Have a College Bound Student?
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Have a College Bound Student? |
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bound students should begin to prepare for college when then enter 9th
grade by selecting courses that colleges want to see on transcripts.
Instructors must maintain accurate records. While this varies from
consultant to consultant the list below is typical.
Recommended High School Courses
Math: 1 credit each in: Extra curricular activities should be included as they can add substance to your high school records. Consider memberships to worthwhile clubs and organizations including youth and volunteer organizations as well as involvement in sports. College Entrance Exams & Tests The two common college entrance exams are the SAT and ACT. To find the time and place closest to you where these tests are administered write the College Board at: College Board they want to see. Also ask if there is anything else you need to know. College entrance exams mostly focus on math and language skills. For language skills the tests focus heavily on vocabulary. Also many colleges are now having a prospective student submit an essay as part of the application process. These are two good reasons why we, Curriculum Services, selected the high school English series that we did, as it has a strong focus on vocabulary and composition. Keep in mind the application process is also a screening process, as they are looking for the students suited for success. Curriculum Services can provide the courses you need. However, we do not offer testing, as discussed in our article on testing, because we feel you can be better served locally. The article on testing was primarily discussing testing for matters outside of college preparation. Testing for college entrance is something you need to look into early because most colleges require the results of certain tests as an entrance requirement. As mentioned above, you need to find out what test results the college(s) of choice require. When the time comes locate the times and places these tests are administered which will likely be at your local high school. Contact the guidance counselor for information. Because the results of the SAT or ACT are so vitally important we recommend you do not wait until the last year to have one or both of these entrance tests thrown at your youngster. Students need to be comfortable not only with the testing process but the contents of the tests as well. For that reason we strongly recommend working hard in high school and follow the direct plan of test taking listed below. This means you need to call the local high school’s guidance counselor for information on taking the tests that are listed on the next page. It must be pointed out that U.S News and World Report (October issue of 1994) reported that more colleges accept the ACT over the SAT. |
Again, you should
contact the college(s) your youngster is interested in and ask the
appropriate questions. It may be in the student’s best interest to take
both tests in the event that a school previously not considered is
uncovered.
The PSAT, given in the 10th grade, is also the test that qualifies students for the National Merit Scholarship. By taking that test your student may find scholarship money. A third test deserves mention here, the CLEP, or the College Level Examination Program. It provides perspective college students the opportunity to earn college credit for a variety of college courses. Typically these credits are earned for students who took some of the more difficult courses in high school, as mentioned here. The concepts learned in these courses enable students to demonstrate mastery of concepts consistent with the passing of certain college level courses. For more information contact CLEP at:
Web Sites for the College Bound The web sites listed offer a wealth of topics with information updated regularly. The first one is featured on the bookmark type flyer that was included with this program. It will take a student step-by-step through the whole process from beginning to registering for class. If you do not own a computer you can access these sites on-line at most public libraries. The topics covered include:
1) ¶Educational Services of AmericaeCampusTours.com 2) College Edge http://www.CollegeEdge.com 3) Financial Aid Information: http://www.finalaid.com 4) Scholarship Search http://www.collegeboard.org/fundfinder/bin/fundfind01.pl 5) College Board ATP (CLEP) PO Box 6200 Princeton NJ 08541-6200 www.collegeboard.com 6) Go College http://www.gocollege.com Books for the College Bound While the information presented here is plentiful it does not include everything you need to know for your college bound student. The following books are recommended:
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