CCHS Guidance Department

In order to choose a career that’s going to be right for you, you need to consider:  Your Abilities (What you are good at)  Your Interests (What you like to do)  Your Aptitudes (What you have natural talent for)  What’s Important to You (Money, work environment, travel, job security, etc.)

1. High School Career and Technology Programs 2. Four Year College 3. Two-Year Community or Technical College 4. Career or Trade School 5. Military 6. Apprenticeship

Your junior year is when you should be: 1. Taking college tests 2. Making college visits 3. Searching for scholarships

 10/16/13 - PSAT/NMSQT  10/3/13 - ASVAB

If your are planning to attend a four year college, take the ACT and/or the SAT. To get information and to register for the ACT, go to To get information and register for the SAT, go to

 Course Selection  GPA  SAT/ACT Scores  Essay  Extracurricular Activities  Recommendation Letters  Awards  Independence

 Colleges want to see what your interests are.  Did you take courses in high school that relate to what you will study in college?  Did you take the most rigorous courses offered?

 Colleges will look at your GPA along with your course selection to determine how well you will perform in college.  The higher your GPA is the greater chance you have of getting accepted into the college of your choice.

 Colleges use your SAT/ACT score(s) as a determining factor in whether or not you will be able to perform at the college level.

 Write,write, write and get better at writing.  Colleges are interested in reading what you have to say.

 Colleges want to know how you spend your time outside of school.  Are you able to handle the course load while participating in other activities?  Do you work well with groups?

 College admission counselors read those recommendation letters because they are interested in what others have to say about you.  Normally, your recommendation will be requested of your Guidance Counselor or by a teacher.

 Colleges want to know what awards you have received for all of your hard earned efforts.  Keep a list of all of your accomplishments.  Keep a portfolio!

 Colleges believe that this should be student initiated, not parent initiated.  Parents should be informed, but this should be an independent process by the student.  Colleges want to know if the student is applying because they want to be there or are they applying because their parents want them there.

What’s the Difference?

 ACT  3 hours, 25 minutes (including the 30- minute optional Writing Test  SAT  3 hours, 45 minutes

 ACT  4 Test Sections ( 5 with the optional Writing Test): English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (Optional), Experimental Test ( sometimes added and clearly labeled )  SAT  10 Sections: 3 Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing ( Including the Essay ), 1 Experimental ( unscored but included as a regular section )

 ACT  Reading Comprehension - 4 passages with 10 questions per passage.  SAT  Reading Comprehension - short and long passages with questions sentence completion

 ACT  Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, algebra II, and trigonometry  SAT  Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and algebra II

 ACT  Analysis  Interpretation  Evaluation,  Basic Content  Problem Solving  SAT  Science is not included

 ACT  Last thing you do (optional): 30 minutes  Not included in composite score  Topic of importance to high school students  SAT  First thing you do: 25 minutes  Factored into overall score  More abstract topic (vs.. ACT)

 ACT  Composite score of , based on average score of 4 tests  4 scores of 1-36 for each test  Plus optional Writing Test Score of  SAT  Total score of , based on adding scores from 3 subjects  3 scores of for each subject  Score of for the Essay

 ACT  No penalty for wrong answers.  SAT  1/4 point subtracted for each wrong answer (except for Math Grid-In questions)

 ACT  You decide which score is sent  SAT  Your entire score history will be sent automatically.  New - Beginning with the class of 2010, you decide which score is sent.

 ACT, Inc.   actstudent.org  SAT  The College Board   collegeboard.org

ACT Reg. Deadline Test Date 9/27/13 10/26/13 11/8/13 12/14/13 1/10/14 2/8/14 3/7/14 4/12/14 5/9/14 6/14/14 SAT Reg. Deadline Test Date 9/6/13 10/5/13 10/3/123 11/2/13 11/8/13 12/7/13 12/27/13 1/25/14 2/7/14 3/8/14 4/4/14 5/3/14 5/9/14 6/7/14

 Students may qualify for a testing fee waiver if they receive free or reduced lunch.  Students may receive a total of 2 fee waivers. (1 in the Junior Year and 1 in the Senior Year or 2 in the Senior Year)