Junior Parent Meeting

Junior Parent Information NightJanuary 23, 2012Detroit Catholic Central High SchoolGuidance Department

Ms. Colleen Hanson A-FMr. Alan Barker G-MaMs. Shawn Mather Mc-OMr. Jim Gavin P-ZMr. Patrick OBrien, 9th Grade CounselorSenior Year Course SelectionEnglishMathSocial StudiesScienceTheologyElectiveElective4 Years Required4 Years Required3 Years Required3 Years Required4 YearsRequiredAcademic Elective A minimum of 5 Academic Courses are highly recommended, not including Theology. ACT/SAT Testing and PrepACT American College Test100% of four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. now accept the ACT for college admission purposes.

The ACT test contains 4 curriculum-based subject tests that measure skills and knowledge in the areas of English, Mathematics, Reading and Science, as well as an optional Writing Test, for which students complete an essay.

The Guidance Department recommends our students take the optional Writing Test at least once. Check www.actstudent.org for a searchable list of colleges and whether or not they require, recommend, or do not need the Writing Test.

The Guidance Department recommends the juniors take the ACT in April and June of their junior year, since the ACT is curriculum-based - based on the information the student is being taught in high school.

The colleges will take the highest Composite score for admission purposes, which is the average of the 4 subject areas. So, it is in the students best interest to take the ACT more than once.

ACT research supports the fact that 55% of those students who take the test a second time increase their Composite score, while 23% earn a lower score and 22% stay the same.

Look at the following example:4/2011: English Math Reading Science (Writing) Composite score 29 23 23 25 7 25 82 Percentile6/2011: 34 25 30 23 9 28 93 Percentile As can be seen, this student improved in 3 of the 4 tests areas and, as a result, increased his Composite score by 3 points. The Composite score is the average of the 4 subject areas. A few colleges are now even superscoring taking the highest score from each subject area and recalculating the Composite score.

Registering for the ACT:The ACT is offered here at CC on both April 14 and June 9, on a first come, first serve basis. Only 225 seats are available at CC and students from other schools in the area can take the test at this test center, as well.

The registration deadline for the April test is March 9, 2012. The registration deadline for the June test is May 4, 2012.The ACT is always given on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to approximately 12 noon. For those young men involved in athletics, please be sure to check for any schedule conflicts.

Register for the ACT online @ www.actstudent.org (See Handout) There are two necessary Code #s needed when registering: Catholic Central High School Code: 230-860Catholic Central Test Center Code: 197-170

Score Reporting Take advantage of the 4 free score reports that come with each registration. After the test date, you will be charged a fee of $10 per score report. Some colleges require official ACT scores be sent directly from ACT, but others will accept the scores recorded on the transcript.Student Score Reports are mailed to the student within 5-8 weeks after the test date. Scores can also be viewed online at the student Web account a couple of weeks earlier.

SAT Scholastic Aptitude Test/SAT Subject TestsThere are 2 possible reasons why a junior/senior should take the SAT Reasoning Test or SAT Subject Tests: 1. He is a potential National Merit Semifinalist or Commended Student (notified in September 2012) he earned a Selection Index score of 202 or above on the PSAT his junior year 2. A college or university requires one or more Subject Tests in addition to his ACT score. Check the admission/Testing Requirements at the individual college websites. For example, Columbia University will accept either the ACT or SAT, but also requires two SAT Subject Tests. Otherwise, a student would only be required to take the ACT.

SAT Test DatesMarch 10, May 5, June 2, and beginning again in October. SAT tests are also held only on Saturdays, so be sure to check for athletic event conflicts.

Keep in mind, if your son is a potential National Merit Semifinalist or Commended Student, he will not be notified until September 2012. It is not necessary for him to take the SAT prior to October 2011 and especially if he will be taking A/P Exams along with Final Exams in May. Register for the SAT online @ www.sat.collegeboard.comNote: CC is NOT a test site for the SAT. Fewer high schools offer the SAT due to fewer students taking it.

Test Taking Preparation Skills for the ACT/SAT:It is in the best interest of every student to better prepare himself for the ACT and/or SAT. There are a number of ways:Complete an ACT or SAT test preparation courseComplete an ACT or SAT test preparation booklet (available in the Guidance Department)Access Full-length Practice Tests and Preparation Books through Net Shamrock (Library/Media Center-Testing and Education)www.actstudent.org/testprepThe Real ACT Prep Guide 623 page book written by ACTwww.sat.collegeboard.com/practiceThe Official SAT Study Guide Second Edition

Strength of curriculum and grades earnedGrade point average (GPA) - yearly and cumulativeUpward trend in GPAACT/SAT scoresPersonal statements and college essaysSummer academic and/or leadership programs Extra-curricular activities (clubs, sports, Christian Service, etc.)Teacher and counselor letters of recommendationImportant factors determining college acceptance in this order:High School RankAccording to a recent report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 55 percentof high schools no longer report a class rank, the majority of which are small or private high schools. Also according to NACAC, due to the tremendous fluctuation in the curriculum and grading systems of varying high schools across the nation, admissions officers have increasingly begun to overlook the importance of the class rank and to discredit the accuracy of such a rating system as a factor in evaluating potential students.

Because the majority of Catholic Central students exceed the ordinary, our school becomes all the more competitive in terms of making it into the top five or ten of the class. Thus, many brilliant students year after year are consequently over-looked by top schools where they are likely to excel.

In addition, many students who choose to excel in other extracurricular activities and sports rather than achieving straight As are especially at a disadvantage because rank does not take into account the time and the hard work they have expended in these other areas.

The fact of the matter is that no student can be represented by a single number since student dynamics extend beyond the classroom.

Excellent students should not be penalized just because they have been squeezed out of the top 20 in rank.And now for your enjoymentPresenting an Admissions Review Session for

Who Knew University

Junior QuestionnaireIn February, the juniors will receive a Junior Questionnaire to complete for their Junior Interview.The information on this form will assist the counselor in helping the student with his college selections.The information will also assist the counselor in writing a letter of recommendation.For purposes of the letter of recommendation, we encourage the student to update any information on the form in the fall of senior year.Junior InterviewIn the spring, the counselors meet with their juniors, one-on-one, for the Junior Interview. During this meeting each junior is taken through the entire college selection/application process: discussing college choices, searching college websites, explaining the different application deadlines, how and when to request letters of recommendation, choosing/writing college essays, etc. Juniors will begin to fill out the Colleges Im Thinking About section in Family Connection.A worksheet is completed and a copy is sent with the student.The student becomes aware of what and when he needs to complete certain steps in the selection and application process .

Helping your student build his college list In this climate of competitive admissions, students need your help finalizing their lists of colleges and universities to which they plan to apply. How many schools should a student's list contain? And how should a student decide what schools to include? There is no magic number, but five to eight applications are usually enough to ensure that a student is accepted into a suitable institution (depending, of course, on the individual student's record and circumstances). This number should be made up of a combination of safety, match, and reach schools.

More than numbersEven if a student has a suitable number of colleges on his list, there is no guarantee that he's chosen the best schools for him. To help a student finalize his list, Janet Stetson, associate director of admissions at Bard College, suggests asking: Has the student really researched the schools (online and/or by visiting the campuses)? Does the college have the courses and programs the student wants to study? What are the student's financial needs? Are these schools really a good match, considering the student's academic and social needs and interests?

Narrowing the listBy the end of junior year, students should have five to ten schools under consideration. This allows for some flexibility in choice of major, career plans, and potential financial aid or scholarship options. Point your students to the Naviance Colleges Im Thinking About list for tools to help create and manage their lists.

Safety schoolsColleges and universities with flexible admissions standards are often treated as "safety" schools. This term refers to schools whose requirements mean little chance of rejection for that applicant. Most students apply to just one safety school, but a student may opt for an academic safety and a financial safety. Match schoolsA "match" school is one that the student feels will fulfill his needs and desires and one he could happily attend, even though it may not be his first choice. The student should fit the general admissions criteria in academic and social arenas. A good rule of thumb is to have two to four match schools under consideration. Reach schoolsThese are the student's top choices, but ones that are less likely to accept him. This may be because the student's qualifications match or fall slightly short of the school's average, and the competition for the limited places in the freshman class is intense. Students should have one or two schools in this category.

Sizing up the competitionIn addition to their own abilities, students must consider the crucial factors of a school's selectivity and yield rates. The first is associated with the percentage of applicants that a school accepts; the second means the percentage of accepted students who actually enroll. This informationwhich can be easily obtained from the college admissions website and school profile helps to determine a student's chances of getting into specific schools.

Naviance Family Connection Naviance Family Connection is an online tool, custom designed for Catholic Central, that the student, parents, and the counselor can use together to determine the students best path to college. Students can maximize their course, college, and career planning using the resources available through the Family Connection. The Guidance Department also uses Family Connection to share information about upcoming meetings, college visits, scholarships, and other pertinent topics. Register with Family ConnectionTo access Family Connection, you will need a personal access code, which will be provided to you following tonights meeting. You can use this code to register for your own Family Connection account at:www.connection.naviance.com/dcchsAccess codes are provided for both parents and students to create their own separate Family Connection account. Different email addresses must be used for each account holder.Navigating Family Connection is easy!The site is divided into 5 main tabs: courses, colleges, careers, about me, and my planner.

In the Are You Ready for College Guide you will find a quick glimpse of the tools found within each tab.

The College Application ProcessOnline Application Process:Online applications are preferred by the colleges over paper applications and are sometimes FREE! They are also more efficient and timely.Be sure that your son speaks with his counselor prior to submitting his application online.Items that your sons counselor needs to review prior to him submitting online applications are: Short answers to questions on the applicationEssays written by the applicant

When should my son begin applying to colleges/universities?Applications can be sent out as early as September 4 of his Senior year. Your son should do his homework during the summer (virtual tours, writing rough drafts of the essays that are required, etc.)When he arrives back at school in late August, your son should schedule an appointment with his counselor to review what application materials need to be completed.Requesting TranscriptsTranscripts will be sent electronically, beginning September 4, 2012.ACT & SAT scores are included on the student transcript. No individual deletions/additions will be permitted.Students will make transcript requests via Naviance Family Connection. Instructions will be given at the Senior Parent Meeting held in mid-August.Common Application schools vs. Non-Common Application schoolsCheck individual college websites to determine if the school uses the Common Application solely, or if you have the option of completing the colleges own application.If both types of applications are available for a particular college, the benefit to using the Common Application is that the applicant only needs to complete 1 application for all Common App Schools.www.commonapp.org Watch the tutorial on completing the Common Application.Counselor/Teacher evaluation/recommendation forms are requested and submitted electronically via Naviance Family Connection to the Common Application.

Letters of RecommendationMany colleges require Letters of Recommendation both from the counselor and a teacher. Some colleges do not require letters or prefer not to have letters sent. MSU is one of those schools.Common Application Colleges require letters from both a teacher and a counselor. Check the admission requirements for each college to determine what is required.Your son needs to decide on and contact the teacher(s) far in advance- not the week before it is due. Teachers are the most common recommenders and have very busy schedules.Teachers can be asked as early as the end of this school year, in the event the teacher wants to write the letter over the summer.2 teacher letters and one counselor letter is sufficient.When making the verbal request for a letter of recommendation from a teacher, the student must provide the teacher with the following completed form:http://www.catholiccentral.net/Document.Doc?id=655Counselor letters of recommendation require the completion of the Junior Questionnaire

Choosing a College Essay TopicWhat You Write About Says Something About YouUnderlying all essay questions is choice. The essay question may be direct and ask you to choose something about yourself to discuss, or it may be indirect and require you to write about something such as an event, book, or quotation.Why Your Choice of Essay MattersThe college regards your choices as a way to evaluate your preferences, values, mental processes, creativity, sense of humor, and depth of knowledge. Your writing reflects your power of persuasion, organizational abilities, style, and mastery of standard written English. Your essay topic reveals your preferences.

What Colleges Look forYour Preferences: Your essay topic reveals your preferences. Are you an arts person or a hard-facts science type? Certainly, there is a difference between the person who'd like to talk about the Cold War with Machiavelli and someone who'd like to get painting tips from Jackson Pollock.Your Values: Choice also reflects values. The person who drives a beat-up, rusty, 1971 Volkswagen is making a statement about how she wants to spend her money and what she cares about. We say, "That dress isn't me" or "I'm not a cat person." In choosing, you indicate what matters to you and how you perceive yourself.Your Thought Process: Choosing shows how you think. Are you whimsical, a person who chooses on impulse? Or are you methodical andcareful, a person who gathers background information before choosing? Questions about you and about career and college reflect these choosing patterns. Even a question about a national issue can show your particular thinking style, level of intelligence, and insight.

Think about TopicsSome colleges and The Common Application have predetermined essay prompts. * News Flash: The Common Application essay prompts will remain unchanged for the 2012-2013 school year.

Some of the best essaysthe memorable and unusual onesare about very similar, just more focused, topics. Essays about your family, athletic team, trip to France, can be effective as long as they're focused and specific: a single Christmas Eve family gathering, winning a Championship title, ordipping ice cream on a summer job.

A great application essay will present a vivid, personal, and compelling view of you to the admissions staff. It will round out the rest of your application and help you stand out from the other applicants. If you are writing about an experience or a defining moment, make sure you describe in detail, how the experience affected you or changed you in a meaningful way. College Representatives want you to tell them something they dont already know about you.The essay is one of the only parts of your application over which you have complete control, so take the time to do a good job on it.

Keep Your Focus Narrow and PersonalYour essay must prove a single point or thesis. The reader must be able to find your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Try having someone read just your introduction to see what he thinks your essay is about.Essays that try to be too comprehensive end up sounding watered-down. Remember, it's not about telling the committee what you've donethey can pick that up from your list of activitiesinstead, it's about showing them who you are.Prove ItDevelop your main idea with vivid and specific facts, events, quotations, examples, and reasons. There's a big difference between simply stating a point of view and letting an idea unfold in the details:

Don't Tell Them What You Think They Want to HearMost admissions officers read plenty of essays about the charms of their university, the evils of terrorism, and the personal commitment involved in being a doctor. Bring something new to the table, not just what you think they want to hear.Dont write your essay about the Catholic Central Motto: Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge College admissions officers have expressed concern regarding the number of essays they receive that highlight this theme.Don't Use 50 Words When Five Will DoEliminate unnecessary words.Don't Write a ResumeDon't include information that is found elsewhere in the application. Your essay will end up sounding like an autobiography, travelogue, or laundry list. Yawn.Don't Forget to ProofreadTypos and spelling or grammatical errors can be interpreted as carelessness or just bad writing. Don't rely on your computer's spell check. It can miss spelling errors like the ones below.

NCAA ClearinghouseStudent athletes who intend to participate in a sanctioned sport at the college level must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Register online at www.eligibilitycenter.org ACT/SAT test scores are required and must be sent directly from the testing agency Students can register before the end of their junior year. However, transcripts cannot be requested before the end of the junior year.

College VisitsAll colleges are not the same and vary greatly in size. As a result, size, location, academics, and costs need to be considered. The college visit is one of the most important factors in making a good decision on which college to attend.Take a Virtual tour every college/university has their own website with a wealth of information about the school - the application process, admission requirements, academic programs/majors, tuition, campus life and housing, student organizations, athletics, financial aid and scholarships and more.

Schedule a campus tour scheduling information and registration is on the individual college websites. A campus tour usually includes admission presentations for prospective students and families followed by a walking tour of the campus. There is also time for questions. Reservations are required. Some of the smaller schools will even do an individual visit/tour if you call and request. Scheduling your visit while the college is in session allows you to get a true feel for the college life. DRIVE holidays are great days to schedule these visits!

Try the campus on for size. Prospective students can usually tell within the first 15 minutes on a campus if its a place they can see themselves, be comfortable, and fit in. A student should plant himself in the center of campus and observe.Attend a College Fair in your area to learn more about different colleges, Financial Aid, FAFSA, NCAA Eligibility, and more. The Metro Detroit National College Fair is coming up on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at Burton Manor Banquet and Conference Center in Livonia. Over 100 Colleges and Universities from across the country will be represented.

Campus Visit ChecklistHave an interview with an admissions officer. Get business cards and names of people you meet, for future contacts. Pick up financial aid forms. Participate in a group information session at the admissions office. Sit in on a class of a subject that interests you. Talk to a professor in your chosen major or in a subject that interests you. Talk to a coach in your chosen sport. Talk to a student or counselor in the career center. Spend the night in the dorm.

Read the student newspaper. Try to find other student publicationsdepartment newsletters, alternative newspapers, literary reviews. Scan bulletin boards to see what day-to-day student life is like. Eat in the cafeteria. Ask students whythey chose the college. Wander around the campus by yourself. Read for a little while in the library and see what it's like. Search for your favorite book in the library. Read the bulletin boards around the campus. Ask students what they hate about the college. Browse in the college bookstore.

Ask students what they love about the college. Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus. Askstudents what they do on weekends. Listen to the college's radio station. Try to see a dorm that you didn't see on the tour. Imagine yourself attending this college for four years. www.collegeboard.com

Homeroom Visits - Next fall, during the months of September-December, numerous college admissions representatives will be scheduled for visits to CC during the junior and senior homeroom periods. This past fall, 53 different colleges visited CC, including the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, and West Point. This is a great opportunity for your son to meet the college reps, hear all about the colleges and the admission requirements, and ask pertinent questions. The College Visit Schedule will be posted on the CC website, Family Connection, and in the Homerooms.

20 Minute Weekly MeetingIt is important during this college selection process that parents and student spend a little time communicating about this subject. While each party has their own thoughts on the subject, please understand that your son needs some space here. However, a great way to keep the lines of communication open on this subject is to establish a weekly 20 minute meeting.

The student and parents agree to meet once a week for 20 minutes to talk about college. During these 20 minutes, it is okay to ask any questions or make any statements related to college.

Parents can ask their son if he is taking enough college- prep classes, if he is planning to attend the upcoming college visits at school, or if he made an appointment with his counselor regarding registering for the upcoming ACT anything appropriate to college. At the same time, the student can ask any college-related questions or make statements, as well i.e., why does he have to apply to the college his parent attended, he doesnt want to take a 4th year of Spanish, or that he prefers a smaller school vs. a large university.During these 20 minutes, nobody is allowed to lose their cool; nobody interrupts; and each party ends the meeting with a written list of what they need to find out to answer any unanswered questions. Unless the answers are time sensitive, the answers will be shared at the next meeting.

COLLEGE IS A MATCH TO BE MADE, NOT A PRIZE TO BE WON.Frank Sachs