relatedMaterials

• G2G College Is Possible Brochure

  

  March 2010 - This brochure encourages students that college is possible, even for those students who don't think they are cut out for college. It provides advice and suggestions regarding support programs, federal aid and visiting your guidance counselor.

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• G2G Counselor Brochure

  

  March 2010 - This brochure is about the importance of visiting your guidance counselor and the resources they can provide.

  DOWNLOAD PDF>>

• G2G Regents Brochure

  

  March 2010 - This brochure explains the importance of the Regents and gives details on which Regents you need to pass each year in order to graduate on time.

  DOWNLOAD PDF>>

Start Planning Now

It’s never too early to start thinking about what you are going to do after high school. The earlier you begin preparing for college and your dream career, the easier it will be for you to achieve your goals. Resources and assistance are available at your school to help you plan and get ready to be a successful college student.

The three key steps to making college happen for you are to get help, stay on track to graduate and stand out from the crowd by participating in extracurricular activities that develop your interests and skills.

1. Get help

Get support from your high school guidance counselor, teachers and principal.

Your school is full of resources: Your guidance counselor, principal and teachers have all been to college and can help you get there. Talk to them about your dream career and ask for their advice about what you need to do to achieve it. When you do apply to colleges during your senior year, they can provide the letters of recommendation that must accompany the applications.

Prep for the PSAT, SAT, SAT subject tests and ACT.

Your high school guidance counselor will help you figure out which standardized tests you need to take and when to take them. Preparing early for these tests can help you get a higher score. Buy or borrow a test-prep book and try working on it a little each day. Create or buy math and vocabulary flash cards to practice whenever you have time—even just a few minutes.

Most students worry about doing well on these tests, but try to keep it in perspective. Your grades and other academic experiences will always hold more weight than standardized tests.

Enroll in college prep and tutoring programs.

After-school college access programs are a great way to prepare for and learn about college. These programs offer services like test preparation, college guidance, financial aid help, tutoring, college tours, college-level courses, scholarships and more.

More information is available from the College Access Consortium of New York (www.cacny.com) and the Partnership for After School Education (www.pasesetter.com).

2. Graduate

Stay on track to graduate on time.

A major part of preparing for college is making sure that you graduate from high school on time. This means more than just doing well in all of your classes; it also means taking the correct tracks of classes and exams.

Students in New York state need to take four years of English and social studies, three years of science and math, one semester each of art and music, one year of a foreign language, and two and a half years of physical education/health.

Keep in mind that each high school’s requirements may differ. With your high school guidance counselor, you can create a four-year academic plan that will keep you on track to graduate on time. Use the “Are You on Track?” chart available to download from the Related Materials box to the left.

Plan for the Regents exams.

In addition to taking the right classes, work with your teachers and high school guidance counselor to figure out when you need to take and pass the required Regents exams. You will need to pass at least one math Regents and one science Regents, as well as Comprehensive English, Global History and Geography, and U.S. History and Government. Try to pass at least one Regents exam in ninth grade to lighten your load later.

Take challenging classes.

Many colleges prefer students who have taken four years of math and three years of foreign language. Taking Advanced Placement classes and College Now classes, if they are available in your school, can make your college application stand out. This can also help you avoid having to take noncredit remedial classes in college.

3. Stand Out

Develop skills and interests outside the classroom.

The colleges you apply to will want to know how you spend your time outside the classroom. Do you play sports or an instrument? Participate in your church youth group or do community service? Read a lot or babysit?

Your extracurricular activities develop skills and experiences that set you apart from other students who have similar grades. And they are an indication of what you think is important and how you can contribute to the world around you. Your high school guidance counselor can help you research after-school programs and other activities if you cannot find what you are looking for.