CRC NEWSLETTER

Staff: Diane Ahlberg and Maggie Campbell September, 2009

The CRC newsletter is provided on a monthly or semi-monthly basis to provide information on activities and events that are helpful to Park Center students and their parents. This publication is also on Park Center’s website (www.district279.org/sec/pcsh (under Services).

2009-2010 ACT TEST DATES

Test Date	Registration Deadline	Late Registration Deadline (*Late Fee required)
September 12, 2009*	August 7, 2009	August 8 – 21, 2009
October 24, 2009	September 18, 2009	September 19 – October 2, 2009
December 12, 2009	November 6, 2009	November 7 – 20, 2009
February 6, 2010**	January 5, 2010	January 6 – 15, 2010
April 10, 2010	March 5, 2010	March 6 – 19, 2010
June 12, 2010	May 7, 2010	May 8 – 21, 2010

Fee for the ACT without writing is $32.00 and for the ACT with writing is $47.00. There is an additional fee of $21.00 for registering late.

Students should check on line at www.act.org to see if your college requires the writing option.

Students are encouraged to register on-line at www.actstudent.org. The CRC has a limited number of registration packets available, but the preferred method to register is on-line.

MOST COLLEGES WILL REQUIRE THAT TEST SCORES BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THEM FROM ACT OR SAT AND WILL NO LONGER TAKE THEM FROM PARK CENTER’S TRANSCRIPT. THE COST OF THE ACT AND SAT TEST INCLUDES SENDING SCORES TO FOUR COLLEGES. STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE THE SCORES SENT TO COLLEGES THEY ARE CONSIDERING WHEN REGISTERING FOR THE ACT. SENDING SCORES LATER WILL RESULT IN PAYING $9.00 PER SCORE REPORT.

2009-2010 SAT TEST DATES
2009-10 Test Dates	Test	Regular Registration Deadline (postmark/submit by)
October 10, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	September 9, 2009
November 7, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	October 1, 2009
December 5, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	October 30, 2009
January 23, 2010	SAT & Subject Tests	December 15, 2009
March 13, 2010	SAT only	February 4, 2010
May 1, 2010	SAT & Subject Tests	March 25, 2010
June 5, 2010	SAT & Subject Tests	April 29, 2010

Cost for the SAT is $45.00 plus an additional $23.00 if registering late.

Students can practice SAT/ACT/PSAT/GED/AP/CLEP tests on the following website: www.mncis.intocareers.org. Contact the CRC for the user name and password.

PSAT TEST

The PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) will be given at Park Center High School to juniors on Wednesday, October 21^st.

THE PSAT MEASURES VERBAL AND MATHEMATICAL ABILITIES CONSIDERED IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE WORK.

STUDENTS USUALLY CHOOSE TO TAKE THE PSAT FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

*IT IS THE QUALIFYING EXAM FOR STUDENTS WISHING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION; IF YOU WISH TO COMPETE FOR THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SCORE IN THE TOP 1% ON THIS TEST.

*THE PSAT IS RARELY USED AS A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TEST, BUT IT CAN SERVE AS A “PRACTICE” TEST FOR THE ACT AND/OR SAT TESTS. THE PSAT ENABLES YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME KINDS OF QUESTIONS YOU CAN EXPECT ON REQUIRED COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TESTS AND TO OBTAIN AN APPROXIMATION OF HOW YOU MIGHT SCORE ON THE ACT OR SAT.

*YOU CAN SEE HOW YOUR SCORE RANKS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL COMPARED TO OTHER JUNIORS TAKING THE PSAT.

Registration for the PSAT will be held in the cafeteria beginning Tuesday, September 15^th through Thursday, September 17^th. Cost of the test is $15.00 and is payable at the time of registration. Further details regarding the PSAT will be coming through Junior Advisory classes soon.

2009-2010 PARK CENTER COLLEGE FAIR

Park Center is hosting our 2^nd Annual Park Center College Fair on September 29th from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m. in the cafeteria area. There will be over 100 college reps here to distribute information about their schools and answer questions.

Further details regarding the College Fair will be coming through advisory class.

COLLEGE REP/MILITARY RECRUITERS VISITS TO PC

College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University

September 24 10:15

University of Minnesota, Duluth September 24 12:00

Cornell College (Iowa) September 28 1:00

Global College (NY) October 1 1:00

Carleton College October 6 10:30

St. Thomas University October 7 8:00

Michigan Technological University October 28 10:15

Bemidji State University November 9 11:00

St. Catherine University November 11 10:00

Representatives from the Admissions Office at colleges and universities schedule periodic visits to Park Center to meet with prospective students in the CRC. Interested students should sign up in the CRC for a pass.

Military recruiters come to Park Center on a regularly scheduled basis (once or twice monthly) to meet with students who are interested in the military. They set up their information booths in the cafeteria. As of this printing, a schedule for the recruiter visits has not been decided—one will be forthcoming the end of September. Stay tuned…….

COLLEGES/UNIVERSITY OPEN HOUSES AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS

University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology is hosting an Engineering the Future workshop on Sunday, October 4^th at Coffman Memorial Union from 12:45 until 4:30 p.m. Students can explore science and engineering majors that interest them and meet current IT students and faculty. Register on line at http://www.tc.umn.edu/~itsb/outreach.php.

South Dakota State University is hosting Senior Day on campus on Saturday, September 19 from 12:30 until 6:00 p.m. Register online at www.sdstate.edu (keyword: Senior Day)

Alexandria Technical College is hosting an open house on Sunday, October 15^th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on campus. Campus wide demonstrations will be available. No reservations required.

Free Aviation Career Seminar is being held on Friday, September 25^th from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis North Hotel. Information on being a professional pilot, air traffic controller, airport manager and more will be available. RSVP required---register by e-mail to Mike Higgins mike@exclusiveaviation.com.

Colleges that Change Lives (CTCL) is a group of colleges/universities to travel together to meet with families and students to discuss their academic programs and majors. They are hosting an information meeting on September 12^th at 10:00 a.m. at the Millenium Hotel in Minneapolis. Go online to www.CTCL.org for a list of participating colleges.

Questbridge is a National program that aids high-achieving low-income students in gaining admission to and obtaining full four year scholarships to leading colleges. Partner colleges include Amherst, MIT, Pomona College, Princeton, Stanford and Yale University among others. Qualified students should apply online at www.questbridge.org by September 30^th. Questbridge will chose finalists from the applicants and match them to colleges based on their mutual preferences. Admission and scholarship notifications are issued on December 1^st.

The 2009 Performing & Visual Arts College Fair will be held on Monday, October 12^th at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus, Coffman Memorial Union from & 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The fair will feature a variety of schools that specialize in dance, graphic design, music, liberal arts, photography, theatre and more. More details are available on line at www.nacacnet.org/fairs.

Yale University is holding an information session on Monday, September 21^st at 6:30 p.m. at Central High School, 275 Lexington Parkway North in St. Paul. Register to attend on http://admissions.yale.edu/events/

United States Service Academy Information Night will be held Tuesday, September 22^nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Palmer Lake VFW in Brooklyn Park. Guest speakers from the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy will be available to answer questions. In addition, attendees will hear about the application process for each academy as well as the Congressional nomination process. Academy materials, summer session information and nomination forms will be available. For more information, call Margaret Cavanaugh in Congressman Paulsen’s office at 952-405-8510.

Northern State University (South Dakota) is offering campus visit days beginning on October 9^th and continuing throughout the year. For more information go to www.admissions@northern.edu.

Tulane University is offering an information session on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Minneapolis Airport Hotel. To reserve a space call 1-800-873-WAVE.

North Dakota State College of Science is hosting its annual Health Career Day on October 1, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Explore twelve health related professions, visit with employers about future health careers, tour classrooms and participate in hand-on demonstrations. To pre-register call 1-800-342-4325, ext. 3-2981.

Morningside College (IA) is having Senior Visit Days throughout the school year. Go to the Admissions home page at www.morningside.edu and Select “Admissions Events” to register.

TIDBITS FROM THE CRC

From College Board, 2009

Tips for Finding Your College Match

Characteristics You Should Consider

How can you find colleges that match your needs? First, identify your priorities. Next, carefully research the characteristics of a range of schools. Finally, match the two. Here are some college characteristics you should consider.

Size of the Student Body

Size will affect many of your opportunities and experiences, including:

§ Range of academic majors offered

§ Extracurricular possibilities

§ Amount of personal attention you'll receive

§ Number of books in the library

When considering size, be very sure to look beyond the raw number of students attending. For example, perhaps you're considering a small department within a large school. Investigate not just the number of faculty members, but also how accessible they are to students.

Location

Do you want to visit home frequently, or do you see this as a time to experience a new part of the country? Perhaps you like an urban environment with access to museums, ethnic food, or major league ball games. Or maybe you hope for easy access to the outdoors or the serenity of a small town..

Academic Programs

If you know what you want to study, research reputations of academic departments by talking to people in the fields that interest you. If you're undecided, relax and pick an academically balanced institution that offers a range of majors and programs. Most colleges offer counseling to help you find a focus.

In considering academic programs, look for special opportunities and pick a school that offers many possibilities.

Campus Life

Consider what your college life will be like beyond the classroom. Aim for a balance between academics, activities, and social life. Before choosing a college, learn the answers to these questions:

§ What extracurricular activities, athletics, and special interest groups are available?

§ Does the community around the college offer interesting outlets for students?

§ Are students welcomed by the community?

§ Is there an ethnic or religious group in which to take part?

§ How do fraternities and sororities influence campus life?

§ Is housing guaranteed?

§ How are dorms assigned?

Cost

Today's college price tag makes cost an important consideration for most students. At the same time, virtually all colleges work to ensure that academically qualified students from every economic circumstance can find financial aid that allows them to attend. In considering cost, look beyond the price tag.

Diversity

Explore what you might gain from a diverse student body. Think about the geographic, ethnic, racial, and religious diversity of the students as a means of learning more about the world. Investigate what kinds of student organizations, or other groups with ethnic or religious foundations, are active and visible on campus.

Retention and Graduation Rates

One of the best ways to measure a school's quality and the satisfaction of its students is to learn the percent of students who return after the first year and the percent of entering students who remain to graduate. Comparatively good retention and graduation rates are indicators that responsible academic, social, and financial support systems exist for most students.