Sophomore Success!
Promotion….
 To be promoted to the next grade level….
 To be a Junior=13 credits
 To be a Senior=19 credits
 Athletic Eligibility/Driver’s License…..
 You must pass 3 out of 4 classes during the previous semester to play a
sport and keep your driver’s license/permit
Final Grade Calculation….
 1st quarter grade x 3=
 2nd quarter grade x3=
 Final exam x 2=
 Add them together
 Divide by 8
 =Final grade
3(1st Q) + 3(2nd Q) + 2(FE)
8
Honors and AP Courses….
 Honors= 1 additional quality point
 Regular Civics – if you made an 88, you would get a 3.0
 Honors Civics – if you made an 88, you would get a 4.0
 AP= 2 additional quality points
 AP US History – if you made an 88, you would get a 5.0
Transcripts
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A transcript is a four-year report card that includes
EVERY final course grade for EVERY class you take in
high school
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It also contains…. transcript
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Student Information
Credit History
Grade History
GPA (it is cumulative and is the average of quality points earned)
Class Rank (a number that tells you where you stand in
relation to your peers in your grade level)
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EOC scores
Attendance
Career Clusters…
 It is required that every student have a career cluster by the time
they graduate
 A career cluster has 4 classes in a specific area of interest
 17 different career clusters:
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Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Hospitality and Tourism
Arts, Audio/Video Tech and Communication
Business Management and Administration
Science, Tech, Engineering, and Mathematics
Health Sciences
Finance
Human Services
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
Architecture and Construction
Marketing
Fine Arts-Chorus, Drama, Visual Arts, Broadcasting, Band
World Languages
CFNC
 CFNC is a great resource to use throughout high
school and you all should have an account created.
 This is the same account that you created in
middle school. Just make sure you are now linked
to Hickory Ridge High School.
 You can use www.cfnc.org to help you organize
your activities as well as find a college/career that
best matches your interests.
SAT and ACT
 Fall of sophomore year:
 PSAT (October 15th)-practice test for SAT for invited students
(based on GPA) *Must bring back signed permission form
 PLAN (mid-October)-practice test for ACT for ALL
sophomores
 Colleges in this area accept both the SAT and the ACT
 You must register online to take either test on a Saturday
during your junior year (ACT will be given at school to all
juniors-no registration necessary)
 Go to the test website (or CFNC) for practice tests
 You can take the test more than once
Three Main Factors Colleges Use in
Determining Acceptance….
 GPA and class rank (2.5 minimum to go to a public 4-
year university NC)
 SAT/ACT Scores
 Application/extracurricular activities
A glimpse of some colleges
 UNC Chapel Hill
 16 of our seniors went to Carolina last year
Student
GPA
Class Rank
ACT Score
1
4.82
7th out of 332
28
2
4.43
35th out of 332
25
Colleges (Continued)
 UNC Charlotte
 48 of our seniors went to UNCC
Student
GPA
Class Rank
ACT Score
1
3.15
195th out of 332
26
2
3.41
168th out of 332
22
3
3.53
148th out of 332
18
Colleges (Continued)
 Western Carolina
 8 of our seniors went to Western
Student
GPA
Class Rank
ACT Score
1
3.7
120
19
2
2.98
215
16
Community College
 Community colleges require an application and
transcript to apply. You can choose a degree-seeking
pathway or a college transfer pathway.
 Some community colleges in our area include:
 Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC)
 Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC)
 Stanly Community College
What you can work on this year…
 Refine study habits (study for at least a ½ an hour for each class every day,
type or rewrite notes, flashcards, etc)
 Improve time management (use agenda, break down assignments, etc)
 Continue extracurricular activities (both in school and the community)
 Find a summer job or participate in a summer program (will help you for
college)
 Academic achievement (sign up for appropriate courses for you and your
goals)
 Remember your teachers are here to help so make sure you ask!