Junior Parent Meeting
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
 Welcome
Counseling Staff
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Amanda Breeden A - GL
Rebecca Puster Gm – Ki
Pam Kennedy
KL – N
Stacey Ruff
O–Z
Jeannie Walls - College & Career
Debbie Barnes – Registrar
Gigi Johnson – Office Coordinator
469-742-8713
469-742-8712
469-742-8709
469-742-8714
469-742-8799
469-742-8710
469-742-8711
FYI – Amanda Breeden will be on Maternity Leave Sept 1 – Oct
21. Lissa Testa will be the substitute counselor.
Lissa_Testa@lovejoyisd.net (469-742-8713)
Additional Counseling
News
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Rebecca Puster and Pam Kennedy are time sharing their
job.
Most days, Ms. Kennedy will be here in the mornings and
Ms. Puster will be here in the afternoons.
In case of emergency or an immediate need, Ms. Puster or
Ms. Kennedy will be able to assist you for all students GmN.
For questions about credits or graduation, please contact
the counselor based on the alpha splits
– Ms. Puster – Gm - Ki
– Ms. Kennedy – Kj - N
Academic Graduation
Requirements

Transcripts- PLEASE CHECK CAREFULLY
- Middle School grades
- Summer school, CBE,
E-school, etc.
- GPA
- Class rank
- Top 10% rule
Credit Checks & Graduation Plans
26 credits required for graduation
 Distinguished, Recommended
 All are college-bound plans

Graduation Plans - Side by Side
ENGLISH
MATHEMATICS
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
LOVEJOY LEADERSHIP
HEALTH
FINE ARTS
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
ADDITIONAL ELECTIVES
TOTAL CREDITS
Recommended
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
0.5
0.5
1.0
1.0
1.0
2.0
4.0
26
***The Distinguished Plan requires 4 advanced measures.
Distinguished
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
0.5
0.5
1.0
1.0
1.0
3.0
3.0
26
Distinguished Achievement
Diploma (DAP)
What is an Advanced Measure?
A student needs any 4 of the following:
 A Junior year PSAT score that designates them as
commended or higher
 A score of 3 or higher on an AP test (each score is one
advanced measure)
 A college academic course and Tech Prep articulated
college course with a grade of 3.0 or higher (each 3.0 is
one advanced measure)
 An original research project judged by a panel of
professionals in the field (only 2 projects can be used and
the senior project would qualify as one)
Additional Graduation Requirements
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Senior Project – if not exempt
Pass all sections of TAKS this year
Grades
Tips for Academic Success
Your student should:
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Use an academic planner to organize assignments
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Attend LHS tutorials
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Utilize the CAT – Center for Academic Training
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Math Tutorials are available daily in the mornings.
Study in an environment conducive to learning
Study in small increments
Plan homework from most to least difficult
Schedule a meeting with the teacher when you are having difficulty in
class
Look at Power School each week and share the information with
parents
Email his/her teachers when absent
Testing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
PSAT
TAKS
TSI
SAT, ACT, SAT II (Subject Tests)
AP Tests
More Testing Information
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We recommend you take the
SAT and/or ACT for the first
time at the end of your junior
year
What are SAT II Tests?
Ideally, SAT II Tests should
be taken as close as possible
to the time when you
complete the course that
corresponds to the test
PSAT – October 12, 2011
PSAT Student Bulletin/
PSAT Practice Test – given to
your student in LEAP
 Results are given back
during LEAP classes
 Starts at 8:55 am
 Rooms assignments will be posted on the
windows in the Commons Area

PSAT
What to bring to the test:
- a photo ID
- two #2 pencils
- a calculator (four-function,
scientific, or graphing)
 Absolutely no cell phones are
allowed.

The Actual Test
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The PSAT has five sections:
- Critical Reading - 2 sections
- Math-2 sections
- Writing Skills-1 section
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Each section is timed-2 hours and 10 minutes is
allotted for the five test sections
To guess or not to guess?
EDUCATED GUESSING-means guessing an answer
whenever you are able to eliminate two or more of the choices
as definitely wrong. Educated guessing may help your score.
 RANDOM GUESSING- means that you have no idea which
answer choice is correct. Don’t waste time on that kind of
question. Go on to the next one. Random guessing is likely to
produce a lower score.
Reminder
 You can earn an above-average score by getting only half the
questions right and omitting the rest.
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SCORING
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A question that is not answered (left blank)
receives no points.
For a wrong answer to a multiple-choice
questions, you lose ¼ of a point.
Therefore, it is better to leave an answer
blank and lose NO points than to randomly
guess when the odds are 1 out of 4 or 1 out
of 5 that the answer is correct.
When will I receive my score
reports?
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Through LEAPS in January
You will receive a detailed report
How can I use my report?
National Merit Semifinalists
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Juniors who fall in the top ½ of 1% become
finalists
Each student is assigned a selection index; it is
the sum of your math, critical reasoning and
writing scores
The cut-off index last year was a 219
National Merit – Part 2
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National Merit is an award that brings prestige
to you and your school AND wonderful
scholarship opportunities
Look in the Official Student Guide section for
more information on scholarship possibilities
Types of Colleges
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Liberal Arts Colleges
Universities
Technical Institutes and Professional Schools
Community or Junior Colleges
College Match…Things to Consider
Look at Yourself:
Determine your Interest
and Goals
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Academic
Career/ Proposed Major
Extracurricular Activities
Social Preference
Retention & Graduation Rates
Look at your Institutional
Options
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Size
Location
Cost
Admissions Requirements
Private vs. Public
Large vs. Small
Special Programs
Things to ask yourself
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How do I learn best?
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What extracurricular activities have been most
important to me?
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In large or lecture style classes, or in small
discussion/ seminar settings?
Which will I want to continue in college?
What have I learned about my academics
interests and abilities that will influence what I
might study in college?
ACT
Basic Information
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3 hour college entrance exam
Composed of 4 tests
– English usage
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Mathematics
Reading
Science Reasoning
30 minute optional
writing test
Score range 1-36 for each area
Writing test score range 2-12
www.actstudent.org
Exam Dates at LHS
 September 10
 October 22
 December 10
 April 14**
 June 09**
** Recommend taking in the
Spring.
Things to Remember
about the ACT
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There are no penalty for wrong answers
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If you are not positive… guess
If you have no idea… guess
If you run out of time… guess
Do not leave blank answers
Science: charts and experiments
English: stresses grammar
Reading: 4 passages (1 of each: social science,
natural science, prose fiction, and humanities)
SAT
Basic Information
• 3 hour and 45 minute
college entrance exam
• Composed of 3 tests
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Critical Reading
Mathematics
Writing Skills
Scores range 200-800 for
each area
www.collegeboard.com
Exams Dates at LHS
 October 01
 November 05
 December 03
 January 28**
 May 28**
** Recommend taking in the
Spring.
Things to Remember
about the SAT
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Questions are arranged in order of difficulty
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Points
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1/3 easy
1/3 medium
1/3 hard
Correct = 1 point
Incorrect = Minus ¼ point
Blanks = no effect on your score
Guess if you can narrow it down to 2 answers (3
answers use your judgment but often times guess)
ACT and SAT Comparison
SAT
ACT
3 hours, 25 minutes (with writing test)
LENGTH
3 hours, 45 minutes
4 sections
(English, Math, Reading, Science)
Plus an optional writing test
STRUCTURE
10 sections
(3 Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing)
Plus and experimental section
SCORING
Composite of 1-36 based on average
scores from the 4 test sections
SCORE
Total score range of 600- 2400 based on adding
scores from 3 sections
No penalty for wrong answers
W RONG ANSWER PENALTY
¼ point subtracted from your raw score for each
wrong answer (except for math grid-ins)
You decide which score is sent
SENDING SCORE HISTORY
Depends if you are enrolled in Score Choice
(Some colleges require you to send all scores)
CONTENT
Reading comprehension-
READING
4 passages with 10 questions per passage
Reading comprehensionShort and long passages with questions. Sentence completion
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II,
and Trigonometry
MATH
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II
Analysis, interpretation, evaluation, basic
content, and problem solving
SCIENCE
Science not included
Last thing (optional): 30 minutes
Topic of importance to high school student
ESSAY
First thing 25: minutes
Factored in to overall score; More abstract than
ACT
SAT Subject Test
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1 hour test that measure knowledge and skills in
a particular subject and a student’s ability to
apply the knowledge
Scores range 200-800
Colleges may use these scores in several ways.
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Admissions purposes
Award college course credit
Help place students in the appropriate college
courses
Crafting the Class
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Holistic approach to the student body
It cannot only be a fit for the student but also a fit for
the institution
The institution has multiple goals
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Enrollment targets
Diversity
Special populations
Financial aid availability
Alumni
Things that May Effect
You Getting in to Your Dream College
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Last year’s graduating class
Your major
Your home state
Them gambling on whether you will actually
attend
Who else is applying this year
Key Parts of College Admissions
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High school courses/ grades (G.P.A.)
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Extracurricular activities/ Your resume
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Includes academic awards/ honors, extracurricular activities, interest, jobs, community services and hobbies
Application essays and/or personal statements
Standardized test scores
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Quality of courses, diversity, level of difficulty, trends/ consistency of grades
Maybe #2 for more selective colleges (as an expectation level)
Recommendation from teacher
Recommendation from counselor
Personal interviews
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Many schools may not require them but strongly encourage them and/or provide the option for you to interview
7 P’s of the Application Portrait
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Program- curriculum
Place- the context
Performance
Pattern
Potential
Participation
Personality
The Ultimate Question
What will you contribute to
their campus?
Who should register with the
clearinghouse?

A student who plans to attend an NCAA Division
I or II institution and who wishes to participate in
intercollegiate athletics.
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This also applies to walk-on’s
www.eligibilitycenter.org
Upcoming Events
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College Night
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Financial Aid Seminar
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September 13n(6:00 PM- 8:00 PM)
November
College Kick Off
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Spring: Tentative
Fall
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College Fair
PSAT: October
Register for SAT Reasoning, ACT, or/ and SAT
Subject test for later in the the year
Start planning your college visits
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Day Trips
Review PSAT results
Extra effort on your Junior Grades… they are the
last thing the college will see on your transcript!
Spring
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SAT/ ACT/ SAT Subject (if needed)
AP Exams
Senior Classes, Dual Credit, etc.
Make Summer Plans (Enrichment Programs)
Scholarship Search
Plan College Visits
Start Narrowing College Search
Naviance To Do List
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Update Personal Information
Update and Follow Check List
Update Resume
College Search
Assessments
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Learning Style
Interest Inventory
Personality Assessment
NAVIANCE
Family Connection
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connection.naviance.com/lovejoy - the URL
address is on your card
Research college options by region, cost,
major, selectivity, etc.
Check upcoming college rep visits
View your SAT scores
View status of transcript requests
Research financial aid and scholarships
Naviance