Counselors

Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. 

Khan Academy is a free for everyone and tackles a wide range of topics for every age. 

Prepare for the SAT with Official SAT Practice

Khan Academy is a great way to get personalized practice for the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9. 

Connect your College Board and Khan Academy Accounts

1. Go to satpractice.org
2. Create an account on Khan Academy, or sign into your existing account.
3. When prompted, agree to link your Khan Academy and College Board accounts.
4. Log into your College Board account, and hit "Send" to get a personalized practice plan based on previous College Board exam results. 

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), cosponsored by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship can be taken to:

• Prepare for the SAT
• Enter Competitions for Scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation
• Receive Information from Colleges
• Begin College and Career Planning
• Help Assess Academic Skills Necessary for College-Level Work

The PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for National Merit Scholarship Corporation's scholarship and recognition programs test. As the test is timed and scored differently from the ACT, it is not a test designed to help students be more successful on the ACT that students will take in their junior year.

The SAT and other College Board tests are offered several times a year. Most students take the SAT for the first time during the spring of their junior year and a second time during the fall of their senior year.  

All juniors will have the opportunity to take the SAT for free at Memorial High School in the their spring semester. The test will be administered onsite and during the school day.

For information regarding fees, special needs accommodations, and what tests to take, go to the SAT website.

All Chargers are encouraged to take the ACT. A score of 24 or higher will guarantee acceptance into most area colleges and universities.  

FEES
The ACT currently costs $46.00 for the standard test. The ACT Plus Writing costs $62.50. Fee waivers are available under certain circumstances and there are limitations. Please see a Memorial High School counselor for more information about fees.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
ACT is committed to serving students with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations appropriate to the student's diagnosis. For more information, contact the Memorial High School Exceptional Students department, or the ACT directly.

For more information about the ACT, go to www.actstudent.org.

The office of Federal Student Aid provides grants, loans, and work-study funds for college or career school. 

Federal Student Aid is part of the U.S. Department of Education and the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. 

What is the FAFSA form?

To apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study, and loans, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Competing and submitting the FAFSA form is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school. Many colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state and student aid, and some private financial aid providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for their aid. 

The FAFSA form will become available at the beginning of October and needs to be completed as soon as it is available so you don't miss out on any type of funding you may be eligible for. 

NCAA Eligibility

Grade 9

• Start Planning Now: take the right courses and earn the best grades possible
• Ask your counselor for a list of your high school's NCAA-approved core courses

Grade 10

• Register for a profile page or certification account with the NCAA Eligibility Center
• If you fall behind academically, speak with your counselor

Grade 11

• Make sure your on track to complete the required number of NCAA-approved courses
• Take the SAT or ACT and submit your scores to the NCAA Eligibility Center using code 9999.
• Upload official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center

Grade 12

• Complete your final NCAA-approved core courses 
• Take SAT or ACT again, if necessary
• Request your final amateurism certification beginning April 1 (NCAA Division I or II only)
• Upload your final transcript with proof of graduation 

College Planning Timeline

Its never too early to start thinking about college. Below is a helpful college planning guide and checklist: 

9^th Grade

• meet with your counselor
• review general college admission requirements
• be sure to take courses that meet your graduation needs
• begin to think about and talk with your parents about your college financing plan

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10^th Grade

• meet with your counselor to discuss course work and college plans
• it is a good idea to take practice college entrance exams in the fall on Khan Academy
• take the PSAT
• begin to think about possible career goals/interest
• continue extracurricular activities and participation in challenging academic programs

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11^th Grade

• begin building a list of possible colleges, think about those values that are important to you (academic programs, location, size, cost, activities, athletics, etc.)
• listen to announcements about college representatives visiting Memorial High School
• think about career/major choices
• meet with your counselor to review your courses and make sure you are taking courses that challenge you
• take the SAT and ACT
• take the PSAT 
• begin exploring scholarship and financial aid opportunities
• begin visiting schools you may be considering

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12^th Grade

• meet with your counselor in the early fall semester to discuss college plans
• attend college fairs and meet with college representatives visiting Memorial 
• narrow college choices and obtain applications
• determine deadlines and requirements
• make a rough draft of your college entrance essay and have a teacher or counselor review it early in the fall and then write your final draft
• take the SAT or the ACT and forward your scores to the colleges to which you pan to apply
• request transcripts and recommendations, if needed
• Submit application by the deadlines
• keep copies of everything you send and keep track of dates sent
• apply for all possible scholarships
• apply for need-based financial aid as soon as possible
• visit colleges to which you have applied, if possible
• plan to attend the summer orientation program at the college in which you will be enrolling

ACT - A standardized test used for admittance to colleges in the United States
COLLEGEdata - An online college advisor
FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid for students going to college
FSA ID - Username and password you use on federal student aid websites such as fafsa.gov and StudentLoans.gov
Online Colleges - Earn your college degree from an online accredited university
RaiseMe - High schoolers can start earning college scholarships as early as 9th grade for good grades, sports, extracurriculars and other achievements
SAT - Standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States
The Common Application - used to apply to any of more than 700 member colleges and universities in the United States