1. Columbus School for Girls
FORM IX AND X COLLEGE NIGHT
JANUARY 15, 2014

2. PROGRAM MATERIALS
• College Counseling at CSG (Program highlights)
• CSG College Search Timeline (IX-XII)
• College Fair Sample Questions and Label
• SAT Subject Test Information

3. CSG COLLEGE COUNSELING
• Student-centered that focuses on helping
students to find a good college “match” (or
matches)
• Belief that helping students engage in selfassessment and reflection are key in helping to
identify appropriate college “matches”
• 100% of CSG students go on to 4-year colleges
and universities

4. CSG COLLEGE COUNSELING
• Meet with students in individual appointments
and junior college counseling class
• Help families navigate the complex college search,
application and selection process
• Coordinate various college-related programs, on
and off-campus
• Coordinate on-campus testing (PSAT, PLAN)
• Travel to regional and national conferences
• Meet with college representatives at CSG and
travel to colleges and universities across the
country

5. THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS LANDSCAPE
National Association for College Admissions Counseling
(NACAC) 2012 State of College Admissions
High School Graduation & College Enrollment
• Number of HS students peaked in ‘08-’09, but college
enrollment continues to be at an all-time high and is expected to
continue increasing until 2021
• Gap between women’s and men’s enrollment grew to a peak of
11% during the past decade
Applications to College
• Application increases fueled by increase submitted per student
• Acceptance rates for four-year institutions declined slightly
during the past decade (69.6% in 2002 to 63.9% in 2011)
• Growing use of technology – online admission notification
portals, virtual college fairs, use of social media, etc.

6. THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS LANDSCAPE
Admission Practices
• Number of colleges that offered EA applications increased
from 18% to 31% in the last decade
• More colleges using wait lists, but chance of acceptance from
the wait list has dropped
Factors in Admission Decision
1.
Grades 2. HS Curriculum 3. Test Scores
2.
Demonstrated interest
The Admission Office
Average ratio of applications per admission counselor/officer
rose from 359 in 2005 to 662 in 2011

7. WHAT’S NEW IN ADMISSIONS?
(WHAT CAN YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER EXPECT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS?)
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Online applications, decisions and communication
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Social Media and the college process
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Increased security measures for SAT and ACT
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Common Application
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Increasing number of “test optional” or “test alternate” options
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Increasing college costs
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Net Price Calculators – more uniformity?
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Possible waitlist guidelines

8. TIPS FOR PARENTS
• Remember that each student/child is different
• Consider keeping her process private
• Let your daughter drive the process
(…but you need to be in the car!)
• Outline expectations early
• Keep open communication with the College Counseling
office
• Be open to colleges and universities you aren’t familiar with
• Help with organization
• Listen and support

9. TESTING TIMELINE
Form IX
– Take the PSAT at CSG for practice in October
– Receive PSAT results in December
– Honors Biology students may want to
consider taking the Biology-M SAT Subject
test in June. Consult with Biology teacher for
guidance.

10. TESTING TIMELINE
Form X
– Take the PSAT at CSG for practice in October
– Take the PLAN at CSG for practice in November
– Receive PLAN and PSAT results in December
– Take the Ohio Graduation Tests in March
– Honors U.S. History students take AP test in May
– Honors U.S. History and Honors Chemistry
students may want to consider taking June Subject
tests. Consult with teachers for guidance.

11. TESTING TIMELINE
Form XI
– Take the PSAT for National Merit Scholarship
Competition
– Take the SAT and ACT in winter/spring
– SAT Subject Tests (as needed) in June
*Students enrolled in AP courses or honors courses
preparing for the AP exam will take AP exams in May.

12. SAT vs. ACT
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Reasoning Exam: 3 sections (Critical
Reading, Math and Writing)
Each section is graded on a scale of 200800, making a perfect score 2400
Multiple choice exam, with 10 questions
of student generated response (math)
Essay is graded on a scale of 2-12;
comprises 25% of writing score
SAT penalizes student ¼ point for
incorrect answers on the multiple choice
sections
Score Choice depends on the college’s
requirements
www.collegeboard.org/sat
Subject Tests are offered in History,
English Literature, Math, Science, and
Languages (you may take up to three
subject tests on one test date, but you
may not take subject tests AND the
Reasoning Test)
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Achievement Test: 4 sections (English,
Math, Reading and Science Reasoning)
plus an optional Writing section
Each section is graded on a scale of 1-36, 4
section scores are averaged to create a
composite score, 1-36.
Multiple choice exam
Essay is graded on a scale of 2-12; does not
factor into the composite score
Students who take the essay receive a
combined English test/essay score of 1-36.
The essay is 1/3 of the English score.
ACT does not penalize for guessing
Many colleges accept the ACT in lieu of an
SAT Subject tests
Score Choice (but cannot send essay score
separately)
www.act.org

13. SAT SUBJECT TEST INFORMATION
• One-hour, multiple-choice tests that measure a student’s
knowledge of a particular subject.
• Five areas: English, history, math, sciences, and
languages.
• Small number of highly selective colleges request SAT
Subject tests as part of their admissions review process
(typically 2-3 tests).
• Additionally, some selective engineering or math/science
programs may recommend subject tests.
• A list of these schools can be found at:
http://www.compassprep.com/admissions_req_subjects.aspx

14. SAT SUBJECT TEST INFORMATION
• Commonly taken in June of sophomore and junior
years (or fall of senior year for ongoing subjects like
math, languages and English.)
• This year’s June SAT date is: Saturday, June 7
(registration deadline is May 9).
• While these subject-based exams often include
concepts covered in CSG classes, interested students
should talk with their teachers and should be prepared
to put in additional study time, outside of class time.
• Recommend students take a minimum of two, full –
length practice tests prior to the June test.

15. SUBJECT TEST
RECOMMENDATIONS/GUIDELINES^
If a student is earning an “A” or “B” in one or more of the following
classes and she is interested in highly selective colleges, she may want
to consider preparing for the following:
– Math 1 – at the recommendation of her math teacher
– Math 2* – after Pre-Calculus or Calculus
– US History – at the end of Honors US History
– Biology – at the end of Honors or AP Biology
– Chemistry – at the end of Honors or AP Chemistry
– English Literature – at the end of junior year
^Any student is eligible to take these exams, but these are the recommendations of
the Academic Departments and the College Counseling office.
* We recommend eligible students take the Math 2 exam over Math 1.
We recommend modern language exams for AP students or native speakers.

16. TEST PREPARATION
Which tests should she prepare for?
• Recommend preparing for junior-year PSAT and all SAT, SAT Subject and
ACT tests
• Freshman and sophomore year PSAT exams are practice for the junior-year
PSAT and future SAT exams
What resources does CSG offer?
• Through the library, we offer access to free, online test preparation resources
for PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP. The library also houses some print resources.
• Kaplan on-site PSAT/SAT test preparation course for juniors (more details
will be sent to students and parents this spring).
Should my daughter pursue private test prep? When is the best time?
• Many students and their families see benefit in small group or 1-on-1 tutoring
to prepare for PSAT, SAT Subject, SAT and/or ACT testing.
• If your daughter is interested in this type of prep., we recommend that she
consider it no earlier than the summer before junior year (except for Subject
tests), or in the winter of junior year.

17. CSG TESTING REMINDERS
• Students are responsible for registering for the SAT, SAT Subject
Tests and ACT.
• Set aside 30 minutes to complete initial registration information.
• CSG registers students for PSAT, PLAN, AP and OGT exams.
• Students are responsible for requesting score reports to be sent to
colleges, summer programs or scholarship agencies. Test scores
are not listed on the student transcript.
• Consider waiting to send scores to colleges until fall of the senior
year, but please be aware, that this is more costly.
• College Board offers SAT registration deadline reminder emails.

18. CSG TESTING REMINDERS
• Access a list of SAT “Score Choice” testing
policies at www.collegeboard.com/sat.
• www.compassprep.com - list of colleges and
universities requiring and/or recommending
SAT Subject Tests.
• www.fairtest.org – schools that do not require
standardized tests or offering alternate testing
policies.

19. MY COLLEGE QUICKSTART
With MyCollegeQuickStart, students can:
• Sort questions by difficulty and type
• View complete answer explanations
• Learn their projected SAT score ranges and state
percentiles
• Prepare for the SAT with a customized study plan
• Explore colleges, majors and careers
• Additional resources available through Big Future
• Sign up for My College QuickStart with the access code
on the PSAT score report

20. WHAT SHOULD MY DAUGHTER DO NOW?
Enjoy School!
High School is a time of growth and development, and we should not
forget this.
Seek Appropriate Academic Challenge.
Push herself, but recognize her limits. Colleges like to see students who
take on a challenging course load, and perform well.
Develop Study Skills and Time Management.
Learn to Seek Extra Help Immediately.
This is a community of support, but the girls must learn to take
initiative in getting extra help.

21. WHAT SHOULD MY DAUGHTER DO NOW?
Enhance Reading and Writing Skills.
Newspapers, magazines, journals, novels…model this with your
daughter and discuss articles over dinner.
Pursue Extracurricular Activities…not just for resumebuilding, but for the pursuit of happiness. Colleges look for students
who not only participate in activities of interest, but who can also
extract meaning from their experiences and articulate this in writing
and in interviews. Keep a list of performances, events, awards, etc., as
the girls will begin to craft a resume during the winter of junior year.
Keep Copies of Best Papers.
These may be used in applications and can sometimes spark ideas for
college essays.

22. WHAT SHOULD MY DAUGHTER DO NOW?
Use Summers Wisely.
While it is important for your daughter to experience some “down-time,”
the summer can be quite long! Enrichment programs, camps, volunteer or
work activities can add dimension to your daughter’s summer experience
and can often further an extracurricular interest or passion.
Talk with Family and Friends about College
Experiences.
Prospective college athletes and fine or performing arts
majors may want to begin the process before junior
year.
When in doubt, talk with the College Counseling office

23. HELPFUL RESOURCES
College Counseling portion of CSG webpage
Collegeboard.org (bigfuture.org)
Fiske Guide to Colleges
NY Times Choice Blog
Insidehighered.com
Summer programs: enrichmentalley.com,
allensguide.com, petersons.com, collegeconfidential.com
• Students, Advisors, Teachers, Alumnae
• Naviance
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24. COLLEGE VISITS & COLLEGE FAIRS
• If possible, reserve junior year, spring break for college
visiting
• Incorporate informal college visits (to a wide variety of
places: size, setting, etc.) into your family travel plans
• Ask the College Counseling office for recommendations of
schools to see during your travels
• NACAC National College Fair – April 5, 2014, Columbus
Convention Center, (students should consider wearing
uniform) http://www.nacacnet.org/collegefairs/springncf/Pages/default.aspx

25. CONTACT US WITH QUESTIONS
Cari Schultz
Director of College Counseling
cschultz@columbusschoolforgirls.org
614-252-0781, ext. 117
Rose Babington
Interim College Counselor
rbabington@columbusschoolforgirls.org
614-252-0781
Kate Newland
Administrative Assistant, College Counseling
knewland@columbusschoolforgirls.org
614-252-0781 x297