Da Vinci Science On the Road to College
Review 9 th and 10 th grade checklist including community service, resume building, and standardized testing. College entrance requirements and beginning the college search. SAT s & ACT s & PSAT s, oh my! Practice test results and next steps. Pop Quiz!
GRADES RIGOR OF COURSES ESSAY EXTRA CURRICULAR TESTING EVALUATION FROM TEACHERS/COUNSELOR DEMONSTRATED INTEREST
Course Selection Da Vinci offers a college preparatory curriculum for ALL students. Pass all classes and stay on track. Turn in work on time build time management skills. Attend office hours and establish relationships with teachers and counselors. Get involved with extra curricular activities clubs, sports, volunteer services. Most importantly, keep your grades up! They matter.
Colleges do not look at your freshman year grades FALSE! While colleges may all calculate your GPA differently, your transcript includes all courses taken.
Community Service make it meaningful! Visit www.volunteermatch.org Resume begin compiling a list of all activities since post-8 th grade (community service, work experience, honors and awards, extracurricular activities, sports, dance shows, drama performances, clubs, hobbies, and interests) Begin the college search attend local college fairs, visit college campuses, and research online www.collegeboard.com Find your match Prepare for standardized tests make a testing calendar and use your practice test results to improve. Plan ahead for great summer opportunities job, internship, or volunteer position. And most importantly
Work with your teachers. Attend office hours. Turn in ALL assignments. Study (I mean really study) for exams. Plan ahead for summer activities to add to your resume. Know your goals and establish a game plan.
It is not important to begin a resume until the 12 th grade FALSE! Can you remember what you did in 8 th grade? Begin your resume now! It s not important that you have a proper format. It is important that you keep a list of events, activities, and achievements that you will add to your resume. This is something you can begin now and update regularly to keep you from scrambling your senior year.
You can start by visiting our high school website at www.davincischools.org and registering for Family Connection with your counselor. College MatchMaker www.collegeboard.com Also, when you take the PSAT you are automatically eligible to use My College Quickstart, a free college and career planning tool. Things to consider: Size, Location, Academic Programs, Campus Life, Cost Gather information Start a folder, visit college websites, take campus tours, and attend local college fairs. March 12 th All grades 2-4pm Mini College Fair at DVS March 13 th All 9 th grade to UCLA & USC March 14 th All 10 th grade to Cal State Long Beach, or Marymount College, and all to UC Irvine Know your goals Determine eligibility requirements for your target schools including courses you need to complete, GPA s you need to achieve, and tests you need to take. For example
Do you want to attend a UC school? A Cal State University? An independent university? Each college will have a specific list of requirements for entrance and eligibility.
a History/Social Sciences - 2 years required: World History, US History b English - 4 years required c Mathematics 3 years required, 4 years recommended d Laboratory Science 2 years required, 3 years recommended e Language Other Than English 2 years required, 3 recommended f Visual and Performing Arts 1 year required g College-Preparatory Elective 1 year required (ex: 3rd year of language, 2nd year visual performing arts, advanced math or science)
UC CSU Private CCC Tests Required SAT or ACT plus Writing SAT or ACT Most likely SAT or ACT and Subject Tests No admission test required. Placement tests only. Essays 2 required None Essays vary None Letters of Rec None None Letters vary None
10 th Grade Testing Opportunities PSAT @ DVS in October PRA (Princeton Review Assessment) @ Da Vinci Science Suggested Subject Tests: World History (success in World History) Chemistry (success in Chemistry) 11 th Grade Testing Opportunities PSAT @ DVS in October Practice SAT or ACT @ DVS (online registration) SAT or ACT in Fall and/or Spring Suggested Subject Tests: US History Math 2 (success in Pre-Calc) Biology (success in respective subject) Register at: www.act.org (ACT) or www.collegeboard.com (SAT)
In 10 th Grade The PSAT is typically a student s first experience with a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT. Scores are reported on a scale of 20 to 80. In 2012, the average score for tenth graders was about 42 in Critical Reading, 43 in Mathematics, and 41 in Writing Skills. In 11 th Grade The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Taking the PSAT as an 11 th grader gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools. In 2012, the average score for eleventh graders was about 47 in Critical Reading, 48 in Mathematics, and 46 in Writing Skills.
The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to: Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice. See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college. Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11). Help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT. Receive information from colleges when you check "yes" to Student Search Service.
PSAT scores are not used in the college admission process. Your Selection Index is the sum of the three scores (CR + M + W) and range from 60 240. Only students in eleventh grade are eligible to enter NMSC scholarship programs.
Courtesy of the Princeton Review
How many subject tests do I need for a UC school? 2 are strongly recommended Where do I register for SAT s/act s? Online at Collegeboard or ACT.org How many times should I take the SAT/ACT? 2-3 times (if necessary)
The ACT is not accepted by some colleges. False PSAT is really important to college admissions. False If I get a score, I ll get into college. False You need to be in a ton of activities to get into college. False
Applying to many schools increases your chances of getting in. False It is not important to begin a resume until the 12 th grade. False Don t start writing your essay/looking at applications until senior year. False If you don t go to Stanford, CAL, USC, or Harvard, you will be a failure. Very False
Thank you for joining us! Questions? Contact us: Tristen McClendon Francisca Marquez Last names A-K Last names L-Z tmcclendon@davincischools.org fmarquez@davincischools.org