1. Why is this percentage important to each junior today? 87%

2. Objectives: Students will acquire knowledge regarding the proper preparation that is essential in choosing from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college. Students will be provided with information and materials that will enable them to employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction. PA Career Education and Work Standards 13.1.11.B, C, F ASCA National Standards I.B, II.A

3. Your final year (s) The college application process, the financial aid process, the prom, and graduation are rapidly approaching! “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” It is time to gather important information and use your resources, including: – Ms. Lane, Counselor for White Team students – Mr. Sankey, Counselor Blue Team Students – Mrs. Stewart, High School Principal – Mr. Simcox, Assistant High School Principal – Mrs. Richardson, Administrative Assistant

4. When choosing and preparing for different career and college paths, you may be required to complete certain tasks in order to reach your goals. These activities might include: Conducting career research, including considering positive and negative aspects of a particular career/college path Taking standardized test (SAT, ACT) Preparing documents (essay, resume, recommendations) Completing necessary applications Applying for scholarship and financial aid

5. Hint: Waiting until graduation to plan for this may not get you the results you want! After graduation, you will have many options to consider: University College Community College Vocational, Technical, or Career Training Armed Services Work Force

7. Jobs are constantly changing. What was true years ago regarding the types of jobs that are available may no longer be the case today.  On average, workers change jobs about seven to nine times during their careers.  Nearly 80% of jobs require some sort of post-secondary training. These jobs tend to be better paying than those that do not!  Employers want workers who possess “people skills” and who will fit into their organization.

8. Scheduling for your upcoming year is very important as institutions will be looking at schedules to see if students continue on a college preparatory track. Students are encouraged to register for a challenging courseload as it may make the difference in the admission decision.

11. Determine what factors are important for your institution to have. Do these factors matter to you?  Size  Location  Academic Program Offerings  Reputation  Cost  Other?

12. Dual Enrollment

13. Speak with your counselor! Use the Counseling Office Attend the admission representative visits Use the internet, college websites, and CHOICES to explore options.

14. If you are still undecided on a post-secondary school, you may attend the College Fair as a Senior. Over 55 post-secondary schools are represented. Date of Fair: October 2 nd, 2014

15. All students at POASD will become familiar with our Choices Program. You will be able to use this program from any computer in the library, counseling office, or room 118. You can also save your career and college plans so you can come back and review. See your counselor if you would like to work individually on the Choices program.

16. SAT-I Registration is done through www.collegeboard.com.www.collegeboard.com Preparation: All students in grades 10 and 11 can take the PSAT in October. Official SAT online prepartion materials are available at collegeboard.com. SAT I prep books are available through the counseling office for loan. Scoring: Each section is scored from 200-800. A perfect score on the Critical Reading, Mathematics Reasoning, and Writing is 2400. Not every institution considers the writing. Check to see if they are looking at CR + Math or all three tests!

17. SAT Scores continued: Students should select which institutions will receive their scores when registering. Some institutions will ONLY accept SAT I scores directly from the Collegeboard. Philipsburg-Osceola lists SAT and/or ACT scores on transcripts. Remember our school code: 393575!

18. The SAT II measures a students’ level of knowledge in a specific content area. You should only take the SAT II if required by the institutions you are applying to.

19. The ACT (American College Test) is another standardized test that institutions look at. In fact, some schools accept the ACT in lieu of the SAT. It differs from the SAT in the following ways: 4 sections on the ACT (Science is #4) Scores range from 1-36. (A 36 is equal to a 2400 on the SAT.) ACT is a test of knowledge. SAT is a test of ability. Students register at www.actstudent.org.www.actstudent.org

20. Test MonthRegistration Deadline ACTSeptemberMid-August SAT-I and IIOctoberEarly September ACTOctoberMid September SAT-I and IINovember Late September ACTDecemberEarly November SAT-I and IIDecemberEarly November SAT-I and IIJanuaryLate December ACTFebruaryEarly January SAT-IMarchLate February ACTApril Mid-March SAT-I and IIMayEarly April ACTJuneEarly May SAT-I and IIJuneEarly May Offered at P-O

21. According to the National Association of College Admission Counselors, the factors that colleges usually consider for admission are: Primary Factors Academic Performance in College Prep Classes Standardized Test Scores Academic Performance in ALL courses GPA Additional Factors Student Essay or Writing Sample Teacher/Counselor Recommendations Extracurricular Activities, Volunteerism, and Employment Activities Interview Awards and Recognition Programs

23. Student athletes who are hoping to continue athletic participation at the Division I or II collegiate level must be declared eligible through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Please alert your counselor and coach if this is your intent.

24. Post-secondary institutions may use a variety of resources to learn about who your are. Please be aware of how you may be represented online. It is not unusual for colleges to do a search for your name on Google, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and other public sites. Be sure to represent yourself in a manner that will not affect the possibility of your acceptance. Be sure that your email address will not hurt your chances for admission. Many schools ask you to provide this and you don’t want a joke to cost you admission. (Example: Indicating an email like “bigjohnstud21@verizon.net” may not endear yourself to the admission committee.) “Every single component of information can, and will, give some type of personal message. Take a moment and think about it. Would you be prepared to work with an individual for your organization who sent applications for a job using an e mail address similar to drunkensquirl@, HtoTHEhizzy03”

25. Misspellings and grammatical Applying online, but the application isn't actually submitted Forgotten signatures Not reading carefully Listing extracurricular activities that aren't Not telling your school counselor where you've applied Writing illegibly Using an email address that friends might laugh about, but colleges won't Not checking your email regularly Letting Mom or Dad help you fill out your application

26. Keeping track of all of this information can be difficult. You are strongly encouraged to use and regularly refer to the “Looking Beyond” booklet, and the Junior + Senior Year Timelines to assist you with this. Please make your parent/guardian’s aware of this booklet and checklist. Post it somewhere prominent (refrigerator?) so that you are reminded to adhere to deadlines.

27. Preparation and organization are key to setting yourself up for success after high school. No matter what path you will pursue after graduation, proper planning during your senior year can maximize your chances for being successful in whatever endeavor you choose. Please access your school counselor and the Counseling Office with any questions!