You are almost halfway there!!!! Sophomore Parent Night You are almost halfway there!!!! Hang in there !

HHS Counseling Department Ellaina Staldine (A-E, 10-12) **F & L** 324-2227 Ashten Broadhead (F-L, 10-12) *Maternity Leave* 324-2224 Jason Murgel (M-R, 10-12) **H & I** 324-2226 Chrissy Murgel (S-Z, 10-12) **G, J & K** 324-2223 Jaime Pandis (Freshmen Only) 324-2225 Corena Hall (Administrative Assist.) 324-2220 Kelly Strietzel (Career Counselor) 324-2239

Lots of Options the Next 2 Years ! AP Courses Why should students consider dual credit Courses? Helena College/Carroll College College Admissions/College Prep Internships/Job Shadows Career/Post Graduation Planning PSAT, ACT, SAT Registration, Graduation Progress, Transcripts

Get a Start on College While Still in High School! Helena High has a superb variety of dual credit offerings! (see page 9 in the registration guide) Our Advanced Placement (AP) continues to grow and enrichens the students choices. Completing Dual Credit and Advanced Placement courses really gives you a head start with post graduate plans.

Important Information for Students and Parents Cont. How many credits do I need to graduate? Registration? When does that happen? How will my student and I stay up-to-date on all of this information?! Parent Nights Power School Helena High Counseling Website Early spring, students will have a week dedicated to their grade level to cover required courses, graduation progress, and registration for the following year ** Students will need to have all 23 credits completed prior to graduation in order to participate in the Commencement Ceremony

Montana 4 Year Campuses In order to be fully admitted to a 4-year university in the MUS, high school graduates are required to meet ONE of the following standards: Earn at least a 2.5 high school GPA; or Rank in the top half of the school’s graduating class; or Earn an ACT composite score of 22 or higher, or SAT total score of 1120 or higher (exception: MSU‐Northern: ACT score of 20, SAT score of 1050) 22 – Math 7 – Writing or 18 ELA

2 Year Campuses and 2 Year Programs Must complete a high school diploma or the HiSET Must apply for admissions Certain courses still require placement scores (ACT or Accuplacer)

Academics and Athletics NCAA and NAIA Opportunities www.eligibilitycenter.org NCAA www.PlayNAIA.org NAIA Let your school counselor know if you are interested! Course requirements on page 6 (registration guide.)

Questions for Mrs. Pandis? Up Next: Mrs. Murgel

Transcripts

Graduation Progress

4 Year Plan

Questions for Mrs. Murgel? Up Next: Mr. Murgel

Pros & Cons of Dual Credit Earn H.S. Credit and College Credit at same time College level rigor Helps students find right career path Helps Expedite College Degree Completion Cost Effectiveness – about 1/3 of the cost, may help save thousands Lowers Remediation Rates CONS Registration process – semesters don’t match up Transferability of credits Rigor of courses Grades become permanent records on college transcripts

Dual Credit Course List Accounting Procedures I Pre-Calculus Intro to Theater MS Word Calculus I Intro to Acting MS Excel Intro to Literature CAD 2D Intro to Programming College Writing Programming with Java I Intro to Psychology Industrial Safety for WLD College Algebra Cutting Processes Intro to Statistics Technical Math Technical Writing

Accuplacer Chart

Accuplacer Chart Helena College Testing Center: 447-6939

Questions for Mr. Murgel? Up Next: Mrs. Staldine

College Entrance Exams: What Do Sophomores Need to Know?

What are College Entrance Exams? Entrance exams are traditionally required by 4-year colleges and universities. Entrance exams are also used for advising, course placement, scholarship programs, and to identify needs for remedial courses. ACT & SAT are college entrance exams that are both accepted equally: ACT (HSD tests all juniors in the Spring, recommend a retake in senior year) SAT (Students may register for and take this exam their junior and/or senior years) Students are encouraged to take the following standardized tests for practice: PSAT 10 (for Sophomores only- register now!) PSAT (recommended for Juniors in the Fall- registration will begin this spring)

What is the PSAT 10? Practice test designed for sophomores Content and format is very similar to the PSAT, ACT, and SAT Covers reading, writing and math for 2 hours and 45 minutes PSAT 10 does not qualify you for the National Merit competition PSAT 10 is purely a practice test and an introduction to national standardized testing. It will give you great feedback to help you prepare for the PSAT, and ultimately the ACT. The PSAT 10 will take place on April 11th at Carroll College Students may register now with the bookkeeper in the Main Office by Feb. 15th. The fee is $18 and includes transportation to/from Carroll College and a study guide.

What is the PSAT? PSAT (or Preliminary SAT) is recommended for all college-bound juniors. The PSAT is a great primer for the SAT and ACT. The exam is only given once a year in October (Sophomores will register for the test starting in May with us) The PSAT won’t count towards your college admissions applications, but it is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Why take the PSAT? To practice for the ACT and SAT To receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college. To see how your performance compares with that of others To enter the competition for scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corp (Juniors only). To become familiar with the kinds of questions and the directions you will see on the actual college entrance exam.

Prepare Through Course Selection Research has shown that taking certain courses in high school substantially increases students’ readiness for college level work. Students with >3 years of science average an 18.2 ACT score Student who took earth science, biology and chemistry average an 21.3 ACT score Your student is strongly encouraged to take a science class their junior year, and math all 4 years. AP, Honors level, and dual credit courses best prepare students for success on entrance exams and college-level work Remember: A’s in “easy” courses are not necessarily better than B’s in more advanced courses in terms of their impact on ACT/SAT scores.

Career Counselor Services Kelly Strietzel ~ 324.2239 Jobs and Career Exploration Career Education/ Training Requirements and Options

Scholarships Not just for seniors! What can sophomores do now? Activities/Awards/Service list (or join something!) Enhance your writing skills Checkout the HHS scholarship list http://hhs.helenaschools.org/counseling-and-career- guidance/scholarships/ Scholly (sponsored by Reach Higher Montana) https://app.myscholly.com/reachhighermontana

Questions? A-E ELLAINA STALDINE estaldine@helenaschools.org F-L ASHTEN BROADHEAD abroadhead@helenaschools.org M-R JASON MURGEL jmurgel@helenaschools.org S-Z CHRISSY MURGEL cmurgel@helenaschools.org Freshmen JAIME PANDIS jpandis@helenaschools.org CORENA HALL chall@helenaschools.org Administrative Assistant KELLY STRIETZEL kstrietzel@helenaschools.org Career Counselor