COLLEGE PLANNING Keri Shields Director of College and Academic Counseling 2019 - 2020 The mission of Crossings Christian School (CCS) is to partner with parents and church to develop students into Christ-centered servant leaders who are academically and spiritually prepared for college and life. An online version of this book with working hyperlinks is available. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE COLLEGE FRENZY ........................................................................................................................................ 7 PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AT CCS .................................................................................................... 8 THE KEY TERMS ................................................................................................................................................ 9 THE KEY PLAYERS .............................................................................................................................................. 9 WHAT’S IMPORTANT FOR COLLEGE PREPARATION ......................................................................................... 10 YOUR GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) .............................................................................................................. 10 UNWEIGHTED GPA .......................................................................................................................................... 11 WEIGHTED GPA .............................................................................................................................................. 11 CCS TRANSCRIPT EXAMPLE ............................................................................................................................. 11 HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES & COURSE OF STUDY .................................................................................................. 12 HARDER CLASSES V. EASIER CLASSES ..................................................................................................................... 13 YOUNG WOMEN INTERESTED IN GREEK LIFE ......................................................................................................... 13 ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) EXAMS .............................................................................................................. 14 DUAL CREDIT CLASSES .................................................................................................................................... 15 CURRENT DUAL CREDIT OFFERINGS (2019 – 2020) ........................................................................................... 15 STANDARDIZED TESTING ................................................................................................................................ 17 PSAT & NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION .................................................................................. 17 ACT AND SAT .................................................................................................................................................. 17 IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ACT: BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER 2020, THE ACT HAS ADOPTED BIG CHANGES. ONCE YOU TAKE AN ACT IN ITS ENTIRETY, YOU WILL ONLY NEED TO RETAKE SECTIONS YOU’D LIKE TO IMPROVE. .............................................. 17 COMPARISON CHART: ACT V. SAT ......................................................................................................................... 18 SHOULD I TAKE THE SAT OR ACT? .......................................................................................................................... 19 SHOULD I TAKE THE WRITING PORTION OF THE ACT OR SAT? .............................................................................. 20 SAT SUBJECT TESTS ......................................................................................................................................... 20 TEST OPTIONAL COLLEGES .............................................................................................................................. 20 EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ....................................................................................................................... 21 COLLEGE PLANNING, THE CCS WAY, 2020 3 WHAT’S YOUR SPIKE? ..................................................................................................................................... 21 ACADEMIC SPIKE .................................................................................................................................................... 21 SPORTS SPIKE .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 LEADERSHIP SPIKE .................................................................................................................................................. 22 NON-TRADITIONAL SPIKE ...................................................................................................................................... 22 CREATING A RESUMÉ ...................................................................................................................................... 23 ACADEMIC HONORS ....................................................................................................................................... 24 WHAT IS AN ACADEMIC HONOR? .................................................................................................................... 24 EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC & LEADERSHIP HONORS AVAILABLE ........................................................................ 24 CROSSINGS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ACADEMIC AWARDS & HONORS .................................................................... 24 OKLAHOMA-SPECIFIC ACADEMIC AWARDS ..................................................................................................... 25 OKLAHOMA-SPECIFIC LEADERSHIP AWARDS & HONORS ................................................................................. 25 NATIONAL AWARDS & LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ...................................................................................... 25 NATIONAL COMPETITION & CONTESTS ........................................................................................................... 26 ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) AWARDS ........................................................................................................... 27 PSAT NATIONAL AWARDS ............................................................................................................................... 27 EMPLOYMENT ................................................................................................................................................ 27 CREATING A COLLEGE LIST .............................................................................................................................. 28 OLD SCHOOL COLLEGE GUIDES ........................................................................................................................ 28 CAMPUS CULTURE QUIZ .................................................................................................................................. 29 CAMPUS CULTURE QUIZ KEY ........................................................................................................................... 31 CHRISTIAN COLLEGES ...................................................................................................................................... 33 CHRISTIAN COLLEGE PROS & CONS ........................................................................................................................ 33 SECULAR COLLEGE PROS & CONS ........................................................................................................................... 34 YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH .................................................................................................................................. 34 LET’S COMPARE SOME COLLEGES USING COLLEGE SCORECARD ....................................................................... 35 YOUR COLLEGE VISITS ..................................................................................................................................... 36 THINGS TO DO & CONSIDER: ........................................................................................................................... 36 BEFORE YOU GO: ............................................................................................................................................ 37 DURING THE TOUR: ......................................................................................................................................... 37 WHEN VISITING A CLASS: ................................................................................................................................ 37 WHEN VISITING WITH STUDENTS: ................................................................................................................... 37 ASK YOURSELF: ............................................................................................................................................... 38 AFTER THE TOUR: ............................................................................................................................................ 38 COLLEGE PLANNING, THE CCS WAY, 2020 4 COMMUNICATING WITH COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ............................................................................................. 38 YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS .......................................................................................................................