A Meaningful Summer: Have You Planned Yours?schools out for summer

Did you know that selective and highly selective colleges give serious consideration to how you have spent your summers while in high school? “Meaningful” can have a variety of definitions, but these types of colleges typically will be looking for students who are serious about their academic preparation and contributing to the college community as well as to the world community.

Students can attend a pre-college program, secure an internship/job shadow, volunteer, or find a summer job. Taking the initiative to explore a new subject or attend a summer program will give you an advantage. Doing community service that is meaningful is important too. Tying your community service to a passion/talent you possess and looking for ways to make a difference in your church or local neighborhood will not only make you stand out in the competitive college-going crowd, but, more importantly,  it will also grow and shape a possible calling on your life.

Here are just a few examples of what this looks like (taken from the winners of the 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards):

Florida winner: A senior at a private school in Miami, Florida started a non-profit organization that has helped more than 500 undocumented young immigrants apply for temporary residence and employment in the US under DACA. She is from an immigrant family and is thankful for her US citizenship. She wants to help others find a pathway to citizenship.

Arkansas winner: A middle school student uses Christmas money to rent a plot in his church’s community garden, and then he grows vegetables that he sells to benefit a local shelter for homeless families.

Arizona winner: A high school freshman organizes patriotic shows for veterans at local nursing homes and veteran’s organizations. He and his performance troupe, known as “Swing Kids,” rehearse and perform on weekends. After the shows, they take time to hang around and listen to the veterans talk about their experiences.

As Christ followers, we should be looking for ways to “give a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name.” Doing so opens up opportunities to show you care about people and will give you a relationship from which you can share the most important news of all – The Gospel Message.

Summer College Application Boot Camp – for rising seniors (Class of 2016) – last call. Registration closing soon.

We still have room for a few more rising seniors to join us for our annual College Application Boot Camp. To register, simply select the link below and complete the registration and payment form.

Boot Camp Details

Dates: AuguApplication_Boot_Camp2st 3-5 from 9 a.m. – 12:00 noon; Optional college visit day on August 6th (USF, Tampa)
Cost: $100 (includes all expenses except lunch at USF)
Registration: Limited to the first 20 seniors who register
Schedule: click here

Course Selection 2015-16: Next Steps

  • July 1: Approved schedules available – you will be notified by email
  • August: Ms. Holderby & Mrs. Joseph available for any additional counseling re: courses
  • First week of school: Drop/Add period – all schedules are final after this period. You cannot drop or add a class in the middle of a semester.

All of the AP/Dual Credit handouts are available above (AP/DC 2015-16). The process for SPC and CCC are outlined as well as handouts for each AP/DC course.

PSAT Preparation this Summer           psat

Calvary Christian High School administers the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) each year to students in grades 9-11.  This year’s administration will occur on October 14, 2015. As mentioned in a previous calvary2college article, this administration will be the first of the redesigned SAT Assessments.  Rising juniors should take advantage of the summer to review their results from the PSAT taken this past year and address any weaknesses prior to going into the all-important administration of the PSAT/NMSQT as an 11th grader.

Why do we give the PSAT at CCHS? Here are just a few reasons:

  • It’s good practice for the “experience” of taking standardized exams in general.
  • For 9th and 10th graders, gaining familiarity with the PSAT allows students to feel more confident when it comes time to take the SAT.
  • For 11th graders, taking the PSAT may qualify them for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Only 11th graders are entered into this competition.
  • Information gained from the PSAT self-assessment as well as the test scores helps students in defining the “best fit” for college.
  • Colleges use the data gained from the PSAT to begin recruitment of students.
  • Students can take advantage of fantastic resources provided by The College Board to do further research on colleges, academic majors, and other valuable information pertinent to their college search process.
  • Additionally, The College Board provides feedback on areas of academic strengths and weaknesses. This information is incredibly helpful for addressing any deficiencies prior to taking the actual SAT.

How Can I prepare for the PSAT this summer?

Practice – Use the free test preparation materials provided by The College Board: PSAT Test Preparation Website. Practicing for standardized tests is very similar to preparing for a marathon. As you practice, be sure to simulate the time pressure you will be under.

Read, read, read!!  Find a few good books you really enjoy and take them with you to the beach, the pool, etc. As a culture, we don’t read enough and it shows in various ways. Readers are leaders, so become both. 🙂

Use reputable tutors to help address any areas of weakness identified on previous practice tests. Sometimes these “weaknesses” are just fundamentals you have forgotten (e.g. grammar). However, you may also identify true deficiencies. A good tutor will be helpful in assessing these areas and developing a plan to address them. This takes time, so don’t wait two or three weeks before the test to seek this kind of help.

ACT/SAT Information – Dates for School Year 2015-16

The ACT/SAT Test Dates for the 2015-2016 school year will be posted once The College Board releases their information.  The ACT has already done so (click here).

Please remember that beginning in March, the new Redesigned SAT will be administered. Rising seniors will feel the most impact from this transition year. Taking the ACT or SAT is a graduation requirement. When signing up for the SAT or ACT you should include the Writing section.

Looking for ACT or SAT Test Preparation Information?

ACT Test Preparation

SAT Test Preparation

Free SAT preparation now offered by Khan Academy. SAT practice tests will be available in June.

**Tutoring Information: CCHS is pleased to inform you that we have staff members and a parent who also do SAT & ACT tutoring. If you are interested, please contact them.

Mrs. Lavonna Eudy – SAT/ACT Math only. Mrs. Eudy can tutor during your student’s study hall period. On average, her students have scored 60-80 points higher on the SAT math portion. Cost: $40 per session. Book is required.  Contact her by email at theudys@gmail.com or by phone at 727-515-2957
Ms. Annette Morales – SAT Critical Reading only.  You can contact Ms. Morales at her CCHS email address for further information.
Mrs. Amy Smith, Advanced Learners Private Tutoring – SAT/ACT tutoring. Email: asmith@advancedlearners.com
Mr. Merle Barlow – SAT Math only. His office is located in room ST314 (third floor of the church wing). Please contact Mr. Barlow at merlealvinbarlow@verizon.net or at 727-724-6030 to schedule tutoring.

Prospective Student Athletes

Students interested in playing intercollegiate sports should be aware of the requirements from the NCAA or the NAIA. Please observe deadlines related to sending your transcripts to the appropriate eligibility center.

For NCAA initial eligibility, you will need to submit your CCHS transcript to the Clearinghouse after completion of your junior year.  Additionally, you should have all of your ACT/SAT scores sent directly to the NCAA from The College Board and/or The ACT.  The code for the Clearinghouse is “9999.”

Senior Cornerclass of 2015

Reminders

Final High School Transcript: Once you have indicated the school you will be attending in Naviance, don’t forget to request your final transcript. Students athletes also need to request a final transcript for NCAA or NAIA. Final transcripts requested in Naviance will be sent on Friday, June 5th.

Dual Credit Courses: If you took dual credit courses, you must request your college transcripts be sent to the college you are enrolling in.  While your dual credit course will be reflected on your CCHS transcript, the colleges will only recognized the course/grade given on the official college transcript for transfer of credit. Select here to see procedures for requesting your official college transcript from St. Petersburg College.

Advanced Placement Credit for College: Your college of enrollment must receive your Advanced Placement Exam scores from The College Board. To have your scores sent to your college of choice, please see these instructions.

Always check your college email and your student website. Be aware that at some point you will have a university email address created for you. Faculty and other college administrators (e.g. financial aid) use email and the student portal almost exclusively to communicate with students.

Know who to communicate with regarding questions you have. If in doubt, always go back to your admissions counselor/admissions office. They will know where to direct you to get your answers.

Amy Holderby and Cindy Peabody, College Placement Advisors
Calvary Christian High School Clearwater,  FL