Post-High School Planning Liberty High School Class of 2014

Options after High School Four-year college Two-year college Trade/Technical school Hands on experience Job placement Military Free education (college and technical) Employment 4-yr college. 2-yr college. SAT not required, unless transferring before completion Trade schools. Think about union apprenticeships (steam fitters, ABC,) Military: contact the academies, recruiters, websites

Double Check Your Graduation Requirements! Total of twenty-five (25) credits Including 4 credits senior year Four years of attendance after grade 8 Seventy five (75) service learning hours 55 hours by the end of this year Pass all of the HSA’s Algebra, English, Biology Check the letter you receive in June! You have a possibility of earning 32 credits during your 4 years of high school. In addition to passing your classes, there are other requirements needed to graduate.

Specific Graduation Requirements Academic Area Credits Fine Arts 1 Technology Education 1 Physical Education 1 Health ½ World Language 2 (AND Algebra II) OR Advanced Technology 2 (AND Algebra II) Completer Program 4 – 9 Financial Literacy ½ Academic Area Credits English 4 Social Studies 3 Govt., U.S. Hist., World Hist. Science 3 Physics, Chemistry, Biology Mathematics 4 Algebra, Intermediate Alg, Geometry, Algebra II (unless you did a completer program- then you need 2 credits of Algebra and 1 credit of Geometry) These are the Big Four: English, Social Studies, Science, and Math

To Do During Your Junior Year Review your senior year course selections to ensure rigor. Keep your grades up. This semester is the last to factor into your cumulative GPA. Use websites to explore colleges, majors, and careers. Register with NCAA Clearinghouse and Service Academies (if applicable). Think about application essays and who to ask for letters of recommendation. Take the tests! SAT, ACT, ASVAB, AP

Starting Your College Search- Know your GPA and SAT scores Average GPA SAT range (math and reading only) ACT range Applied/ Accepted Frostburg 3.24 880-1070 18-22 3951/ 2340 James Madison 3.5 1100-1280 23-27 22,648/ 14,392 McDaniel 3.48 1114 20-27 3738/ 2379 Salisbury 3.59 1070-1230 22-26 8866/ 4676 St. Mary’s of MD 3.8 1140-1340 25-30 2398/ 1479 Stevenson 3.39 880-1090 19-24 5739/ 3267 Towson 3.61 990-1180 22-25 18,128/ 9462 UMBC 3.71 1223 24-29 8514/ 5132 UMD- College Park 3.75 1260-1410 28-32 26,000/ 10,806 West Virginia 3.36 930-1140 21-26 16, 521/ 14,060

How To Get More Information About Colleges Online Searches www.collegeboard.com Use your PSAT code for My College Quickstart www.getin2college.com (password protected, access from School Counseling section of LHS website or your Blue Handbook) www.bridges.com Site ID:10000674; Password: lhslions College Visits & Open Houses (excused absence for 3 days with pre-approval) College Information Sessions at LHS during PAWS- sign up in counseling office College Fairs- county college fair in October

Things to Consider When Looking at Colleges Size Small: under 3,000 Medium: 3,000 - 10,000 Large: 10,000 - 20,000 Largest: over 20,000 Location (city, state, distance from home) Public or Private Cost Majors offered Academic and Social Atmosphere Teacher to Student ratio Campus Setting Urban, Suburb, Rural Location: Far away enough that your parents won’t be dropping in every weekend and close enough so you can make it home every now and then to get your laundry done and get a nice home cooked meal. Academic atmosphere: libraries, research facilities, honors programs, Social atmosphere: clubs, student center, intramural sports,

What Colleges are Looking For Academic Record: GPA, class rank, consistency, improvement, difficulty of classes Testing: SAT, SAT II, ACT, AP Extracurricular Activities: Sports, clubs, leadership roles Letters of Recommendation: At least one person who has background knowledge of your academic ability Honors and Awards: Special recognition for skill or talent Essay/Personal Statement: How are you unique? Interview: Personal presentation, questions to demonstrate knowledge of the college

Is Community College Right for Me? Provides time to explore options and improve your GPA Offers significant cost savings Simple application process Begin a bachelor’s and prepare to transfer credits or earn certification training (non-credit) through Career Here If your GPA is competitive, consider the Hill Scholar’s program at Carroll.

Employment? Look for training opportunities Apprenticeships On the job training Career Programs Career Here ( and other non credit training programs) BERC (Business Employment Resource Center) DORS(resource for students with IEPs and 504s) May include tuition reimbursement Volunteer Work (Peace Corps and / or Americorps)

Joining the Military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard ) Earn money Expenses, from housing and food to health care and life insurance are paid Help pay for college ROTC programs in college Partial or full scholarships Upon graduation, students are military officers Serve on active duty, Army Reserves, or the National Guard. Take the ASVAB www.asvabprogram.com Contact recruiters Decide if the military is the right career path for you

Your Senior Year Keep your grades up. Colleges will still review quarter one and mid year grades. Internships – see Ms. Linfield this year (you must be working on a completer or career major to do an internship) Concurrent Enrollment – see your counselor the semester before you’d like to enroll

Senior Year Timeline Summer Fall Visit Colleges Narrow your choices Finish your college essay/personal statement Look at applications and deadlines Schedule senior meeting with your counselor Fall Take SAT and/or ACT one last time Start sending out your applications (early deadlines begin in October) Request transcripts from School Counseling Office Ask for Teacher/Counselor recommendations

Questions? Counselors will be meeting individually with all juniors to discuss senior year and post secondary plans. Please come prepared to ask questions! Visit the LHS School Counseling Website

Need More Information? Upcoming Paws Sessions College search resources Career search resources Testing information : SAT v. ACT, SAT II, AP College Application Process Please sign up! During your senior year, we would like to email you important information, such as upcoming college visits and college deadlines. Please provide your or your parents’ email address if you would like this information.