Resources for Students

The PSAT/NMSQT is given to all sophomores and juniors in mid-October during the school day. The PSAT test is a shortened, practice version of the SAT and it provides a good opportunity for students to get comfortable with the format, pacing and questions of the SAT. In addition, many of the AP courses at SJCS require a minimum score on one of the PSAT sections as a prerequisite, which will affect both sophomores and juniors when they register for classes for the following year. The eleventh grade results serve as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT), which is owned and operated by the National Merit Foundation and co-owned by The College Board. National Merit scholarships are determined using this score alone. Scoring very well could bring national recognition and qualify a student for one of 9,600 college scholarships. It is well worth taking this test seriously by spending time in preparation.

The school CEEB code for SAT, ACT, and AP Testing is 410902.

Please note the following website for a comprehensive list of TEST OPTIONAL OR TEST FLEXIBLE schools for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle: www.fairtest.org/university/optional

The ACT is another standardized college entrance test given several times a year. The test consists of four 35 to 50 minute sections and measures achievement in four areas: English usage, mathematics usage, reading comprehension, and science reasoning, and is curriculum based. In February of 2005, ACT added a 30-minute “optional” writing assessment. Post-secondary schools will soon be making the decision whether the writing assessment will be required. Students at St. Joseph’s are advised to sit for this optional section and are asked to check the requirements of the colleges/universities they are considering before registering. All colleges accept the ACT. For a test comparison of the SAT and ACT see the concordance table.

 ACT Online Registration

These three-hour examinations are based on a full-year college-level course in high school. If enrolling in an AP course, students are expected to sit for the exam in May. Academically qualified sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to include AP courses in their schedules.

Before students with disabilities can take the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or Advanced Placement Exams with accommodations — such as extended time or the use of a computer — their request for accommodations must be approved by Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD).  To start this process, please contact Aquinas Program director Julie Rzepinski. Please note that it can take up to six months for accommodations to be approved.

• College Board online test prep for PSAT and SAT at sat.collegeboard.org/practice
• ACT online tests prep at www.actstudent.org/testprep/
• Khan Academy is another free online resource for SAT Prep as well as practice in any school subject area. Visit www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat
• SC Test Prep is a local Spartanburg company offering SAT and ACT preparation through six-week courses or individual tutoring. For more information, visit www.sctestprep.com or call 864-384-1021
• Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com/offer/free-practice-tests) and Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com/sat/free/sat-practice) both have free resources, as well as other online prep courses for a fee

There are many types of educational references to assist you in your search. While these guides vary in format, most include information on enrollment, curriculum, faculty, majors/programs offered, campus life, financial aid, cost, selectivity, and a profile of the most recent entering class.

General Guides

These guides specialize in factual/statistical information:

• Barron’s, Profiles of American Colleges, 2019: This brand-new edition lists general information on college facts and finances, college majors, and over 1,650 college profiles. Includes free access to Barron's exclusive College Search Engine.
• College Board, College Handbook 2018: This book includes separate sections for 4-year and 2-year colleges, an early decision/early action table, a list of colleges by type, special characteristics, size, admission selectivity, and colleges with NCAA sports by division.
• Princeton's, The Complete Book of College, 2021: A comprehensive guidebook to public and private schools, offering crucial information on admissions, academics, financial aid, and more!

Special Guides

These guides offer a more subjective view. The narrative descriptions when used in combination with statistical information provide an excellent “check and balance” system to your college research.

• Fiske Guide to Colleges 2021: This resource lists each college’s strongest departments and majors and is packed with student tips on academic and social life ratings for each school.
• Fiske, Guide to Getting into the Right College
• Pope, Looking Beyond the Ivy League
• Pope, Colleges that Change Lives
• Princeton Review, The Best 386 Colleges: 2021 Edition
• Templeton Foundation, Colleges That Encourage Character Development
• Thacker, Lloyd, Colleges Unranked: Ending the College Admission Frenzy
• Yale, The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges

Guides for Particular Audience

• Coburn & Treeger, Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years
• Kravets & Wax, The Princeton Review, The K&W Guide for Students with Learning Disabilities: This resource lists colleges with special accommodations for learning disabilities by state and what those accommodations are.
• LaVeist, DayStar Guide to Colleges for African American Students
• Peterson’s, Colleges with Programs for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorders: In addition to detailed information on colleges with comprehensive programs for learning disabled students, there is a reference chart for you to quickly see what each college has to offer.
• Peterson’s, Top Colleges for Science
• The National Catholic College Admission Assistance, Official Catholic Colleges Guidebook

Guides for Majors, Careers, Finances/Scholarships, Sports

• Cassidy, The Scholarship Book: This provides a complete guide to private sector scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans for the undergraduates.
• College Board, Book of Majors
• College Board, Getting Financial Aid: One of the most practical guides to the financial aid process, this book also targets many common myths about financial aid.
• College Board, Scholarship Handbook 2018: This book lists over 2,000 undergraduate scholarships, internships, and loan programs. Eligibility indexes allow you to search by many areas such as gender, minority status, and disabilities.
• Leider, Don’t Miss Out: The Ambitious Student’s Guide to Financial Aid
• Peterson’s, Sports Scholarships & College Athletic Programs

 

If you want to play NCAA sports at a Division I or II school, you need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Learn more about playing college sports, by going to ncaa.org.

2020-2021 College Bound Athlete Guide

College-bound student-athletes (intending to play Division I or II) need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center if they plan on participating in college athletics. Early registration promotes positive planning and involvement, bypasses the last-minute rush, and helps college-bound student-athletes avoid issues that may delay their academic and amateur certifications.  The registration process is easy and can be done by:

1. Logging on to the Eligibility Center’s web site at www.eligibilitycenter.org
2. Scrolling down and selecting the “Create an Account” tab
3. Beginning the registration process.

Please remember to complete a Transcript Request Form at the end of your junior year so that we know to mail your transcripts to the NCAA.  You will also need to have your official SAT and/or ACT test scores sent to the NCAA (either through College Board for the SAT or through ACT).

Division III or students who are undecided about which level they will play at, can now create a Profile Page rather than starting the Eligibility process.  Students should go to the same link above and click on the Create a Profile Page tab (located next to the Create an Account tab).

Each college/university processes student athletes a little differently.  It is very important that you work with the coaches/athletic departments at each college so that they can assist you with the admission process at their university.  But, please remember that you will still need to apply to the college or university you are interested in attending.  Some student-athletes think that because they are being recruited or because they have registered with the Eligibility Center, they do not need to apply for admission.  Athletics eligibility and admission to a college or university are two separate processes and both need to be completed.

Students also should check to see which SJCS classes are approved by the NCAA by visiting: web3.ncaa.org/hsportal/exec/hsAction?hsActionSubmit=searchHighSchool and entering SJCS school code 410902.

If you have any questions, please discuss them with your college counselor.