COLLEGE GUIDANCE NEWSLETTER
May 6, 2019
This issue of the Newsletter is another extensive one.
When you get to what may appear to be the end, you may see a small
"[Message clipped]    View entire message" 
note on the bottom left side of the page,
please be sure to click on “view the entire message” and keep reading!
Students are invited to join representatives from these colleges at some presentations in CT, NY, and surrounding states, to learn more about various college options. The events will include brief slide presentations describing each of the institutions, and will also provide up-to-date information about selection practices, financial aid opportunities, and other issues related to selective college admissions. There will be ample time for students to ask questions during the programs. All events are free of charge.
SENIORS:

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR SENIORS ON A JOB WELL DONE!!

WE ARE PROUD OF YOUR HARD WORK DURING THIS COLLEGE PROCESS.
Counselors are meeting with seniors for one cycle during their health classes to make certain that their Naviance accounts are updated with final decisions and to follow up on waitlist positions. Seniors will also be asked to complete an online exit survey about their experience with the college process during their junior and senior years. We hope that seniors will provide thoughtful and detailed answers and be open to sharing insights that will help support upcoming classes during their college search.

May 1st was National Decision Day for seniors and College Guidance requires that seniors enroll and deposit at only one college of their choice. Sacred Heart does not support “double-depositing” at the end of the year. Your final transcript will be sent to only one college.
JUNIORS:
SOPHOMORES:
STANDARDIZED TEST PRACTICE AND STRATEGIES COURSE
FOR SOPHOMORES

TUESDAY, JUNE 4TH
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Students will learn about the differences between the ACT and the SAT, will develop strategies to improve their scores, and will take practice tests. 

Students must commit to the entire day in order to participate.

This is an optional opportunity, but it is essential that students enroll if they are going to attend so that the instructors can plan accordingly. Individualized testing material is prepared ahead of time for each student so that a detailed report can be provided after completion of the course. For this reason, if a student is not registered for the course by the end of the day on May 28th, she will not receive results from the day’s testing.

THERE IS NO COST TO THE STUDENT BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU:

Please rsvp by filling out the form provided here:
STUDENTS MUST BRING THEIR OWN LUNCH THAT DAY AS THERE WON'T BE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE CAMPUS.
Online PSAT Preparation Course (grades 10 - 11)
August 5th - 16th

Instructors: Matilde Larson and Joel Padilla - Fee $500
Remote, Online, Asynchronous

This course is designed to help students develop the necessary skills to achieve their highest potential on standardized tests such as the PSAT. The course will focus on determining a student’s strengths and weaknesses in both verbal and mathematical concepts, as well as, building strategies to maximize points on multiple choice exams. The course will be taught by two experienced instructors that have updated the course to reflect the redesign to the PSAT. Students will be answering questions through a series of online assessments reflective.
 
The following skill sets will be improved:
·         Reasoning
·         Educated elimination
·         Understanding common pitfalls
 
Additionally the necessary basic knowledge of math and verbal concepts will be refreshed and strengthened:
 
Math:                        
·         Numbers and Operation
·         Algebra and Functions
·         Geometry and Measurement
·         Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability
·         Problem solving and math applications in Science and History/Social Studies
 
Verbal:                                  
·         Vocabulary building
·         Grammar
·         Reading Comprehension

REGISTER VIA THE SUMMER ENRICHMENT LINK ON THE SACRED HEART WEBSITE
Counselors met with sophomores this past cycle during sophomore seminar to
introduce them to Naviance tools for college research. Sophomores had the
opportunity to work in Naviance to perform a variety of college searches to explore and discover information about colleges that they can then place on their “Colleges I’m thinking about” list.
If sophomores choose to visit colleges this summer, these are some suggestions to keep in mind:Try to sign up for an information session or official campus tour led by a current student. Ask questions, walk around campus, eat in the dining hall, visit the town nearby and ask yourself what you liked and disliked about the campus. If the Admissions office is closed, there are often maps or self-guided tours available so that you can explore on your own. Always let the Admissions office know that you were on campus, either by checking in when you arrive or by emailing the Admissions office in the days following your visit. For more information on visiting colleges, students and parents should access the College Guidance Handbook by logging into the Parent portal on the Sacred Heart website.

Additional helpful information is also given within these two resources:


ANOTHER REMINDER: Some students may want to consider taking a subject test in May or June, depending on their level of study. Possible tests to consider:
CHEMISTRY, WORLD HISTORY, MATH 2.
As indicated in the "SUBJECT TEST INFORMATION" link in the "STANDARDIZED TEST" section below, please see your specific course teacher for guidance.
FRESHMEN:
Online PSAT Preparation Course (grades 10 - 11)
August 5th - 16th

Instructors: Matilde Larson and Joel Padilla - Fee $500
Remote, Online, Asynchronous

SEE DETAILS AND REGISTER VIA THE SUMMER ENRICHMENT LINK ON THE SACRED HEART WEBSITE
AP EXAM AND REVIEW INFORMATION
There are many ways to prepare for AP exams outside of the preparation you do within the classroom at Sacred Heart.
  • You can choose to review from a book created for that purpose, such as: Princeton Review or Barron's
  • Or, the prep material found of the College Board website:Preparing for AP Exams
  • Or you could opt to take a review course offered in the area in which you live. There are many, such as this one:
"These new intensive six-hour courses will review curriculum and teach topic-by-topic simplified techniques for successfully answering exam type questions.  Our group tutoring courses are taught in classroom settings by New York State licensed teachers." 
All students enrolled in an AP course this year will take the College Board AP Exams in May. The link to the official AP Exam schedule appears below with valuable links to important information about the exams and free online test prep from the College Board. Spring sports, college visits, service work, vacations and the general rigors of a Sacred Heart student can all encroach on the valuable study hours warranted to prepare for these exams. It’s  never to early  to begin to prepare, get things organized or map out a study plan, as these exams will quickly be approaching. 
College Board A P Exam Day Policies
SAT SUBJECT TEST INFORMATION
COUNSELORS ON THE MOVE!
If the sun is always shining in Philadelphia, it seems to shine a little brighter at Villanova University. During her recent visit to the Main Line, Mrs. Gerrity experienced first-hand the Augustinian values and tenets that run wide and deep through Nova Nation. The 2019 Villanova Works Counselor Conference welcomed 50 high school college counselors to campus for two experiential days exploring academic, social and athletic aspects of the university.

The Villanova community is unabashedly grateful for its meteoric growth and success realized over the past ten years. The total applicant pool for the Class of 2023 soared to nearly 23,000 applications. Every aspect of the college has experienced a positive growth trajectory across all schools while its infrastructure continues to rise to meet the demands of larger classes, technological advances and scholarly pursuits. The M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing and the Villanova School of Business remain the most competitive and highly applied to segments of the university. The College of Engineering, which requires that applicants pre-declare a major of interest, trails only slightly behind in applicant volume. 
In September 2019, the several state-of-the-art residence halls will open their doors to accommodate 1,600 upperclassmen. There will also be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Performing Arts Center having undergone a $60 million renovation.
New residence halls along Lancaster Ave.
Of all things shiny and new at Villanova, The Finn remains the beacon of pride and the house that two NCAA Basketball Championships built. If you win it, they will come! On the closing night of the conference, the counselors were given VIP access to The Finn, a truly moving experience!

2017/2018 NCAA Men’s Collegiate Championship trophy
Resonating in each panel, discussion or presentation is Villanova’s relentless goal to support, grow, educate, prepare and deliver each student to the world fully prepared for engagement and success. The recipe for student success begins freshman year with several aspects of first-year programming targeted to acclimation and resource management. Academic advisorships will accompany a Villanovan from end to end. The Center for Access, Success and Achievement, better known as CASA, offers a robust array of programming to support and shepherd all Villanovans with a targeted focus ensuring that underrepresented or under resourced students have the tools they need to succeed.
In keeping with global norms in higher education, Villanova is actively reworking its fiscal and admissions models in the name of access, inclusivity and opportunity for all. Two prominent steps in this direction have been realized in the formation of new partnerships with the POSSE Foundation programming in Louisiana and, at a more grass roots level, Philadelphia Futures. POSSE is one of the most prestigious and comprehensive college access, success and youth leadership development programs in the United States. Through the Posse program, Villanova will expand its recruitment efforts in New Orleans, supporting 10 high-achieving area students per year with full-tuition scholarships to attend the University. The first cohort of Posse students will enroll at Villanova in fall 2020. The mission of Philadelphia Futures is to provide high-potential, economically disadvantaged Philadelphia students with life-changing programs and resources as they make their way to and through college.
With a fully vetted, 10–year strategic plan in action, Villanova feels like a university that remains comfortable in its own skin. They are quick to assume the responsibility of changes needed and appreciative of the blessings that have befallen their community at large. In his closing remarks, Michael Gaynor, Director of University Admissions cited Theodore Roosevelt in sharing that,
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Recognize those sneakers?


Just this past week, Mrs. Crane had the opportunity to visit 10 Rhode Island colleges, including Brown University, Providence College, Salve Regina University, Bryant University and Rhode Island School of Design, as part of a group of 38 high school counselors from across the country sponsored by the Rhode Island Association of Admissions Officers. During this whirlwind tour over the course of three days, she was able to take part in campus tours, meet with admissions counselors and hear from current students about their experiences on campus.


Providence College
Rhode Island School of Design
During the week of April 1st , Mrs. Gerrity was included in a cohort of nearly 90 high school college counselors assembled for a fully immersive experience at Vanderbilt University. Over the course of a highly compressed agenda of panels, walking tours, presentations and experiences, the Vanderbilt 2019 Counselor Conference attendees were afforded full access to all things “Vandy.” From curriculums to campus cuisine, Mrs. Gerrity was able to glean a well-rounded and constructive perspective of all this esteemed university has to offer.
Steeped in heritage dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt remains rooted in the founding principles of a dogged pursuit of scholastic excellence supported by access, diversity and intellectual curiosities. Vanderbilt’s four colleges are independently recognized as leaders in their respective areas of expertise. The College of Arts and Sciences, the Peabody School of Education and Human Development, the Vanderbilt School of Engineering and the Blair School of Music all dovetail at the university to offer a seemingly endless array of cross-disciplinary pathways for both the broad-minded and the most finely tuned student visions. Peabody is the only college to which first-year applicants are applying directly to a major concentration. Both the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering afford their students nearly three full semesters to declare a major within the respective school. The Blair School of Music engages a rigorous audition sequence in its admissions process.

Vanderbilt is delivering on its promise of rising to meet the high-priority themes in college education of diversity, equity and opportunity in a mirroring strategic model that transcends the student body as well as the faculty and staff. Vanderbilt’s financial aid policy of meeting 100% of a student’s demonstrated need is the lynch pin to access and opportunity for many students. One does not to be on the sprawling, quasi-urban campus very long to readily see so many factions of the global landscape represented in healthy proportions.
The sprawling staircase located in the first-year dining hall paints a picture of welcoming for all
Mrs. Gerrity was particularly impressed with the first-year student support and
acclimation systems in place to help each novice student find their feet and their
place at Vandy. From academic advisors to social life coordinators to faculty in-residence, the first year student is actively woven into the fabric of the university. The freshman dorms and dining hall located in a bucolic, park-like setting is an obvious hub of activity and bonding for the newest Commodores on campus.
The city of Nashville makes for a very appealing neighbor and the remarkably robust gentrification of its surroundings are welcoming harbingers of the prosperous times ahead for Music City. Vanderbilt stands as a historic, scholarly icon amidst one of America’s most vibrant cultural experiences. The view from The Bridge Building, Nashville.

Mrs. Gerrity is also happy to report that our very own
Sophia Brusco ’18 is thriving and thrilled in her new college home.
SPOTLIGHT ON........
In February, Mrs. Crane traveled to Radnor, Pennsylvania for the Girls School College Counselor Conference where she was able to attend workshops and compare experiences with over 30 other counselors from private girls high schools from across the country including several from the Sacred Heart network. She also had the opportunity to visit several of the many colleges in the area.
Haverford College located in Haverford, Pennsylvania houses around 1350 students on a 200-acre campus just outside Philadelphia. With a wide variety of majors, minors and concentrations, Haverford offers intentionally diverse curricular requirements that ensure that students are well-rounded, expansive
thinkers. Students take courses in each of three major academic divisions for a variety of ideas, concepts, and intellectual approaches. Academic Centers such as the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship, the Hurford Center for the Arts and Humanities and the Koshland Integrated Natural Science Center enrich scholarship beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Haverford is also proud of their role in the Quaker Consortium of schools. The unique four-college exchange program with Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore and the University of Pennsylvania allows Haverford to retain the strengths of the small college experience, while offering the expanded resources and opportunities usually found at a larger university. Students matriculated at Quaker Consortium institutions may take classes in
the fall and spring terms at any of the other member institutions. Haverford has also forged innovative partnerships with some of the world's top academic institutions to offer students additional opportunities for graduate study. Their partnership programs allow students to pursue an accelerated course of study in a Masters degree at several institutions including a 4+1 Bioethics Program and a 4+1 Engineering Program with University of Pennsylvania, a 3/2 Engineering Program with Cal Tech, a Five-Year Program With the Center For Latin American Studies at Georgetown University, and a One-Year Masters Program at Claremont McKenna College’s Robert Day School Of Economics And Finance.
In addition, Haverford is also part of a Tri-College consortium with Bryn Mawr and
Swarthmore. In addition to the wide range of academic programming available at
Haverford, students may choose to pursue a major or minor at one those schools in areas such as Arabic, Arts Programs, Film Studies, History of Art and the Growth and Structure of Cities. Students often take classes at all three schools and frequently collaborate on extracurricular activities such as the Tri-Co Hackathon. Haverford prides itself on its Honor Code that is written and governed solely by students. It is an important example of the ways in which students determine the course of their Haverford experience. Students are the heart and soul of Haverford, and as such they play a major role in all decisions. Students are involved in hiring decisions, sit on administrative committees, and head events and organizations. Haverford boasts more than 145 clubs and organizations on campus and Haverford Athletics sponsors over 20
Men’s and Women’s Division III teams. Admission to Haverford College is highly selective and optional interviews are “recommended” and offered to prospective students from spring of junior year through January of senior year. Haverford is interested in students who demonstrate ability and interest in achieving at the highest levels of scholarship and service; engaging deeply and substantively with the community; and growing both intellectually and personally. The rigor of the courses taken, grades, and the consistency with which you’ve worked over four years gives the clearest indication of how well you will do at Haverford.
Swarthmore College, also part of the Tri-College Consortium, is located 11 miles from both Haverford College and downtown Philadelphia. Its 1641 undergraduate students enjoy a 425-acre campus with easy access to Philadelphia.The diversity of perspectives represented by Swarthmore students, faculty, and staff including different viewpoints, identities, and histories contributes to the community’s strong sense of open dialogue and engagement with ideas and issues. With a curriculum unmatched among liberal arts colleges of its size, Swarthmore offers more than 40 courses of study and more than 600 courses and undergraduate research opportunities from the humanities and performing arts to the social and natural sciences and engineering. A cohort of students chooses to pursue their degree through the College's Honors Program, which emphasizes independent learning in small seminar classes and culminates with oral and written tests given by external examiners who are experts in their field. Swarthmore’s Honors Program is unique in two ways: its focus on deep collaboration between students and faculty, and its examinations given by outside experts. Students think through ideas together in seminars and pursue a wide range of special projects. At the end of their senior year, honors students take written and oral exams with external examiners who independently evaluate their work. Honors students take on a variety of subjects and projects, and tend to be among the most actively engaged students on campus. The program attracts students from all fields, from ancient history to engineering, psychology to peace and conflict studies, dance to physics. In consultation with faculty, students tailor their honors programs to their individual needs and interests. Programs include at least two disciplines, and they often combine courses, seminars, and research. Students may also incorporate creative and community-based projects, whether it’s exploring challenges of the urban underclass in Philadelphia or creating and performing an original play with professional theater artists. With a little planning, honors students can still spend a semester or two abroad. Swarthmore boasts more than 100 student-run clubs and organizations from which to choose and offers 22 Division III Men’s and Women’s Varsity sports, as well as Club sports and Intramurals. Swarthmore Admissions evaluates student applications with a thorough, committee-based, holistic, contextual, and highly selective application evaluation. Swarthmore does offer optional interviews to prospective seniors that assist the Admissions office to learn more about you as an individual.

******* College Guidance FAQs: *******

Remember to consult the College Guidance Handbook for in-depth details regarding the college admissions process. The handbook is accessible through the SHG website parent portal.