ACTs are the first step on the way to college

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY JULIE ANDERSON
College is a new and exciting experience for students, but they have to be prepared for it.

Diana Holub, Hillsboro High School counselor, offers students help and suggestions to make it easier for them to prepare for college, find the right college and fill out the right paperwork.

The first step when thinking about college is to take the ACT entrance exam.

In preparation for the ACT, students can review a number of books in Holub?s office, as well as prepare in class.

One HHS teacher who spends time preparing students is English teacher Sara Hill.

She gives practice tests and reviews the information on the English section of the ACT.

?We have seen significant gains in the English area because she does that,? Holub said.

She said other teachers also are starting to help students prepare.

In addition, during their sophomore year, students take the planned test and eighth graders take the explore test. Both help prepare students for the final ACT.

?We?re looking at that to see where they?re at now, and, as I tell my eighth graders, I don?t expect them to have 21s,? Holub said. ?I just want them to know where they are now and what they need to work on.?

Twenty-one is the score students need for qualified admissions.

?Last year we had around 90 percent of our senior take the ACT and I would envision this year would be up their pretty high,? Holub said.

She said even if students aren?t going to college right away, they should take the ACT now because it will be easier than taking it after they have been out of school for a while.

?I have students who want to work their first year and then they are going to go to college,? Holub said. ?In one year?s time, you forget a lot of stuff.?

She suggests students take their ACT for the first time in June following their junior year so what they have learned is still fresh in their minds.

For the second date, students often come back in October and take the test.

?We have traditionally seen that our kids probably scored better on their October test date,? Holub said.

Holub recommends students should take the ACT two or three times, depending on their score.

?The reason you take ACT tests is because of scholarships,? Holub said. ?Most colleges now have scholarship cutoffs that have this ACT score and this GPA.?

The ACT also determines what level math and English classes a student can take in college. If the score is not high enough, students have to take remedial classes and won?t get the credit they need.

?In the long run, it costs you more money,? Holub said.

In addition to taking the ACT, students also need to begin looking at colleges.

Holub recommends students have a list of possible colleges in mind during their junior year.

To help students learn more about colleges, she encourages them to talk with all of the college representatives visiting the school.

?With my juniors, I encourage them to visit with college reps and ask what kind of (ACT) scores they need for scholarships at their college,? Holub said.

About 20 to 25 representatives visit the school each year.

Juniors and seniors can visit with the representatives, but Holub said not everyone takes advantage of the opportunity.

?Part of it is, juniors aren?t thinking that far ahead and seniors are at the point they think they know where they want to go to school,? she said.

From talking with the representatives, students can learn about a schools? activities, programs and scholarships.

Holub encourages students to compare schools to find out which one they would want to attend.

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