Welcome to my corner of CHS! This office has a world of important information for you. In the outer office, you can browse college handbooks and our scholarship binder. You can also visit college websites and look at the programs offered. We have lots of military information and cd’s. There are also career magazines that you may take with you.
Before you are ready to take your ACT, you should pick up a copy of the ACT Practice Test, along with your registration packet. The first time you take the test, you may take it free by using the Tennessee Voucher. If you are a student who is in Educational Talent Search or Upward Bound or has Free or Reduced Lunches, you may also use a Fee Waiver for two more tests.
Stop by and pick up a list of Valuable Websites for your college or career search. Seniors may also pick up college application forms. Seniors, if you haven’t sent in your application for admission for your college or tech school, do it now to meet scholarship and admission deadlines.
The ACT is the American College Test. In the future, the ACT is going to be given to students not only as a college entrance test, but also as a career readiness test. There are six National Test Dates during the year. For the National Test Dates, students register online at www.ACTstudent.org or with a paper registration packet available in the counselor’s office and take the test at designated test centers. (WCHS, LCHS, HCHS, and UNA are our nearest centers.)
Students either pay for the ACT themselves or they can use their one time only Tennessee Voucher. In addition, if students receive Free or Reduced lunches, meet certain income guidelines, or are members of Upward Bound or Educational Talent Search, they are eligible for two Fee Waivers. The Waivers can be used whether students register on paper or on-line.
Current Postsecondary Goings-on:
For the first time, the ACT will be given at CHS for the entire 11th grade on Wednesday, April 22, 2009. All students who take the ACT at our school in April will use their one time only Tennessee Voucher. Students who are testing at school will not need to register. The scores from the school ACT are fully reportable to colleges and NCAA. Students will send their scores to the colleges they choose. If students are planning to participate in college athletics, they need to code 9999 to have their score sent to NCAA.
Special Education students who qualify may receive special ACT accommodations such as having the test read to them or having extended time limits.
PLAN is the preliminary ACT and will be given to the entire 10th grade at CHS each fall generally in November. The PLAN and ACT are the final two tests in the sequence that began with the EXPLORE in the 8th grade.
ACT gives us Benchmark scores for each of the tests that indicate probable readiness for college level work by the time the student graduates.
ACT benchmark scores
If your student is not achieving at these levels and is planning to attend college, there are several strategies that may improve his chances of success, such as taking a more rigorous curriculum in high school, taking Dual Enrollment college classes, attending ACT Review Sessions or Test Taking Strategies Workshops, taking ACT Prep class at school, and working at home with test prep materials either in books or on-line.
***Test Preparation***
One of the biggest challenges for students is their future career choice. As part of the testing, they take a career interest inventory and career areas are suggested for future exploration. They also have other Career Resources on-line such as the Kuder Interest and Skills Assessments available here at school. In addition, students can go to several websites for career assessment and information, such as the following:
www.bls.gov For GREAT information on jobs. Click on Occupational Outlook Handbook, then A-Z Index or Career Area.
http://online.onetcenter.org Another site with info on careers/occupations
http://tcids.tbr.edu Get a list of careers that match your interests. Links directly to career info and schools.
http://pathways.tbr.edu Great site! Definitely look here!
www.healthcarecareermap.org for info on health care careers
Collinwood High School 
