Juniors

 

 

JUNIOR NIGHT PRESENTATION

 

All juniors attend a junior conference with their parents in late January-March. Students and parents have a private meeting with Lynne Kennedy, Counselor, and Julie Gannon, College and Career Specialist. The purpose of this conference is to review student coursework and determine the best way to meet the requirements necessary to graduate and either apply to a four-year college, a community college, a certificated program, begin the job search, or examine other options after graduation.  

Please see the  College Planning Guide 

for step-by-step information!

 

Some helpful sites:

How to Choose a College

How to Research a College Without Visiting

The College Application Hub (This site has info on just about everything)

 

Taking a class at College of Marin (COM)

College Credit Program (CCP)

While taking classes at College of Marin:

• College of Marin has been covering the enrollment/fees for concurrently enrolled high school students taking up to 11 units during the school year. Otherwise, the cost for taking a class at College of Marin is $46 per unit (a typical 3 unit course would cost $138) in addition to other semester fees that total about $50.
• An approved CCP form is required for all classes taken by high school students.
• College classes require two or three hours of study for every hour of class.
• Regular attendance is crucial.
• Introduce yourself to the instructor. Let him/her know you are a high school student participating in the College Credit Program.
• Ask your instructor for a schedule of their office hours. You may need assistance with your assignments.
• Remember – The grade you earn in every college class becomes part of your permanent college record. It will follow you to every college you subsequently attend.
• If for some reason, you are unable to complete your class, don’t forget to file an official drop card with the College’s Office of Admissions. Check the calendar in the front of the Credit Class Schedule for deadlines. If you stop attending without filing an official drop, you will probably receive an “F” grade.
• Grades are not mailed. They are available both at mid-term and end of the semester on your COM portal.

The College of Marin counselors are available to help you understand how COM courses transfer to UC, CSU, and private schools. Please call (415) 485-9432 to make an appointment.

Instructions on how to sign up can be found at:

http://es.marin.edu/admissions/ccp-concurrent-enrollment

For my current step-by-step instructions on how to enroll in a COM class, click here

 

 

Spring Semester Junior Year 

• Do your BEST in all classes!  This is the last official semester of grades before applying to many colleges.  Private colleges will also ask for fall senior semester grades.
• See your teacher for help if you are not doing as well as you would like.
• Make sure you are registered for the SATs and/or ACTs.
• Attend events (application night, senior meetings)
• Visit the Tamiscal website, www.Tamiscal.org then click support programs then click College and Career for important information. Attend local college fairs such as the WACAC (Western Association of College Admission Counselors), which is held at Dominican University of California. 
• Take a virtual tour of a college on the web. 
• Start thinking about colleges, majors, and career interests using Naviance.
• Identify at least one teacher who would or could write you a letter of recommendation for college (you usually need two teachers).
• Complete the NCAA form at the end of the spring semester if you plan to play college sports
• Make sure you are on track for graduation. 

 College Entrance Testing Schedule

• SAT (math and evidence-based reading) 
• The Writing section of the SAT and SAT Subject Tests have been discontinued. 

      Go to www.collegeboard.org to register.

• ACT (Math, English, Reading, Science). Go to www.actstudent.org to register. We advise taking tests WITH writing.

Optional Junior Summer Activities

• Visit 3-5 colleges.
• Provide community service in an area in which you are interested.
• Take a class at the College of Marin, Santa Rosa Junior College, or engage in another beneficial summer program.
• To complete an internship, contact Greg Davison, at 415-458-3484 or gdavison@tamdistrict.org
• Work a summer job.
• Create a resume of jobs, internships, athletics, awards etc. using Naviance.
• Go online to review college applications in August                            

When you move on to Senior Year: 

• Take a minimum of 5 core/college prep classes ALL year if possible.
• Do more than the minimum class/college requirements.
• Be sure about classes for the senior year, as it is VERY hard to switch classes once the semester has started and colleges must be notified of any schedule changes after the application is submitted.
• Meet with the College and Career Specialist to discuss and research colleges, look for scholarships and talk about your college choices/career goals.
• Start working on college applications early – better not to cram, draft a spreadsheet by September.
• Start your UC/private college essays as early as you can.
• Start working on UC and Common Applications in August
• Attend Senior Night and be aware of early deadlines for financial support.
• Complete the Letter of Recommendation (LOR) packet for your counselor. Remember that your counselor needs 20 working days to write your recommendation and has deadlines!
• Have your college list drafted by September. It will be easier to submit your LOR.
• Take a virtual tour of a college.
• Take one more SAT and/or ACT tests in the fall if needed. Fall exam dates should be backup dates only, not the first time you take your exams.
• CSU applications can be submitted as early as October 1^st.
• FAFSA/CADAA for financial aid goes online on October 1.    CADAA  FAFSA
• UC and CSU deadline = November 30th (extended to 12-15 in 2020)
• Continue to take college tours and attend college meetings.
• Make sure you are on track for graduation.
• If attending community college, complete the application and orientation by late February.
• FAFSA/ CADAA deadline for CA public schools is March 2^nd.  Check other schools’ deadlines.
• Inform your counselor early about your college plans.
•  

  Words of Advice. . .

• Don’t put off college planning to the last minute. Prepare early, follow the above recommendations.
• Do not forget to contact us with any questions you may have.                           

 

For help, see: 

Lynne Kennedy, Counselor                             415-945-3757  gaviles@tamdistrict.org

Julie Gannon, College & Career Specialist     415-945-3779 jgannon@tamdistrict.org