Junior Guidance

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Junior Guidance

• Preparing for the Future

09/10/2008
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THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS TO REMEMBER
CONCERNING GRADUATION RESPONSIBILITY

• Its the students graduation
• Its the students responsibility
• The student must take ownership!

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Graduation Responsibility

• Last chance for free education ...
• use all resources and
• investigate opportunities!!!

• The Student has the ultimate
• responsibility
• 1. Check high school credits
• 2. Check college requirements
• 3. Know NCAA requirements
• 4. Avoid last minute problems grades,
  attendance, behavior

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Graduation Plans

• Arlington Minimum
• Recommended
• Distinguished

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Graduation Plans (continued)

• Arlington Minimum
• - 24 total credits
• - includes 6.5 elective credits
• - fulfills requirements for
• entrance into junior colleges

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Graduation Plans (continued)

• 2) Recommended entrance requirements for most
  4-year colleges and universities follow the
  Recommended Program
• - 24 total credits
• - specific math sequence
• - specific science sequence
• - 2 credits of same foreign language
• - 1 fine art credit
• - 3.5 elective credits

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Why follow the Recommended Program?

• College Admissions
• Recommended Plan fulfills most admissions
  requirements

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Graduation Plans (continued)

• Distinguished Achievement Plan
• Recommended Plan with additional requirements
  of
• - 3rd year foreign language
• - Any combination of following 4 components
• 1) Selection as National Merit Finalist,
  Semi- Finalist, Commended Scholar,
  National Hispanic Scholar, or
  Achievement Scholar
• 2) Special research project
• 3) Score of 3 or higher on any AP exam
• 4) 3.0 average on any college course taken
  while in high school (includes dual
  credit courses)

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For Your Information

• Transcript shows
• 1. of credits
• 2. GPA
• 3. Rank
• 4. Test scores
• 5. Graduation plan
• (Example next 2 slides)

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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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For Your Information

• Ordering transcript
• Order from Mrs. Broker in
• Counseling Office
• 1st transcript is free, 2.00 for
• each additional transcript
• Provide addressed stamped
• envelope if mailing for
• scholarship or
  college application

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TAKS

• FYI gtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgt
• Scoring well on the
• TAKS may earn you
• an exemption on the
• THEAstate college
• entrance exam.

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TAKS Must pass all sections of
TAKS for graduation.

• Exit Level test dates
• ELA / Writing March 3rd
• Math April 29th
• Science April 30th
• Social Studies May 1st

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TAKS Must pass all 4 sections of TAKS for
graduation
IMPORTANTIf currently classified as junior and
want to graduate at the end of this year (May) or
summer (August), see your counselor. You will
need to be scheduled for the OCTOBER
TAKS.
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October TAKS On-line Must pass all sections
of TAKS for graduation.

• For any Junior who will be reclassified
• at semester to senior status and is on
• target to graduate at the end of May or August.
• October test date
• ELA / Writing October 21st
• Math October 22nd
• Science October 23rd
• Social Studies October 24th

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COLLEGE INFORMATION CONTINUED
Begin gathering information on prospective
colleges Example How many credits of math are
required? How many credits of foreign language?
Listen to announcements Scholarship
opportunities and colleges visiting MHS during
lunch.
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PSAT Information

• PSAT Preliminary SAT
• Given once a year
• Serves as the National Merit Scholarship
  Programs qualifying test

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PSAT Information
When Wednesday, October 15th Time 1130 to
approximately 245 Where Martin High
School Cost No cost
Test-takers will not be allowed to leave the
buildingmay bring lunch or purchase boxed
lunches from cafeteria.
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PSAT Information
Registration Next Monday, September 15th
before and after school in the library
lobby First two days of registration is
reserved for juniors. Must bring Student ID
and decision box lunch or bringing own
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My College QuickStart
Post PSAT Opportunity

• Free online for all high school students taking
  the PSAT
• Online personalized college and career planning
  kit

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My College QuickStart

• Features
• Online Score Report test questions, answer
  explanations, projected SAT scores and state
  percentiles
• SAT Study Plan
• Personalized list of colleges, majors, and
  careers
• MyRoad online college, major, and career
  exploration tool

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TESTING

• SAT - measures general verbal, mathematical
  reasoning, and writing skills
• - offered at UTA in October,
  November, January, March June

• ACT - measures more closely high school
• curricula
• - offered at UTA or Mansfield Summit
  in October, February, April (UTA only)
  and June (UTA only)

Enrollment in junior college does not require ACT
or SAT.
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SAT

Writing position essay with supporting
examples Math includes Algebra II
topics Critical Reading short and long
passages, no analogies
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TESTING CONTINUED
SAT AND ACT PREFER ON-LINE REGISTRATION SAT
www. collegeboard.com ACT www.actstudent.org If
needed, registration forms and practice tests
located in counseling office (school code on
packets)
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COLLEGE INFORMATION CONTINUED
Test scores must be sent directly to the college
or university
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TESTING CONTINUED
WATCH REGISTRATION DEADLINES!
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TESTING CONTINUED

• IMPORTANT FOR COLLEGE Must enter SS on test
  registration forms and the test itself for scores
  to be entered on transcript.

You must be accepted for free or reduced lunches
to request fee waivers for SAT, ACT, or college
applications.
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TESTING CONTINUED

• THEA must take prior to enrolling in Texas
  college, university, or teacher education
  program.
• Exemptions from THEA
• TAKS ELA gt 2200,
• WRITING gt 3,
• MATH gt 2200
• Partial exemptions for parts passed.
• SAT combined gt1070 with Verbal and Math both gt
  500
• ACT composite gt 23 with English and Math
  both gt 19

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TESTING CONTINUED
Register on-line for THEA at www.thea.nesinc.co
m or paper registration forms are
located in Counseling Office.
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GPA and Rank

• Valedictorian
• Salutatorian
• Summa (top 2)
• Magna (top 10)
• Cum (top 20)
• Honor Graduates (10.0 GPA)

Final ranking determined at end of 5th 6wks
computed on a 7 and 4/7 semester formula (2
semesters for 9th, 10th, 11th and 1 4/7ths of a
semester for the senior year)
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MISCELLANEOUS

• Exemption Policy
• 80 average
• no more than 3 excused absences
• no more than 2 tardies in a class per semester
  
• no unexcused absences
• no OCS

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED
Start application process now for
Air Force Academy Naval
Academy West Point
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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED

• Top 10 - Automatic admissions to
• Texas college/university if Top 10.
  Must apply!!!!

• NCAA Clearinghouse information available from
  Mrs. Plemonsor online www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED

• RESTRICTED DIRECTORY INFORMATION
• If you checked to restrict directory information
  , your name, picture, etc ., will not be included
  in such things as newspaper, yearbook, program
  listings, recognition lists, graduation
  announcements, etc.

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED

• RESTRICTED DIRECTORY INFORMATION
• Three choices
• 1) yes everything will be released as
  directory information
• 2) no address phone all directory
  information will be released , except for
  address and phone
• 3) no everything will be restricted

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED
RESTRICTED DIRECTORY INFORMATION Should you
need to make changes to your Directory
Information, see Mrs. Allison in the Counseling
Office.
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FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

• Scholarship Websites
• www.fafsa.ed.gov
• www.fastweb.com
• www.collegeboard.com

• Financial Aid Consultant Seminar
• When February (date TBA) What
  Assistance with filling out individual
  forms

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Local Scholarship Opportunities

• Listen for upcoming spring announcements
• Richard Green / Texas Rangers Scholarship
• Hank Blaylock / Texas Rangers Scholarship
• Both are 2500 scholarships renewable for 4 years
  (10,000)

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Local College Opportunities

• Tarrant County College Cornerstone Program
  an honors program leading
  to acceptance, with scholar-
  ships, to third and fourth
  year of college.
• University of Texas (Arlington) Honors
  Academy dual credit opportunity with
  possibility of receiving renewable scholarships
  to UTA.

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College and Career Night

• When September 25th
• Time 700 PM
• Where Bowie High School
• What Representatives from over 150
  Colleges / Universities
• Financial Aid presentations
• Parent participation encouraged!

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College Readiness Seminar

• When Thursday, January 8th Time 700 PM
• Where MHS Auditorium
• What PSAT information and college
  preparation
• Student and parent participation
  encouraged
• PLEASE INVITE THEM!

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GUIDANCE PACKETS

• TAKE HOME AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH PARENTS!