Guidance BLAST 2-2-12

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Guidance BLAST A Publication of the Roncalli High School Guidance Department
February 2, 2012
ALL STUDENTS Scheduling appointments: Scheduling appointments for current juniors, sophomores, and freshmen will begin Feb 7, 2012 and continue through early April. Appointments are based on the date/time the student submitted their online course requests. Prior to their scheduling appointment, each student is encouraged to complete the following: Juniors: Register for ACT and SAT; arrange at least one college visit Sophomores: Arrange one college visit (weekend open house or daytime visit) Freshmen: Arrange at least one college open house visit on a weekend (New) Thoughts About ACT/SAT Preparation: Recently, Evan Wessler, Method Test Prep¶s (MTP) Vice President of Education, wrote a piece about the misconception that it is a good idea to take the SAT or ACT ³cold´ the first time. MTP is the test prep portion of College and Career Connections available to all students 24/7 and 365 days a year. We thought you would appreciate his comments (abbreviated for you) which are seconded by the RHS Guidance Staff. Trial-Run SAT or ACT: A Bad Idea All Around Many parents believe that having their children take a "trial" SAT or ACT---that is, an SAT or ACT in February, March, or April for which their junior-year students sit without preparing---is a good idea. For several reasons, this is a dangerous assumption. Below, we explain why taking an SAT or ACT cold cannot possibly help, and may very well hurt, your child. 1. There is already a test designed to answer the question, "How would my child do on the SAT or ACT if he/she took it cold?": it's called the PSAT or PLAN/EXPLORE. The PSAT or PLAN is an abridged version of the SAT or ACT normally taken in October of a student's sophomore or junior year. If your child takes the PSAT or PLAN seriously, the results (which were returned in January) will provide a fair estimate of his or her predicted baseline SAT or ACT score. Importantly, PSAT or PLAN scores are not considered in college admissions decisions. 2. When it comes to the SAT or ACT, confidence is of the utmost importance. If there is any way to gain confidence on the SAT or ACT (or on any standardized test, for that matter), it is through familiarity with the test's content and structure. By having your child take the SAT or ACT without preparing, you are all but ensuring that his or her first SAT or ACT experience will be a miserable one. If the first SAT or ACT intimidates your child, subsequent SAT or ACTs most certainly will as well. This can only work against your child's progress and improvement. 3. The cost of the SAT or ACT is $49. There is simply no reason to spend money having your child take an SAT or ACT for which he or she has not diligently prepared: it's a waste. Unbeknownst to most parents and students, the College Board sends every high school free copies of the SAT or ACT Preparation Booklet, which contains an official, full-length practice test. (The test can also be downloaded from College Board's website.) If you want your child to take a "real", "full" test under simulated test conditions, get a copy of this test and have him or her take the test timed at a library or in a classroom with other students taking the test. Again, it's free, and colleges will never see the score.

The bottom line is this: the apparent benefit of having your child take a "trial" SAT or ACT is far outweighed by the costs (both material and mental) discussed above. Use the PSAT or PLAN and the free College Board or ACT resources at your disposal for your child's "cold run"; you'll avoid an unnecessary amount of stress in the future. Additionally, the counseling staff at Roncalli would add that the practice Princeton Review SAT and ACT assessments, the ZAPS seminars, and MTP on College and Career Connections add other methods of allowing students to prepare for and become familiar with the ACT and SAT. (TONIGHT!) Interested in Cosmetology? The Central Nine (C9) Cosmetology Open House at Paul Mitchell Salon is scheduled for February 2, 2012 at 7 PM. This program is available only for seniors (Class of 2013), but might be worth visiting if you are considering cosmetology for your future plans. The Salon is located at 8751 US Highway 31 South and no reservations are required. (New) Project Stepping Stone for Hispanic/Latino Students: Project Stepping Stone (PSS) is a one-week college prep summer program held in June that helps Hispanic high school students successfully prepare for college and beyond. PSS introduces selected students to potential careers and includes visits to several Indiana college campuses and businesses. This program is offered, at no cost to students, by the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and partnering sponsors. All Latino high school juniors and seniors who are interested in college are eligible to apply. Applications are available on-line at www.projectsteppingstone.org and although the deadline is April, student applications submitted before March are more likely to be reviewed and accepted. Cash for College: This month is Cash for College Month. The organization has established the following goals for students in all grades. Grade 9: Check out college admissions requirements at www.cashforcollegeindiana.org Grade 10: Compare college costs at www.Indianacollegecosts.org Grade 11: Shop for scholarships at www.Indianacollegecosts.org and apply on time. Grade 12: File your FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov before the March 10 deadline. Please remember that some colleges have February deadlines. Learn More Indiana¶s Cash for College has information on paying for college for students in grades K-12. Online resources at www.CashForCollegeIndiana.org will help students take full advantage of all the Cash for College campaign offers. Also, new this year is a Smartphone App for the Indiana College Costs Estimator, which can be found at www.IndianaCollegeCosts.org. Boiler Vet Camp: Purdue University will offer a summer program for students entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grades in the fall of 2012. The program is directed toward those who enjoy working with animals and would like to find out more about what it takes to become a veterinarian or veterinary technician. For more information on this program: www.vet.purdue.edu/boilervetcamp. A Junior Camp program is also open to students entering the 8th and 9th grades. Military Academy Days: Senator Richard Lugar will host the 11th Annual Dick Lugar Academy Days during the month of March. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are interested in attending a military academy are encouraged to attend this presentation. Important information about the nomination and admissions process will be available. Interested individuals must RSVP to Dawn Herring at 226-5555 or [email protected] Additional information is also available at http://lugar.senate.gov/services/academy. Please note that ROTC information and speakers will also be available at the Academy Days.

Sites: March 4 from 1:00-4:00 at Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg, Indiana March 11 from 1:00-4:00 at IPFW in Ft. Wayne, Indiana (Walb Union Ballroom) March 18 from 1:00-4:00 at the Lawrence National Guard Armory (9902 E. 59th St.), Lawrence, IN CYO Camp Rancho Framasa in Nashville, Indiana has summer camping opportunities for ages 7-19. Established in 1946 and accredited with the American Camp Association, CYO Camp is an inclusive, residential camp offering 3 and 6 day sessions. For more information, pricing, and registration, please visit www.campranchoframasa.org or pick up a brochure in the RHS guidance office. Johnson County Extension Board: The Board is seeking youth members to serve in an advisory role. Students must be 16, live in Johnson County, agree to attend evening meetings, and be willing to gain a working knowledge of the programs offered through the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service. Applications are available directly from Mrs. Hall. The deadline for applying for these positions is March 9, 2012. Students serve a two year term. http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/johnson/pages/default.aspx College Open Houses Feb. 17²Holy Cross College Feb. 18²University of Southern Indiana Feb. 20²Indiana State University, Rose Hulman, Valparaiso University, Vincennes University Feb. 24²Miami University (OH) Feb. 25--Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, KY will be holding an Open House from 9am ± 1pm and Students may sign up for either of the Open Houses by visiting www.kwc.edu/openhouse or by calling the Admissions Office 800-999-0592. Bryn Mawr College, a women¶s college in Pennsylvania, will host spring open houses on Feb. 20, March 19, and April 9, 2012. For more information or to register: www.brynmawr.edu/admissions/in-view (New) Reps Visiting Roncalli Be sure to sign up on College and Career Connections. Feb. 8--Marine rep at lunch Feb. 14--Trine University March 14²Bradley University Summer Programs: 1. Summer Medical Program: www.lead-america.org. 2. Columbia College of Chicago offers a Summer Institute www.colum.edu/hssi 3. Women in Engineering Summer Camp at the University of Dayton 4. University of Notre Dame: precollege.nd.edu 5. Washington University summerexperiences.wustl.edu or call 1-866-209-0691. 6. Are you searching for a summer enrichment program? www.summerprogramsearch.com 7. Summer Enrichment @ Hanover College: http://www.hanover.edu/academics/summeracademy 8. Reynolds Young Writers Workshop at Denison University reynolds.denison.edu Questions should be directed to: [email protected], or at 740-587-6207. goudayton.edu/wie

SENIORS: (New) Future Plans: Seniors if you have questions about your college acceptances, your first contact should be with the individual college admissions office regarding the status of their application. If you need additional help, feel free to contact your counselor knowing that they will begin scheduling underclassmen on February 7, 2012. If your plans after graduation are not defined at this point, do not wait any longer to address this issue. Contact your counselor immediately either by e-mail or by leaving a note for an appointment. Graduation Information: http://www.roncalli.org/guidance/graduation-guide Practice Interviews: Seniors, if you are being interviewed for a scholarship or for admission, Mrs. Hall would be happy to run you through a mock interview. If interested, please make contact directly with Mrs. Hall and give her at least a notification of one week. You can drop by her office OR e-mail her at [email protected] This is a great opportunity to practice and then put your best foot forward when you are interviewing for special opportunities. JUNIORS: (New) Scheduling appointments begin Tues Feb 7, beginning with juniors: Counselors have been encouraging juniors since September to register to take an ACT and SAT this spring and to arrange at least one college visit. All college bound juniors are expected to have completed these two items prior to their scheduling appointment. SAT and ACT Information: Several opportunities to assist in the development of standardized test taking skills will be available at the beginning of second semester. a. ZAPS test prep returns to Roncalli in February and March. The SAT seminar will be held on Feb. 15 & Feb. 16, 2012 from 3:15-5:45 at Roncalli High School in room 107. The ACT seminar will be held March 7 & 8, 2012 from 3:15-5:45. The registration fee is $79 for one workshop or $150 for both. Students can register at www.zaps.com Click on the state of Indiana and then Marion county. Cursor down and find Roncalli High School and click on the µEnroll Now¶ button. b. Princeton Review will host its free practice SAT test at Roncalli on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012 from 9:00 until 1:15 with a strategy session on Feb. 29, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in room 107 at Roncalli. Students should register for this event on College and Career Connections under college visits. IU SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM Do you have an interest in cancer research? If so, consider the IU Simon Cancer Center's 2012 Summer Research Program. The cancer center's annual Summer Research Program, held in partnership with the IUPUI Center for Research and Learning, pairs students with a mentor physician or researcher for nine weeks (May 31 to July 27). Additional information and an online application are available at www.cancer.iu.edu/srp. Applications are due Feb. 17, 2012 SOPHOMORES: Campus Visit: Sophomores are encouraged to schedule a campus visit or spring open house if they have not taken one yet. A listing of spring open houses/preview days can be found in the Document Library of College and Career Connections under ³Spring 2012 Open Houses´. Also, please mark your calendar for March 13th. The annual spring College Fair will be held on the campus of the University of Indianapolis from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Watch for more details and a list of participating colleges as we get closer to the date of the Fair. FRESHMEN

Campus Visit: Freshmen are encouraged to participate in a weekend campus open house. A listing of spring open houses/preview days can be found in the Document Library of College and Career Connections under ³Spring 2012 Open Houses´. Also, please mark your calendar for March 13th. The annual spring College Fair will be held on the campus of the University of Indianapolis from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Watch for more details and a list of participating colleges as we get closer to the date of the Fair. (New) Pre-Test Jitters: Students who write about their pretest jitters prior to a test may calm their nerves and improve their grades. From a University of Chicago study, 9th graders who jotted down their feelings about a test scored higher than those who did not. Researchers believe that expressing concerns on paper helps free the brain to concentrate on the task at hand. Have your child try it the morning before a test.

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