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College Info for Juniors
Metro High
School
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
College Info
for Juniors
ACT & SAT
 What
are colleges
looking for?
 College
visits
exploration and
 Naviance
 Senior
 What
Comm
should you be
doing now?
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Sign up NOW for SAT and ACT
tests!

Take both tests! Most colleges will consider your highest score from
either test.

Compare your scores and focus on preparing to retake your best
test one or two more times senior year.

Register NOW so that you don’t get closed out of your preferred
testing site!

When you register to take tests, make sure to include any colleges
you may be interested in applying to later. It’s free to send scores to
4 colleges before the test, but will cost about $10 per score report if
you request these after the test.

Most colleges want scores to be reported directly from test
companies!
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Other test info:
 Fee
waivers:
 For
students who qualify for Free and Reduced
Lunch Program-2 per test
 Obtain from Ms. Mechling or the Student Support
Center
 Fill out lunch application next year
 IEP
 If
or 504:
you have an IEP or 504 plan and qualify for
testing accommodations at Metro, please see your
Intervention Specialist to apply for ACT/SAT
accommodations ASAP
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Admission Testing - SAT
Sections Scored
Score Range
Critical
200-800
Mathematics
200-800
Writing
200-800
Total
600-2400
Multiple-Choice
Subscore
Essay
20-80
2-12
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Admission Testing – ACT
*Take the ACT WITH Writing!
Sections Scored
English
Mathematics
Reading
Science
Composite (Average of four sections)
Score Range
1-36
1-36
1-36
1-36
1-36
Writing Test
Combined English/Writing
0-12
1-36
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Score Reporting
 Sending
all scores- Some colleges will use your
best scores from one test or sub scores from
multiple tests. Don’t be scared to send your first
set of scores!
 Send
4 scores to colleges for free
 Metro
students should be sending scores to OSU
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SAT Subject Tests
 One
hour, multiple choice test on one of 20
different subjects.
 Required
by some selective colleges for
admission. Note – most students do not need
SAT Subject Tests.
 Some
colleges accept the ACT instead of the
SAT Reasoning + Subject Tests
 Offers
you an additional opportunity to show
colleges what you know.
ACT Deadlines
TEST DATE: June 14, 2014
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 9, 2014
TEST DATE: September 13, 2014 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: August 8, 2014
TEST DATE: October 25, 2014 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 19, 2014
SAT Deadlines
TEST DATE: May 3, 2014
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 4, 2014
(Late reg-April 18th)
TEST DATE: June 7, 2014
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 9, 2014
METRO HIGH SCHOOL CODE: 365-204
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Test prep

http://www.act.org

http://www.collegeboard.org

http://www.kaplan.com

http://www.princetonreview.com
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What should you consider?
 Size
and diversity of student body
 Location
 Academic
 Campus
programs
life — athletics, activities, housing
 Graduation
 Financial
and retention rates
aid and scholarship opportunities
Above all, think about where you will be the most
happy and successful in your college life!!!
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Sorting out colleges…
Public vs. Private

Public colleges are funded by local and state governments
and usually offer lower tuition rates than private colleges,
especially for students who are residents of the state where a
college is located.

Private colleges rely mainly on tuition, fees and private
sources of funding. Private donations can sometimes provide
generous financial aid packages for students.
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Sorting out colleges…
Four-year colleges

Four-year colleges offer four-year programs that lead to a bachelor's
degree. These include universities and liberal arts colleges.
Community college

Community colleges offer two year associate degrees that prepare
you to transfer to a four year college to earn a bachelor’s degree. They
also offer other associate degrees and certificates that focus on
preparing you for a certain career. Community colleges are often an
affordable option with relatively low tuition.
Vocational-technical and career colleges

Vocational-technical and career colleges offer specialized training in
a particular industry or career. Possible areas of study include culinary
arts, firefighting, and dental-hygiene. These colleges usually offer
certificates or associate degrees
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What colleges Consider…
Primary Factors
Additional Factors

Quality/Rigor of Academic
Courses

Extracurricular
Activities/Leadership

Academic Performance/
Grades (upward trend)

Essay(s)

Letters of Recommendation

Demonstrated Interest

Honors/Awards

Test Scores (ACT, SAT, SAT
Subject Tests)
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What are top schools looking for?

Four years of math

Three years of the same foreign language

One year of fine art

ACT of 28 or SAT of 1900 or 3.7 GPA
A little advice…

ALL of your grades matter!

Finish your junior year strong

Retake courses and improve grades this summer if necessary

Colleges will review your senior schedule and grades carefully!
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Selective Schools

The fewer students a school accepts, the more likely it is to
place emphasis on “tip” factors in the admissions process.

Demonstrated Interest
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
Students unique strength/situation
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

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On-campus visits
Summer programs at the school
Table visits at college fairs
Particular musical instrument, sport, or other strength
Major area of study interest
First generation college student
Staff at those highly selective schools may want to see SAT
Subject test scores in two to three of your strongest subjects.
You can start taking those tests this spring too!
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Make your life easier…use the
right tools!

College Board-http://www.collegeboard.org
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ACT website - www.actstudent.org
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Naviance / Family Connection http://connection.naviance.com/metroechs

School Counselors

College Admissions Counselors
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College fairs
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Campus visits
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Naviance / Family Connection
http://connection.naviance.com/metroechs
+College Planning Tools
Click here to add the
names of any colleges
that you are already
considering.
Many Ways to
Research Colleges:
•College Match
•College Lookup
•College Search
Scholarship Search
+ Search Individual Colleges
Add schools to your list.
Cost and Aid
Admission Requirements
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College visits
 Visit
a variety of schools
 Talk
with faculty and students who can address
your interests
 Meet
with an admissions counselor
 Ask
about financial aid
opportunities
 Ask
about career placement
in your field of interest
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What is senior communications?

All seniors take Senior Comm with Ms. Mechling about the
college application process (essays, application process,
scholarships, etc.)

1 credit (0.5 for Fall, 0.5 for Spring)

Metro uses NAVIANCE to send transcripts, secondary school
reports, letters of recommendation etc. to colleges and
universities. Students will use this website for colleges they
are applying to via CommonApp as well as other
applications.
+ What should you be doing this
spring and summer?

Registering and taking the ACT/SAT

Studying for the fall ACT/SAT

Refining your college search

Visiting college campuses

Gaining internship/volunteer/work experience

Narrowing down colleges to short list

Add 5 colleges to your “Colleges I’m Thinking About” list.
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Developing/updating resume
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Identifying who to ask for letters of recommendation
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1 to 2 Metro teachers and other outside recommenders.
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College Info for
Juniors: Part 2

Parts of an application

Safety, Match, Reach schools
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Common App overview
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Sample essay prompts
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How to improve your college
application this summer
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Advice from the Class of 2014
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Parts of a College Application
Online Applications
Test Scores
Official Transcript
Metro School Profile
Letters of
Recommendation
Secondary School
Report
• Your demographic information
• Your activities and involvement
• Essays (if applicable)
• Application fee (if applicable)
• Most colleges require these to be sent directly from ACT and SAT.
• The scores are also on the high school transcripts.
• Students must request transcripts on Naviance at least two weeks in advance
• Ms. Mechling will send transcripts to the colleges
• Helps colleges understand our school
• Ms. Mechling will send it to the colleges
• Students must request a letter of recommendation at least two weeks in advance
• Request letter in person and also on Naviance
• Not every school requires one. The application will specify this.
• AKA-School Report or Counselor Form
• Ms. Mechling will send this to the colleges
• Mid year and final reports will be automatically sent
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College applications
As part of the requirements for senior communications, seniors at Metro must apply to
at least 5 schools.

Make sure that at least one of your schools is a safety school and one is a reach
school.

Safety school = your scores, GPA, etc. are higher than the admission
requirements and the averages for incoming freshman at that school
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Reach school = your scores, GPA, etc. may be lower than the
admission requirements and averages for incoming freshman, however,
they are not too far off and the other parts of your application could be
the push to get you in (resume, recommendations, extracurricular
activities, etc.)!!
***Many schools will waive application fees now that they are online. For those who
don’t, you can receive application fee waivers if you qualify for free or reduced
lunch! See me if this pertains to you.
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Common Application
What is the Common Application?

The Common Application is a not-for-profit organization that serves students and
member institutions by providing an admission application online that students
may submit to over 500 members.
Is it treated fairly?

Yes! College and university members have worked together over the past 35
years to develop the application. All members fully support its use, and all give
equal consideration to the Common Application and the college's own form. Many
of its members use the Common Application as their only undergraduate
admission application.

Once students have completed the Common Application, they may also need
to complete supplemental requirements for each college/university.

www.commonapp.org
Dashboard: Shows the status of applications
+My Colleges: Individual requirements
+Common App: General Information for all applications
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Common App essay prompts
350-650 words
• Some students have a background or story that is so central to
their identity that they believe their application would be
incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share
your story.
•
Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How
did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What
prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
• Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content.
What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to
you?
• Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that
marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your
culture, community, or family.
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Strengthen your college
application over the summer!

EMPLOYMENT

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

INTERNSHIPS

SUMMER CAMP

COMMUNITY SERVICE

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

MINORITIES
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ENVIRONMENTAL ENTHUSIASTS
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TEEN TOURS AND TRAVEL
+ What you should do this summer?

Registering and taking the ACT/SAT

Studying for the fall ACT/SAT

Visiting college campuses

Gaining internship/volunteer/work experience

Working on a Common App essay

Get a Common App account-starting August 1st

Narrowing down colleges to short list

Add 5 colleges to your “Colleges I’m Thinking About” list.

Developing/updating resume

Identifying who to ask for letters of recommendation

1 to 2 Metro teachers and other outside recommenders.
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Any questions?

Contact Ms. Meching if you have
questions or need additional
information.

mechling@themetroschool.org