Senior Summit

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Senior Summit

• Preparing for the Future

9/08/2008
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THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS TO REMEMBER
CONCERNING GRADUATION RESPONSIBILITY

• Its the students graduation
• Its the students responsibility
• The student must take ownership!

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Graduation Responsibility

• Last chance for free education ...
• use all resources and
• investigate opportunities!!!

• The Student has the ultimate
• responsibility
• 1. Check high school credits
• 2. Check college requirements
• 3. Know NCAA requirements
• 4. Avoid last minute problems grades,
  attendance, behavior

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Graduation Plans

• Arlington Minimum
• Recommended
• Distinguished

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Graduation Plans (continued)

• Arlington Minimum
• - 24 total credits
• - includes 6.5 elective credits
• - fulfills requirements for
• entrance into junior colleges

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Graduation Plans (continued)

• 2) Recommended Plan
• Entrance requirements for most 4-year colleges
  and universities follow the Recommended Program
• - 24 total credits
• - specific math sequence
• - specific science sequence
• - 2 credits of same foreign language
• - 1 fine art credit
• - 3.5 elective credits

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Why follow the Recommended Program?

• College Admissions
• Recommended Plan fulfills most admissions
  requirements

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Graduation Plans (continued)

• Distinguished Achievement Plan
• Recommended Plan with additional requirements
  of
• - 3rd year foreign language
• - Any combination of following 4 components
• 1) Selection as National Merit Finalist,
  Semi- Finalist, Commended Scholar,
  National Hispanic Scholar, or
  Achievement Scholar
• 2) Special research project
• 3) Score of 3 or higher on any AP exam
• 4) 3.0 average on any college course taken
  while in high school (includes dual
  credit courses)

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For Your Information

• Transcript shows
• 1. of credits
• 2. GPA
• 3. Rank
• 4. Test scores
• 5. Graduation plan
• (Example next 2 slides)

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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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For Your Information

• Ordering transcript
• Order from Mrs. Broker in
• Counseling Office
• 1st transcript is free, 2.00 for
• each additional transcript
• Provide addressed stamped
• envelope if mailing is for
• scholarship or college
• application

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TAKS Must pass all sections of
TAKS for graduation.

• October test dates
• ELA / Writing October 21st
• Math October 22nd
• Science October 23rd
• Social Studies October 24th
• 1) Any senior new to state, previously _at_
  private school, or retest
• 2) Any senior who has not tested nor passed exit
  level exam
• 3) Any Junior who will be reclassified at
  semester to senior status and is on target to
  graduate at the end of May or August.

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COLLEGE INFORMATION CONTINUED

• APPLICATIONS
• Send send applications NOW to colleges and
  universities
• Many application deadlines are moving to December
  1st !
• November is LATE
  January is too LATE!

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COLLEGE INFORMATION CONTINUED
Most deadlines are received by not postmarked
by.
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COLLEGE INFORMATION CONTINUED
If paper application, make sure it is neat and
complete!!
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COLLEGE INFORMATION CONTINUED
Test scores must be sent directly to the college
or university
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COLLEGE INFORMATION CONTINUED

• Additional Score Report Forms See Mrs. Plemons
  or order online at www.collegeboard.com

• Conditional acceptance Final acceptance once
  final transcript is received MUST PROVIDE MRS.
  BROKER WITH AN ADDRESSED, STAMPED
  ENVELOPETRANSCRIPTS WILL BE MAILED IN JUNE.

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COLLEGE INFORMATION CONTINUED

• At semester, send updated transcript to the
  university if your rank improves to the Top 10
  or if GPA dramatically improves this will allow
  your application to be reviewed by the admissions
  committee.

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COLLEGE INFORMATION
Colleges and universities are
strongly urging on-line
registrationwill speed up application
process and will allow students to access
status of application
!!!!!!
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Letters of Recommendation

• ONLY IF SPECIFIED IN APPLICATION
• NEED AT LEAST 2 WEEKS (this means working
  days!!!!) IN ADVANCE OF DEADLINE for teachers /
  counselors
• Counselors mail directly
• must have addressed,
• stamped envelope and
• transcript if needed
• (usually need two stamps)

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Important!

• If required by your college or university
  verify acceptance for admission on-line by the
  deadline. Failure to do so will cost you your
  admittance to the university!!!!

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SCHOLARSHIPS

• WATCH FOR DEADLINES ON
• SCHOLARSHIPS AND
• APPLICATIONS!!!
• For ANY January deadline (COLLEGE OR
  SCHOLARSHIP) your Counselor needs completed
• application, transcript, and
  envelope by

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TESTING

• SAT - measures general verbal, mathematical
  reasoning, and writing skills
• - offered at UTA in October,
  November, January, March June

• ACT - measures more closely high school
• curricula
• - offered at UTA or Mansfield Summit
  in September, October, February,
  April and June

Watch college deadlines if taking after November!

• Other test dates available at different sites
  see on-line registration for information.

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TESTING CONTINUED
SAT AND ACT ON-LINE REGISTRATION AND PRACTICE
TESTS (ON-LINE REGISTRATION PREFERRED) SAT
www.collegeboard.com ACT www.actstudnet.org Regi
stration forms if needed and
practice tests located
in the Counseling Office . (school
code on packets).
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TESTING CONTINUED
Enrollment in junior college does not require ACT
or SAT.

• IMPORTANT FOR COLLEGE Must enter SS on test
  registration forms and the test itself for scores
  to be entered on transcript.

You must be accepted for free or reduced lunches
to request fee waivers for SAT, ACT, or college
applications.
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TESTING CONTINUED

• THEA must take prior to enrolling in Texas
  college, university, or teacher education
  program.
• Exemptions from THEA
• TAKS ELA 2200,
• WRITING 3,
• MATH 2200
• SAT combined 1070 with Verbal and Math
• both 500
• ACT composite 23 with English and Math
• both 19

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TESTING CONTINUED
Register on-line for THEA at www.thea.nesinc.co
m or paper registration forms are
located in Counseling Office.
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GPA and Rank

• Valedictorian
• Salutatorian
• Summa (top 2)
• Magna (top 10)
• Cum (top 20)
• Honor Graduates (10.0 GPA)

Final ranking determined at end of 5th 6wks
computed on a 7 and 4/7 semester formula (2
semesters for 9th, 10th, 11th and 1 4/7ths of a
semester for the senior year)
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MISCELLANEOUS

• Exemption Policy
• 80 average
• no more than 3 excused absences
• no more than 2 tardies in a class per semester
  
• no unexcused absences
• no OCS

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED

• College Days
• 2 days allowed
• must inform attendance office 4 days in
  advance
• days are excused, but count towards the 3
  allowed for exemption
• must see Admissions or Financial Office to
  stamp form.

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED

• Scholarship Bulletin - Senior English classes,
  MHS website

• Top 10 - Automatic admissions to
• Texas college/university if Top 10.
  Must apply!!!!

• NCAA Clearinghouse - booklet and application
  from Mrs. Plemonsor online www.ncaaclearinghous
  e.net

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED

• RESTRICTED DIRECTORY INFORMATION
• If you checked to restrict directory information
  , your name, picture, etc ., will not be included
  in such things as newspaper, yearbook, program
  listings, recognition lists, graduation
  announcements, etc.

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED

• RESTRICTED DIRECTORY INFORMATION
• Three choices
• 1) yes everything will be released as
  directory information
• 2) no address phone all directory
  information will be released , except for
  address and phone
• 3) no everything will be restricted

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED
RESTRICTED DIRECTORY INFORMATION Should you
need to make changes to your Directory
Information, see Mrs. Allison in the Counseling
Office.
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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED

• Senior Awards Nomination Form
• To be considered for any senior award you must
  complete / turn in a
• Senior Award Nomination Form
• Forms are available through any teacher
  (requires teacher signature).

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MISCELLANEOUS CONTINUED
Selective Service All males must register
with the Selective Service upon reaching the age
of 18. Register at www.sss.gov
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FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION
Must complete the FAFSA for you to be
considered for many scholarships
applying on-line will speed up the
process 3 days vs. 4 -6 weeks on paper.
Apply for your pin now at www.pin.ed.gov
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FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

• Scholarship Websites
• www.fafsa.ed.gov
• www.fastweb.com
• www.collegeboard.com

• Financial Aid Consultant Seminar
• When February (date TBA) What
  Assistance with filling out individual
  forms

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Local College Opportunities

• Tarrant County College Cornerstone Program
  an honors program leading
  to acceptance, with scholar-
  ships, to third and fourth
  year of college.
• University of Texas (Arlington) Honors
  Academy dual credit opportunity with
  possibility of receiving renewable scholarships
  to UTA.

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College Readiness Seminar

• When Thursday, January 8th Time 700 PM
• Where MHS Auditorium
• What College preparation
• Student and parent participation
  encouraged
• PLEASE INVITE THEM!

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College and Career Night

• When September 25th
• Time 700 PM
• Where Bowie High School
• What Representatives from over 150
  Colleges / Universities
• Financial Aid presentations
• Parent participation encouraged!

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GUIDANCE PACKETS

• TAKE HOME AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH PARENTS!

Return Honors and Activities Sheet to Senior
English teacher (or counselor, if enrolled in
Dual Credit or are a 3 year graduate).
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You have a lifetime of decisions to make . . .
be smart . . . choose wisely!