Counselors:  Wanda Bird and Amy Gogas

SEPTEMBER 2007

The new ACT exam includes a writing component. While the writing component is listed as an option for students who sign up to take the ACT exam, it is an admission requirement for all entering freshman students at West Virginia public four-year colleges, effective in August 2006. There is a new student-centered site available at www.actstudent.org. Students can use the website to register for the act assessment, answer practice questions, see their scores, send additional score reports, and do all the other things they used to do at the main ACT website. Seamless navigation between the student site and the corporate ACT site at www.act.org ensures that all audiences find the information they need, regardless of which url they first access.

*ATTENTION: SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS
The PSAT test will be given on Wednesday, October 17, 2007.
All sophomores will be taking the test for practice. The fee for sophomores will be paid by the Boone County Board of Education. This will be great practice for the sophomores. Juniors take the PSAT test as the first step to enter National Merit Scholarship Corporation Competition. The Boone County Board of Education will also cover the costs of any junior who signs up with Mrs. Bird to take the PSAT test on the October 17, 2007 test date. Students may sign up with Mrs. Bird beginning September 24.

*****All high school students who take the PSAT/NMSQT have free access to MyRoad-----the College Board’s online college, major, and career exploration tool-----for the duration of their high school careers. MyRoad’s unique features include: personality profiler, the online assessment students take to learn about their personality types and receive major and career suggestions, profiles of academic fields-----from Aeronautics to Zoology, representing 175 instructional programs, timely articles covering more then 450 occupations-----everything from new fields like web development to more traditional pursuits like law and medicine. MyRoad also has activities designed especially for students who are interested in two year programs.

The PLAN test will be given to all 10th graders during the week of October 16-20. Like the ACT assessment, PLAN assesses students’ ability to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the core subject areas most important for success in college: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning.

Plan includes a component that helps each student develop a personalized career plan, which gives students a stronger sense of purpose for doing well in school.

There will be no cost to sophomores.

ATTENTION: JUNIORS
Act packets are available in the counselor’s office. You may also register online at www.act.org. Juniors need to take the act test no later than April of their junior year.

ATTENTION: SENIORS
Seniors who have not taken the ACT should do so in October. The deadline to register is September 21. The ACT test date for October is October 27. Packets are available in the counselor’s office. You may also register online at www.act.org.

Seniors planning to attend a college or technical school in the fall of 2008 need to get their applications mailed with their transcripts during the month of September. Some majors have early deadlines.