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BETHPAGE HIGH SCHOOL

#9 in Best School Districts in NYS according to Niche.com
Class of 2025 includes 109 AP Scholars
Class of 2026 has 1 National Merit Finalist
3 National Merit Scholarship Commended Students
Advanced Placement - 22 courses with 1043 enrolled
Dual Credit College Courses – 18 courses with 807 enrolled
31 out of 31 Scholar-Athlete Teams by the NYSPHSSA
Class 0f 2025 - 92% College Bound
Something for Everyone

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Post Secondary Planning

WHY AM I HERE?�WHERE DO I START?

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=3SK3WJAXGFS GENERAL MCRAVEN- US NAVAL ACADEMY

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=O6OBIGG85OO TINA FEY- ADMISSION

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INCREASING COMPETITIVENESS

Application Volume Inflation

SUNY and CUNY increase in applications (97,257 to 204,437)
Test optional policies
32% increase since 2020 (2024)
additional 6% increase this year

Declining Acceptance Rates

17 colleges below 10% (few below 5%)
Public Universities

Growing Competition for Selective Majors

Computer Science, Engineering, Nursing and Business

What Is Most Important in the college admissions process?
It is important to understand the factors and use information to gain a competitive edge.

College admissions in the last three years (roughly 2022-2025 application cycles) have become significantly more competitive due to application volume increases, intensified focus on non-test scores, and growth in specific regions and majors. Application Volume Inflation: The total number of college applications continues to rise, largely driven by the widespread adoption of test-optional policies since the pandemic. The total number of college applications increased by 6% this year, following a 32% increase since 2020 (for the Class of 2024 results).

In the 2024-2025 cycle, total application volume increased by 6%, and the number of distinct applicants grew by 4% compared to the previous year.

Declining Acceptance Rates: The surge in applications has led to historically low acceptance rates at the most selective institutions.

Acceptance rates at highly selective schools (like the Ivy League and "Ivy-Plus" schools) are falling below 5% at institutions like Stanford, Duke, MIT, and Yale.
A record 17 colleges now have admit rates below 10%.
Top public universities are also seeing increased selectivity, with institutions like UCLA seeing a 30% increase in applications over the last three years and now reporting an acceptance rate of around 8.6%.

Growing Competition for Selective Majors: Applications to impacted majors such as Computer Science, Engineering, Business, and Nursing have become "ultracompetitive," even at schools with relatively high overall acceptance rates.
Rise of Public and Southern Schools: Applications to public colleges grew by 10% between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 cycles, compared to a 3% increase for private colleges. The South has seen a particularly dramatic surge in popularity.

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FACTORS WHICH MAY BE USED IN ADMISSIONS DECISIONS

Transcript
Rigor
GPA & Course Grades
Grade trends

Standardized tests

(SAT/ACT/AP)

Recommendations
Personal Statement/Essays

Activities
Interest
Interview (required or informational)
Unique requirements for specific programs (i.e. Engineering, Pharmacy)

Everything “I Do” is part of the Application Process

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NACAC Factors in Admissions Decisions 2023

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ADMISSION FACTORS

Grades in all courses

Grades in college prep courses

Strength of curriculum

Positive character Attributes

Essay or writing sample

Students Interest in Attending

Counselor recommendation Teacher recommendation

93%

91.9%

87%

65.8%

56%

43%

52%

51%

Percentage of colleges reporting “Considerable or Moderate Importance”

At very large public universities, some admission decisions may be made solely based on quantitative measures, like grades, the number of honors and AP courses taken, and test scores.
Highly selective public and private universities (like the Ivy League universities and most of the University of California campuses) admit a low percentage of applicants and receive tens of thousands of applications from students who are strong academically. These colleges look to qualitative factors, such as counselor and teacher recommendation letters, personal statements, and extracurricular activities, to assess how an applicant will fit in with and contribute to the campus community.
Smaller liberal arts colleges, where the entire student body is less than 3,000 students, similarly look to these qualitative factors as they build their class of students interested in attending a college with a close-knit community. Furthermore, these colleges may put more weight on an applicant’s interest in attending their institution as demonstrated by their proactive engagement with the outreach efforts made by the college admission office.

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SUBJECT

REGENTS DIPLOMA

ADVANCED REGENTS DIPOLMA

REQUIRES REGENTS EXAMS

English

4 credits

English Regents

Social Studies

4 credits

Global Studies Regents and

U.S. History Regents

Mathematics

3 credits

Algebra, plus 2 regents for advanced regents diploma

Science

3 credits

Any science regents for regents diploma, Liv. Env. Plus Science Regents for advanced regents diploma

Foreign Language

1 credit

3 credits

Foreign Language Exam*

FLACS B

Art or Music

1 credit

Health

½ credit

Physical Education

2 credits

Electives

3 ½credits

1 ½ credits

Total Credits

22 credits

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Clubs & organizations
Sports
Community service
Religious groups
Work experience
Internships/Summer Experiences
Take Leadership Roles
Keep a working document of activities completed

CREATE A RÉSUMÉ

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FRESHMAN YEAR AND BEYOND

Course Selection
Extra-curricular activities
Community Service
Develop Relationships
Social Media Accounts
Work hard

Grades- every year is important
Study Habits/Skills
Communication Skills
Career Interests
career search tool

2 5-26 BHS Club List

9th Grade Guide

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EXTRA HELP 2025-2026

1st Quarter/3rd Quarter:

Monday/Wednesday: Art, Business, Music, Social Studies, Physical Education, Science
Tuesday/Thursday: English, FACS, Health, Math, Reading, World Languages

2nd Quarter/4th Quarter:

Monday/Wednesday: English, FACS, Health, Math, Reading, World Languages
Tuesday/Thursday: Art, Business, Music, Social Studies, Physical Education, Science

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SOPHOMORE YEAR

Work Ethic
Academic success
Explore career interests and options
Maintain strong academic course-load
Engage in meaningful activities and programs

List of Majors
Research Majors & Careers
PSAT/NMSQT
Summer pre-college programs
Employment

10th Grade Guide

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JUNIOR YEAR

Maintain highest grades possible
Continue taking challenging courses
Take PSAT (October)
Consider college and career options
College Fairs
College Visits & Tours
SAT & ACT Exams
Explore summer programs

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Identify college factors which are important to you & research schools
Meet with your high school counselor
Build a list of schools of interest
Start looking for scholarships
NCAA Eligibility (if applicable)
Entrance Requirements
Admissions Types

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SENIOR YEAR

Continue to earn strong grades
Continue taking challenging courses
Take SAT & ACT test if applicable
Ask teachers for letters of Recommendation early
Complete Senior Resume
Write College Essay(s)
Complete College Applications in a timely fashion
Be sure to Follow-up with Colleges
Financial Aid Forms (FAFSA & CSS Profile)
Complete any and all Scholarship Applications
Attend all informational meetings
Finalize college choice
VISIT COLLEGES

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Take Senior Seminar
College Visits and tours,
College Fairs
Informational programs
NCAA Eligibility Center
Consider a summer pre-college program/course and/or do some volunteer work

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TEST PREP

Method Learning every student has full online access

Foundation/skill building

Khan Academy
ACT Academy
Private tutors/courses

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SAT

OR

ACT :�YOU DECIDE

Or Test Optional

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Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT):

While many institutions remain test-optional (approximately 75% of U.S. colleges), there is a gradual shift back to test submission.

The percentage of colleges rating test scores as a factor of "considerable importance" has declined substantially in recent years, falling to 4.9% in 2023.
In the Class of 2025 cycle, there was a 9% rise in students reporting test scores compared.

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PSAT

Section Length (minutes) Number of Questions/Tasks

Reading and Writing 64 54

Math 70 44

Total 134 98

The Reading and Writing section includes 54 questions evenly divided between 2 modules. You have 32 minutes to answer the questions in each module (~1 minute and 11 seconds per question)
The Math section includes 44 questions evenly divided between 2 modules. You have 35 minutes to answer the questions in each module (~1 minute and 35 seconds per question).

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SAT

Component Time Allotted (minutes) Number of Questions/Tasks

Reading and Writing 64 (two 32-minute modules) 54

Math 70 (two 35-minute modules) 44

Total 134 98

Math Tested

Type of Math Number of Questions

Algebra 13–15

Advanced Math 13–15

Problem-Solving and Data Analysis 5–7

Geometry and Trigonometry 5–7

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ACT

Section Minutes Questions

English 35 50

Math 50 45

Reading 40 36

Science (optional) 40 40

Writing(optional) 40 1 prompt

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TYPES OF DECISIONS

Early Action – Apply early, Notified early & you have until May 1 to decide; can apply to other schools.
Early Decision –Is a Binding Contract, Apply early, Notified early. You must withdraw all other applications if accepted.
Rolling Admissions –Usually notified four to six weeks after applying; you have until May 1 to decide.
Regular Decision – usually notified by mid-April; until May 1 to decide.

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Parts of the Application

Transcript

Standardized Tests (SAT/ACT)

EssaySsupplemental

Activity Resume

Letters of Recommendation

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What About Me?

Who am I as a Learner?
Academics
Extra-Curriculars
Learning Differences
Interests
Goals
Habits
Athletics
Career Outlook

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Career Planning: Naviance includes tools to help you explore different career paths based on your interests and skills.
College Planning: It's your central hub for college research, keeping track of deadlines, and managing your applications.
Online Documentation: Naviance is where you'll find and submit key documents like your resume, "brag sheet," and teacher recommendation requests.
Electronic submission of all application materials

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College Search

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FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN �CHOOSING A COLLEGE

Atmosphere – what are the students like, what are the “traditions”, coed, church affiliation, appearance of campus, in state/out of state mix
Location – distance from home, geographic, urban/rural
Size – large/small, college vs. university
Community – where you will also “live for four years
Support Services
Cost: tuition, room, board, travel, personal, books
Extra-curricular activities
Major - Career Services and Placement