We are now in a new decade which may only happen 7-8 times in an individual’s life. Even though I have been at DC since 2010 and a lot has happened since then, I am not going to go back and review the past decade in the DC Guidance Office. I do think it’s important to look back and remember what was important and helpful in order to make the best decisions moving forward. I also think it’s important to look back and be thankful for what God has provided and opportunities he has given each of us. Below is a quote from John Piper to encourage you as we head into 2020.
“The proper response to grace you received in the past is thankfulness, and the proper response to grace promised to you in the future is faith. We are thankful for the past grace of the last year, and we are confident in the future grace in the new year.”
There will be two new things happening this coming year at DC that I am excited about and one thing in college admissions that you may know about but will be new and have future implications in standardized testing.
- Transitioning from Naviance to SCOIR– I am excited to announce that this winter/spring we will be changing the college planning and application program we use at DC from Naviance to SCOIR (pronounced like a goal score). This will especially be a change for me since I have been using Naviance since 2009, but there are a number of reasons I am making this change. I will briefly touch on a few below but you will get a communication soon about this change in more detail.
- The availability of a phone app that students and parents will be able to use on their cell phones to research colleges, update their accounts and complete application steps. As the counselor, I will be able to remind students and parents of important dates and deadlines through notifications on their phone.
- More user friendly and applicable information that students and parents can see quickly.
- Easier interface for teachers to write recommendations for seniors and update their status.
- Their integration with You Visit and Campus Reel giving students and parents opportunities to tour campuses and what they may be interested in knowing in regards to the dorms, student life, etc.
2. Career Week– You may have heard about this already but the DC Class of 2021 will be the first class to participate in Career Week and I am excited for them to have this opportunity. For those of you who don’t know what Career Week is, each junior will be required to complete a 5 day internship at the end of May of their junior year. They will not have classes during these 5 days but will be reporting to their supervisor in a career field they are interested in pursuing and majoring in. This year’s juniors have been working on understanding what career field/major they may be interested in and finding a professional to intern with already. My hope is that this experience will continue to encourage them to pursue a specific profession or it may discourage them which is okay as well. If they do enjoy their experience it may lead to more opportunities over the summer and beyond and it will also be a big encouragement to them as they apply to colleges a few months later. It will push many out of their comfort zone a bit which is also a great experience.
3. Changes to the ACT Test– Beginning September 2020, students will be able to retake sections of the test, superscore their results and sit for a digital version of the assessment. Students who are interested in ACT section retesting should know these three facts:
- Section retests are available only in digital format.
Test-takers who wish to retake certain sections may only do so only online. The ACT will still be offered as a paper-based exam, but the paper test must be completed in its entirety.
- Students can take up to three section retests per sitting over seven dates.
Students will be allowed to test seven times throughout the year, and retest dates will always coincide with the dates of the national ACT. During each sitting, students can retake any one, two or three sections. There is also no limit on the number of times a student may retest overall. Thanks to the new superscoring option, students will be able to send their most favorable scores to prospective colleges. As a result, a disappointing score on the fourth required ACT section, for example, would be slightly less problematic if a test-taker’s prospective schools accept superscores.
- The cost and registration procedures are not known yet.
It’s going to be a fun and productive 2020!
