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