Are you at that point in your high school academic career where you still don't know which test to take that will best represent you as a person (or get you the highest score on your applications)?
Here is a quick flyer on the differences between the two tests:
SAT v. ACT - what is the difference?
Do you want to take a practice test before you sit down for the real thing? Hamilton High School, in partnership with the Princeton Review offers just that!
On November 13th, we will have a practice test for BOTH the SAT and the ACT. Then on the following Wednesday, the Princeton Review will have a score interpretation night to explain your scores and offer suggestions on how to prepare and which tests to take. Of course, you can sign up for the test preparation class with them that is offered here at Hamilton, but if you just want to see your scores and have other plans for test prep, use this time to strategize!
Sign up in the Hamilton High School College Office (Room 109) to be guaranteed a seat in the practice test. Cost is only $10.
Are you wondering whether you should take these tests multiple times in hopes of getting a better score? Read some helpful hints from a fellow counselor regarding taking the test multiple times.
Do you have more questions? I recommend talking to your counselor.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
From the perspective of a student....
The following is an article from Hami Humanities "Weltanschauung" (Worldview in German).
Ci Vediamo in Italia (See you in Italy)
As many of us know, either from rumors, experience, or current placement, 11th grade in the Humanities Magnet is a difficult year. Of course the expectations of Junior year add to that stress, but sleepless nights and numerous cups of coffee a day prove those forewarnings true. And what’s the reason for the stressful period? It all boils down to College. I’d like to think that answer is only a generalization and that some of us chose our classes in order to (do I dare say) learn? And as much as I reasoned against it, and claimed to choose my class solely based on interest, the bottom line of why we took (or were forced to take) those classes comes down to looking good for college.
To give myself a break from this “life after high school” anxiety, I disappeared to Europe for two months. Not once did college applications, SAT scores, and brand name universities cross my mind. Instead, I explored the diverse life-styles of Europeans. Across 5 countries I lived as 5 different people leaving my high school life behind me. I adopted the lifestyles of restless Isle of Man young adults, cultured Parisian students, Austria settling expatriates, Swiss workaholics, and Italian studying International students.
And through all these experiences, I find myself most comfortable with Italy. And it’s not necessarily because of my Italian heritage, but because of the Italian way of life. But before you stereotype the Italian as a pasta-eating Mafioso, the true Italian, the one left out in movies, works for only a few hours in the morning and the evening and spends the rest of the time relaxing and enjoying life through numerous social gatherings, including food festivals and music concerts.
Before my visit, I found it strange that most Italians don’t choose to travel or move outside of the country, and that those who have left are now moving back, but after living there for 6 weeks, I can see why. During my time there, I had no interest in the American Lifestyle, and I still don’t. In Italy they have a saying that explains perfectly what I feel: “In America you live to work, but in Italy you work to live.” No one needs luxury in their lives and these Italians, who don’t have very much, are a million times happier than anyone I know here in the States.
Additionally, the opportunity to study with students from all over the world, at all ages, was another adopted lifestyle all on its own. For 5 weeks I lived in San Giovanni Valdarno, a small Tuscan town where the only foreigners were students attending the small language school and a group of German students studying geography at the local university. At it’s zenith, our school had 18 students split between 3 classes and the only other American was my 30 year old roommate, Carrie, from Tennessee, which depending on our culture difference, could almost be an entirely separate country.
But besides our many surface differences, you’d be surprised by the similarities you do find between these international people. I’ve made best friends with people who, before they met me, thought Los Angeles was a completely different world only in American movies and no one besides movie stars lived here. And the best part of these friends is that we all have a common interest of studying the Italian language and culture. Together we adopted the Italian life style of having morning espressos before class, sleeping away the hottest part of the day, and sitting with Gianni, the pizzeria owner downstairs, while he plays and sings Italian songs with his guitar.
So in short, this summer gave me a taste of the other options out in life that most of us don’t learn about from our Fiske College Guides. We spend all of our Junior year stressing ourselves thin in order to get into a top school, but in 11th grade most of us don’t know what we want. I recommend that everyone try to find out who they are before they sign up for something they might not even want.
Rosa is a fabulous grade 12 student in the Humanities Magnet. The article was reprinted with permission. She can be contacted through email at rosapalermo1@yahoo.com
Ci Vediamo in Italia (See you in Italy)
As many of us know, either from rumors, experience, or current placement, 11th grade in the Humanities Magnet is a difficult year. Of course the expectations of Junior year add to that stress, but sleepless nights and numerous cups of coffee a day prove those forewarnings true. And what’s the reason for the stressful period? It all boils down to College. I’d like to think that answer is only a generalization and that some of us chose our classes in order to (do I dare say) learn? And as much as I reasoned against it, and claimed to choose my class solely based on interest, the bottom line of why we took (or were forced to take) those classes comes down to looking good for college.
To give myself a break from this “life after high school” anxiety, I disappeared to Europe for two months. Not once did college applications, SAT scores, and brand name universities cross my mind. Instead, I explored the diverse life-styles of Europeans. Across 5 countries I lived as 5 different people leaving my high school life behind me. I adopted the lifestyles of restless Isle of Man young adults, cultured Parisian students, Austria settling expatriates, Swiss workaholics, and Italian studying International students.
And through all these experiences, I find myself most comfortable with Italy. And it’s not necessarily because of my Italian heritage, but because of the Italian way of life. But before you stereotype the Italian as a pasta-eating Mafioso, the true Italian, the one left out in movies, works for only a few hours in the morning and the evening and spends the rest of the time relaxing and enjoying life through numerous social gatherings, including food festivals and music concerts.
Before my visit, I found it strange that most Italians don’t choose to travel or move outside of the country, and that those who have left are now moving back, but after living there for 6 weeks, I can see why. During my time there, I had no interest in the American Lifestyle, and I still don’t. In Italy they have a saying that explains perfectly what I feel: “In America you live to work, but in Italy you work to live.” No one needs luxury in their lives and these Italians, who don’t have very much, are a million times happier than anyone I know here in the States.
Additionally, the opportunity to study with students from all over the world, at all ages, was another adopted lifestyle all on its own. For 5 weeks I lived in San Giovanni Valdarno, a small Tuscan town where the only foreigners were students attending the small language school and a group of German students studying geography at the local university. At it’s zenith, our school had 18 students split between 3 classes and the only other American was my 30 year old roommate, Carrie, from Tennessee, which depending on our culture difference, could almost be an entirely separate country.
But besides our many surface differences, you’d be surprised by the similarities you do find between these international people. I’ve made best friends with people who, before they met me, thought Los Angeles was a completely different world only in American movies and no one besides movie stars lived here. And the best part of these friends is that we all have a common interest of studying the Italian language and culture. Together we adopted the Italian life style of having morning espressos before class, sleeping away the hottest part of the day, and sitting with Gianni, the pizzeria owner downstairs, while he plays and sings Italian songs with his guitar.
So in short, this summer gave me a taste of the other options out in life that most of us don’t learn about from our Fiske College Guides. We spend all of our Junior year stressing ourselves thin in order to get into a top school, but in 11th grade most of us don’t know what we want. I recommend that everyone try to find out who they are before they sign up for something they might not even want.
Rosa is a fabulous grade 12 student in the Humanities Magnet. The article was reprinted with permission. She can be contacted through email at rosapalermo1@yahoo.com
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Career Programs at Community Colleges
Two weeks ago I wrote you about the perils of “Career Programs on Television Commercials”. As a follow up, I make the case for pursuing career programs at community colleges.
Cost vs. Earning: Unlike “for-profit” schools, community colleges offer low tuition rates. California residents currently pay only $26 per unit. On average, full time students will pay approximately $300 per semester plus the cost of textbooks.
I agree with you if that sounds like a substantial sum of money…and the community colleges think so too. In response, all community colleges offer qualifying students fee waivers, grants, and other supplemental forms of financial assistance. Please visit the “FINANCIAL AID INFO” for details.
Fee Waivers: Qualifying students of low-income backgrounds qualify to have tuition waived; meaning that you do not pay for the cost of classes. A fee waiver covers an entire academic year and is renewable. You do not need to pay this back.
CAL & PELL Grants: Qualifying students that complete the FAFSA may receive grants (free money) to help you pay for your living & travel expenses, textbooks, etc. while in school. Maximum eligibility at a community college is approximately $7,500 dollars per academic year.
“Non-profit” education: Unlike the “for-profit” vocational schools in television commercials, community colleges do not operate to make a profit. Community college are mostly funded by taxpayer dollars; which explains why tuition is so low. Earnings from tuition are used to offset educational costs and surpluses are reinvested into the college.
Job Placement? No reputable institution will guarantee you a job. What community colleges can guarantee you is you will have access to career/job centers that will assist you in developing a resume, teach you how to look for jobs, and prepare you for interviews. As soon as you select a community college, inquire about their career counseling services.
Recognition: All community colleges offer classes and programs that lead to career and vocational certificates/degrees. To name a few, these programs can include Aviation Maintenance, construction, cosmetology, culinary arts, dental hygiene, design, electrical engineering, graphic arts, nursing, paralegal studies, etc. etc. etc. These programs have broad oversight by state and federal regulators and governing bodies that accredit California’s prestigious universities.
To view vocational certificates listings for local community colleges, please visit the links below:
Los Angeles Community College District
West Los Angeles College
Santa Monica College
El Camino College
Note: This blog above only covers career/vocational certificates. Please visit this blog soon for a review of Associate Degree (A.A./A.S.) and community college transfer processes.
Angel Viramontes
Student Recruiter
West Los Angeles College
viramoa@wlac.edu
www.wlac.edu/highschool
Cost vs. Earning: Unlike “for-profit” schools, community colleges offer low tuition rates. California residents currently pay only $26 per unit. On average, full time students will pay approximately $300 per semester plus the cost of textbooks.
I agree with you if that sounds like a substantial sum of money…and the community colleges think so too. In response, all community colleges offer qualifying students fee waivers, grants, and other supplemental forms of financial assistance. Please visit the “FINANCIAL AID INFO” for details.
Fee Waivers: Qualifying students of low-income backgrounds qualify to have tuition waived; meaning that you do not pay for the cost of classes. A fee waiver covers an entire academic year and is renewable. You do not need to pay this back.
CAL & PELL Grants: Qualifying students that complete the FAFSA may receive grants (free money) to help you pay for your living & travel expenses, textbooks, etc. while in school. Maximum eligibility at a community college is approximately $7,500 dollars per academic year.
“Non-profit” education: Unlike the “for-profit” vocational schools in television commercials, community colleges do not operate to make a profit. Community college are mostly funded by taxpayer dollars; which explains why tuition is so low. Earnings from tuition are used to offset educational costs and surpluses are reinvested into the college.
Job Placement? No reputable institution will guarantee you a job. What community colleges can guarantee you is you will have access to career/job centers that will assist you in developing a resume, teach you how to look for jobs, and prepare you for interviews. As soon as you select a community college, inquire about their career counseling services.
Recognition: All community colleges offer classes and programs that lead to career and vocational certificates/degrees. To name a few, these programs can include Aviation Maintenance, construction, cosmetology, culinary arts, dental hygiene, design, electrical engineering, graphic arts, nursing, paralegal studies, etc. etc. etc. These programs have broad oversight by state and federal regulators and governing bodies that accredit California’s prestigious universities.
To view vocational certificates listings for local community colleges, please visit the links below:
Los Angeles Community College District
West Los Angeles College
Santa Monica College
El Camino College
Note: This blog above only covers career/vocational certificates. Please visit this blog soon for a review of Associate Degree (A.A./A.S.) and community college transfer processes.
Angel Viramontes
Student Recruiter
West Los Angeles College
viramoa@wlac.edu
www.wlac.edu/highschool
Friday, October 1, 2010
How to apply to the Cal State Universities:Step-by-step!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Career Programs on Television Commercials
If you've flipped through commercials during your favorite ball game or television show, you may have come across commercials promoting programs to earn a bachelor's degree in 2 years, career programs that offer specialized hands on training, or programs that offer job placement assistance.
Before you log onto their easy to remember websites, before you call to see if that cute, singing girl in the commercial answers the toll-free hot line, or purchase plastic goggles like those uniformed mechanics on the billboards, permit me to give you the rebuttal to those commercials;
1. Cost vs. Earning: The vocations highlighted on those commercials, while necessary to society, come at an unnecessarily high cost.
The costs of their programs are usually in the thousands of dollars and a big portion of the financial aid assistance they advertise will come in the form of student loans you will need to pay back. Unfortunately, the pay you can expect from the training (assuming you can find a job) will make it difficult to repay those thousands of dollars in student loans and lead into a very long struggle with debt. And should you decide that program is not for you, you will still be “on the hook” for the tuition and fees for the entire program.
An investigative report by the Wall Street Journal indicated that students at “for profit” schools were most likely to default on repayments of students loans.
2. “For profit” education: The commercials advertise schools and programs designed to make a profit.
Many, if not all, of these schools are funded by corporations with the goal of making money for stockholders. A portion of the tuition and fees are designed to cover expenses, but are usually funneled into the pockets of outside investors. While making money is not a crime, you should be aware of how those program operate…by making a profit from you.
A 2010 Reuters article cited a report by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of the United States Congress, in which it reports very troubling activities at “for-profit” universities; including higher tuition and deceptive practices.
3. Few, if any, of the classes students complete at “for-profit” schools transfer to traditional universities.
Unlike high school and community colleges, the “for-profit” schools do not have admissions or transfer agreements with UC’s or CSU’s. They do not have agreements with reputable private universities. This means that, while you will develop a transcript at the “for-profit” school, you will not receive credit for them if you wish to eventually transfer your credits to a community college or university.
4. Job Placement Assistance is not a job guarantee.
The term job placement can mean just about anything: a one-time mock interview, a simple handout on "what not to do" on an interview, or explaining how to find job listings online. Either way, it is not the same as guaranteeing you a job.There are alternatives.
Visit this blog soon for additional details….
Angel Viramontes
West Los Angeles College
Outreach Coordinator
Before you log onto their easy to remember websites, before you call to see if that cute, singing girl in the commercial answers the toll-free hot line, or purchase plastic goggles like those uniformed mechanics on the billboards, permit me to give you the rebuttal to those commercials;
1. Cost vs. Earning: The vocations highlighted on those commercials, while necessary to society, come at an unnecessarily high cost.
The costs of their programs are usually in the thousands of dollars and a big portion of the financial aid assistance they advertise will come in the form of student loans you will need to pay back. Unfortunately, the pay you can expect from the training (assuming you can find a job) will make it difficult to repay those thousands of dollars in student loans and lead into a very long struggle with debt. And should you decide that program is not for you, you will still be “on the hook” for the tuition and fees for the entire program.
An investigative report by the Wall Street Journal indicated that students at “for profit” schools were most likely to default on repayments of students loans.
2. “For profit” education: The commercials advertise schools and programs designed to make a profit.
Many, if not all, of these schools are funded by corporations with the goal of making money for stockholders. A portion of the tuition and fees are designed to cover expenses, but are usually funneled into the pockets of outside investors. While making money is not a crime, you should be aware of how those program operate…by making a profit from you.
A 2010 Reuters article cited a report by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of the United States Congress, in which it reports very troubling activities at “for-profit” universities; including higher tuition and deceptive practices.
3. Few, if any, of the classes students complete at “for-profit” schools transfer to traditional universities.
Unlike high school and community colleges, the “for-profit” schools do not have admissions or transfer agreements with UC’s or CSU’s. They do not have agreements with reputable private universities. This means that, while you will develop a transcript at the “for-profit” school, you will not receive credit for them if you wish to eventually transfer your credits to a community college or university.
4. Job Placement Assistance is not a job guarantee.
The term job placement can mean just about anything: a one-time mock interview, a simple handout on "what not to do" on an interview, or explaining how to find job listings online. Either way, it is not the same as guaranteeing you a job.There are alternatives.
Visit this blog soon for additional details….
Angel Viramontes
West Los Angeles College
Outreach Coordinator
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
UC Admissions
What is in store for UC Admissions? I thought you'd never ask! :-)
For the Class of 2011, your admissions review falls under the traditional process: GPA, Courses Completed, Extracurricular Activities, Test Scores. The UC system is very clear about what they are looking for in students and have no problem explaining what Comprehensive Review means-even at the individual schools.
For the Class of 2012 and beyond here are some details from the University of California Office of the President that is meant to allow more students become eligible for the UC system:
What are the top factors to be eligible (and competitive)? Academics. Courses. GPA.
Your application will be read, no matter whether you are eligible based on this criteria and your test scores may be less important to the application process, but there is a reason that Academics and GPA are listed first. They are the most important factor when considering admissions.
You can have the most awesome extracurricular profile, but if your GPA doesn't match up then you will already be at a disadvantage when your application is in comprehensive review.
Remember, balance. Show off your best assets and be true to who you are. Trust me, the admissions readers and officers can tell who is genuine and who got help writing their essay.
For the Class of 2011, your admissions review falls under the traditional process: GPA, Courses Completed, Extracurricular Activities, Test Scores. The UC system is very clear about what they are looking for in students and have no problem explaining what Comprehensive Review means-even at the individual schools.
For the Class of 2012 and beyond here are some details from the University of California Office of the President that is meant to allow more students become eligible for the UC system:
What are the top factors to be eligible (and competitive)? Academics. Courses. GPA.
Your application will be read, no matter whether you are eligible based on this criteria and your test scores may be less important to the application process, but there is a reason that Academics and GPA are listed first. They are the most important factor when considering admissions.
You can have the most awesome extracurricular profile, but if your GPA doesn't match up then you will already be at a disadvantage when your application is in comprehensive review.
Remember, balance. Show off your best assets and be true to who you are. Trust me, the admissions readers and officers can tell who is genuine and who got help writing their essay.
A New Year, A New Attitude
Six more days until the first day of school. It's time to put forth all those promises and commitments to yourself and your parents and kick it into gear. For some, this is the last year to make a difference either academically or socially. Make it a good one.
Here are some tips to help you have the most successful year yet.
Here are some tips to help you have the most successful year yet.
- Invest in a calendar (or planner or organizer of some sort). Although I am a fan of an electronic calendar, I must admit that I am horrible when writing down my work and "To Do" list on my phone. A calendar or planner will help to keep your thoughts organized and written down in the same place.
- Keep in communication with your parents. Yes, I know this may be a very difficult task for teenagers, but it will come in handy for you, trust me. Your parents know way more about life than you think. One of the most important things to keep your parents in the loop with is your calendar, knowing important dates and tests will help them feel better about being in touch with your life.
- Start the year off strong! Commit to yourself (and your future) that you will keep up with your school work and study for those tests, submit your best work and be proud of your academic reputation. I can't tell you how many times I (and people around me) regret not starting this project earlier or not writing that paper sooner. Be proud of how you represent yourself through your work.
- Keep in constant communication with your teachers, they can be great resources (and can even write some awesome letters of recommendation).
- Get involved with stuff that matters to you! Do work/activities that make you happy because that will be the best representation of who you are to colleges/universities.
- Be flexible, keep an open mind, keep your creativity active, smile as much as possible and take many deep breaths. Take care of yourself and de-stress with physical activity-take a run, go for a swim or bike to a friends house. You must take care of you.
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