Junior Conference

Preparing for your post-secondary success

Please complete the survey that was e-mailed to you on Monday. This helps us identify students for various opportunities that could include scholarships and field trips.

Note: This presentation has already been e-mailed to you and is on the SHS Counselor’s website.

• Your counselor will be calling you to their office before school ends to be sure that you are on track to graduate next year.

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• They will also be discussing your Post-Secondary options with you.

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• They will also be tell you your CCMR (College, Career & Military Readiness) status.

Graduating High School

• Attendance is crucial.

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• If you owe buyback hours, take care of that before school ends.

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• Not doing so can cause a lot of problems later.

Attendance &

Buyback Hours

What is the CCMR?

The State of Texas and SBISD wants all students to meet a “College, Career and Military Readiness Standard.”

This can be accomplished in many ways:

1. SAT Score: 480+ on Reading & 530+ on Math.
2. ACT Score: English & Reading = 40+; Math = 19+; Composite = 22+
3. Completing any Dual Enrollment On Ramps Course (pass college side).
4. Completing 3 hours of an English Dual Credit (HCC) Course or 9 hours combined in any subject.
5. Passing an AP Test with a 3+.
6. Earning an Industry-Based Certification or Level I or II certificate and completing a four credit CTE sequence.
7. Enlisting in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces

Post-�Secondary Options

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First Steps

Summer Tasks

College Visits

Complete College Applications

Finish Brag Sheets and Resume

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-Brag Sheets can be found on the counselor website

Which Application?

• Research your colleges in the summer and know how each one wants you to apply: Apply Texas, Common App, or Direct-to-Institution. This can be found on their website.

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• If you need to use Common App, be sure to REMEMBER the EMAIL address you use to set up your Common App account!! You will then need to go into Naviance and link it to the Common App. If you don’t, your transcript cannot be sent.

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August Tasks

• Sign FERPA Statement in Skyward – your transcripts cannot be sent if that is not done.
• Add Colleges into Naviance to which you will apply
• Request Transcripts in Naviance AFTER APPLYING
• BE SURE YOU DON’T OWE BUYBACK HOURS BEFORE REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS!
• Request Letters of Recommendation in Naviance
• Finish all college applications (Most will open Aug 1)

You can find out how to do all of this on the SHS counselor website.

FERPA Statement in Skyward

• Log into Skyward
• From your profile page click on Online Forms (on the left)
• Click on FERPA and complete form

https://student.naviance.com/stratfordhs

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Logging into Naviance

Navigating Naviance

1. You have to put in the colleges that you are applying to.
2. You can then click on Apply to College once your colleges are in.
3. On the next menu, you can choose to have your transcripts sent. You MUST know how you want the transcript for each college sent & indicate that in Naviance or it will NOT be sent.
4. You can also view your test scores from here as well.

How Do I Find My GPA?

• You can find that on your unofficial transcript that is posted to Skyward at the end of each semester. Look under Student Portfolio.

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• We’ll also discuss this at your conference.

Log into Skyward and click on Student Portfolio on the left hand side.

Information in Skyward

• Here you can find your most recent transcript. Your GPA will be at the bottom.

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• You can see your most recent report card for self-reporting grades.

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• You can also view your most recent class rank letter.

Student Portfolio

Log into Skyward and click on Graduation Requirements on the left hand side.

This will show what you must take and pass to graduate. Check this!

Information in Skyward

How Do I Find My Graduation Requirements?

Should I Report Class Rank on My Transcript?

• YES = Only if you are one of the Valedictorians

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• NO = Anyone else who is NOT a Valedictorian

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• If your college requires to know your class rank, you can ask the registrar to complete a class rank letter to that specific university.

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• Rank Letters will be in August of your senior year.

What Do We Need for Letters of Recommendation?

• Student Resume
• Student Brag Sheet
• Parent Brag Sheet

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• Not all colleges require letters of recommendation. Check before you ask.

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• It is best to get a letter from a teacher who knows you, your work ethic, and who will speak highly of you.

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• You may also need to get a letter of recommendation from a specific core teacher depending on your intended major in college if the college requires it..

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• Example: Engineering – letter from a math or science teacher

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• Some colleges also require letters specifically from a counselor.

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• Be sure to ask for recommendation letters in person.

College Visits

During the School Year

• Two Visits will be allowed

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• Must be approved at least one week BEFORE you go on the visit.

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• Must be approved by your grade level principal:

Steven.Barry@springbranchisd.com

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• You need to get a copy of the College Visit Form, get it signed by a university representative, and return the form to the attendance office at SHS when you return.

FAFSA

Free Application for Student Aid

• Website: www.fafsa.ed.gov

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Opens: During the fall semester each year

*The earlier you get it completed, the better your chances of getting grants and scholarships from colleges. Their money goes first-come-first-serve.

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Requires: Your parents’ previous income tax return

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What it’s for: Using your parents’ income tax information, it will figure out how much they think your parents will be able to contribute toward your education

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Required: It is now required to be completed for high school graduation in Texas.

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SHS Counselors Homepage

Finding Scholarship Information

Where Can I Find My Test Scores?

Finding Test Scores in Naviance

What if I Want to Raise My SAT Score?

Connect your College Board account with Khan Academy for free SAT Prep tutorials.

What is the TSI Test?

It is a Texas measure of college readiness.

You can exempt the TSI if you have the following minimum scores on College Entrance Exams:

Commonly Used Links

Final Word:

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Don’t be anxious. It will be ok and we’re here to help.

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Use the provided handout to help guide your planning.

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Don’t hesitate to reach out to your counselor if you need assistance.

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Your counselor will also be reaching out to you in the coming weeks to have a more individualized discussion about these topics.

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Follow us on Instagram:

@stratfordcounselors

Junior Conference

Preparing for your post-secondary success

Please complete the form on the QR Code. This helps us identify students for various opportunities that could include scholarships and field trips.

Note: This presentation has already been e-mailed to you and is on the SHS Counselor’s website.