MAINLAND
REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
MRHS CEEB
#310-698
MRHS Test Center
Code # 31-436
Class of 2009
COLLEGE PLANNING BOOKLET
Ms. Kathleen Heaton A
- Cl
Ms. Sandra Manos
Co - Fe
Ms. Holly Monihan Fi -
Kh
Mr. Marcello Rodriguez Ki - Mo
Ms. Anne
Cancelmo Mu
- Se
Mr. Robert
Roesch Sh
- Z
See your Guidance Counselor for more
information or if you have questions.
It is never too early to begin your
preparation.
SCHEDULE FOR COLLEGE PLANNING
SEPTEMBER
your values, your
interests and your abilities.
Meet with your guidance counselor
to review your courses for junior year and to plan courses
for senior year. Be
certain you are carrying a solid college prep program.
Sign up to take the PSAT/NMSQT
OCTOBER
Take PSAT/NMSQT
at Mainland (Register in Guidance Dept.)
Keep your grades up.
Attend the New Jersey College Fair in Atlantic City.
DECEMBER
Receive results of PSAT/NMQST.
Read material sent with your scores and consult your guidance
counselor to
determine how you might improve. . This is excellent preparation for the SAT
1.
Develop your individual SAT I/II
testing schedule with your counselor.
Remember to register at the appropriate
time.
JANUARY
Decide what type of college you
are looking for (two-year/four year, liberal arts/technical).
Determine what
factors are important to you (location, size, setting).
Begin to prepare for the SAT l
FEBRUARY/MARCH
Meet with your Guidance counselor
to begin preparing a list of colleges to explore.
Use college guidebooks,
computer software and the Internet as resources.
Write, e-mail or call colleges on
your list to request materials such as applications, viewbooks,
videos and
catalogues.
Attend College Fairs to speak
with college representatives.
February - First chance to take ACT
March - First chance to take SAT I
APRIL
Second chance to take the ACT
Make visits to college campuses
for Tours, Open Houses, etc.
MAY
Second chance to take
the SAT l or SAT II.
Attend the New Jersey National
College Fair in North Jersey.
JUNE
Another chance to take the SAT, SAT II or ACT.
Continue visits to colleges
during the summer.
JULY/ AUGUST
If your spring SAT scores have
revealed any weaknesses, plan a program of self-improvement.
Visit college. Take tours and
have interviews. Open communication lines with coaches and/or
other
representatives of special talent.
Continue to refine your list.
Review your testing plan for SATI/II or ACT. If appropriate
register for one or both tests.
SENIOR YEAR
SEPTEMBER
Meet with
your guidance counselor to be sure that the colleges remaining on your list
are appropriate to your academic and personal record.
Review your complete high school
transcript with your counselor to check for accuracy of
courses, grades, rank in class, etc.
Meet with the teachers of your
choice to discuss your letters of recommendation.
If you are applying to
colleges that require the CSS Profile for financial aid, initiate this process
now.
Plan visits to college campuses if you didn’t get to them during the summer or
if you want to return for a second time.
OCTOBER
Continue to attend College Fairs
to investigate further those colleges to which you will probably apply.
Begin to prepare information
needed for college applications: extracurricular activities,
honors and awards
etc.
If applying for Early Decision or
Early Action send in your applications now.
Work hard, your first quarter
senior grades are important.
SAT I, SAT II or ACT testing.
NOVEMBER
Continue filing applications to
colleges.
Continue to meet with college
representatives when they visit your school.
SAT I or SAT II testing.
DECEMBER
File your last college
applications.
If applying for financial aid,
obtain the Free Application For Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA).
SAT I, SAT II or ACT testing.
JANUARY
Maintain a strong senior year.
Attend Financial Aid information
sessions.
SAT I testing.
FEBRUARY
Monitor your college applications
to be sure that the materials are sent, received on time,
especially your
first semester grades.
Be certain that your FAFSA and/or
CSS Profile had been filed by this time if needed for financial aid.
ACT testing
MARCH/APRIL
Continue monitoring your college
applications.
Attend Open House Programs on
college campuses.
MAY
Decide
on the college you will attend. Send in the required tuition deposit by May 1st.
Write
to the colleges you have not selected to inform them that you plan to enroll
elsewhere.
Take
the Advanced Placement examinations.
Request
that your guidance counselor send your final transcript to the college you
will attend.
JULY/AUGUST
Look
for information from your new college on summer orientation, skills testing,
course registration, etc.
The
Top Ten Things Colleges Want
1. A high school curriculum that challenges the student. Students should
demonstrate a willingness to challenge themselves with a rigorous program of
studies. Academically successful students should include several Honors,
and/or Advanced Placement classes.
2. Grades that represent strong effort and an upward trend. Grades
should show an upward trend over the years. However, slightly lower grades in
a rigorous program are preferred to all A’s in less challenging coursework.
3. A well-written essay that provides insight into the student’s
unique personality, values and goals.
The application essay should be thoughtful and highly personal. It
should demonstrate careful and well-constructed writing.
4. Passionate involvement in a few activities, demonstrating leadership
and initiative. Depth, not breadth, of experience is most important.
5. Solid scores on standardized tests (SAT, ACT). These should be
consistent with high school performance.
6. Special talents or experiences that contribute to a well-rounded
student body. Anything that makes a student unique adds to the diversity of
the campus.
7. Letters of recommendation from teachers and guidance counselor that
give evidence of integrity, special skills and positive character traits.
Students should request recommendations from teachers who respect their work
in an academic discipline.
8. Demonstrated enthusiasm, often exhibited in an interview, towards
attending the college. Colleges want to know, if they offer admittance that
the student will choose to go there.
Commitment to attending debuted on the list this year.
9. Out-of-school experiences, including work and community service, that
illustrate responsibility, dedication and development of areas of interest. Work or other
meaningful use of free time can demonstrate maturity.
10. Supplemental recommendations by adults who have had significant
direct contact with the student.
Letters from coaches or supervisors in long-term work or volunteer
activities are valuable; however, recommendations from casual acquaintances or
family friends, even if they are well known, are rarely given much weight.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS:
WHAT STUDENTS
NEED TO KNOW
It's not your parents' college search. Way back in the
days of yore, high school students poured over college guidebooks the size of
doorstops, actually used the Post Office to communicate with admission
offices, and painstakingly filled in their applications using a typewriter. Those guidebooks can still be a big help, but students
today have many more ways to research and apply to colleges. The Internet has
made gathering information easy. But it can be hard to tell whether all that
information is reliable. And online applications can make envelopes and stamps
seem positively archaic. But electronic applications can be just as tricky as
their paper counterparts. What's a high-tech student to do?
Lesson
One: Just because it's on the Internet doesn't make it true. Okay,
so that seems really basic for a tech-savvy person like you. But it's
important to keep in mind for everyone that ever received an e-mail about a
nonexistent virus. This lesson holds true for college-search sites, too. You
probably won't find listings for nonexistent colleges. But you could end up
with out-of-date application deadlines or lists of majors. Also, most college
search sites include only the colleges that paid the site to list them. That's
why you'll get different college lists from different sites (even if you plug
in the same preferences). Use the college-search sites as a starting point. Don't
depend on just one site-get lists from several of them. Then go to the Web
sites of individual colleges to get the real scoop.
Lesson Two: Don't judge a college by its Web site. You can learn a lot about a college from its Web site. Many colleges have extensive sites that include faculty and student Web pages, detailed information about majors and programs, and even virtual campus tours. Other colleges have more basic Web sites: they may have good information, but they're definitely not high on the "wow!" meter. Don't be fooled by the quality (or lack of quality) of a college Web site. Because the Web is still fairly new, some colleges are farther ahead than others. A poor Web site tells you only that the college has not yet invested a lot in its Web presence. It says next to nothing about the quality of the college itself.
The one exception to this principle may be students
interested in a high-tech major. A well-done Web site may indicate a greater
commitment to keeping up with the latest technology. That may not matter much
to a history major, but a potential Web designer or software programmer may
need a college on the cutting edge.
Lesson Three: Go undercover. Of course, you need to know a college's majors, activities, and application requirements. But don't stop with the admission office's home page.
"First, look for the student newspaper online, and second, look for links to students' Web pages," says Palmer Muntz, director of admission at the Oregon Institute of Technology. "Not all schools will have these, but when they do, you can find good 'unofficial' or 'undercover' information on the institution." Plus, you can e-mail students and ask them questions about the school. Undercover information can give you a more in-depth view of the college. It can tell you what the hot issues on campus are (fraternities? politics? bad cafeteria food?) and what students are interested in.
Other pages that can give you good information:
- Faculty home pages-some post detailed syllabuses of their classes.
- Department home pages-get information about majors from the people who teach them.
- Student organizations-check out the schedule for the Outing Club or see what resolutions the Student Senate passed.
- Alumni association pages-what are alumni of the college doing now? What is the college doing for its alumni?
Lesson Four: An application is an application. Most colleges accept both paper and electronic applications. Many colleges prefer electronic applications because they make it easier to track student data. However, the type of application submitted won't make a difference in the admission decision. Colleges work hard to make sure there's no difference in difficulty for the applicant or the impression they make on the admission committee. Even so, tech-savvy students may find applying electronically to be easier and more efficient. But there are some pitfalls to electronic applications. "Some paper applications are hard to read due to poor handwriting," says Muntz. "Similarly, some online applications are hard to read because students slip into their poor e-mail writing patterns." It's easy to click a button and send an application to a college. But make sure that you take an online application just as seriously as a paper one.
Lesson Five: Sometimes old ways are best. One of the best resources in the college search and application process is still your guidance or college counselor. He or she has firsthand information on colleges, has helped hundreds of students through the process, and can get to know you face to face. Even the most technologically advanced Web site can't top that!
CAREER PLANNING AND
COLLEGE CHOICES
Two of three college students change fields of study at least once before graduation. So even if you have a particular major or career in mind now, your interests are likely to change in the next few years. And, "undecided" is a perfectly acceptable "major" for an incoming freshman.
FOR THE UNDECIDED STUDENT
Despite the probability
that you’ll change your major once or twice during your college years, you
still have some idea of what majors interest or bore you. For example, if your
favorite subjects are math and computers, you probably won’t suddenly want
to switch to an English major. You’ll want to look for colleges that have
strong programs in fields that use mathematics
(physics, engineering, astronomy, etc) and technology (computer
science). Have three or four areas in mind that you would like to explore at
college. Look for colleges that have good programs in all these areas of
interest.
Plan to spend the first
year or two at college exploring these possible career interests. Don’t
limit yourself to taking classes; check out the college’s career center,
look into summer jobs or internships in your fields of interest, and try to
connect to people who work in the career(s) you’re considering. In fact, you
may want to take some time to explore your career interests while you’re
still in high school. The more experience and knowledge you have about
possible careers, the easier it will be to make good decisions.
Career planning involves
three steps: learning about yourself (strengths, weaknesses, values,
interests, goals), learning about careers (education required, career ladders,
salaries, working conditions), and learning how to make decisions. You can
only learn these things over time and not one day before you declare your major at college.
FOR THE FOCUSED STUDENT
Of course, some students
have a very clear idea of what career they wish to pursue. Everyone knows at
least a few people who seem destined to be engineers, teachers, forest
rangers, etc. If you already have specific career goals, make sure they are
based on knowing about both yourself and your chosen career. A student who
says he or she wants to go into business or forestry but who has never done
anything like it would be well advised to consider schools where there is a
broad range of options including these programs.
How do you know a particular
area or type of career is right for you?
Students should be good at
what they do, enjoy what they do, and feel they are a kindred spirit with
others who do that kind of thing.
TIMELINES
Some majors require
students to decide on them early. Competitive engineering, architecture,
nursing, fine arts, and other programs may be difficult to transfer later into
in your college career. If you’re interested in one of these types of
majors, make sure to find out the requirements to get into the specific
program (not just the college).
THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
As you think about how your
career interests intersect with your college choices, remember that college is
about more that career training. In fact, many adults change careers at least
once- and often several times throughout their lifetimes. College is about
preparing yourself for the rest of your life, so choose a college that will
help you grow as a person, as well as train you for a career.
Tips
for Finding Your College Match
College Characteristics to Consider
How
can you find colleges that match your needs? First, identify your priorities.
Next, carefully research the characteristics of a range of schools. Finally,
match the two. Here are some college characteristics you should consider.
SIZE
- Size
of the student body
- Size will affect many of your opportunities and experiences, including:
1. range of academic majors offered
2. extracurricular possibilities
3. amount of personal attention you'll receive
4. number of books in the library
- In
considering size, be very sure to look beyond the raw number of students
attending. For example, perhaps you're considering a small department
within a large school. Investigate not just the number of faculty, but
also how accessible faculty members are to students.
LOCATION
Do
you want to visit home frequently, or do you see this as a time to experience
a new part of the country? Perhaps you like an urban environment with access
to museums, ethnic food, or major league ball games. Or maybe you hope for
easy access to the outdoors or the serenity of a small town. Learn more.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
If
you know what you want to study, research reputations of academic departments
by talking to people in the fields that interest you. If you're undecided,
relax and pick an academically balanced institution that offers a range of
majors and programs. Most colleges offer counseling to help you find a focus.
In
considering academic programs, look for special opportunities and pick a
school that offers many possibilities.
CAMPUS LIFE
Consider
what your college life will be like beyond the classroom. Aim for a balance
between academics, activities, and social life. Before choosing a college,
learn the answers to these questions:
- What
extracurricular activities, athletics, and special interest groups are
available?
- Does
the community around the college offer interesting outlets for students?
- Does
the community welcome students?
- Is
there an ethnic or religious group in which to take part?
- How
do fraternities and sororities influence campus life?
- Is
housing guaranteed?
- How
are dorms assigned?
COST
Today's college price tag makes cost an important consideration for most students. At the same time, virtually all colleges work to ensure that academically qualified students from every economic circumstance can find financial aid that allows them to attend. In considering cost, look beyond the price tag to assistance available.
DIVERSITY
Explore
what you might gain from a diverse student body. Think about the geographic,
ethnic, racial, and religious diversity of the students as a means of learning
more about the world. Investigate what kinds of student organizations or other
groups with ethnic or religious foundations are active and visible on campus.
RETENTION AND GRADUATION
RATES
One
of the best ways to measure a school's quality and the satisfaction of its
students is to learn the percent of students who return after the first year
and the percent of entering students who remain to graduate. Comparatively
good retention and graduation rates are indicators that responsible academic,
social, and financial support systems exist for most students.
COLLEGE GUIDE BOOKS
America’s
Best Colleges
Barron’s
Profiles of American Colleges
Barron’s
Guide to the Best, Most Popular and Most Exciting Colleges
College
Admission Data Handbook
College
Financial Aid for Dummies
The College Handbook
Index of
Majors
The Complete
Idiot’s Guide to Financial Aid for College
The Fiske Guide to Colleges
The
Insider’s Guide to Colleges
Lovejoy’s College Guide
Charles T. Straughn II and Barbara Sue Lovejoy Straughn, Monarch Press,
New York, New York
Peterson’s Annual Guide to Undergraduate Study
Guide to Four Year Colleges/Guide to Two Year Colleges
Andrea E. Lehman, Peterson’s Guides, Princeton, New Jersey
The
Right College
Rugg’s
Recommendations on the Colleges
PREPARING FOR THE
SAT/ACT
You come across an
unfamiliar word in your history book and actually look it up. You find
yourself talking in your analogies. While watching “American Idol” you wonder
how to figure out the length of your television screen if you knew the height.
You’re holding a no. 2 pencil.
IT MUST BE TIME
FOR THE SAT OR ACT
It’s not as bad
as you think
Standardized tests can be
intimidating. And all the hype about test scores doesn’t help. By the time
you finish talking to your friends and reading about the tests, it may feel
like those little ovals will determine your future. True-test scores are
important. But they’re not nearly as important as many friends think.
Different colleges use test scores differently, but no colleges make admission
decisions based solely on test scores. In fact, your academic record- the
courses you’ve taken and the grades you’ve received are looked at much
more closely than your test scores. The transcript is the number one indicator
of a student’s potential for success at Alfred University, with all other
credentials used to support this,” says Mary E. Lindner, assistant director
of admissions at Alfred university (NY). “I would rather go to bat for a
student who is a hard worker and has done well in high school, but scored
lower than we would like on the SAT, than a student who has done just what he
had to do in high school and scores higher on the SAT’s.
A PROVEN WAY TO
BOOST YOUR SCORE!
There’s no way to get
around it—the best way to prepare for the SAT or Act are to study hard and
read as much as you can.
The testing companies
themselves agree. “The best preparation is to take challenging courses in
high school”, says Kristen Krouse from ACT. “That prepares students best
for college, and that’s what the ACT measures.” Reading is another great
way to prepare, No, you don’t have to plow through Moby Dick (though that
wouldn’t hurt). Choose books, magazines and newspapers that you enjoy-
everything from Harry Potter to the New York Times can strengthen your reading
comprehension and vocabulary.
Unfortunately, there is no
quick way to make up for taking easy classes and avoiding the library. But you
can make the commitment now to read at least 15 minutes a day. By the time the
next testing date comes up, you’ll feel more prepared.
TEST TAKING
STRATEGIES
Test-taking skills can be
learned through practice. Try a few of these strategies to improve your
performance on standardized tests.
Take the practice tests in
the materials you receive from the SAT or ACT.
If you find that certain
types of questions or certain topics stump you, get some help from a teacher
in those areas. For example, a math teacher can recommend a good book to
review the basics of geometry or algebra.
Learn from every test you
take. Take the opportunity to see the answers for the questions you got wrong,
if the testing service offers this service. Don’t just study the answers
themselves-look at the reasoning behind each answer. Then, if you decide to
take the test again, you’ll be better prepared.
THE BIG DAY
A good nights rest and
nutritious snacks are still high on the list of test taking strategies.
Don’t stay up late cramming or worrying.
Here are some other do’s
and don’ts.
The
night before:
Do set out everything
you’ll need (including your no. 2 pencil). Then you won’t have to run
around early the nest morning.
The
morning of:
Do plan to arrive early at
the testing center early.
Finally…
Stop worrying about it so
much. (Tests are) supposed to be a guideline, not a new way of life. If a
college is going to admit or deny you based on your test score, you don’t
want to be there anyway, and it’s their loss. Go to a place that’s
prepared to appreciate you for who you really are.
SAT REASONING TEST
The class of 2006 was the first class to take the new SAT for college admissions.
The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly SAT I:
Reasoning Test), better known as the SAT, is a three-hour and
forty-five-minute test that measures critical reading, writing, and
mathematical reasoning skills students have developed over time and skills
they need to be successful academically.
The SAT is the best independent,
standardized measure of a student's college readiness. It is standardized
across all students, schools, and states, providing a common and objective
scale for comparison. High school grades are a very useful indicator of how
students perform in college, yet there is great variation in grading standards
and course rigor within and across high schools.
The SAT consists of nine sections, including
a 25-minute essay, each timed separately. The essay will always be the first
section of the SAT, and the 10-minute multiple-choice writing section will
always be the final section. The five other 25-minute sections can appear in
any order, as can the two 20-minute sections. Test takers sitting next to each
other in the same testing session may have test books with entirely different
sections.
In addition, there is one 25-minute unscored
section, known as the variable or equating section. This unscored section may
be a critical reading, math, or multiple-choice writing section. This unscored
section does not count toward the final score, but is used to try out new
questions for future editions of the SAT and to ensure that scores on new
editions of the SAT are comparable to scores on earlier editions of the test.
Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale
of 200-800, and the writing section will contain two subscores. High school
juniors and seniors typically take the SAT. It is administered seven times a
year in the U.S.
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ceeb COLLEGE code: 310698
TEST CENTER CODE: 31-436
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COLLEGE PLANNING BOOKLET |
THE GUIDANCE OFFICE WEB SITE PROVIDES INFORMATION AND
MANY LINKS FOR
OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO ASSIST YOU WITH
REGARDS TO
COLLEGE & CAREER PLANNING
SAT, ACT, AP TEST DATES
2008-09
SEE GUIDANCE WEB SITE
REGISTRATION
ONLINE AT
www.collegeboard.com OPENS mid July 2007.
THIS YEAR THE FEE
FOR THE SAT I IS $41.50. MAKE CHECK OUT TO The
College Board.
SAT QUESTION AND ANSWER SERVICE AVAILABLE. COST IS $24.00 extra.
ACT ASSESSMENT DATES 2007-2008 FEE IS $29
ACT PLUS WRITING FEE IS $43
ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST DATES - FEE IS $76.00 PER TEST
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GROUP SAT/PSAT PREP TUTORS |
|
NAME |
PHONE NUMBER |
|
METC SAT Workshops |
1-800-300-0003 |
|
Dr. Daniel Loggi |
646-0109 |
|
Sylvan Learning Center |
677-9991 |
|
Princeton Review |
1-800-995-5565 |
|
Kaplan |
1-800-453-4229 |
|
Ivy Bound - SAT Prep |
1-860-224-2144 |
|
INDIVIDUAL SAT I/SAT II/PSAT PREP TUTORS |
|
NAME |
PHONE NUMBER |
| Mrs. Grady - Spanish | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Ms. Farina - French/Spanish | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Mr. Williams - Chemistry |
927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II jwilliams@mainlandregional.net |
| Mr. Crowell - Biology | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Ms. McAfee - Biology | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Mr. Bogart - Literature | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Ms. Austin - World/US History | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Mr. Crane - Physics/Chemistry | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Mrs. Shippen - Math Level I & II | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Mrs. Spiker - Math Level I & II | 788-8571 |
| Ms. Poole - Math Level I & II |
317-4188 - MRHS - SAT II 609-335-9197 |
| Ms. Foreman - Math Level I & II | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT II |
| Mrs. Divincenzo - Physics |
MRHS - SAT II sdivincenzo@mainlandregional.net |
|
Mr. Trama - French/Spanish/German Lit./World Hist./US Hist. |
609-625-2261- SAT II rt-edu@comcast.net |
| Ms. KWilliams - Reading only | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT I |
| Ms. Dill - Math only | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT I |
| Mr. Bogart - Reading & Writing | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT I |
| Ms. Klipp - Math only | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT I |
| Ms. Poole - Math only |
317-4188 - MRHS - SAT I 609-335-9197 |
| Ms. Foreman - Math only | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT I |
| Mrs. Shippen - Math only | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT I |
| Mrs. Nusbaum - Reading only | 927-4151 - MRHS - SAT I |
| Mrs. Spiker - Math only | 788-8571 |
| Ms. Mayrhofer - Reading & Math | 927-4151 (Summer only) - SAT I |
|
Mrs. Sher - Math only |
927-4151 (Summer only) - SAT I |
|
Mr. Mascuilli - Reading only |
1-856-863-3958 - SAT I |
|
Mr. Bill Advena - Math only |
487-9637 |
|
Mr. Dan Slattery - Reading only |
927-7572 |
|
Mr. Myles Bass - Cherry Hill |
1-856-662-0246 |
|
Mrs. Miller - Reading only |
927-5655 |
|
Dr. George Reeves |
609-398-6065 |
| Mr. Trama - Reading/Writing/Math |
609-625-2261 rt-edu@comcast.net |
| FREE comprehensive prep courses | www.number2.com |
| FREE videos with test taking tips | www.eprep.com |
|
24 hours a day tutor for a fee outsourced test prep to India |
www.tutorvista.com |
|
Ivy Bound - SAT Prep |
1-860-224-2144 |
|
SATMethod |
|
| My Tutor |
www.mytutor.com 1-800-698-8867 |
| Spark Notes | www.sparknotes.com |
| Princeton Review | www.asaprograms.com |
| Eureka one on one | www.eurekareview.com |
| Petersons | www.petersons.com |
| Kaplan | www.kaptest.com |
| Word Smart | www.wordsmart.com |
| Flash Card Co. | www.flashcardco.com |
| XL Math | www.xlmath.com |
| College Admission Testing | www.inaflash.com |
| Sat Prep Planning - Free test | www.satprepplan.com |
NCAA CLEARINGHOUSE
Those
student-athletes who wish to participate in athletics at the collegiate level
must register with the
NCAA Clearinghouse. To do so, the student must access
the clearinghouse website at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
The Guidance Department at Mainland recommends that the student register no
earlier than August 2007 if he/she will be graduating in June 2008.
The
NCAA has increased the number of core courses a student must complete while in
high school to be
eligible for participation at a Division I or Division II
institution. Students entering a Division I or Division II institution in Fall
2006 must complete a minimum of 14 core-course units, which is an increase of
one core course. The additional core course may be taken in English,
mathematics, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language,
non-doctrinal religion, or philosophy. In Division I only, students entering a
collegiate institution in Fall 2008 must complete a minimum of 16 core-course
units. One of the additional
units must be in the area of mathematics, bringing the total number of
required mathematics units to three. This will require students to complete
three years of mathematics at the level of Algebra I or higher. The other
course may be in any core area, as described previously.
Please see
your counselor or our secretary, Mrs. Fama, if you have any questions.
RESUME
GUIDELINES
Your
resume will be a useful conversation-starter at interviews, college fairs and
with college visitors to Mainland.
(Some schools
appropriate sections of the application when you are asked
to do so.) This neat one to two page history of your
accomplishments prevents
you from having to repeat
the information three or four times. The following tips will help
your resume
stand out while listing the most relevant information.
First, limit
your resume to two pages: seven page resumes are useless. The selective
schools are simply seeking a listing
Second,
put your best “stuff” first.
SUGGESTED
RESUME FORMAT
Insert
punctuation and capitalization exactly as indicated. List your activities,
etc. ONLY. Do not write explanations here! (Brackets) should be listed without
a header, for example (NAME)
CONTACT
INFORMATION
(Name)
City, State, Zip Code
ACADEMIC
INFORMATION
Mainland Regional High School
High School CEEB Code 310-698
Counselor’s Name
ACADEMIC AWARDS
(ALWAYS) list
your most recent or most significant first!
National
Honor Society- 12, 11
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
President, Student Council-12
ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
COMMUNITY SERVICE
SPECIAL CONFERENCES AND CAMPS
USE THE ABOVE CATEGORIES ONLY AS NECESSARY
For example, if you have not attended any
special conferences or camps, omit this area.
Always put the most recent or
significant event
WHAT DOES A GOOD COLLEGE VISIT INCLUDE?
Most
importantly, a productive visit depends upon your being able to schedule
enough time to absorb something of each campus, especially if you are
traveling a great distance and going to much time and expense in making the
call. The ingredients of a successful visit include the following:
·
Personal interview
·
A campus tour
·
a visit to at least one class in an academic are of interest
·
at least one meal in the campus dining hall
·
an overnight stay in a dormitory
·
a thorough study of college informatioN
·
Reading a recent copY of the student paper
·
plenty of free time to stroll thE campus and observe all activities
Not all these
ingredients are available or possible all the time. For example, classes are
not usually held on Saturdays and some institutions frown on strangers
spending the night in dormitories. Many colleges, however, will offer
incentives (for example, free meal tickets and an overnight host program) to
make certain that the prospective applicants do visit and make the most of
their opportunity. Again, your telephone call to the appointment secretary
should include the question “what opportunities do you offer to visiting
prospective applicants?”
THE COLLEGE INTERVIEW
People obviously realize the importance of the interview in the college selection process. They go to great pains in both time and expense to make certain they receive an audience at the colleges in which they have the greatest interest. Beyond this, however, most people are inadequately prepared for the interview itself. Candidates should be certain not to waste the opportunity an interview can provide.
HOW IMPORTANT
IS AN INTERVIEW?
There are several reasons why an interview is
important.
First, when you make time and effort to be present for the interview, you show sincere interest in the institution. You are saying, "I respect you and value your school’s education. I want to learn more about you and I hope you want to learn more about me."
Second, The interview is an opportunity to learn firsthand about the school’s philosophy and admission policy. Rumors you may have heard can be dispelled.
Third, the interview is an opportunity for you
to present yourself in a very personal manner. It is especially true if you
are someone who makes a very strong physical impression, or you are articulate
and outgoing with depth of personal insight that makes you an attractive
candidate. You should make certain to interview at every college in which you
have a strong interest. If, however, you come across as either arrogant, or
shy and retiring, typically ill at ease in the presence of authority figures,
you may wish to forego the interview experience because of its possible
damaging effects on your candidacy.
Most colleges will tell you that the interview is not
an important part of the selection process, and that its only real use is to
confirm the recommendations of teachers and counselors, and that it is an
imperfect method of evaluating a student. This is not to say that they care
any less about the student as an individual. Rather, these schools feel that
students should take the time that otherwise would have been devoted to the
interview process and use it to extend their campus visit. The admission staff
would use the time they save to run additional information sessions.
All this aside, a study once conducted by College
Board, Educational Testing Service, at nine selective private institutions
concluded that interviews can be very important, especially for those who fall
in the broad middle range of candidates who are qualified but not exceptional
(Personal Qualities and College Admissions, College Entrance Examination
Board, 1982). At the same time your interview may provide important
information, which will help you in the first decision regarding your choice
of colleges. Therefore, plan to have personal interviews and take the steps
necessary to make your interviews highly productive and extremely worthwhile.
Don’t not be like most people who waste the opportunity to make their
interview a critical factor in the decisions made by them and the colleges of
their choice.
WHAT
ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?
Intellectual
Promise. This is a favorite
area of faculty interviewers who see in prospective students a potential
colleague, one who will join with them in the pursuit of knowledge. Questions
about favorite books or favorite courses are often attempting to measure your
kevel of intellectual curiosity or determine your interest in learning as an
individual in itself.
Motivation.
Your interviewer will try
to measure your inner drive and probably determine this by asking you to list
some of your important accomplishments. When doing so, you should explain why
each accomplishment was important.
Energy
Level. Are you laid back or
high-strung? Do you bounce out of bed in the morning, or do you need a blast
of caffeine? Are you out dancing until midnight, or do you run out of gas
before sunset?
Stability. This
is your ability to control your
emotions and demonstrate consistent unflappability while on display throughout
the interview. In other words don’t curl your upper lip when asked a
particularly difficult question.
Sense
of Humor. Be ready to crack
a smile if your interviewer is in a good mood or detects that you might be a
little too tense and tries to loosen you up a little bit. Don’t be afraid to
laugh, if something amusing is said.
Values.
There is no "right" or “wrong” being tested. Your interviewer
simply wants to know what values you will bring to the campus. Be relaxed and
prepared to state your beliefs with firmness and conviction.
Interest
in the Institution. This
one is hard to fake. You are here either because it was your idea or because
it was someone else’s. There is nothing wrong with admitting that you are
here on a fact-finding mission and have yet to develop any strong desire to
attend any college.
Typically, you
and your parents will be seated in the lobby of the admissions office waiting
for your interviewer to come out and introduce him or her. When you hear your
name called, stand and greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and a
friendly relaxed look on your face. Be prepared to introduce the interviewer
to anyone who has accompanied you on the visit. The interviewer will chat for
a moment with your parents before excusing the two of you to go into an
interview office for the private one-on-one phase of the process. It is
important that you speak with your interviewer alone and not let your parents
do your talking for you.
BEGINNING
THE INTERVIEW
AND A WORD ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE
Upon entering
the interview room, take whatever chair is offered. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE
CHAIR ANY CLOSER TO THE INTERVIEWER. In all probability the chair has been
strategically placed at a distance the interviewer is comfortable talking with
you. Just as “actions speak louder than words” the non-verbal behavior you
exhibit will be the yardstick which the interviewer measure your words,
attitude, and intentions. Be aware of your sitting posture. Assume a natural
sitting position, one that is comfortable bit appropriate to the situation.
Sitting rigidly on the edge of the chair indicates uneasiness or over
anxiousness. Slouching conveys disinterest. And sitting with arms and legs
tightly crossed suggests hostility or over-aggression. Holding your body alert,
hands rested easily on the chair or in your lap and legs crossed comfortably
at the knees or ankles suggest a receptive “open” attitude toward the
interviewer and the interview process.
An interviewer's
worst nightmare is trying to sustain a conversation with someone who responds
monosyllabically or who stares disinterestedly out the window or at a wall.
Eye contact implies forthrightness and is perhaps the single most expressive
non-verbal message you will send. Take care to meet the interviewer “eye to
eye” both as he or she speaks to you and as you respond to questions.
The interview
is your opportunity to add depth through the written word. There is something
in the cliché “ it’s not what you say but how you say it”. The tone of
your voice, it’s volume and the inflection you use can either hold or lose
the listener’s attention. Avoid mumbling, speaking in monotone and giving
one-syllable responses. You deserve to be heard. Attentiveness, posture,
appropriate eye contact and the overall quality of verbal expression will help
to ensure that you hold your attention.
GETTING
THE INTERVIEW STARTED
The first three
to five minutes of most interviews are used to “break the ice”. Let the
interviewer speak the first words, to set the tone. You will be asked a few
questions of a general nature that do not require a great deal of thought.
Just allow the conversation to flow. Be careful to monitor your answers to a
moderate length.
As you begin to
relax and enjoy the process, the interviewer will move into topics that are
relevant to the college selection process, questions that delve more deeply
into your personality and give you an opportunity to think on your feet. This
should be fun if you have done some thinking about yourself and the topics
that might be discussed. Answer the questions to the best of your knowledge
and ability.
Here are a few
questions that a college interviewer might ask:
·
What are the most recent
books you have read outside of school?
·
If you could read the
evaluation that your teacher has written about you, what would it say?
·
Are your standardized
test scores an accurate reflection of your true abilities?
·
Are you satisfied with
your academic record to date?
·
What has been your
greatest contribution to your school?
·
How would you describe
your two best friends?
·
Do you have any
anxieties about going to college?
·
What three adjectives
would you use to describe you?
·
What do you want to
learn during your college experience relative to your career goals and
objectives?
·
What have you done in
the last six months to help another person?
TURNING
THE TABLES
As soon as the
interviewer feels you have had enough time to present yourself, he or she will
ask if you have any questions. Here is where your preparation for the campus
visit will become very apparent.