10th Grade Parent Night

Madison High School2/26/15

Brett Levine, Director of GuidancePhyllis Levy, Counselor

Objectives

■ To keep parents in the loop

■ Provide a road map for the next 15 months

Tonight’s Program

•60-75 minutes

•Talk about college-soft preparation

• Powerpoint on Guidance website

■ Guidance Update (BL)■ Upcoming Guidance Events

(BL)■ College

Discussion=Informational rather than action.

■ Scheduling/Course update(BL)

■ Honor Society Criteria (BL) ■ Testing timetable (11th

Grade) (PL)■ College Planning Timetable

(PL)■ Family Connections (PL)■ The new SAT(PL)■ Miscellaneous News (BL)

Agenda

Most popular schools (class of 2015 applications) ■ William Paterson U, U of Richmond (16)■ U of Rhode Island, U of Vermont (17)■ Loyola (19)■ Montclair State , Scranton (20)■ Northeastern (21)■ Villanova (22)■ Rutgers (24)■ Fordham (26)

Where students matriculated last year: class of 2014

■ Lehigh, Scranton, Villanova (4)■ Montclair State (6)■ Delaware, Rutgers (7)■ CCM (22)

But there is more…■ Selective: Brown, Yale■ Liberal Arts: Hobart WS, Amherst, Gettysburg ■ Big 10: Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan■ Outside the box: Rice, Thomas College (Maine), Landmark ■ Service Academies: USNA, USMA■ Virginia is for Dodgers (U of Mary Washington, William &

Mary, University of RIchmond, George Mason University, James Madison, Virginia Polytechnic Institute)

The State of College Admissions: (From the 2013 State of College Admissions)

■ Colleges accept nearly 2/3 of applicants.

■ At colleges with early decisions policies the gap in acceptance rates edges up.

■ Grades, HS curriculum, and test scores top factors.

■ Average yield rate is 36.9%■ Private colleges (and smaller

colleges) assigned greater importance to subjective factors.

■ More selective more emphasis on SAT subject scores.

Source: NACAC

Upcoming Events : Spring 2015Date Event Time, Location

Monday, March 16 CWCUnderstanding Family Connections

5pm, Media Center

Wednesday, April 22,Thursday, April 23 NACAC College

Fair

Meadowlands Expo Center

Sunday, April 19 NACAC College Fair

11-4, Javits Center (NYC)

Monday, April 13 CWC Topics in Selective College Admissions

7 pm, Media Center

Non-College Options

■ Handled individually■ Year off resources■ Ranges from military to gap year ■ Advise to apply then defer■ (GPA Binder)

■ Course recommendation day February 6, 2015■ Visible in parent portal■ Recommendations are fluid. Discuss concerns with

teachers. ■ Scheduling Conferences held with each student.

Prescribed agenda. Should be done by spring break. Date of scheduling conference does not impact student’s schedule. (Prior to spring break)

■ Letter in May announcing when schedules will be distributed.

■ Override Procedures. Should be done w/ caution. Details will be posted on website.

■ 5 core classes=25-26 credits■ Must resolve Schedule changes/concerns before

school lets out. ■ Summer assignments■ See requests on parent portal

Scheduling Update

(New) Course Update

■Financial Literacy Requirement■Science Electives ■Engineering Design■Yearbook, leadership,

journalism=apply■Zero Period PE■Music Theory and Composition

Students are invited to apply to the National Honor Society following their

sophomore year. All qualified applicants (minimum GPA) will receive

and application packet in the mail over the summer.

National Honor Society Criteria

10th grade■ PSAT (October

2014)■SAT subject Exams (May, or June-Honors sciences)

11th grade■PSAT (October 2015)(will be new SAT)■SAT reasoning test (March, May, June-Jr year)■ACT w/ writing ( February, April, June)■ SAT Subject

Exams (May or June-Jr. Year)

■ AP Exams (May)

Testing Timeline – Spring 10th Grade- 11th grade

■ Greater focus on History & Social Studies. (Reading passages will be historical or science related

■ Greater focus on Algebra, Data Analysis & Problem Solving, not as much geometry.

■ More mental math (cannot use calculator)

■ Mega grid in math question worth 4x’s the value of other questions, has an answer that builds on itself and test taker cannot earn partial credit.

New SAT Key Differences

The Optional Essay

Student will read source document and need to build an argument.

(eg. Nixon speech from the 60’s)

It is recommended that students take the test with essay. (CA schools have announced they will be requiring the essay) The necessity of the essay will be dependent from school to school, unfortunately there is no definitive answer. I will usually go on the better to be safe then sorry and take the essay. (I do know it will not be optional whether or not to send essay)

Scoring

■ Now scored on scale of 1600 no longer 2400■ New optional Essay scored separately 2-12

essay score.■ No more penalty for guessing (no lost points for

incorrect answers)

■ 4 choices rather than 5 for multiple choice.

Additional Tidbits

■ The first administration of New SAT will be March 2016, Scores will take 8 weeks to return (for first administration only)

■ Schools will accept either new or old SAT for the next 3 years.

■ Schools will not superscore a new SAT and an old SAT section.

■ No change to SAT subject tests yet (2016-2017)■ Schools are not accepting new SAT in lieu of subject

tests such as with ACT. ■ Last opportunity to take old SAT January 2016.

■ Summer / Fall 2015■ Visit Colleges: Get a feel (Summer/Fall)■ Meet with College representatives in Guidance (Fall)■ Attend local receptions (Fall)■ Attend Drew College Fair (Summer)■ Attend CCM College Fair (Fall)

■ Spring 2016■Register with NCAA Eligibility Center

■ Complete Junior survey/ parent brag sheet■ NACAC College Fair■ Junior Conference ■ Visit Colleges■ Junior Parent Night Evening■ Secure teacher recommendations

■ Throughout the Year■ Watch out for Guidance Events■ Stay focused on grades

Junior Year Timetable

■ College Visits■ College Search■ Scattergrams■ Overlaps■ Scholarships

Family Connections

Trivia Question

■Q:What is the graduation exam for current 10th graders?

■A: ????????????■ ( A word about the PARCC)

■ Gov School, NJSP, Congressman’s advisory committee, Boys/Girls State (APPLY), BASF SCIENCE Academy

■ Summer assignments■ Getting Engaged■ Eligibility center ■ Watch out for scams■ 9th Grade Orientation■ Sign up for Guidance E-mails■ We are here to help■ Career interest inventory

Miscellaneous

Public Service Announcement

■ All male students, when they reach the age of 18, must register for the

United States Selective Service. Information about this can be

obtained by speaking to Mr. Levine, visiting a post office or by visiting

https://www.sss.gov

“You know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where they’re going.

-P.J. O’Rourke