How to Make the Most of High School Workshop

How to Make the Most of High School Workshop
Kunming International Academy
Michelle LaPorte, Guidance Counselor
I.
Welcome
a. College/university distinction
b. What other KIA graduates have done after high school
II.
KIA High School
a. “American style”
b. WASC and NCCT accredited
c. Graduation Requirements
d. Course Offerings
e. Transcripts (grades COUNT in high school)
f. KIA School Profile
III.
What does KIA do to Help Students Academically?
a. After School Tutoring: Monday – Thursday
b. Policies for Extracurricular Activity participation & AP courses
c. Edline accounts available for parents & students to track grades and assignments
d. Teachers available for meetings. Contact teachers directly with questions or concerns.
e. Academic/Behavior Concern Forms
IV.
College Entrance Exams (standardized tests)
a. PSAT
i. Wednesday, 16 October 2013. Required for all KIA grades 9-11 students (KIA covers costs)
ii. KIA does a PSAT Overview Session for students (Wednesday, 11 September) and offers
voluntarily PSAT Prep Sessions.
iii. Excellent tool to use as preparation for College Entrance testing practice as well as just testtaking skills – this information will be sent home with students when test results are
received in January
iv. PSAT Workshop (Friday, 10 January 2014) – go over PSAT score reports and help students &
parents understand how to best use the PSAT as a tool to prepare for SATs
v. Access to College Board’s “My College QuickStart”
vi. For more info: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html
b. SAT (Reasoning Test)
i. Application/entrance requirement for most US colleges/universities
ii. Measures critical reading, math and writing
iii. Each category is given a score between 200-800 (also an essay score)
iv. Many universities in other countries require students coming from an American style or
international school to have a minimum SAT score
v. SAT Reasoning Tests are offered 5 times this school year, students can take them as many
times as they’d like but its STRONGLY recommended that every grade 11 student take the
test during the spring
vi. For more information: http://www.sat.collegeboard.org
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c. SAT Subject Tests
i. Designed to measure knowledge and skills in a particular area
ii. Subject Areas: English, History, Mathematics, Science and Foreign Language
iii. Students can choose different subjects to take
iv. SOME universities will accept SAT Subject test scores and give college credit
v. Offered the same dates as the SAT Reasoning Tests - Language Tests are only available at
international test centers in November. Students can ONLY take SAT or SAT Subject tests on
one test date.
vi. For more information: http://sat.collegeboard.org/about-tests/sat-subject-tests
d. ACT
i. Many non-US schools will not accept ACT test scores
ii. Measures students’ knowledge and abilities in: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science and
Writing (optional)
iii. Students planning to study in the US should take the test in the spring of grade 11
iv. For more information: http://www.actstudent.org
e. TOEFL test
i. Tests English level of a student whose first language is not English
ii. KIA does not administer the TOEFL test
iii. Recommended that students whose first language is not English take the test during the
spring of their junior year
iv. Some universities will accept a minimum SAT Critical Reading or ACT English score as
meeting the English level requirement (must check with individual university)
v. For more information: www.ets.org/toefl
V.
AP Courses
a. What they are: Advanced Placement (College Board) courses that are taught at an American college
level/British system A-levels.
b. Advantages: higher level courses, weighted grade point average (GPA), passing mark on AP Exams
can mean college credit, more internationally accepted and recognized, some universities have AP
exam requirements for acceptance (mainly non-US universities)
c. AP Exams
i. AP Exams are all administered in May, dates set by College Board
ii. AP Courses prepare students for the AP exams, although they are not required to be
enrolled in an AP course to take the exam
iii. AP Exam scores are given on a score of 1-5
iv. For US universities: many universities will accept AP Exam scores of 3, 4 or 5 and grant
college credit
v. For non-US universities: many universities require students coming from an American
system to have taken and passed a certain number of AP Exams (not to be confused with
taking the course). Important to check with universities in the country you are interested in
going to!
vi. For more information: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/home
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VI.
Other Important Considerations in College Applications and Acceptance
a. Diversity
i. College campuses tend to value having a student body that represents a broad range of
cultures and experiences
ii. KIA students should use this to their advantage! Their high school experiences are not
“normal” and that can be incredibly helpful to them as they apply to college
b. Community Service
i. Form available in guidance counseling office, KIA website, & Resource Guide
ii. Any service that a student participates in that is giving to others (not peers)
iii. High School Service Trip
iv. Senior Service Learning Project
v. Other opportunities in the community
c. Activities
i. Form available in guidance counseling office, KIA website, & Resource Guide
ii. Any activity that students are involved in during high school
iii. Sports, Clubs, Part-time Jobs, Youth Group, School or Community Programs (Christmas
Program, Spring Play, Leadership Retreats, etc)
iv. Students may also record Awards on this form
v. Involvement in activities communicates to colleges that the student is an active member of
society.
VII.
Post High School Plans
a. College/University is NOT for everyone
b. Value in taking a “Gap Year”
i. Gain independence, some not ready for college, volunteer/serve, reacquire passion for
learning, work/save money, etc
ii. “Non-traditional student”
c. Wise to think through future goals and be intentional about figuring out how to achieve those
VIII.
How to Choose a College
a. Resources: websites, books, people, etc
b. What is the student interested in pursuing? Majors? (In some countries, this decision is required
upon application. In others – many students do not declare a major or change)
c. College Visits: go to colleges, if possible
d. Criteria to Consider
i. Location (country, city, near relatives, climate, etc)
ii. Size: of student enrollment and of classes
iii. Admission policies/acceptance rates
iv. Degree options
v. Extracurricular Activities: clubs, sports, community service, music, drama, etc
vi. Tuition/Cost
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IX.
Selecting a Range
a. Factors in determining your range: check the percent accepted, compare SAT scores, meet minimum
requirements, etc.
b. REACH
i. Colleges that normally accept students with GPAs and test scores higher than yours
ii. Apply to 1-3 REACH schools
c. POSSIBLE
i. Generally accept students with profiles similar to yours
ii. Apply to 2-4 POSSIBLE schools
d. LIKELY
i. Colleges for which you are an extremely strong candidate (based on admission/acceptance
requirements)
ii. Be sure that your LIKELY schools are those you wouldn’t mind attending
iii. Remember, what may be a LIKELY school for you, might be a REACH school for one of your
friends because the categories differ for everyone
iv. Apply to 1-2 LIKELY schools
X.
How Colleges Choose Students
a. Many universities in other countries look very strongly at test scores/grades
b. Grades and Transcript
i. Look at grades earned, as well as course selection
ii. It is important to keep in mind that some universities require a certain number or level of
courses a student takes their grade 12 year
iii. Each college/university may evaluate transcripts differently. Since each high school uses
different sets of grade weighting, most colleges recalculate each student’s GPA. They may
drop weighted grades, certain classes (PE, Art, ect).
c. Test Scores: many schools have minimum SAT, ACT, AP, etc. requirements.
d. Is the student interesting? Is he/she recommended?
i. Colleges want students who will enhance their campus
ii. Teachers/Counselors/Pastors are often asked to write recommendation letters. These
comments impact chances of admission.
e. Essay
i. Many colleges require applicants to submit an essay or personal statement as part of the
application. They use this to determine what sets the student apart from other applicants.
ii. Application essays should reflect a student’s creativity, individuality and potential as a
participant in the university community.
f. Extracurricular/Community Involvement
i. Quality and commitment are more important than quantity
ii. Leadership positions and increasing levels of responsibility in different activities are valued
among college admission officers
iii. Positively contributing to society (community service) shows initiative, service and
leadership
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XI.
International Students
a. Students are generally considered international students only if their passport is different from the
country of the college they are applying
b. Most important thing: talk to the specific university to determine international status and
procedures
XII.
Non-US Colleges/Universities
a. United Kingdom (UK)
i. Applicants required to indicate course of study/major at the time of application
ii. USAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Services) website is extremely helpful:
www.ucas.ac.uk
b. Canada
i. Colleges: focus on vocational and technical training. Universities: grant bachelor’s and
advanced degrees
ii. Helpful websites: www.schoolfinder.com, www.aucc.ca,
http://www.uwaterloo.ca/canu/index.php and www.studyincanada.com
c. Australia
i. School year begins in February (southern hemisphere)
ii. Helpful websites: http://studylink.com.au, http://www.idp.com
d. Korea
i. Helpful websites (in Korean): www.kosei.co.kr, www.daehakmoa.com, http://univ.kcue.or.kr,
www.jinhak.co.kr
e. Other Countries
i. Helpful websites: www.universities.com, www.braintrack.com, http://univ.cc
ii. Visit the websites for the specific schools you’re interested in
XIII.
Now What? (High School Preparation Action Plan)
a. Start researching, planning, asking questions, etc.
b. Every student is different, each situation unique.
c. Don’t hesitate to ask for help – from guidance counselor and from college admission counselors!
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