Spring 2014 11 th Grade Student Registration

1. Spring 201411th Grade Student Registration North Hills Preparatory

2. Jakkia Hollingsworth Dean of Road to College, L-Z jhollingsworth@uplifteducation.org Scott Ivy Academic Counselor, A-K sivy@uplifteducation.org Langston Ross Road to College Counselor lross@uplifteducation.org Sonya Barron Alumni Counselor sbarron@uplifteducation.org People to know

3. Graduation Requirements • Math – 4 Credits • English – 4 Credits • Social Studies – 5 Credits • Science – 4 Credits • Foreign Language – 3 Credits of the same language in HS • Fine Arts – 2 Credits of the same fine art in HS • PE – 1.5 Credits • Speech – 0.5 Credits • Health – 0.5 Credits • Technology – 1 Credit • TOK– 1 Credit • Other Electives – 2.5 Credits TOTAL # of Credits = 29 + successful completion of the EOCs + 100 hours of community service ** IB Diploma Candidates will have additional requirements based on the program**

4. 12th Grade Course Choices Students will select 8 Courses for their 12th grade schedule

5. English (1.0 Credit) • 12th Grade • AP English IV • IB English IV

6. Social Studies (1.0 Credit) • 12th Grade • IB History HL • Special Topics (Non-IB) • Economics (0.5) • AP Economics (0.5) • IB TOK (0.5) • Psychology/AP Psychology • IB Psychology

7. Science (1.0 Credit) • 12th Grade • Anatomy & Physiology* • Forensic Science* • AP Biology • IB Biology • AP Chemistry • IB Chemistry • IB Physics • IB Environmental Systems • *These new science courses can be taken for elective credit or for your 4th science credit

8. Math (1.0 Credit) • 12th Grade • Pre-Calculus • Pre-Calculus Honors • AP Calculus AB • AP Calculus BC • AP Statistics • Advanced Quantitative Reasoning (AQR) • IB Math Studies SL • IB Math SL • IB Math HL

9. IB Math Comparison

10. Foreign Language • Foreign Language • Spanish III • Spanish III Honors • Spanish ab initio • Spanish IV • IB Spanish V • French III • French III Honors • IB French ab initio • French IV • IB French V

11. Electives • Journalism • Journalism • Adv. Journalism: Yearbook I (0 Hour) • Audio/Video Production • Technology • Computer Programming • Advanced Computer Programming (H) • AP Computer Science • Principles of Arts, Audio/Video Tech • Graphic Design* • Video Game Design * Requires prior classroom experience in art.

12. Fine Arts • Commercial Photo. • AP Art 2D • IB Art II • IB Theater II • Band IV • Choir IV • Orchestra IV • IB Music • (Concurrent enrollment in Choir, Band, or Orchestra for group performance)

13. Other Graduation Requirements • 29 credits total • Fulfilled community service obligations • Accepted to college • State testing requirements • Passed 5 EOCs • English I • English II • Algebra I • Biology • US History

14. Registration Schedule • Feb 20-21 • Presentations and registration in English classes • March • Follow-up on case-by-case basis by counselors • See counselors for questions or changes to requests • April • Requests finalized in Powerschool Any revision to the schedule must occur prior to the first day of school, August 2014. No changes will be honored thereafter, unless a mistake has been made via the counseling office.

15. Road to CollegeSpring College Planning • Junior Meeting with Mr. Ross( Parents are Welcome to Attend) • Submitting College Essay to Mr. Ross • Completing an educational resume (to be used for college applications, summer opportunities, and internships) • Liberal Arts vs. Traditional Colleges and Universities: Which is For You? • Visiting various college campuses to see diverse campus settings (great local colleges that will provide opportunities for major comparisons include: Austin College, SMU, TCU, UT-Arlington, University of Dallas, Texas A&M-Commerce). Also prepare to attend college open houses set to take place this spring. Examples include: (Aggieland Saturday, TWU Preview Day, Explore UT, Bobcat Days, UT Arlington Preview Days) • College list creation will start in the summer!

16. Introduction to Liberal Arts Colleges • A liberal arts college is a four-year undergraduate institution that emphasizes a well-rounded education versus a career- focused one. Students develop core skills through a broad curriculum that includes the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences and the arts. Most liberal arts colleges are private and independent. • Liberal arts colleges are undergraduate-focused, with small class sizes in the 12- to 30-student range. The student body tends to be small, 700 to 2500 students. There is a greater presence of liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, going North and East.

17. Items to Consider when exploring Liberal Arts Colleges • Learning Style (Smaller Classes vs Larger Classes, Nurturing environment versus more Independent Learning) • Ideal College Experience (Assessing ideal college environment) • Career Goals • Affordability (Liberal Arts Colleges: Higher Cost of Attendance+ Lucrative Scholarship offers= Greater affordability in many cases) • Interesting Reading: 5 Reasons to Attend a Liberal Arts College http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37241390/5-reasons-to-attend-a-liberal-arts-college/

18. A Preview of Financial Aid Just so that you know what to expect during the 2014-2015 school year in regards to applying for college financial aid… Financial Aid Process: the act of applying for, receiving and accepting ‘money’ (loans, scholarships, grants) to finance the next year of college. • Be Warned: Financial Aid deadlines creep up quickly and are not always advertised effectively. No one will track you down to let you know that you’re missing something. • Internal scholarship applications often have early due dates. Many come due in December of next year, but some (especially at early decision/early action) schools require them as early as November. • Let’s be sure that we know which financial aid applications will be required for each college on your child’s list.

19. A Preview of Financial Aid • FAFSA comes live on January 1. You cannot complete it before then. This ‘officially’ kicks off financial aid season for many colleges/universities. • We will host a presentation next year all about financial aid that I hope you will attend. • Your child will be asking you questions about your finances. It’s also a good idea to give them a general idea of the household income, as this is relevant to many different scholarships out there. • Be prepared to have your W2’s and tax forms easily accessible, as soon as possible. If you want to file the FAFSA based on estimates from THIS YEAR’s data; be sure to keep those records handy.

20. 2015 and Beyond • The Inspire Program provides academic, emotional and financial support for your child as they transition to college and beyond • A counselor is available to assist with all aspects of college life including college housing questions, college transfers, scholarship applications, home sickness and social struggles, helping your child to locate on-campus resources to meet their needs, etc. • We will collect data on how your child is doing in college so that we know how well we prepared them for post-secondary education • Fun, alumni events will be hosted by North Hills to constantly welcome your child back and remind them how important they are to us

21. Information from the Counselors • Academic Counseling www.northhillsprep.org Students Student Resources Counselors’ Corner