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For All Hopkins Students
College Is In Your Future:
You May Not Attend
College:
Transcript Requests:
Important tips to help you
become successful
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Come to class prepared: This means bringing your
textbook, notebook, agenda book and homework as well as
something to write with each day!
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Take notes in class: Don’t assume that you will
remember everything that is discussed when the time
comes to take your test.
Utilize your Agenda Book: This will help you organize
and keep track of your assignments each day.
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Do your homework: Not only do teachers count
homework toward your total grade, but it also helps to
reinforce the concepts so that you become more familiar
with the material.
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Review at home: Even if you are not assigned
homework to turn in the next day you should still look
over your notes each night as a review of what you did
that day.
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Be organized: Keeping all your notes and
worksheets together in one place will help you be ready
to study for tests and quizzes.
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Study for tests and quizzes: Start preparing for
tests and quizzes days in advance. You may want to
review notes or even make flash cards- Don’t wait until
the night before!
ASK FOR HELP: If you find yourself struggling in a class,
you should know that there are places that you can turn to
for help:
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Ask your teacher: You may be able to stay after
school for extra help with your teacher. Find out what
days he/she stays after and make arrangements to meet.
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Peer Tutoring: If you would prefer to have a peer
tutor you please see Ms. Jennings and she can arrange
for a Pro Merito (National Honor Society) student to
meet with you!
***Remember it is never to early to being preparing for
after high school. Whether you plan to attend college or
enter the military there are steps you will need to take in
order to reach your ultimate goal for the future. Find out
what they are-Don’t procrastinate***
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COLLEGE/CAREER PLANNING FOR 9TH
GRADERS
There are some steps you can take as a 9th grader
to make sure you’re on the right track for college. Here’s a
list to help you navigate the college/career planning
process.
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Create a four-year high school
plan. Think about what you’d like to accomplish in
the next four years.
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Make sure you know what high
school courses are required by colleges, and that
you’re taking the right classes as early as ninth
grade.
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Get to know the levels of
courses offered by your school- look into the High
School Program of Studies.
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Start thinking about your life
after school, including the types of jobs that might
interest you.
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Of course these will
change-often-but it’s good to start thinking about
the possibilities.
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Identify your interests- likes
and dislikes- not just in classes but in all areas.
This will help you focus on your goals.
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Talk to other people about
careers you might find interesting. (School
Counselor, teachers, recent college graduates who
are working, professionals in your community, etc.)
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Participate in extracurricular
activities. ******
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ACADEMICS ARE NOT ENOUGH!!!
Explore your interests in a sport, school club,
music or drama group, or community volunteer
activity.
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Remember that colleges would
rather see real involvement in one activity than a
loose connection to several of them.
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Explore summer opportunities.
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Look for a job, internship or
volunteer position that will help you learn about a
field of interest.
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The Hopkins Academy College Counseling
Process
By Tori Jennings, 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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Standardized
Testing Timeline
Fall of 10th Grade:
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PSAT Testing (October)
a. This will strictly be for practice and for setting up
“My College Quickstart.”
Fall of 11th Grade:
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PSAT Testing (October)
a. By taking the PSATs again in your Junior year you may
be eligible for scholarships and numerous college and
career planning tools.
Spring of 11th Grade:
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SAT I: Subject and Reasoning Test
and Subject Test
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ACT: which can replace the SAT at
certain individual schools
Fall of 12th Grade:
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SAT: you should take the SAT one to
two more times before the conclusion of 1st and 2nd
quarter!
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. TEST PREPARATION
SAT Test Preparation site -
www.satprephelp.com
Boston Public Library has a section for assisting students in
test preparation. To use the site sign-up for an electronic
library card(e-card). Once you register, go to the "Electronic
Resources" tab. From there, go to "Education" and look for
"Learn a Test" in the College and Career Section.
Boston Public Library Registration -
www.bpl.org/general/circulation/ecards.htm
Answer the practice test questions that are changed daily in
the Student section of -
http://www.collegeboard.com/
IV TEST REGISTRATION INFORMATION
To register for SAT tests as well as perform many other
functions of the college application process -
http://www.collegeboard.com/
For those intending to take the ACT tests -
http://www.actstudent.org/
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Transcript Request
Procedure
To request your high school transcript:
Your signature is required for release of
your transcript. You may mail, fax, or hand deliver a request.
If you are requesting several (more than 2) transcripts to be
mailed out to various addresses, please include stamped,
addressed envelopes with your request.
Your request should include the following
information:
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Your full name.
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Your graduation year.
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Your birth date.
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The address where you wish your
transcript to be sent.
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A phone number where we can contact you
if we have questions.
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An authorized signature.
PLEASE NOTE:
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An official transcript is a signed and
sealed document which goes directly from the Guidance Office
to a third party such as a school or employer. It must be
mailed by us directly to that third party, OR if you wish to
deliver it yourself, must remain in the sealed envelope in
which you receive it.
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If you wish to have an unofficial
transcript for your records, you may indicate this in your
request.
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By law, transcripts are kept by a
student’s school for 60 years after the student withdraws or
graduates.
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Hopkins Academy does not charge a fee
for transcripts.
Hopkins Academy
131 Russell Street
Hadley, MA 01035
Phone: 413-584-1106
Fax: 413-582-6455
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Hadley Public Schools, All Rights Reserved