Students provided an email on their answer sheet and will be notified by the College Board when scores are available. The email will have a unique access code that will connect the student to their scores online. If the student did not provide an email address on their answer sheet or did not already set up a College Board student account, they can set one up here: https://cbaccount.collegeboard.org/iamweb/smartRegister?appId=395&DURL=https%3A%2F%2Fstudentscores.collegeboard.org%2Fhome

IMPORTANT DATES: PTA/YHS COLLEGE- & CAREER-RELATED EVENTS

December 10 - NOVA Day at Yorktown
January 8 - YHS PTA Presents In-person Mock SAT at YHS (Register by January 4)
January 10 - Dual Enrollment (APS and NOVA) Presentation at YHS PTA Meeting
January 14 - Applications Due for NOVA Courses Beginning February 1
January 22 - YHS PTA Presents Virtual Mock ACT
February 5 - YHS PTA Presents Virtual Mock SAT

YHS Calendar
APS Calendar

UPCOMING EVENTS

FREE COLLEGE CREDITS for Juniors and Seniors through Northern Virginia Community College!

Get a jumpstart on your college education while you’re still in high school! For a limited time, NOVA is offering select college courses at no cost to Arlington Public Schools high school Juniors and Seniors. Courses are twelve weeks in length and will begin February 1st, 2022. Completed applications are due January 14th, 2022. Read More.

NOVA DAY at Yorktown December 10th

NOVA representatives will be available to discuss four of Northern Virginia Community College educational programs. The NOVA staff and Yorktown Counseling will be in the atrium during all three lunches,

NOVA 2-year associates, degree program
NOVA Dual Enrollment High School and College Course
NOVA Early College Course for Juniors and Seniors
NOVA Workforce Training and Certificate Programs

Dual Enrollment (NOVA and APS) Presentation at January 10th YHS PTA Meeting
Parents/Guardians will hear about this opportunity for students from both APS and NOVA representatives, and will have a chance to ask questions.

In-person Mock SAT at YHS - Open to all APS Sophomores and Juniors

WHEN: Saturday 1/8/2022 @ 8:30 a.m.
WHERE: Yorktown High School
*Register by JAN 4

This Mock SAT provides an excellent opportunity for students to “see” what the SAT is like in a proctored and timed environment. For those students registered to take the official SAT in early March, this is another opportunity to practice and get more comfortable with the test format. The Mock SAT is sponsored by Capital Educators and results will be provided to the student / families a few days following the test.

Suggested donation per student: $25.00 Cash or Check (made out to Yorktown High School). Please bring donation to check-in on 1/8/2022. Check-in will be located at Door 12 – outside the YHS Cafeteria (which faces the bus loop on Yorktown Blvd.). Questions? Please contact Lori Schimenti at lori.schimenti@uatp.com.

Virtual Mock ACT
Mark your calendar -- event link coming soon!
WHEN: Saturday, January 22, 9:00 a.m.*
WHERE: On-line
*(Please note date change from December 4. New registration link will be available next week.)

Virtual Mock SAT
Mark your calendar -- event link coming soon!
WHEN: Saturday, February 5, 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: On-line

-- HELPFUL YHS PTA WEBINARS --

(Click on each flyer below for details)

Two June 2021 College-Related Events with
Experts Adrienne Wichard-Edds and Ami Foster, The Essay Coaches:

Ms. Wichard-Edds and Ms. Foster, both recognized writers themselves, have been teaching and mentoring teens since the '90's, and have developed individual coaching methods and writing workshops designed to help kids ad parents work together, with the ultimate goal of empowering students to find their voices and take control of their journeys to college. (More info is available at their website by clicking on the image above.)

How to Build a College List, Pandemic Edition; and Supporting Kids through the College Essay-writing Process:

Click each flyer below to access the recording of that event:

Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College (Webinar)

Recorded October 28, 2021 @ 7:30 PM

For many families, the high cost of higher education is a daunting proposition. On average, tuition tends to increase about 8% per year. An 8% college inflation rate means that the cost of college doubles about every nine years. Planning for these expenses has become essential. Navigating the savings and paying path has become more complicated. Some families have children attending college next year and others have years to plan, but the fears of tackling these monumental and rising costs are the same. The College Funding Coach® shares effective and little-known strategies that will help families figure out HOW to pay for college and still retire one day.

Please the event flyer below for recording:

The Changing Landscape of Testing & College Admissions in the Midst of COVID

YOUR Questions Answered on College Testing & Admissions, Now and Future

Recorded November 10, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.

College applications and SAT/ACT testing is a confusing gauntlet that stresses out high school parents every year. Add in a global pandemic and rapidly changing requirements, and it’s nearly impossible to know what your child truly needs to do–until now. Read More, and see flyer below:

Please click on the event flyer below for recording:

College Admissions Testing: Recommendations to Bear in Mind when Considering Tests and Timing

*From Yorktown's College & Career Counselor, M.D. Calabro*

The PSAT is always offered in October. This year, the PSAT was offered during the school day on October 13, 2021. Students will receive PSAT results in November or December. The PSAT test results provide great insight on what academic areas the student needs to improve and how to prepare for the SAT or ACT exams. The PSAT taken in 11^th grade is used as part of the National Merit Scholarship program.

I recommend juniors take the SAT or ACT or both in the spring in either March, April, May, or June. For some students, who may be in Algebra II in 11th grade, the later they take those tests, the more exposure they would have in all subjects. The ACT and SAT include questions on Algebra 2 skills. Test preparation programs for the SAT or ACT should be done just prior to the exam the student sits for. (February for the March test or March/April for the April or May tests)

I do not normally recommend sophomores or younger take the actual SAT or ACT. There are a few individuals who believe the earlier the exposure, the more preparation a student will have. I find that our younger students do not need the additional anxiety, stress, or pressure from taking these exams early. Some students may not take the test as seriously as they should if they take the SAT or ACT prior to their junior year.

If a student takes the test with only a month between the exams, there usually is not a huge difference in scores. Colleges have no preference between SAT and ACT. There are far more test sites in our area for SAT testing.

Traditionally ACT and SAT test dates are on Saturdays and are never on the same Saturday. AP exams are held in the beginning of May each year. Some students will want to take the ACT or SAT in May or June, since test preparation of SOL, AP and end of the year exams start as early as April. For other students, it’s too much testing.

Helpful websites:

PSAT:

SAT:

ACT:

Our thanks to M.D. Calabro for all of this fantastic info and expert advice -- we at YHS are so fortunate to have him! YHS PTA's in-person and virtual mock ACT and SAT events (announced under "Upcoming Events" above) fit well into the preparation schedule M.D. has outlined, and we hope all Juniors (and Sophomores who would like experience) will take advantage of our mock tests! We encourage in-person mock testing because it duplicates all of the conditions of the actual tests more accurately, which is valuable preparation for the real thing, but virtual testing is very helpful, too, both providing extra practice for students who also take our in-person mock tests, and accommodating any students who cannot attend the in-person dates for any reason.

YOUR THOUGHTS?

What else would you like to see the PTA offer this year, related to college and careers? Send your suggestions/comments to PTA President Dana Milburn, at dmdb@rcn.com!

Late-November Message/Info from M.D. Calabro, Yorktown's College & Career Counselor