Congrats, you survived SAT Day!

On behalf of Pikesville High School and the School Counseling Department, congratulations for taking the SAT today!

Thanks to the vision of our school system’s leadership, this opportunity affords thousands of BCPS juniors the chance to apply for admission at any of our nation’s (and state’s) many four-year colleges. While I recognize that approximately 40-45% of our graduates attend 2-year college or enlist in the military, I want to make sure that everyone knows that they have the choice to apply for admission to four-year colleges, should they wish to investigate those choices.

First of all, know that for students who will be applying to colleges in the fall, it will be their responsibility to send the SAT scores directly from his/her www.collegeboard.org account to those colleges. If you did not write any college codes on your pink and white form, the College Board will charge about $12 per recipient. We expect to have additional fee waivers for students who qualify (those who are in AVID, receive free/reduced meals, qualify for government benefits, or who live below the federal poverty line), and they are usually available for distribution in the fall. I must be clear about this: parents should not make an account at www.collegeboard.org on behalf of their children. Ask him/her to log in with you and explore the site together. If there are multiple accounts for a student, that will complicate things and the only way to resolve the matter is for the student to call College Board directly at 410-756-7346. 

Having taken the test today, remember that this is not the only SAT. Registration is available (at www.collegeboard.org) for the June 4 test until May 20. The cost to register for the SAT with Essay is $54.50. We have fee waivers for that, as well.

By the way, the SAT is not the only admissions test that colleges accept. Even though it was not as popular for our parents’ generation, the ACT – www.actstudent.org is accepted by just as many colleges as the SAT, and many students report feeling more confident on that test than the SAT. An equal number end up scoring higher. It really is a matter of personal preference. The cost for that test is comparable, and registration for the June 11 ACT with writing will be $56.50 until May 6. Likewise, we have fee waivers for the ACT with the same qualifying criteria as above.

In mid-May, school counselors will visit English 11 classes to help them create, and get familiar with the Common App (www.commonapp.org), one website that is used by hundreds of colleges for applying for admission. After that activity, the juniors will begin working with their English 11 teachers on their first drafts of their admissions essay. Students who attend the BCPS College Application Boot Camp will be given feedback on their essays, which makes it to their benefit to start early.

You should also know that we will also mention a change (at least to those who have older students) to the process of applying to the University of Maryland. The University of Maryland is one of 90 colleges who have joined the “Coalition for College Access & Affordability.” The “Coalition App” should open soon, and this will allow students to save their best school (and creative) work from school and save it to their account in what the Coalition calls their “locker,” as a way for colleges to evaluate students’ college readiness that goes beyond the traditional formulaic system of comparing GPA and test scores. Please start looking through 11^th grade work and saving it for the Coalition App if the University of Maryland (or the other 89 member colleges) are in your future.

Don’t forget to go on college visits (and help me grow my window decal collection J) to make lasting and valid impressions of the colleges your student is considering.

Lastly, prospective student athletes will need to register for the NCAA clearinghouse by the summer time and request that we send their 11^th grade transcript to the NCAA this summer. Registration is at www.eligibilitycenter.org. 

#PHSfit College of the Day: Rider University

A little north of Trenton, New Jersey, you'll find Rider University, a private, unaffiliated university that is about the same size as Frostburg State. Its surroundings are suburban, and its admissions are selective, like Towson University. Musicians, Rider University is also home to the world-famous Westminster Choir College.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Georgetown University

Georgetown, with its renaissance architecture and shady trees, has a very old feel to it, and rightly so. It has been one of the nation's premiere institutions of higher learning for nearly as long as America established its independence. Students with SAT scores above 700 and rank in the top five usually hope they are admitted to Georgetown.

#PHSfit College of the Day: University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a very competitive college with a rich history of educating the country's leaders, including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, both of JFK's Senator brothers, Edgar Allen Poe, Katie Couric and Tina Fey, and many others. It is no surprise, then, that you would need to be near the top of your class, in both grades and test scores, to be a potential Virginia Cavalier. UVA is truly a school of distinction.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Shippensburg University

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a quiet university located just over two hours west of here, 45 minutes due north of Hagerstown. Ship has a phenomenal education and business program, and also thrives in the performing arts. Students with GPAs close to 3.0 and SAT scores close to 500 on each test are encouraged to apply here. It makes a good back-up to Towson or a good alternative to Salisbury or Frostburg State.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Marist College

Marist College, recognized for excellence by U.S. News & World Report, TIME Magazine and the Princeton Review, and by Barron's Best Buys in College Education, is noted for its leadership in the use of technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. Founded in 1929, Marist's 150-acre campus overlooks the Hudson River in the heart of the historic Hudson Valley, midway between New York City and Albany, the state capital. What started as a school for the training of future Marist Brothers has developed into one of the leading colleges of the arts and sciences in the Northeast. Marist is ecumenical in character and reflects the ideals of the founder of the Marist Brothers, St. Marcellin Champagnat: commitment to excellence in education, a pursuit of higher human values, and dedication to the principle of service. Marist is dedicated to the development of the whole person in a way that will prepare our graduates for an enlightened, sensitive, and productive life in the global community of the 21st century. (Maleyja, Class of 2013)

#PHSfit College of the Day: Richard Stockton College

At the Richard Stockton College near Atlantic City, New Jersey, students have the opportunity to study by the beach at one of the top universities in the northern region. It's 7000 students make it about the same size as Howard or American University, and is about as competitive as Towson University, with most students earning about 550 on each SAT test and graduating in the top 20% of their high school class.

#PHSfit College of the Day: University of Richmond

The University of Richmond is a very selective liberal arts university, located about three hours south of here. It is about the same size as Bowie State or Penn State's Altoona campus,  and has an active division one athletic program. Such a selective liberal arts program would be a reasonable option for a student who is considering Loyola, Gettysburg, Lehigh, or Bucknell.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Saint Joseph's University

Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia operates from the Jesuit principle that one should strive to "live greater." The campus is located in a historic section of the city, and about the same size as York College. It would be a similar experience to going to Loyola College in Philadelphia, but with basketball being the big athletic program, rather than lacrosse. Most admitted students score in the 550 range on the SAT.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Bard College

Bard College is a small, private liberal arts college with very competitive admissions. Most students earned about 30 on the ACT, and 95% of the students graduated in the top quarter of their high school class. Bard College is located five and a half hours north of here, about an hour north on the Hudson River from New York City. 

#PHSfit College of the Day: North Carolina Central University

For over a hundred years, the North Carolina Central University has established a strong reputation and tradition as being a strong and well-rounded HBCU. Admitted students are required to have at least a 2.5 GPA and an 850 SAT or 17 ACT, as well as four credits of math in high school. 

#PHSfit College of the Day: Virginia Commonwealth University

As large as West Virginia University or the University of Maryland, Virginia Commonwealth University is Virginia's largest state university. It is located about four hours south of here in Richmond, and has a full and thriving campus life. Because it is such a large university, taking AP classes in high school will benefit a future VCU Ram because AP prepares students for the high level of instruction - without the intimate teaching that smaller colleges provide.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Liberty University

Near Roanoke College, about four and a half hours south in Virginia, is a storied - though fairly new - college called Liberty University. Liberty University stays very close to its Christian fundamentals, and you can count on your experience to be closely tied to Christian beliefs. The typical freshman earned a 20 on the ACT and had a high school GPA of about 3.3, and academic scholarships start a 2.7 GPA.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Muhlenberg College

A private college affiliated with the Lutheran Church, Muhlenberg College is located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, about three hours north of Baltimore. Even though it has Lutheran roots, it should be noted that Muhlenberg is home to the Institute for Jewish-Christian understanding, demonstrating the college's commitment ot interfaith relations. Because its student body is only 2500 students, the admissions staff has the time to evaluate all applications holistically, even making the SAT and ACT optional. Muhlenberg is a good fit for students who wish to be treated like a person, rather than like a number.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Hunter College

In the upper west side of Manhattan, Hunter College is the largest college in the City University of New York system, and is one of the oldest public colleges in the country. The Princeton Review ranks it as one of the top ten best values in public colleges. The average high school GPA is in the high B range, and the average SAT score is around 600 on each test.

#PHSfit College of the Day: University Maryland Eastern Shore

The University of Maryland's Eastern Shore campus offers you an affordable in-state college tuition, attainable admissions criteria, and the opportunity to study far enough from home that you'll feel like you actually went away to college. A historically black college, UMES has more history than most Maryland colleges. What's more, UMES's admissions standards are also more flexible than most Maryland colleges.

#PHSfit College of the Day: University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

If you want to advance your education and take control of your career—even in times of economic and employment uncertainty—graduate with a degree from USciences. Located in Philadelphia, esteemed faculty, broad-based curriculum and established alumni network offer future leaders an edge in the thriving sectors where healthcare and science converge. (Quanisha, Class of 2013)

#PHSfit College of the Day: United States Military Academy

One of the nation's most distinctive campus of future leaders, the United States Military Academy, or West Point, is located about 45 minutes north of New York City. Just like the Naval Academy, West Point requires a recommendation from a congressman or senator, in addition to strong grades and physical fitness. While the Naval Academy prepares the future officers of the Navy and Marine Corps, West Point is the training ground for the Army's future leaders.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Stevenson University

Now that it has two seamless and digitally connected campuses, Stevenson University offers  increasingly diverse opportunities to study with students who are not only local, but who come from numerous parts of the MidAtlantic region. Stevenson is a popular choice for students whose GPA is in the 2.7-3.3 range.

#PHSfit College of the Day: Virginia State University

About 45 minutes south of Richmond lies Virginia State University, an HBCU founded about twenty years after the civil war. Currently, Virginia State is about the size of UMBC, with just as much variety of academic focus.