COVID 19: SAT & ACT Information

Here is the information we have regarding upcoming SAT and ACT administrations and the potential school closures. Please note that some closures may happen last minute by test center supervisors and local authorities. As more information is given to us, we will update it here.

SAT- March 14, 2020 

• In some areas, the SAT administration for March 14 has been canceled due to COVID 19 and the closure of testing centers.
• If students have not been notified by College Board about a testing center closure, testing will continue as scheduled.

Upcoming SAT administrations

• As of right now, no other testing dates have been changed or impacted. As long as the testing center remains open and operational, scheduled SAT administrations will continue as scheduled.
• Should a testing center close, College Board will contact students via email and either relocate them to the nearest testing center (if possible, based on space and proximity) or refund their registration fee.

Upcoming ACT administrations

If there are any schools that are affected by COVID 19 and closed, those schools or testing centers will reschedule to a future date. The ACT is not in charge of rescheduling canceled administrations, and the test centers/schools responsible for the administration would choose a future test administration date. Students can either call ACT to ask for a refund or contact ACT and request a test date change to a future test administration

SAT & ACT Fee Waivers

The College Board and ACT offer fee waivers for payment to students who are economically disadvantaged and meet income eligibility guidelines. Find PDF of fee waiver form HERE. If you have are eligible for a fee waiver, come to the College Office during your lunch band with your computer. (No email requests will be granted.) Fill out the registration questions in advance and when you get to the fee waiver section, ask Mrs. Hirschfield for the fee waiver number. She’ll give you a form to sign and return to keep in your college file.

Junior Bulletin, February 24, 2020

Plan Ahead for Standardized Tests (avoid late fees)
ACT: ACTSTUDENT.ORG
Register By:
February 28  for April 4 test
May 8 for June 13 test
June 19  for July 18 test

SAT: COLLEGEBOARD.ORG
Register By:
February 14 for March 14 test
April 3 for May 2 test
May 8 for June 6 test

VISIT, EXPLORE, DISCOVER
You’re going to be living there, so do your research!

Plan to Attend College Open Houses
Full listing HERE. Check individual college websites for up-dates.

College Boot Camp
This program for rising juniors and seniors takes place from August 17-23, 2020.  The Camp offers essay help, standardized test prep, scholarship guidance, and visits Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Colgate, Amherst, Wesleyan. For more information see HERE

Regional College Fairs
PACAC Regional College Fairs are free of charge to students and families. To see locations and check which colleges and universities will attend visit HERE.  First fair is March 5, 2020!

College Fly-in Programs
Many colleges offer all-expense-paid visits to introduce students, especially underrepresented and first-generation students, to their campus.  Check out THIS ARTICLE to learn more, then go to individual school websites to find out if they offer these opportunities.

2020 Outstanding Achievement Scholarship

Is Temple University Your #1 School? You May Qualify for a Scholarship!

Temple will award the 2020 Outstanding Achievement Scholarship to at least one SLA senior, and perhaps more. Students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, above average SAT/ACT scores, or a strong performance on their Temple Option question. To be considered students must answer the following prompts in no more than 300 words total: What do you plan to study at Temple and how will your chosen field contribute to your short-term and long-term plans?  (if you don’t know, what are some academic interests you’d like to explore); Describe your most meaningful achievements and how they relate to your field of study and future goals.  Send your responses to Mrs. Hirschfield (khirschfield@scienceleadership.org) no later than Thursday, February 20th at 4pm.

 

Junior Bulletin, February 3, 2020

 Get Your College Folder from Junior College Night
THANK YOU to everyone who attended Junior College Night! It was a big success and great to see parents and students attend to learn more about the process. We covered how we guide students through the college admissions process and approaches to the standardized tests. Our guests shared important factors to consider when applying to colleges. Every junior received a packet that covers important aspects of the college admissions process. If you were unable to attend, make sure to get this folder from the College Office, room 1177.

Review the Information
Here is a link to the slides by Daniel Yannuzzi to get information about financial aid.
Here is a link to the slides created by Maria Ferzola about understanding the differences between the SAT and the ACT.
Here is a link to the notes presented by Cigus Vanis that will give you an overview of the college application process.

 Complete the Junior Post-Secondary Meeting Survey in Naviance
Beginning in February, you and your parents/guardian will meet with Ms. Hirschfield to begin exploring your post-secondary options. This meeting will provide you with individualized support, so come with a written list of issues and questions that you and/or your family have. In preparation for this meeting:  complete the junior meeting survey in Naviance; research at least five colleges or other programs and their admission standards in Naviance. If you don’t receive a letter confirming your scheduled time, ask your advisor.

 Sign Up For Text Message Alerts From the College Office
SIGN UP HERE to receive Junior Bulletin notifications and other reminders from the college office. Don’t miss out on scholarship opportunities, information sessions, open houses, and other help with your applications and financial documents. 

Juniors: Use Your Break to Prep for College

Welcome to SLA’s College Office Text Message Alerts!  These alerts bring you messages and information that help you prepare for life after high school. Make good use of your upcoming winter break: spend some time researching colleges; figure out a test prep plan that aligns with your goals. Check out SuperMatch College search in Naviance – a great tool to help you start researching colleges and SLA’s college acceptance history. Also, PSAT results are in and you can access them from your College Board account. THIS VIDEO will help you understand your scores, study for the tests, and much more.

Lastly, mark your calendars for Junior College Night, January 29, 2020 at 5:30pm!  The event is designed to prepare juniors for the upcoming college process.

Have a wonderful holiday season and success in 2020!

Grants for 9th-12th Grade Girls

The Ellis Trust provides financial support to enhance the high school experience of Philadelphia girls.  Rising 9th-12th graders can receive funding for school supplies, summer courses, STEM training, arts lessons, and much more: learn more and apply  at THIS SITE.

 

Common App Help Guide and FAQs

 

THIS GUIDE will help you understand the layout of the Common App and acquaint you with the information you will need prior to creating a Common App account.

 

Sign Up to Get College Office Text Message Alerts!

When you sign up, you will be able to receive notifications and reminders from the college office. We want to help you stay on top of the college search process and deadlines!

Class of 2021: SIGN UP HERE

Class of 2020: SIGN UP HERE

Grades 9-11 Transcript Request

Students are sometimes asked to provide an official transcript to an academic institution, summer program, or community agency. All SLA students in grades 9-11 can request official transcripts by completing a Transcript Request form HERE. (When students are asked for unofficial grades, a report card or grade printout from SchoolNet will be sufficient.) Bring all completed requests to the College Office, room 312.

Notes:

• Allow TWO WEEKS to process the request.
• If sending a request via email, complete the Transcript Request form, scan, and email (preferably in .PDF) back to Mrs. Hirschfield at khirschfield@scienceleaderhsip.org.
• Seniors who need official transcripts must add it to the Transcript Request Log in the College Office.

Class of 2020 School Profile

Click HERE to view the Class of 2020 School Profile.

Diversity College Fly-In Programs

Would you like to visit colleges but it’s too far away and expensive? Fly-in programs offer students the opportunity to stay overnight on campus to get a feel of their college environment and see if it’s the right college for you.

Check out THIS LIST for colleges that offer fly-in programs with financial assistance for eligible students.

Remember to keep track of the upcoming application deadlines for the programs you are interested in.

Want to know how to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale?

Use  THIS CHART to help you figure out your GPA on a 4.0 scale. As a general rule SLA GPAs are unweighted.