Class of 2015

1. Fall Junior Guidance Lesson Class of 2015

2. Academic Advisors Mrs. McCann: A-G kara.mccann@ocsarts.net Mrs. Shiroma: H-O mindy.shiroma@ocsarts.net Mrs. Presby: P-Z kathy.presby@ocsarts.net

3. Who Knows? The OCSA Graduation Requirements??? • Years per Subject? • Total Credits?

4. Graduation Requirements • 4 years English • 3 years Social Science (World, US, Econ/Gov.) • 2 years Science (biological, physical) • 2 years Math (Algebra I, Geometry) • 2 years PE • 2 years World Language • 1 year Fine Art • 5 credits: Health • 75 credits: Electives • CAHSEE: • English • Math Total: 240 Credits Needed 1 semester class= 5 Credits

5. Grades and Credit • “D” or higher grade earns 5 credits toward OCSA graduation “F” grades = 0 credits • However, “D”grades will not count for college admission, and may jeopardize your admission status to college. If you fail a core course, you must to make it up!

6. What about “after high school”? • Work • Community College • Vocational/Technical school • Four-Year Liberal Arts Private or Public College/University • Four-Year Conservatory arts/dance/music/theater school • Travel

7. Working right after graduation Good Option, IF…… 1. You need to keep busy and don’t know what you want to do about school yet. 2. You already have a job with growth opportunity and increasing earning potential Be careful about this decision: Putting off school could mean you will wake up in a dead-end job and wish you had gone to school earlier to prepare for a life-time career.

8. Community College Awards A.A. degrees and certificates Less expensive than 4-year schools Good option if: 1. undecided about career/major 2. undecided about 4-year schools 3. need to save money

9. Vocational/Technical schools • Training for careers based in: • manual or practical activities, • traditionally non-academic and totally related to a specific trade such as: • information technology, • business, • the culinary arts, • web design, • nursing, • graphic design, • photography, • interior design, • automotive, • mechanical, • medical, etc. • * Some schools require entrance exams

10. Public Universities • Award four-year degrees; graduate degrees • Admission requirements: 1. High school diploma 2. Complete certain academic courses with grade of C or better 3. Minimum GPA 4. SAT/ACT; some require SAT II Subject exams 5. Some applications ask for leadership and service experience 6. Some are more competitive than others

11. UC schools only allow courses to be repeated 1 time to make up a ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade. Minimum GPA to apply to UC schools is 3.0 / Minimum GPA to apply to CSU schools is 2.0 For UC schools, 15 college-prep (“A-G”) courses need to be completed with 11 of those done by the end of 11th grade. UC and CSU also require either the SAT Reasoning or the ACT with Writing Cal State & UC A-G Admissions Requirements A= 2 yrs.History/Social Science B = 4 yrs.English C = 3 yrs.Mathematics- Alg.1, Geom. And Alg.2 (4 years recommended) D = 2 yrs.Laboratory Science- 1 Biological, 1 Physical (UC/3 years recommended) E = 2 yrs.World Language – same language(UC/3 years rec.) F = 1 yr.VPA – Visual and Performing Arts G = 1 yr.College Preparatory Electives

12. Private Universities • Award four-year degrees; graduate degrees • Admission requirements: 1. High school diploma 2. Complete certain academic courses with grade of C or better 3. Minimum GPA 4. SAT/ACT; some require SAT II Subject exams 5. Most applications ask for leadership and service experience • More expensive, but also have more money to offer scholarships • Tend to be more competitive than public universities

13. Conservatory Schools / Art Schools • Award Bachelor degrees and Masters degrees • Admissions requirements include: ~ High school diploma or equivalency certificate ~ Audition or portfolio ~ Some require an interview ~ Some require SAT or ACT scores

14. G-SCALE • GPA • Standardized Test Scores • Course Selection • Auditions, Portfolios, Interviews • Letters of Recommendation • Essay and Extracurricular Activities

15. GPA • Private colleges will look at your 9-12 overall GPA • UC/Cal States will look at your academic 10-12 GPA • Every year counts!

16. STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES • SAT – multiple-choice test that measures verbal and mathematical abilities for college entrance. • SAT II – One-hour multiple-choice tests in specific subject areas. Many colleges require some combination of these tests. • The UC schools no longer require, but recommend for some majors. • ACT Plus Writing – Test that measures mathematics, reading, science reasoning, and writing. • Most colleges require one set of scores from the SAT/ACT as part of the admission process. • They don’t have a preference.

17. SELECT COURSES WISELY • Course selection • Know your strengths • Choose courses that interest you, are challenging, yet reasonable. • Choose honors and AP courses wisely. • Research the amount of work involved with the courses you want to take. • Prepare to balance summer assignments and outside activities with homework and projects.

18. AUDITIONS, PORTFOLIOS & INTERVIEWS • Keep all your work from past years. You may need to use pieces for your college auditions, portfolio or interviews. • Start early. Keep an organized chart with times/dates/locations. • Practice interviewing skills and conversational topics. Research the school and the interviewer before the interview.

19. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Private UniversitiesConservatory CollegesScholarships • Be an active participant in class. • Show leadership where you can. • Get to know your teachers and counselor. • Be organized. Be prepared. • Be grateful. Write thank you notes.

20. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES • Choose 2-3 clubs on campus and make leadership a priority. • Choose outside activities that are of interest to you and your future goals. • Consistency through the years makes a difference. • Keep track of the years and weekly time you spent on each activity.

21. ESSAY • Pre-WriteFocus on strengths of personality, not things you’ve done. • DraftRemember the focus is about you. Stick to the prompt topic. • EditBe open to feedback, look for grammatical errors. Look from the standpoint of an admissions officer.

22. What Types of Financial Aid are Available? • Most students qualifying for aid will receive a combination of “Gift” and “Self-help” funding. • There are three general categories of Financial Aid which are awarded to undergraduate students: • Grants and Scholarships (need-based or merit-based) (2) Loans (3) Student Employment Please visit SharePoint for a helpful handout on scholarship websites & college info websites

23. Preparing for College Applications • Read, read, read, read! • Write, write, write, write! • Select proper courses for senior year • Do most of your college entrance exams during junior year • Get involved in leadership opportunities • Get involved in community service activities • MORE TIME SPENT IN FEWER ACTIVITIES IS BEST! • Get to know your teachers (letters of recommendations!) • Talk to friends, family, alumni from schools you are interested in attending • Research and visit colleges

24. College Rep Visits! Check Art Attack, the Student Services Office, or Naviance for dates and locations • Sign-up in Student Services Office • Visits begin at beginning of blocks • Visits provide an opportunity to discover a college that may be a perfect match! • Hearing about a college firsthand and talking to a rep can be a great help in deciding if a college is right for you!

25. Visiting a College Campus During your visit evaluate the campus on the following: • Atmosphere of the campus • Geographic location – Weather pattern in that area • Library, technology and research facilities • Facilities in your major/department • Student Union / Dorms — Housing / Cafeteria • School support services • Extracurricular activities • Admissions office advisors/counselors • Financial Aid / Scholarships / Work-Study opportunities • Exchange student programs • Faculty credentials • Visit classes – observe class sizes

26. Making a list of schools…. Choose a few from each type: • “Safe Bet” schools – those schools where you will easily meet the criteria for admission • “Competitive/Possible” schools – those where you meet the criteria, but they are competitive schools to which many students are applying • “Reach/Dream” schools – those where you meet the minimum criteria, but you would not necessarily be competitive for admission

27. NAVIANCE SCATTERGRAMS

28. About Me • My profile • My careers • My colleges • My game plan • My test scores • My documents • My personality type • About College • Maps • Scattergrams • College search • College match • College compare • Acceptance history • About Careers • Explore careers • Explore interests • From your school • Resources • Counseling website

29. SHAREPOINT: ADVISOR’S CORNER

30. NAVIANCE: College Research 11th Graders: Explore College Matches!

31. NAVIANCE: COLLEGE SEARCH

32. COLLEGES I’M THINKING ABOUT

33. NAVIANCE: ROADTRIP NATION Learn how others found their passion!

34. Junior YearWhat to do to prepare for senior year and beyond….. • Explore possibilities for after high school ~ Talk to your family about your ideas and plans ~ • Research schools • Take college entrance exams • Get the most out of junior year! Earning grades of “C” or better, participating in clubs, extra-curricular activities, community service • Apply for any eligible scholarships • Work on writing skills