Juniors - Are You Ready?
CCHS Guidance Department
WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DOING NOW?
Consider Future Career Options
In order to choose a career that’s going to be right for you, you need to consider: Your Abilities (What you are good at) Your Interests (What you like to do) Your Aptitudes (What you have natural
talent for) What’s Important to You (Money, work
environment, travel, job security, etc.)
Six Ways to Prepare for a Great Career
1. High School Career and Technology Programs
2. Four Year College3. Two-Year Community or Technical
College4. Career or Trade School5. Military6. Apprenticeship
Junior YearYour junior year is when you should be:1. Taking college tests2. Making college visits3. Searching for scholarships
October 10/16/13 - PSAT/NMSQT 10/3/13 - ASVAB
March to June If your are planning to attend a four year college, take the ACT and/or the SAT. To get information and to register for the ACT, go to www.actstudent.org. To get information and register for the SAT, go to www.collegeboard.org.
What Colleges are Looking For Course Selection GPA SAT/ACT Scores Essay Extracurricular Activities Recommendation Letters Awards Independence
Course Selection Colleges want to
see what your interests are.
Did you take courses in high school that relate to what you will study in college?
Did you take the most rigorous courses offered?
GPA - Grade Point Average
Colleges will look at your GPA along with your course selection to determine how well you will perform in college.
The higher your GPA is the greater chance you have of getting accepted into the college of your choice.
SAT/ACT Colleges use
your SAT/ACT score(s) as a determining factor in whether or not you will be able to perform at the college level.
Essay Write,write, write
and get better at writing.
Colleges are interested in reading what you have to say.
Extracurricular Activities Colleges want to
know how you spend your time outside of school.
Are you able to handle the course load while participating in other activities?
Do you work well with groups?
Recommendation Letters College admission
counselors read those recommendation letters because they are interested in what others have to say about you.
Normally, your recommendation will be requested of your Guidance Counselor or by a teacher.
Awards Colleges want to
know what awards you have received for all of your hard earned efforts.
Keep a list of all of your accomplishments.
Keep a portfolio!
INDEPENDENCE! Colleges believe that
this should be student initiated, not parent initiated.
Parents should be informed, but this should be an independent process by the student.
Colleges want to know if the student is applying because they want to be there or are they applying because their parents want them there.
ACT/SAT What’s the Difference?
Test Length ACT 3 hours, 25
minutes (including the 30-minute optional Writing Test
SAT 3 hours, 45
minutes
Test Structure ACT 4 Test Sections (5
with the optional Writing Test): English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (Optional), Experimental Test (sometimes added and clearly labeled)
SAT 10 Sections: 3
Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing (Including the Essay), 1 Experimental (unscored but included as a regular section)
Reading ACT Reading
Comprehension - 4 passages with 10 questions per passage.
SAT Reading
Comprehension - short and long passages with questions sentence completion
Math ACT Arithmetic, algebra,
geometry, algebra II, and trigonometry
SAT Arithmetic, algebra,
geometry, and algebra II
Science ACT Analysis Interpretation Evaluation, Basic Content Problem Solving
SAT Science is not
included
Essay ACT Last thing you do
(optional): 30 minutes
Not included in composite score
Topic of importance to high school students
SAT First thing you do:
25 minutes Factored into
overall score More abstract topic
(vs.. ACT)
Scoring ACT Composite score of
1 - 36, based on average score of 4 tests
4 scores of 1-36 for each test
Plus optional Writing Test Score of 0 - 12
SAT Total score of 600 -
2400, based on adding scores from 3 subjects
3 scores of 200 - 800 for each subject
Score of 0 - 12 for the Essay
Wrong Answer Penalty ACT No penalty for
wrong answers.
SAT 1/4 point
subtracted for each wrong answer (except for Math Grid-In questions)
Sending Score History ACT You decide which
score is sent
SAT Your entire score
history will be sent automatically.
New - Beginning with the class of 2010, you decide which score is sent.
Test Contact Information ACT, Inc. 1-319-337-
1000 actstudent.or
g
SAT The College
Board 1-866-756-
7346 collegeboard.
org
Upcoming Test DatesACT
Reg. Deadline Test Date
9/27/13 10/26/13
11/8/13 12/14/13
1/10/14 2/8/143/7/14
4/12/145/9/14
6/14/14
SATReg. Deadline Test
Date9/6/13 10/5/1310/3/123
11/2/1311/8/13 12/7/1312/27/13
1/25/142/7/14 3/8/144/4/14 5/3/145/9/14 6/7/14
Testing Fee Waivers Students may qualify for a testing fee
waiver if they receive free or reduced lunch.
Students may receive a total of 2 fee waivers.
(1 in the Junior Year and 1 in the Senior Year or 2 in the Senior Year)