Guidance

Welcome!

Welcome to The Villages High School! We hope you all had a great summer and ready to hit the ground running for the 2019-2020 school year. Please come see your counselor with any questions or concerns!

The VHS counselors will be hosting a Senior Parent Night to talk about the College Planning process, scholarships and FAFSA! This informal night will be on Thursday, September 19th in VHS cafeteria beginning at 6:00pm. Seniors AND parents should both attend to get a jump start on the college application process. We will also have a representative from Florida Department of Education to talk about the FAFSA!

Counselor Contact Information:

All grades last names: A-F (+scholarship coordinator) Nicole Lake- nicole.lake@tvcs.org

All grades last names:G-M Merideth Brock- merideth.brock@tvcs.org

All grades last names:N-V Amy Henges- amy.henges@tvcs.org

All grades last names:W-Z (+testing coordinator) Jennifer Blake- Jennifer.Blake@tvcs.org

Upcoming SAT/ACT Testing

STUDENTS MUST HAVE THEIR ADMISSION TICKET AND PHOTO ID IN ORDER TO TEST!!!

SAT Testing dates 2019-2020: August 24th, October 5th, November 2nd, December 7th, March 14th*, May 2nd, June 6th*. Please register to test: www.sat.collegeboard.org

ACT Testing dates 2019-2020: September 14th*, October 26th, December 14th, February 8th, April 4th, June 13th*, July 18th.*. Please register to test: www.actstudent.org

*The SAT & ACT will NOT be at VHS- but it is still a national test day

Parents of Seniors who are applying to universities/colleges:

If your student wants to attend a 4-year institution right after high school, priority deadlines for most of the FL universities are around November 1st. If your student has missed this deadline, please be sure to contact the universtiy, must schools accept late applications. A transcript is usually required to fill out the applications that ask you to 'self report' and your student can request one from their school counselor and we will provide an advising guide for this.

The student is responsible for sending SAT/ACT scores to the colleges/universites they plan to attend.

*If you are a Dual Enrollment Student: Please make sure you contact Lake Sumter State College for your transcript with your Dual Enrollment classes on it. This may be needed as you apply to universitites/colleges. Be sure to check with each individual college/university. Transcript request link for LSSC: http://www.lssc.edu/admissions/Pages/Transcripts.aspx

Khan Academy: The link below has resources to help students and parents navigate this challenging college process. These resources include video interviews and conversations with successful students from all walks of life and admissions officers and counselors at some of the nation's top schools.

ACT/SAT- College Entrance Testing:

Current Juniors and Seniors should be taking the SAT and ACT. Registration needs to be completed online at www.sat.collegeboard.org and www.actstudent.org. Please see your school counselor if you believe you are eligible for a fee waiver (2 per test).

What’s the difference between SAT and ACT?

Testing Time: The time you have to complete the SAT and ACT is roughly the same — 3 hours for the SAT (+50 minutes for essay) versus 2 hours and 55 minutes for the ACT (+40 minute for writing).

Testing Structure: The SAT has 3 tests + optional essay. The ACT has 4 tests + optional writing. The SAT has 154 questions and the ACT has 215 questions.

Time per question: The SAT is 1 minute and 10 seconds. The ACT is 49 seconds.

Score Range: SAT Composite score: 400-1600 (SAT Essay reported in 3 dimensions, each 2-8). The ACT Composite score: 1-36 (writing doman scores: 2-12).

The SAT structure:

Reading (65 minutes; 52 questions)
Writing (35 minutes; 44 questions)
Math - no calculator (25 minutes; 20 questions)
Math - with calculator (55 minutes; 38 questions)
Essay- optional (50 minutes; 1 essay)

The ACT structure:

English (45 minutes; 75 questions)
Math (60 minutes; 60 questions)
Reading (35 minutes; 40 questions)
Science (35 minutes; 40 questions)
Writing-optional (40 minutes; 1 essay)

The biggest difference in the structure is the amount of time you get for each question. Do you work better under pressure, moving through material quickly and precisely without losing focus? If so, the ACT’s faster-paced sections might be a better choice. If, on the other hand, you prefer taking the time to consider and double-check your answers, the SAT might a better option for you.

Remember: These college entrance test scores (ACT/SAT) are needed to be eligible for Bright Futures and for consideration by the Buffalo Scholarship Foundation!

High School Code/CEEB Code: 101833

SAT Test Center Site Code: 10381

ACT Test Center Site Code: 243870

Test Prep: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat- for the SAT

Test Prep: www.prepfactory.com - great prep for either SAT or ACT, create an account, complete learning games, etc.

Test Prep: http://www.ivybound.net/tests/sat/ and www.khanacademy.org - click on top banner for SAT practice

Test Prep: http://www.ivybound.net/tests/act/

PERT- The Post Secondary Education Readiness Test:

The Post secondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.) is Florida's customized common placement test. The purpose of the P.E.R.T. is accurate course placement based on the student's skills and abilities. The P.E.R.T. is aligned with the Post secondary Readiness Competencies identified by Florida faculty as necessary for success in entry-level college credit coursework. The P.E.R.T. assessment system includes Placement and Diagnostic tests in mathematics, reading and writing.

How to become eligible for the Dual Enrollment Program: Typically Sophomores will be tested in February who have a 3.00 unweighted GPA and take the PERT exam. The P.E.R.T. is aligned with the Postsecondary Readiness Competencies identified by Florida faculty as necessary for success in entry-level college credit coursework. The P.E.R.T. assessment system includes Placement and Diagnostic tests in mathematics, reading and writing.

Juniors will also take the PERT exam in February, regardless of GPA. This will help for placement of coursework in Senior year and allow another opportunity to take Dual Enrollment courses. The PERT is given a number of times at VHS but students can also take the exam at The College of Central Florida in Ocala for a small fee. Be sure you bring your test scores to VHS.

For more informaiton about the Dual Enrollment program at VHS please contact Francine Costa or email her with your questions- CostaF@LSSC.edu.