Q1: What are the Waunakee Community High School graduation requirements?

Current (2008-09 school year) graduation requirements are:

Summary of Required Courses for Graduation:

Refer to the UW-System Schools, Wisconsin Private Colleges, and Wisconsin Technical Colleges for their entrance requirements. Here are the minimum credit requirements for 4-year colleges/universities:

Q2: What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT test?

The ACT Assessment is designed to assess high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. The test covers four skills areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.

If you plan to attend school in the Midwest or UW-System schools, you should take the ACT tests. The Guidance Office recommends the April or June test dates for juniors.

New for 2005–There will be a writing component added to the ACT. So far, the only UW-System schools requiring this new component are UW-Madison and UW-Whitewater. More institutions may also require the writing component. Visit the website for the most current information.

For complete information visit: www.act.org

Here is a breakdown of ACT Test results taken by Waunakee Community High school students:

AVERAGE ACT SCORES FOR ALL GRADUATES:

	English	Math	Reading	Sci/Reason	Composite
WAUNAKEE
2007-08	23.2	23.9	23.8	23.8	23.8
2006-07	22.5	23.2	23.3	23.4	23.3
WISCONSIN
2007-08	21.7	22.3	22.6	22.3	22.3
2006-07	21.6	22.2	22.4	22.4	22.3
NATIONAL
2006-07	20.7	21.0	21.5	21.0	21.2

The SAT I is a three-hour test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning skills students have developed over time and skills they need to be successful academically. Many colleges an universities use the SAT I as one indicator among others- class rank, high school GPA, extracurricular activities, personal essay, and teacher recommendations- of a student’s readiness to do college-level work. SAT I scores are compared with the scores of other applicants, and the accepted scores at an institution, and can be used as a basis for awarding merit-based financial aid.

The SAT I is scored on a scale of 200-800 (for math and verbal) and is typical taken by high school juniors and seniors. The test is administered several times a year.

The SAT II, “subject” tests, one-hour, mostly multiple-choice tests, measure how much students know about a particular academic subject and how well they can apply that knowledge.

The 22 Subject Tests include: Writing (with an essay), Literature, U.S. History, World History, Math Level IC, Math Level IIC, Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, French Reading, French Reading with Listening, German Reading, German Reading with Listening, Spanish Reading, Spanish Reading with Listening, Modern Hebrew Reading, Italian Reading, Latin Reading with Listening, Japanese Reading with Listening, Korean Reading with Listening, Chinese Reading with listening, and the English Language Proficiency Test.

Many colleges require or recommend one or more of the Subject Tests for admission or placement. Used in combination with other background information (your high school record, scores from other tests like the SAT I, teacher recommendations, etc.), they provide a dependable measure of your academic achievement and are a good predictor of future performance.

If you plan to attend school outside of the Midwest, you should plan to take the SAT I. For complete information visit: www.collegeboard.org

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Q3: What does the FAFSA do?

The FAFSA determines your expected family contribution (EFC). This is the amount that determines how much your family can put towards your education. If you EFC is below a certain amount, you’ll be entitled to federal grants to help cover your school’s cost of attendance (COA). A school’s COA is more than tuition, room and board. It also includes the average you’ll spend on books, supplies, personal expenses and transportation.

College financial aid officers subtract your EFC from the COA to determine your financial need. They try to meet your financial need by offering you grants, scholarships, loans and work-study.

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Q4: What’s the difference between loans, scholarships, grants and work-study?

Grants and scholarships are money that you don’t have to pay back! A loan is money that you borrow from the government or a bank. You have to pay this money back with interest. Some loans require that you start repaying while you’re still in school, while some loans will start sending you bills only after you leave school.

Work-study is a type of financial aid through which your college gives you the go-ahead to find a job on campus. You can earn up to your awarded amount during the year. You’ll get a paycheck, just as if you were working off campus. It’s up to you to put that money toward your school expenses.

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Q5: I have a 4.0 GPA. Should I wait to see what colleges come to me with scholarships before approaching any schools?

No! You are responsible for letting colleges know you’re interested in them and for getting financial aid. Don’t wait for colleges or scholarships to come to you! Sure, it’s nice to be recruited. But unless you let a college know you exist, it’s likely they won’t know to come find you.

Some colleges and universities have merit-based grant money you’ll receive on the basis of your high school grades, SAT or ACT scores. Don’t rely on a college to write you a full ride just because you’re smart.

Check with you religious organizations, volunteer groups, music groups, ethnic communities, clubs and schools for private, merit-based scholarships. You may have to write a lot of essays,
but top students are strong candidates, and you’ll be thankful for the cash.

For local, national, and private scholarships, visit these websites:

www.fastweb.com www.finaid.org www.collegenet.com www.scholarships.com

Also, visit the monthly scholarship bulletin links insert hot links here.

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Q6: Do I have to register for the Selective Service?

YES! If you are 18-years old and you are a male, you need to go to the post office in person to register for the selective service. You can also register on line @ www.usps.com

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Q7: Will I need to fill out an NCAA Form in order to play college sports?

The NCAA form is a “release” for your records (your transcript, ACT or SAT scores) to be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Records are released to NCAA to ensure that perspective college athletes meet the NCAA academic standards to be eligible to play either Division I or Division II college-level sports. If you are being considered for collegiate athletics by either a Division or Division II college or university, you should complete the release form. Once complete, print a copy of this release and bring it to the Guidance Office so that we may forward your records.

Note: It is important that you complete this release of records during your senior year so that the NCAA receives your transcript in a timely manner. If the NCAA finds you are deficient in any coursework required, you will have enough time to complete the required coursework before graduation. For complete information, visit the NCAA Clearinghouse website @ www.ncaaclearinghouse.org