Freshman & Sophomore Year The Roadmap To College Freshman & Sophomore Year

Advanced Placement and Elective Request Request form is now OPEN on the school’s website www.foresthillshs.org Deadline is Monday, March 13th!

Spring College Fair Monday, April 3rd, 2017 6:30pm – 9pm Just to Name a Few… Binghamton Rutgers Stonybrook New York University (NYU) Princeton University of Connecticut St. John’s University Adelphi Macaulay Honors Program Queens College Borough of Manhattan Community College Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Monday, April 3rd, 2017 6:30pm – 9pm Over 70+ colleges CUNY, SUNY & Private 4 -Year Colleges/Universities 2 – Year Community Colleges Keep eye out for Forest Hills High School College Campus Visit Trips too!

What do colleges look at? Very Important Range In Importance Grades in academic courses – Academic Rigor SAT or ACT scores Essay Work/Extracurricular activities Teacher recommendations Counselor recommendation* Grades in all courses Class rank Interview* Student’s demonstrated interest

Top 5 things to consider when making a great college bound timeline Scores – How far are you from your goal? Target Schools – How important your test scores be? How much do your schools weight them, and how do the other components stack up? Make a list already of schools you are thinking about!

Top 5 things to consider when making a great college bound timeline Extracurricular activities – When does your schedule lighten up? That is the best time to prep. Which test are you taking? – If you are taking AP exams and SAT Subject Tests, your timeline will differ from someone who is taking only the SAT or ACT. How much time do you have? – Are you looking at the timeline as a senior or as a freshman?

Freshman Year [9th] Get an Early Start Challenge yourself academically and aim for high grades! EVERY grade (9th-12th) counts!!!

Freshman Year [9th] Extracurricular Activities – Start Now Colleges would much rather see you passionate about a few worthwhile activities than marginally involved with a number of clubs However, do activities that help you get out of your “comfort zone” Sports - NCAA

Sophomore Year [10th] PSAT and PLAN PSAT (SAT) or the PLAN (ACT)provide practice for SAT and ACT PSAT is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship (11th Grade Year only) – October only (must sign up)

Sophomore Year [10th] Sign up for FREE SAT and/or ACT practice exams Princeton and Kaplan Head start on becoming a skilled tester Help reduce test-taking anxiety Gets you on the road to success early

Sophomore Year - May AP courses and exams If taking AP classes take corresponding AP exam in May It helps to build a strong application Might get college credit

Sophomore Year - June Take appropriate SAT Subject Test Many highly-selective colleges requires(or highly recommend) you to take subject tests For best results, take immediately after the course Taking AP courses help you with the Subject Tests

Sophomore Year - Summer Best time to prepare for SAT or ACT By now you will have learned the vast majority of the materials for each exam Summer is less stressful to study Become involved in community service College visits, tours and research

Extracurricular Opportunities Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) New York City Department of Youth and Community Development offers summer employment for all high school students. Application is online Take the opportunity to work in the field of interest and earn your own allowances!

Extracurricular Opportunities Internships Hospitals (Mount Sinai, New York Presbyterian, Columbia, etc.) Ladders for Leaders New York Historical Society Metropolitan Museum of Art Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Volunteer Religious Affiliations Library Nursing Homes Food Banks Homeless Shelters

Extracurricular Opportunities Pre-College Programs (FREE and $$$) CUNY, SUNY, and Private Camps/Workshops/Programs NYPD Explorers NYS Unified Court System’s Student Ambassador Program Girls who Code New York Hall of Science American Museum of Natural History – Science Research Mentoring Program Forest Hills Community House YMCA(s)

Extracurricular Opportunities College Bound Organizations Bottom Line SEO Scholars Girls Write Now

Resources Exam Prep - Khan Academy CollegeBoard.org Actstudent.org Kaplan, Princeton, FREE programs available – Limited space CollegeBoard.org Actstudent.org Forest Hills High School College Office (Room 218) Scholarships.com Fastweb.com Naviance – Forest Hills High School program NCAA Eligibility Center Athleticscholarships.net

Q & A