ADMISSION TIPS BY GRADE LEVEL
NINTH GRADE
Work Hard in Classes - It is important to approach high school classes with focus and determination. Ninth grade is an important time to develop skills and habits that will help you to be successful later.
Get Involved - Developing interests and talents are important for a fulfilling life. Find out what activities you enjoy and can excel in, as well as which are not right for you.
Get Involved - Developing interests and talents are important for a fulfilling life. Find out what activities you enjoy and can excel in, as well as which are not right for you.
Evaluate - Each report card and progress report is an opportunity to check on your success and figure out how to move further.
Ask and Plan - Ask you counselor, your teachers, your friends about how to succeed. Choose classes that will help you to graduate and to maximize your success. Come in for a four year planning meeting with the counselor in the Spring to discuss graduation requirements and your plans for the future.
Visit - If you get the opportunity, visit university campuses, even if they are not the universities you are interested in. These visits will help you to get the feel of a campus and perhaps help to let you know what to expect when you arrive. The Guam College Fair in the Fall is a great chance to meet with university representatives and get their input as well.
Ask and Plan - Ask you counselor, your teachers, your friends about how to succeed. Choose classes that will help you to graduate and to maximize your success. Come in for a four year planning meeting with the counselor in the Spring to discuss graduation requirements and your plans for the future.
Visit - If you get the opportunity, visit university campuses, even if they are not the universities you are interested in. These visits will help you to get the feel of a campus and perhaps help to let you know what to expect when you arrive. The Guam College Fair in the Fall is a great chance to meet with university representatives and get their input as well.
TENTH GRADE
PSAT - Take the PSAT in October. The result will be available in mid-December. Your counselor will meet with a group to discuss the result in January and you can use this as an opportunity to check how you are doing and what areas you need to improve.
Meet - Group meetings will take place with the college counselor to help acquaint you with the process of applying to colleges and what you can expect during the process. There will be meetings both during and after school. The Guam College Fair in the Fall is a great chance to meet with university representatives and get their input as well.
Focus - Make sure that your classwork, the most important part of the application, is still strong. If your teacher and counselor recommend, take an AP class and see how well you do. Stay involved in your activities or try new ones if you haven’t your passion yet.
Choices, choices - When choosing your classes for 11th grade, consider the IB Diploma, or a challenging mix of IB and AP classes. These classes, along with the exams, will go a long way to preparing you for college and demonstrating to universities you are a serious student.
Visit - If you have a chance to visit universities, take it. The more school you see, the more you will understand what you like in a university and what you don’t like.
Meet - Group meetings will take place with the college counselor to help acquaint you with the process of applying to colleges and what you can expect during the process. There will be meetings both during and after school. The Guam College Fair in the Fall is a great chance to meet with university representatives and get their input as well.
Focus - Make sure that your classwork, the most important part of the application, is still strong. If your teacher and counselor recommend, take an AP class and see how well you do. Stay involved in your activities or try new ones if you haven’t your passion yet.
Choices, choices - When choosing your classes for 11th grade, consider the IB Diploma, or a challenging mix of IB and AP classes. These classes, along with the exams, will go a long way to preparing you for college and demonstrating to universities you are a serious student.
Visit - If you have a chance to visit universities, take it. The more school you see, the more you will understand what you like in a university and what you don’t like.
ELEVENTH GRADE
Study - Remember that the most important part of your application is your transcript, not only your grades but also the classes you take. We offer a wide variety of challenging classes including the IB Diploma program. Make sure you take classes that challenging you, and more sure you do well in those classes.
Tests - PSAT, SAT, ACT, IB, AP, SAT Subject Tests….In October you will take the PSAT again, This time it will be the National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test. Your results on the PSAT will determine if you are a National Merit Semi-Finalist. Again the results will be helpful in determining your strengths and weaknesses for the SAT, or if you want to consider the ACT as an alternative. You should take the SAT or ACT at least twice this school year. January and either May or June. A good time to take SAT Subject tests is in June, when you are still fresh from the school year. Don’t forget to take the appropriate AP or IB exams at the end of the year.
Meetings - Meet in groups and individually with the counselor to discuss your plan for college and what you need to do to achieve your goals. Meet with college representatives who visit the campus and certainly go to the college fair in the Fall. All of this will help you to understand what you need to do in order to be successful in your college search.
Activities - Quality over quantity. Don’t get so bogged down in the number of activities in which you are involved, make sure that you have quality experiences, look for leadership opportunities, look for special projects to lead, look for ways to stand out from others when it comes time for your application.
Visit - Try to visit as many universities as you can, it is expensive to travel from Guam, but it is a very important thing to do. Getting the “feel” of a school can help you to understand if you will be happy there.
Evaluate - Make sure you are on track with your graduation requirements. If your colleges have special courses they want you to take, make sure that you have taken them as well.
Tests - PSAT, SAT, ACT, IB, AP, SAT Subject Tests….In October you will take the PSAT again, This time it will be the National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test. Your results on the PSAT will determine if you are a National Merit Semi-Finalist. Again the results will be helpful in determining your strengths and weaknesses for the SAT, or if you want to consider the ACT as an alternative. You should take the SAT or ACT at least twice this school year. January and either May or June. A good time to take SAT Subject tests is in June, when you are still fresh from the school year. Don’t forget to take the appropriate AP or IB exams at the end of the year.
Meetings - Meet in groups and individually with the counselor to discuss your plan for college and what you need to do to achieve your goals. Meet with college representatives who visit the campus and certainly go to the college fair in the Fall. All of this will help you to understand what you need to do in order to be successful in your college search.
Activities - Quality over quantity. Don’t get so bogged down in the number of activities in which you are involved, make sure that you have quality experiences, look for leadership opportunities, look for special projects to lead, look for ways to stand out from others when it comes time for your application.
Visit - Try to visit as many universities as you can, it is expensive to travel from Guam, but it is a very important thing to do. Getting the “feel” of a school can help you to understand if you will be happy there.
Evaluate - Make sure you are on track with your graduation requirements. If your colleges have special courses they want you to take, make sure that you have taken them as well.
TWELFTH GRADE
Apply - All seniors meet with the counselor in a College Guidance class designed to assist students with the final phase of the application process. Applications are filled out, essays completed, recommendations requested and financial aid procedures are discussed.
Don’t fall to “Senioritis” - Colleges and Universities evaluate your entire academic record. Make sure you stay focused on school work and continue your extracurricular activities.
Tests - Continue with SATs and ACTs should you need to. Make sure that you are prepared and focused for your AP and IB exams in May.
Graduate - Triple check your graduation requirements, including CAS and academic credits.
Don’t fall to “Senioritis” - Colleges and Universities evaluate your entire academic record. Make sure you stay focused on school work and continue your extracurricular activities.
Tests - Continue with SATs and ACTs should you need to. Make sure that you are prepared and focused for your AP and IB exams in May.
Graduate - Triple check your graduation requirements, including CAS and academic credits.
