Building Your Story

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS A student with artistic talent can be an attractive candidate for colleges. Many colleges offer opportunities to showcase ability in visual art, theater, and music in the application process even if the individual does not plan to pursue a college major in the arts.

Visual Arts u Putting together a portfolio to include with an application takes planning. Most students will finalize their art portfolio during the summer between junior and senior year. Boys interested in submitting a portfolio should consult with their college counselor and the visual arts faculty.

t Performing Arts Some schools may encourage online video submissions of musical or dramatic performances. Depending on the program, some schools may also offer or require in-person auditions during senior year. Members of the theater and music faculty can help boys record performances.

Considering D-III D-III colleges tend to boast high academic expectations alongside high quality athletic programs. A student hoping to play more than one sport might find that a D-III school is a better fit. These programs also offer more flexibility in the off-season; students might more easily take advantage of internships, research, and study abroad alongside their athletic commitments. The NCAA Clearinghouse Students intending to compete in intercollegiate athletics must register online with the NCAA Clearinghouse (https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/) in order to have their academic program of study cleared by the NCAA. Upon registering with the Clearinghouse — preferably by the end of the fifth-form year — Woodberry will be prompted to upload the student’s transcript to the site for eventual approval.

Standardized Testing

PSAT & PREACT Most colleges require standardized test scores. As practice, all fourth formers take the PSAT and PreACT and fifth formers retake the PSAT. These results, which are reported only to the students and Woodberry, serve as a good indicator of how boys may do on the SAT and ACT and help identify weaknesses that can be addressed through retesting or test prep. The school orders PSAT and PreACT exams for students — they need not worry about registering for these tests.

SAT & ACT Almost all admission offices accept both the SAT and ACT and are interested in a student’s highest scores. Students are generally encouraged to take four tests — two SATs and two ACTs — by the end of their fifth-form year. In addition, students should plan to test at least once more in the fall or early winter of their sixth-form year. Because many colleges will want to evaluate the results of the optional writing portions of both the SAT and ACT, most, if not all, of those testings should include writing. When registering for the SAT and ACT, boys should use CEEB Code 472455.

Boys are responsible for their own SAT and ACT registration; accounts can be set-up through the College Board and ACT websites.

Boys will be responsible for having their SAT/ACT scores sent directly from the testing agency to each college to which they are applying and can complete this task on the appropriate testing agency website for a fee.

AP EXAMS

Many students will be enrolled in an AP-equivalent course at Woodberry and have the opportunity to sit for the corresponding AP exam. Sharing AP results with colleges is optional.

Woodberry is a testing center for the PSAT, PreACT, SAT, ACT*, and AP, which means boys don’t have to travel to take those tests. If a student wishes to be considered for extended time or other accommodations on the SAT or ACT, he must have received a disability diagnosis and should have had accommodations in place at Woodberry for at least four months during the academic year prior to the request.

*When not offered at Woodberry, the ACT can be taken at Orange County High School with center code 245340.)

Standardized Testing

WHAT ABOUT TEST PREP? There are a wide range of test prep options. All boys have access to test prep before their fifthform year as part of the college counseling boot camp. The school also offers ACT and SAT prep classes through an outside company. Access to an online prep program, Method Test Prep, is available to boys at any time. Method Test Prep offers practice lessons and tests for the SAT and ACT. Finally, the college counseling office offers mock ACT and SAT testing throughout the winter and spring trimesters.

Many students take advantage of spring and summer breaks to prepare for standardized tests. These are particularly good times for more formal courses or tutoring, if desired. Boys can also sign up for the “question of the day” and other free practice questions through the College Board and ACT websites. The Khan Academy partnered with the College Board to provide SAT prep for free. For a fee, students can order a copy of their ACT or SAT test booklet with correct answers from select test dates.

USING CIALFO woodberry.cialfo.co

A powerful resource for families is a program called Cialfo. In addition to general information about colleges, scholarships and aid, and links to other resources, Cialfo provides a detailed history of Woodberry applications and admission decisions at hundreds of colleges. Except in a small number of cases, Cialfo is also the system used to submit supporting documents to colleges electronically. Cialfo also serves as a vital organizational and communications tool, providing your son and his college counselor a common platform through which important tasks and deadlines are conveyed. A link to Cialfo can be found on the college counseling page of Woodberry’s website and through the parent resource board. Parents or students should contact the college counseling office if they need help accessing Cialfo.