Getting into College

And Beyond
Brought to you by the ASA Guidance
Office Team
Lucila Roggio
High School Guidance Secretary
lroggio@asa.edu.py

Matthew Johnson
High School Counselor
matthew.johnson@asa.edu.py
Sometimes it’s helpful to begin planning with the
end in mind.

What do you want in life?

● Rewarding career
● Competitive salary
● Job security
● A home, spouse, family, etc.
● Travel
Sometimes it’s not just who you know… It’s also
what you know.
A great way to show what you know is to obtain a degree from a distinguished
college or university.

● Bachelor's (undergraduate degree)

● Master’s
● Doctorate
● Specialty (MD, JD)
What are colleges looking for?
In a 2013 survey of college admissions offices, five of the following factors were
rated higher than the rest. Can you guess which ones they are?

● College entrance exams ● GPA in all classes

● Extracurricular activities ● SAT subject tests
● Job ● Strength of curriculum
● Class rank ● AP Tests
● Application essay ● Portfolio
● GPA in college prep classes ● Demonstrated interest
● Teacher letter of recommendation ● Interview
● Counselor letter of recommendation ● State exams
And the top 5 are...
1. Grades in college prep classes
2. Strength of curriculum
3. College entrance exams (ACT, SAT)
4. Grades in all classes
5. Application essay
Followed by…
6. Demonstrated interest
7. Counselor letter of recommendation
8. Rank in class
9. Teacher letter of recommendation
10. Extracurricular activities
That means a 12th grader needs...
● A high GPA, especially in content classes like English, Math, Science and
Social Studies
● To take a rigorous course of study, which includes AP classes such as: AP
English Literature, AP Calculus, AP Comparative Government, AP Spanish
Literature
● Competitive SAT and/or ACT scores
● A high quality college application essay
Which means an 11th grader needs to...
● Get good grades in all classes
● Sign up for AP classes offered to juniors like: AP US History, AP English
Language, AP Environmental Science or AP Psychology
● Study for the SAT and/or ACT and take it once or twice during this year
● Write a rough draft second essay semester of 11th grade. Get feedback from
the English teacher and counselor.
In order to do that, a 10th grader needs to...
● Get good grades in all classes
● Sign up for AP World History
● Begin to study for college entrance exams- it’s not too early to start. The PSAT
will occur in October and will be a good indicator of test readiness.
● Practice writing in English outside of the school day, like in a journal.
So that means it all starts with 9th grade...

● Grades matter! Even one semester of low grades can make a big impact on a
student’s overall GPA.
● There isn’t much choice in curriculum for 9th graders, so just do well in what
you have on your schedule.
● No need to begin SAT and/or ACT prep yet. Just be aware that it is coming
and that it’s important.
● Work really hard in your English class and know all the writing you’re doing will
help you with your college application essay.
Distinguish yourself academically
This is a repeat of the previous slides

● Get good grades

● Take hard classes
● Score well on SAT and/or ACT
● Write well (not only that, but be able to tell a story)
Distinguish yourself personally
While it seems academics still matter most, colleges don’t want to admit academic
robots. Many colleges take a holistic approach to admissions which will take into
account things like:

● Leadership
● Community service
● Extracurricular activities (music, sports, clubs)
● Communication skills
● Demonstrated interest in chosen degree program
● Personality, character, letters of recommendation
 ● Teacher office hours
● Tutoring
● Set up and monitor student
Resources grades on RenWeb. Fernando
Fleitas in IT can assist with this.
For grades (GPA) (fefleitas@asa.edu.py)
● Counselor
 ● K12 online learning (see Lucila
Roggio in Guidance Office-
lroggio@asa.edu.py)
● Various online providers for
additional AP courses (see
Resources George Aiello- IT Coordinator
george.aiello@asa.edu.py)
Strength of Curriculum
● Counselor to request AP
classes offered at ASA in the
upcoming school year
 ● Academic Services
International (ASI)- Prep course
offered at ASA
Resources academicservicesint.com
● khanacademy.org
SAT and ACT Exams
● collegeboard.org
 ● collegeconfidential.com
Resources ● bigfuture.collegeboard.org
● Naviance
The College Search
 ● Princeton Review
http://www.princetonreview.com/college-
advice/college-essay
● NACAC
Resources http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/articles/pa
ges/top-ten-tips-for-writing-a-college-essay-
.aspx
College Application Essay ● Big Future
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays
Specifics for 12th graders

Academics College/Career Personal

Maintain high GPA College visits Finish community service

SAT/ACT Retakes Final touches on essay Don’t slack; the end is near

AP Exams Submit applications Transition to independence

Take a couple of AP Request letters of rec

Courses

Early Action/Early Decision

Specifics for 11th graders

Academics College/Career Personal

Maintain high GPA Take College Workshop Extracurriculars

class (second semester)

Take SAT and/or ACT Summer college camp Community service

Sign up for AP classes College essay rough draft Leadership opportunities

AP Exams Explore colleges/majors

Take a couple of AP Summer/winter internship

courses
Specifics for 10th graders

Academics College/Career Personal

Maintain a solid GPA Explore career clusters Extracurriculars

Take AP World History Explore jobs and their Community Service

earning potential

Take PSAT SAT/ACT Prep

Possibly increase academic

rigor via online learning
Specifics for 9th graders

Academics College/Career Personal

Start off with good grades Explore interests/strengths Transition to high school

Improve study habits Increase interpersonal skills

Establish 4 year plan of Get involved with

study extracurriculars

Take PSAT semester 2 Stay balanced

Community Service