JUNIOR FALL VISIT

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JUNIOR FALL VISIT

• Objectives
• To familiarize you with the contents of your
  cumulative record
• To tell you how to figure your GPA
• To provide an orientation for the PSAT
• To encourage you to begin planning for after high
  school

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Transcript

• Your transcript includes
• A record of your grades in any high school
  courses you took. We only show S1, S2, and FG.
• Your GPA and rank will be figured in January,
  2007 and will be on your transcript after that.
• No SOL test scores on transcript but all SAT and
  ACT scores unless you tell us not to send.

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HOW TO FIGURE A GPA

• USE ONLY SEMESTER GRADES
• FOR Z, C, O, Y CLASSES
• A 4.5 C 2.5
• A 4.0 C 2.0
• B 3.5 D 1.5
• B 3.0 D 1.0
• F 0
• HONORS CLASSES GET A 1
• REPEAT FOR STRENGTHENING-USE HIGHER GRADES

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DATES

• PSAT OCTOBER 18
• COLLEGE FAIR OCTOBER 22 MONACAN HIGH SCHOOL
• 430-6
• JOHN TYLER CC OCTOBER 23 CHESTER, 730-9
• COLLEGE NOVEMBER 9
• ADMISSIONS WORKSHOP
• 7 P.M.-COSBY HIGH SCHOOL

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COLLEGE PLANNING

• Take PSAT. Wait to do SAT until you have PSAT
  results back, January or later. Maximum number of
  times to take should be 3.
• Difference between SAT I and II.
• ACT is an alternative.
• Visit with your counselor.
• Visit Career Center to research schools and
  majors.
• Military academy applications must be done in
  spring of junior year as well as ROTC
  applications.
• NCAA Clearinghouse-end of junior year.
• Plan to visit schools in the spring.
• Stay active with clubs and volunteer activities.

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WHY TAKE THE PSAT?

• PREPARATION FOR THE JUNIOR PSAT FOR NATIONAL
  MERIT, NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT NATIONAL HISPANIC
  SCHOLARSHIP MONEY
• PREPARATION FOR THE SAT
• PLACEMENT IN DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES
• PLACEMENT IN AP CLASSES

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WHY TAKE THE PSAT?

• THE OPTION TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM COLLEGES
  THROUGH THE STUDENT SEARCH SERVICE
• PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK ON CRITICAL READING, MATH,
  AND WRITING SKILLS, INCLUDING SUGGESTIONS FOR
  IMPROVEMENT

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BENEFITS OF TAKING THE PSAT

• WITH YOUR SCORE REPORT, YOU WILL RECEIVE AN
  ONLINE REPORT THAT GIVES YOU
• ACCESS TO ALL TEST QUESTIONS.
• A PERSONALIZED ONLINE SAT STUDY PLAN THAT
  PROVIDES ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR
  PRACTICE BASED ON YOUR PSAT RESULTS.
• ACCESS TO MYROAD, A WEB-BASED CAREER, MAJOR, AND
  COLLEGE EXPLORATION TOOL.

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PSAT

• THE PSAT CONSISTS OF
• VERBAL
• MATHEMATICS
• WRITING

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VERBAL

• CONTENT FROM HUMANITIES, SOCIAL STUDIES, NATURAL
  SCIENCES, AND LITERATURE
• 13 SENTENCE COMPLETIONS
• 35 PASSAGE-BASED READING QUESTIONS (100- TO
  800-WORD PASSAGES)

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MATH

• INCLUDES ARITHMETIC, ALGEBRA FUNCTIONS,
  GEOMETRY MEASUREMENT, DATA ANALYSIS,
  STATISTICS, PROBABILITY(NO ALGEBRA 2 LIKE THE
  SAT)
• 28 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
• 10 STUDENT-PRODUCED RESPONSE QUESTIONS
  (GRID-INS)

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WRITING

• FOCUS IS ON EDITING, GRAMMAR, USAGE,
  ORGANIZATION
• 20 IMPROVING SENTENCES QUESTIONS
• 14 IDENTIFYING SENTENCE ERROR QUESTIONS
• 5 IMPROVING PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS
• THERE IS NO ESSAY ON THE PSAT

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HOW IS THE PSAT SCORED?

• MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1 POINT FOR EACH
  CORRECT ANSWER, ¼ POINT DEDUCTED FOR EACH
  INCORRECT
• MATH GRID-INS 1 POINT FOR EACH CORRECT ANSWER, 0
  POINTS FOR INCORRECT
• 0 POINTS FOR OMITTED QUESTIONS

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SCORING

• PSAT SCALE
• 20-80
• FOR GRADE 11, 47-50 IS AVERAGE
• FOR GRADE 10, 43-46 IS AVERAGE
• SAT SCALE
• 200-800
• 50 MARK IS AT 500

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TEST TAKING TIPS

• REMAIN CALM
• READ ALL DIRECTIONS
• HAVE TWO 2 PENCILS
• HAVE YOUR CALCULATOR
• FILL IN PROPER SPACES
• LEAVE BLANK IF YOU CANT ELIMINATE SOME CHOICES
• DO SCRATCH WORK IN TEST BOOK

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QUESTIONS GO FROM EASY TO HARD EXCEPT IN CRITICAL
READING AND IMPROVING PARAGRAPHS

• IN MOST SECTIONS, QUESTIONS ARE ARRANGED FROM
  EASY TO MORE DIFFICULT (EXCEPT IN READING
  PASSAGES AND IMPROVING PARAGRAPHS)
• WILD GUESSING IS DISCOURAGED, BUT STUDENTS SHOULD
  MAKE EDUCATED GUESSES.
• THE DAY OF THE TEST YOU WILL REPORT TO YOUR FIRST
  PERIOD CLASS AND THEN BE CALLED TO YOUR ENGLISH
  CLASS.
• BRING YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY AND STUDENT
  IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS WITH YOU.

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TEST PREPARATION

• TAKE THE PRACTICE TEST IN THE OFFICIAL STUDENT
  GUIDE
• VISIT WWW.COLLEGEBOARD.COM/PSAT
• SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE SAT QUESTION OF THE DAY AT
  WWW.COLLEGEBOARD.COM
• BE FAMILIAR WITH TEST FORMAT

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TAKE THE PSATOCTOBER 18, 2006

• SOPHOMORES-ALREADY SIGNED UP
• JUNIOR SIGN-UPS-DURING LUNCHES FROM OCTOBER 2-4
• COST 12.00 (CHECKS MADE PAYABLE TO COSBY HS)
• BRING TWO 2 PENCILS, CALCULATOR, SOCIAL SECURITY
  NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS