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COLLEGE PREPARATION

Advance Placement Exams
Students in Advance Placement courses are required to take the nationally administered Advanced Placement exams in May. Those students who score well can earn college credit or advanced placement in college courses. There is a fee for each exam. For the 2007-08 school year, that fee is $84. The fee is charged for up to three AP exams; the fee is waived for any additional exams beyond three. Financial assistance is available based on need. For more information, contact your guidance counselor.

Campus Visits
Taking time to plan ahead for your visits to college campuses will result in a more productive experience. Several weeks in advance, call the admissions office to confirm tour and information sessions scheduled for the day you plan to visit. If you plan a weekday visit, inquire about the possibility of attending a class or having a personal interview.
Just before your visit, review the catalog, viewbook or website, paying particular attention to admissions information, tuition, scholarship data and the programs of study offered by the college. Review your high-school record so that you can compare your GPA and SAT scores to the averages of students recently admitted to the college. These numbers will likely be shared in the admissions information session.
Allow enough time to get the "feel" of the campus. The tour and information session will take up to two hours. Plan additional time to have a meal in a dining hall, explore the library and the student union. Most student unions house bookstores, lounges, casual snack bars and campus-activity offices. The student union also is a great place to read bulleting boards and find out what extracurricular activities are popular, as well as talk casually with college students. Be sure to pick up a copy of the student newspaper and other publications for reading on the way home.
Here are some tips for your campus visit:

Keep the admission office's phone number with you in case you cannot make your appointment or you need last-minute directions.

Have road maps and a campus map.

Use good judgment wherever you are. Dress up rather than down.

Take every opportunity to talk with students, including your guide. Observe the conditions of the campus. Can you make any generalizations about the atmosphere?

Arrive ahead of time so you can review the questions you intend to ask and look over information available in the admissions office. Don't be in a hurry.

If possible, obtain the name and e-mail address of the Reynolds area-admissions representative.

If you would like to speak to a faculty member or advisor in your intended major, or visit a class, make your wishes known in the admissions office in advance. Be patient. These arrangemens may or may not come together on short notice.

After your visit, write down your reaction to the school. These will help as you visit other colleges and will provide a means of comparison as you evaluate your options.

If you participated in an interview or had any special contact with someone at the college, you should follow up with a personal thank-you note.

Class Rank
Class rank is priamarily used by college and university admissions officers to determine thelikelihood of student success. It should reflect the academic quality of a student's high-school work in relation to the work of his or her classmates.

Class rank is computed at the end of each semester and includes all quality points or grade points earned from grade 9 onward.

Grades for all courses shall be used in computing both the quality-point and the grade-point averages, dividing the total number of points in each category by the number of courses taken.

Grade and Quality Points are given according to this scale:

Grade	Standard Course	Honors Course	Advance Placement
A	4	5	6
B	3	4	5
C	2	3	4
D	1	2	3

For more specific information regarding Class Rank, please see the R.J. Reynolds High School Student Handbook.

College-Representative Visits
During the school year, but particularly in the fall, many college representatives will visit Reynolds. Meeting with a college representative is a wonderful way to bein a relationship with a college. When you meet, you should be prepared with good questions to ask. You should have taken a look at their catalog, view book or website and have thought of questions that, if answered, will facilitate your understanding of live on that particular campus. Each admissions officer represents a unique institution, and there will always be specific questions and issues unique to each school.
Remember, a college-admissions representative will often judge the quality of his or her visit to a school according to the types of questions from the students. Certainly, it's important to present student credentials, but admissions people like to be engaged; talked to with enthusiasm and warmth.
A representative list of questions includes some general and specific points. Invent some of your own. And try not to ask questions that have already been readily answered in the college catalog or on its website. As you talk to the representatives, be attentive to the flow of conversation, fitting questions in as naturally and spontaneously as possible.

College Testing
PSAT
The PSAT is offered to 9th, 10th and 11th graders who are currently taking or have completed geometry. In the past there has been no fee for taking the test. Students register for the test at school. Those who score in the top one-half of 1 percent of juniors in each state are named National Merit Semifinalists. Upon taking the SAT and finishing other requirements, those students may be named finalists or receive a National Merit Scholarship. Juniors who take the test may qualify for National Merit Scholarship recognition.
PSAT scores are not reported to colleges but give an indication of how well a student can be expected to perform on the SAT.

SAT
The SAT is used to predict academic prformance in college. Most students who take the SAT plan to go to college. Many colleges use the score as part of the admissions process.
The SAT consists of three sections: critical reading, math and writing. The test format includes an essay, short reading passages and multiple-choice questions.
Some colleges also require students to take one or more SAT II tests in the subject areas.
The SAT is offered several times a year on Saturdays. A fee is charged. Some students may be eligible to have their fees waived; contact your school counselor for more information.
Students may register register online or by mail. Students may take the SAT more than once. To prepare, the College Board, which administers the test, has a preparation center that provides practice questions and tests.

ACT
The ACT is a national college-admission examination that consists of testing in English, Math, Reading and Science. The ACT Plus test covers those four areas and includes a writing test.
ACT results are reported to nearly all colleges and universities.
The test is given in October, December, February, April and June. In some states it also is given in September.
Students interested in taking the test may find more information and register for the test at the ACT website. There is a fee for the test but financial aid is available.

Interviewing Tips

Interviews can be informational, or for screening. An informational interview usually consists of an outpouring of information from them. A screening interview is usually conducted by the admissions office to distinguish how you might fit in with their applicant pool. In fact, this might prompt a few questions from you: Are they looking for a particular kind of student? Are they interested in a diverse student body? If so, what are there numbers? How do they try to ensure that this is the case?

During the interview itself, be as active and engaging as possible. Ask questions, and don't hesitate to return a question to your interviewer. Don't force anything, let the conversation flow. Be interested.

Be prepared to talk about yourself a little. It may be about a fun or educational experience you have had, or about a hobby that gives an indication of how you like to spend your time. Be prepared to talk about the most recent, or memorable book you have read. Talk about what you've learned from participating in athletics or any other extracurricular activity. Also be prepared with an outline of your educational goals, and have a brief, concise response ready to follow up with how and why this particular college helps you with those goals.

Do not hesitate to take in a card with some notes about questions you would like answered, or things about yourself that you would like to be sure to mention. Don't use notes as a script, just a prompt or reminder. If used properly, notes reflect proper preparation and be an indication that you are cared enough to be prepared and make the most of your time.

Don't ask questions for which there are answers readily available to you in the college catalog or on its website. Doing so shows a lack of care and preparation.

For other possible questions to consider, click here.

Senior Transcripts
Transcripts are required by all colleges and universities. A student's transcript will be released ONLY with his or her permission, NEVER automatically. To ensure that a transcript is sent in a timely manner, please do the following:

Visit Student Services to arrange for mid-year transcripts to be sent to college(s).

Make your request two (2) weeks in advance with Mrs. Holbrook in Student Services.

Request your transcript by completing a BLUE CARD, which gives Student Services permission to release your transcript only to Institutions you list. (NOTE: Some schools require a Counselor Statement or a Secondary School Supplement that MUST be completed & enclosed with the transcript. Bring statements and other forms at the same time you make the transcript request.) Seniors receive two (2) FREE transcripts; there is a $5.00 charge for each additional transcript payable when the transcript is ordered.

Non-enrolled students should allow one (1) week for transcript requests to be made.

Official transcripts are mailed directly to the College or University Admission�s Office from R.J. Reynolds High School Student Services.

Student Athletes
Students interested in playing a sport at a college or university should visit the NCAA Clearinghouse website for general eligibility information.
In order to participate in athletics and receive athletically based financial aid, students must register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse and meet eligibility standards.

Teacher Recommendations
Teacher recommendations are one of the most important elements in your application. It is the teachers who provide the colleges with insights about your intellectual self. They will describe your work habits, your academic passions and your idiosyncarsies. Colleges rely heavily on teacher recommendations to flesh out the student's transcript.
Unfortunately, because of the rush of tasks attached to the application, a student's preparation for this task is often hurried and incomplete. As a spring-semester junior, students should begin to think about recommendations and ask themselves these questions: In whose course have I excelled? Who knows me best as a student? Does any teacher know me well outside the classroom? Of my teachers, who is most likely to write forcefully and eloquently about you?

Listed are some pointers to help direct your thinking:

While each college may have its own particular demands, most colleges ask for two teacher recommendations, some requiring that one be written by your junior or senior English teacher.

While selecting your recommenders, think of balance. If possible, try to pick one from humanities or social sciences and one from mathematics or natural sciences. Two recommendations from the same department may prove redundant.

A number of institutions, particularly large state universities, to do require individual teacher recommendations. Read the instructions for each application carefully.

Do not confuse teacher recommendations with counselor recommendations or Secondary School Reports (SSR). Check the headings of each form.

Ask a teacher directly if he or she will write a recommendatio for you. Never leave a request in a mailbox or on a desk, or send as an e-mail.

If a teacher declines, do not feel rejected or slighted; he or she may simply not know you well enough to write a full and convincing letter.

For each college to which you ask a teacher to send a recommendation, give the teacher the appropriate "Teacher Recommendation Form" along with the date you intend to apply. Remember to complete the student portion of the form first.

Be sure to give the teachers the recommendation forms early, no later than Oct. 15, if possible. Include a list of all the colleges to which you plan to apply and the due date for each college. Often teachers have recommendations to write for many students and they need time to do them well. Their schedules are busy, and you shouldn't expect them to use their weekends or vacation time writing recommendations, especially as a result of your laziness or disorganization. Teachers may refuse your request if you do not give them adequate time to repsond.

Make sure you inform your recommenders of all deadlines and of any special circumstances. The teachers should return letters of recommendation to your college counselor.

Use a college-application checklist to keep track of whom you asked and when you asked them.

Be thoughtful. As you receive news from the colleges, thank your teachers. There are many ways to do this, but a simple thank-you note is simple and sufficient.

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