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College Counseling Process | Goals in
Choosing a College
How Admissions Decisions are Made |
Testing For College
The Hopkins Academy College Counseling
Process
By Rick Berger, Director of Guidance
The college counseling process at Hopkins
Academy actually begins in the spring of the eighth grade
year. I meet with the entire eighth grade for the purpose of
transitioning into the high school. At this time, we discuss
and explain credits and how they are earned, graduation
requirements, and the concept of grade point average (GPA) and
how it relates to class rank. I then briefly touch on college
entrance requirements, and the need for each student to do the
very best that they can.
During the freshman and each subsequent
year, all students are exposed to the Career Awareness
exploration program. Additionally, I meet with each freshman
individually to put together their tentative four-year
educational plan, and to discuss the importance of proper
scheduling and good grades, to their future plans. I then will
meet with the class as a group in the spring to plan schedules
for the coming year. Individual scheduling meetings are also
held on an as needed basis.
In the early fall of the sophomore year, I
will meet with the entire class, as a group to introduce the
PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude/National Merit
Scholastic Qualifying Test). I will discuss the test and who
should be taking it, and I will answer any questions that they
may have. When the results of the PSAT/NMSQT become available,
I will meet with them again to show a brief video, and give a
general explanation of the scores. Immediately after this, I
will begin individual meetings with all sophomores to discuss
the results, and to have further discussion of their future
plans. We will also tentatively put together their course
schedule for junior year. In the early spring of the tenth
grade year, we will have another group meeting for the purpose
of finalizing their course schedules. As always, additional
individual meetings are held on an as needed basis.
In the early fall of the junior year I
will meet with the entire class to do a presentation on the
PSAT/NMSQT, and to have preliminary discussions on the college
search process. I will also suggest that all college bound
juniors make plans to attend the Hampshire County College
Fair, and at this time, I will give them the date, time, and
location of the Fair. When the scores of the PSAT/NMSQT
arrive, I will again meet with the entire group to discuss the
scores, and to further discuss the college search process. As
always, I will continue to stress the importance of good
grades and proper course selection. In the spring of the
junior year, I will do a major presentation, which I refer to
as the Junior Seminar. The seminar is an in depth look at the
college search process, and all that goes along with it.
Generally, we will videotape this presentation and make it
available to interested parents. At this time, I will begin
meeting with each junior individually to check their progress
on meeting requirements for graduation, to plan their course
schedule for senior year, and to get them started on their
individual college search. These meetings will take place
prior to spring break, so that students may use the vacation
to visit colleges if they wish to. I remain available to them
for the remainder of the year to assist with their search and
any questions that they might have. I also strongly recommend
that all college bound juniors, take the SAT-I, in May or June
of this year, and explain to them that Hopkins Academy
co-sponsors an SAT preparation program, in conjunction with
the Princeton Review. Finally, we will for the first time,
hold our annual College Information Night in the spring, and
we will be inviting the parents of ALL college bound students
in grades 9-12.
On the first day of senior year, Mrs.
Bonneville and I will meet with the entire class to encourage
them to continue to do their best, to be aware of and to meet
all deadlines, and to continue to follow through on the
college process. Beginning with the first full week of school,
I will meet with each senior individually, to discuss any
changes in their post secondary plans, and their search
progress to date. I will also discuss with them the fall dates
for SAT-I, and the possible need for SAT-II. Finally, I will
explain to them the procedure for obtaining and filing their
applications, and I will remind them about the yearly
Hampshire County College Fair. I will then continue to meet
with individual seniors on an as needed basis to assist them
with the refining of their search, and the filing of
applications. In November or December of the senior year, we
will present for parents, our annual Financial Aid Night, with
financial aid officers from the University of Massachusetts
presenting the ins and outs of the financial aid process.
Finally, I will assist the seniors with the search for
scholarships, with the key word being assist. I will expect
them to do the brunt of the work, after I point them in the
right direction. We will all then sit back and wait for the
acceptances to come in, and the final choices to be made, and
we will all hope that everyone gets into his or her top
choice, and can leave Hopkins Academy fully prepared to enter
the world of higher education.
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The Hopkins Academy College Counseling
Process
I. Freshman Year
a. Proper Scheduling
b. Stress the importance of good grades.
II. Sophomore Year
a. Proper Scheduling
b. Stress the importance of good grades.
c. PSAT
III. Junior Year
a. Proper Scheduling
b. Good Grades
c. PSAT
d. SAT Prep Course at Hopkins Academy
e. SAT-I, SAT-II
f. Junior Seminar
g. College Planning Handbook
h. Junior Guidance Interviews
i. Summer Research and College Visits
IV. Senior Year
a. Proper Schedule (minimum of 5 major courses)
b. SAT
c. Senior Guidance Interview
d. Senior Seminar
e. College Information Night for Parents
f. Campus Visits
g. Narrow List of Colleges
h. Hampshire County College Fair
i. Gather Admissions Materials
j. Get Recommendations
k. Complete applications
l. Application Essays
m. Financial Aid Forms
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Goals in Choosing a
College
What is a GOOD school?
1. The college must meet your academic
needs.
2. The college must be affordable.
3. You must be “comfortable” at the college.
4. You must be able to get in.
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How Admissions
Decisions Are Made
When colleges make admissions decisions,
they usually evaluate three general areas:
1. Academic Achievement: Courses
taken and grades obtained. (GPA and Class Rank). Teacher
recommendations.
2. Standardized Test Scores: SAT-I,
SAT-II, ACT
3. Personal Profile: The
application, essay(s), interview, letters of recommendation,
activities, special talents, and community service.
**Public Universities are less likely to
use the personal profile, and are more likely to rely on
academic achievement and standardized test scores.
**You must be realistic when choosing the
colleges to which your children will apply.
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Testing For
College
I. INTRODUCTION
Test scores are just one of the many items used by colleges to
evaluate students for admission. Test scores are designed to
help colleges make objective comparisons between students.
While grades may vary from school to school, the standardized
test should be the same for all students, whether they are in
Massachusetts or California.
II. TYPES OF TESTS
A. SAT-I: This test, known as the
Scholastic Assessment Test, is published by the Educational
Testing Service (ETS), a branch of the College Entrance
Examination Board (CEEB). It is the most widely used and
accepted of all the college entrance tests. The SAT-I is a 3
hour, primarily multiple choice test, that measures the verbal
and mathematical reasoning abilities that you have developed
over time. More than 6 million students from take the SAT-I
each year.
B. SAT-II: The SAT-II is a subject
specific series of tests that some colleges, generally the
more highly competitive, require for admission. Each test is a
one-hour primarily multiple choice test, that measures your
knowledge and skills in particular subjects and your ability
to apply that knowledge. They fall into 5 general areas:
English, history and social studies, mathematics, sciences,
and languages.
C. ACT: The ACT is the college admissions
test of the American College Testing Program. It is the SAT’s
one big competitor. While about 6 million students take the
SAT each year, only about 1 million take the ACT. For all
practical purposes, the ACT and the SAT are the same kind of
test.
III. SAT-I
A. SCORING
B. QUESTIONS
C. GUESSING
IV. TEST PREPARATION
A. WHY
B. HOW
C. WHO
D. WHEN
V. REGISTERING FOR THE SAT-I
A. HOW
B. WHEN TO REGISTER
C. WHEN TO TAKE THEM
D. WHERE TO TAKE THEM
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