ITALIAN

BIOLOGY US HISTORY II FRENCH

PHYSICS I PHYSICS II SPANISH

2/22/2016

College Credit Programs

• Brookdale Community College - Dual Enrollment Release Program -Qualified seniors earn up to 12 college credits from Brookdale Community College while attending OTHS. Courses taken at BCC campus in Lincroft.

• Monmouth University - M.O.D.E.L. Program(Monmouth University Ocean Township High School Dual Credit Program for Enriched Learning)– Juniors and Seniors earn college credits from Monmouth University through approved AP courses taken at OTHS.

Community Service/Volunteer

Admissions considers:

• An applicant who is deeply and passionately committed to a specific activity, looking for depth rather than breadth

• That commitment to working at a job or volunteering reveals certain personality characteristics

Extracurricular Activities

Participation, while maintaining good grades, demonstrates:

• Time-management skills

• Ability to prioritize

• Motivation

• Responsibility

• Leadership qualities

NCAA

• Start planning now!

• Work hard to get the best grades possible.

• Take classes that match your school’s NCAA list of approved core courses

• You can receive your school’s NCAA list of approved core courses at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

NCAA (cont’d)

• Print copy of “Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete”

• Complete worksheet for potential Division I and II athletes

• Review GPA and SAT score chart

• Need grades of 85 and higher

• Register at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net during the summer before senior year

More Resources

Check school website to print handbook “Getin2College” and for

links to college information

NAVIANCE

• My Personality – “Do What You Are”

• “Explore Interests” and “Explore Careers”

• Additional Components -College Compare, College Match, College Search, Scatter Grams, College Statistics and Overlaps, and Method Test Prep

• Enrichment Programs for Summer

COLLEGE FAIRS

• April 21, 2016-All-County College Fair, 6:30 pm at Brookdale Community College sponsored by the Monmouth County Guidance Directors- over 200 colleges

(speaker at 6:00 pm)

• September 2016(date to be announced)- All-County College Fair at Brookdale

FINANCIAL AID

• www.fafsa.ed.gov/

• www.finaid.org

• www.FastWeb.com

• www.MeritAid.com

• Workshop – January senior year

• BEWARE of SCAMS!

Planning the Campus Visit

• Research

• Cost

• Program

• Size

• Distance from Home

• What’s in your bag?

Standardized test scores, GPA, Class rank

LET’S VISIT

• What to look for

• What to ask

• Journal

• Pictures

• Rate it

The Next Step

• Junior Year

• PSAT – National Merit Scholarship

• Recommendations

• Practice Applications/Essays

• Financial Planning

• SAT Prep Course - January 2017

• Resume

• Transcript

Junior Workshop

• Tentatively set for December, 2016.

• Watch your e-backpack.

FACTS ABOUT OTHS • National Merit recognition yearly

• 518 AP exams administered to 272 students

• Recognition for AP achievement awards:

2 National AP Scholars

10 AP Scholars with Distinction

9 AP Scholars with Honor

36 AP Scholars

• 15% of each class are Spartan Scholars

• $150,000 in local scholarships at graduation

2/22/2016

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success”. Alexander Graham Bell