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Friday, July 17, 2015

PASSHE School Applications are Now Open!

SENIORS!

Are you ready to start applying for college?

All the PASSHE (PA State System of Higher Education) universities now have their applications open for Fall 2016! If you know that you want to apply to any of these schools, now is your chance to get your applications in early!

The admissions counselors should begin reading applications by September 1st, which means you could have your first college acceptance by Labor Day!

Just as a reminder, the following are considered "PASSHE" schools: 
Bloomsburg
Cal U
Cheyney
Clarion
East Stroudsburg
Edinboro
Indiana U
Kutztown
Lock Haven
Mansfield
Millersville
Shippensburg
Slippery Rock
West Chester University

Here is the link to the application website: http://www.passhe.edu/answers/Pages/start_now.aspx

Happy applying!



Tuesday, June 9, 2015

JUNE SAT ERROR

ATTENTION JUNIORS WHO TOOK THE JUNE 6 SAT:

CollegeBoard discovered there was an error on the exam. Please see the following information, which was posted by Collegeboard.org on 6/8. Call CollegeBoard with any questions or concerns that you may have. See here for the official posting.

Information Regarding the Saturday, June 6, SAT Administration


Last updated June 8, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
On Saturday, June 6, Educational Testing Service (ETS) informed the College Board that there was a printing error in the standard test books ETS provided to students taking the SAT that day in the United States.
We apologize for this error.
After a comprehensive review and statistical analysis, the College Board and ETS have determined that the affected sections will not be scored and we will still be able to provide reliable scores for all students who took the SAT on June 6. We expect to deliver scores within the usual timeframe.
To accommodate the wide range of incidents that can impact a testing experience, the SAT is designed to collect enough information to provide valid and reliable scores even with an additional unscored section. From fire drills and power outages to mistiming and disruptive behavior, school-based test administrations can be fragile, so our assessments are not.
We take our responsibility to students very seriously, and we regret the confusion some students experienced. For more information, we encourage students and their families to check back here for the latest updates.

Frequently Asked Questions for Students


Q: What happened during the June 6 administration of the SAT?
Shortly before noon Eastern time on Saturday, June 6, Educational Testing Service (ETS) informed the College Board that there was a printing error in the standard test books ETS provided to students taking the SAT® on June 6 in the United States. The time allotted for a specific math or reading section — either section 8 or 9, depending on the edition — was incorrect in the student test books but correct in the script and manual provided to test center supervisors. The copy in the student test books indicated “25 minutes” while the manual and script indicated the correct time limit of "20 minutes."
As soon as ETS became aware of the error during the administration of the test, it worked to provide accurate guidance to supervisors and administrators.
Q: Will my scores be available and still be delivered to colleges and universities?
After a comprehensive review and statistical analysis, the College Board and ETS have determined that the affected sections will not be scored, and that we will still be able to provide reliable scores for all students who took the SAT on June 6. We expect to deliver scores within the usual time frame.
Colleges and universities will know these scores are valid.
Q: How is it possible to not score a whole section and still have valid scores?
To accommodate the wide range of incidents that can impact a testing experience, the SAT is designed to collect enough information to provide valid and reliable scores even with an additional unscored section. From fire drills and power outages to mistiming and disruptive behavior, school-based test administrations can be fragile, so our assessments are not.
We have deliberately constructed both the Reading and the Math Tests to include three equal sections with roughly the same level of difficulty. If one of the three sections is jeopardized, the correlation among sections is sufficient to be able to deliver reliable scores.
Q: When will I get my scores?
We expect to deliver scores to students within the usual time frame.
Q: Who does this affect?
All students who took the SAT on June 6 in the United States are affected. This does not affect students who took the SAT on Sunday, June 7, or any SAT Subject Test offered that day.
Q: Where can I go for additional information?
To address any additional questions from students and families, our customer service professionals are available at sat@info.collegeboard.org.
 

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Advice to the Class of 2016

As our awesome Class of 2015 gets ready to receive their diplomas on June 6, they took some time to share some advice to our underclassmen, especially advice for our juniors just beginning their college processes. Below are some words of wisdom. Thank you Class of 2015 - you will be missed!


On Choosing Colleges to Apply to...
* Branch out and get to know all of your options. Think about what you like and choose a path to build upon that! 
* Visit colleges before you apply to them!
* Find your best fit!
* Don’t worry about not applying because of the fear of not getting accepted
* Always have a back-up school
* Do your research. Find out everything you can about the college you want to go to and ask lots of questions
* If you are going to apply to a school with a low acceptance rate, make sure you'd be equally happy at your "back-up" school
* Reach out to students you know who go to your desired school, they will be open and honest about their experiences
* Visit a school twice before enrolling
* Going on college visits during your junior year and the summer is a lot better than cramming it into senior year 
* Never let the price tag scare you from applying 

On the Application Process...
* Spend more time than you think is necessary studying for the SAT/ACT
* If you are taking SAT subject tests, take them in June of your junior year when the material is still fresh
* Use the college adviser!!
Don’t procrastinate and wait until the last minute to get everything done
* Stay on top of all of your deadlines!
* Get things done early so you aren’t rushing!
* If you are thinking about majoring in art, do NOT wait until March/April to finish your portfolios
* It is okay (and encouraged) to meet with the college adviser monthly to check up and hold yourself accountable
* The sooner you get your college applications in, the sooner you can find out, and make a decision!

On Financial Aid...
Start saving for college sooner! Funds sneak up on you and you end up regretting spending the $10 back in 2009. Start saving now!
* Try to win as many scholarships as possible! 
* Always account for your money situations before making decisions

On surviving high school...
* Keep your grades up!
* Do community service - it looks good on your resume and applications
* Make time for yourself and your friends!
* High school is just one small part of life - there is more out there to enjoy and experience

General Advice...
* Always set goals, both big and small
* Dream big, anything is possible!
* Be tenacious!
·     

Friday, May 22, 2015

College Preparation Opportunities

Attention Juniors!

Have you started preparing for college? If not, please consider some of these opportunities! These programs are built to help students succeed during the college application process!


1.       University of Pittsburgh’s College Prep and Leadership Academy (July 12-17, 2015)
a.       Receive collegiate preparation, attending leadership workshops, and gain SAT/ACT preparation (including a practice test). Students get to stay in the dorms and check out college life in the city of Pittsburgh!
b.      Program fee: $800
d.      Deadline: June 1
2.       Franklin & Marshall College Collegiate Leadership Summit (Session 1: Sept 27-Sept 29 or Session 2: Nov 8 – Nov 10)
a.       Learn how to be a leader in college! Interact with members of the F&M community and experience life in a selective liberal arts environment. Participants will also do a mock interview to prepare them for the college application process
b.      Program fee: FREE!
c.       Students must be nominated by their college adviser (AKA MISS LOH) in order to apply for this program.
d.      Deadline to be nominated: June 1
3.       Summer Fly-Out Programs (Dates vary by program)
a.       Some schools understand that paying for transportation to visit their campuses can be quite tough. The schools listed here are willing to fly/drive you to their campus for FREE! Spend a day or a weekend on campus and explore what these schools have to offer!  
b.      Deadlines: Vary – depends on the school


See Miss Loh for more details! 

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Visiting Colleges

College Experiences by Alex Angle


College is an extraordinary place. I have visited a lot of colleges, and I wanted to share what I have seen. Some of you would like a larger public school while others would like a smaller liberal arts school. There is nothing wrong with liking either of them! I am going to give my views on each from the schools I have visited.

I personally visited Penn State. Penn State’s tour was in a huge group because there were so many people visiting the school. We walked and visited the dorm rooms, but walking to them was very crowded. Also, the classrooms were filled with students and some of them seemed to have around 50 people for each class. Penn State is a great school for people who like larger schools and larger classes. Also, it is a great place to see if you can go above and beyond and stand out in a 50 person classroom.

If Penn State doesn't seem to be the school for you I would suggest looking at a private or liberal arts school. My example that I will be using is High Point University. It is a private university in North Carolina. My tour for High Point started in a fancy room where the president of the school introduced himself and told us everything great about the school. Then, there was a tour of the campus and dorms and we were separated into three groups. There was around eight other students on my tour. So if you like a smaller school with less students I would recommend a private university. Also, when my sister was touring this campus we scheduled a private tour which was just for my family and one of the students from High Point rode us around in a golf cart. The classes were also very small, maybe 10 to 15 students per class.

Make your life easier and tour colleges now. Once again make it easier and tour colleges now because you can’t tell which type of school you will like until you go out and see for yourself. Also, pick a school where you seem at home. You are going to be spending two, four, or maybe more years at this campus, so make sure you love it.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

College Crack

Here is our last blog question! Submit your answers to Miss Loh by the end of the day TOMORROW (Wednesday) so we have enough time to calculate the scores!!

Which 3 Ivy League universities require students to pass a swim test before earning their diploma?

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Meet Our Ambassadors: Carly Hawk

Our final College Ambassador spotlight goes to Carly Hawk. Not only is Carly involved in College Ambassadors, but she is also a member of varsity cheerleading and a member of the softball team. Carly wants to be an occupational therapist and fittingly enjoys her anatomy and physiology class here at JBHS. Something you may not know about Carly is that she has met Heath Miller, tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carly’s favorite books are the Harry Potter series and her favorite movie is Armageddon. Carly is very excited about Decision Day.


This concludes our Ambassador profile series. We really hope you have enjoyed getting to know more about our 2015 College Ambassadors!