Junior Year Timeline 2015-2016 LHS & College Requirements Colleges at a Glance Planning Visits The ACT Creating a Resume Helpful Links
Junior Year Overview As a junior, you have already been through standardized testing and difficult classes. By now, you have a good understanding of the types of demands that teachers have, and what you need to do to be successful at school. The goal of the counselors, this year, is to help you crystallize what you hope to do when you leave high school, and begin the process of the transition to post-high school. This may include college, trade school, military, or work. Hopefully, by the end of junior year, you will have a clear sense of what you intend to do after Lemont High School! All juniors are required to take the ACT on April 19, which does NOT include the ACT Writing Test. Scores will be posted on your transcript, and this ACT score can be sent out to colleges for admissions purposes. If the college to which you plan to apply requires writing, we recommend that you take another ACT on a Saturday in April, June, or in the fall of senior year.
JUNIOR YEAR TIMELINE September October November December January February March April May Work hard to maintain good grades in classes. Get involved in Homecoming activities. Use Career Cruising to evaluate possible career options. Check NCAA Clearinghouse website to make sure you are enrolled in proper courses, if you wish to play college sports. Register for the PSAT, if applicable. Attend a College Fair to gather information on lots of schools at one time. Log onto www.fastweb.com and register for scholarship information. Sign up for ACT prep class (if appropriate) Study for final exams! Register for senior year classes. Choose courses that will fit your post-high school plans. Register for the Saturday ACT in April, if you want to take it twice. Make a list of colleges to visit over spring break / summer vacation. Schedule appointments for college visits over spring break. Talk to admissions and financial aid professionals at the schools of interest. Take the ACT Register for SAT exam, if applicable. Research summer programs, if interested. Find a summer job, start preparing a resume if required. Bring your parents to our college night to learn about the application process. Attend a spring college fair. Review ACT scores with your counselor. Register with the NCAA, if you plan to play college sports. Prepare for final exams. Ask for letters of recommendations you can use in the Fall. Career Cruising/College Search Orientation 12 th Practice PSAT 20 th NACAC Performing Arts Fair 1pm-3pm 26 th NACAC College Fair at Navy Pier. 11am 3pm www.gotomyncf.com for more details and to register! 7th Moraine Valley College Fair 5:30 8pm 8th College/Fin Aid Night at LHS 14th JJC College Fair 5:30 8pm : 14 th PSAT Test 20 th COD College Fair, 6-8pm 3rd Practice ACT 12 th Combo practice SAT/ACT (free from Kaplan) 7 th & 8 th : Senior registration 6th : ACT testing at LHS 9 th : ACT testing at LHS 19 th State ACT (no writing)
LHS, College, & University Requirements Academic Area LHS State University / Community College Transfer programs Highly Selective Colleges or Universities Community College & Career Vocational Programs Out of state Universities and Colleges English 4 years +Communications 4 years 4 years 4 years 4 years Math 3 years 3 years; algebra, geometry, algebra II 4 years 2 years 3 4 year; Science (lab) 2 years (Physics) Recommend 3 yearsbio, chem, physics 4 years 1 2 years; 3 4 years; Social Studies *Foreign Language Other 3 years (Cult Geo,US Hist, Am Prob, Am Gov) Please see shaded box below right 3 years; emphasis on history and government 2 years often required LHS Requirements cont d: 3.5 PE credits Health/Driver s Ed Communications Business& Tech Concepts Consumer Ed Must pass: Constitution test 3 4 years; 2 4 years; 2 years 3 4 years; Not required 2 4 years; *Vocational education, art or music may be substituted for the foreign language credit at some colleges. Check your college catalogue. Note: Requirements may vary. Always check specific college catalogue.
Planning a College Visit Plan your visit: During the school year, summer, weekends, holiday weekends Check out the campus website for information and instructions on how to schedule a visit Get a map and good directions to campus and admissions building Schedule your visit at least 2 weeks in advance and arrange an interview with an admissions officer Research and prepare a list of questions Take a notebook or the College Visit Checklist at the end of this booklet Prepare for your visit: Bring specific directions to campus admissions building Plan enough time to drive, park, and walk to building Bring an unofficial copy of your transcript and resume or list of activities and accomplishments Bring a camera, campus map, copy of appointment Dress appropriately to interview/meet with an admissions counselor but comfortable to walk around campus for a tour During your visit: Take a campus tour (computer labs, student housing, recreation facilities, library, etc) Talk with students, faculty, and staff Attend a campus event (sport, concert, play, etc) Sit in on a class Eat at the cafeteria Tour the city around campus Read the college newspaper and bulletin boards After your visit: Immediately record your thoughts, pros, and cons. Write a thank you note to the admissions office for taking the time to meet with you If you decide to apply, and if there is an essay, incorporate things that you liked about the campus, students, staff, etc. so the application readers know that you have done your research.
The ACT The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in: English Mathematics Reading Science The ACT Plus Writing includes the four subject area tests plus a 30-minute Writing Test. ACT results are accepted by all 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S. How often can students take the ACT? Frequently Asked Questions about the ACT Students may take the ACT no more than 12 times. Many students take the test twice as a junior and once again as a senior. Does it help to take the ACT more than once? ACT research shows that of the students who took the ACT more than once: 55% increased their composite score on the retest 22% had no change in their composite score on the retest 23% decreased their composite score on the retest *Visit act.org for more information
Helpful Links Finding a College Fit www.careercruising.com www.collegeboard.org www.collegeresults.org www.thecollegenavigator.com www.gocollege.com NCAA Rules & Reqs www.ncaa.org (Click on Rules Compliance/Eligibility) Testing information www.collegeboard.org www.testprep.com www.powerprep.com www.act.org www.shmoop.com College Fairs NACAC College Fair Saturday, September 26, 2015 @ Navy Pier Register and view a complete calendar at www.nacacnet.org IACAC College Fair calendar and registration at www.iacac.org/ice
25 Free Web Apps to Manage Your College Search and Applications Not only is the college application process competitive, it is stressful and often disappointing. But, compared to a decade ago, student applicants today have a wide variety of tools available to them to help them stand out to the colleges of their choices. In this list of 25 free Web apps that you can use to manage your college search and applications, you will find fullservice Web sites, simple search sites, application essay help and sites that contain actual applications for colleges and for the college financial aid process. All the links below are listed in alphabetical order within categories to make it easy for you to gain access to these sites. The luxury behind using Web apps is that you can gain access to these sites from just about any computer. Most of the sites allow you to save your searches as well as incomplete applications so you can return to them later to finish your work. Full Service 1. College Board: Use MatchMaker to generate a list of colleges that match your preferences in this search. Use QuickFinder to research a college that you already have in mind. This site offers a wide variety of information, links, articles and advice on how to make you college search more productive. 2. College Confidential: Here you ll find hundreds of pages of articles about choosing a college, getting into the college you want, how to pay for it, and much more. Search, learn about college admissions and decide how you might pay for college. 3. College Data: This is an online college advisory service provided for students and their parents by 1st Financial Bank. You can Choose, prepare, apply and pay for college with these advice and tools. 4. CollegeNET: You can search for colleges, set up your own board to explore resources and apply to weekly drawings for scholarships at this site for college students. 5. CollegeToolKit: Use this site to help you with every step of your college application process. Search for colleges, scholarships and loans and read articles about careers.
6. CollegeView: This site contains a college search, information about financial aid, tools for the application process and as well as a college recruiting service. They help to bring educational and corporate recruiters together with the college-bound students they want to reach. 7. EdRef College Search Directory: Get free detailed information on thousands of US colleges, universities, and post-secondary trade schools. School info includes admission s, degrees & majors, contact info, test scores, student diversity, religious affiliations, athletics, tuition expenses, etc. 8. My College Calendar: This site provides a college search, college admission information, a calendar so you can keep track of your college admission goals and information about college financing and residences. Applications Apps 9. FAFSA: Every college student should apply for government loans, grants and scholarships. This is the one-stop shop where you can get this work accomplished. Additionally, once you ve filled out all the forms, you can indicate which school you want to receive the information. 10. FinAid: This is another great financial application tool for college students. Apply for loans, scholarships, savings plans, and look into military aid. This site also includes applications for aid. 11. More Than Grades: This free app is a web-based platform for students to create customized profiles for review by college admissions officers. 12. The Common Application: Once completed online or in print, copies of the Application for Undergraduate Admission can be sent to any number of over 400 participating colleges. College Essays 13. 123 Help Me! Search for essays that are free, rated or unrated, term papers and research papers at this site. You ll pay for better papers.
14. Admissions Essay Writing Course: This free course provides an in-depth look at how to write a college essay for your application. It is offered by Peterson s EssayEdge. They supply editing services for a fee. 15. Admissions Essays: For over a decade this company has been committed to helping applicants create the most powerful and effective essays to ensure that they stand out from the crowd when applying to the schools of their choice. Free essays are available. 16. Application Essay Writing 101: The course contains six lessons and over 100 pages of content. Each of the lessons should help you with a different portion of the essay for your college application. 17. GradeSaver: While GradeSaver offers high-quality study guides, they also provide literature essays and school papers. They have been mentioned in several national newspapers for their free essays and sample essays. 18. My Chances: Get free essay feedback from over 25,000 current students and enjoy the college application predictions will you be accepted? This site was created by Yale and Standford graduates. Searches 19. Campus Compare: Discover 4000 community colleges, state colleges, traditional colleges, universities, and more. Dive into the College Current to see college videos, student reviews, and college information on Twitter. 20. Cappex: Create a free profile and see which colleges fit your college dreams, your financial position and your grade levels. Colleges that are interested in you can contact you through this site. 21. College Quest: CollegeQuest is a unique college search service provided at no cost to prospective students. You can talk with advisors who can help you find the right college, university or certification program for your goals, schedule and lifestyle. 22. Get Educated: Find degrees and compare colleges with this tool. You also can get expert advice on financial aid, careers and diploma mills.
23. myusearch: myusearch is an unbiased online resource dedicated to objectively matching students with colleges and providing fair and accurate college enrollment information. Fill out an application and the site will match you up with various colleges. 24. Private Colleges and Universities: This college search allows you to view information from over 4,000 colleges and universities and directly request information from all of our member schools. 25. The International Education Site: Use this site to find free study abroad information, advice and opportunities. This site also includes a universal application.