Program Planning for 2017 – 2018 Class of 2018

What we’ll cover today: Important dates of program planning How this process works Verification Sheets & the Course Change Policy Graduation requirements College admissions and narrowing your search

PROGRAM OF STUDIES The 2017-2018 Program of Studies is now available online at www.cbsd.org Under “Parents/Students” It’s interactive! Click on the course name in the index, and you will be taken to the course description. Please check course prerequisites!

Go to District Website, www.cbsd.org. Hover over “Parents/Students,” then click “For Students” Click on “2017-18 Program of Studies”

IMPORTANT INFO Counselors are coming to each English class during 1st and 2nd semesters Tell your friends not to worry, we will see them soon! During these sessions, students can fill out course planning grids, which they can use to guide their input of courses into the Student Portal During class, your teachers will also talk with you about what level/course they recommend for you next year.

IMPORTANT INFO During advisory (Jan 4th – 11th) multimedia presentations are being shown to give you an idea of what electives are available to you. Counselors will also call you from class to meet individually. You should not make an appointment with your counselor to discuss scheduling! We will schedule with your classroom teachers to call students down a few students at a time When you meet with your counselor has NO impact on how likely you are to receive your desired courses

IMPORTANT DATES Friday, January 13th Sunday, February 5th Student Portal opens for online course registration Sunday, February 5th All course requests must be entered by 11pm February 6th to March 3rd Counselors will meet with students individually to review course requests, teacher recommendations, and discuss any specific plans/questions

VERIFICATION SHEETS March 13th March 15th Verification sheets will be available to view/print through the Student Portal. March 15th Signed Verification sheets must be returned to HR/Advisory teachers ONLY if you need to make a change You should take the time to make sure you are satisfied with your course requests Pick your electives AND alternate requests carefully!

PLEASE CHOOSE ALL CORE COURSES AND ALL ELECTIVES CAREFULLY COURSE CHANGE POLICY No changes to course requests for next year will be accepted after March 21st, except: Requests based on failure to meet a prerequisite, or Requests to change levels, with teacher recommendation These are the only reasons why you will be permitted to request a course change for next year PLEASE CHOOSE ALL CORE COURSES AND ALL ELECTIVES CAREFULLY

HOW TO ENTER COURSES ONLINE Read the course descriptions in the Program of Studies for all courses you plan to take. Follow the detailed instructions on the back of your pink sheet. First enter in your core courses, then add your electives. Be sure to provide alternative courses, or you may be stuck with a study hall or whatever elective happens to be open

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS Can be found on page 3 of the Program of Studies For the Class of 2018 – you need 27.25 credits: English – 4.0 credits Social Studies – 4.0 credits Math – 4.0 credits Science – 2.0 credits Biology- 1.0 credit PE – 1.0 credits Perf. Assessment – 0.5 credit Electives – 10.75 credits

Scholar’s Diploma 4.0 total Science credits 3 AP courses At least 2.0 credits of World Language 3.4 overall GPA Scholar’s Diploma is an honor determined at the time of graduation, not in advance. You should not put “Scholar’s Diploma” on college applications. You need 28.25 credits to graduate from CB with a Scholar’s Diploma.

Senior Perks You ARE NOT guaranteed Late Arrival or Early Release If you intend on taking LA/ER, you still must attend your 1st or 4th block study hall until you complete the application, found under “for students” on the CB West website Once approved, Late Arrival or Early Release will appear on your schedule

One more thing about credits. . . All students must register for at least 6 credits in Senior year Even if this means having more credits than are required for graduation. Students can only have a maximum of one Study Hall, Late Arrival, or Early Release each marking period. [ Mike Start ] Since everyone here will be a senior next year, be sure to remember you must take at least 6.25 total credits, with no more than 1 late arrival or early release each marking period. This doesn’t mean that you should take one late arrival or early release each marking period, as colleges will still expect a fairly challenging schedule during your senior year. If you want to request an early release or late arrival, there is a specific course code you can enter in different from a study hall; similar to how team study’s are done. Keep in mind that these will get the least preference when schedules are created, and depending on when your other classes are offered, you may or may not be able to have early release or late arrival.

The Next Step in the College Search SAT / ACT information Understanding admissions naviance College navigator Spring college fair End of year goals

Take the SAT and ACT All students should plan on taking the SAT once and the ACT once Compare scores, and retake whichever exam you score higher on or feel most comfortable with Use your PSAT scores to identify areas of concern You have MANY options for test prep Khan Academy, ePrep (CB West)

SAT / ACT SAT Dates ACT Dates March 11th, May 6th, June 3rd ACT Dates April 8th, June 10th Google “SAT Test Dates” or “ACT Test Dates” SAT http://sat.collegeboard.org/ ACT http://www.act.org/

SAT / ACT Scores: NOW WHAT? Check your scores against admission requirements of target colleges 25%-75% ranges are generally available for each school Use your scores to see where you fall in line with the application pool Keep in mind that HS course selection and GPA will heavily impact admissions as well Narrow the search Eliminate schools too far out of reach based on admissions criteria Begin to group your desired schools into “application categories”

Application Categories Using GPA and SAT/ACT Scores, breakdown your list: 2-3 safety schools No question, student exceeds requirements Opportunities for Merit Aid 4 - 6 target schools Within the middle 50% of admission criteria Pick one or two nearby, one or two out of state 2-3 reach schools Close to lower 25% of admission criteria Acceptance not likely, but possible based on additional factors

Application Process We will hold an assembly later this year to review the procedural specifics of applying to college. The BASIC steps include: Completing the college’s application online or through the Common App Writing essays Sending transcripts, SAT/ACT scores, and teacher/counselor recommendations Completing the FAFSA and possibly the CSS Profile Applying to scholarships

Live Demo of Resources Naviance College Navigator You can access the advisory presentation that covers the College Search feature in Naviance on the Class of 2018 guidance page. Naviance College Search College Match Scattergrams College Planning Worksheet College Navigator Net Price Retention & Graduation Rates Programs/Majors

Spring College Fair March 22nd Held at CB South in the gym More than 150 colleges and universities will attend Make a list of colleges you’re interested in: Meet the admissions representative Sign their postcard / get on the mailing list Pick up materials Look for info regarding Spring campus tours

End of Year Goals Narrow down what majors you are considering Career Plan career info can be helpful in choosing your major We can reset these if you would like to take them again. Plan for a visit to your top schools, especially if they are in the area You will start applying early during senior year, so use these tools now!

Questions?