Updated NCAA Eligibility Requirements

Starting with high school freshmen this year, it will get just a little harder to become eligible to participate in Division 1 sports right out of high school. The NCAA eligibility center has decided to increase their eligibility standards for Division 1 athletes. These new rules will go into effect starting August 1, 2015. Whereas students prior to 2015 needed a minimum core GPA of 2.0 and 1010 SAT (Math and Critical Reading) or an ACT combined score of 86 in order to participate in competition, students after 2015 will need a minimum core GPA of 2.3 and 1080 SAT, or an ACT combined score of 93 to participate in their first year.

There also is a new rule put in place to redshirt incoming freshmen. With the present eligibility rules, a student-athlete was either eligible or not eligible. Now there are three outcomes: Eligible to compete right away (Full Qualifier), not eligible at all (Nonqualifer), and eligible to join team and practice, but not compete in first year (redshirt). Now this is where it becomes tricky! The sliding scale (core GPA with SAT or ACT) for the redshirt option is very similar to the present regular eligibility scale, except the SAT requirement has gone up 10 points for each GPA (i.e. 2.0 GPA will require 1020 SAT). However, the combined ACT score has stayed the same (i.e. 2.0 GPA will require 86 combined score).   

The final change for students to be eligible as full qualifiers is that 10 of their 16 core courses must be completed and “locked in” by the start of their senior year. In the present format, students can use any of their approved classes for eligibility purposes until high school graduation.

For those who do not know, the core GPA is calculated from 16 approved courses throughout a student’s high school career. Not every course a student takes will be approved by the NCAA; therefore it cannot be used in the core GPA calculation. Courses that must be used for the core GPA are 4 years of English, 3 years of mathematics, 2 years of science (1 year with lab), 1 year additional English, mathematics, or science, 2 years of social science, and four years of additional approved courses (i.e. foreign language, social sciences, philosophy etc.). Once a core GPA is established a student must have at least the minimum SAT/ACT score associated with that GPA. Sliding scales can be found online, or by visiting the NCAA eligibility website at www.eligibilitycenter.org .

Once again, these new eligibility standards will not go into effect until August 1^st of 2015, which are current high school freshmen. As always, if you have any questions about NCAA eligibility please do not hesitate to contact your counselor to make sure you are on track to being eligible!

Getting a Head Start on Careers

As seniors are watching their college decisions roll in, juniors are beginning the college search process, and underclassmen are beginning to think about life after high school, there is one topic that has likely crossed all of their minds. That topic is their life and what they see themselves doing for a career. There is no set schedule for when individuals should know what type of career would be best for them, as some know when they are 10 years old and others don’t know until they are 40 years old. As high school students it is completely normal not to have a solid grasp of a type of job or field you see yourself in, and contemplating about what you would like to do for the next 40+ years is not the easiest concept to wrap your head around, but it is definitely something all high school students should be thinking about. As jobs are becoming more competitive and specialized, it would greatly benefit any individual to choose the right major for themselves in college and getting started early on the right track for their desired career.  A career does not just happen and this is something students need to be aware of. A career is something a person will have for the majority of his or her life, so it makes sense that it should be something in which the person enjoys and fits his or her personality.

Students coming into high school should learn about themselves, including their values, interests, beliefs, and skills, and then begin to prepare for the next stage. Along with this, 9^th and 10^th grade students should be encouraged to explore, and should not worry about making career decisions. As students enter their junior and senior year of high school, they should be much more focused on decision making, and integrating what they have learned about themselves in previous years to growth and change towards their future career development. Once students have explored who they are, they must be allowed to access information on all types of careers and what needs to be done to obtain these careers. Goals need to be set and students must work with their counselor on reaching these goals.

During your junior year, you will be able to use the Career Finder tool on Naviance. This allows you to answer hundreds of questions about your personality, abilities, likes and dislikes. The program will then provide you with a multitude of careers that may fit you best and where you will be the happiest. Each career option will provide information on what the careers involve, average earnings, and how to best get to that career, including college majors.

It also is never too soon to think about which careers may be vibrant and which ones may not even exist in the future. A great site to visit is the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is part of the United States Department of Labor. This website gives everyone access to much of the information available on careers. A very useful tool on this site is to see projections of careers, including which careers will be booming in 10 years and which careers are on the decline. Click on the link, and you will be directed to the New Jersey part of the site giving a multitude of information on careers in our state.  

So some simple advice for all high school students…although your plans may change, it is never too early to start thinking about what you may want to do. Use the resources available to you and start trying to connect your personality and needs to certain jobs and careers that exist. And parents…engage with your child about careers and opportunities that may arise. Have conversations with them about your own experiences and support them when they start coming to terms with a career they see themselves attracted to. Also, encourage them to go after internship opportunities or summer jobs that become available. Although an individual most likely will change careers at least once during a lifetime, it’s important to get off to a good start. So make thinking about a career a part of your life right now, as it will always be an important part of your entire life.

SAT/ACT Reminders

This is a reminder to all that there are just three more sittings for the SATs and only two more for the ACTs for this academic year. For juniors it is extremely important to take at least one of these standardized admissions tests before the summer break. However, it is recommended to take the tests twice if you can. There are many reasons for this including ‘score choice’. For both the SAT and ACT the student can decide which test date(s) to send to the colleges. So if a student doesn’t do well on one sitting, the schools never need to hear about it. Also, for the SAT, most colleges will superscore the overall score for the three sections (Math, Critical Reading, and Writing). So if you do better on the math section for the March test and better on the critical reading section for the May test, go ahead and send both test dates, and the colleges will combine the highest scores.

Additionally, just like most other things in life, the more you do it, the better the results. Often, students will perform better the second or third time they take the SAT or ACT. You do not want to be in the position where you have to rely on one test! A final reason it is important to take these tests more than once before summer break is because many students are involved in test preparation right now. You are learning tricks and strategies to the tests, so why not take back-to-back tests when the information is fresh in your minds? If you study and prep for the May test, and then wait until the October test during your senior year, you may be at a disadvantage, since it is likely all of that information you learned in the spring has gone out the window! Please contact your counselor with any questions on preparing for the SAT/ACT or registering for these tests.

As a reminder the next three SAT dates are: March 10^th, May 5^th, and June 2^nd.

As a reminder the next two ACT dates are:   April 14^th and June 9^th.

*Please be advised that although the regular registration deadline has passed for the March 10^th SAT, there is still time to register under the late registration. The deadline for this late registration is February 24^th and there is an additional fee for this on top of the SAT fee.*

The Waiting Game...Being Emotionally Prepared to Hear from and Leave for College

Senior year is stressful all around—at the beginning, students scramble to complete their applications while balancing busy extracurricular and academic schedules. They worry about their choice of college essay topic, their list of schools, and whether or not their applications have arrived safely in the admissions offices. As second semester begins, though, most of the applications are out, midterm grades are finalized, and a period of waiting ensues. Many schools will not send out decisions until April, and so students wait, in a state of uncertainty about the vast next step of their lives.

There is so much activity and so many stressors during senior year that we sometimes forget that it is a crucial period of transition, not only for students, but for parents and families as well. As graduation approaches, there are many conflicting emotions at play. For students, it is certainly an exciting time, but also a continuous reminder that they will soon leave behind their high school, their friends, and their families in order to graduate to the next phase of their lives. It is a time filled with uncertainty and ambiguity. Students may not realize that their parents are also experiencing a great deal of conflicting emotions, as they prepare to see their child off into a new environment.  Whether a student is moving away to college or living at home, graduation from high school is a huge symbolic move towards adulthood.

Both students and parents are reminded that it is perfectly normal to see emotional ups and downs during this time. There may be some shifting in the dynamics of the relationship between parent and child, as they both prepare for the student to take on new roles.

In conclusion, some advice: Parents, trust in the work that you have done in raising your child to be an independent, competent decision maker. Be open to dialogue with your child, and don’t hesitate to bring these issues up for discussion. Students, remember that it is totally acceptable to be experiencing a range of different emotions. Graduating from high school is exciting, daunting, joyous, and saddening all at the same time. You are always welcome to contact your counselor for any advice you may need.

Come back to the blog in coming weeks to check out ways to effectively and healthily deal with the stress that ensues during the transition from high school to college for both students and their families!

A Senior's Tips for Juniors in the College Application Process

Connor O'Brien is a Prep senior who has been through the college application process, and is waiting to make his decision on which college he will attend next fall. Since he has experienced everything first-handed so recently, he is in a great position to give juniors tips on what to do and what not to do. Please enjoy Connor's post below:

My College Experience/Tips

            Juniors: Don’t let the entire college process intimidate you.  It is not as challenging as it may seem.  However, there are some steps to take that will assure that you have a stress-free experience while choosing your college.

            My first tip of advice is to be proactive with your schools.  What does this mean?  Take the necessary steps that will help you jump off of your application.  One way to do this involves the standardized tests.  Yes, we can all agree that SATs and ACTs are extremely tedious and annoying, but they are important part of the application.  Personally, I took the SATs, SAT Subject Tests, and ACT at least one time to keep my options open.  Leave no stones unturned; you don’t want to leave yourself wondering “What if I did anything else?” 

            Also, what I found extremely useful was to stay in touch with your admissions counselor.  Interview, e-mail, or speak with any representative that you come in contact with.  You want to emphasize your desire to attend a school, because an applicant’s level of interest is extremely important to some school.

            In addition, I suggest that you begin the process early.  Begin looking at colleges as soon as possible to get a feel for what your safety, target, and reach schools will be.  This will allow you to begin filling out applications early, which I strongly recommend.  Finish all of your applications and supplements before the beginning of school, so that you will be able to have your essays proofread in plenty of time before the deadlines.  Also, get teacher recommendations as quick as you can.  They will stack up with other recommendations to write, so make sure that they get to yours first.

            All in all, the college process is an exciting, yet challenging process.  You’ll enjoy looking at colleges and eventually making your decision.  Good luck!

Intensive College Preparation Summer Program!

During this summer, Prep will offer an intensive college preparation program for rising seniors. This is a four week course running from Monday, July 2nd to Thursday, July 26th. We will meet Mondays-Thursdays for 2 1/2 hours each day with the option of morning or afternoon sessions. Past students have found this program to be extremely helpful in giving them a much needed head start in the college application process.

During the four week session, students will draft, revise, and complete their personal essay. Mock interviews will allow them to practice their skills and prepare for interviews for college and beyond. Students will also work on career preparation skills, and will learn the components of a resume and how to present themselves to colleges and potential employers. We will visit schools in the area to take tours and meet with admissions representatives, which will give students a sense of student life and the specific programs offered by our local universities. In addition, students will familiarize themselves with the Common Application, and fill out the basics so that they will be ready to submit in the fall. Finally, students will learn the admissions process in depth, as they examine a series of mock applications and work as a committee to evaluate them.

Although registration is not until April, there is limited room in this course and it often fills-up quickly. So, give this program some thought, and be ready to register once the time comes!

-SPP College Counseling Department