BRAG SHEET

A brag sheet is used to write information about yourself that can be given to a staff member (teacher, counselor, etc), coach, club advisor, or employer when asking for a letter of recommendation.

• Download this form to your desktop, save, then complete and save again.
• Be as specific as possible.
• Save this document so you can go back to it and update it as often as necessary and print copies when needed.
• Make sure you give those you want recommendations from plenty of time to complete their letters, at least 2 weeks in advance.
• Ask them to save their recommendations for you so you may ask them for an updated reference letter in the future.

You can also find a Brag Sheet Survey in your PowerSchool/Naviance, under the About Me tab, then Surveys. 

(Note: Beginning your Brag Sheet in 9th grade and updating it each time you have a new activity, sport or receive an award helps, because when you're a senior filling out the form for the first time, it's hard to remember all those things!)

UC Website                   UC Application Guide                  UC Personal Insight Questions

UC ACADEMIC PLANNERS - FOR STUDENTS GRADES 9-12

 UC My Academic Planner                                                                      UC Your Academic Planner

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SAT

Log on to www.collegeboard.org for the closest test sites and exact dates.  You are entitled to four prepaid reports of your scores. List four colleges that you are interested in.  Each time that you have your test score sent, the college receives your most recent score and all previous scores to six SAT I and six SAT Subject tests administrations. If you don’t request that copies of your scores are sent to colleges within nine days from the time you took the test, you will have to pay $11.25 for each score report that is sent beyond those nine days.

The CEEB code (Highland School Code) is 052541.  Please remember to use this number on your applications for college admissions tests.

ACT

Log on to www.actstudent.org for the closest test sites and exact dates.  The ACT consists of tests in four academic areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning.  It is highly recommended to take the ACT with the ‘Writing’ component.  Scores are reported on a scale 1-36 for each area, plus a composite of all scores. There is no penalty for incorrect answers. (There is a penalty for incorrect answers on the SAT I and SAT Subject Tests). Students should utilize preparation materials before taking the ACT.  The ACT should be taken in the spring semester of the 11^th grade and can be taken again in September, October, or December the testings during the senior year. Most East Coast schools prefer the ACT over the SAT, but may accept either as an entrance criterion.  Since most California schools accept either, students are recommended to take both exams.  It is always a good idea to check the specific test requirements for admission to the particular college(s) you are considering.  Visit the college’s website under ‘Admissions’ for that information.

HOW AND WHEN DO I SIGN UP FOR THE SAT/ACT?

Online registration is preferred by both the ACT and SAT testing agencies. Go to sat.collegeboard.org or ACTstudent.org to register.  Be sure to print out your admission ticket and take it with you on test day, as well as a school or government photo I.D.  Paper registration (by mail) is necessary if you need to pay with a check (or money order) or cannot upload a digital photo. An admission ticket for the SAT I or SAT Subject Tests (if application is postmarked by the regular deadline) will be mailed to you before the test. Remember, the CEEB code for HHS is 052541.

TRANSCRIPTS

Transcripts can be requested through Naviance.  The Antelope Valley Union High School District uses Naviance for electronically submitting official transcripts to colleges and universities upon graduation.  For information on how to arrange for the submission of your mid-year and final transcripts, go to your Naviance account by clicking Naviance Student on our website and signing in with your PowerSchool credentials. There is no charge for this service.  Unofficial transcripts can also be downloaded to your desktop through your Naviance account.  You should not request that a transcript be sent to a college until that college requests that it be sent.  For official transcripts see Mrs. Lindstrom in the Registrar's office. 

Searching for colleges?  Check out the following websites!

  website

THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT BEING THE FIRST…

…especially being the first in your family to attend and graduate from college. I'm First! is an online community for first-generation college students—and their supporters. Hear inspiring stories and share your own, discover colleges that care about first-gen students, find answers to your questions about college, and receive guidance on the road to and through college.

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Use Collegeboard's "Big Future" site to search for colleges, narrow down majors and career options, learn how to pay for college, and how to make a tangible plan. They offer information on everything from careers and majors to personal statements and financial aid. Use Big Future to prepare yourself for the road ahead!

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~ SAT and ACT

SAT and ACT - What's the Difference?

Apply for the SAT                          SAT Test Dates 

Apply for the ACT                         ACT Test Dates

PRACTICE taking your SAT, with the FREE new app called SAT Up, at the iTunes App Store, or on Google play!

PRACTICE taking your ACT, with the FREE new app called called ACT Prep, also at the iTunes App Store, or on Google Play!

SAT/ACT Fee Waivers for eligible students can be requested.  Please fill out the following request form:   Fee Waiver Request Form 

You may receive a maximum of 2 SAT Fee Waivers, 2 SAT Subject Fee Waivers, and 2 ACT Fee Waivers during your junior and senior years only.

Attending college takes lots of planning and hard work.  We recommend that you meet with your counselor several times during high school to get help with applications, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and more.

College Application Terminology 

• Early decision is a binding agreement between the student and that university. If the student is accepted, the student must attend. This is best for students who are determined to get into a specific school.
• Early action is not binding. The student will simply find out sooner whether or not s/he has been accepted and at some schools, will also have a shot at more merit money.
• Restrictive– If the student applies to a school with a restrictive early action plan, s/he can’t apply for any other early action or early decision plan at any other college. S/He can only apply to that one college or university but the student isn't required to accept an offer of admission (like they do with early decision).
• Non-restrictive -Colleges with a non-restrictive early action plan allows students to apply to whatever colleges they are interested in, provided, of course, that they are also non-restrictive early action colleges (or if the student has applied for regular admission). The student can also apply to one early decision college in addition to multiple non-restrictive early action colleges.
• Personal Statement-- Also known as the application essay. Most competitive schools require at least one major statement, many times two or more, along with multiple short-response answers. These schools admit half (or well less) of all who apply. Admission committees use personal statements to learn more about their applicants.

The following websites will help you find colleges, give you your senior timeline, and help you write essays:  

ACT  Black College Tours CA Postsecondary Education Commission               California Colleges Campus Tours Campus Visit Guide Chegg                                    California College Affordability Guide College Atlas                                          College Board College Navigator  College Essay Guy  eCampus Tours                  I Can Afford College KnowHow2GO My Majors NASFAA.org                                          The Princeton Review SAT or ACT? Or both? UNIGO                                                                      Undocumented Students College Guide You Visit College Tours                                    

Here are some resources for anyone considered as a foster student. 

Fastweb Knowb4ugo  Foster Care to Success  Alliance for Childrens' Rights  Independent Living Independent Living Facts

SENIOR RULES TO LIVE BY

• Beware of “SENIORITIS!" It's an insidious phenomenon that can wreck your senior year.  Symptoms include complete attention deficit, feeling that your schoolwork is getting in the way of your social life, and a sharp loss of interest in schoolwork, which is followed by a drastic drop in grades.  DON'T BE THAT SENIOR!  Remember that school does not end until graduation!  Admission to college is provisional and may be revoked if your grades take a sudden nosedive.
• Make sure you are taking the correct courses for the college and major of your choice. For example, pre-med students would need to take Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. UC applicants must take 11 of the 15 units required before their senior year of high school.
• Take a strong academic program each semester. A minimum of four academic subjects should be taken each year. This could include courses at the community college or a CSU to get a head start on college general education requirements. Colleges expect your senior year to be academically challenging and that you will take the most rigorous course work that you are capable of doing.
• Check your Naviance frequently, that is where dates and times of college visits are posted. You will need to sign up to reserve a spot.
• Visit the Google Scholarship Classroom frequently to get information and learn about scholarships that are available.    
• Be sure to read all the directions and questions on any college or scholarship applications carefully before you begin. Type, if possible. If not, print neatly in black ink. Avoid spelling errors and erasures. Think about your answers before you begin to write. Make several photocopies of the blank application before you begin. Allow yourself sufficient time to complete the application. Photocopy and save the completed application.  You will need your unofficial transcript for this, which will have your grades and SSID.
• Make sure you complete the AVUHSD Local Scholarship Application found in Naviance under the About Me tab, then My Surveys, then Surveys Not Started.  Completing this application lets you be eligible to apply for scholarships from local donors.

So now that you are in 11th grade, here's stuff you really need to get serious about:

• SAT and ACT will ask for the CEEB or School Code.  It is 052541.
• Your college application GPA is based on 10^th and 11^th grades only.  Junior year will account for 50% of that GPA, so stay focused and make up any D’s or F’s before your senior year.  
• Make sure you are taking the correct courses for the college and major of your choice. For example, pre-med students should take Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.  UC applicants must take 11 of the 15 required units prior to senior year.
• Take a strong academic program each semester. A minimum of four academic subjects should be taken each year. This could include courses at the community college or a CSU to get a head start on college general education requirements. Colleges expect your junior year to be academically challenging and that you will take the most rigorous course work that you are capable of doing.       
• Research financial aid and scholarships. Scholarships are posted in Naviance and in HHS Scholarship Information in Google classroom.
• Check your Naviance frequently!  College visits are posted there.
• Visit a college. You don’t have to go far to get a good idea of what a small liberal arts college is like. Go to UCLA or USC for a taste of a big university. Visit Cal Tech, CSUN, Pepperdine or AVC. Even if you plan to go far away for college, visiting local colleges will help you decide what it is you want for a college or university. 
• Make a list of the colleges that you are considering. Do comparisons.  You can do all of this on Naviance!
• Focus on career goals.  Having an idea of what you want to do in life will help you make decisions  on what type of higher education you will need and what type of major to choose.   If you haven't already, take the Career Interest Profiler in Naviance to find out what career(s) may be a fit for you.  Click Careers, then click Explore, then Career Interest Profiler.  Take the ASVAB when it's offered.
• When registering for tests or submitting applications, remember to use your name as it appears on your Birth Certificate/Social Security Card. Also be sure that your school records match those documents.  If you have been registered at school as Joe Smith, but your real name is Joseph Hyde-Smith on other legal records, it will cause problems.  Please contact Mrs. Lindstrom in the Registrar's office to get your records corrected as soon as possible!  A birth certificate will be needed to verify any name changes. When it comes to applications and test scores that do not exactly match your school records, delays/denials in the processing of those documents will occur!

Now that you're in 10th grade, it's time to start fine-tuning your plans to get you to graduation and beyond:

• Meet with your high school counselor — again. Make sure you meet with your school counselor to ensure your course schedule is challenging enough to prepare you for college.
• Check into any prerequisites for advanced-level junior- and senior-year courses.
• Fortunately, you will take the PSAT/NMSQT® in 10th and 11th grade. This test provides valuable feedback through the Student Score Report; you can then work on any academic weaknesses while there is still plenty of time to improve upon them.  And then in the spring of your junior year, you will be prepared to take the SAT, the cost of which will be borne by the AVUHSD!
• Are you interested in attending a U.S. military academy? If so, you will need a congressional nomination.  See your counselor to find out how you can request one.
• Attend college and career fairs. The Antelope Valley Union High School District always hosts a College Information Night in late September.
• Keep up your participation in school activities or volunteer efforts. Extracurricular activities can help you develop time-management skills and enrich your high school experience.
• Tour college campuses. If possible, take advantage of vacation or other family travel time to visit colleges and see what they’re like.
• Even if you have no interest in attending the college you are visiting, it will help you learn what to look for in a college.
• Click on the tab above if you are interested in the military or just want to get information.

Welcome to high school!  It's already time to start planning for life after graduation!  Here are some important things for you to know and do: 

• Create a four-year high school plan. Think about what you’d like to accomplish in the next four years.  Your counselor will help you with this.
• Make sure you know what high school courses are required by colleges, and that you’re taking the appropriate classes for the type of career you choose. 
• Get to know the levels of courses offered by Highland.
• Start thinking about your life after school, including the types of jobs that might interest you. Of course these will change — often — but it’s good to start thinking about the possibilities.  Identify your interests — likes and dislikes — not just in classes but in all areas. This will help you focus on your goals. Not sure what you want to be?  Go to our website, click on Naviance Student and sign in with your PowerSchool credentials.  Then go to My Favorites, Careers and Clusters, then click on Explore Careers and Clusters. Also, a counselor will visit your Health class to give you other assignments in Naviance to help prepare you for high school and college.
• Talk to other people about careers you might find interesting. Try talking to your school counselor, teachers, recent college graduates who are working, professionals in the community, etc.
• Participate in extracurricular activities. Academics aren’t everything. Explore your interests in a sport, school club, music or drama group, or community volunteer activity.
• Remember that colleges would rather see real involvement in one activity than a loose connection to several of them.
• If you’re interested in playing sports in college, research the National College Athletic Association eligibility requirements. The NCAA requires completion of certain core courses; you can find the specifics at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
• Meet with your high school counselor. Your counselor knows how to help you get the most out of high school. Be sure to take some time during the school year to discuss post-high school plans with her.
• Save for college. It’s not too late to put money aside for college. Every little bit helps!
• Explore summer opportunities. Look for a job, internship or volunteer position that will help you learn about a field of interest. 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

The minimum requirements for graduation from high school as adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Antelope Valley Union High School District are as follows:

MINIMUM PROFICIENCY STANDARDS

In accordance with California Education Code, students must pass Algebra 1 or a higher-level math class in order to receive a high school diploma.

CLASSROOM CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS

1. If a student receives more than three “U” grades he/she shall be ineligible for school activities for the quarter following that grading period. There will be no makeup for the “U” in citizenship.
2. A senior must meet citizenship eligibility requirements in the final two quarters of their senior year in order to participate in graduation ceremonies. Administration reserves the right to deny participation in graduation ceremonies, per board policy, to students with significant discipline concerns.

ATHLETICS/ACTIVITIES ELIGIBILITY

1. Student must have at least a “C” Grade Point Average (2.0 GPA) as of the last quarter.
2. Student must have a satisfactory citizenship grade (no more than two “U” grades) in a grading period.

ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY OR CLASS OFFICE ELIGIBILITY

1. Student must maintain a 2.5 GPA.
2. Student must have a satisfactory citizenship grade (no more than two “U” grades) in a grading period.

UC/CSU - Approved Course List

Highland High School

Antelope Valley Union High School District

Location: Palmdale, CA

Website: www.highlandhs.org

Course List Manager: Sheryl Salazar
Course List Manager Phone: (661) 952-2286

College Board Code: 052541

School Governance: Public

School Type: Comprehensive High School

School Subtype(s): Site-Based/Traditional

Accredited through June 30, 2021

Course list for 2018-19

Updated as of Aug 22, 2018

History / Social Science ("a") 2 years required

Two units (equivalent to two years) of history/social science required, including: one year of world history, cultures or historical geography and one year of U.S. history; or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government.

English ("b") 4 years required

Four units (equivalent to four years) of college preparatory English composition and literature required, integrating extensive reading, frequent writing, and practice listening and speaking with different audiences. Students may only use 1 year of ESL/ELD English.

Mathematics ("c") 3 years required, 4 years recommended

Three units (equivalent to three years) of college-preparatory mathematics (four units are strongly recommended), including or integrating topics covered in elementary algebra, advanced algebra, and two-and three-dimensional geometry.

Laboratory Science ("d") 2 years required, 3 years recommended

Two units (equivalent to two years) of laboratory science are required (three units are strongly recommended), providing fundamental knowledge in two of the following: biology, chemistry, or physics. A yearlong interdisciplinary, or integrated, or earth and space science course can meet one year of this requirement.

Language Other than English ("e") 2 years required, 3 years recommended

Two units (equivalent to two years, or through the second level of high school instruction) of the same language other than English (three units recommended). LOTE levels are defined by the number of years of high school instruction; e.g. LOTE 1= 1 yr.; LOTE 2 = 2 years, etc.

Visual & Performing Arts ("f") 1 year required

One unit (equivalent to one year) required, chosen from one of the following categories: dance, music, theater, interdisciplinary arts, or visual arts (e.g., painting, web/graphic design, film/video, inter/multimedia arts).Two one-semester courses from the same discipline is also acceptable.

College-Preparatory Elective ("g") 1 year required

One unit (equivalent to one year) chosen from the "a-f" courses beyond those used to satisfy the requirements of the "a-f" subjects, or courses that have been approved solely in the elective area.

Here's what we mean by A - G

University of California - Subject Requirements A-G

A- History/Social Science - 2 years required Two years of history/social science, including one year of World History, Cultures and Geography; and one year of U.S. History or one-half year of U.S. History and one half year of Civics or American Government.

B- English - 4 years required Four years of college-preparatory English that include frequent and regular writing, and reading of classic and modern literature. Not more than two semesters of ninth-grade English or no more than one year of ESL-type courses can be used to meet this requirement.

C- Mathematics - 3 years required, 4 years recommended Three years of college-preparatory mathematics which include the topics covered in Elementary and Advanced Algebra and two- and three-dimensional Geometry. Approved Integrated Math courses may be used to fulfill part or all of these requirements, as may math courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades that your high school accepts as equivalent to its own math courses.

D- Laboratory Science - 2 years required, 3 years recommended Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in two of these three core disciplines: Biology (which includes Anatomy, Physiology, Marine Biology, etc.), Chemistry and Physics. The final two years of an approved three-year integrated science program may be used to fulfill this requirement. Not more than one year of ninth-grade laboratory science can be used to meet this requirement.

E- Language Other than English - 2 years required, 3 years recommended Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition and culture. Courses in a language other than English taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part of this requirement if your high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses.

F- Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) - 1 year required Two semesters of approved arts courses from a single VPA discipline: Dance, Drama/Theater, Music or Visual Art.

G- College Preparatory Electives - 1 year required One year (two semesters), in addition to those required in "a-f" above, chosen from the following areas: Visual and Performing Arts (non-introductory level courses), History, Social Science, English, Advanced Mathematics, Laboratory Science and language other than English (a third year in the language used for the "e" requirement or two years of another language).

SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS

Scholarships are supposed to be free to apply for.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there, so it's best to be prepared.  Click here for more information.

FAFSA, Cal Grant and the Dream Act

Remember to file your FAFSA and Cal-Grant or Dream Act by March 2nd!  The application opens October 1st every year, and parents can use their tax information from the previous year.  

Check out this 2 minute FAFSA Overview! 

Check out this 3 minute CA Dream Act Application presentation!

CAL-GRANT OPT OUT FORMS

Per Assembly Bill (AB) 2160, all seniors will have a Cal Grant GPA submitted electronically by their high school, to the California Student Aid Commission, unless a signed Opt Out form is returned to the Guidance Office by October 1st of their senior year. Please see the English or Spanish version of this document below for more information regarding the process.

• Cal Grant Opt Out - English
• Cal Grant opt Out - Spanish

Scholarships are a great way to pay for school or to get money in your pocket. Scholarships can range from $50 - $20,000 and sometimes more. Some scholarships require an essay, but the effort is definitely worth the free money! The more scholarships you apply for, the better, because small amounts of money add up.

                                           Check out Naviance student under the local scholarship tab.

     Also join HHS Scholarship Google Classroom. Contact Miss Hernandez at nhernandez@avhsd.org for details.

Scholarships are supposed to be free to apply for!  Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there, and it's best to be prepared.  Click here for more information.

The following scholarship sites are some of your best options and will aid you in your search for college cash: 

  FastWeb   Good Call     Guaranteed Scholarships   SallieMae  UNIGO