O CONNOR HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR PLANNING GUIDEBOOK CLASS OF 2018
I t s yo u r j u n i o r y e a r Now is the time to start thinking seriously about college. In many ways, what you do this year will determine which colleges you have a chance to get into next year. Here are some things you can do this year to stay on track for college. Extracurricular Activities College admissions are about more than grades and test scores. Make sure you re involved in activities outside of your classes. Seek out experiences that will be meaningful to you and that will give you opportunities to develop leadership roles. Whether you re involved in theater, music, athletics, or community service, your extracurricular activities show a college that you re a passionate, engaged, and well-rounded individual. Grades & Taking Challenging Courses Grades matter from the beginning of 9th grade until the end of 12th grade. College may seem a long way off when you re in your first year of high school, but those grades will affect your GPA and class rank. If you want to get into a top school and be well-prepared for college, you should choose challenging coursework. PSAT This test doesn t play a role in college admissions decisions, but you should take the exam seriously. A high score on the exam can win you a National Merit Scholarship, and many schools in the country offer a free ride to National Merit Scholars. Also, the PSAT will let you know whether or not you are prepared for the SAT. College Research & Campus Visits Use junior year to start college campus visits. You are allowed two excused school business days for visits. The more schools you visit, the better informed your choices will be. Learn about college admission requirements, majors, cost, housing, campus life, etc. Prepare for the SAT/ACT Use the feedback from your PSAT scores to improve your test-taking skills. The KHAN Academy offers free personalized SAT prep. If studying solo isn t your strength, consider taking a test preparation course. All juniors will take the SAT during the school day in April. Since you re allowed to take the tests more than once and most colleges consider only your highest scores, it s wise to take the test at least twice. Sign up at www.collegeboard.org and/or www.actstudent.org L o o k i n g a h e a d t o s e n i o r Y e a r Grades & Challenging Senior Schedule Senior year isn't the time to slack off -- most colleges reserve the right to overturn an admissions decision if an applicant s grades take a sudden nosedive. College Visits Early in senior year, you ll have to start figuring out which schools will best match your personality and interests. The more schools you visit, the better informed your choices will be. Be sure to get the most out of your campus visit. Remember, you are allowed two excused school business days for visits. College Applications Look at all of the admission requirements early so that you know what s required of you. The sooner you submit your applications, the better. Make sure your application is complete and polished. Know the deadlines for college admissions and scholarships. Apply at www.applytexas.org or www.commonapp.org Admissions Essay Don t put off your essay until your application deadline is looming. In the summer or early in senior year, start thinking about the essay questions for the schools you re interested in applying to. Your admissions essay should be the most thoughtful and polished piece of writing you ve ever produced. Allow lots of time to write drafts and get feedback from teachers and counselors. SAT / ACT To meet application deadlines at most competitive schools, you ll need to have taken the SAT and/or ACT by early in your senior year. Also, if you took the SAT/ACT in your junior year but aren t happy with your scores, the fall of senior year is your last chance to try again. Keep track of the SAT/ACT test dates and registration deadlines. Letters of Recommendation (if required) Your teachers, counselor, and mentors are busy people, so be sure to give them plenty of time to write your letters of recommendation. Also, try to spend some time talking with your recommenders before handing them the forms -- you ll get the best letters from people who understand your interests and ambitions. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/admissionstimeline/a/appchecklist.htm
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS Many 11th grade students take an admissions exam in the spring, so they can get a head start on planning for college. All 11th grade NISD students will take the SAT on April 5th. The SAT will be administered at no cost to students during the school day and proctored by NISD teachers. College Board and Khan Academy have partnered to offer free, personalized practice for the SAT. Students can visit Khan Academy at satpractice.org Students can also visit sat.org/practice to access a free official SAT practice app. If you choose to take the SAT for a second time, you can register at sat.org The following dates will be available for the spring and fall of 2017. Jan 21 March 11 May 6 June 3 Aug 26 Oct 7 Nov 4 Dec 2 * Fee Waivers Eligible students who demonstrate financial need can receive up to 2 fee waivers for SAT registrations. Visit collegeboard.org/feewaiver for the most up-to-date information. More than 1.9 million students in the US high school class of 2015 took the ACT test approximately 59% of all high school graduates Test Prep - Do your best on test day ACT offers additional ways to prepare ACT Online Prep The Official ACT Prep Guide Sample Test Questions For more information visit: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/ products-and-services/the-act/testpreparation.html The ACT exam can also be used for college entrance. If you choose to take the ACT, you can register at www.act.org The following dates will be available for the spring and fall of 2017. Feb 11 April 8 June 10 Sept 9 Oct 28 Dec 9 ACT does not require the writing portion, but most colleges will. Check with your prospective colleges.
Thinking about Dual Credit for next year?? Did you know you must apply online and be accepted to Northwest Vista College prior to choosing Dual Credit Courses on your Course Card for the coming school year? All students wishing to enroll in Dual Credit Classes in the 2016-2017 School Year need to begin the application process NOW!!!!! You must provide qualifying test scores for eligibility. If using SAT and ACT scores, they must be sent directly to NVC Testing Office. OHS TSI testing dates: Feb. 11, March 4 and 25 Sign up with Ms. Ellis is room B102 https://sites.google.com/a/nisd.net/oconnor-ellisk/home/dual-cre NEW APPLICANT Dual Credit Checklist Complete Apply Texas Application online by Monday, February 6, 2017. Complete the course request google form by Monday, February 6, 2017. Complete a Parent Consent Form and submit to Mrs. Ellis by Monday, February 6, 2017. Complete the GO FAARR and Test Prep Modules online via your ACES account. Sign up to take the TSI on one of the 3 dates offered (the 4 steps listed above must be complete before you can register to take the TSI exam) Retest the TSI if needed BEFORE June 9, 2017. DUAL CREDIT/AP STUDENT AND PARENT NIGHT! RETURNING DUAL CREDIT STUDENT Complete the course request google form by Monday, February 6, 2017. NOV. 16 @ 7:00 IN THE AG BUILDING Complete a NEW parent consent form and submit to Mrs. Ellis BEFORE February 6, 2017. Retest the TSI or a portion of the TSI if you need to. SIGN UP FOR IMPORTANT UPDATES FROM OC COUNSELING!
The Basics are core curriculum requirements that must be completed regardless of major. This means you will complete college English, history, science, math and general ed. classes. Certificate programs of study that typically can be completed in one year. Associate Degree programs of study earned at a community college that usually require 60 college credit hours and can be transferable to four year colleges and universities. Bachelor Degree areas of study that usually require 120 college credit hours or more. Students take 4 to 5 years to complete, and the degree must be completed at a college or university. Hours term used to count credits in college. Many courses are 3 credits which indicate the number of hours per week the class meets. Degree Plan courses that must be passed to complete a degree, or certificate. Financial Aid Package the total amount of money or aid offered to a student from all sources. It is made up from one or more of the following sources: scholarships, grants, work study, or loans.
WHAT DOES COLLEGE REALLY COST? The average cost for Texas 2 year community college is based on 15 college credit hours for both fall and spring. Example schools include the Alamo Community College District schools (Northwest Vista, SAC, St. Phillip s, Palo Alto), Blinn, and Austin Community College. POPULAR TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGES SCHOOL TUITION /FEES BOOKS /SUPPLIES ROOM /BOARD TRANSPORTATION OTHER COSTS TOTAL ACCD $2, 108 $2, 078 $8, 369 $2, 367 $3, 062 $17,984 BLINN $3, 114 $1,620 $10, 240 $3,496 $2,584 $20,954 AUSTIN CC $2,550 $1,200 $9,468 $1,600 $2,208 $17,026 The average cost for Texas 4-year public school is based on 15 college credit hours for both fall and spring. Schools include UTSA, Texas State, Texas A&M, University of Texas at Austin, and Texas Tech. POPULAR TEXAS 4-YEAR UNIVERSITIES SCHOOL TUITION /FEES BOOKS /SUPPLIES ROOM /BOARD TRANSPORTATION OTHER COSTS TOTAL UTSA $9,677 $1,000 $9,558 $2,760 $1,836 $24,831 UT AUSTIN $9, 810 $662 $10,700 $1,490 $2,820 $24,852 A&M $9,707 $1,054 $10,368 $2,282 $3,474 $26,885 TECH $10,622 $1,200 $9,384 $2,300 $2,120 $25,626 The average cost for Texas private institutions is based on 15 college credit hours for both fall and spring. Schools include Baylor, Texas Christian University, Rice, and St. Mary s. POPULAR PRIVATE UNIVERSITY AVERAGE COST SCHOOL TUITION /FEES BOOKS /SUPPLIES ROOM /BOARD TRANSPORTATION OTHER COSTS TOTAL AVERAGE $27,518 $1,153 $8,319 $1,527 $1,790 $40,307 ABOVE INFORMATION WAS GATHERED FROM WWW.COLLEGEFORTEXANS.COM. PLEASE CHECK ACTUAL SCHOOL WEBSITES FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION.
ONLINE CAREER & COLLEGE RESOURCES BE INFORMED! GATHER INFORMATION! RESEARCH YOUR OPTIONS! bigfuture by The College Board www.bigfuture.org Guides families step by step in preparing for, finding and enrolling in college Texas Workforce Commission www.texascareercheck.com Research career & colleges by occupation titles, career clusters, states, programs of study Adventures in Education www.aie.org Planning & paying for college, finding a career, managing your money, financial aid Choices 360 Career Exploration www.choices360.com Build personalized plans by comparing, connecting, and choosing career & education options Own Your Own Future www.ownyourownfuture.com Why go to college? Prep for college, find a college, pay for college OHS Counseling Website oconnorcounseling.weebly.com Academic planning information, college visit forms, SAT/Act info, scholarships, career planning College for All Texans www.collegefortexans.com College research & planning, cost calculator, applying for college, financial aid & testing Occupational Outlook Handbook www.bls.gov/ooh Career information/outlook/searches fastest growing, highest paying, etc
Exploring Your Future!! Career/College Major Exploration Following resource provided by: Texas Workforce Commission: Labor Market and Career Investigation http://www.lmci.state.tx.us/explore/tsc/k12.asp Self Assessment Reality Check Explore Careers & Education What Your Education Will Get You Money Matters Employability Skills An online Interest Profiler helps discover your interests and how they relate to the world of work & decide what kinds of careers you might want to explore. Find out how much money you will need to earn in the future based on the type of lifestyle you want. Explore occupational trends, military occupations, compare occupations. Explore college information & programs of study. The Texas Consumer Resource for Education and Workforce Statistics (Texas CREWS) is an interactive dashboard tool providing comparative information about Texas public 2-year and 4-year postsecondary institutions. Make informed decisions about college and get the best return on educational investments. Tools to learn how to set financial goals, budgets, save & invest, build credit & manage debt, insurance options. Individuals require many skills to be college and career ready. The Employability Skills Framework is a one-stop resource for information and tools to inform the instruction and assessment of employability skills.