SUCCESS IN HIGH
SCHOOL LEADS
TO COLLEGE
OPPORTUNITIES
High School: Terms to
Remember
• GPA (Grade Point Average): The average of all grades you’ve
received within a given period of time. Weighted GPA gives you
credit for honors, AP, and/or IB courses as well.
• Transcript: The official document that shows the classes you
have taken and the grades you received in each one.
Documentation starts at the beginning of your Freshman year.
• Extracurricular Activities: Things you do outside of the
classroom such as sports, clubs, part-time jobs, and more.
• College Counselor: A school staff member who is assigned to
help guide your college application process. They should work
with you throughout your high school career but will be most
heavily involved in meetings with you and your family during your
junior and senior years.
High School: Exploring GPA
and Transcripts
Do you know?
• Why do you think GPA and transcripts are
important?
• Do you start with a new transcript in high
school?
• How many years will your transcript list by
the time you are senior in high school?
• Who do you think will look at your
transcript?
High School: Exploring GPA
and Transcripts
Parts of a Transcript:
• Student and School information
• Course Information
• Grading Scale
High School: What to put on
your transcript
Work toward becoming a Maryland Scholar by completing
the following high school coursework:
The Maryland Scholars Course of Study
4 credits of English
4 credits of Math – Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and PreCalculus. *If you took Algebra I in middle school, you should expect to take
Calculus or Statistics in your 4th year.
3 credits of Lab Science - Biology, Chemistry,
Physics [preferred]
3 credits of Social Studies – U.S. History, World History,
Government
2 credits of the same Foreigh Language
(Students must attain a 3.0 GPA to qualify.)
High School: SAT and ACT
SAT:
•
•
•
•
•
Is undergoing revision currently – you will be taking a new SAT
National college admissions test with three sections: EvidenceBased Reading and Writing (including a Reading Test and a
Writing and Language Test), Math, and optional Essay sections.
Sections take between 35-80 minutes to complete for a total of
3 hours and 50 min.
Will take a practice called a PSAT your sophomore year
Score Range: 400 to 1600
Learn more: https://www.collegeboard.org/deliveringopportunity/sat
ACT:
• National college admissions test with five sections: English,
Math, Reading, Science, and Writing. Sections take between
35-60 min. to complete and you take each section once for a
total of 3 hours and 25 min.
• Score Range: 11 - 36
• Learn more: www.actstudent.org
High School: SAT and ACT
You are not alone! There are many resources out there to help
you prepare for the SAT and ACT and many of these resources
are free.
• Khan Academy offers free SAT test prep online:
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat
• College Board and ACT both post free practice tests, questions
of the day, and more on their websites:
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/ and
http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/
• Your local library will have SAT/ACT test prep books – make
sure to read through these books to help prepare
• Read more! To improve on the verbal and reading
comprehension sections of both tests, just sit down and read
more. Its that easy!
High School: Plan for Financial
Aid There are many forms of financial aid that will be available
to you, but you have to apply by certain deadlines to receive
them. No form of aid is automatic!
Types of Aid:
• Government aid: Grants, scholarships, loans, and workstudy that are given out by federal and state
governments. Deadline will be in February 2019.
• College merit aid: Scholarships that your college may
offer you due to strong academic achievement.
Deadlines for consideration are posted by each college.
• Private aid: Grants, scholarships, and loans offered by
private organizations. Deadlines will be year round and
applications will be different for each one.
High School: Thinking about
your future
There is no one-size-fits-all college or career plan, but with
90% of the fastest growing professions and 60% of all
current jobs requiring post-secondary degrees, you will
benefit from attending a 4-year college after high school.
What career are you interested in pursuing? Do you
know what major you will want to pursue to achieve
success in that career?
YOUR COLLEGE
COUNTDOWN
College: Countdown to
College
9th Grade:
• Check in with your guidance counselor
regularly to discuss goals and plans.
• Meet your college counselor to get on
his/her radar early!
• Sign up for Maryland Scholars
courses.
• Study! Colleges look at your transcript
beginning with freshman grades. All 4
years count!
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Talk to your guidance counselor about
taking AP classes next year as a
sophomore.
• Find and extracurricular activity that
interests you and join.
College: Countdown to
College
10th Grade:
• Check in regularly with your guidance
counselor to make sure you are on track
with your coursework.
• Meet with your college counselor as well
this year to continue to build a relationship
• Keep up with your academics and sign up
for honors, AP, or IB classes if you are
ready.
• Continue extracurricular activities and take
a leadership role if possible.
• Take the PSAT test to be prepared for the
SAT. Study for it - there are some
scholarships associated with the PSAT.
• Plan enrichment activities for the summer
–internships, apprenticeships, jobs, and
shadowing opportunities.
College: Countdown to
College
11th Grade:
• Continue to check in with your guidance
counselor to make sure you are on track
– maintaining strong grades this year is
very important!
• Schedule regular meetings with your
college counselor this year. Maintain
good grades and work to your potential.
• Take Honors, IB and/or AP classes.
• Register, study, and take the SAT or
ACT test.
• Check out the colleges you are
interested in either in-person or online.
Start making a list of your favorites!
• Think about scholarships – start early so
you can build a record that allows you to
qualify.
College: Countdown to
College
12th Grade:
• Take a rigorous math class so you’ll be
successful when taking college entrance
exams.
• Meet with your college counselor and
review your transcript and ask him/her
for a recommendation letter. Do mock
interviews with him/her to prep as well.
• Know and meet the deadlines to fill out
college applications. Start early!
Writing essays and getting teacher
recommendations can take time.
• Submit your college financial aid
application (FAFSA) by Feb. 15
• Search the web and private groups for
scholarships and apply.
EXPLORING YOUR
OPTIONS
College: The Options
There are many four-year universities and
colleges out there. These four-year schools
offer students a Bachelor’s Degree.
• There are over 2,700 four-year schools in
the US.
• Maryland houses 38 four-year schools, 12
of which are public colleges/universities.
You will have many options for your future
college or university choice!