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Vocabulary

The information listed below may be used by a college or scholarship granting agency to select students to be admitted or to receive an award. The college scholarship committee determines its own criteria and how much weight it gives each category.

  1. Difficulty of high school courses
  2. Grade Point Average (GPA)
  3. ACT/SAT I of SAT II
  4. Class Rank (RIC)
  5. Activities/Awards/Leadership
  6. Recommendations
  7. Essays
  8. Interviews
  9. Financial Need

College Courses
Four-­year colleges recommend students complete a rigorous academic course of study in high school. College bound students are advised to select the most advanced academic core courses they can handle. Research indicates the more honors, AP College Credit, college prep courses a student takes, the higher their ACT/SAT score will be. Ms. Kampschroeder suggests 4 years of Math, Science, English, Social Studies and 2-­5 years of Modern language.

Each college sets its own requirements for admission. This is only a guide. It does not guarantee admission to all four-­year colleges. There are colleges that will admit students who do not have all of these courses (open enrollment colleges). In some cases, a student admitted into a college without this “minimum” college recommended curriculum may have to take courses on the college campus the summer before freshman year of college to make up for the deficiencies. Create a four-­year plan to meet these requirements. (The University of Missouri system (UMC, UMSL, UMKC, UMR) requires 4 years of math – Algebra I and above.)

Four-­Year Plan
The four-­year plan is an individualized schedule of courses for the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades. The counselor can help select courses consistent with graduation requirements, college and career plans, interests, and talents. The four-­?year plan is reviewed and revised each year and adjustments are made for academic performance, changes in curricular offerings and career plans. Parents should review their son/daughter’s four-­year plan each year and monitor his/her progress towards graduation/and or college.

Student Transcript
A transcript is a student’s record for grades 9 through 12. It contains the following information:
1. Courses, semester grades, credits and attendance
2. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) (Both weighted and unweighted)
3. Rank in Class (both weighted and unweighted)
4. Graduation date (if completed)
5. EOC’s

Grade Point Average (GPA)
The GPA is the average of all of a student’s semester grades in high school. It begins with the first semester in the 9th grade and is recalculated at the end of each semester through the 12th grade.

Rank In Class (RIC)
Class rank is the student’s placement from the top of the class. The student with the highest GPA is number 1, the second highest is number 2, and so on. It is presented with the total number in the class after the student’s place in the class, ex. 20/400. Since the GPA determines the rank, the higher the GPA, the higher the rank in class. Class rank can be particularly important for some scholarships or special programs because the requirements may stipulate that the applicant must be in the top 5%/10%/20% of his/her class.

School Profile
Ritenour High School has a school profile that is sent with each transcript. This one-­page document contains information about the community and school. The school information includes enrollment, scope of curriculum and programs, grading scale, method of calculating the GPA/rank in class, percentage of graduates that go to college, and the average ACT scores of the previous class. It also lists all honors and AP courses offered to students. The profile provides a college or scholarship committee with information about the school while the transcript provides information about the student.

College Admissions Tests
 

  • ACT (American College Test): This test measures student knowledge in the areas of English, Mathematics, Reading, Science Reasoning, and an optional writing portion, as well as a composite score. The range for each area is 1-­?36. A calculator may be used on the math test. An interest inventory and student assessment is included in the student’s profile report. For an extra free, you can get a copy of the types of questions you marked incorrectly. The cost includes reporting of scores to four colleges of the student’s choice. Ms. Kampschroeder suggests taking the ACT twice junior year if the student plans to apply to four-­year colleges senior year, and again senior year.
  • SAT I (Scholastic Aptitude Test): The SAT I measures verbal, mathematic reasoning, and writing on a scale of 200-­800. A calculator is allowed on a portion of the test and some of the questions require that you write in your answer to the problem. www.collegeboard.com
  • SAT II Subject Tests: The tests measure a student’s knowledge and skills in specific subject areas such as American History, Biology, and Calculus. Selective universities/colleges typically require these tests. The institution’s website will indicate if they are required. If a student takes Chemistry in their sophomore year and will not take the advanced Chemistry class later in their four-­?year plan, this student should consider taking the test at the completion of the sophomore year. You do not have to wait until your senior year to take the test. A student may not take both the SAT I and the SAT II tests on the same day. SAT II is not offered during every testing date. Check the testing schedule for specific dates.

Waitlisted
Students who apply to a college and are not accepted nor denied, may be 'Waitlisted'. This means that if a space becomes available after the May 1 deadline, they MAY be accepted into college at that time. Speak to your college counselor about the strategy if you are added to a waitlist.