Information for Juniors and Their Parents

JUNIOR ADVISEMENT

Topics for Discussion

- Counselors- Junior Status Meeting- Graduation Requirements- Credits and Honor Points- Numeric Average- Senior Schedule- AP- Dual Enrollment- Move on When Ready- Credits and Honor Points

-GHSGT and PSAT -College Admission Standards- GPA- Researching colleges- Narrowing List of Colleges- Honor Code- SAT/ACT- Scholarships/Financial Aid- HOPE- NCAA

Northview High School – Counselors

Students are assigned to counselors according to their last name:Counselor Student CaseloadSamiah Garcia (A – De)

Jamie D. Brown (Dh – Ka)

Renee Ferrerio, Dept Chair (Ke – Mc)

Allison Leja (Me- Sc)

Steve Creel (Se – Z)

Junior Status Meeting- Purpose…

Please do not be concerned if you do not receive an appointment letter until the latter part of this timeframe - the process takes time and is planned so each student will have a quality meeting prior to the end of February. Parent attendance is optional and the majority of the information we discuss will focus on the information presented here.

October 2010 – February 2011Samiah Garcia A-De Nov-FebJamie Brown Dh-Ka Jan-FebRenee Ferrerio Ke-Mc Oct-JanAllison Leja Me-Sc Oct-FebSteve Creel Se-Z Oct-Feb

Students meet individually with their counselor to discuss

Graduation Requirements 12th grade classes

Post Secondary Plans

Junior Status Meeting- Students Bring…

Student must bring to meeting1) List of colleges of interests

2) Questions to ask your counselor pertaining to the information presented today

Whether you are attending college, technical school, military, or work, come to the junior status meeting prepared to discuss your senior year and your post-secondary plans

NHS counselors will mail and hand-deliver appointment letters to students approximately two weeks prior to the scheduled appointment. 

Tips

-Take out a pen or pencil- take notes on this presentation if needed

-Review this presentation prior to junior status meeting

-Start a college planning binder and include this presentation

Graduation Requirements

Requirements Credits

Language Arts 4

Mathematics 4

Social Studies 3

Science 4

Health/Personal Fitness 1

W Lang and/or Fine Art and/or CTAE

3

Electives 4Students planning to enter/transfer into a 4 year college/university must take a minimum of two units of the same world language.

Credits and Honor Points

Credits

3How many credits are required to be in the 12th grade?

17 credits earned by the start of the 2011/2012 school year

If a student does not have 17 credits then the student is placed in an 11th grade homeroom and cannot attend any senior activities.

Student can be promoted to 12th grade when proper credit is earned.

Honor Points

3Which courses receive honor points?

7 additional points are added at the end of each semester to passing grades in honors, AP, and joint enrollment / college courses.

Numeric Average

Fulton County calculates numeric averages by adding up all grades in classes and dividing by the total number of classes taken. The numeric average is on a 100 point scale i.e. 87 out of 100

All grades included in this calculation – failed grades, summer grades, online grades…

Fulton County adds 7 points to the final passing grade for each Honors, AP, and college course taken; shown on transcript

Sample Senior Schedule

Semester Semester

English English

Math Math

Economics Elective

World Language or another elective

World Language or another elective

Science Science

Elective Elective

Students should take 4-5 academic courses per semesterResearch classes carefullyBe aware of the schedule change policy (announced when scheduling begins for 11/12)

Advanced Placement - AP

3 Program of college-level courses

3 Receive recognition from more than 3,600 colleges and universities that annually receive AP Exam scores. Over 90% of 4-year colleges in the U.S. provide credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying scores

3 Required to take the AP exam in May if passing course

3 AP/Joint Enrollment Option Night – Thursday, January 27, 2011, 7:00 pm, NHS Theater

Program that provides qualified Georgia high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to earn college credit while jointly enrolled in a Georgia public high school and a college, university or technical institution.

Tuition Paid for by student or by the ACCEL Program, which is funded by HOPE Only pays for core courses (Students will have to pay for college electives) These hours will count against their total of 127 total HOPE hours. Interested students must meet the college admission requirements of the postsecondary institution and apply to the Dual Enrollment Program at the college.

More information to come during 2nd semester on admission requirements, classes offered, and application deadlines for classes offered on the Northview campus.

Dual Enrollment – ACCEL

- Tuition, materials and mandatory fees are paid through local system funds

- Students can live on campus or commute but are responsible for these expenses

- All high school End of Course Tests and Georgia High School Graduation Testing requirements must be met

- Classes do not count against the HOPE Scholarship or Grant hours

A new dual enrollment opportunity for students to attend a postsecondary institution full-time during their junior and/or senior year of high school

Students will receive high school credit and college credit simultaneously while attending college classes on the college campus fulltime. Approved college on-line courses can also be taken that meet high school graduation requirements

Move on When ReadyMove on When Ready - MOWR

College Calculus

Currently taught through Distance Learning on the campus of Northview High School by faculty from GA Tech

Admission requirements and application due dates will be announced during 2nd semester

Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT)

MUST PASS all five (5) sections in order to graduate and participate in the graduation ceremony*

Students will have five opportunities to test, if needed

Test ScheduleSept 29 Writing March 21 English/Lang. ArtsMarch 22 MathMarch 23 Science March 24 Social Studies

*The only exceptions to this rule would need to be granted by theGeorgia Department of Education. Exceptions are granted via avariance or a waiver from the Georgia DOE and are difficult toobtain due to a long checklist of requirements

Abbreviated form of the SAT I

Designed to give students an opportunity to practice taking a test which is similar but shorter than the SAT I

Given to 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students

National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) – In the junior year, scores from the PSAT’s are used to determine if a student qualifies for a National Merit Scholarship

PSAT- October 13th

College Admission StandardsGPA – Typically average in academic core on a 4.0 scale (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Language)

Course Selection (rigor; difficulty level) – Selective colleges are looking at the strength or rigor of your courses throughout high school, including your senior year. We highly recommend seniors take a minimum of 4 academics each semester- for highly selective colleges, a minimum of 5 each semester.

Test Scores (SAT and/or ACT)

Class Rank – Based on overall numeric weighted average

Extracurricular Activities – Leadership and participation in clubs, service and sports can be particularly important to competitive colleges

College Application Essays – Required essays on the college application are important because they demonstrate your writing ability and give the college more information about you. Please seek advice when writing an essay and make sure to proofread for errors

Letters of Recommendation – Request teacher recommendation two weeks before needed and counselor recommendation at least two weeks prior to the school’s deadline

Resumes – Contains academic info., honors & awards, extracurricular activities, work/volunteer experience, etc.

Interviews

A Word on Grade Point Average (GPA)

Student should contact college to find how they calculate GPA

Most colleges use this scale: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, F = 0.0

Most colleges only consider academic courses (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language)

Some colleges may give additional points for Honors, AP, and College courses

Some colleges may take off the additional 7 points added for Honors, AP and college courses

High School GPA is calculated by the postsecondary institution not the high school (Fulton County does not calculate)

College GPA is different than the Fulton County Numeric Average

Research CollegesUse the Internet

-GAcollege411 www.gacollege411.org

-Georgia Career Information Service (GCIS) www.gcic.peachnet.edu

User ID: nviewhs Password: gcis1890

-www.collegeboard.com

-Visit college websites and note admission requirements and deadlines

-Research admission requirements, e.g., The University of South Carolina requires 1.0 unit of fine art.

-Visit with College Representatives at Northview High School

-Pre-register in the Counseling Office by signing a list and receiving a permission slip 24 hours in advance

Visit College Campuses

-Request up to 6 days of pre approved absences each year to visit colleges

-Start visits junior year and complete them by early fall of your senior year

-Meet with representatives from admissions, financial aid and from your area of interest and ask questions during your visit

Research Colleges

Use the College Career Room to research colleges and scholarships

- Trained parent volunteers are available for assistance to parents and students during the lunch periods.

Attend College Fairs

-Probe Fair North Point Mall September 29th 6pm – 9pm

-NSS Scholarship Program College Fair GA World Congress Center October 5-6 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

-NACAC Atlanta National College FairGA International Convention CenterFebruary 13th 12 pm – 4 pm

-Northview High School 7th Annual College Fair NHS Food CourtFebruary 14th 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Narrow your list of colleges – List should be balancedView the school profiles, and compare the admissions data to your own academic record and test scores.

- Dream/Reach school (less than 30% chance of admission)- Your Academic Record/Test scores are below average- For highly selective schools, your scores may meet or be

above avg

- Good Fit/Target school (30%-60% chance of admission)- Your Academic Record/Test Scores are in line with average

- Safety school (greater than 60% chance of admission)- Your Academic Record/Test Scores are above average

- You need at least one safety school - Highly selective school should never be considered safety

- Close to home (more affordable) - Consider location and the cost of traveling home Apply to schools that are a good match for your personality, interests, and career goals

Focus / Target Your List

If a college or scholarship program inquires about honor code violations or discipline, we are obligated to report this information.

Also, inquiries on a student's integrity may also be affected if the student has a documented out of school suspension or honor code violation.

Acceptance to college is provisional and the colleges hold all of the rights.

Colleges reserve the right to rescind admission or put you on immediate probation.

Honor Code and Discipline

SAT I College admission test that measures students’ mathematical ability, critical reading knowledge, and writing skill.

SAT Subject Tests One-hour tests offered in subjects such as English, foreign language, science, history, and mathematics. Some colleges require the SAT II test(s) & students should check with each college to determine whether it is necessary to take the SAT II(s).

American College Testing Program (ACT) College admission test which measures aptitude and skill in English, math, reading, natural sciences, and writing.

Test RegistrationSAT www.collegeboard.comACT www.act.orgHigh School Code 111148

It is recommended students take the SAT and/or ACT at least twice during the 2nd semester of their junior year and once at the beginning of their senior year

College Entrance Exams

SAT Versus ACT

Type of Test SATTest of critical thinking and problem solving

ACTContent-based test

Test Dates October 9November 6December 4January 22March 12

May 7June 4

October 23December 11February 12

April 9June 11

Score 600 to 2400 1 to 36

Penalty for wrong answers

Yes No

Structure Critical ReadingMath (through Algebra 2)

Writing

EnglishMath (through trigonometry)

ReadingScience ReasoningWriting (Optional)

Scholarships/Financial Aid

- Scholarships will be posted on the NHS Counseling Website- Research scholarships on the internet

www.scholarships.comwww.fastweb.comwww.gacollege411.orgwww.gsfc.org

- Contact colleges directly about financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Colleges award many renewable scholarships. Ask about criteria, procedures and deadlines

Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship

Eligible students receive financial assistance covering tuition, HOPE- approved mandatory fees, and a book allowance

Qualifications

- U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen

- Legal resident of Georgia

- Graduate of an eligible GA high school

- 3.0 GPA in core-curriculum subjects

- valid SS#Selective ServiceMales must register with the Selective Service no later than 30 days before their 18th birthday HOPE eligibility will be delayed until this requirement is met www.sss.gov

HOPE GPA

A 3.0 GPA is required by averaging core coursework, including failing grades, on a 4.0 scale

Core Courses ConversionEnglishMathScience Social ScienceWorld Language

Honors points are removed and a 0.50 weighting is added back in for AP courses only, not to exceed 4.0

Middle school credit is not calculated in the HOPE GPA

All calculations are done by the Georgia Student Finance Commission

Counselors are not responsible for calculating the HOPE GPA

A 2.99 GPA does NOT qualify you for HOPE

A 90 to 100

4.0 Points

B 80 to 89 3.0 Points

C 70 to 79 2.0 Points

F 0 to 69 0 Points

HOPE

Apply for the HOPE

Apply for the HOPE - Complete starting January, 2012 senior year:

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - www.fafsa.ed.gov orGeorgia Student Financial Aid Application System (GSFAPPS) - www.GAcollege411.org

View your HOPE average

Go to www.gacollege411.org and create an account.

For Additional Information on HOPE

Contact Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC)

770-724-9000 or www.gsfc.org

NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse

• If you are planning on participating in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or II institution you must register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse

• Access the registration materials by visiting the NCAA website www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

• When taking the SAT/ACT, enter 9999 for scores to be sent to NCAA

• Students and parents are responsible for determining NCAA eligibility to Division I and Division II schools

• Counselor’s are neither responsible nor allowed to determine eligibility

Be aware that the NCAA may or may not approve courses taken through a non-traditional format such as online, distance learning, correspondence, credit recovery, etc.

Counselors and Graduation Coaches are not responsible for researching or advising NCAA policies. It is up to the student and family to investigate NCAA regulations as they pertain to non-traditional courses

Freshman Profile

UGAMiddle 50% GPA 3.68-4.00Middle 50% SAT 1800-2080Middle 50% Act 27-31

GA TechMiddle 50% GPA 3.72-4.06Middle 50% SAT 1900-2130Middle 50% Act 27-32

Communication

Our main source of communication this year will be via email.

If you have not received our past emails, we do not have your email address . Please send Renee Ferrerio (Ferrerio@fultonschools.org) your email address if we do not have one on record for you.

NHS Counseling Website

Posted online at www.northviewhigh.com between now and the start of Junior Status Meetings:

-Junior Advisement PowerPoint Presentation-Video -College Profile Summary-Helpful Websites-GPA Calculation Sheet-College Organization Worksheet-Junior Advisement Sheet

Q&A

It is the policy of the Fulton County School System not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national

origin, age, or disability in any employment practice, educational program, or any other program, activity or service.