Junior Jumpstart Class of 2016

Three Main Things Colleges Use in Determining Acceptance  GPA  SAT/ACT Scores  Application/extracurricular activities

What is most important to colleges?  It depends on the college…

GPA  GPA (Grade Point Average) is very important junior year.  Usually students apply to college in September and October so colleges will not see senior grades until the end of senior year.  It is crucial that students take challenging classes as a junior and make good grades. Continue this next year too. Colleges look for class RIGOR even senior year.  All colleges ask to see a copy of the final transcript.  The UNC colleges require a Minimum GPA of 2.5.  Even if a student does not have the minimum GPA requirement they can still go to a community college and then transfer to a four year college.

GPA Reminders Students’ GPA will be calculated at the end of each semester. Remember that Cabarrus County uses a graduated scale: A=93-100B=85-92C=77-84D=70-76F= %=4.091%= %= %= %= %= %= %= %= %= %=3.7589%= %= %= %= %= %= %= %= %= %= %= %= %= %=1.000 <69%=0

Ways to Improve a GPA  Make all A’s!!!  Remember that Honors classes have 1 quality point. So if a student makes a 95 in Honors English III that translates to a  AP Classes have 2 quality points. So if a student makes a 95 in AP English Language that will be calculated as in the GPA.  Remember that below 70 is still a 0 even if it is an honors or AP class.

NC GPA scale is changing for next year!  Next year, our students will be on a new grading scale.  It is changing from a 7 point scale to a 10 point.  A4.0 GPA  80-89B3.0 GPA  70-79C2.0 GPA  60-69D1.0 GPA  Below 60F0

 A transcript is a four-year report card that includes EVERY final course grade for EVERY class a student takes in high school  It also contains…. transcript transcript  Student Information  Credit History  Grade History  GPA (it is cumulative and is the average of quality points earned)  Class Rank ( a number that tells the student where he/she stands in relation to his/her peers in the grade level)  EOC scores  Attendance Transcript….

Should Students take the SAT or ACT?  Students must register online to take either test.  SAT:  ACT:  Colleges in this area accept the SAT and the ACT.  Which test is right for your child? (see handout)  SAT has stronger emphasis on vocabulary  ACT has a science section. SAT does not  ACT tests more advanced math concepts

SAT  Register online at  January of Junior year is a good time to take the first SAT. We are hosting the June one as well.  Includes a verbal, math, and writing section  Math section tests up to geometry and algebra II  Guess only when a student can eliminate at least one answer choice. Points are deducted for wrong answers.  Tests your reasoning ability  800 is the highest score on each section

SAT Subject Tests  SAT subject tests are not required at the majority of colleges and universities in the United States.  But some colleges will require an SAT Subject Test or two (even if you send in ACT scores)  As you develop your college list, be sure to check out each school’s website to see if they require an SAT subject test.  test-required.htm test-required.htm

ACT  All Juniors are going to take the ACT March 3 rd during school hours for free. Students can use the score for college admissions. They do NOT need to sign up for this one.  Be sure your student lists the colleges they may apply to on the ACT form that day so the scores will be sent to the college for free! If they wait, they will have to pay about $11 per college.  Students can take the test again if needed on a Saturday by registering online at  Includes a science, math, verbal, and an optional writing section.  Math section tests up to trigonometry  Composite Score: 1-36  Points are not deducted for guessing  Curriculum based test

SAT vs ACT scores

Extracurricular Activities and college applications  Extracurricular activities set a student aside from others so make sure they are actively involved. This is a section on most college applications.  Students can use to help organize their activities. Under their profile is a place to save all of their activities, honors, sports, etc. This will then transfer to their college applications if they use cfnc.org to apply to a North Carolina college.

Student Athletes  If your child would like to play sports in college they must be considered “eligible” through NCAA.  All athletes need to register at by the end of junior year. This includes sending a transcript which they can get from our registrar in the guidance department. There is a fee for this service and students on F/R lunch can ask their counselor for a fee waiver.  Be careful about flexing classes next year. Make sure your student athlete is taking at least three classes per semester and if he/she chooses to flex a class they must pass all three classes that they are taking.  Also check out the HRHS student athlete webpage for more information.

Researching Colleges  Junior year should be spent not only researching colleges, but also visiting perspective colleges.  has some great ways to research colleges  does too  What do you look for in your search?  College admissions – What GPA do they typically accept? What SAT/ACT scores do they typically want?  What major is your child considering? Do they have it?  How far away is the college? What is the surrounding city/town like?

Planning for college  is a great tool to help students research colleges

Should your child pick a major?  The “college matching assistant” on can help students find colleges with the major that they would like to study.  They can also look at school size and location on it.  But should your child pick a major or apply to college as “undecided”?  As you tour colleges, this is a good question to ask.  We have had students get deferred from some colleges because they couldn’t get into the major they selected, but they probably would have been accepted if they had gone in “undecided.”  Consider your senior year classes as you think about your major (Ex: applying for an engineering major without taking a math or science in senior year)

Other ways to get ready for College  County wide College Fair- they will be able to meet college representatives and learn more about a variety of different colleges. The College fair is typically held at the Cabarrus Arena in September  Financial aid nights- we also have county wide financial aid nights to help you prepare for paying for college (typically in November and January of senior year)

A glimpse of some colleges  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  16 of our seniors went to Carolina last year StudentGPAClass RankACT Score th out of th out of 33225

Colleges (Continued)  University of North Carolina at Charlotte  48 of our seniors went to UNCC StudentGPAClass RankACT Score th out of th out of th out of 33218

Colleges (Continued)  Western Carolina  8 of our seniors went to Western StudentGPAClass Rank ACT Score

Get Ready for a Busy Summer  Students can find a summer job or participate in a summer program. This will help get them ready for college.  Visit potential colleges. This is the best way to see if they are a good fit for your student. Visit the dorms, cafeteria, library and classrooms. See if they can sit in on a class.  Make a calendar of open houses.  Get on colleges’ mailing lists. Some colleges might scholarship and other important information.

What about a two year Community College?  Have you considered a two-year community college for your child?  Community Colleges are traditionally cheaper than four year Universities  Students can get a 2 year Associate’s Degree or consider the Transfer Program  Research all the degrees and opportunities available at our local community colleges:   

Joining the Military  This is a great option too. If your child is thinking about this option, start talking to a recruiter. A few recruiters visit during lunch. This is a great time to ask them questions and learn more about the process.

Beginning of 12 th grade  Counselors will meet with the seniors in a group setting to explain the college application process.  How to apply to college, send a transcript, request a letter of recommendation, send SAT/ACT scores, apply for financial aid and scholarships, etc.  We will ask for an address from each senior so we can send senior notes every month. Senior notes will contain local and national scholarships as well as graduation and other senior year information. If you want your address to be included, please have your student submit it to us at that time.  Each senior will then meet with their counselor individually to go over the process again and address any concerns.

Questions  This is an exciting time for your student… remember they can always ask their counselor for help.