Planning for Junior Year Presented by: PHS School Counselors Fall 2017

This is a key year in the college planning process because you’ll be taking standardized tests, narrowing down your colleges list, and learning more about financial aid. In addition, you’ll need to stay involved in your high school courses and activities. Enjoy the Journey!

FALL of Junior Year… 1. Stay on track with your classes & grades 2. Take the PSAT’s 3. Start a list of Colleges

2. Stay on track with your classes & grades Meet with your counselor to see what you still need to take (elective requirements, financial literacy, etc.) Find your passion! Take courses that suit your interests and match your eventual pursuits. Challenge yourself in your classes (try an Accelerated or AP class if willing/eligible) Check your GPA- even if your grades haven’t been what you’ve hoped for so far, it’s never too late to improve. Colleges like to see an upward trend. 1.Take the PSAT’s (it’s a good way to practice for the SAT & qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship program)

What does a Transcript show? *Your courses/curriculum from PHS *Your grades in each course & credit weight *Your GPA (Weighted vs. Unweighted) (Cumulative/Per-year) *What about freshman year? (Upward trends are important)

TAKING ACTION! Naviance Steps for Registration: 1. Know your student ID 2. PHS Guidance Homepage (http://phs.princetonk12.org/Guidance/). Click on “Naviance” on the left hand side. 3. “Click here to register” 4. Type in your PHS student ID number 5. Type in your email address. Create a password. 6. You’re in! TAKING ACTION!

NAVIANCE LOG-IN SCREEN SHOT Click here to log in Click here to register

PHS STUDENT ID NUMBER

FILL IN FILL IN

3. Evaluate your education options & make a college list Your list of colleges should include schools that meet your most important criteria (i.e. size, location, cost, academic majors, or special programs). Go to college fairs, take campus tours, speak with college representatives who visit PHS, use an online college finder. Ask yourself the following questions: ”Where do I want to go?” “What do I like to learn about?” “What are my goals/values?” ”Where do I see myself in 5 years?” 3. Evaluate your education options & make a college list

Visit! Visit! Visit! The first step is doing some research… Specific College/University websites www.campustours.com College preparation section in your local bookstore or library Princeton Review Books Ruggs Recommendation Guidebook Naviance www.collegeboard.org Visit! Visit! Visit!

VISIT! VISIT! VISIT! (continued…) Plan a visit to go physically see a college campus There are many different varieties of campuses to see: City campus (i.e. NYU, UPenn) Medium size suburban campus (i.e. TCNJ) Small rural campus (i.e Bucknell, Lafayette) Large campus (i.e. Rutgers, U Pittsburgh) Good times to visit: NJEA November weekend; winter break, long weekends, spring break, summer break Book a tour with the admissions office. (Colleges track student interest)

Consider while you’re on campus…. The size Distance (accessibility- Plane? Train? Car? Walk?) Location (weather?) Major/Minor Housing Extracurriculars Food People/student body Cost $$$ Remember: This campus will become your new home.

SAT, ACT, SAT SUBJECT TESTS Junior year is the time to take the… SAT, ACT, SAT SUBJECT TESTS Register for the tests on: *SAT SUBJECT TESTS: www.collegeboard.org *SAT Testing Dates: January, March (no subject tests), May, June ACT Test with Writing Section- www.ACT.org ACT Testing Dates: December, February, April, June July-August is PHS Summer SAT Prep & College Essay Writing Workshop

Student Athletes Register with the NCAA by the end of Junior year if you are planning on being a part of college athletics You will need to send the final transcript to the NCAA through Naviance at the end of junior year (once finalized) For more information on eligibility and the process of registering click on the NCAA tab on the PHS Guidance Website: http://phs.princetonk12.org/Guidance/

Think about who will be writing your letters of recommendation Think about who will be writing your letters of recommendation. At least 2 academic teachers can be added on Naviance. Stay on track for graduation & prepare a challenging schedule for senior year Get Organized: Keep notes on college visits, usernames/passwords, due dates, testing materials Excel spreadsheets & Word documents are popular methods Think about Financial Aid & begin the scholarship searches Senior College Brag Sheets are due in June, 2018 Link to Junior Year Calendar: http://phs.princetonk12.org/Guidance/Forms/Co llege%20Calendar%202015.pdf Winter through Spring Of Junior Year