10th Grade Parent Presentation

Getting Started – Questions to Ask

• What do I want to study?• Where in the world would I like to study?• Where do I want to live after college?• Do I want to be at a small, medium or large university?• Do I want to be in the countryside, suburbs, or city?• Is cost an issue for my family?• Is diversity on campus important to me?• How important is a prestigious name for me?

Resources for Finding the Right Colleges• Meetings with college counselors • Naviance• Visiting campuses• College guides – Fiske Guide, Ruggs, Insider’s Guide to Colleges, Alternative Guide to British Universities• College websites• FASNY alumni• Youvisit.com• College visits at FASNY (mostly occurring in the fall)• www.ucas.com• http://www.aucc.ca/• https://www.daad.de/medien/deutschland/nach-deutschland/downloads/sid_en.pdf• http://portal.uned.es/portal/page?_pageid=93,932663&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL• http://www.studyinholland.co.uk/students.html

Differences in colleges in the US, UK, & Canada

US UK Canada

*4 years *3 years (Scotland 4 years) *3 or 4 years*Liberal arts *Focused course of study *Choice of faculty+ pre-professional options*Residential campus *Mainly off campus *Different living options*Focus on campus fit *Focus on course of study *Focus on course of study*NCAA athletic opportunities

*Highly international*Study in French or English

Difference between applying to colleges in the US, UK, & Canada

US UK Canada

*Focus on whole student *Understanding of course *Grades*American transcript *Actual/pred. scores (Bac/IB) *Bac/IB + grades*SAT/ACT/Subject test *No test (except IELTS) *No test (except IELTS/TOEFL)*Multiple essays *One focused essay *Usually no essays*Recommendation letters *1 reference letter *Usually no letters*Activities very important *Related activities important *No activities needed

What really counts for US schools(in order of importance)

• Grades!*• Test Scores: SAT or ACT plus SAT subject tests and TOEFL/IELTS (if

applicable)• Extracurricular Activities and Personal Statement• Recommendation Letters (Counselor and Teacher)*• Interview• Other

*Please note that these letters, however, go hand in hand with the grades a student earns in classes.

Extracurricular Activities to Consider• Anything involving leadership skill building (student government, club officer or key role in a club,

team captain, community service leader, etc.)• Taking an existing club at FASNY to the next level or starting one’s own club

• Creative endeavors such as writing, playing music, dance, acting, and filmmaking• Activities that highlight a student’s personal strengths and interests• Lab research

• Academic competitions (Google Science Fair, Intel Science Search, Kids Philosophy Slam, Poetry Out Loud, Siemens Competition, Toshiba Exploravision, Young Writers Program, Harvard/MIT Math Tournament, etc.)

• Summer programs (inexpensive local programs are fine!)• Internships

• Starting one’s own blog or online business• Part-time job

Tests!Testing Overview: For American colleges there are a few different admissions tests that may or may not be required pieces of the application; with admissions testing it is important to plan ahead and to prepare.PSAT: Held in October at FASNY. It mirrors the real SAT and gives students the experience of taking the SAT. Students typically take this in 10th and 11th grade. High scores in 11th grade put students in the running for the National Merit competition.SAT: Three-hour and fifty-minute exam (with the essay). It is primarily a multiple-choice test that measures writing, verbal, and mathematical reasoning abilities, which develop over time. Register at www.collegeboard.com. Students take this exam at various neighboring high schools. Each of the three sections (Verbal/Math/Writing) is scored out of 800 points. The writing section is optional but it is HIGHLY recommended that students take this section of the exam.SAT Subject Tests: Subject tests are one-hour, primarily multiple-choice tests, that measure knowledge of particular subjects and your ability to apply that knowledge. For a list of the subjects and the specific dates they are offered, please refer to the College Board website at www.collegeboard.com to see when specific tests are offered.ACT: The ACT assessment measures the knowledge, understanding, and skills that you have acquired up to now in the areas of reading, math, English, and science. This test is sometimes used in place of the SAT Reasoning Test. Most students perform at the same level on the ACT and SAT. If you are interested in the ACT, consider taking a practice test. Register at www.actstudent.org(scored to 36).TOEFL/IELTS: Students, whose native language is not English (been in the country 5 years or less), should consider taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). These tests measure the ability to understand spoken English, and the ability to understand non-technical reading matter. Students who score well on the SAT Reasoning Test may not need to take this test. McGill is looking for roughly a 100 of 120 on the TOEFL and a 6.5 on the IELTS; Concordia a 90 on the TOEFL and a 5.5-6.5 on the IELTS . Students who are applying to the UK should take the IELTS (vs. the TOEFL). Test dates and deadlines can be found at www.ets.org/toefl and www.ielts.org/ .

Sample Testing Timeline - ACT

11th GradeOctober: PSATFebruary: ACT (currently not available in NY in Feb)April: ACT (2nd sitting)May: SAT Subject TestsJune: SAT Subject Tests (Chemistry/ Math 1/ Literature are some choices to consider- refer to www.collegeboard.com for a full listing of SAT Subject Test options; students can take up to three tests in one sitting, however we recommend they take no more than two tests in one day.)

12th GradeSeptember: TOEFL/IELTS (if needed)October: ACT (3rd sitting if needed) and/or Subject Test (ex: Math 2)November: Save for SAT Subject Tests (if needed)*Oct/Nov testing should be avoided if possible, as the college application process is a very time consuming one.

Sample Testing Timeline - SAT

11th GradeOctober: PSATMarch: SATMay: SAT (2nd sitting)June: Subject Tests • (Chemistry/ Math 1/ Literature are some choices; students can take up to three tests, however we recommend

they take no more than two tests in one sitting)

12th GradeSeptember: TOEFL (if needed)October: SAT (3rd sitting if needed) or Subject Test (ex: Math 2)November: Save for SAT or Subject Tests (if needed)*Oct/Nov testing should be avoided if possible, as the college application process is a very time consuming one.

FASNY Statistics for Selective Universities (2009-2016)

“Selective ++” Schools(i.e. Ivy League, U Chicago):16+: 25 students15: 8 students14: 3 students

“Selective +” Schools(i.e. Georgetown, Barnard):16+: 26 students15: 19 students14: 7 students13: 1 student

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

16 15 14 13

Selective ++ Selective +

Canada: Minimum French Bac/ IB Requirements*Higher results may be needed depending on the program/year

• Concordia 11/20 or 27 on IB• University of Toronto 12/20 + no grades below 10 or 28 on IB• Bishops University 11/20 or 26 plus bonus points on IB• McGill 11-15.5/20 or 30 on IB • University of British Columbia 12/20 or 24 plus bonus points on IB• Queen’s University 12/20 or 28 plus bonus points on IB• Ryerson University 10/20 or 28 on IB• Dalhousie University 11/20 or 26 on IB• Universite de Montreal (FR) 11/20• HEC Montreal (FR or Bilingual) 12/20 or 28 on IB

FASNY Grading Conversion

FASNY - Grading System HONORS - Scale System

16-20 = A+ Academic Honors 12.5 - 13.9

15= A Academic High Honors 14-15.9

14= A- Academic Highest Honors 16 + Above

13= B+

12= B

11= B-

10= C+

09= C

08= C-

07= D+

06= D

05= D-

04= F

11th Grade Timeline

• Students need to continue to perform well in school and stay involved in extracurricular activities.

• Students attend college visits at FASNY (Sept-Nov).• PSAT in October.• Attend college night in October.• Attend parent meeting in November.• Come up with a testing plan for standardized tests including the TOEFL/IELTS.• Visit schools during vacation (October & February are good early options).• Meet with college counselors beginning in January.• Work on essays before and during the summer vacation.• Identify teachers who can write letters of recommendation.

Questions?