Cinnaminson High School

Freshmen/Sophomore Parent Night

October 16th, 2014

School Counselors

Alexis Mancinelli 2014-15 Grade 9 A-H2014-15 Grade 10 A-E

Crystal Widmann2014-15 Grade 9 I-Pa2014-15 Grade 10 F-N

Donna Lobascio2014-15 Grade 9 Pe-Z2014-15 Grade 10 O-Z

Graduation Requirements

English 20.0 credits 4 years Social Studies 15.0 credits 3 years

– World History– US History 1– US History 2

Science 18.0 credits 3 years– Biology – Chemistry, Environmental Science, or Physics

Math 15.0 credits 3 years – Algebra 1– Geometry

World Language 10.0 credits 2 years

Physical Education 12.0 credits 4 years– 3 credits each year & will be graded on an individual marking period basis

Health 4.0 credits 4 years– 1 credit each year

Visual & Performing Arts 5.0 credits 21st Century Life & Careers or Career Technical Education 5.0 credits Financial Literacy 2.5 credits Career Exploration satisfied through modules completed in the Naviance program

*Credits are based on how many periods per week a class meets.

4-Year College-Bound Student Course Recommendations

English 4 years Math 4 years Social Studies 3-4 years (Depending on major)

Science 3-4 years (Depending on major)

World Language 3-4 years

Electives: Students should take meaningful electives throughout high school.

Senior Privilege: Students planning to attend a 4-year college should avoid senior privilege.

PSAT

All sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT in October.

Only junior year scores will qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

The exam is 2 hours and 10 minutes. Students who take the PSAT will receive a

login to begin college/career planning and receive information regarding colleges.

www.collegeboard.com/quickstart

Page 6

Math: up to trigonometryScience: charts, experimentsReading: four passages, one each of Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural ScienceEnglish: stresses grammarWriting: persuasive essay

Math: up to basic geometry and Algebra IIScience: noneReading: sentence completions, short and long critical reading passages, reading comprehensionWriting: an essay, and questions testing grammar, usage, and word choice

What is the test content?

Five-section exam:1 – English1 – Math1 – Reading1 – Science Reasoning1 – Writing (Optional)

Ten-section exam: 3 – Critical Reading3 – Math3 – Writing1 - Experimental

What is the test structure?

SAT ACT

SAT vs. ACT

SAT ACTScaled score between 200-800 Scaled score between 1-

36 on on each section each sectionReasoning test based on broad Achievement test focused

on themes curriculum• The SAT will be implementing major changes beginning in the

spring of 2016.• Make sure you check particular colleges’ requirements before

taking either test to ensure the best course of action for your student.

• Refer to www.collegeboard.org or www.actstudent.org for more information.

The Role of Standardized Test Scores in College Admissions

Admissions Packet– SAT/ACT becoming more critical piece of packet– Only reliable benchmark that admissions can use to

evaluate students across the board Competitive Edge

– Number of students who apply increases every year– Students need to set themselves a part from others– More scholarship money is given to students with higher

test scores Test Score Differentiation

– Schools will “super score” the SAT & ACT – Essay is only sample of what student can do on his/her own

The Role of Standardized Test Scores in College Admissions

Application Cut-Off Point– SAT/ACT initial filter for applications– Several colleges will not even “open” an application unless

students reach a specific benchmark score– The more prestigious the college the higher the cut-off will be– It is imperative that the scores at least meet the cut-off scores

to be considered

National Association for College Admission Counseling

College Admission Factors

Strength of Curriculum 68% Admission Test Scores ACT/SAT 59% Essay or Writing Sample 25% Counselor Recommendation Letter 19% Class Rank 19% Teacher Recommendation Letter 17% Subject Test Scores (AP) 7% Portfolio and/or Interview 6% SAT Subject Test 5% Extra Curricular Activities 5% Work/Volunteer or Community Service

2%

Advanced Placement (AP)

A program of college-level courses and exams. Generally taken during junior/senior year (There

may be prerequisite courses required). Students must pay a fee to take the AP exam in May. The AP score is based on a scale of 1-5. Contact colleges to find out if they accept AP credit

and which courses the credit will be applied to . . . Check www.apscore.org. Search for “Credit and

Placement” and “Credit Policy Search”

College Acceleration Program (CAP)

Students can earn college-level credit from Burlington County College (BCC) for select courses taken at CHS.

Students pay a fee to BCC and must earn a grade above 70 in the course to receive BCC credit. (Currently $150.00 per course)

Credits will be accepted and given by BCC.

Contact all colleges and universities to determine whether or not they will accept any credit.

Although a college may accept CAP credits, they may not necessarily accept it as equivalent credits for the course taken at the high school.

Preparing for College

Entire transcript

Academically challenging courses

College Prep vs. Honors and Honors vs. AP

Practice good study habits!

Extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, community service

Work experience

Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) and Class Rank

Cumulative G.P.A. is the weighted average of all final course grades. An official Class Rank is computed after the completion of the

student’s junior year. Class Rank is computed in the following way:

The “numerical average” earned in each course is multiplied by

the “credit value” for the course to yield the “quality points” for

that course. The sum of “quality points” is divided by the total number of “credits attempted” to yield the “weighted grade point average” (GPA). Students who took honors and Advanced Placement courses

will have ten (10) additional points added to their “numerical averages” before the “quality points” are determined. • Refer to page 26 in the Student Agenda Book.

Career Center

• Students in 9th grade will be scheduled to visit the Career Center for training on how to use Naviance Family Connection and to complete The Myers-Briggs “Do What You Are”.

• Students in 10th grade will participate in a lesson on career exploration and a career cluster profile.

During 11th grade, students will visit the Career Center to create an Activities Resume for their college application and to explore colleges using the Super Match College Search.

connection.naviance.com/cinnaminsonhs Students can access this website at home by using their CHS log-in (last name first initial) and password (student ID#).

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Students can explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook to find out

educational and skill requirements for various careers as well as salary and job

market projections.

Naviance Family Connection

Visit connection.naviance.com/cinnaminsonhs Enter your unique user name (last name/first initial) and password

(student ID#).

You will find important information (specific to your grade level) regarding:

Upcoming events

College search assistance

Career information

Scholarship information

Summer enrichment programs

Volunteer opportunities

Part-time jobs

Graduation requirements

College application process

Much more . . .

Alternative Post-Secondary Options

Burlington County College (BCC) Excellent option to begin the college experience, especially if there are: financial considerations, a

student is unsure of his/her future career aspirations, or he/she is not ready to leave home yet.

Trade School BCIT Adult School Trade Schools

Cosmetology Schools

Military The ASVAB (Military Entrance Exam) is offered at CHS each year during the winter. The qualifying score for the Army & Marines is a 31 and the qualifying score for the Air Force & Navy is a 51.

Recruiters ROTC Programs vs. Enlistment

Please Note: The ASVAB is not just an exam for students interested in joining the military. This assessment can be used to see where a student’s strengths and weaknesses are and help determine career paths as well.

Other Useful Websites

www.collegeboard.org To register for the SAT & search for colleges

www.act.org To register for the ACT & search for colleges

www.asvabprogram.com Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) or military entrance

exam.

www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov Pre-FAFSA for determining financial aid eligibility for college

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Occupational Outlook Handbook

www.bcit.cc Use Adult High School tab for information regarding post-secondary trade programs

Questions & Comments

Thank you for coming! We are here to assist you in navigating through your child’s high school career.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for anything!