PREPARING FOR COLLEGE AS A GA FRESHMAN Welcome to GA’s Upper School. The College Counseling team hopes that families will partner with us and review this information with their freshman. For more information about GA’s College Counseling Program, please access the College Counseling Resources OneNote via your Veracross account (click on the College Counseling button on the right navigation bar). https://germantownacademymy.sharepoint.com/:o:/g/personal/karen_mason_germantownacademy_org/EkapaiIEMtt HoUKEKJPw498BmoTCmxV_D2AhY9u1ASrs3g?e=b3q1d3). What Freshman Should Be Doing to Prepare for College: ➢ Focus on your academic coursework. Your achievements in class as well as your course selection will be paramount in the review process for admission to college. Sometimes students mistakenly think that grades from their first year of high school do not “count.” College admission officers will review your entire high school transcript, which includes your course performance in grade 9. They will also, however, consider the adjustment to high school and deeply value the improvement you make over your high school career. Keep in mind that with every academic stride you make, the more college options you will have! You are also attending a rigorous college preparatory school to achieve an education and become a scholar. Take advantage of your teachers, your advisor, and your peers so that you make the most of your GA education! ➢ Explore your interests beyond the classroom. GA is known for the diversity of its extracurricular offerings. Get involved, try out a club, a sport, an arts activity. Determine what gives you joy and devote yourself to those activities that do. The personal rewards will be numerous, plus you will have the added advantage of being a more attractive candidate for admission to college. You grow as a person and colleges notice! Standardized Tests for Admission to College •
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Upon entering high school, any official standardized tests students complete, such as the SAT or the ACT, become part of the student’s test-taking record. Hence, the SAT or ACT should not be taken for practice. The first time students should take the SAT or ACT in preparation for the college admission process is in the early winter of their junior year. In the spring of their sophomore year, sophomores will have an opportunity to try out both the SAT and the ACT with unofficial (not offered by SAT or ACT but by the test prep company, Compass Prep) practice exams. By taking practice exams, students gain insight into the format, timing, and material comprising both exams and can make an educated decision about which exam they want to prep for – the official SAT or the official ACT (colleges accept either exam for admission). In