Preparing for College:A Meeting for Members of

the Junior Class

Emily Bechtel, M.S.Director of School Counseling

Nicole Marchese, M.S. Ed.School Counselor

Lauren Spang, M.Ed.School Counselor

The First Step is Research• Individual Junior Conferences

• Find out what fits• What are you looking for?

• College Board - College MatchMaker

• Career Cruising

• College Fairs– National College Fair

» Pittsburgh, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Feb. 8-9 2012– Duquesne University College Fair

» Duquesne University, beginning of October– Catholic College Fair

» Oakland Catholic High School, end of September

• Representatives• College visits

•Where to Apply?• Consider Academic Performance

• Safety Schools

• Target Schools

• Reach Schools

Safety schools• Colleges and universities with flexible admissions standards are

often treated as "safety" schools. This term refers to schools whose requirements mean little chance of rejection for that applicant. Your academic profile should place you in the top 25% of incoming freshman class. You should consider two to three schools in this category.

Target schools• A “target" school is one that you feel will fulfill your needs and one

you could happily attend, even though it may not be your first choice. You should fit the general admissions criteria in academic and social arenas. A good rule of thumb is to have two to four target schools under consideration.

Reach schools• These may be among your top choices, but ones that are less likely

to accept you. This may be because your qualifications match or fall slightly short of the school's average, and the competition for the limited places in the freshman class is intense. You should have one or two schools in this category.

When should students apply?

• Early! Especially to Reach and Target Schools• Early Action/Decision & Rolling

• Restricted Early Action– Examples: Harvard University, Boston College

• Statistics Examples

Ivy League Statistics – Class of 2015

* n/a = not applicable since an Early Action Policy was in place or an Early Action or Early Decision Policy was eliminatedInformation retrieved November 2, 2011 from http://www.theivycoach.com/2015-ivy-league-admissions-statistics.html

Prevalent College Statistics – Class of 2015

*n/a = Information not availableInformation retrieved November 2, 2011 from http://www.enotes.com/college-guides

Ivy League Colleges

Overall Accept.

Rate

Regular Decision

Accept. Rate

Early Decision / Action Accept.

Rate

Expected Number of Students to Enroll

Total  Apps Received

Total  Apps Accepted

Brown 8.70% 7.50% 20.60% 1,485 30,946 2,692Columbia 6.90% 5.70% 19.50% 1,391 34,929 2,419Cornell 18% 16.10% 35.50% 3,150 36,392 6,534Dartmouth 9.70% 8.40% 25.20% 1,100 22,385 2,178Harvard 6.20% 6.20% n/a* 1,655 34,950 2,158Penn 12.30% 9.90% 26.20% 2,420 31,659 3,880Princeton 8.40% 8.40% n/a* 1,300 27,189 2,282Yale 7.40% 5.70% 14.50% 1,310 27,282 2,006

CollegesOverall

Accept. RateRegular Decision

Accept. RateEarly Decision /

Action Accept. RateFreshmen Enrollment

Total  Apps Received

Total  Apps Accepted

Boston College 32% 29% 43% 2,309 22,451 7,178

Carnegie Mellon 42% 41% 53% 1,367 14,114 5,869

Dickinson 49% 45% 52% 606 4,998 2,442

Duquesne 85% 86% 93% 1,214 3,221 2,741

Loyola Maryland 71% 71% n/a* 953 6,979 4,969

New York Univ. 35% 34% 42% 4,619 34,457 12,008

Penn State 62% 62% n/a* 6,496 29,904 18,423

What Counts Most in College Admissions

• Course Selection Required RecommendedEnglish – 4 Credits English – 4 Credits

Social Studies – 4 Credits Social Studies – 4 Credits

Mathematics – 3 Credits Mathematics – 4 Credits

Science – 3 Credits Science – 4 Credits

Foreign Language – 2 Credits Foreign Language – 3 to 4 Credits

• Grade Point Average/Class Rank– OC does NOT rank

• Standardized Test Scores– SAT vs. ACT

SAT vs. ACTSAT Reasoning• SAT Reasoning is offered seven times per year

– 2012 Schedule: January 28, March 10, May 5, June 2

• Math (70 min), Critical Reading (70 min) and Writing (60 min)• Math: Arithmetic, Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry• Critical Reading: Comprehension, Sentence Completion and Short Reading Passages• Writing: Grammar and Persuasive Essay• All scored on a 200-800 scale• Essay is a subscore of 2-12• Students may signup online at www.collegeboard.com

ACT Plus• ACT is offered six times per year

– 2012 Schedule: February 11, April 14, June 9

• Math (60 min), Reading (35 min), English (45min), Science (35 min) and Optional Writing (30 min)

• Math: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry• Reading: Passage based on Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities and Natural Sciences• English: Sentence Structure, Grammar/Usage, Punctuation and Rhetorical Skills• Science: Charts, Graphs, Experiments, Viewpoints• Optional Writing: Persuasive Essay• All scored on a 1-36 scale• Essay is a subscore of 2-12• Students may signup online at www.actstudent.org

SAT Subject Tests• SAT Subject(s) are offered six times per year

– Same dates as SAT Reasoning although not all subject tests will be offered at every date

• Each subject test is a 60 minute exam• Students may take up to three exams on any one test date• Test options include:

– Math: Level I, Level 2– Science: Physics, Biology, Chemistry– History: US History, World History– English: Literature– Language: Chinese, French, German, Latin, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean

and Modern Hebrew• All scored on a 200-800 scale• Varies widely – it is best to take Subject Tests as close as possible to corresponding

course work a student may be completing in school• Scores are a significant component toward college admission, but are generally only

required by Tier I & Tier II schools; or for specific programs at a university• Recommended that you check for this requirement EARLY• Students may signup online at www.collegeboard.com

• Extracurricular Activities

• Essay

• Interview and Campus Visit• Demonstrated Interest

Application Information• School specific applications

– Every college or university has their own school specific application. You can locate the application on the school’s website or request a paper copy from the school

• The Common Application

– www.commonapp.org

– 456 schools accept the common application; only online

– Designed so that you can apply to several colleges with just one application

– Three main parts: the application, school report*, teacher evaluation*

• *ALWAYS REMEMBER TO FILL IN THE TOP PORTION, IDENTIFYING STUDENT INFORMATION, ON THESE FORMS BEFORE HANDING THEM TO YOUR TEACHERS OR YOUR COUNSELOR

• At this time, please note that secondary school reports can not be submitted online

– Schools that accept the common application may require a supplemental form. You can find this information at https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/DownloadForms.aspx

Questions?