File - Student Services

Senior Information Packet
On the road to completing High School
and thinking about Post-Secondary options….
Durham School of the Arts
400 N. Duke St. ~ Durham, NC 27701
DSA’S SCHOOL (CEEB) CODE: 341050
Counselors
Genesis McAllister – Last Names A-J
Sarah Corey – Last Names K-Z
genesis.mcallister@dpsnc.net Phone: 919-560-3926 ext. 23514
sarah.corey@dpsnc.net Phone: 919-560-3936 ext 23272
Senior Year Timeline for the College Process
FIRST SEMESTER
September
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Review your transcript and evaluate your progress
Come to College Application Help Day on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Go to the DPS College Fair on Sunday, October 4 at Northgate Mall from 1-3.
Register to take the SAT or ACT in October
October
•
•
•
•
Attend the College Fair, Sunday, Oct. 4, 1pm-3pm, Northgate Mall
Friday, Oct. 9 Senior Resumes DUE!!
Come to College Application Help Day on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
If you are considering Early Decisions, you AND your parents must meet with your
counselor
November
•
•
Complete you college applications by Nov. 1 (Oct. 15 for early action at UNC-CH &
NCSU). You should not be dealing with any applications AFTER November, you should
be finished. Waiting for 1st semester grades to apply is not a good plan.
For schools that require it, you MUST fill out the CSS Profile if you are going to be
applying for financial aid.
Go to: http://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile
The following NC schools REQUIRE the CSS Profile: Davidson, Duke, Elon, UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest. You
MUST check the above link for a complete list of colleges and universities.
SECOND SEMESTER
January
•
•
•
•
•
Do not get senioritis
You and your parents must get a pin number so that you can fill out the FAFSA.
Go to: pin.ed.gov
YOUR PARENTS must begin doing their taxes. Even if it’s just projections.
You and your parents must begin to fill out the FAFSA go to: fafsa.ed.gov
Check the scholarship website regularly
February
•
•
•
Finish the FAFSA by February 28, 2015 (FAFSA Day TBA 9 a.m. – 12 noon at NCCU
and State Employees Credit Union – Appt Required)
Continue to check the scholarship website and WATCH your deadlines
You should begin to hear back from some colleges and universities
March and April
•
•
•
•
College decisions are mailed out by April 1st.
You should continue to apply to local scholarships. With college acceptance comes the
“real” money that will help you pay for college
Watch deadlines for accepting offers of admissions and housing deadlines
Continue to work hard in your classes
May and June and Summer…..
•
•
Prepare for and take classroom final exams. Check the DSA yahoo group eannouncements and the DSA Counseling Facebook Page for any summer opportunities.
GRADUATION IS ON Thursday, June 9 at 5 p.m., 2015 at Cameron Indoor
Stadium
Things you need to know when applying for college
How NOT to Request Transcripts
1. You or your parents call, emails, or comes into guidance to request the transcript.
2. You leave a written note on Ms. Corey’s or Ms. McAllister’s door requesting a
transcript.
3. Any other possible way other than the procedure outlined below.
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How to Request Transcripts
1. ALL in state transcripts MUST be sent by you through CFNC. DSA will not
process any instate transcript requests.
2. If you are using the Common Application for either in state or out of state
schools, your counselor will send the transcript digitally, there is no need to
request a transcript for schools on the Common App.
3. ALL OTHER transcripts (out of state schools not on the Common App) must be
requested ONLINE, not in writing, not through and email, and not in person.
Here is how you do it:
1. Got to www.dpsnc.net
2. Click on “Student Resources” (Along the top of the site)
3. Click on “Records” on the far left
4. Click on “Online Student Request Form”
5. Click on the FIRST option on the far left (“CLICK HERE if you are a
CURRENT STUDENT”)
6. Fill out the information. “Shipping Address” is the school to which you
would like the transcript sent. DO NOT worry about “Coupon Code”
7. You get 3 free transcripts through the DPS sight and then each is $5 after
that. You PAY AT SCHOOL. DO NOT PAY ON THE SITE. Follow
these directions carefully.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)
Grading Scale
The North Carolina standard grading and weighting system became effective in the 1994-95 school year
for all students in grades 9-12. Courses designated as “Honors” as well as some mandated by the NC
Department of Public Instruction receive one additional quality point (5.0 maximum). Courses designated
as “AP” receive two additional quality points (6.0 maximum).
The Durham Public Schools use the percentage grading scales as follows:
100-90 4.0
(Honors=4.5 AP=5.0)
89-80 3.0
(Honors=3.5 AP=4.0)
79-70 2.0
(Honors=2.5 AP=3.0)
69-60 1.0
(Honors=1.5 AP=2.0)
A=100-90 B=89-80 C=79-70 D=69-60 F=59-0
*Please note that the GPA necessary for a North Carolina State school is a 2.5 un-weighted.
College Testing
SAT Dates and Deadlines
2015-2016
Test Date
Registration
Deadline
Late Registration
Deadline
Saturday, October 3
Sept. 3
Sept. 22
Saturday, November 7
Oct. 9
Oct. 27
Saturday, December 5
Nov. 5
Nov. 23
Saturday, January 23
Dec. 28
Jan. 12
Saturday, March 5
Feb. 5
Feb. 23
Saturday, May 7
April 8
April 26
Saturday, June 4
May 5
May 25
ACT Dates and Deadlines
2015-2016
Test Date
Registration
Deadline
Late Registration
Deadline
Saturday, September 12
Aug. 7
August 8-21
Saturday, October 24
Sept. 18
Sept. 19-Oct. 2
Saturday, December 12
Nov. 7
November 7-20
Saturday, February 6
Jan. 8
January 9-15
Saturday, April 9
March 4
March 5-18
Saturday, June 11
May 6
May 9-22
How to request test scores:
SAT Scores
1. Login into your College Board account (www.collegeboard.org)
2. Follow the directions for sending scores
ACT Scores
1. Login into you ACT account (www.actstudent.org)
2. Follow the directions for sending scores
For BOTH the SAT and the ACT you can send 4 free score reports at the time of registration. If you wait
until after you have seen your scores, each report costs money (SAT Score Reports $11.25 each, ACT
Score Reports $12.00 each). YOUR COUNSELOR CANNOT SEND YOUR SCORES, even if an
admissions counselor tells you to ask us to.
College Testing Compared
SAT
vs.
ACT
reasoning test
Type of Test
content-based test
Critical Reading: 2, 25-min sections
and 1, 20-min section; Math: 2, 25-min
sections and 1, 20-min section;
Writing: 1, 25-min essay, 1, 25-min
section, and 1, 10-min section
Test Format
English: 1, 45-min section; Math: 1, 60min section; Reading: 1, 35-min section;
Science: 1, 35-min section; Writing: 1, 30min essay (optional)
reading, vocabulary, grammar & usage,
writing, and math
Content
Covered
grammar & usage, math, reading, science
reasoning, and writing (optional)
tricky, questions can be phrased in
ways that make them difficult to
decipher
Test Style
straightforward, questions may be long but
are usually less difficult to decipher
Math, Critical Reading, and Writing
scores will each range between a 200800; total SAT score ranges between
600-2400
Scoring
English, Math, Reading, and Science
scores will each range between 1-36.
Composite ACT score is the average of
your scores on the four sections; ranges
between 1-36
yes – you lose ¼ of a point for
incorrect answers (except on the grid-in
math questions)
Penalty for
Wrong
Answers?
No – you do not lose points for incorrect
answers
yes – you can choose which set(s) of
SAT scores to submit to colleges
Score Choice?
Yes – you can choose which set(s) of ACT
scores to submit to colleges
questions increase in difficulty level as
you move through that question type in
a section (except reading passage
questions, which progress
chronologically through the passage)
Difficulty
Levels
difficulty level of the questions is random
arithmetic, data analysis, algebra I and
II, functions, geometry; formulas are
provided in the test booklet
Math Levels
arithmetic, algebra I and II, functions,
geometry, trigonometry; no formulas are
provided
with private schools and schools on the
east and west coasts; however, every
four-year college in the US accepts
SAT scores
Tends to be
more popular?
With public schools and schools in the
Midwest and south; however, every fouryear college in the US accepts ACT scores
seven times per year: January, March
or April, May, June, October,
November, December
Offered when?
Six times per year: February, April, June,
September, October, December (note that
some states offer the ACT as part of their
state testing requirements; these tests are
not administered on the national test dates)
typically about four weeks before the
test date
Registration
deadline?
Typically about five to six weeks before
the test date
www.collegeboard.com
More
Information
www.act.org
Source: www.studypoint.com
College and Academic Support Resources
Resources
http://www.cfnc.org College Foundation of North Carolina/Scholarship
Information/resume builder and 4-year plans
http://www.collegeboard.org Register & Practice for the SAT/ College Match Quizzes
and College searches
http://www.actstudent.org Register & Practice for the ACT
http://www.ncaaclearinghouse.org Information for student athletes
SAT Prep courses:
DPS prep course: go to the student services office for brochure
Duke prep course: to register and find out more info. Call 919-684-6259 or
learnmore.duke.edu
Moore’s Test Prep: moorestestprep.com
Tutoring Resources:
National Honor Society: Every Wednesday morning
Math Tutoring: http://lifesavertutoring.com/; www.edgeuptutoring.com
By appointment with teacher
College Visits
During A and B lunch in the Media Center……check the calendar outside the Student
Services office
You MAY request a pass before 1st period starts for any visit that does not match your
lunch period
Sample Resume
FirstName LastName
2015 Guess Road, Durham North Carolina 27702
home: 555.555.5555
cell: 566.486.2222
email: your.name@gmail.com
Education
Durham School of the Arts, Durham, North Carolina
2010-Present
Experience
Sales Associate, The Retail Store
June 2011 – Present
• Maintain and restock inventory.
• Provide customer service.
• Operate computerized cash register system.
Child Care
2010 - Present
• Provide child care for several families after school, weekends and during school vacations.
Achievements
• National Honor Society: 2014-2015
• Academic Honor Roll: 2010-2014
Volunteer Experience
• Big Brother / Big Sisters
• Independent Animal Rescue, Durham NC
• Run for Life
Interests / Activities
• Member of DSA High School Tennis Team
• Girl Scout
• Piano
Computer Skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and Internet