1. Getting Ready For College Examining Your Freshmen Year

2. Do Freshmen Grades Count?  YES!!!!!!! Your freshmen grades absolutely count!  Right now, seniors are applying to 4 year college campuses. Currently, the only grades they are able to submit to colleges are their freshmen, sophomore, and junior year grades.  FRESHMEN grades matter!!

3. What Do I Need To Do In the 9 th Grade To Prepare For College?  Be sure you earn at least “C” grades or better in ALL your classes. “D” and “F” grades don’t count.  If you earn a “D” or “F” grade on your semester report card, you will need to re-take the class if you want that class to count toward your college application.  Pay attention to your grades today. There is enough time remaining in the semester to improve your grades. Talk to your teachers if you need help.

4. What Do I Need To Do In the 9 th Grade To Prepare For College?  In order to APPLY to a four-year college, you need to be sure you complete ALL the A-G requirements (will visit in February).  This means you better speak to your counselor and make sure you take all the required science, math, English, Spanish, and other elective courses so that your application is competitive.  Don’t delay taking college required classes. You want your college application to reflect your ability to take a challenging array of classes.

5. Why Do I Need To Think About College Now?  You don’t know what you will want to do when you are a senior.  Leave your options open.  Preparing for college allows you the opportunity to be prepared for four-year colleges, tech schools, junior colleges, and other trade schools.  If you want your senior year to be a mixture of fun and rigor, take the required A-G classes now so that you are able to explore other classes your senior year.

6. Preparing For The Future  Three years from today, you will be seniors.  How do you picture your life in October 2015?  Will you be ready to tackle college applications?  Every year in October and November college bound seniors are busy applying to CSU and UC campuses.  Start thinking about how you want your life to be after high school.  You are the only person who can control your life.

7. Can I Afford College?  Don’t worry about the cost of college right now.  When you are a senior, your advisory teacher and counselor will help you apply for scholarships and financial aid.  Scholarships are FREE money to help you pay for college.  Every year FBHS seniors earn over $250,000 in scholarship money.  If you really want to go to college, we will help you find the resources to get you there.

8. What Do I Need To Do Today?  Begin the conversation with your advisory teacher or counselor about career choices and topics you would like to study in college.  Begin looking at some college choices so you have a goal in mind.  Take your FBHS classes seriously. The last thing you want to do is to have to re-take classes because you exceeded the 15-day absence policy or earned a “D” or “F” grade in an A-G class.

9. Things To Remember In The 9 th Grade  Freshmen grades matter!!  Set a goal of what you would like to do after high school graduation.  Leave your options open. If you want to go to college, you can!  Speak to your counselor and be sure you are taking the appropriate classes for your goals.  Take advantage of your time at FBHS.

10. The Main Thing To Remember Is That…. YOU CAN DO IT!!!