Preparing for Success A Guide To College Admissions Prepared by the Sunday School Senior Class-2013 St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church 1009 Unruh Avenue, Philadelphia, PA

Entering High School! HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATIONS Talk to your counselor about what high schools might be best for you. Most high schools look at your transcripts, focusing especially on your grades from 7th grade. They will also look at your most recent grades in 8th grade. DO NOT SLACK OFF! Continue striving to do your best. Maintain good study habits and scheduling. Developing them at an early age will make life MUCH easier in the future.

The Golden Years High school will be a COMPLETELY new experience. Both for children AND parents. Knowing how to support your kids during stressful times can go a long way in helping them achieve success. It is a time that you are expected to balance both academic and social life. Grades, Clubs, Sports, Positions, Relationships will all play a HUGE role in shaping your future.

Freshman Year (9th Grade) Familiarize yourself with your counselors. They are the first people who know about opportunities. If you have a good idea about the career you would like to pursue, or even if you are unsure, your counselors will always have resources for you to see whether you really want to pursue a certain path. Do not be afraid to join new clubs and sports. There is something for everyone, you just have to find your niche. It’s a great way to meet upperclassmen who can help you make certain choices. Develop good study skills. If you know what ways you study the best early, you will be better equipped to perform better in the coming years. Flashcards, study groups, quizlet, are all great resources. Create a Resume You may not have many things to put on there now, and that’s okay! You will have plenty of opportunities in the future to fluff it up.

Sophomore Year (10th Grade) If your school offers them, take challenging courses (AP’s, IB, Honor) Challenge yourself, but know your limit. Only take courses that you are genuinely interested in, you will be in a better position to succeed. An “A” in AP Biology is more impressive than an A in gym. Start looking into colleges that offer programs of your interest. Browse the web for both colleges and scholarships. Begin planning visits to colleges Getting into a good college depends everything on pristine academic record. Always strive to do your best. Continue putting effort into extracurricular activities. Colleges like to see that you can balance academics with extracurriculars. Try to research and find programs that help you learn more about your specific interest. Interested in becoming a lawyer? Look into programs that educate about how to prepare, and what to expect. Take PSAT and begin thinking about SAT If you do well on the PSAT, you get more money for college. Begin studying for the SAT.

SAT’s/ACT’s Live and Breathe SAT’s! Look into subject SAT’s; depending on the college you are interested in, you may need to take them. ACT’s are a good substitute for SAT’s. There are 4 sections instead of 3, the 4th section is science. Reading Comprehension: Read lots of magazines/newspaper articles Ask yourself, what was the purpose of this text? What is the author trying to convey? Learn at least 5 vocabulary words a day. Practice Math problems, familiarize yourself with different techinques. Read a lot, it will help improve your grammar. The CollegeBoard book is the best tool to use to prepare for the SAT’s. Barron’s is another amazing resource for any test, SAT’s/ ACT’s/ AP’s The questions are harder, but if you can do them, you can do anything.

Junior Year (11th Grade) You should have a good idea of the type of college you want to go to. Big/Small? City/Rural? Liberal Arts/Focus on a Special Field Continue scheduling and visiting colleges to get a better feel. Take challenging courses that highlight your strengths. Doing well on AP tests (4’s/5’s) can exempt you from certain classes in your college, saving you time AND money. Continue maintaining a good record and relationships with your favorite teachers. Begin thinking about who you would like to write your recommendation letter for you. Do not OVERLOAD and try to stuff your resume, colleges will know that you are not being sincere about your interests.

Senior Year (12th Grade) You’re almost there!! Continue taking challenging courses. You will start to feel the pangs of senioritis early on...maybe even before the year starts! There’s no prescribed medicine for this. Just push through it! Keep up with your challenging courses and extracurriculars. Even though you are in college, do not think that you don’t have to try hard anymore. Colleges WILL rescind their acceptance letters if your final transcript proves to be unsatisfactory. Have fun, enjoy the company of your friends. This will be the last time you see many of them. Write thank you cards for all of your teachers who helped you throughout the college application process as well as your high school experience.

College Applications Last stretch! You should know by now which colleges you want to go to. Talk to your counselor to discuss your college plans. Ask your favorite teachers to write your recommendations. Essays for your resume can be about mundane things. Keep it simple. Have someone to look over them. Early Decision: You apply to the college which is your first choice. If accepted you must attend this college, this is also called binding decision. Regular Decision: If you’re not going for binding early decision see if your college has an early regular decision deadline. Send in your applications as early as possible so that you can get a reply fast. However, some colleges only have one deadline for all applicants. Research scholarships and write appropriate essays for them. Every little bit counts. Every school has workshops that teach you about filing FAFSA and PHEAA. Go to them, preferably with your parents.

High School Summers Do not sit idly during your summers. Go out and volunteer, get a job, or do something productive with your time. Show colleges that you are serious about your future. Document everything you do so you can add it to your resume and eventually to your college applications. Work hard now, rest later.

Words of Wisdom Your Child Will Follow your Example, Not your Advice. Become best friends with your Counselor. Seriously. Procrastination is a way of life for most teenagers. It is normal to fall behind in work once in awhile, the key to success is learning how to avoid these set backs. Good luck!