Planning for Senior Year

Planning

for Senior Year

Burbank High School Counselors

A-Cro Ms. Michelle Kaye
Cru-Jar Mrs. Britta Maslyk
Jas-Meh, (AOF) Mrs. Sydney Harrison
Mei-Rio (504, & NCAA) Mrs. Amanda Ghezzi
Rip-Z (DHH) Mr. Bob Camacho
AIP/ELD Mrs. Caroline Katzman

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UC/CSU Requirements & BHS Grad Requirements

Course BHS Graduation California State University of Private
English Requirements 230 University California Universities
(UC) "A-G"*
Math Credits (CSU) System* 4 Years 4 Years
Social Science 4 Years 4 Years 3 Years
2 Years 3 Years 4 Years
Science including Algebra 1 4 Years (Recommended)
3 Years 4 Years (Recommended) 2 Years 3 Years
Fine Arts 2 Years
(VAPA) 2 Years 2 Years Lab 3 Years
World Language 2 Years Lab 4 Years
(LOTE) (1 year Physical Science, Physical Sci/Biological Sci
Practical Arts 1 Year Life Science) Physical Sci/Biological Sci (Recommended)
3 Years
Physical Education 1 Year 3 Years 1 Year
Health (Recommended)
None Required (Recommended) 3 Years
Elective Credits 1 Year 4 Years
1 Year 1 Year Visual/Performing Arts
Total Credits Visual/Performing Arts (Recommended)
(or 3rd Year for Lan- 2 Years
Testing guage) 2 Years 3 Years None
3 Years
Additional Require- 2 Years and pass (Recommended) None
ments and Infor- Fitness Test (Recommended)
mation 1 Year None None
None
70 Elective Credits None SAT Reasoning
None Test or ACT
230 Credits None
None 4 semesters of advanced SAT Subject Tests
California High 6 semesters of advanced courses in Math, English, Check Specific Col-
School Exit Exam: courses in Math, English, Lab Science, World Lan-
Lab Science, World Lan- guage, Social Science or lege Websites
CAHSEE guage, or Social Science Admission require-
(Suspended) Fine Arts ments will vary at each
Grade of C or higher in Grade of C or higher in private college or uni-
Completion of 10 all college prep classes versity. College prep
service learning all college prep clas- subjects are recom-
SAT Reasoning or ACT mended. See Universi-
hours. SAT Reasoning or ACT ty of California require-
See website below and ments for college pre-
paratory curriculum.
** Geo Science is only 2 SAT Subject Tests
acceptable for CSUN and
** Geo Science is only
some CSUs, not UCs acceptable for CSUN and

some CSUs, not UCs

www.burbankhighschool.com www.act.org www.collegeboard.com

Registering for Classes

1.Choose an English class.
 ERWC(English,Reading, Writing)is acourse that willstrengthenyourwritingskillsandprepareyouforbothcom-

munityandfouryearcollege. CSUboundstudentspassingthe examwillnothavetotakethe CSUEnglishplace-
ment test.
 English12isaliterature classwhereyour reading, discussionandwritingassignmentswillbe basedonclassicfic-
tion.
 APEnglishLiteratureisanadvancedclasswhichwillexaminemore complexworksofliteratureandfiction,and
preparefortheMayAPexam.Aor Bgrade in the previous English classisrecommended.

2.Choose an Economics/Government class set.
 Economics/Government orAPGovernment/AP Economics(Aor Bgrade in US Historyisrecommended).
 AOFstudents maychooseAPGovernment/APEconomicsorEcon/Finance (AOF)/Government.

3.Choose a Math class.
 MoveontothenextlevelifyouearnedatleastaCinyourlastmathclass. If not,youwillneedsummerschoolora

gradeimprovementclasstomoveto thenextlevel.Itisadvisabletotakefouryearsof mathfora communityora
four year college.

3.Choose a Science class.
 Aminimumofthreeyearsarerecommendedforcollege.

4.Continue with World Language.
 Threeyearsarerecommendedforcollege.

5.Choose an Elective class.
 SignupforaPE/fineart/practicalart/electiveofyourchoiceifyouhavenotmetthis creditrequirement.Don’tfor-

gettoincludeyourongoingsportoractivity.Ex:PlayPro, choir,AOF.

Additional notes to consider:

 Studentswhohavenot passed/ortaken thePhysical fitnesstestbytheendof the school year willberequired totake PE.

 CTE classes(formerlyknown asROP),areoffered after schooland inthe evening.Studentschoosingthisoptionmust meetthe sen-
iorrequirement tobeenrolledina minimum of30 credits.

 SUMMERSCHOOL:Studentswhohavereceivedan Fin arequired class(suchasEnglish orUS History,)must repeatthecoursein
summer school inordertobe abletograduate.F’sreceived ina math course (suchasGeometry,Algebra2)must also berepeated
inorderto movetothenextlevel.Formswillbe availableintheStudent Center; see yourCounselor.Amaximum of2 semesters(10
credits),mayberepeated in summer school.There willalsobecoursesavailabletotake foradditionalcreditssuch asArt History,PE,
orAnimation.WoodburyUniversitywillbeofferinginitialcredithigh schoolcoursesfora fee.

 GRADE IMPROVEMENT:D’searned inacademiccoursesarenotacceptedbyfour year colleges.In addition, D’searnedinmath or
language classesmustberepeatedin orderto moveonto thenext level.For example,if astudent earnsa“D” inAlgebra2, he/she
cannot moveonto CollegePrepMath.The costfor anygradeimprovement courseis$149/semester andareoffered usingthe
Apex/Plato system. These courses are not NCAA eligible.

Deciding your future

Students have a variety of options after high school depending on their
interests, talents, finances, goals, and academic record.

College Systems:

 University of California – Minimum academic GPA is 3.0 for grades 10/11, plus an ACT and/or SAT score. Realis-
tically, students who are admitted have a much higher GPA. The lower the GPA, the higher the ACT and/or SAT
score must be. Juniors should sign up for the SAT and/or ACT this spring. The UC application opens in August,
and will be filed during the month of November. There are two personal statements required and students
should begin working on these during the summer. The application for all UC’s can be found at:
www.universityofcalifornia.edu/applicant.

 California State University System – Minimum academic GPA is 2.0 in academic subjects in grades 10/11, plus a
qualifying score on the ACT and/or SAT. Some of the very selective schools require very high GPA’s, and SAT/
ACT scores including San Diego State, Cal State Long Beach and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The application is on
www.csumentor.edu. The filing dates are October 1st-November 30th.

 Private Colleges – The admitted student GPA and test scores (known as index or profile) for a private school
varies depending on the school. The application will look at other factors such as activities, skills, leadership
and community service in addition to those “numbers”. Check the profile of last year’s entering class to see if
you qualify. Applications for these schools typically require multiple personal statements and recommenda-
tions from two teachers and your counselor. Many private colleges can be applied to using
www.commonapplication.org, where students can send multiple applications from one portal.

 Out of State Colleges – Many out of state schools have their own websites and applications. Check with the col-
lege of your choice. Some out of state public schools may also be applied to using
www.commonapplication.org, such as University of Virginia, University of Colorado, Boulder and University of
Michigan. The requirements for admission to out of state colleges may differ from the A-G requirements for
California Universities, so be sure to research these carefully.

 Community Colleges – There are no entrance requirements for community college. Many have honors pro-
grams and advanced classes for students who have higher GPA’s. If a student wishes to transfer to a CSU or UC
after community college, they must have a minimum of 60 credits (typically this takes 2-3 years), and a certain
GPA depending on the campus or major. Students wishing to transfer should communicate closely with their
college advisor. Students may transfer to out of state or private colleges with fewer than 60 credits. Communi-
ty colleges also confer 2 year college degrees (Associate of Arts degree, A.A.) which are sufficient for many
fields. In addition, certifications for some occupations may be obtained at community colleges.

 Trade Schools – Trade schools generally train students to be certified in a particular field. They can be either
public or private. Examples are North Valley Occupational Center (public school) which trains students in EMT,
practical nursing, aviation mechanic and other fields. DeVry and ITT Tech (private schools) certify and educate
students in particular fields such as electronics, drafting, and some health professions. Many trade school cred-
its do not transfer to community or other college systems, so students are advised to consider their course of
study and the cost of attendance carefully.

College timeline for juniors

September

 Register for the October PSAT.
 Obtain dates/locations of college fairs, receptions and college rep visitations to attend.
 Start preparing for SAT and ACT.

October/November/December

 Take the PSAT
 Attend the college rep visitations in the Career Center.

January

 Meet with counselor to review PSAT scores.
 Register for SAT and ACT.
 Continue preparing for SAT and ACT.
 Start thinking about what courses you want to take in senior year.

February/March

 Develop a preliminary list of colleges that interest you and set up plans to visit them.
 Register for SAT 1, SAT Subject tests, and/or ACT test for April, May and/or June.
 Take SAT/ACT if you signed up.

April/May

 Visit colleges you are interested in over spring break.
 Take SAT or ACT, if you’re signed up.
 Students interested in a military academy should start college application process now.
 Students interested in college athletic programs should pick up an NCAA eligibility form.

June

 Take SAT 1, SAT Subject tests or ACT tests, if signed up.

Summer

 Collect, read, and organize college application materials.
 Continue to visit colleges.
 Begin working on your college application essays.

College timeline for seniors

August/September

 Discuss your college plans with your counselor at your senior meeting.
 Narrow down your college list to at least 6-7 college options.
 Request an unofficial high school transcript to help you complete the college applications.
 Register for the October or November SAT, SAT subject tests, or ACT, if necessary.
 Attend college representative visits in the Career Center.
 Choose teachers to ask for teacher recommendations for college applications.
 Download a “Brag Sheet” from the school website and begin filling it out. Have your parents

assist you. (They often remember things you’ve forgotten!)
NOTE: Teachers and counselors need at least ONE MONTH prior to the deadline to write a
recommendation.

 Decide on whether you will submit your applications through Early Action or Early Decision.
 Begin your scholarship search using Fastweb.com.
 Start working on your UC applications.

October

 Retake the SAT or SAT subject tests, if necessary.
 Attend college application workshops after school, if needed.
 Attend college representative visits in the Career Center.
 Start working on your CSU applications.

November

 Complete and send UC and CSU applications.
 NOVEMBER 30 – Deadline to send your UC and CSU applications.
 NOVEMBER 1 & 15 – Deadline for Early Action and Early Decision applications.
 Begin to submit rolling admissions applications.
 Retake the SAT or SAT subject tests, if necessary.
 Start working on college admission applications with a January deadline.

December

 Early December: Retake SAT or SAT subject tests, if necessary.
 Continue working on applications with January or February deadlines.
 Early Action/Early Decision Applicants: college admission notifications begin.

College timeline for seniors (Continued)

January

 You and/or your parent should attend a financial aid workshop, if interested in applying for
financial aid.

 January 1 & 15 – many private or out of state college applications are due.
PARENTS AND STUDENTS: Get your income tax returns prepared early.

 Turn in the GPA verification opt-out form to the registrar if you do not want your GPA
automatically sent.

 Start checking the BHS website or the Career Center’s Remind app WEEKLY for scholarship
information and other important information.

March

 College admission notifications begin.
 March 2nd is the deadline to submit your FAFSA.

April

 All college notifications should be received by the end of the first week of April.
 Decision-making time. Consult with counselors, teachers, current students, family and friends.
 Re-visit colleges over spring break to help make final decisions.
 Financial aid award notifications sent out.

May

 May 1 – Universal deadline to notify ALL colleges of the final college decision.
 May 1 – Due date to return signed financial aid offer/agreement.
 Send in deposit along with the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) to college of choice.
 Send in the housing deposit to secure a space for campus housing.
 Continue to work hard in school. Colleges do look at your final senior grades. Your acceptance

to any college is contingent on your academic performance through the end of senior year.
 Send thank you notes to teachers and counselors who helped you with recommendations.
 Send thank you notes to any organizations who gave you any scholarship awards.
 Request the registrar to send a final transcript to the college you have chosen to attend.

What test should you take?

The new sat

Testing dates and information

SAT

Testing Date Test Available Registration Deadline

March 5, 2016 SAT only February 5, 2016

May 7, 2016 SAT & Subject Tests April 8, 2016

June 4, 2016 SAT & Subject Tests May 5, 2016

October 1, 2016 SAT & Subject Tests TBD

November 5, 2016 SAT & Subject Tests TBD
TBD
December 3, 2016 SAT & Subject Tests

REGISTER AT: www.collegeboard.org

ACT

Testing Date Registration Deadline Late Fee Required

April 9, 2016 March 4, 2016 March 5-18, 2016

June 11, 2016 May 6, 2016 May 7-20, 2016

September 10, 2016 TBD TBD

October 22, 2016 TBD TBD
TBD
December 10, 2016 TBD

REGISTER AT: www.actstudent.org