Eyes on the Prize: Transitioning to High School Revised 9/2013

Agenda Who I Am and Who I Want to BecomePreparing for CollegeRoadmap to College

Who I Am  Take out a sheet of paper and do a little self-reflection on who you were as a middle school student. Come up with three academic and three personal qualities.  Example: Liked social studies, not always getting my homework in on time, hated math.  Was shy, hanging out with friends from band, tried to be nice to everyone and didn’t gossip a lot.

Who I Want to Be  On that same sheet of paper, think about who you want to be in high school. Come up with three academic and three personal qualities.  Example: I want to push myself. To me, this means getting better grades and having a college plan. I’d like to stay involved in band, and I’d like to run for student government.

Who I Want to Be  Group discussion  What changes do you want to make in your life now that you’re a freshman?  What does it take to become a successful high school student?  What goals do you think you need to set in order to become a successful high school student?

Agenda Who I Am and Who I Want to BecomePreparing for CollegeRoadmap to College

Preparing for College: HS Graduation Requirements  Earn high school credit  2.0 GPA  Pass state tests or approved alternatives to those tests  Complete a Culminating Project  Complete a High School and Beyond Plan

Subject Minimum state graduation requirements Minimum requirements for public, four-year colleges and universities** Recommended courses for highly selective colleges and universities Recommended courses for two- year colleges English 4 credits 4 years 4 years***** Math 3 credits3 years***3-4 years***3 years***** Science (one must be a lab) 2 credits2 years3-4 yearsN/A Social Studies (including U.S. and Washington state history) 3 credits3 years3-4 yearsN/A World language (same language) 0 credits2 years3-4 years2-3 years**** Visual or performing arts 1 credit1 year2-3 years Health and fitness 2 credits* Your school's requirements may be higher than the state minimums. ** Students must have a minimum 2.00 grade point average *** Must be Algebra II or higher. One credit of math must be earned during the senior year. ****Recommended for transfer students *****To properly prepare for the Compass or Accuplacer placement test Occupational education 1 credit Electives 4 credits Total 20 credits *

Preparing for College: College Entrance Requirements Community College HS diploma or GED Placement tests (Compass or Accuplacer) Four-Year College Core academic courses completed Standardized tests (PSAT, SAT/ACT) GPA Technical College May have certain Math/Science requirements, like Algebra 2

Preparing for College: College Credit NOW!  Advanced placement (AP) courses  College Level Examination Program (CLEP)  Tech Prep  Running Start

Preparing for College: Personal Factors

Agenda Who I Am and Who I Want to BecomePreparing for CollegeRoadmap to College

 What are you good at?  What are you interested in?  How does this connect with college?  How can an adult mentor help you get to college?

Roadmap to College: Advice from Seniors  “Stay in class. Go to every class.”  “Throughout high school I really challenged myself with taking the hardest classes. When I wanted to go to a [certain] college, I wanted to have what it takes to get there.”  “AP classes will probably help you with college.”  “When you come to school every day, you come to learn new stuff.”

Roadmap to College Freshman Year  Academic  Classes: English 9, World History, PE, Spanish 1, Biology, Algebra II  Ask Mr. Jamison to be my college mentor  Try to get above a 3.5 GPA  Personal  Join after-school literary magazine club  Begin volunteering at Orion House for my community service requirement Sophomore Year  Academic  Classes: English 10, Honors European History, Spanish 2 Honors, Geometry, Photography, PE  Try to get above a 3.5 GPA  Take PSAT or PLAN in fall  Personal  Join editorial staff of literary magazine  Continue volunteering at Orion House  Start after-school job at nursing home

Roadmap to College Junior Year  Academic  Classes: AP English Literature, Physics, Precalculus, Spanish 3 Honors, AP US History, Photography 2  Try to get above a 3.5 GPA  Take AP English Literature and AP US History exams  Take ACT or SAT in spring  Personal  Editor-in-chief of literary magazine  Continue volunteering at Orion House  Continue after-school job  Attend college fair in spring  Make big list of colleges to consider applying to  Begin volunteering at Orion House for my community service requirement Senior Year  Academic  Classes: AP English Composition, Chemistry, Calculus, Spanish 4 Honors, AP Government and Politics, Photography 3  Keep my high GPA  Take ACT or SAT in fall  Apply to 3-5 colleges  Personal  Editor-in-chief of literary magazine  Continue volunteering at Orion House  Continue after-school job  Apply for scholarships  File the FAFSA  Decide where to go!

Roadmap to College: What Parents Can Do  Encourage your child to think and plan ahead. Plan out the next four years – in terms of the courses your child will take, activities s/he wants to participate in, and when s/he will take standardized tests.  Be a “homework coach.” Reinforce that practice makes perfect.  Help kids practice communicating with their teachers.  Set rules and guidelines for “homework time.”  Talk to your kids about their college plans.  Guide your child in finding an adult mentor. This could be a teacher, family friend, religious leader, or coach.  Find an after-school or summer program for your child.

Final Message  High school is a clean slate. You have the opportunity to improve yourself in both academic and personal ways.  There are a lot of things you’ll have to do to get to college. Keep your eyes on the prize. Start setting goals and getting ready!  You can do it!

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