Welcome Incoming Junior Students & Parents-

Class of 2028!

Spring 2026

Guidance Workshop

Sierra Ward, SHS CCC Advisor, (sward@lgsuhsd.org)

• 27 years: 7 college admissions, 20 college counseling
• 300+ unique colleges visited: both regular + recent
• Harvard Summer Institute On College Admissions
• Counselor Advisory Boards: U of Delaware, U of Maryland, Northwestern U, Willamette U
• WACAC Executive Board; Chair-Elect, College Fairs
• WACAC Co-Chair, Public School Counselor Special Interest Group
• Regular presenter & faculty, NACAC & WACAC conferences

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• What I do (really!): college apps, essays, college list
• extracurricular guidance
• college visit itinerary suggestions, financial aid
• mock interviews, resumé assistance
• individual meetings (junior spring/senior fall), workshops

Next Steps For Sophs/Rising Jrs

Preparing for 4-Year Colleges

• Sign up for SAT/ACT as early as registration opens
• Usually fall/spring of junior year, fall of senior year
• Please do seriously consider an ACT!!
• What if the SAT is the worse of the 2 exams for you?
• Begin to make summer plans
• Camp, class, job, summer program, volunteering
• Internships, job shadowing, research = hard to come by
• Open a Common App account (yes, it’s open for you!)
• Create a GoogleDoc for your extracurriculars
• Saves time when preparing college apps as a jr-sr!

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CCC/College & Career Center

College Visit Opportunities

• Winter Break (February 14-22), Long Weekend (March 7-9), Spring Break (April 4-12), Summer, Fall; weekends?
• Bay Area, SoCal, Northwest, Midwest, South, Northeast
• Tour (and/or info session)
• Balanced with reaches, targets, likelies (not safeties)

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Extracurriculars

• Arts, athletics, camps, clubs, hobbies, major home responsibilities, jobs, volunteering
• Impact, visibility, prominence, not just participation
• Stand out, take risks, try new things, be bold!
• Improvisation & adaptation, not rigidity
• Falcon Wheel: be realistic, don’t overdo it with EC hours at the expense of your grades…and sleep, family & friends, you time
• Summer: productive, but balanced with relaxation/rejuvenation

College & Career In The News…What About 2032?

• For the First Time In 50 Years, College Grads Are Losing Their Edge (1/31, Washington Post)
• Why Workers Are Having a Tough Time Landing Jobs In Tech (1/31, Washington Post)
• Hey ChatGPT, Where Should I Go To College? (1/28, NYT)
• Why It’s Hard To Find A Job Right Now (1/26, NPR)
• Interest In Law School Is Surging. AI Makes the Payoff Less Certain (1/24, NYT)
• The Real Economics Of AI and Jobs (1/23, Time)
• The Hiring Market Is So Bad It’s Making People Do Something Bizarre To Get Hired (1/20, Slate)
• Chinese Universities Surge In Global Rankings As US Schools

Slip (1/15, NYT)

• How AI Is Shrinking the Job Market For Teens (1/9, NPR)

SHS PTSO Information

SHS PTSO Social Media

SHS Counselors

Ms. Allen

Last Names:

A-B, M-R

eallen@lgsuhsd.org

Ms. Bernal

Last Names: C-F

mbernal@lgsuhsd.org

Ms. Saiki

Last Names: G-L

fsaiki@lgsuhsd.org

Mr. Safine

Last Names: S-Z

bsafine@lgsuhsd.org

New Families

Refer to enrollment page for timely registration and online links (included with pre-registration confirmation from Registrar)

LGSUHSD Enrollment Page

Class of 2028 Junior Year Course Selection Agenda

• College and Career Center - Sierra Ward
• Off site programs (Middle College, SVCTE)
• 11th Grade Course Selection
• Timeline
• Course offerings
• Registering for courses
• Important Spring Dates
• Q & A

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Approach to Course Selection Junior Year:

Strike a Balance Between Your Academic Load and Your Extracurricular Participation. Colleges Value Extracurricular Participation and Contributions to the School Community

Common App Counselor/Administrator Report Ratings Categories:

Pursue What Is Important To You On Your Journey

• With respect to college, don’t let your Ivy League ambition serve as a template for your high school experience. Of course you should work hard and do your best, but there is little sense in giving up four years of your life for an admission that is more chance than anything else. My advice is to experience high school with no regrets, and then the college that you get into is the college that is right for you, regardless of whether it ends in “rd” or not.

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• Anshu Siripurapu Former SHS ASB President

Middle College at West Valley College

Middle College Program - Benefits

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1. Opportunity for juniors and seniors to become more self-sufficient in a mature and academic setting
2. Complete high school graduation requirements and begin accumulating college credit
3. Offers a smoother transition from high school to college
4. Opportunity to save up to 2 years of college tuition fees
5. Variety of class selection in a challenging and supportive environment
6. Flexible schedule!

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Middle College Program - Facts

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• Minimum required GPA for incoming students: 2.8
• 100% of all graduating students over the past 2 years have continued to pursue-post secondary education across the country including such schools as Northeastern, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, San Diego State, UCLA, NYU, etc.

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Middle College Program - Contacts

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Emily Cassie Middle College Teacher

ecassie@cuhsd.org

Josh Hancock, Middle College Teacher

jhancock@cuhsd.org

Mary Carol Bernal– Middle College Counselor

mbernal@lgsuhsd.org

If interested in applying, please attend the

MC Info Night on February 10, 2026, Saratoga High School McAfee, 6:00-7:30pm see your counselor or visit the district website at www.lgsuhsd.org Application opens 2/10/26 at 8:00pm

Hands-On Instruction

Learn by Doing

Medicine, Computers, Film, Animation, Mechanics, Construction, First Responders, etc.

It all starts here…..

SVCTE

23 courses, UC- & CSU-approved

Morning (7:30 - 10:30 am)

or

Afternoon (12:45 - 3:45 pm)

All courses earn 15 credits per semester

SVCTE Slides

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NEW AI Class Fall 2026

SVCTE Courses for 2026/27

SVCTE

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Interested in learning more?

Look for Campus Shadow Day opportunity

(Tuesday, February 24, 2026 in Parent Square announcement

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Complete the SVCTE Interest Form for updates

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Important Spring Dates

• Middle College Student Information Session -

Friday, February 6 during tutorial (CCC)

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• Middle College Mandatory Information Night - February 10, 6:00-7:30pm, McAfee Center at Saratoga High School

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• SVCTE Shadow Day, To be announced, to find out more please complete:SVCTE Course Interest Form

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SHS Course Registration for 2026-2027

Course Registration Timeline

Timeline

English Courses

English 11

English 11 H

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English 11 MAP

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English 11 H MAP

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4 years for graduation

& college

(For MAP)

English Electives

Journalism 1

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English Language Development (ELD)

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Journalism 2-3

(Yearbook)

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Journalism 2-3

(Newspaper)

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Multimedia Journalism

(SHS TV) 1-3

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Creative Writing 1-2, 2H

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Strategic Learning

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Social Studies Courses

US History MAP

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US History

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AP US History MAP

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History in Film

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Social Studies Electives Courses

AP European History

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AP US History

3.5 years for graduation

2 years for college

(For MAP)

MAP Sequence 11

English 11 Honors MAP

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English 11 MAP

AP US History MAP

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Media Arts 2

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or

AND

AND

or

US History MAP

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Math Courses

2 yrs req for graduation

3 yrs req for college

The Mathematics Department members feel strongly that students benefit most from enrolling in mathematics classes offered during the regular school year.

Math Courses

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• It is very strongly recommended that students adhere to the recommended course.
• If a student chooses to go against the recommended course, they may end up taking a course that is too hard, but will not necessarily be able to change their schedule to move down during the school year
• Students will no longer be able to move from regular Algebra 2 to PreCalculus Honors
• Students will no longer be able to move from regular PreCalculus to A.P. Calculus B.C.

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More on Math Courses

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• Taking a math course during the summer is strongly discouraged. Summer math courses do not provide the same foundation as yearlong courses.
• Students who decide to advance in math via summer acceleration must

(1) Indicate their plans to do so by completing the

External Course Agreement Form by 4/1,

(2) Submit a transcript by 8/1, and

(3) Take a proficiency test on 8/6 to be placed into

the honors level course.

Science Courses

Biology

Chemistry

Earth Science

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2 years for graduation

2 years for college

Chemistry Honors

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Science Electives�Students must complete Biology and Chemistry during the school year

in order to take any AP science course electives.

Anatomy and Physiology

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Biology AP

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AP Chemistry

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Environmental Science

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AP Physics 1 & 2

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AP Environmental Science

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Marine Biology

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Physics

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AP Physics C: M / E&M

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STEM Courses

AP Computer Science A

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STEM Lab

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Digital Electronics

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Engineering Design & Development

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Honors Digital Electronics

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World Language�Summer school community college courses & language programs are not recommended for advancement

Chinese 3

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Chinese 4 Honors

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Chinese 1

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Chinese 2

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Chinese Language and Culture AP

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French 1

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Spanish 1

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French 2

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Spanish 2

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French 3 Honors

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Spanish 3

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Spanish 4 Honors

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French Language & Culture AP

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Spanish Language and Culture AP

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1 year of WL or VPA for graduation

2 years minimum required for college

American Sign Language

(Grades 10-12)

Given by WVC

Visual & Performing Arts

Digital Photography

Grades 10-12

Art 1-3, 4H

Ceramics 1-3

Grades 9-12

Music

Choir 1-3, 4H, 5H

Band (Symphonic) 1-3, 4H, 5H

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Band (Wind Ensemble) 2-3, 4H, 5H

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Jazz Band 1

Honors Jazz Ensemble

Orchestra 1-3, 4H, 5H

Theater Performance

Theater 1-3, 4H

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1 year of WL or VPA for graduation

1 year of VPA for UC/CSU

Drawing AP

Grade 11-12 only

AP Art History

Grade 10-12

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AP Music Theory

Stage Tech Design

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AP 2-D Art and Design

Grade 11-12

AP 3-D Art and Design

Grade 11-12

Visual Arts

Media Arts 2

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Applied Arts

Introduction to Digital Animation

Grades 9-12

Multimedia Journalism (SHSTV) 1-3, 4H

Psychology, General

Grades 11-12

Sports Medicine

Grades 10-12

Courses listed under other departments that fulfill the Applied Arts Graduation Requirement:

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* Ceramics 3

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* Computer Science A

AP

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* Theater 3, 4, 4 Honors

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* Art 3 & 4H

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*Journalism 1, 2, 3, 4H

Newspaper & Yearbook

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* Honors Jazz Ensemble

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* Principles of

Engineering

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* Digital Electronics

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* Engineering Design &

Development

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* Drawing AP

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* Stage Tech Design

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* STEM Lab

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Academic Tutor

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1 semester for graduation

Senior Media Arts Lab

Concurrent enrollment in MAP 12 reqd

Leadership

Grades 9-12, Peer Selection Required

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International Cuisine & Hospitality

Grades 11-12

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New for ‘26-’27!

Physical Education

PE Course 2

Grades 10-12*

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PE/Fall Sport

PE/Spring Sport

PE/Winter Sport

20 credits for graduation

Strength and Conditioning

Grades 10-12

Concurrent enrollment in a sport

PE

SPORTS

OTHER

* Incoming seniors who have outstanding PE credits to complete will automatically be enrolled in intermediate PE.

Color Guard

No prior experience necessary

Spirit (Cheer)

Audition required

Winter Guard

No prior experience necessary

Dance Team

Audition required

Winter Percussion

No prior experience necessary

PE/Marching Band

Fall only; Must be concurrently enrolled in Band

New for ‘26-’27!

PE Course 3

Grades 11-12*

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Course Registration Steps

1. Review course offerings
2. Fill out the Falcon Wheel
3. Review AP, H Expectations
4. Enter courses in Aeries
5. Fill out Google Form
6. Review courses with counselor (2/24 - 3/2/26)

Registration of Courses: Falcon Wheel

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Registration of Courses:

AP, H Expectations

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Registration of Courses:

Enter Courses in Aeries

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Registration of Courses:

Google Form

Fill Out SEVEN PERIODS

Choose THREE alternate electives!

See you in English Class

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• We will visit English classes the week of February 24th.
• If a student has specific questions, please email your counselor

Q&A Time

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